Max and Saori...are finally reunited! Let's see how this plays out!

Chapter 9: Always on My Mind

The two white tigers could not believe that they actually reunited with each other and they were definitely happy to see each other again after all those years, mostly Saori because she felt like she was back with the same person that she's know for her entire life and Max felt the same way she did, only he couldn't have imagined her even more beautiful than ever.

"I can't believe it's you!" Max exclaimed, happily.

"And I can't believe it's really you!" Saori replied, giving him a huge hug.

Once Saori felt Max's embrace, she felt really safer than she ever was before and knew she had made the right choice in leaving Kabishi behind and purred softly in response to that and Max whispered, "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Max." Saori said, in relief.

They let go and Saori saw something in Max that made her all the more attracted...his muscles and she couldn't help but stare in wonder and amazement and she said, "You look very handsome."

"Um...thanks, I guess." Max said, chuckling nervously.

Saori could see that he's still the same Max she's known for a long time and that blush explained it all and she said, "Still the same Max I know."

Minutes later, they were walking across the village together and Max couldn't keep her eyes off of Saori and how beautiful she still looks and he knew he had strong feelings for her from the beginning, but now they're getting crazy severe and Saori said, "You won't believe what I've been through over these last few years."

Max turned around to her and she noticed that there were a lot of cuts, bruise marks and scars around her and especially with that beautiful face and he asked, "Where'd you get these cuts?"

Saori blinked her eyes quickly after noticing that Max had saw those beating marks that Kabishi left for her and she replied, "Oh, that...these things happen."

"What things?" asked Max, a little concerned.

"Falling down, being scraped...things like that." Saori said, trying to cover her real reason.

Max could already tell that there cuts didn't come on their own and he blinked his eyes a few times for that and he told her, "You know we can still tell each other anything, no matter what it is, right?"

"Well...yeah, we always do." Saori said, hesitantly.

Saori noticed Max's facial expressions of concern in his head and it's like he had already figured it out for himself in a visual point of view and he said, "You can tell me."

"I don't know, Max. I don't know how you'll react to what I tell you." Saori replied, in a sad tone.

Max looked at her in the eye and said to her, "Please, Saori. You can trust me."

He did have a good point and she didn't want to fell like she came all this way for nothing and she figured that it's best to just tell him everything on her chest rather than just let it stay there forever and Max is very easy to trust and she said, "Can I trust you?"

"You can trust me with anything. Don't I always?" asked Max.

Saori lets out a small chuckle after Max's answer and she took a deep breath and said, "After I was kidnapped by that bastard of a stranger, he took me captive as his prisoner and everyday of my life for so long, I've been beaten, spat at, punched, scratched, pinned, pushed down, threw down and the target of his daemon power if I didn't do anything he said or did. And he always calls me his little bitch."

Just hearing this made Max really concerned and also very disturbed that Saori had to endure this and he covered his mouth in shock this person did this to her and as she keeps explaining everything that had happened, it was very clear that she made the right decision by leaving him behind and he also felt really bad that he could've done something about it.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that. You didn't deserve to be treated like that." Max said, with sorrow in his voice.

Saori puts her paw on his shoulder and she said, "You're not the one to blame. I blamed myself for being involved in anything he did to me...until I kept this one thing that always gave me strength and hope."

She pulls out the bandana and gives it to Max and he was definitely surprised that this is the exact same bandana he gave to her when he was 18 and she was 19...about a few days before the abduction and he said, "My bandana...you've kept it."

"It's the only thing that keeps me going and it made me realize how much I still love you and that I would be really lucky to be your mate. It's the one reason that I wanted to come back to you." Saori answered.

He lets out a small chuckle in surprise and looks up at her and places the bandana on her head and said to him, "I've always thought about you since that night...and I promised myself that I'll take care of you and will be here for you. I'm still keeping that promise that I'll protect you and I'm willing to do so."

With that, Saori looks up at Max in the eyes and came closer to him and said, "Never let me go, Max."

"You're here now...and I'll never let you go." Max said, in a half whisper.

They both hugged each other and Saori felt really safe around him and she knew deep in her heart that Max is the right choice to be her mate and both of them looked at each other in the eyes and their lips came closer and started kissing each other in some much tenderness mixed in with passion.

They were unaware that Akashi's standing there, watching them reunite together and whispered, "You'll make a good husband, Max. I just know it."

Think Akashi's future could be true? We'll find out for sure! Master of Stories; Akashi, Miyo, Saori and everyone else...please weigh in!