AN: Oh hey, it's a prompt request from my writing tumblr! The exact prompt was... a bit too specific for my tastes, so I played a bit fast and lose with the overall idea of it. Hopefully it's still in the spirit of what the person who left the prompt wanted, whoever that they might have been, since they left it on anon. I ended up writing two scenes for it!

I'm going to be trying to pump out prompt answers (in between updates of my multi-chapter fics, of course), so look forward to that, maybe! Until next time!

One Hell of a Princess

AU

Characters: Hattori Heiji, Toyama Kazuha

Summary: Sometimes he found himself wondering why anyone thought that she needed a guard at all. At others, he understood.

If there was one thing that he was certain he'd never understand, it was why there were people who were actually jealous of his current position. It was true that while on the outside, it was a rather impressive one- especially for someone with his own personal history, but the fact that they said such things just went to show that they didn't understand what they were talking about.

Besides, it wasn't as if he had even asked for his current role, so much as it had been thrust on him without him having much say in the matter. Sure, he'd agreed to it at the time, but given the alternative... well, almost anything would have been preferable to that.

Thus he found himself in his current role- one serving as the personal bodyguard to the only daughter of a noble family. One who was destined to one day marry the future emperor, a genuine princess. On the surface, it didn't sound like that bad of a job- but anyone saying that had clearly never actually met his ward, a headstrong young woman by the name of Toyama Kazuha.

It wasn't as if he disliked her- on the contrary, really. There were many who might claim that they got along too well, and that he was too quick to forget his own position. That was hardly a surprise, given that it had been made amply clear to him from day one that hardly anyone other than the young princess and her parents actually wanted him around, be it at the royal palace, or Lord Toyama's private manor. That kind of pressure was something he was used to dealing with, though, so to be frank, it didn't really bother him.

No, the problem lay in the fact that, to be quite frank, the young princess didn't actually so much need a bodyguard. It wasn't that she lead such a secluded life that she rarely had any occasions to put herself in danger- if anything, it was the opposite. While that might make it seem as if there was all the more reason for him to keep watch over her, the truth of the matter had become quite clear, from almost the first day he had met her.

The princess was very much capable of handling herself. If anything, the ones who needed protection were the fools who would dare try and harm her in the first place.

Like, for example, right now.

"Don't ya think ya should go a bit easy on them?" Tilting his head just so, Heiji made no move to stop the scene that was unfolding before him. It wasn't all that often that one got to witness a finely dressed princess toss a man twice her size over her shoulder- except if one was him, of course. It was a sight that he surely never tired of, though. "I'm sure they're all real sorry about tryin' ta rob ya by now, Princess."

"That's a fine thing for you to say!" Finding that there was no more real threat to be had from the groaning men on her feet, Kazuha turned sharply on her heel to face him, narrowing her eyes. "Where was it that you wandered off to in my hour of need, Heiji? Are you not supposed to be my guard?"

"Supposed ta be is a good way of puttin' it, Princess." Heiji observed, merely arching a brow. "But somehow I don't think this counts as yer hour of need, seein' as ya pretty much put the fear of ya into them. Record time too, I might add. Besides, you were the one who wanted ta make this trip without any additional escort, not me."

"Well-" Opening up her mouth to protest this, Kazuha just as quickly shut it, realizing full well that he had a point. "I suppose that is a fair point, but nevertheless, it does not change that you abandoned your charge. What was so important that you left me by myself, to be assaulted by bandits?"

"Nature's call." The mischievous smirk on his face made it utterly clear that he did not mean that in the poetic sense, but rather, in a far more basic sense- which Kazuha very quickly realized, her face turning a bright shade of red that only made Heiji's smirk grow. "When I got back, ya were already doin' pretty well with takin' care of those fellows yerself, so I thought I would just sit back an' watch. Turns out ya didn't need my help this time either."

"W-well, I suppose if that was your reason, it cannot helped." Coughing into her hand to cover her embarrassment, Kazuha took a step forward, dusting off her robes. "The question of what we should do with these bandits remains, however."

"Just leave 'em be." Heiji noted, getting to his feet, letting out a slight yawn as he took a few steps forward. Casting a lazy glance towards the three men, he found himself quickly assessing the lot of them. "Don't ya see the way they're dressed? They're probably nothin' more than a bunch of desperate peasants, fool enough ta think ya were an easy mark."

"Desperate?" Kazuha asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she once more turned on her heel, turning towards the men who had been foolhardy enough to attack her. It was true, what he said- their manner of dress was rather haphazard and worn, as if perhaps this was their only change of clothes. "For what reason?"

"Taxes, of course." Heiji said simply, coming to stand by her side. "I hear the lord in these parts is rather infamous fer havin' high ones. Just cause yer old man's fair ta those he looks after, doesn't mean that the rest of that lot are. Isn't that right, ya lot?"

In unison, the three men gave a quick nod to his words, all but confirming his theory. Glancing over towards Kazuha, Heiji gave her a somewhat easy grin, one that only grew as she returned it with something of a sour look. "Come on now, ya know that I know all about that sort of thing, s' why I got myself into so much trouble in the first place. Why don't ya spare 'em this time, Princess? I'm sure they regret their actions, an' from the looks of it, they didn't really seem ta do all that fightin' back."

For a long moment, she seemed to consider his words, before she finally released a sigh. "I suppose if these men were simply driven to desperation by such an unfair practice, I cannot entirely say that their actions were unreasonable. However," her voice cracking loud and sharp like a whip, she fixed her gaze on the three men, that alone being enough to send a chill down their spines, "...if they should repeat such actions again, they should be aware that others might not be as forgiving as I am."

"What part of ya is forgivin'?" Heiji couldn't help but quip- only to find that it was now his turn to flinch at her scathing glare. "It's only just a joke, relax a little!"

"It is because of things like that, that the palace servants keep saying you fail to understand your place." Kazuha couldn't help but observe. At the kind smile that spread out on her face, melting her stern expression away, Heiji had to force himself to look away- least feelings that he knew he was not supposed to have for her were to rise in his chest. "But that is part of what I like about you, Heiji."

"Well, I should hope so!" Masking the beating of his own heart with a broad, cheerful grin, Heiji folded his arms in front of his chest. "If I fall out of yer favor, they'll probably be sendin' me right back ta the gallows, after all. I can't have that!"

Ah, saying that had been a mistake. He'd realized that almost as soon as he had blurted it out, and quickly found himself cursing his foolishness for saying such a thing. The tight, drawn expression on her face was proof enough as that, the smile of hers that he had come to love vanishing from her face without so much of a trace.

Of course she would react like that. Among those who chattered behind her backs about her choice of bodyguard, he knew that there were plenty who spoke of him as something of a childish whim. That the moment that he fell out of her favor, he would return right back to where he had been when she had saved him- in line for the chopping block.

Truth be told, he still didn't fully understand why she had gone so far for him, considering that the two of them had only briefly met before that. But he knew that for Kazuha, this was no mere whim on her part- she was serious when she claimed that she would employ him as her own bodyguard, and that any of those who wanted to take up a claim against him would have to do so in the face of her father.

Really, what a headstrong princess. They were alike, in that manner- always the type who didn't listen to those around them, so long as they were certain that they were doing what was correct. Had he her status, he probably would not have found himself in the position that he had back then, three years ago- but it was obvious that people would take the words of a princess over those of someone without so much as even a past to his name.

"W-well, anyways, ya heard the Princess here." Deciding it was best to change the topic, Heiji took a step forward, addressing the three would-be bandits. "I'd reckon ya should remove yerselves from her sight, before she decides ta change her mind."

"Wait one moment!" Her voice cracking out in such a way that only that of a noble's could, Kazuha took a step forward, carefully gazing at the men, her eyes studying their features. For a moment, it almost did seem as if she was going to change her mind- before a warm smile surfaced on her face, and she reached into her inner robe, pulling out a small pouch she had hidden there. "Before you go, take this with you."

"Are ya sure?" Heiji asked, quirking a brow. "Ya don't have ta go that far."

"I am quite sure." Kazuha said simply, placing the pouch in the hand of the nearest man, pulling back her hands before he could attempt to give it back to her. "I have more than enough money to spare, a luxury which these men clearly do not have. What use are nobles if we cannot even take care of the people that we are tasked to look after?"

Unable to help himself, Heiji felt a bright smile cross his face at her words. Really, this princess sure was a handful- not only was she headstrong and stubborn, but she was also filled with ideas that a young lady of her status probably shouldn't have- at the very least, not according to her fellow nobles.

She was the kind of woman who didn't care what others thought about her, and would instead march straight ahead if she knew what she was doing was right, regardless of anyone else fell into step behind her. That might have been how it was in the past, before they had met each other- but now, she would always have someone following behind her, as if they were the shadow to her bright light.

She might be a right hellion of a princess, but she was his princess.

"Ya know, it's not yer job ta do this."

Most times, the role that he had found himself carrying was a simple one. The princess that he was tasked with watching was more than capable of taking care of herself, leaving very little in the way for him to do, as much trouble as she could find for herself. That was how things were most of the time.

This, however, was not one of those times.

"You got this injury because of me, I would say that makes this very much my job." There was a stubborn tone to her voice that made it abundantly clear that she would accept no arguments. If there was blood staining her elegant kimono, then she paid it very little mind. The cleaning of it wasn't nearly so pressing a need as was the treating of Heiji's wound, as nonchalant as he was trying to act about the whole thing.

It wasn't a very deep gash, after all- he'd taken worse than this and lived. There could have been a better location for it, he supposed, not pleased with the way that it fell over the long healed burns on his upper chest, something which made the cleaning of it a rather bothersome thing. The burns themselves weren't something that bothered him much anymore- they had happened a long time ago, back when he had still merely been a child.

There had been a fire, which was about all that he could remember- in fact, he remembered very little, if next to nothing from his own childhood. That too, had ceased to bother him as the years passed. If there had been anyone looking for him, they would have likely found him by now.

"Need I remind ya that it's my job ta look after ya, Princess?" Heiji pointed out, merely arching a brow- but his rather nonchalant facade melted away the moment she pressed the wet rag against his chest. Letting out a rather sharp hiss as it stung, he averted his gaze from her, trying to act as if he hadn't just made such a sound. "Just look over there, yer givin' the one who is actually supposed ta be doin' this a near conniption."

"Pay him no mind." There was a command in that, slight though it was, to which Heiji merely found himself rolling his eyes. He'd spent a significant portion of his life ignoring the orders of nobles, and he wasn't exactly about to start now- even if the one issuing it had saved his life.

He'd saved her life a few times since then, so as far as he was concerned, that made them more than even. This reckless, headstrong princess who would charge forward no matter what the situation was, found herself in her fair share of danger- but that which she could get out of herself, and that which she couldn't. That night's trouble, had fallen very squarely in the latter category, and he shuddered to think what would happen if he had arrived even just a moment later.

He couldn't claim that a knack for finding trouble wasn't a trait that they both shared- nor was reckless, headstrong behavior. Kazuha would claim that it was destiny that had brought them together- to which Heiji could only laugh off, knowing that there was no such thing.

"You should consider yourself lucky." Kazuha began, withdrawing the cloth that she had been using to clean the gash on his chest, once white rag now stained red. "It has already ceased bleeding. If it had been any deeper, we would have had need of someone to stitch you up. Perhaps next time, you will remember to actually bring your sword with you."

"I found one when I got there!" Heiji protested. "Besides, I seem ta remember that you were the one who charged in there, even knowin' that old man wasn't on good terms with yer father. Ya might have been right, an' ya might have shown up just in time ta save that kid's father, but ya could have at least waited fer me."

"He did nothing wrong." Kazuha insisted, almost puffing out his cheeks. "The accusations levied against him were false, you said that much yourself! I just... did not expect them to be trying to cover for their master's own crime by accusing him. Nor that they would attempt to go so far as to silence me in order to protect him."

"Or that they would..."

Judging from the expression that crossed her face as she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence, Heiji knew that her thoughts were dwelling on what that man had said to her back then. Namely about who he was planning on pinning the blame on for her would-be murder. Her rescue and subsequent employment of him had raised more than a few eyebrows amongst the noble folk, and there were any number of nobles who expected that it was only a matter of time before he turned the very sword that he had vowed to protect her with on her.

A ridiculous claim, really. He'd certainly caused a fair bit of trouble in the past- but it wasn't as if he was a murderer. It was true that he had a knack for running into dead bodies, perhaps because he had escaped death once himself- but he had very little to do with the actual creation of them.

"Don't tell me yer worryin' about somethin' like that!" With a bright smile, Heiji reached out, lightly ruffling her hair. The elaborate hairstyle it had been placed in that morning had long since fallen into disarray, so it wasn't as if it much mattered at this point. "Somethin' that small doesn't matter. Besides, ya know there's no way that I would let anythin' happen ta ya, Princess, troublesome as ya are."

It was probably for the best that there was no one around but the doctor at the moment, who gawked, open-mouthed, at what he surely construed as a rude gesture to someone far beyond his own station. He'd never been much of one to care for such things, though- and he sensed that perhaps that, in part, was a bit of the reason as to why Kazuha liked him. Her role- and the duty that she would one day have to carry out- were things that she chafed at. Even with a father who was almost notorious for not restricting her freedoms, there were still things that she simply could not do.

To have someone in her life that willingly ignored such things, and just simply treated her as another human being, was something that she clearly cherished.

"I do not think you did anything wrong either." Kazuha noted, lowering her head, so that he wouldn't see the faint shade of red that her cheeks had turned at his touch. Besides, if she looked upon that blinding smile for much longer, she was sure to feel things that she knew she was not allowed to feel. "You were only doing what was right."

"I mean, I did maybe, accidentally incite a small rebellion." Heiji pointed out, his grin only growing. "That's unquestionably a thing that happened. An' well... some other stuff too. Turns out there's a fair number of people out there who don't really like it when ya speak the truth."

"I quite like it myself." Kazuha noted, drawing in a long breath, before she reached up, brushing his hand off of her head. "Come now, let me finish treating you. We still have to present ourselves in front of father to explain this whole ordeal, and I cannot have you bleeding out in front of him while doing so."

"Yes, yes." Dropping his hand to his side, Heiji watched as she busied herself, gathering up the cloth that would be used for bandages. "As my princess commands."