Disclaimer --- I don't own samurai 7
Authors' note //// those of you who like this fic, my apologies to you, I am prone to spazmatic moments.
Previously
Once on her feet, she holds her gaze on the Samurai. "You should get back, or you'll be rushed into doing a sloppy job."
Heihachi finally gives her a smile. Heihachi felt like a puppet, under Tomoe's control; for as easily as she is able calm him; she is able to enrage him. But the final act was the over the top, restoring him and sending him into battle wearing an invisible suit of pious armor of her own design. No woman should have the ability to do what this woman has done to me.
"Tell me why followed me, Tomoe. It's not your style."
She gave him, her characteristic smirk "I came because I thought my friend, Hiyashida Heihachi, needed me."
He could not hold back a chuckle, "I'm really starting to regret this job. " She waved farewell and saunter away. He stole one final glance at his friends' retreating form. I need to get back to work, stay focused. I have a friend that wants my protection, how paradoxical.
Hours passed and most of the samurai had stopped to rest. Kirara and some of the other girls had brought each of them rice balls.
Kanbei, Gorebei, Shiroji, Kikuchiyo, and Kyouzo, had gathered in the priestess' house, to eat and review their strategy. Katsuhiro walked in house.
"Your report, has everyone changed shifts "
"Everything is quiet sensei, and every one has change except Heihachi-dono"
"Really?"
"He will not stop sensei, I have tried to convince him, but he won't listen."
Kanbei frowned; he suspected this something like this after the incident with Manzo. "Hmmm… I have a talk with him.'
Gorebei put his hand on their leader's shoulder to stop his movements. "Hold on, I have a better idea. Lady Kirara, have you seen Tomoe-chan."
"I think she is with the Elder "
Gorebei started for the door. "Gorebei, what do you have in mind?"
"A necessary evil." Kanbei gave him a curious glance but he to trust his comrades actions.
Gorebei found Tomoe exactly were Kirara said she would be.
" Oi, Tomoe-chan do you have a moment"
The girl looked up from her knapping (she was making more arrowheads, where just going to pretend that stone can pierce metal), "What can I do for Gorebei-dono?" The samurai sat across from her.
"It would seem that our rice loving friend doesn't think he need to rest, I was wondering if you would convince him to break."
She sighed, having samurai around is draining, they always need something, worse than little kids, "Sure, but I don't know what makes you think he'll listen to me"
"Friends have that affect on each other", Tomoe stared at him coldly.
"I wasn't spying …."
She got up abruptly cutting him off, "He needed to hear that. I will do what you ask. "
"Thank you Tomoe-chan"
Tomoe stalked the construction site looking for the engineer. She found stationed on a platform attached to a huge crossbow, giving orders to the working villagers.
"Hiyashida-dono!" She shouted, waving her hands to get his attention.
Heihachi heard his name over the clatter, and looked up from his diagrams. Below the platform he found a silver haired girl waving at him. He was slightly irritated by the interrupted, since she had no obvious reason for being there.
"What's up, Tomoe?"
He could only make out a few words over the noise. Something about rest and food, but it wasn't anything important enough to pull him away from his work. It had to be done, as quickly and accurately as possible, trivial tasks like those would have to wait.
"Thanks but I'm good", he yelled back, and continued with his supervision. He did not notice the scowl that developed on Tomoe's face, when she realized he wasn't coming down. Nor did he see her make her way up the platform. She asked to do this, and she was not to be defeated. The Samurai had just finished giving the foreman his directions, when the diagrams were pulled from his grip.
The foreman gapped at Tomoe's rude actions, while Heihachi's goaded expression betrayed his mocking voice "Can I help you, Tomoe". You are taking this friend thing too far, he thought'
"You need rest", she retorted
"There is a lot that needs to be done"
"You'll be useless in battle if you collapse from fatigue", she says cutting him off.
Heihachi quickly ended the stale mate with a quirky smile, "Careful Tomoe, you sound like a nagging wife".
"I am not the only one who thinks you should take a break. I'm here at Gorebei request'"
"Tomoe-chan has a point great Samurai. I can handle things for a while" the foreman said.
Heihachi faced the foreman to protest but, paused when he felt a hand slide onto his shoulder. Tomoe had bent her head so they were face to face, her eyes had softened, showing true concern, and when she spoke again her voice found that same throaty appeal it had the first night he had arrived. "Please, please come with me."
Had she said or done anything else Heihachi would have brushed both of them off and continued on. If only she had maintained her normal flaccid façade, Heihachi could have working through the night without feeling that he needed anything. But the woman looking at him now invoked a desire to accept whatever she offered him.
"Fine, let's go"
Tomoe lead him away form the construction into the woods, without another word.
"Ordering a samurai around can be dangerous, you know"
"I only said what you needed to hear."
"What?! Weren't you in my arms near tears earlier?"
"I tripped and banged my knee on a rock, how was I supposed to look? Don't you know girls have to say those lame things to samurai, so you will listen to reason? It's a must in all great epics. And since you were so into your I am samurai mode,I figured that kind of speech might work to calm you down. Samurai aren't the only ones who do things out of necessities, Hiyashida-dono."
"You are a cold actress Tomoe. Makes it hard to figure out what kind of woman you are."
Tomoe had finally come to halt in front of a large tree, and handed the samurai a large bowl of rice, "humph. I am very simple one. I have one goal, to always be of use."
"Sure that doesn't include tormenting me", Heihachi mumbled as he ate his rice.
Tomoe did not hear that statement, but watched him out the corner of her eye. They were sitting side by side under a giant oak.
"What are our chances of survival, and be honest?"
Heihachi devoured his bowl of rice and sat it aside before answering her.
"That was some good rice," He said, "Wars are risky, it's hard to say. Are you scared?"
Tomoe touched the arrows in her quiver, as if they would give her an answer "I vowed never to fear the Nobuserei, again."
"All the same, your perspective can change once the battle begins. If things get rough, no one will look down on you for running away"
She presented him with another rice ball, and sighed, "I will run only when my quiver is empty. "
"You sound like a Samuraiko, and very poetic I might add"
"My attitude is just a result of your bad influence. I still can not believe my father did this, or that of all samurai, you came to Kanna"
"Nice see you again too, but it's kind of your fault I'm here."
"How so?
"You gave me my first taste of Kanna rice, remember? It's the sweetest of all rice; I couldn't pass up the chance to eat my fill." He mumbled in blissful satisfaction.
"You must have been a farmer in a past life."
She had not notice that Heihachi's head dipped into his chest, as the first stages of sleep over took him. But when a grunt like snore came from his throat, she shook her head and gently pulled the samurai's head to her lap. It was an action she regretted shortly after. She had become a living pillow, with arms wrapped around her waist and a head snuggling the muscle of her thigh.
"I prey we survive this Hiyashida- dono, I want to see Haruko's again" she whispered.
Heihachi could not have been more comfortable. He could still hear the clatter of construction in the distance and Tomo had found this a soft pillow, it smelled just like her. He had been lulled to sleep almost instantly. But such a relaxing feeling could not last forever. He heard her voice in the distant dreamy fog telling him that it was time to go back. He did not want to wake, sleep was too good. He felt something graze the top of his head. Is she stroking my hair? This is too relaxing. It's too good to be real, I must still be dreaming. Slowly he opened his eyes, hugging his pillow one last time, discovering fleshy softness, instead of feathery fluff. What the hell?!
He slides to his knees immediately. He sat there dumbstruck, eye level with Tomoe, please Kami tell me I didn't grope her.
"Did you sleep well Hiyashida –dono?"
She's not upset, maybe I was dreaming. No, I felt something I shouldn't have. But, she doesn't even seem to care. He just sat there looking at her like a statue, waiting her to react.
"Hiyashida-dono, did you sleep well? It's been two hours."
She is too at ease; she should be blushing or something... Calm down, she's calm, you should be calm. Remember she is not the shy type. But his eyes darted from Tomoe's face to her lap as he spoke.
"Did I… ah… Thanks, it was recuperative" His mind raced figure out when and how he had fallen asleep in her lap.
Tomoe watched wearily, "Good,"
She rose from her seated position and proceeded to stretch out her limbs, "We should probably be getting back to our posts"
Heihachi however was not paying any attention to her words. He was too engrossed by rise and fall of Tomoe's hemlines. Granted Heihachi had traveled most of the known world, seen thousands of girls and been propositioned by a few, all more beautiful than the lean muscled girl in front of him; but none that he could not take his eyes off. The will to look away was none existent; he could not and would not deny himself the view of this particular girl. He watched each extension and contraction hungrily, the urge to reach out and touch her was almost maddening.
When Tomoe brought her attention back to her friend the samurai; she could not comprehend the expression on his face. Or why her skin felt as though it were on fire, the moment they made eye contact.
"Hiyashida- dono, is something the matter"
Heihachi looked away sheepishly.
"Tomoe, never do that in front anyone else"
"What?"
"That thing you just did"
"What… Stretch?"
Heihachi sighed dejectedly, "You are way too comfortable around me"
"Comfortable? Of course I am comfortable with you, I trust you" She said puzzled.
She had wrinkled her nose again, a characteristic that Heihachi was starting to find rather attractive.
"For someone brave enough to rival a Samuraiko you are clueless." He mumbled and he started to look for his head gear. "Where is my hat?"
"Here", the girl handed him goggles, the look of confusion lingering on her face.
Heihachi smiled and put on his hat and goggles, "Thanks, and during the battle remember what I a said"
Kanna girls are a dangerous breed, he thought adjusting the goggles and start the march back to the construction site.
It was Tomoe turn to watch her friend retreat into the darkness. Tomoe shook off the chill that raced up her spine and set about picking the items she brought. Her mind worked frantically to rationalize their conversation, and her changing emotions.
What does he mean I'm 'too comfortable'? And what is wrong with feeling comfortable around your friends? What did I do? Maybe he is still drowsy? I should have let him sleep longer. He seemed comfortable and I was nice and warm. I can still be warm if I stay close to him. Being a human pillow wasn't that bad. Wait I, shouldn't be thinking that. And I really, really should not want Heihachi to look at me like that again. Why I am getting all these strange reactions when I am near you, Heihachi? This is foolish; there are better things to do with my time!
Tomoe had been wondering aimless, loss in thought, until she happened on Gorebei and his cliff side perch. He noted her rigid approach, wearily. For a moment he thought his plan had gone awry. The girl stopped beneath him, and leaned into the rock as if she wanted to be swallowed by it.
"Gorebei-dono, he's been feed and rested."
"Arigato Tomoe, I knew you could do it" the samurai returned, and he continued his survey of the horizon thinking their conversation finished.
"Gorebei-dono, I …I think I'm afraid of him?"
"Kanbei-dono and Kyouzo-dono just aren't as light hearted as some of us"
"No not them, Heihachi. The way he looks at me some times… I don't understand"
Gorebei wanted to laugh he not expected her to say that. "Are you sure fear is the right word."
"What else could it be? "
"Many things, Tomoe-Chan, but I think you are more afraid of yourself. You two are afflicted the same way, afraid of what you might do, if the opportunity presents itself. Never regret anything you do, just learn from your experience and leave the past where it is."
"Which means?"
"Ha-ha…Tomoe you're a good woman, a bit naïve but a good one. Just appreciate the attention and don't worry about it" Gorebei choked out gleefully. Although the veteran was attentive to their conversation (there is nothing like a post battle melodrama to take the edge off), he did not let his guard down, and continued to look for signs of the enemy.
The light bulb finally went off in Tomoe's head. "Samurai have strange taste" she said with a smirk.
Gorebei catches a flicker of light on the horizon "Skill goes a long with us, and today you can use those strengths, come, there is a battle upon us".
Gorebei pounded the alarm, and the pair bound up to the ridge joining the forming ranks.
Once again apologies for any grammar errors I just want to get this finished.