Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions/Sanzaru Games.

Claimer: I own all of my original characters.

And here's chapter 7! A bit longer than chapter 6 but still a tad short for my liking. But on a side note, I'm in a bit of a stump. I'm still working on this request, another one, and I'm planning the outline for my Tennessee fiction (which will be done after this one is completed, but that won't be for a while), but I've come up short on oneshot ideas. :/ So, if anyone has any oneshot ideas…I'm open. But other than that, please read, review, and let me know what you think of this chapter! Thanks!

Chapter 7: Forbidden Love

Northern Japan, 1339

Crickets chirped softly outside as I wrung out a cloth in a bucket of warm water from indoors. Moonlight slipped through the slats in the shutters in front of the windows, giving the room a soft glow along side the multiple candles that had been lit. Everything was completely silent, aside from the sound of small outdoor insects and dripping water, yet the mood of the air was sad; the aura of sadness emanating from the still shaken noodle chef in front of me. It had taken a while but I eventually got Kasumi to her home, which rested on the floor above her noodle shop, halfway across the village. She had cried into my shirt until most of the makeup from underneath her eyes had ended up on my shirt, but I kept her pressed to me until she was ready to go. I looked up from my bucket of water and the cloth to Kasumi. We sat on our knees in front of each other in the middle of her bedroom, saying nothing to each other. Kasumi had her paws folder in her lap, her eyes were closed gently and her nose pointed to the ground; her head hanging in shame. I felt pity for the woman, she was confused and in need of extra money and everyone knew the money that was to be made at the geisha house…I just don't think she intended to become an actual geisha.

Whatever the case may be, she had been startled, frightened, touched, and kissed by that filthy skunk. Even though the extent of touching and kissing came from the kiss on the top of her paw, it was still too much for her comfort zone and my liking of who touched her wasn't something I was too fond of. Some could say that I was jealous if another man came near her, touched her, or tried to do anything else with Kasumi…but I couldn't help it. No amount of sushi making or ninja training could not tell the heart of a person in love to not feel jealousy when the mate of their desire was pursued by another. Kasumi flinched slightly as I softly pressed the warm cloth to her cheek due to the sudden warmth of the cloth pressing onto the cool, dried tears and makeup that stained her face. I started on her cheek, wiping the makeup from her fun and skin slowly. I looked over her face as I wiped the makeup off; happy to see the white makeup slide from her face and reveal her natural grey fur underneath. I finished removing the makeup from her face before I replaced the wet cloth in the bucket and handed Kasumi a new one.

"Rioichi-san," Kasumi said softly as she dried her face off with the cloth in her paws, "How did you know?" she finally met my gaze, brushing stray strands of hair from her face. I took her paw in mine, running my thumbs over the top and on her slender fingers.

"I heard Madame Geisha speaking with him last night; after you stormed off." She nodded, sighing in the process.

"I hope you can forgive me, Rioichi. I pushed you away when I shouldn't have. I realize now that you were simply looking out for my best interest. I reacted in the wrong way, resulting to anger instead of answering your question. I want to ask for your forgiveness, Rioichi Cooper." I softly placed my paws on the sides of her face and moved a bit closer to her. I tiled her head upwards, making her gaze meet mine before I spoke.

"There is no need to apologize, Kasumi. Forgiveness is only needed when something wrong has been done…you have done nothing wrong. Your anger is your personality; who you are. I love your personality just as much as I love you." Her eyes lit up at the comment, a smile started tugging at her lips…but she didn't return the phrase. Not that it mattered to me really, I knew Kasumi had problems fully expressing her feelings; other than anger, of course. Before it clocked in my mind what either of us were doing, I pressed my lips into her soft, pink ones and held on. I kept my paws on her face, gently caressing it as her fingers brushed my shirt. My eyes open and I watched as she pulled away suddenly, hiding her face and standing.

"I'm sorry, Rioichi," she mumbled as she made her way to the window, "I can't." I furrowed my eyebrows and stood myself, walking up behind Kasumi, placing a paw on her shoulder.

"You cannot what, Kasumi?" I asked her softly, not wanting to anger or pressure the already upset female.

"I want to love you Rioichi-san, I really do," she gripped the windowsill firmly, peering out of the slats in the shutters, "And I know in my heart that I already love you. But I'm not allowed to love you…or anyone for that matter. That is why I am so distant from you. That's why I refuse your compliments or your kisses and touches…I'm not allowed to love." I placed my paws on her hips, holding them firmly from behind as her gaze stayed focused out the window.

"Is it because you don't want our businesses to clash? Kasumi-san, that shouldn't make a difference in anything." She looked behind her shoulder, her gaze meeting mine.

"No!" she whined, "Geisha's aren't allowed to love, Rioichi. You know this." I shook my head and sighed quietly.

"You are not a geisha, Kasumi, you are a maiko." She turned around, facing me and shook her head, tears forming in her eyes.

"But I will be a geisha, Rioichi. And I don't to tell you that I love you and only to know that I could never have you."

"Then leave the geisha house completely, Kasumi," I touched her cheeks again and held her face, "You aren't tied to the house yet. You can still leave while you have a chance."

"I can't leave the house, Rioichi!" she said through a cracked voice, "I can't support myself on my restaurant and thieving alone. I need to have the money or I won't survive. You must understand this."

"Then let me help you. I make more than enough funds in a single day to suit my needs. I can help support you, Kasumi. I can give you money at the end of the week if you need it. You don't need to be selling yourself in the geisha house…I can support you and help you, Kasumi-san."

"I'm not accepting handouts from you, Rioichi. I can't take your money. It would shame my family to borrow from you."

"You can't become a geisha, Kasumi. I've seen the way those men look at you and the way they try to throw themselves at you. Look at the skunk. He was so close to turning you into a geisha."

"Rioichi, if you love me then you would accept me for the decisions I make…intelligent or stupid." I sighed, grasping her waist and pulling her to me slowly.

"I do love you, Kasumi-san," I whispered to her as I kissed her forehead softly, "I just worry for you. I could not stand to see you hurt." she smiled, her paws returned to my shoulders.

"I know you worry…because I worry as well."

"Why are you not allowed to love in the geisha house, Kasumi?" I knew the answer to this question, but I had to know if she thought it to be true as well.

"Madame Geisha says that if we love another…then out attention to our clients will be lower. We would not make as much money for our self and for Madame Geisha and she would make us leave."

"But what if she did not know?" she looked up to me, her small eyebrows knitting together on her brow.

"What are you saying, Rioichi-san?" I smiled at her, smoothing her hair and taking in her scent of sweet, fresh cherry blossoms.

"We can love each other, Kasumi, as long as Madame Geisha does not find out," I held her waist to me tightly as I put my mouth to her ear, whispering, "And I promise not to tell anyone." She giggled softly, her beautiful gaze meeting mine.

"And I promise not to tell anyone as well." We stood there, saying nothing to each other, simply looking over each other and holding on. Like before, we inched our muzzles toward each other until our lips met again. Only this time, Kasumi didn't pull away.