AN: Okay I'm in Spain, the only way to watch Ninja Assassin is in Spanish in the theaters. Yes I saw it there twice, horrifically dubbed I may add. So, how do I know what's going on? Yes I'm an evil downloader, that's how. But! My being an evil downloader has enabled me to actually come up with accurate dialogue etc. And it has the side benefit of me imparting this wisdom: right after Mika watches the tape from the German dude's security cameras, and she's all "Who are you?" (I usually respond with "Really hot when half naked and covered in glycerin then filmed playing with sharp objects") there's about a minute of that training scene. The initial sideways flip Raizo does with the knife thingymajig he pretty much moons the audience. Yes, half his butt crack, and the lillywhiteness that all men seem to have for their little bummy cheeks shows. Now, return to the theaters and watch for it. Do what I cannot (I don't think I could suffer through N.A. a third time in Spanish or I would) and go see it in extra big screened goodness.

So this chapter is filled with some squishy cuteness, and same with chapter five. Chapter six, some plot enters, and by the end of seven more plot. Plus a teeny bit of naughtyness. Some naked Raizo is involved. But no Mika. Draw your own conclusions. Besides, I had to give some credence to my claim of being a smut princess. Except it's not very graphic (sorry, generally I deliver a better.... hee... payload... but you'll understand when you get there.)

Another thing: doesn't seem to be sending out alerts to my email, so while I've answered reviews, I dunno if ya'll got them or not, and if there's been any PM's from anyone for any reason, I probably haven't gotten them. This always seems to happen whenever I start posting a chapter fic, then goes back to normal. Dunno if it's just the FFGods playin' tricks or what. So, I have replied to reviews, but if ya'll ain't got'em, I appologize for the delay, it seems the system is down.... Now I feel like listening to StrongBad's rendition of a techno song :wanders off humming 'the system is down, the system is down, do-do-da-do-do:

XXX

Wake Up 4

XXX

Raizo woke up, surprised by the fact he had fallen asleep, to snuffles and drool on his neck. Wincing as Mika wedged one of her legs between his, hitching it up higher, her knee digging into his crotch. Generally it wasn't a painful thing, but being ninja didn't mean he wasn't human. And humans had anatomy, and currently his anatomy was in its morning position, making the pressure not quite comfortable. If he had been alone he would have taken care of the matter quickly, but Raizo wasn't alone. That and Raizo certainly didn't want Mika to notice his condition either. Who knew what she would make of that?

There was a grumpy little growl, "Hurry up and snuggle me already," originating from the vicinity of his chest.

"I don't know what you want me to do Mika," fatigued despite the sleep, Raizo admitted his frustration.

"Snuggle, you know, snuggle," wriggling against him, Mika clumsily wiped away the saliva from his neck and her cheek, "Ewww. Sorry, I do that in my sleep sometimes." Her large, wide eyes blinked up at him sleepily, "You've never snuggled before?"

"No reason to," shrugging a shoulder noncommittally. She could draw whatever conclusions she wanted to from that statement. This was not one of those 'things' he was going to explain in small words or clearly. He was content to be a brick wall on this item.

Mika rolled onto her back, knuckling her eyes one handed, while the other reached for his wrist, and tugged, "Umph, then it's time you tried it. C'mere and I'll show you snuggling."

"Mika, I don't think - "

"Oh shut up and come here Raizo," yanking harder. He could have resisted but Raizo didn't, his body wasn't exactly obeying his wishes, but rather it was listening to Mika instead. "And let me cuddle you, I need a hug, and you're going to get one and you're going to like it. Dammit."

Moving close, Raizo hovered, his chest and shoulders over Mika, all that held him up was one elbow firmly planted in the bed, "Is cuddling and snuggling the same?"

"Basically," Mika opened her arms, wrapping them around his shoulders and pulling him down, "now assume the position!"

"Position....?" there was a position for this? Like a stance for his katas?

Mika poked him in the back, "Yes, lay your head on my chest, and wrap your arms around my waist, because it's too early for me to stare at your annoying Greek god physique right now."

Finding himself doing as he was told without thinking Raizo sunk down, and realized that actually he looked forward to this touch. Directly under his ear Mika's special heart thwump-thwumped along happily, even clearer than usual to his excellent hearing. Palms smoothed over the backs of his shoulders, stroking him tenderly. A sigh slipped from Raizo's lips, and the tranquility he had been seeking for so long appeared. Even the sight of ugly sutures over Mika's left breast made him feel a peace he hadn't before, they only meant that she had survived and was here. Was this what snuggling was?

"It's nice isn't it?" a hot cocoa colored finger traced alongside his nose and up to his eyebrows.

"Very," agreeing.

With the sound of her heart so loud in his head, Raizo could block out the rest of his discomfort and even come to enjoy it. Sliding his hands under Mika, finishing the rest of his task for 'assuming the position'. Tension began to leave Raizo, his muscles relaxing fully, he hadn't even realized how tightly wound he had been until the knots worked themselves out. Each pass of Mika's hands smoothed away aches that Raizo had long learned to ignore, pains he had forgotten about until now, because they were gone, or mostly gone.

Mumbling into her breast, "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" yawning the question out.

"How do you take the pain?" too befuddled to think the thought through, and it's implications.

Hands stilling, "Where does it hurt Raizo?"

That brought him back to reality, "Nowhere." Pulling away from Mika, Raizo wanted to ignore Ozunu's voice echoing in his memories 'pain breeds weakness, hate weakness in yourself'. Hate yourself. Hide pain, ignore pain, and hate yourself. Those were the same lessons his parents had taught him, thrown crockery, thrown words – worthless. Stupid. Unworthy. Unwanted. Life on the streets hadn't been any better than with his family, or with the Ozunu. The rare word of praise from Ozunu had been the sole reason Raizo worked so hard. Keiko's eyes had always praised him, and only him, giving Raizo something that he craved. So, he hated himself, he had killed one of the only people to ever give him anything, including a name as he had never possessed one before to his knowledge, he was weak, very weak. As for the other person, he had failed her utterly.

He felt pain, he had just gotten good at hiding it. Pain, weakness – one and the same. So now he had to tread very carefully or he would fail Mika the way he had failed Keiko, and dishonored Ozunu.

Mika wasn't going to let him go, "Don't give me that line Raizo, it's too early for me to go put on my x-ray glasses, I'm not a morning person." Scooting to sit up, Mika leaned towards him even as he backed away cautiously, "I know you feel pain. And guess what? I do too, especially when I get a paper cut. Have you ever had a paper cut? That stuff hurts! Or even worse, if you get some hot sauce on it. Then you just want to hack off your finger or hand that has the paper cut on it, because trust me, that would probably hurt less."

She was making faces as she rambled, which distracted Raizo long enough for her to touch him again, even as he smiled unable to help himself for the crazy way Mika bounced and her eyes went wide, and then hands sliding down his back, they almost seemed to live there now, "Loping a limb off hurts more if the screams are anything to go by."

"Gross," sounding for all the world like a little girl. There was something so animated and young to Mika, "Now then, about that pain? Where does it hurt, and I'll kiss your boo-boos."

The light grip she had on his shoulders held Raizo more securely in place than any chain could, "What?"

"You point to a place that hurts, or tell me one, and I kiss the boo-boo away," so matter-of-fact, like her explanation of her 'silky' blanket, that Raizo had no true choice but to believe it could be possible. Or at least feel possible.

Awkwardly Raizo mumbled, "Everywhere."

"Tell you what, I kiss your boo-boos, and you can kiss mine and make them feel all better," her voice was soft, soothing, silken, and so were her lips where the rested on his forehead.

His eyes had been closed but now the opened, "You hurt? Where?" alarmed Raizo sat up fully, tossing the covers aside to look over Mika. He couldn't see any fresh injuries, but there was evidence on her still of the mad few days they had hunted Ozunu. Shiny patches of new skin where scabs had probably covered it shown pink-pale against the otherwise perfect coffee of her legs. Running his hands over them carefully, Raizo focused hard, searching for some other signs, some other wounds.

Mika was giggling, "Raizo! Stop that, it tickles."

"You said you hurt," glancing up at her.

Shaking her head, hair long having come loose in wild array, "I didn't mean any new owies. But I do hurt here," tapping near the wound, "and on my back too. And I also have a bit of a headache, so a kiss here," touching her temples, "would probably do the trick. Better than aspirin I always said."

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, "You are very strange Mika."

"And you're so normal Raizo," reaching out she tweaked his cheek, "I could just see you in suburbia, mowing the lawn, driving an SUV and going to your accounting job from nine to five. Yeah, utterly normal Raizo. I don't think so."

Not sure if he should be offended, "I don't know anything about accounting. But I like Nissan X-Terras, even if they aren't very good for off-roading in jungles," knowing that all too well from personal experience.

"Okay you're just plain weird, and I'm strange, that should make things easy, right?" her eyes were twinkling, like pale golden stars, and the dusky rose was back in her cheeks.

Bemused Raizo sat there looking at the way Mika was staring at him, "Is something wrong Mika?"

"Yes, you're not in a good position for me to kiss the pain away," she pointed at the bed, "Laying down is better. And since you hurt 'everywhere' that means you need more attention, and my little stuff can wait."

Raizo wouldn't categorize the wound Ozunu had struck Mika with as 'little stuff'. Nor could he see the logic of what she proposed. Yet it almost made a bizarre sense. The way her hands had coasted over his back and last night over his stomach in the kitchen, while unfamiliar and disquieting the areas had hurt less with her touching them. Hiding his nervousness – would it be like last night, these touches, where they had scaled him, and if he was honest, frightened him, or would it be more like Mika's 'snuggling'? Palms sweating, Raizo had faced ninja, scores of them, and many other types of dangerous ne'er-do-wells, yet the thought of Mika touching him made his stomach flop. It was a similar sensation to Ozunu's strikes to his stomach, which would hit bundles of nerves and thrust like a knife into his gallbladder – that was why it hurt so bad when the old man had done that, it was like his body was going to rupture from the inside out – but lower. Not only did it hurt, make Raizo feel physically ill, but it almost... tickled.

There was no way that was normal. And he didn't want to make Mika feel guilty for causing so much discomfort, mixed with his reluctance to admit his weaknesses openly. If he wasn't bleeding all over the place, muscles torn, and his guts half hanging out, then Raizo knew he had no reason to complain to Mika about 'pain', who having no training had still received what should have been a death blow, survived, and didn't complain once about being hurt.

"Mika I should leave, I have -" wondering if it was possible to back out, that it may be wise for him to simply leave and not return until she was working once more.

"No," she was caressing him again, her hands on his face, tips of her fingers brushing his bangs from his forehead, "you won't come back if I let you leave."

Had his thoughts been so plain?

"Mika," unable to find words for more.

She was tracing the lines of his face – did she ever stop doing that, he wasn't that fascinating to look at – watching him, eyes not ceasing their soft glow. They were like a cats eyes in the dark, when a beam of light hit them, pupils open all the way, leaving a thin rim of brown gold. Raizo knew he should stop this, should stop letting her distract him so much. He should be waiting and watching the building, making inquiries, breaking legs or hands, gathering information.

"When was the last time anyone touched you?"

Making a face, "Right now."

Rising to her knees, Mika came even closer, their faces not very far apart, "Before that I mean."

Curtly, "In the hospital."

"And before that? Before me Raizo, how long has it been since anyone did anything to comfort you?"

There could be many meanings to her question, to the term 'comfort'. Raizo wasn't so ignorant that he didn't know that. After all, his hearing was very good. Anywhere in the world, on any street, in any building, alley or corner, the sounds of 'comfort' in many forms took place. Wordlessly Raizo pulled away, not wanting to talk about it. He hadn't ever really thought about participating in that sort of thing.

There had been bigger matters to attend to.

"I need to go Mika," scooting from the bed. Raizo still couldn't look at her.

Sighing, "I think you need to stay. Just come back, lay down, and let me hold you. I need to hold you, to know you're real Raizo. If you leave, I'll be scared again. And you'll be alone. Just, stay, right here. You liked it when I was holding you, didn't you?"

His jeans were a dark denim blob on the floor, "Yes."

Strangely the admission felt freeing rather than binding.

"Then that's what we'll do, you can use me as a pillow and I can hug you like you're a big teddy bear that keeps me safe from all the nasty things," she was holding her hand out, waiting for him to take it.

Could it really be that simple?

"I can't keep you safe if I'm otherwise engaged," even as he placed his hand in hers.

Mika bent over his hand, eyes locked on his as she kissed the knuckle of his thumb, "Weren't you listening Raizo? I'm safe only when you're with me."

So many arguments Raizo could field as a response, but he didn't. The single action of her lips on his hand, his filthy blood stained hand, broke Raizo. It was the very same hand that had planned to only protect her long enough to use her as bait, and she kissed it, kissed him, leaving Raizo in shock once more. He just didn't have any fight left after that. Wishing it was dark, wishing that sun hadn't lightened the room, shining through the blinds and curtains so that the room glowed, Raizo felt a single shiver go through him that he couldn't hide from Mika. This was wrong, he shouldn't be here, he should leave, he should run, but he simply couldn't. Mika owned him, had just staked a claim on his life that no one could cancel out with that tiny gesture.

Feeling like he had when he had been taken from the streets and brought before Ozunu as a boy – uncertain and confused - Raizo climbed back on the bed, gaze locked on Mika's hands where they cradled his scarred one. If he looked up at her, if she said another word Raizo thought he may scream in terror. There was no pulling or demand from Mika, but she stroked his wrist lightly in encouragement. Foam mattress dimpled under the weight of his knees as he crawled up to Mika. Frightened of what she may do next, of what he may do, Raizo tore his eyes from their hands and forced them up to measure Mika's expression. Still soft, still glowing – what did that mean? - a small smile curving her lips at the corners.

"Thank you Raizo," his hand was lifted to her cheek where she pressed the tips of his fingers there.

Dry mouthed, "You are welcome."

"Would you like to lay down with me again?"

Summoning a nod, "Yes."

"Okay good, I liked holding you close," bright teeth as she flashed him a smile that was blinding, cheeks pinching up, "Made me feel safe. Safer than my silky blanket ever has."

Breathing deeply, offering, feeling redundant but he had no other way of describing it, "It felt nice."

Mika lay back, not letting go of his hand but her grip was lax, letting him know she would allow him to pull away if he needed it, "I think today should just be a lazy snuggle day, don't you? We can just stay right here until we're hungry and I can call in some takeout because I can't cook worth cheese doodles with the whole bunch of empty that probably is in my fridge."

Sinking down onto the bed slowly, "I bought noodles while I was waiting for you to return." Hesitating before stretching over Mika, Raizo darted up enough to kiss her forehead, "Better than aspirin?"

Humming once, "Yes."

With that Raizo lay his head over her heart, allowing the beat to sooth him as it had earlier.