I don't own PMK or any of its characters. I only own Din, and Setsuna.
Sorry I'm so late on updating. Things have been rather weird around here; the computer monitor died on me for five days before I had enough money to buy a new one. Moving away from that…
Thank you for the reviews! They keep me going! This is another flashback chapter, mostly showing the relationship with Ryoma, Ryuunosuke, and Din. I hope you…
Enjoy!
It had been a year since Ryoma and Din had met, and things couldn't have been better. They were all living underneath a training house Ryuunosuke had purchased for his men. It was a nice wooden home with three stories of small rooms each man had to themselves. At the bottom level there was a large training area, and a small kitchen Din used for cooking every night.
Since Ryoma and Din's meeting, the two had grown close. They often went on missions with one another under Ryuunosuke's orders and often spent their days off down by the river, just hanging around. Things were going well for once.
"Din-chan! Ryoma-kun!" Ryuunosuke called out as he walked into the training house. "I've got another mission for you!"
Ryoma stepped out from the training room while he wiped his forehead with his right sleeve. Din came from the kitchen and bowed before she stood in front of Ryuunosuke. Ryoma laughed a bit and patted Din on the back.
"Come on Din-san! Relax a bit!" Ryoma said with another laugh.
Din closed her eyes. "Ryoma-san, please, I just want to hear what Ryuunosuke-sama has a say."
"Fine." Ryoma sighed.
"This is why I'm sending the both of you on this mission!" Ryuunosuke said. "You two need to get a bit closer before I send you on an intense mission."
"We can go now," Din insisted. "You can send us on any mission Ryuunosuke-sama, don't worry about that."
Ryuunosuke sighed and shook his head back and forth. "Never mind that now Din-chan. Anyway, I want the two of you to head out and recover a paper for me from the red light district."
"Sure!" Ryoma grinned.
"Great." Ryuunosuke returned the grin.
Ryuunosuke had given Ryoma and Din the address of the house where the papers were said to be, and the name of the person who held the papers. Once the sun had begun to set, the two head out to the red light district with plain blue kimonos on. When they arrived, they saw a large festival of some kind. Din twitched at first, but realized that the two of them would be able to blend in easily now. They walked into the large crowd of people and began moving towards their desired house.
"Hey you wanna check this out when we're done?" Ryoma asked.
"What?" She looked up towards him. "But we have to get back to Ryuunosuke-sama as soon as possible. What if he needs this paperwork now?"
Ryoma waved his right hand. "I doubt he does! Come on Din-san! Relax and hang out for a while!"
"Relax?" She cocked her right eyebrow. "I'm sorry Ryoma-san but I have a lot more on my mind then you think I do. I can't just relax and hang around."
He sighed. "That's what I'm talkin' about. Din-san, come and have a little fun with me for once please? I wanna get to know you better."
"You already know me enough."
"Please?"
Din looked back up towards Ryoma and saw the face he was making; large, watery eyes and puckering bottom lip. Din couldn't help but give a small giggle. The look on Ryoma's face disappeared when she began to giggle, and was replaced by his usual smile.
"Fine," she said. "We'll stay for a while but we have to hurry back."
"Alright by me!"
The paper the two needed to get was a small, simple paper with only a few words written across it. Ryoma stuffed it down into his kimono, and the two walked out of the small house without a problem. When they walked into a large group of people, Ryoma grabbed Din's right wrist and pulled her over to a candy booth.
"Get something with me," Ryoma said. "I've got plenty of money."
Din reached down to the candy and picked up a handful of bright red candy. She looked at it longingly as a memory of the man she missed returned to her. Ryoma noticed her pause and leaned on her.
"You want it?"
She shook her head. "Candy is for brats."
"Well," Ryoma bumped against her, "I'm gettin' it!"
Ryoma took the candy from Din's hands and popped a few into his mouth while he paid for it. But as Din watched, she found a small blush crossing her face for no reason at all. She watched the way he acted, heard how he talked, and found everything about him odd but she liked it.
"Come on!" he said with another tug. "Let's go play a game!"
He dragged her over to another small booth. They began to play the simple game there that involved catching a goldfish. It took three tires, but Din managed to catch the goldfish, and was given the small fish as her reward. After Ryoma failed twice, they left the booth and began walking around together.
"What are you gonna do with the fish?" Ryoma asked as he munched on his candy.
She looked at the small fish with a smile. "I want to give it to Ryuunosuke-sama."
"Oh!" Ryoma hit Din with his elbow. "Do you like Ryuunosuke-san?"
"No!" Din protested while a blush crossed her face. "He's a married man! I couldn't go after a married man!"
"Just 'cause he's married doesn't mean you can't like him."
"No!" She shook her head once more. "I don't like him…he just reminds me of someone I met a long time ago."
"Old flame?"
"I guess…" She looked down towards her bare ring finger. The ring Hijikata had given her was on a chain around her neck instead of around her finger.
"You wanna get back?"
Din sighed and moved her attention back to Ryoma. He gave his normal grin, and she managed to give one back to him. As the gentle wind blew between the two, they both realized how comfortable they felt with one another. The wind kept blowing and made conversation for them as they walked down the riverside, back to the house.
"So," he began, "what were you doin' before you got here?"
She thought her answer over. "I worked as a maid and cook at another training hall."
"Which one?"
"One that's changed a great deal." She closed her eyes for a long moment.
Ryoma sighed and placed his hands on his hips. "I'm a master of the Hokushin Itto style. I used to teach it before Ryuunosuke-san pulled me out to be your bodyguard."
Din's mouth dropped open. "Really?! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Why?" He blinked.
"I used to know someone who was training in that style! He would have killed to meet you!"
Ryoma grinned. "Maybe you can introduce us sometime."
She paused. "…Maybe."
The sun behind them set into the river while the moon rose on the opposite side. Ryoma and Din walked along the riverbank, enjoying the nice breeze of summer air. They spoke about simple things and about the people in the house, but Ryoma soon grew bored with gossip and thought of something better.
"Come with me," he said as he grabbed her wrist.
"Wher—"
He dragged her down to the bank of the river and sat down. He slipped his sandals off, pulled up his kimono, and dunked his feet into the cold water. A small shiver went up his spine, but he enjoyed it. Din stood beside him for a moment, and then did the exact same thing he had done. The goldfish sat beside her in the clay mold she had been given to hold it.
"Summer's always been my favorite time of year," Ryoma said in almost a whisper.
"Me too." Din nodded.
Silence came back to the two. Ryoma moved his legs around in the water while his mind searched for something to say. Din didn't seem to mind the silence; she was too busy looking up towards the dark blue sky. Ryoma noticed that Din was daydreaming and wanted her attention.
Ryoma pushed himself off of the bank and jumped down into the river. The rushing water nearly pushed him over but he caught his balance and walked out in front of Din with a silly grin on his face.
"Come in!" he said.
"NO!" She shook her head. "It's freezing in there!"
"If you don't come in I'm going further in!"
"What?" She twitched.
"Come in or I'm going farther away."
"Don't!"
He turned around and began walking further and deeper into the water. Din stood in the river and began walking towards him when he stopped and turned around to face her. She shivered from the water while he placed his hands on his hips and bent over.
"I want you to stay," she said.
"Then come over here!"
"I can't because—"
"Fine!"
Ryoma moved further out but stepped off of a bank of land and right into a deep section of water. The weight of his body forced a small wave towards Din that moved over the bank they had been sitting on, and knocked over the goldfish's mold. His head disappeared under the water but appeared within a few seconds. He took a large breath of air and shook his head back and forth.
"Why didn't you tell me this was out here?" he yelled.
"I was trying!"
Din walked out to Ryoma and grabbed his right hand with both of her hands. She pulled him back onto higher ground and turned around to see that the goldfish was gone.
"Ryuunosuke-sama's fish is gone!" she said. "What the hell happened to it!?"
Ryoma scratched the back of his head. "I guess I knocked it over when I went under."
Din frowned. "Dammit…I was going to give that Ryuunosuke-sama…"
"I'll get you another one!" Ryoma announced.
"What?"
Din turned back around to ask Ryoma what he meant when Ryoma jumped back into the deep water. Din stood there, not knowing what, or how to react to Ryoma's actions. Just as she was going to jump into the deep end, Ryoma popped up with a large fish in his hands.
"It's not a goldfish but its good enough!" Ryoma said with a large laugh.
Din narrowed her eyes. "You're so strange."
Ryoma walked over to Din with the fish in his hands. "Ya gonna take it?"
Din looked up at the strange man as he waited for an answer with a grin on his face. She couldn't believe what a weird, unique man he was but the more she thought about it, the more she liked it. She smiled and began moving towards him when she noticed a strong order coming from him.
"Ryoma-san…I think you fell in something," Din said as she scrunched up her nose.
"I did?" He blinked and sniffed himself. He had fallen in something.
"Come on." Din turned back to the bank. "Let's get you back for a bath before someone else smells you."
"What about the fish?" Ryoma held it up to prove his point.
"Bring it."
Ryoma walked through the running river and placed the fish inside of the mold the goldfish had been in. He dunked it into the river and then handed the mold to Din who took it gently from him.
"Thank you."
He nodded. "Anytime."
When Ryoma and Din came back to the house, Ryoma walked into the only bathroom in the house. He kicked everyone out, and began the bath. In the meantime, Din walked over Ryuunosuke and gave him the fish with a blush on her face.
"What's this?" Ryuunosuke asked.
"I won this for you," Din answered. "Please take it."
Ryuunosuke took the fish and looked into the mold. He gave a small laugh, and patted Din on the top of the head. She bit her lower lip out of nervousness and closed her eyes as his petting stopped.
"Tonight I want you to come out with me," he said.
Her eyes brightened. "Really?"
He nodded. "I'll come get you. But for now, why don't you warm up Ryoma-kun's water for him? No one else around here I know will do it."
Din bowed. "Yes sir."
She walked away from Ryuunosuke and out into the backyard. She found a collection of chopped wood, walked over to it, and began taking pieces of it over to a small window at the back of the house. As she placed the wood down near the window, she thought over what Ryuunosuke had said.
"No one else around here I know will do it."
What he meant was that most of the other men around the training house weren't fond of Ryoma. Din had no idea why but the other men seemed to exclude Ryoma, for whatever reason. Perhaps it was because he was a master of a certain style while the rest of them were simple rouin, perhaps not. Whatever the reason, Din didn't pay it much mind; it wasn't her business.
Din peeked through the wind. "Ryoma-san, are you in there?" she asked.
Ryoma quickly wrapped his kimono back around his body. "If you wanted a peak all you had to do was ask Din-san! You don't have to sneak around!"
She blushed once more. "I'm not here to look at you!"
"Ya sure?" Ryoma dropped his kimono down around his shoulders.
"I'm just here to light up your bath!" Din ducked down behind the wall. "So hurry up and get in."
He sighed. "Fine."
Ryoma stepped into the large bath and shivered from the cold water. He slipped in, and leaned against the back with his arms stretched out. Din placed pieces of wood into a small opening underneath the bath, and lit them.
"It'll take a few minutes," Din said.
"Alright then." Ryoma closed his eyes and began to relax.
The small fire quickly turned into a full fledged fire. Din fanned the fire a bit, and blew on it as steam began to escape from the window above her head. She could hear Ryoma sigh in relief.
"So have you ever seen a man naked before?" Ryoma asked from the bath.
Din twitched. "I don't think that's any of your business."
"Open up a bit Din-san!" he said with a laugh.
"No one else around here I know will do it."
Din closed her eyes for a long minute. "Yes, I've seen a man naked before."
"Ya a virgin?"
"No. You?"
"No," Ryoma sighed once more, "lost it to a woman when I was fifteen years old. How old were you?"
"Eighteen."
Ryoma leaned his head onto his right shoulder and closed his eyes. "Someone you loved?"
"Yes!" She stood. "Stop asking all of the damn questions! You're getting too personal!"
Her eyes peered into the window but instead of seeing Ryoma giving her a goofy grin, he had a serious look to his face. His eyes were narrowed in Din's direction, and his lips had formed a small frown.
"Ryoma-san?" she asked.
Ryoma swam over to the window, pushing a wave of water over the rail and through the window. The water dripped down the wall and hit the fire where the water transformed into steam. Din stepped back and let out a squeak of surprise but kept her attention on Ryoma. He wrapped one hand around a rail in the window and placed his face between two more rails.
"What?" Din asked while she blinked.
"Did you love the man you gave your virginity to?"
Din's eyes moved side to side. "Yes."
"Is that who you're waiting for?"
Din took a small step backwards in shock. It was strange, she had no idea how Ryoma had guessed her missing so easily. Was she acting that obvious in the everyday things she did? Din shook her head; she wasn't going to take this from a man like Ryoma.
"None of your business!" She turned away and crossed her arms. "Now hurry up and wash before the water gets cold."
Ryoma's face relaxed. "You're not staying?"
"I have a meeting with Ryuunosuke-sama." Din backed away from the window. "I'll come back so take your time."
"Really?"
She nodded. "Don't worry about it."
His grin returned. "Hurry back."
Din ran down to the river, the same one she had been at with Ryoma minutes before. She arrived to see Ryuunosuke on the opposite side of the bridge, standing in the rushing river with his kimono pulled up to his knees.
"Ryuunosuke-sama?" Din asked.
"Come here Din-chan! There's something I want to show you."
Din did as told and walked into the water with a shiver. As she walked, she noted to herself how shallow the water was on this side of the bridge. If only Ryoma had fallen into the water here.
"You know the fish you won me?" Ryuunosuke turned to Din. "Help me let it go."
"What!?" Din was taken back by that.
"Don't you think a fish with such beauty belongs back in the wild where it was born?" Ryuunosuke asked. "I want things to remain the same that they've always been but I know when there's a time for change. I know that change will soon come to this country, but I don't want evil to come along with it."
Din walked in closer to Ryuunosuke. "Ryuunosuke-sama…"
"I want to be the Peacemaker," Ryuunosuke said as he turned back to face the moon. "So will you help me release the fish?"
"Yes." Din nodded and stood beside Ryuunosuke.
Ryuunosuke took the small mold the fish had been placed in and tossed it out into the river. Din watched the fish escape from the mold and swim into the heavier current while the mold fell to the bottom of the dark river.
Another cold breeze blew between Din and Ryuunosuke but this one was different from the one Din had felt when she was with Ryoma. She didn't know how it was different, she just knew it was. Ryuunosuke didn't say anything after the fish swam away; he just stood in the same spot with the same look on his face.
Ryuunosuke-sama. Din thought as she looked at their reflections in the water. How can I feel this way about you? You're married and I'm…waiting.
"Just 'cause he's married doesn't mean you can't like him."
"He just reminds me of someone," Din whispered.
"Hum?" Ryuunosuke looked over to Din. "Did you say something Din-chan?"
"No!" She waved her hands back and forth. "I'm fine!"
He smiled. "Good."
The two returned looking out towards the rushing river in silence. They listened to the running river, and chirping crickets around them. They heard the sounds of pots banging around, people talking, and saw lights going out all around town.
I want you to meet Toshi, Ryuunosuke-sama. Din thought to herself. Just to see what the two of you would be like. I can't wait for that day.
The river ran faster, and harder as it came to the end. The deepest water was always the darkest, and almost never got to see the light of the moon even though Din could see herself and Ryuunosuke on the top of the river. It was all so beautiful and yet haunting.
R&R please!