After being M.I.A the entire day, Kenshi quietly returned to the room he shared with Hanzo and Maya. He was determined to pack everything he arrived with before sunrise and make a clean exit. Knowing that one of his friends will wake up at any second made him work even faster. Having to explain his absence was something he wanted to avoid.

"I can't tell them, well I went back home just to give them some privacy and hope that you guys will finally get together. I'm sure she already knows what I'm up to and that's a conversation I'd rather have at her house. He's a little...dumb when it comes this. I'm sure he'll be pissed if he catches me leaving. He thinks she's my girlfriend for Gods sake! And I don't have a good enough lie to cover my ass with. Whatever, they'll be fine without me here. They need to get used to it." He said under his breath as he placed his clothes in his suitcase.

Using his telekinesis, he opened the door to avoid making any sounds that might wake them up. He sensed their auras in the room and felt at ease sensing that they were sound asleep. The position they were in brought a smile on the young man's face.

Hanzo was certain about two things: he was in bed and he wasn't alone. He kept his eyes closed as a precaution, and out of fear. He's been in this predicament before. Every time he builds up the courage to open his eyes, he ends up facing someone who's haunted him for years.

With his eyes closed his other senses, primarily his sense of touch, heightened. Even when he resisted to follow the same pattern again, his hands began to navigate it's way down her body until he reached her lower back. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He rubbed her back in a soothing, circular motion, in an attempt to warm a part of the icy body that laid against him. She didn't reciprocate any of his actions, and continued to lay there. Her frigid embrace made his heart sink. The layer of frost he rubbed away returned. The same overwhelming feelings of grief and anguish he felt so many years ago welled up inside him, threatened to spill out and make him sink back into madness. In the back of his mind he knew his nightmares would return, whatever caused his reprieve wouldn't last forever. He did his best to brace himself for the inevitable before opening his eyes.

In an instant he the lifeless body he once felt warmed up and moved against him. His hands instinctively went to her hips after she shifted her body over his, straddling him. None of her eyebrows weren't raised, her lips didn't pull into a sly smile, which were signs that trouble would soon follow. Only curiosity and concern marked her face. Though it wasn't her intention, every twist and turn she made revived long-forgotten desires. Ignoring his groans, she placed a hand on his cheek, keeping her eyes on his. The change in his attitude was like night and day. While he was grief stricken and immobilized with one woman, he felt renewed life with the other. Not wanting her to make the first move again, he cupped her chin and placed light, tentative kiss on her lips. It quickly deepened, he listened to her breathing hitch when his hands moved up and down her curves before settling on her hips again. He wanted to feel more of her, to have her beneath him with the intolerable barriers that their clothes created torn off. The room became stifling, so she pried herself away from his warm embrace and lead the way outside. The logical thing to do was to go after her. His vision blurred the more she walked away. Her soft, muffled laughs slowly became clearer and louder. Taunting him as he woke up.

Hanzo groaned when he sat up. The abrupt ending to his dream started him off in a bad mood. For the first time that dream took an unexpected but pleasant turn. It did bother him that he had to relive the first part but he decided to confront it later. The space next to him was disturbed, the bed sheets were pulled back and a pillow was off to the side. One of the inn's maids stood at the door, patiently waiting for Hanzo to get up. He apologized and stood up so she could do her job. Replacing and fixing the futon didn't take long. Hanzo quickly found out that like Maya, the maid was a sorceress. The wrinkled sheets and pillowcases that laid on the futon levitated in the air while their replacements she held took their place. The pillows were rearranged and fluffed up to her liking. The old sheets and cases were then folded in the air and went to her side. She handed Hanzo a new yukata and informed him that his breakfast was waiting for him.

The disapproving glare she shot at him didn't go unnoticed.

"Is there a problem?" He stepped forward, staring her directly in the eyes. His gaze and posture came off more menacing than he intended.

"No!" She panicked and shook her hands in hopes of calming him down. "Enjoy your day." She told him before scurrying away.

He followed the path outside his room, rubbing his neck in an effort to soothe the small kink that formed there. "Spending some time in the onsen that's outside should help. But there's two of them. The stone bath by the washroom and the one in the terrace. The stone bath is larger but the one on the terrace and has a better view." He mused. "Hmm, Maya's awake." He noted when he heard her humming and followed her voice. It became louder and clearer the closer he got to it's source. Soon he stood in front of the sliding glass door that lead to the terrace. He caught a glimpse of what was already there and quickly took cover behind a wall.

Conscience and temptation dueled on opposites shoulders. While he agreed it was rude and a blatant invasion of privacy, something that he didn't take away yesterday while they were in a hot spring. Conscience's voice began to die down the more he stayed rooted in place. It has been countless of years since he admired and developed romantic feelings for someone else.

"Go back to your room!" Conscience chastised him. "You're an adult, not a hormonal teenager!"

"Why run away now when you were going after her? And what did she tell you yesterday? Seeing a little skin from time to time never hurt anyone." Temptation chimed in.

And with that, Temptation won.

Seeing her dressed in form fitting, and often times short, clothing didn't prepare him for what had his undivided attention. His mouth went dry when he took in the sight of Maya sitting at the edge of the outdoor hot spring with a folded towel sitting on her lap. Every feminine curve of her body was on display and he instantly felt a tightening in his groin. His entranced gaze swept over her body multiple times before settling on her breast. With his dream still fresh in his mind it took an act of will not to groan or do something stupid that might get him caught. Some parts of his dream felt extremely realistic, that he did feel almost every curve of her body on the palms of his hands. He compared her to the Naiads he briefly read about while in her home. Even with the amount of otherworldly experiences he's had, Hanzo was skeptical that beings like them actually existed in places within Earthrealm. Until he sees them with his own two eyes they were chalked up as fairy tales. Now he was convinced.

Still damp from her brief dip inside the hot spring, Hanzo saw beads of water still clinging onto her skin. A few rolled down her neck and eventually made a trail down her body. The sun added to the natural beauty that transfixed him. In the sunlight and sitting near the vibrant green trees made the warm undertones in her already glowing brown skin radiate. Her fluid movements and humming also captivated him. His eyes then traveled up her tone legs, He watched Maya gather her wet locks that laid on her right shoulder and carefully wring out the remainder of the water in them. At the same time she made soft waves in the water with her legs and feet.

Hanzo could have remained watching her for much longer, enjoying the feel of the water around her feet and legs in the open air, but when she began to wrap her towel around her body, he finally listened to Conscience and hurried off to the bedroom. Through trial and error, Hanzo decided sitting on the edge of his bed looked a lot more natural than him sitting uncomfortable in the center, trying to look relaxed. Her soft footsteps and humming became clearer as she made her way into the room.

"Good morning, Hanzo." She sang when she entered the room.

"Good morning." He quietly replied.

"Kenshi left us a note." She sighed leaned against the door and crossed her arms across her chest. She was more annoyed at the fact that the maid who gave her an attitude from the moment she woke up was the one told her Kenshi left than Kenshi leaving. Just as Kenshi predicted, Maya connected the dots and realized the real reason why he would disappear or distance himself whenever they were supposed to do something as a group."Sneaky, but smart."

"Whatever, his loss." She started to walk to her abandoned bed and picked up the pink and white yukata that was left for her. "We'll have fun without him."

"You mind giving me some privacy?" She jokingly asked when he didn't move from his spot. Hanzo hung his head even lower at the end of her question. "I need to change, you know?"

"Oh! Yes. Um, It's the least I can do." He stumbled on his words and hastily got up.

"I wonder what that was all about." She blinked, confused at his change in attitude. "He sure as hell wasn't acting shy last night."

The rest of the day dragged on with Maya being under the watchful eye of nearly everyone in the ryokan. The other guests who checked in the morning were always close behind, gossiping like school girls. Maya did her best to ignore the women's hostile glares and the men's hungry eyes scanning over her. Being looked at as an outsider or an object was something she was unfortunately used to but her patience was wearing thin. They were on the lookout for Hanzo, his run in with the maid was discussed as soon as it happened and being on the receiving end of his anger was a position they didn't want to be in. Luckily for them he was off on his own, away from Maya. Had Hanzo been there, he wouldn't hesitate to confront anyone who looked at her with disdain on their face. Putting Kenshi and Natsuo in an awkward position with the owner by being an "unruly guest" was something he would avoid but the last thing anyone will do is disrespect her.

"I've dealt with a lot worse and can make it through the night. Then we checkout and go home tomorrow. I'm not going to let those bastards win."

Aimlessly wandering around the ryokan grounds, Maya listened to the gently flowing waters in the outdoor springs she passed by. Remembering what Hanzo told her about being able to clear his thoughts and focus on more important matters when he visits Lake Shinji, Maya momentarily forgot about what annoyed her. Thoughts of going to her new temple with her friends and getting the ball rolling on her plan to help those who really need it entered her mind. She made a mental note to brush up on her skills and do extensive research on the ones she has yet to master.

Her meandering about caught the attention of those she passed, she heard their remarks, the word odd was thrown out the most, but they rolled off like water on a duck's back. She passed by a building that housed an outdoor fire pit and peeked inside. Hanzo was quietly watched the flames flicker and blacken the small wooden logs they surrounded. She noticed the orange flames gently rise and fall with each inhale and exhale. When he finally tore his eyes away from the fire and looked up, she was already on the move.

Hanzo felt compelled to follow her to see where she was going. They spent a majority of the day apart. He knew if he spent even a minute alone with her right after their awkward interaction in their room, his thoughts would immediately go to his dream and the image of her naked, sitting on the edge of the outdoor bath. It took a lot of will power in the beginning but he manage to block out the image out of his mind. Part of him did not want to forget, why let go of something that makes you happy? He kept himself busy by taking a long walk the neighboring town. There wasn't much to do there, it didn't have the same attractions or stores to peruse that Matsue did. He remained in his seat for a few more minutes before getting up with his things and walking back to his room.

"Maya?" He called and looked around their room when he didn't get an answer. He called her name and again he was met with silence. He placed the bag on a nightstand and headed for the outdoor bath. The hot water came as a relief to his sore muscles. Soon, he closed his eyes and let his mind wander off. Guilt wormed it's way in with regret and shame in tow. He had no right to watch her during a private moment, that was a fact that he accepted. It was his dream that disturbed him. The way his dream switched from the usual somber and heart breaking scenario to a more pleasant one disturbed him. Yes, he has improved since the nightmare that caused him to have a panic attack and he has made steps to move on from the terrible crimes and misdeeds he's committed when he was a wraith. But those offenses were done against strangers. He's convinced himself that he shouldn't be able to move on from the pain he's experienced because of the mistakes he's made with her. It was all confusing! An all too familiar throb in his head that signaled an oncoming headache.

"I've repented and deserve happiness but not in that aspect in life. There's no excusing my behavior." He rubbed his temples. "She is with Kenshi after all, that should be enough to make me stop going after her. There is no honor in chasing a taken woman..no matter how much of a temptress she is and how he's acting like the same a neglectful idiot I was in the past. That explains it all, the compliments and flirtatious gestures she's made towards me aren't genuine...Are they? That's not in her nature, she wouldn't lie and play games about something like this."

Had he asked himself a few crucial questions, Hanzo would have avoided the neck pain that accompanied his headache.

Several minutes later Maya's light-hearted walk around the ryokan came to and end when she entered their room. She slipped out of her yuakata and washed off in preparation of getting into the water. When she entered the room that housed the outdoor bath, she found Hanzo sitting in the water with his back towards her. That sparked an idea. She was at the right distance to read his aura without having to touch him. Instead of going through the usual route of casting a spell or offering him a potion, Maya tightened her towel and made her way towards Hanzo.

"Any room in there for me?" His eyes snapped open when he heard her voice. She was the first and last person he wanted to see. "This is giving you deja vu vibes, isn't it?" Heat rose to his cheeks when he looked up at her. Again she sat next to him, legs crossed, and feet in the water. At any moment he thought he would faint and averted his eyes when his mind wanted him to picture her naked again. "Oh no, you're not running away from me." She told him when he slowly inched away from her. He cursed under his breath when he felt his body being pulled towards her and to his original position.

"That wasn't necessary." He grumbled.

"You have a headache and I'm going to help you get rid of it. Don't act like you don't like this." She peered down on him and saw his cheeks take on a brighter rose color. "That's what I thought." She lifted his head, forcing him to look directly in her eyes. "Besides, you've been away from me all day. You owe me a little one and one time, Mr. Hasashi. Stop fighting it."

"Stop fighting it." He repeated with a sigh. "The more I think about whatever...this is, the more I'm torturing myself."

She combed her fingers through his hair, easing the physical tension that caused his headache. Placing her hand on his forehead would have been just as effective but from past experience she knew Hanzo appreciated and preferred this method. After being away from each other for most of the day, it was comforting for the duo to be in each others presence, small talk or a lengthy conversation wasn't needed. The silence between them continued, his headache was long gone but continued playing with his hair. She didn't feel the need to join him in the water, a last minute dip inside before they check out in the morning sounded better. Their private moment was interrupted when a maid returned to their room with their meal for the night. She looked inside the outdoor bath and smiled at what she saw.

"Excuse me," Maya lifted her head when she heard the maid's soft voice. "May I speak to you for a moment?"

"Sure! Think you can manage a couple of minutes without me?" She asked Hanzo.

"I survived the entire day, didn't I?"

The maid couldn't help but laugh at their short conversation. Maya took a moment to change into another yukata to not feel out of place and joined the maid in the tatami room. The two women sat across each other and placed the plates on a tray on the table. The maid thought about how to approach what she wanted to discuss. It was a sensitive topic and the last thing she wanted to do was upset Maya.

"What was your name again, sorry. I didn't catch it." Maya asked, to start the conversation. She sensed the nervous energy coming off of the woman sitting across from her and wanted their conversation to put her at ease.

"Naomi Saito." Her face lit up. She was an attractive young woman, her long honey brown hair was pulled into a ponytail. Maya thought her light blue yukata complimented her chestnut eyes and brought out the cool, rose undertones in her fawn skin. "I know you're Maya Bellamy. I've heard nothing but good things about you and your family."

"I'm glad to hear that." Maya smiled. "We try to do our best."

"I didn't mean to interrupt your moment with your boyfriend-"

"W-We're not dating." Maya corrected and surprised her.

"Could have fooled me. You two seem very...comfortable around each other."

"It's that obvious, isn't it?" Maya gave her a weak smile.

"I saw you two walking around last night and then the maid who tended to this room in the morning was clucking around like a hen about you guys." Maya thought back to seeing the older maid's sour face when she woke up. "What she said wasn't right." Naomi sighed.

"What did she say?" Maya furrowed her eyebrows.

"Some people are very old fashion..." Naomi carefully said. "They're not very open to seeing interracial couples or people of other races interact with one another in the same way that-" Naomi was over sugar coating what she wanted to say. "She's a racist bitch."

"Can't say I'm surprised." Maya dryly replied.

"There's a lot of underlying jealousy and insecurity in people like her." Naomi frowned.

"Oh, trust me! I know." She's seen the envious looks on women's faces whenever she didn't let them bother her. "Thanks for telling me."

"No problem!"

"I um, also wanted to ask for a favor. It's fine if you say no."

"What is it?"

"I know some of the basics when it comes to healing but I was wondering if you could teach a few more things?" As much as Maya wanted to jump for joy and go on a tangent about her plans for the temple, she restrained herself. During their conversation, Maya scanned Naomi's aura. Her gut instinct was right that Naomi was someone she can trust and that everything she displayed to Maya was genuine. "It will give me an excuse to not be here just to keep myself busy."

"How long have you worked here?"

"A few months. Work here is pretty dull but it's better than nothing."

"We'll start your lessons on Monday at noon. Kenshi, Hanzo, and I will meet with you at the trail head in Mt. Daisen."

"Thank you so much!" The two women got up and hugged each other before Naomi left.

"Looks like someone found her first apprentice." Hanzo made his presence known once she was gone. He was fully dressed and was leaning against a wall. He heard the tail end the women's conversation and thought Maya handled it well. Naomi seemed nice but withholding information about the temple was the right choice.

"I've had students before. It's no big deal." She scoffed, feigning indifference. Her act didn't last long. Her flat expression was replaced with a broad smile. While they ate Maya enthusiastically talked about what she wanted to go over with Naomi. Hanzo didn't understand the methods she rapidly listed but toyed with the idea of watching her demonstrate them for himself.

Long after sunset, the duo prepared to go to sleep. Maya caught herself walking towards Hanzo's futon while he was in the bathroom brushing his teeth. Falling asleep on his futon was an accident, she was too tired to get herself up and make the short trip to her own futon. She had the chance to go back when she felt the space next to her dip as Hanzo got into bed with her but she stayed. Opportunity presented itself again when he unexpectedly draped an arm over her waist. It wouldn't have taken a lot to get up and move, his sudden movement woke her up a bit but she wasn't bothered by it. As the night progressed he inched closer to her until there was barely any space between them. The arm that was lazily placed on top her waist was around it. His hold on her was firmer, making Maya feel secure while they slept. The feel of his broad chest on her back added on to her sense of safety and security.

She sat down on her futon and continued to look at the one next to her. A sleepy yet content smile came across her face. Occasionally his hands roamed her sides or he lowered his head to kiss the top of hers. They shared other intimate moments, the time they spent together in the outdoor bath is one of them, but they paled in comparison to long hours they spent asleep and intertwined with each other. Moving to his futon to see if there will be a repeat was a last minute, or second, decision. Hanzo emerged from the bathroom and saw Maya settling in. Conscience and Temptation reappeared on his shoulders to sway him into making a decision. He kept himself busy by rummaging through his bag. It was a short fight, a fight that Temptation won again. Maya was fast asleep when he laid down on the opposite side of the futon with his back facing hers.

Hours later Maya sighed contentedly when she felt Hanzo wrap an arm around her and pulled her towards him.

I hope I did this chapter some justice and that you guys enjoyed reading it. Feel free to leave a review and tell me what you liked, disliked, any critiques! Thank you so much for reading!