Chapter Five: Quick Touch
Soujiro knew nothing about seducing women.
Well, that wasn't precisely true. He knew a few things, but they only worked if the woman was willing. The problem was that he didn't know how to get a woman to that point.
Especially a woman like Tae.
While he waited the tables during dinner, Soujiro mulled over his options. He could prompt Tae to make the first move by making her want him - that would be the easiest and, frankly, the fastest route. He had thought to try that before, when Tae had nearly fallen in the street that afternoon, but - well, it hadn't worked out. He wasn't prepared to don the persona of a smitten would-be lover, so all he'd done was clutch her like a needy child.
He scowled internally. He hated it when things didn't turn like they should.
There was also the option of slowly convincing Tae that she was in love with him. It had been his original idea, one that he had been planning to keep - had it not been for the brief outing to the Himura residence. He had been counting on the Battousai and his wife acting like hermits for far longer, and that Tae would not be quite so eager to bring him on her visit. The possibility that all his delicate plans could have been ruined had Himura-san simply stepped outside his gate made Soujiro panic. As a result, he had ruined a perfectly good opportunity with Tae.
But that was alright. He could salvage the day tonight, when he went to Tae's room. He'd have to be cautious - Tae was a smart woman, and she, too, had nearly perfected the art of charades. And she was older than him, so he had to assume that she would possess more skills than he in the subject of seduction.
Which brought him back to his initial problem: how to properly seduce a woman who was not fully intending - or even expecting - to be seduced?
Soujiro wondered what Shishio-san would say if he were here.
Yumi had joined Shishio shortly after Soujiro himself did, so he didn't remember much about the beginnings their courtship. The majority of it had taken place away from him, deep in the back rooms and intimate settings that made up Yumi's time as a professional geisha. He remembered the weeks where Shishio was gone for days at a time, visiting her, and Soujiro had spent the long hours practicing relentlessly with his wakizashi. And then when Yumi did come, Shishio refused to be apart from her.
Now that Soujiro thought about it, it was Yumi who initiated all the romance that he had seen; she was the one who was affectionate and encouraging, not Shishio.
He remembered the first afternoon that he saw Yumi. It was the day that he discovered that Yumi had abandoned her life as an entertainer and would be staying with them. Yumi had been all smiles at the introduction, her eyes never straying from Soujiro's face. When Shishio went on to explain the new arrangements, how things would be different now, she became bored. She adjusted her kimono, and idly tucked then untucked her hair from behind her ears. Soujiro watched from the corner of his eye as she sighed and casually brushed her shoulder against Shishio's. Then she touched his sleeve, and trailed her finger up his arm and to his neck. She leaned against him, pressing her generous breasts against his chest, and dipped her head to whisper something in his ear.
There weren't many times that Soujiro saw Shishio-san utterly distracted and completely speechless, but this was one of them. Soujiro didn't even bother to hide that he was staring and watched, wide-eyed, as Shishio pressed Yumi against the floor, his hand bunched in the fabric on her thigh. Yumi's leg arched up around his hip and she giggled, twisting her head away playfully, where her gaze fell on Soujiro. He looked at her and she looked at him for a long moment before her cheeks colored in embarrassment. "Shishio-sama," she gasped, somehow managing to sound both affronted and alluring at once. "He is watching us."
Shishio looked up long enough to scowl at him. "Leave us alone for a while, Soujiro," he ordered in that low, rough voice of his. "And shut the door on your way out."
And so Soujiro had left, gently sliding the door closed behind him. He had stood in the hall for a while, trying to decide what Yumi's presence meant, how it changed things, and how he felt because of it.
Eventually he realized it didn't matter if he cared. So, he did not.
Perhaps that is the difference between us, Soujiro thought as he delivered the tea to his new tables and took orders for the meal. Yumi openly cared for Shishio, and he cared for her in return - in his own way. Perhaps I simply need to be more affectionate to Tae. That might sway her affections towards mine.
Or is there something else...?
"I need another plate of noodles, cabbage, tofu and mushrooms," he said as he came into the kitchen.
"You'll have to wait your turn," Nizuno called to him. He was busy chopping a chunk of meat into smaller, manageable chunks. Beside him at the table, Urato busily shaved noodles off a konnyaku block. "We're getting the ingredients for Hana and Tsubame's orders, so you're after them."
Tsubame sent him an apologetic look over Hana's head. "Sorry, Soujiro-san."
"We even have that useless boy Yahiko fetching more scallions, since we've run out," Urato added sarcastically, gathering the jelly noodles together in a sloppy mound. "Not that he's hurrying or anything, since we have paying customers waiting and all."
Soujiro stifled an impatient sigh. He didn't want to wait, especially since he knew he could have prepared the food faster than both the chefs combined. "Perhaps I could get started on my own plates?" He queried, keeping his voice light.
Urato scoffed but didn't look up. Indignation flared, but Soujiro forced it down. He walked to the other side of the table and picked up an abandoned knife. He snatched a few mushrooms that were waiting on a chopping block and began to slice them up, reminding himself halfway through not to cut them quite so thin, or to move quite so fast.
"If you pass me some of the meat, I could prepare the rest of my own dish," Soujiro said, helping himself to some of the cabbage.
"What? You actually want to do it?" Urato groaned and shot Nizuno an annoyed look. "You're just gonna get in the way."
"I haven't so far," he countered mildly. He brushed the strips of cabbage and mushrooms onto a plate and ducked under the table to fetch the tofu.
"We don't have time for this, kid," Urato snapped back.
Nizuno shrugged. "If Sou wants to try, let him try." He slapped a hunk of the raw meat in front of Soujiro. "Besides, he's using the wrong sort of knife for it - he won't get far."
Soujiro silently diced the tofu then turned to the beef. Nizuno was right; his small knife wasn't meant to cut the tough sinew of muscle. He turned the knife experimentally in his hand, testing its weight. It was too small - not heavy enough for anything besides precise incisions. But...
A blade was still a blade, no matter what size it was. The chefs could not understand, but Soujiro did.
The little knife would require speed to make the same bold cuts as a carving knife, so Soujiro did not hold back. In a space between one breath and the next, the beef lay in equal little pieces on his cutting board. He studied them, his lips turning ever so slightly into a frown. Slow. He was becoming slow. Nearly five years without picking up a sword, and it shows, he thought with something akin to irritation. He flicked a drop of blood off the blade and gently set it down.
A sudden silence followed, but Soujiro had expected it. He scooped the chopped meat onto his plate and looked up at the others with a smile. "I wonder how that happened," he said cheerily.
"D-Don't joke about that!" Urato gasped, his own knife frozen in mid-swing. "Th-That's exactly what I'm thinking! But - how the hell - "
"I didn't see you," Nizuno said. He was staring at Soujiro's plate. "I didn't even hear the knife hit the cutting board - "
"Yes you did," Soujiro replied. He glanced at Tsubame and Hana. "Didn't you?"
Hana looked at Tsubame, who bit her lip. "Um..." She blushed under his pointed stare. "I - I think... I suppose I did - "
"No you didn't, Tsubame." A low voice said behind them. "Because I didn't."
Soujiro's smile widened. "Yahiko-san," he greeted, pivoting around to face the back door of the kitchen. "Welcome back. I think Tsubame-san and Hana-san have been waiting for more scallions for their dishes."
Yahiko's cheeks were flushed red from the cold outdoors, and there were a few snowflakes melting in his hair and on his shoulders. He set his paper package down on the edge of one of the counters and swiftly pulled off his gloves. His gaze never wavered from Soujiro's, and Soujiro wondered how he had missed sensing the boy come in. Had he lost Yahiko's ki in the unanimous feeling of surprise and shock throughout the room? Or was he too focused on his own flaws, or in the actual act of slicing the meat that he had tuned out the others' ki's at exactly the wrong moment?
I'm becoming slow and lazy, he berated himself. If this is what five years of wandering has come to, then...
He was glad that Shishio-san was not there to see him.
Yahiko nodded to the blade in Soujiro's hand. "You're a swordsman," he said quietly.
"Hell," Urato murmured.
"I don't own a sword," Soujiro responded, but he knew the petty answer wouldn't appease Yahiko. The boy was smart and, frankly, Soujiro was surprised that he had kept his secret for this long.
Yahiko shook his head. "I don't mean that," he said. "I mean that you've been trained. You studied in a dojo for a long while, from the look of your skill. You know how to handle a weapon."
"I suppose you could say that."
"I wondered, ever since you said you were a rurouni..." He paused and then shook his head. "Who was your teacher? What style of swordsmanship did you study?"
"Nothing specific," he replied, honestly enough. "My style of fighting was built up around my natural skills."
Yahiko frowned. "Alright, but who taught - "
"Forgive me," Soujiro broke in, "but I really need to get going." He held up his plate of food. "My customers will be wondering where I am."
He half expected Yahiko to stop him as he left the kitchen, but the boy stayed where he was. Everyone watched him as he left the room, and he could sense the anxiety creeping into the edges of their ki. That was too bad - he'd have to be extra careful now not to frighten his co-workers any more. Could he have arranged the revelation of his past differently? Probably not, Soujiro thought ruefully as he delivered the food and checked on his other tables. But it would have been a lot easier if they hadn't found out at all.
Yahiko. He'd have to be extra wary of him.
Hana came out of the kitchen when Soujiro returned for more orders, and he stepped aside to let her pass. Inside, Tsubame was still waiting for her food and the chefs were moving again, their knives a blur of silver above the food. Soujiro had barely taken one step into the room when he saw something streak toward him from the left. Automatically his hand shot up and he snatched the teacup from the air before it could slam into his temple.
"Very good," Yahiko said. He was leaning against the wall in the corner of the room, his arms crossed casually across his chest. "I hoped you would catch it."
"Be careful, Yahiko-san. You could have hit me," Soujiro said, placing the cup down on the closest countertop.
"No, I couldn't have. Because you caught it." He shrugged. "You are a swordsman, Soujiro-san, even though you deny it - "
"I don't deny it."
"But you are being evasive about it," Yahiko pointed out.
"Does it matter?" He walked to the shelves where the tea things were shelved and pulled out a teapot. As he crossed to the fire to fill it with water, he sent the boy a smile. "I don't think it matters if I'm open about it or not. I work at the Akabeko now, so I'm a waiter not a swordsman."
Yahiko was silent for a long moment. "What made you change your mind?" He asked eventually. "The kind of speed that you've mastered - that's the kind of skill that anyone, even if they were a master of their own style, would envy. I mean, I've only seen Kenshin move that fast, and most of his attacks require godlike speed to execute."
Soujiro turned his head away, hiding his smile. "I suppose that's true."
"And you're so young," he said bluntly. "You're, what, eighteen? Nineteen? For cryin' out loud, you must have been a prodigy, and already you're giving up any future with swords."
He hefted the full teapot and turned to face Yahiko. "I'm not that young," he corrected mildly. "I wandered for five years, remember?"
"Yeah, but still. It's even more impressive that you've managed to keep up your speed after all this time - "
Suddenly Yahiko stopped short, realization dawning across his face. Soujiro examined his ki carefully, searching for the explosive fury that would no doubt follow if Yahiko decided that Soujiro was the Soujiro, the Tenken of Shishio's Juppongatana. Then Yahiko's eyes darted up to his, and Soujiro realized that the boy had paused for a different idea altogether.
"Have you fought anyone since you wandered?" Yahiko asked.
Oh no. Soujiro didn't like the turn in the conversation at all. "Not... exactly," he said slowly. "I traveled without a sword, so there were no proper duels - "
"We should spar together," he said firmly.
Soujiro shook his head. "Yahiko-san, I don't think - "
"Hey, it's a good idea." Yahiko grinned at him. "Every swordsman needs to exercise their skills once in a while to keep them sharp. And maybe it'll make you want to pick up the sword again. Don't look at me like that, it's for your own good."
Soujiro raised his eyebrows. Look at him like what? "What if I don't feel like it?"
"Sure you do. Besides, I wanna fight you to see your style. Maybe we can end up being sparring partners. There's only so many people who want to fight me anymore - my reputation for being the guy who caught a thousand blades is pretty annoying most of the time, because of stuff like that."
"Regardless," he said unconcernedly, "I don't have a sword to fight you with."
Yahiko frowned. "Why not? Even Kenshin had his sakabato."
"I wanted to see if I could do it," Soujiro replied simply. "I wanted to see if I could travel without a weapon, without killing."
He stared at him. "Huh. Y'know, you should meet Kenshin sometime. You guys are pretty similar, and I'm sure you'd have loads to talk about."
Soujiro's smile only widened. "Perhaps."
"Still, you have to have a sword. I've only got my one, or else I'd loan you something." He glanced up at Tsubame as she walked past, two heavy plates balanced between her hands, and frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe I can come up with something."
Soujiro inclined his head and moved to follow Tsubame out of the kitchen. "Really, you don't need - "
"Hey!" Yahiko snapped his fingers and stepped in front of Soujiro, blocking his way. "I got it! Tae's katana!"
Soujiro blinked, honest shock erasing the amiability from his face. "Tae's katana?" He repeated.
He waved his hand irritably. "Well, it's not hers, strictly speaking, but it sort of is. When her uncle died, he left her his sword. Tsubame told me Tae keeps it in her room."
"Ah."
"I bet if we asked, Tae would lend it to you," Yahiko said thoughtfully. "I mean, she might as well let you use it because - "
"Because why?" Tae's voice spoke from behind him, and Yahiko spun around. She looked from his flushed face to Soujiro's calm smile. "What are you two doing?"
"Geez, Tae, I didn't know you could move so silently," Yahiko said, scratching the back of his head. "We were just talking. "
"Yes, I see that." She gave him a stern look and then turned to Soujiro. "Some of your tables were getting restless, so I came to see what was delaying you."
"Just Yahiko-san," Soujiro said cheerfully, ignoring Yahiko's glare. "I'm sorry for worrying you, Tae-san."
"Oh, I wasn't. Well, not exactly." She paused and a small smile tipped up the corner of her lips. "I'm only glad that was all."
Yahiko coughed and rolled his eyes toward Soujiro. "Well anyway," he said a little too loudly, "Soujiro and I were wondering if we could borrow your uncle's old sword."
Soujiro's head whipped around. "Yahiko - "
"The katana?" Tae questioned. She blinked at Yahiko in surprise. "Why?"
"Because Soujiro doesn't have one, and we're going to spar each other tonight after dinner."
"Yahiko," Soujiro said again, a tone of warning in his voice.
"Spar?" Tae echoed. Her gaze slowly flickered over to Soujiro. "You are a swordsman?"
"He's acting all shy about it," Yahiko interjected again, "but I know he is. I've seen how fast he moves, so I'm guessing he's pretty good."
Her face fell. Soujiro felt her ki darken and recoil as she turned away. "I see," she murmured.
"Anyway, he doesn't have a sword of his own, so we wondered if you could lend us yours," Yahiko continued. "Y'know, so he could have something to fight with."
"Yahiko," Soujiro said, forcing some steel into his words. "It doesn't matter now. I'm still working, and I don't want to upset Tae-san."
"How kind of you to say," Tae said softly, but she didn't look at him. "It... I know it is not my place to tell you what you should or should not do in the hours where you aren't working, so I won't. If you wish to fight, I will lend you my katana."
Yahiko grinned. "Thank you, Tae. We really appreciate it."
Soujiro looked at Tae for a long moment. The knowledge of his skills had clearly upset her. It was troubling, because she hadn't even seen him fight yet - what would she say when she saw how swiftly he moved, and how effortlessly he could wield a sword? Worse yet, how would she react when she found out who he really was? When the truth came out, as it surely would someday, would she forgive him or coldly turn away?
For the first time, Soujiro wondered if his endeavor might not be impossible after all.
I will not fail. I will not. Soujiro respectfully bowed his head. "Thank you, Tae-san," he said quietly.
She nodded back and silently swept out of the kitchen.
Yahiko let out his breath in a sigh. "That was close," he said. "I thought she was gonna get mad for a second there. She didn't, so that's a good sign. Just be careful not to break her sword or anything, and she'll be okay."
He bobbed one shoulder. "I have a pretty bad track record for breaking swords, but I'll do my best."
Yahiko stared at him for a moment before breaking into a full-throated laugh. "Hey, so you can tell jokes! Ha. You can't break swords that easily, Soujiro. I'd be surprised if you could, though!"
Soujiro smiled but didn't bother to correct him. "Tae does not like swordsmen?"
"Uh..." His mouth twisted into pensive frown. "I guess? That woman's complicated, you know. I mean, she likes Kenshin, but there are also all those times that the Akabeko was nearly destroyed ever since he showed up. Maybe she has mixed feelings about it?"
"She likes you, though," Soujiro said.
"Yeah, we go way back. But she still makes me leave my sakabato at the door each time I come in," he huffed.
Yes, Soujiro had noticed that Yahiko never carried the sword indoors with him. It was all the more curious, since had heard it was the same blade that the Battousai had used to defeat him. Well. If that was the case, then he looked forward to seeing it again up close after dinner.
"But don't worry." Yahiko smiled winningly at him. "Tae got used to Kenshin and Sanosuke - well, sort of. Anyway, it might take a while, but she'll warm up to you eventually."
Soujiro nodded back. He was counting on it.
After dinner, the Akabeko staff filed out into the back garden to watch the fight. Tae gave Soujiro her uncle's katana, which he accepted with a respectful bow. "Thank you, Tae-san," he told her. "I will take care of it, I promise."
"I would appreciate it," she murmured in return.
He straightened and pulled the sword to his chest, a bright smile on his face. "Wish me luck?"
"Good luck," she said, but she couldn't return his smile.
Soujiro seemed to hesitate then, his eyes searching hers. "Tae-san... we don't have to do this," he said in an undertone. "I can see you oppose the idea - "
"Yes," she said, even as her throat closed around the word. There was still a chance that Yahiko was somehow wrong, and that Soujiro was not a swordsman. It was possible that he was like Kaoru's husband, and not like all the rest - all the many, many ruthless, cruel ex-swordsmen she had seen - and she hoped it was true -
But she would not stop them.
The weight of his gaze was heavy. She took a slow breath, knowing her silence had lasted for too long. "Please continue your battle," she said softly, "my feelings should not hold you back."
He did not reply for a few moments. "If that is what you prefer."
She only bent her head.
Soujiro walked over to join Yahiko in the center of the garden as Tae joined the others where they had lined up against the kitchen's outer wall. As she ducked under the eaves, Tsubame leaned around Hana to look at her. "Are you alright, Tae-san?" She queried.
Urato and Nizuno were arguing, convinced that their champion of choice could easily defeat the other. Their voices were loud and confident, and Tae had to force an optimistic nod. "I'm well," she said, even though she wasn't. "Don't worry about me."
Snow had fallen on and off throughout the day, covering the ground in a thin layer of white. Large flakes were falling now, slowly covering the two sets of footprints that led straight to the combatants. Soujiro slid the sword partway from the sheath, inspecting the blade, and Yahiko stepped over to peer at it. In a conversation she couldn't hear, Yahiko held out the sakabato and Soujiro slid his finger against the blunt edge, nodding interestedly. In a detached way, she wondered that it seemed to so easy for him to accept the strange sword. The reverse-blade usually drew shocked stares or double-takes at least, when people first saw it.
Or perhaps Soujiro was more knowledgeable about blades then she believed. Tae tucked her hands into her jacket, banishing the thought.
"When're they gonna start?" Urato complained in a hiss.
"When they start," Nizuno fired back.
Eventually Soujiro sheathed his sword and stepped back. Yahiko held out the sakabato in a starting position, one that Tae recognized as Kaoru's favorite. Soujiro held his sword at his waist - held it there, since his belt loops weren't big enough to accommodate the sheath - and waited, his other hand hovering above the hilt.
For a long moment, they were completely still. They were statues in the grey twilight, the gentle fall of snow drifting around them like a dream.
Soujiro moved first. He darted forward, the sword glinting as he whipped it out of the sheath. Metal clashed together as Yahiko blocked his blow, then pivoted around to parry the next thrust. He skipped back out of reach when Soujiro lunged for him, an annoyed look on his face.
"What're you doing?" Yahiko demanded. "Why're you so slow?"
"I don't know what you mean, Yahiko-san." Soujiro twisted left and right, the katana arching through the falling snow, but Yahiko deflected them all.
"I know you're faster than this. I saw you." The sakabato flew up towards Soujiro's neck, but he nimbly stepped to the side. "Why are you going easy on me?"
"I suppose I'm out of practice," he said easily, rotating his sword into a swift uppercut.
He batted it to the side. "The hell you aren't."
Soujiro tried again, feinting to the side before coming down on Yahiko's head from above. Yahiko's hand shot up and caught the blade between two fingers.
"I said," Yahiko enunciated, holding firm to the katana despite Soujiro's tugs, "why are you going easy on me?"
Soujiro blinked at Yahiko and for a moment it didn't look like he was going to respond. Then the tension in his arms loosened and Yahiko let him step back. "Several reasons, I suppose," he said musingly, gazing down at the hilt of the sword. "I really am out of practice, Yahiko-san; before today, it's been several years since I used a sword. And besides, this western clothing doesn't allow for much mobility. Especially the shoes." He tapped the toe of his flat leather shoe into the snow, as if testing its durability. "These shoes won't work at all."
Yahiko looked from Soujiro's slim figure to his own baggy Japanese clothing. "Huh. I didn't even consider that."
"Um... Tae-san?"
Tae jumped as a hand touched her elbow. Tsubame had switched places with Hana and was peering at her, eyes wide with worry. "Sorry," Tsubame said, pulling back a little. "Tae-san, are you alright? You look very scared."
Tae started and looked down. Her fingers were knotted together and the heels of her hands were digging into her breastbone. Slowly she uncurled her hands - her chest was suddenly hurting very much - and pushed them back into the sleeves of her jacket. "I... suppose I was, Tsubame-chan," she said, forcing out a little smile. "Thank you."
Tsubame nodded, but she still looked concerned. Tae looked away and made herself take a deep, calming breath. It's alright, she told herself, it will be alright.
Soujiro-san will be alright.
She shoved the thought away.
When Tae glanced back at the two combatants, Yahiko was speaking again. "Alright, so we don't do anything that requires much leg motion. How about we draw swords against each other? Whoever's fastest wins. How does that sound?"
Soujiro shrugged. "Fine by me."
"Okay." He pushed the sakabato back into its sheath. "But promise me you won't hold back. It isn't a fair fight if you go slower because of me."
He grinned. "I'll see what I can do," he said, laughter in his voice. He stepped back, holding the sheath against his waist again.
Yahiko also sheathed the sakabato and copied Soujiro's stance, his right hand waiting to draw.
"Ah," Tae heard Nizuno murmur, "so they'll both use battÅu-jutsu for this. Interesting. I wonder where Sou learned it."
"Yahiko picked up that trick from the best," Urato said confidently, "so the kid'll have to be fast to beat him."
Tae's fingers clenched around the hem of her sleeves. She wished the chefs would stop talking, just this once. She stared at Soujiro, noting his straight back and the stance of his feet, one just barely in front of the other. There was assurance in the way he held himself - not overtly, but it was there nonetheless. His eyes were locked with Yahiko's, his face utterly calm.
The moments dragged on and Tae found herself holding her breath, waiting for the terrible match to be over.
She couldn't have said who moved first - though perhaps that was because she was watching Soujiro, and not Yahiko too. One second Soujiro was completely motionless, the snow silently piling up on his shoulders and on his dark hair. The next, his sword met Yahiko's in a silver cross, a sharp clang echoing in the air.
"It looks like our skills are even," Soujiro said brightly, and Tae let her breath out in a rush.
"Dammit!" Urato groaned and Nizuno sighed.
Yahiko gazed at their blades for a moment before carefully stepping back. "Maybe," he said guardedly. "Today we're even, but I want another match with you sometime in the future."
"Oh?" Soujiro asked, sheathing his blade.
"Yeah. Maybe, in a few months, you'll still be as good as me. Or maybe you'll show me that you're faster." Yahiko raised an eyebrow. "I guess we'll see when that happens."
"I suppose," Soujiro replied, "but I don't think the results will change, Yahiko-san."
"Just Yahiko. You don't have to be that polite." He, too, sheathed his sword.
"Yahiko," Soujiro repeated, smiling.
That smile. It was the same little smile Tae had seen on Soujiro's face each day at the restaurant while he waited on customers, but something about it bothered her. Why now? Tae wondered, blinking at him as the chefs and the two waitresses walked past her to go inside. That smile was a part of Soujiro; she remembered it in her memories of him five years ago, and she remembered it on the day he was hired, when he looked up at her on the staircase and asked if she recognized him. Tae had only seen Soujiro without his smile once - this morning, when he looked so strangely serious...
But why should his smile unnerve me now?
Then she recalled the way Soujiro fought Yahiko, his mouth curved above the flashing katana in his hand.
He smiled as he fought, Tae realized. How could that be?
What sort of man is it that smiles while he fights?
A chill settled around her heart. Yahiko brushed past her, ducking into the back door, and Tae shivered.
"Tae-san?" Soujiro noticed her standing there and approached, snow crunching with each step. "You look kind of pale."
"I'm alright," she said immediately. "I suppose it's - it's the winter air. I should go back inside."
"Tae-san - " He caught her arm as she turned away. She looked at him, but he didn't let go. "Did you still want to have the English lesson this evening?"
His eyes were very bright in the grey air. Tae sighed, her breath clouding in the space between them. She felt - well, she wasn't sure how she felt. She needed to think about things, and think about today. She felt something about Soujiro, that was true, but... after she had seen him fight, she couldn't help but wonder... maybe even suspect...
"Not a lesson," she told him carefully. "But if you wished to join me for tea in a while, I would not refuse."
His face changed, his smiling expression altering ever so slightly, but Tae didn't wait for a response. She turned and went into the Akabeko, leaving the door open for him to follow.
A/N: I know you guys wanted to see some Sou/Tae action, but Yahiko was being way too impatient.
Before I get a ton of comments and/or PMs about this - yes, Soujiro was holding back (but hmm, perhaps Yahiko was, too...?). He couldn't afford to blow his cover so easily. But have no fear! Soujiro will get many an opportunity to fight in the future that will require him to use his shukuchi. :)
Also, in less than two weeks I'll be doing some... transitioning, I guess you could say?... anyway, I won't have access to the internet for a few weeks. I'll try to get the next chapter up before that happens, but we'll see. Fingers crossed.
I know I don't reply to many of your reviews, but I read every single one of them and I really treasure them. It's for you guys that I'm writing this - otherwise it would just be something fun at the back of my head. I'm so grateful for all the wonderful comments I've gotten throughout this story so far. Thank you so much!
