Chapter 13: Blood over Fire

"So how did your trip go?" Jugo said as the pair walked in. "Oh Kazuma, you're here!"

"You'd never guess that I ended up at the beach as well." Kazuma entered after her.

"It must have been fate then." Jugo said rather quietly.

"Pardon father?" Ayano said with a tinge of sarcasm, feeling a cloud of weight in the room. She was not happy knowing that her father had been trying to set Kazuma and her up previously.

"Nothing at all. So your trip went well?" Jugo smiled at them, as they sat down.

"Yea, actually it was great. Nanase won the volleyball competition…among some other things."

"And your birthday Ayano? I'll have to give you your gift later tonight or maybe tomorrow…"

"It went really well…" She said, feeling the necklace on her neck. Did it become a little heavier too? She looked to Kazuma who was looking straight on at her father. She looked back instantly before he caught her glance. Why was she so worried? I mean, she didn't know how to bring it up…honestly she rather not, and instead just confront her father about his shady actions but-

"Actually Jugo, I have something to ask you." Kazuma said, before Jugo could inquire about Ayano's silence.

"Yes, Kazuma? Go ahead?"

"As of this weekend, Ayano and I have actually started to date. But I would like to ask your permission first? I know I am independent from the family but-" Kazuma looked to the side. On the sly he already expected Jugo to accept, it was rather more or less to see his reaction. On the other hand, it was only correct to ask his permission. He figured it was two birds with one stone.

"Dating?" Jugo's eyes widened. Kazuma suspected he was muffling some form of glee. "Of course Kazuma! Finally our family can be back together again…"

"Hey, hey wait! He said dating , he's not marrying me!"

"Wouldn't that be a thought Ayano!" Jugo smiled.

"Are you hearing me father?!" Ayano looked taken back. Her eyes wide.

"Well this could have gone worse." Kazuma smiled to himself.

"You two are the worst…" Ayano sighed.

Suddenly another voice echoed outside the room. "Jugo are you going to-"

Ayano's eyes widened, as suddenly the sliding door to the hallway opened to Kazuma's father.

Genma's eyes darted to Kazuma with a glare. "What's going on here?"

"Oh, didn't you hear?" Jugo said rather normatively. "Ayano and Kazuma are dating now."

"What?" Genma asked looking rather suspiciously.

"Is there a problem with that?" Kazuma gave his father a glare.

"Is this how you expect to come back into our family? Date the Successor of our family? The same girl that beat you out in shame…"

"I wouldn't do something so low. I actually care for Ayano. But it couldn't just occur to you that I don't care if I'm in the family or not? I'm just trying to help out because-" He stopped himself. He wasn't about to say the family was weak. No, not after what Ayano had gone through to try to prove her strength. "If you want to tell me to leave again that's fine, but don't try to stoop me down so low as to hold people's merit and value according to their power only. Only a despot like you would do something like that." Kazuma stood up and began to leave. "I actually do like you, Ayano, but unfortunately I can't simply state something without my idiot father blowing his horn and accusing me of something. Sorry." Suddenly he was gone.

Genma watched him leave with cold eyes. He shook his head.

"I didn't have a problem with it. Couldn't you have-" Jugo said lightly.

"He's got to learn it isn't that easy to-" Genma interupted rather stoically.

"Actually you have to learn it should be that easy to come back to the family."

Jugo and Genma both turned to Ayano slightly stunned by her forward words.

"I've seen enough. Kazuma is blood. Although our blood lines are separated by an extended family lineage, and one that does not always bestow the greatest of powers equally, he is still family. More then family, I see him now as something else. Something stronger then most of us will ever be independent of his contractor powers. When I end up the Head of the family, I will make sure nobody is isolated, even if their powers don't end up coming out in their lifetime. It's one thing to work hard, but it's another thing to isolate a person from the people they are supposed to care about. That's what makes a monster. Not a ghost or a youma. It's because of a lack of human contact and disconnect from others…I saw that happen again this summer at the lake, just to prove it. How do you think Kazuma ended up going rogue? It was because he had nobody to support him and was supposed to just accept that he ended up loosing the only person that cared for him…Tsui Ling…who ended up, as far as he knew, hating him. No, I'm sorry. I know you're my elder, and I apologize for any disrespect, but this isn't about your respect, it's about giving respect where it's due. Kazuma likes me. I like Kazuma. Maybe…maybe more than that. And it's different than just being family, because I never got to see him as family in my life, up until recently. Now that I do, it might be in a different way then I had intended… but I promise you he hold's no ill will or a gain towards attaining power here. Actually, I think I'm going to adopt a new mantra here, maybe this should sink into everyone's bones: Blood over Fire here in our Clan. I'm going after him, and if he ever decides to stay at the temple, then blame me for the occasion not him."

Ayano's eyes darted away quickly, before anyone could speak, as she left to stop Kazuma.

Jugo swallowed. "She's got both a head of hair and a mouth of fire her like her mother had…." His voice wasn't of resentment though, more of admitting a simple truth about his wife and daughter.

"A mouth of harsh wisdom. She will do good to deal with the hard headed men of our family." Genma turned away.

"Was that a self-reflexive statement dear Genma?" Jugo asked calmly.

"I'm leaving." Genma said without another word.

Jugo sighed. This family was definitely more or less a patchwork of a quilt…

"Kazuma, wait!" Ayano finally caught up to him just at the end of the corner of the street.

"I'm sorry Ayano. I can't return with my father present. Your lucky I didn't just fly off there. Would have been a lot harder to catch up."

"I don't care. Who cares if your father is present? I already told him to back down."

"You told my father to back down?" Kazuma turned to her and stopped in his tracks.

"More or less. I can tell both of you get your hard headedness from one of the same. I already told him, when I take over the family, nobody will be isolated from it. I don't just care about the firepowers. Sure it helps, that is what our clan is, but this kind of arguing is pitiful. If he wants to blame anyone he can blame me for this, and if you ever stay at the temple, that can also go on my shoulders."

"I appreciate it Ayano. But if he's still there I can't promise it won't blow up again."

"I told him, Blood before Fire. I don't care what anyone thinks. I'm not letting you back down and leave just because you two have spilt milk. Nobody is about to be isolated again."

"I can't tell whose more stubborn, you or me?" Kazuma's face softened a bit.

"Well I can't help it that I have to be the one to clean it all up. I mean I can't fix it, but I'm sure as hell not going to let it ruin everything again. It's stupid. So what you couldn't light a fire? Most people can't."

"So you're saying even if I didn't have such amazing powers, you'd still value me?"

"Well I can't know for sure, but I don't think someone should just be shunned like that. Especially after you went and did something about it. It's not like you just sat on your ass…" Ayano defended. "Either way you're coming back now so-"

"Actually I don't have to. I still have that expensive apartment…"

"Really? After all I did? And why are you going there? I thought you said you were going to continue to stay with us?"

"Well I mean, at least there, there is more privacy. I don't doubt you wouldn't mind escaping from that place every once in a while."

"Yea, family is a pain in the ass, but you don't just walk out on them just because they are."

"When did you get so noble Ayano?" Kazuma leaned in.

"It's not noble, it's just common sense."

"Well if it's common sense for me to return…I guess I have to." He shrugged.

"You guess? After all I did to stand up for you, you guess?" She repeated, looking peeved.

"Well I will merit you for standing up to my father."

"Oh that's good. Well if it's more of a trouble then don't return…I just didn't want you to go all rogue again or anything…"

"Why would you think that?"

"Last time you felt isolated and betrayed you did. Your father's words hit you the hardest next to two other more evil people we know. I wasn't about to let you think that everyone will just let you walk away or push you away that easily…" She crossed her arms stubbornly.

"Well then you'll just have to keep me a little closer then huh?" He leaned into her ear and pecked her neck.

She jumped back and looked at him, feeling the urge to yell at him for his selfish flirting. She sighed and restrained it. "Only if you'll stop leaving all the time. I shouldn't need to put you on a leash you know. If you're going to keep walking away from this…I can try to stop you but I won't force you." She turned away.

His eyes widened.

"I'd never walk away from you Ayano. I was walking away from him." He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, leaning his head on her left one in embrace.

"Maybe just stop walking away. Stop fighting. For two seconds just live." She turned to him, looking up at him.

"You know I think your right." He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, and trailed his fingers to her chin, lifting her face up into a kiss.

"Let's go back." He said with a softened smile. She nodded.