Hello :3 Just a little warning for everyone. This chapter is more of a Heisuke chapter. I like the cute moments between them two so I can't resist adding more :P But don't worry, things will be back to normal soon. Thanks for reading the story so far~ I really appreciate it :D

Finally Giving In: Chapter 14

"They're here! Again! Th-the old man!" Aki continued crying. "It's my fault!" Heisuke sat there, not quite sure what to think.

"Hey, calm down, Aki-chan." He said calmly, putting an arm around her trying to sooth her. "You're okay now." He continued, tightening his grip on her, deciding to let her finish before he asked her any more.

'What in the hell has caused you to get so shook up?' He thought to himself, watching the girl in his arms.

Aki awoke the next morning with her face puffy and still a little swollen from crying. The events from last night laid fresh in her mind. She knew who she saw, no doubt about that. After she got back at headquarters she just remember crying to Heisuke, not remembering how she got to her room.

'Oh god, Heisuke-kun. That probably gave him so many questions…' Aki thought, getting up to wash her face, hoping to make it look normal, like nothing happened. She opened the door to Okita's room to head to the well.

"Hey." A voice called right when she opened the door. "I'm glad you're awake." Aki looked down to see Heisuke sitting there, staring up at her.

"Oh.. Good morning, Heisuke-kun. Why are you out here?" Aki said, giving him a fake smile.

"I want to talk to you." He started as he got up and followed Aki to the well. "I'm not taking a "No." for an answer either. I want you to tell me what happened last night. I've never seen you so shook up like that before…" After Heisuke finished they walked in silence to the well. Aki splashed some water in her face and let her hair out of the messed up braid so it could flow loosely before she fixed it. After cleaning up she went over to a near-by bench, Heisuke following her over.

"Everything?" She asked, looking at the ground. Heisuke took a seat next to her on the bench.

"Every detail." He replied, looking up at the sky.

"Then it's better to start at the beginning. It's kind of a long story." She said, raising her head to look at him now. Heisuke relaxed and put on a smile.

"That's alright, I've got time." He told her, getting a very small smile in return.

"Alright." Aki paused. "It was about 13 years ago, my family was taken away from me…." She started and went into telling Heisuke everything that has happened. She started with the fire, then Rokuro, and moved onto the men that killed Rokuro and how they were the ones most likely involved in the fire. Aki told him as much as she could. When she told him about Rokuro's death and how those men were still looking for her, she led into what happened last night. When she told him the men were in Kyoto, still looking for her, Heisuke's posture stiffened. He didn't like the thought of them getting her, he wouldn't let it happened. Aki finished telling Heisuke her story and they sat there in silence. "Sorry,.. about telling you all that… You shouldn't worry abo-" She started telling him but was cut off.

"Like hell I shouldn't worry Aki-chan." His voice contained anger, but he wasn't mad at her. He was just worried about her. "I'll do what I can to make sure they never get you Aki-chan. I'll protect you." He said happily, ruffling her hair playfully trying to lighten the mood.

"Thank you, Heisuke-kun." She said smiling. He was the first one she ever told her story to. It was something she did not want others knowing. Most would take pity on her so when she was little she stopped telling it. There were only two people before Heisuke that had wanted to help her. Rokuro and Hana-san. Rokuro took her in and became family and Hana-san helped her out, always making sure if there were news about strange men going around looking for a little girl. Now she also had Heisuke's help. It made her feel better knowing that.

"Alright, now back to being serious." Heisuke said, the smile coming off his face. "Who knows?"

"The only ones I've told were Rokuro-san, Oba-chan, and now you." She told him, seeing the look on his face grow more serious.

"I think we should tell the others." He said, not looking at her. Aki went to interrupt him but he put a hand up to stop her. He knew she wouldn't like the idea. "Just listen. I think it would be a good idea to tell them. If he is able to get multiple people looking for you we might need more help if they attack you. I know I have training and can handle more than one, but what if there's too many? I wouldn't be able to protect you so well." She went to interrupt him again. "I knooooow you can handle yourself, but you also have a limit, Aki-chan. And like Sano-san says, men are supposed to protect women. If you feel more comfortable we can wait a few days to tell them, we don't have to tell them right now. But we cannot wait too long. Especially if they're killing innocent people in the city for it."

After hearing Heisuke's little speech, Aki couldn't say anything back. She knew it would most likely be better to tell the others, even though she didn't want to. It was her burden to carry, not theirs. But Heisuke was right, this man could send men after men to get her, and eventually, she and Heisuke would reach their limits. Aki looked up at Heisuke, eyes filled with worry. "Alright." She said, and nodded her head in agreement.

"Yosh! Now that that is all settled.. No more of this serious talk." Heisuke stood up, taking in the sunlight. "I have patrol tonight, if you would like, you can come." He said and smiled to her. Aki was a unsure but she knew she had to warn Hana-san about the men. She didn't want her to get killed for her like Rokuro was.

"Alright, that sounds good." Aki told him and they went off into a little chatter, only to be watched by two emerald eyes. Throughout the talk they never looked around to see if anyone was near, making it easy for Okita to listen. He said in a room, across from the bench with the door opened, and listened to her little story. After the story was done he peeked through to see her face, almost snapping at all the smiles Aki and Heisuke exchanged.

"That's one hell of a story you got there Aki-chan~" Okita thought as he watched the two, getting more annoyed. He glared as he saw Heisuke take the ribbon for her hair and walk behind her. She was giggling as he put her hair up in a high ponytail like his and she brought some of her bangs out in the center of her forehead. She tried imitating Heisuke, causing the two to end up in a fit of laughter.

'Those men might not be the only ones I have to kill...' Okita thought dangerously as he slid the door closed quietly, knowing that if he continued watching he would lose his self-control.