AUTHOR'S NOTE:
First... A warning that this chapter contains a fair bit of Saitō-Chizuru content.
This means that we all have to wait a chapter to see Sen finally get to talk to (flirt with?) Harada (did Kimigiku warn her off or give her tips?) and find out how Saitō handles Oni combat training with Amagiri. Will Hijikata get the night off from the Oni (excluding himself, of course)? Is Sannan experimenting with the Water of Life (duh - yes). (And among the others, Souji and Heisuke are healing much faster than expected and Shinpachi is still waiting to find out if they get to go celebrate sometime soon. I haven't forgotten Yamazaki or Kaoru either. Sigh...)
Second... Also another look at the Kazama siblings.
Third thank you to everyone who took the time to post a review on my last few chapters. Even a few words to let me know that you liked something can really brighten my day, and many of you went farther than that. Honestly, just letting me know that you liked a particular chapter or character or line is great.
NyaPowa: a writer with lots of knowledge who takes the time to give me encouragement and ideas and asks interesting questions (chapter 33 is co-dedicated to you); I laughed out loud at the Sen/Kazama chat in your review...
nakigaoyuu: who provides both kind encouragement and important corrections to all items relating to Japan, Japanese and canon (chapter 33 is co-dedicated to you); yes, you get bonus points for calling me "Oni-shosetsuka-sama" :)
Quote: "Long live our super playboy, Shiranui Toshio-sama!" - nakigaoyuu
StariChanx: for wonderful, encouraging reviews and for reminding me that the story should regularly get back to Chizuru :)
Anon (Guest): who writes amazing reviews and has provided so much encouragement over the last several chapters ("Take note Hajime. At least nod your head when you see her"); also, yes, Toshi be careful when you grumble about Oni!
CanadianGAAP: you will get your wish on finding out what happens between Sen and Harada - just not today (and glad you liked Shinpachi's cameo; he's a good guy)
red1Rogue: for somehow providing me with enough ongoing commentary to make Hijikata one of my favourite characters in this story; and for reminding me that kendo didn't exist when swords were actually still used as a weapon
I try to respond to every review or PM comment and a few of you will know that if you mention something that didn't work for you, or if you have a suggestion, I will always take it into account. Sometimes I go back and make changes, other times I try to incorporate ideas or suggested tweaks into new chapters. Sadly, I can't write in detail about everyone in one story... too many great characters. But hopefully there will be other stories!
Kazama Chiharu - yes, she is my first OC of this story and yes, carefully plotted in since the beginning
[of course, technically Shiranui Toshio-sama is also my OC, but, well, I see him more as an Act of the Gods - he is still alive, you know... for now...]
oooOOOooo
Chapter 35 – Family Matters, Part III
[I - The Sister]
Kazama Chiharu had seen far less of her brother Chikage than usual over the past two years. It worried her, because he seemed to become more remote and less easily able to smile with each visit. There were few Oni who actually thought well of humans, but Chikage's dislike deepened every time he was forced to deal with them. He spoke very little about what he was doing in the wider world, though, so she was left to speculate to a certain extent.
One of the few true disagreements between them was in the matter of Chiharu's being allowed to visit some of the great cities. She would dearly love to see Kyoto and perhaps even go as far as Edo and she was starting to chafe at the restrictions imposed on her by her brother. At her age – just past twenty – Chikage had been allowed a great deal more freedom, and had travelled with their father on various business trips.
The truth was that the slaughter of the Yukimura Clan, some said by elite soldiers of the Shogunate, had sealed all chance of the Kazama Clan and its dependants being willing to deal with humans any more than absolutely required by necessity or honour. The Shiranui Clan, second only in rank to the Yukimura in the East since the Sakurai Clan had died out over two centuries before, had been shamed by having allowed their leaders to be murdered undefended and so far unavenged. Only the grim facts of Oni survival as a race and the orders of Shizuka-hime, then Princess of the Oni, had prevented the ritual suicide of the leader and senior warriors of the Shiranui.
Chiharu knew all this. But she wished that she could do what her cousin Osen-chan – more properly Sen-hime, now – had done. After a year of mourning her mother, Osen-chan had told her uncle and guardian that she was going to the family residence in Kyoto whether he liked it or not. Of course, she probably couldn't have gotten away with it so young – before sixteen – except for Kimigiku-san's support.
And that was another thing: she had been an adult for four years now, but still nobody would tell her exactly what Kimigiku-san (then Yukishima Kimiko-sama) had done to forfeit her place as Heir to the Yukishima and be stripped of even the right to use her Clan name. People sighed and whispered but they never explained.
Chiharu looked across the breakfast table at her brother's handsome face and decided to try once more to convince him to take her to Kyoto with him. She hadn't teased him about it yesterday, but she had just found out that he was leaving again today and didn't know when he'd be back. As powerful as he was, she still feared for him.
"Nii-sama."
A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth and he turned lazily toward her.
"You can't come to Kyoto with me today, Haru-chan."
She laughed and then sighed, but wasn't yet defeated.
"At least tell me why not, Chikage. I am no longer a child. I do what you ask because you look after us and we owe you our obedience but… Please treat me as an intelligent adult."
The ruby eyes darkened and the handsome face became more shuttered, but he didn't just push her away as he usually did. Instead, he seemed to be considering what to say.
"The city of Kyoto has become very much more dangerous lately, Haru-chan. Yes, I know I've said that before, but it is true and it is getting worse. There are two things I'd like you to think about: first, there is going to be a battle around the Imperial Palace sometime soon – and that is secret information, mind!; and second, I think I may have located Yukimura Chizuru-sama."
"What?!" For obvious reasons, the second comment was far more interesting to her than the first. There was always a battle going on somewhere these days, it seemed. "How is that possible, Chikage? And – where is she?"
Her brother stood up and paced across the room. He stared out the window for a moment, and then turned to face her again.
"I'll tell you, but don't forget about point number one."
"Alright…"
"Three nights ago, Amagiri and I were observers on behalf of Satsuma at a slovenly little inn where a group of ragged humans were plotting their usual little betrayals. Shiranui was there, by the way."
Chiharu nodded and tried not to be distracted by that news. Although the name could refer to the heir to the Shiranui clan, Shiranui Tsuneo-sama, her brother's view of the elder brother was well-known, whereas he had more or less grown up knowing the second son, Shiranui Kyo.
Chiharu had once been rather infatuated with Kyo-san, but that had been four years ago and she had seen very little of him in those four years. Moreover, the relationship between the clans had become strained when Chikage had turned down the alliance that had been arranged between his only sister and Shiranui Tsuneo-sama. In fact, Chikage's relationship with their mother had been strained since then as well.
"Please go on, Chikage," she asked politely.
"Certainly, unless you're going to go all moon-eyed every time I mention Kyo-kun's name."
Being both well-trained and curious, she had no difficulty ignoring the gibe. She waited patiently for him to continue.
"Hnh." He walked away again, almost as if he were uneasy. He was certainly restless.
"Well, the idiot Chōshu were known to frequent the inn and they were raided by the local guardians of the so-called peace, the Shinsengumi."
"I think I've heard of them," said Chiharu, trying to remember why the name was familiar.
"Not from me," responded her brother somewhat acidly. "But I believe that Kyo-kun complained about them a few months ago. Perhaps you accidentally overheard our conversation?"
"Perhaps…" she murmured.
"The Shinsengumi are held to be among the best swordsmen of the Shogunate. They are certainly the darlings of the Aizu, from everything I've heard. If they are truly exceptional, then I saw little sign of it, but – "
"You fought them?"
"Not to say fought, Haru-chan. That implies some kind of comparable level of skill. But I will try to be fair and say that for a brief moment I thought the man I faced was worth drawing my sword for. Unfortunately, he was taken by a coughing fit and then I realized that he carried the white plague. And no – I was in no danger of taking it from him! Remember, we may not be immune, but it is very rare for us to be affected."
"Still…"
"I was hardly in the place for my own amusement. Do you want to hear the rest or not?"
"Yes, of course!"
"Then try not to interrupt. Tch! As I was saying… To be fair, the man I faced might have once been an excellent swordsman, but I had no way to tell, given his condition. Amagiri tried to convince the young hothead with him to let us leave peacefully, but I don't know why he bothered. The boy wanted glory and the end was predictable."
"It is unlike Amagiri to kill unnecessarily."
"Well he tried not to fight at all. Anyway, I saw the girl bandage the little warrior, so maybe he survived."
Chiharu frowned. I wish he wouldn't talk of death so easily. It makes him sound so cold.
"Finally!" she said aloud. "Tell me about the girl."
Her brother studied her intently, but since she was genuinely interested – not to mention powerful enough in her own right – he saw nothing to irritate him. He shrugged negligently, but she wasn't fooled. Either he'd done something foolish or the girl had made an impression or both. He was no longer looking at her.
"She was dressed as a boy, which was ridiculous. I can't imagine how even a human could fail to tell the difference."
Chiharu contained her impatience. She was starting to lean in favour of the "did something foolish" theory.
"Dark brown eyes, very pretty, hair almost dark enough to be black but not quite. She'd cut it, too, probably for her pointless disguise."
"But you think she was – is – an Oni? A pureblood of one of the great Clans?"
"Yes. I injured her by accident when she threw herself in front of the man I had been fighting – and no, I wasn't going to kill him, don't lecture! Her wound healed almost instantly. But when I asked her why she would protect a human she pretended not to know what she was. She was angry and frightened – but she wouldn't back down. She's lucky I didn't run her through before I understood what she was."
Kazama Chikage's sister knew that he was telling most of the truth, just not all of it. She was a little better than he was with the Gifts of Soul and Mind. Then again, she was nowhere near his level with the Gifts of Body. For a fleeting instant, she wondered if female Oni had always been this way. It wasn't how she imagined the legendary Suzuka-gozen, for example. That was something she was going to think about later.
"Nii-sama. Assume I'm going to meet this girl – who sounds very intriguing, by the way. What will she tell me that you don't want me to hear?"
"I couldn't believe she didn't know she was one of us," muttered Kazama. "And I was in a hurry."
Still patient, and used to Chikage's evasions, Chiharu worked it out. Then her dark purple eyes – much closer in colour to those of the original Yukishima, some said – widened perceptibly.
"Oh Chikage! You tried to push her to show her true form?! With Soul magic?"
"Well how was I supposed to know?! And it worked perfectly. She is a pureblood Oni, young, powerful and – "
"And probably terrified of what you did to her if she really was unaware!" After a moment, Chiharu added thoughtfully: "And angry. I'd be angry if it were me."
"I didn't know!"
He never raised his voice with anybody but her. She was certainly the only one who ever saw him this ruffled, with the possible exception of Amagiri. Which reminded her…
"Where is Amagiri anyway? You never answered me last night."
"In Kyoto with Osen-chan."
"And the Oni girl? Why do you think she's the Yukimura Heir and where is she?"
"Who else could she be and she's in Kyoto with the damned Shinsengumi. And Amagiri, Osen-chan and Shiranui. I asked Shiranui to go because at least he's no friend of the Bakufu."
His voice was under control again, but he almost never cursed as a rule so he wasn't wholly himself yet.
Chiharu managed – barely – not to ask why he was worried about warriors for whom it wasn't even worth drawing his sword. Instead she turned her considerable intellect to unravelling the whole from what her brother was telling her and not telling her.
"Alright… Tell me if I'm wrong. You didn't visit Sen-hime when you entered Kyoto. You were involved in violence – not of your making but nevertheless – within Kyoto. You also used powerful Soul magic on an unknown Oni girl, also within Kyoto. Amagiri probably visited Sen-hime on your behalf… And then you came here? Osen-chan wouldn't let you take the girl with you after your, ah, misunderstanding?"
Chikage gave her a satiric look.
"Close, but not quite. Amagiri and I left Kyoto the day after the incident, much as we'd already planned. Osen-chan summoned Amagiri back and told him not to bring me. I didn't bring the girl because Amagiri felt we shouldn't stir up more trouble right now especially with an unwilling guest. I bowed to his superior wisdom, of course."
"So you think Osen-chan has taken an interest in the girl?"
"Of course."
"I have to agree. You do seem to have gotten yourself into a scrape, Nii-sama."
This time his glare was icy.
"It isn't a scrape, Chiharu. And I was very generous and gave Amagiri a week's leave to sort out whatever Osen-chan wants him for."
"And then there's going to be this battle you're worried about?"
"I'm not worried. But I have to be there and it wouldn't be safe for you."
"So you want me to visit Osen-chan after the battle?"
There was a long silence. Chiharu felt a rush of excitement and quickly suppressed it. Maybe she had misunderstood, but…
"You may come to Kyoto with me in the early fall, if things are quieter. I'll do what I must now, and then I'll make sure that the boys get safely back to mother. But if possible, after that, we will travel to Kyoto together."
"Thank you, Nii-sama." Chiharu was willing to work with what she had. Besides, she knew how much it would mean to Chikage if the girl were the Yukimura Heir and willing to marry him. She couldn't help but think that her brother had gotten off to a rough start, however.
[II - The Lover]
Saitō carefully shut the door behind him. This was likely to be difficult enough without potential onlookers.
"Yukimura, I do need to talk to you about your father. It is all connected with the Oni. May I pour us water first?"
There. He had tried to respond at least partially to her half-joking, half-fearful comment, instead of just silently getting things done first. Harada had often commented, usually to Nagakura, that ignoring a woman's questions entirely was not a good strategy.
"Oh, no… I mean – let me."
While Yukimura poured water for both of them, Saitō ensured that the window screen would keep out the setting sun – and hopefully unwanted observers – but still let in air. Then he knelt and waited quietly for Yukimura to settle herself opposite him so that he could begin.
"First, I would like to say again that I haven't changed my mind. At all."
Yukimura looked surprised, but she seemed to relax a little, even though he was just repeating himself. She indicated the water, and they both drank.
"Second," continued Saitō, "most of what I have to tell you seems very strange, at least to me. I will try to relay what I was told – and what the Vice Commander and Harada were told while I was there – but I may make mistakes. If I do, I hope you will believe that I was not trying to mislead you."
This time Yukimura touched his hand, troubled.
"You don't need to ask." Like an echo in his mind he felt her thought: of course I will believe you. He tried not to flinch in surprise but didn't quite succeed; however, he was easily fast enough to clasp his hand around hers when she tried to draw it back.
He waited to make sure that she didn't mind, and when he was certain that she was actually pleased with the contact, he went on, trying to focus on what he had to say rather than on her small hand in his and her scent around him.
"When we first brought you here, you told us that Yukimura Kōdō-sensei was your father, that you grew up in Edo, and that you left Edo to come to Kyoto because your father had stopped writing to you and you wanted to locate him."
The girl nodded slowly, clearly still worried and trying to understand where this was leading.
"Based on what I was told today, it seems likely that Yukimura Kōdō-sensei is still alive and unharmed. There is no indication otherwise, and all of the available information points to that conclusion."
Yukimura started to look more hopeful, but he shook his head, willing her to let him explain everything before jumping to conclusions. Almost unconsciously – ah, but not quite, he mocked himself – he gently took her other hand, moving closer so that her arms could still rest comfortably.
"The difficulty is," he said, his eyes fastened on hers, "that Yukimura-sensei is not your father. He is your kin, but not your father."
Her hands instinctively jerked back in shock, but Saitō didn't let go and she immediately stopped trying to pull away. Her face was very grave, however.
"But he did raise me, Saitō-san. He is the only father I remember."
"Yes. That is true. Your… original parents died when you were only four. Do you remember anything?"
"No, nothing," Yukimura said immediately. Then she blinked. "Did you… hear… that?" she asked timidly.
"Yes, barely. A voice telling you not to remember." Saitō pressed her fingers with his. "I heard it too."
"It sounded like my father – I mean – you know…"
"Mm."
The swordsman tried to make his tone as non-committal as possible, but this was clearly another piece of evidence against Yukimura Kōdō. Saitō felt cold anger at the man rise in him like gall, but he checked it, not wanting anything to interfere with being fully present for the girl in front of him.
"So… my parents… did they have the same name? You said they were kin?"
"I am told that they were the leaders of the Yukimura clan."
He saw Yukimura swallow and blink a few times.
"Then that is why… Kimigiku-san… and Amagiri-san… kept addressing me that way? As…"
Yukimura's voice seemed to fade away for a moment, but Saitō just waited for whatever it was that she wanted to say.
"… as Yukimura-sama?"
"Yes, that is why. The Oni – Sen-hime and Kimigiku-san and Amagiri-san – they are very happy that you are alive and well."
Saitō felt his own resolve fail a little at that. Despite everything they had said, weren't they going to force Yukimura back into her role as a clan leader as soon as possible? Where did that leave him and the Shinsengumi? And then he remembered, again, to focus only on what was immediately before him.
"Saitō-san?"
"Yes?"
"What happened to my family? If this is true – and I am an Oni, and the… the leader of a clan – then why has nobody told me this before? Why didn't my father – I mean Yukimura-sensei – tell me? Was he trying to protect me?"
Saitō could hear something very like desperation in Yukimura's voice, as her intuition and intelligence told her one thing and her heart refused to know it for the truth. He moved forward so that their knees were almost touching, his strong fingers and calloused palms wrapped tightly around her hands and holding them where she could see as well as feel the tangible connection between them. He longed to have the Vice Commander's ability to convey reassurance, or Harada's instinctive knowledge of how to comfort the hurt and the frightened. But they weren't here, and he had decided some time ago, after all, that he didn't want them here.
"Yukimura, I am sorry, but your family – your clan – they are all gone. Twelve years ago they were attacked and their defences fell. The Oni do not even know exactly what happened, or how it could have happened. But the evidence is that they were completely overrun."
Her eyes moved from his hands to his face, looking for some kind of hope. Saitō knew that his face didn't reflect good news, but she persevered anyway.
"And my father?"
"Yukimura Kōdō was the only survivor that they knew of until now, and he was unwilling – or perhaps unable – to answer their questions. Maybe he was also a victim, but it is more likely… especially since his disappearance… that he was involved in what happened. He never told anyone of your existence."
It had been too blunt, Saitō thought helplessly, as she blinked back tears, lips pressed tightly together. He should have left her more room for hope so that it could sink in gradually. He had wanted to be the one to help her but he had been so clumsy… It took him a long moment to realize that if he listened carefully he could hear her and feel her in his mind – or maybe he was in her mind?
She felt terribly alone. There had always been the two of them, until he had left for Kyoto the last time; they were family and she thought they had been happy. And except for the unbelievable, terrible secret, he had been a good father. Except for the slaughter of her parents, and all their kin, he had been a good father. And she was alone now because the father who had raised her had actually stolen her away and made sure that there was no home to return to.
No. Saitō finally manage to impose himself on the chaotic anguish. No. You are not alone. I am here. Right now, I am enough. He made himself believe it so that she could believe it. Stay with me. You told me to stay with you and I did. So you are not alone.
"I'm sorry… Saitō-san. What did you say?"
She was still forcing herself not to cry. That made him feel worse. He had the uncomfortable feeling that she was trying to be brave in front of him.
"I said that you are not alone. I am here." That had sounded better in his head; now it just seemed rather arrogant.
"Yes, thank you…" Yukimura managed a tremulous smile. "But you see… my father – you know – he was there for me the whole time I was growing up."
"And now it seems like a lie?"
"Wasn't it?"
"I'm… not sure." Saitō shook his head, troubled. It would be so much easier to protect her from tangible creatures, like bandits or even rasetsu; a sword wasn't much good against betrayal and unhappiness, except perhaps for seeking vengeance.
The worst of it was that even now he was trying not to give in to an increasing temptation to wrap her tightly in his arms and kiss her mouth and neck and shoulders and tell her that he wouldn't ever leave her alone. Fortunately, he was checked by his own revulsion at such melodrama, and he was very wary of those feelings. He had been warned after all. On the other hand, wasn't some kind of reaction normal? He felt his cheeks flush and was glad that the dim late-afternoon sunlight in the room meant that he could at least pretend to be calm and in control.
He removed one of his hands from Yukimura's and drank more water, even though it wasn't very cool anymore. Still, it helped to clear his head a little.
"I am having difficulty explaining what I mean," he admitted. "But I can try again. Also… If you think that tears would help, I… don't mind." Mostly. Even if I don't know what to do to help.
"I don't want you to leave," Yukimura said simply, as though her statement made perfect sense instead of being a complete non sequitur.
"I won't." He tried to see things from her point of view and decided that nobody liked to feel watched when they were not quite in control of themselves. "Would it help if I couldn't see your face?"
She looked at him a little dubiously.
"What do you mean?"
He slowly released her hands, feeling very nervous.
"We could sit as we did before, if you don't mind leaning against me. Then you'll know where I am, and I can tell you everything else that I'm supposed to tell you, but you won't feel like I'm staring at you."
"Okay." Her smile was still distinctly wobbly, but determined. There was no doubt in her voice, however, and that actually worried him slightly. What if she had no idea what he was talking about? She had been asleep for most of it.
When he sat down, though, Yukimura settled herself at his side as if it were a perfectly normal thing to do.
"Are you sure you don't mind this?" she asked, very seriously, her dark brown eyes intent on his face.
He almost had to grit his teeth against the first answer that came to mind. The constant battle to do things right, and not take advantage of the situation, was more wearing than he'd expected. He hoped that whatever part of this was driven by Oni magic wore off very soon.
"Īe. I don't mind." His voice didn't sound quite normal to him, but he hoped it wasn't noticeable.
This time, when Yukimura let herself relax into his side, Saitō silently pulled her back against his chest and folded his arms loosely around her. He decided that it was both better and slightly terrifying to do something like this on purpose instead of just having it happen.
Clearing his throat and stolidly ignoring his jangling senses as much as possible, Saitō took up where he'd left off. If nothing else, maybe having to stay focused on such a difficult subject would help him.
"I can't say if it was all a lie, Yukimura. I do believe that unless Amagiri-san and Kimigiku-san are lying to us, then Yukimura Kōdō almost certainly betrayed your family and kidnapped you. Also – again, assuming we aren't being lied to now – it seems likely that your powers were both suppressed and masked on a regular basis for twelve years, which to my mind is an evil thing in itself. But I have no way of knowing how Yukimura Kōdō felt about you during the time that you lived with him. It cannot possibly justify what I think he has done, but he may have cared about you very much and looked after you with kindness."
There was no response, and he didn't expect any, since he could feel the girl shaking against him and he was quite certain that the tears had spilled over. He could even perceive her grief in his mind and it occurred to him that there was something that he should do.
"Yukimura. You must calm your mind, or find a way not direct your thoughts outward somehow. Otherwise the others will come running again and that's not what you want to happen. Or, if you can, maybe you can find a way to share your grief just with me?"
There was a long indrawn breath.
"H-hai, Saitō-san…"
He tightened his arms around her and after quite a short time realized that the sensation of sadness had faded substantially.
"Yukimura?"
"Yes?"
"It's much better now. Thank you."
"I'm sorry I caused a problem."
Saitō sensed her embarrassment and immediately dropped the subject, but there was a slight feeling of accomplishment at having resolved a problem without having half the Shinsengumi and all of the Oni show up at the door. Relief made him forget himself for just long enough to brush his lips against Yukimura's soft dark hair, and for a moment the scent caught him and he could hear his blood pounding in his veins. Mercifully, long-honed reflexes held him immobile while he clamped down on it all over again. It took quite a while, this time. He was suddenly looking forward to training this evening; it couldn't possibly be worse than this and might make him tired enough to sleep properly for a while.
"Um, Saitō-san?"
"Yes?"
"Are you alright? Could you tell me about the rest of it now?"
"Yes, I'm fine, and yes, I can tell you about Shiranui Toshio-sama, the Oni who was determined to recreate the entire Oni race in his own image. For all I know, he may still be trying."
He paused, a little shocked that he had said such a thing. Yukimura was startled into a soft giggle.
"Are you sure that's the important information you need to share with me about the Oni, Saitō-san?"
"Yes."
"Also, I know you aren't really alright."
"What do you mean?" This time Saitō felt no inclination to laugh.
"When you are this close I know when you aren't telling me the truth. I thought you should know. I don't want to keep any secrets from you."
"Yukimura, there are secrets I still have to keep from you. I'm sorry."
He waited for her reaction and felt the old defenses ready to slide back into place just in case she pushed him away. But she just nodded.
"I know. But I'd rather you didn't lie to me. You don't usually anyway. Please?"
He still hesitated, thinking it through.
"If I can't answer a question – or if I don't want to – then you will accept that?"
"Yes. I trust you."
He hugged her tighter for a moment.
"I have noticed that when negotiating, that is one of those statements that sounds like praise but is really intended to make the other person more likely to keep their part of the bargain," he informed her.
"I know." She twisted around a little, and he reluctantly loosened his grip. Her lovely dark brown eyes looked very serious as they met his gaze. "I use it all the time when I am shopping. Especially for fish."
He stared at her and finally realized that she was teasing him. It was… odd. But not in a bad way.
"Do you want to hear about Shiranui Toshio-sama?" he asked gravely.
"Yes, Saitō-san."
"Then do not compare me to a dubious fishmonger."
"Yes, Saitō-san." But her lips quirked suspiciously at the corners.
"We should really go back to our original places," Saitō told her.
"I know. Can we wait until after you tell me about Shiranui-sama?"
"Yes." How could he resist? As long as he was careful...
With a small sigh that could have been either sadness or contentment or possibly both, Yukimura settled back against his chest and into his arms. She appeared to be perfectly comfortable with this arrangement, although he could see a faint blush on her cheeks. It did not entirely suit Saitō's sense of what was right, given that he had told her how he felt - and not even the whole of that - less a day ago. Mind you, it had been a very full day.
END
A/NOTE: Thank you to all my readers. Reviews are always appreciated, long or short, but I truly do appreciate everyone who continues to follow and read this story.
If you see errors or omissions, or just want to send me your thoughts, please feel free to send me a PM.
There are still a number of things coming up, as you can imagine. Including Kazama's attempt to reclaim Chizuru and Sannan's decision regarding the Water of Life.
-ImpracticalOni