Ch. 8

Requited

For Ren it was easy to slip into a calm, easy going, day to day in Kenshin's house. He was probably the most hospitable host she had ever stayed with. Kasuga was kept relatively busy but would take time out of her day to visit with her, the two were growing closer and closer to best friends every day. The past three days at the estate had been bright, sunny, and quiet, and as relaxed as she was the nagging in the back of her mind kept her up at night.

At the moment she was seated next to a small pond, basking in the sunlight with a graceful smile playing on her lips. The sounds of the small waterfall was slowly luring her into a light sleep, and the light breeze of the day kept her at a most comfortable temperature.

"You look much more relaxed today." At the voice Ren jumped and stared in shock at a green clad, and smirking, Sasuke. She quickly looked around for Kasuga or Kenshin, but it was only the two of them and she couldn't help but marvel at how silently he had snuck up on her.

"Yes, well I feel much safer here." She told him sitting up and holding out her hand to him. Sasuke scratched his nose and stared at her hand a moment before realizing that she wanted him to pull her up. He smiled at her, took her hand in his and pulled her up with the utmost ease.

"Thanks, why are you here? Aren't you a ninja for Kai?" She asked crossing her arms and giving him a halfhearted scolding look.

"Actually I'm here with my lord, he's meeting with Kenshin today." He said looking her over covertly. Ren was dressed in colors similar to what Kenshin wore; light blues and white. Her normally messy short hair had been expertly pinned back with golden butterfly clips. She even had her lips painted a light pink that complemented her brown eyes very much. Sasuke smiled appreciably at her and Ren cocked an eyebrow in question.

"Very lady like Ren." He had meant to ruffle her feathers, and if Ren had not noticed his mischievous look she would have been very ruffled indeed. Instead she smiled coyly and batted her eyelashes in a very obvious and comical way.

"Oh thank you!" She said in a high pitched voice that had Sasuke chuckling at her. He offered her his camo green arm and she took it.

"Am I to meet this lord of yours?" He nodded and walked her to where he knew the young tiger of Kai was awaiting his audience with Kenshin.

It had been three long arduous and nerve wrecking days since Motochika and Kojuro had set out in search of Ren. They were close to the estate he knew because Kojuro kept telling him how close they were. The older man must have seen the anxiousness on the pirates face, and he consciously tried to keep it straight.

"Shall we break for lunch?" Kojuro asked him as they slowed their horses too cross a bridge. Motochika shook his head.

"I want to reach Kenshin's today and as soon as possible." He said keeping his eye straight ahead and focused on the road. Kojuro nodded even though the other couldn't see it. Kojuro wondered what sort of scene would play out when the pirate caught up with the young lady. It would no doubt be entertaining, he only hoped that they reached her before Mori, or there would undoubtedly be a fight.

"Another hour I think, if we keep this pace." Kojuro said trying to reassure the young man next to him. He smiled, it was easy to like Ren and he hoped that she would be glad to see Motochika, he wished her only the best of luck and if he could help her he would.

As per usual Motonari was pouring over maps, his tea untouched, and marking areas that his men had already searched. He was closing in on the provinces of Echigo one by one and coming to the conclusion that Ren had, as he previously had thought, hidden herself with Kenshin. His door slid open then and a maid stilled in fear when his eyes settled on her.

"My lord, a woman says she has information for you." She said bowing as low as possible and moving aside for the woman. The next woman that stepped inside his room was far less intimidated by him than the other girl. He noted that she was older, and stern looking but most certainly not noble.

"And you are?" He drawled looking back at his map not very interested in her.

"My name is of no consequence, I have damming information on your sister." She said confidently. He looked back at her and waved away the other maid. Once the door was shut he motioned for her to sit in front of him.

"If you have come to tell me she is in Echigo then you have wasted my time." He said dangerously. Her eyes widened only a fraction but she kept her calm stern face still.

"I have other information." She said. Motonari knew why she hadn't simply up and told him what she knew, she wanted something.

"What is it you want?" He asked in almost exasperation.

"Gold." She said simply. All she wanted was money, well he could deal with that.

"Fine, now tell me this information." She smiled a tiny very cold smile.

"Your sister travels with the pirate Chosokabe Motochika." She said waiting for the famed wrath of the Mori's to show itself on the man's face but all she got was a noncommittal noise from him. She was a bit disappointed.

"I will have to have my men bring your gold, you can have a pouch full and no more." He said calling in a maid and telling her to have a room readied for the woman like he was the lord here and not Yoshiaki.

Ren's first impression of Sanada Yukimura was; red. The man must have really liked red, for he was dressed head to toe in it. He had wispy brown hair similar to her own, and very joyful determined brown eyes. He was chatting with Kenshin in a friendly manner, considering they were actually rivals.

"Ah, Ren-Hime come and meet Yukimura." Kenshin said in that silky calm voice of his. Yukimura turned to look at her and say his hellos but stopped suddenly. Ren bowed to him as a lady should and smiled politely.

"It's nice to meet you Sanada." She said genuinely happy to meet yet another great lord. Sasuke had walked to stand next to Yukimura and elbowed the young man in the ribs after a rather awkward lapse of time had passed. He jumped as if shaken out of a trance and bowed very deeply to her.

"It is an honor to meet you my lady." He said loudly, too loudly. Ren's eyebrows shot up and she sent a questioning look to Sasuke and Kenshin. The ninja shrugged while Kenshin smiled at her as if he knew something she didn't.

"You are from Kai right?" She asked him more out of politeness than anything else. His head shot up like lightning and he grinned at her.

"That's right! Uesugi-dono has informed me that you are from Chugoku." He seemed like a very excited sort of person, full of energy. Ren nodded and smiled at him.

"Correct." She said as Kenshin came to stand next to her and gently placed her arm around his.

"Let's have tea shall we?" He said easily and led the guests inside.

Sasuke pulled Yukimura back a ways and wrapped an arm around his neck.

"What was that, my lord?" He asked in a sneaky voice. Yukimura immediately went as red as his vest.

"What do you mean?" He asked looking anywhere but at Sasuke. Sasuke shook his head, and repressed a laugh. The poor young tiger.

In the tea room they all sat facing each other with Ren next to Kenshin and across from Yukimura. She gracefully poured them all tea. Yukimura glanced at her time and time again and Ren could feel it. She wondered what was wrong with him. If she'd had something on her face Kenshin would have said something, and she was sure she'd never met him before so she hadn't any reason to suspect she had done something to warrant such behavior. She slid his glass his way and he thanked her far more graciously than was required. She looked to Sasuke who smirked at her in his mischievous way and wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

"How is the lord of Kai?" Kenshin asked politely after sipping his own tea. His question confused Ren, wasn't Yukimura the lord?

"Oyakata-sama is very well, as lively as ever." Yukimura said happy to talk about his lord. Ren frowned and looked at him.

"But I thought you were the lord of Kai?" She said. He looked up at her a bit nervously.

"Well actually Takeda Shingen is the lord of Kai, I am but a vassal Ren-dono." He said almost uncomfortably. Ren nodded and ignored the honorific he gave her.

"So you are is second in command then." She stated more than questioned. He nodded her way. Both Kenshin and Sasuke looked to each other noting how quiet Yukimura was with her now.

"I have heard of the great battles you and Masamune have had, you two must be very close." She said sipping her own tea. His face brightened at the mention of the dragon, she had hoped it would. She wasn't sure what it was about her that made him uncomfortable but she would at least try to be as friendly with him as possible.

"Yes! Masamune-sama is my rival in all things, you know him" While Ren and Yukimura chatted about the manners of a certain dragon Sasuke covertly slid a letter to Kenshin and eyed him seriously. No words had to be spoken to the lord of Echigo.

Kasuga sighed when she heard the resounding laugh of a certain shinobi from inside the tea room. She really detested Sasuke. Before she could open the front gate she could hear someone calling to her. She turned to look hoping that it wasn't some peasant with household problems again, instead she saw Katakura Kojuro waving her down and next to him was the lavender head of Chosokabe. She waited next to the gate till the two men, followed by a handful of soldiers stopped next to her.

"Afternoon Kasuga." Kojuro said politely, she gave him a slight bow.

"And you Koujro-sama." He and Chosokabe slid from their horses, the pirate looking this way and that distractedly.

"We are looking for Mori Ren, is she here?" Kojuro asked smiling congenially at her. She poked her thumb over her shoulder.

"She's inside with my lord, I'll show...Hey!" As soon as Motochika had heard that Ren was in fact inside he had brushed past the woman and slammed the gate open. Kojuro sighed and looked at her apologetically.

"For whatever is about to happen I wholeheartedly apologies." He said following after the hot blooded pirate. Kasuga felt her hackles rise and she ran after them fearing for her new friend.

The door to the tea room slammed opened so hard the room shook and if Ren had not heard the stomping of feet she would have been surprised. It was however the man that stood in the doorway that surprised her. Motochika eyed her in what looked like anger, his tense posture making him look like a great looming beast. She had been in the middle of pouring Yukimura another cup of tea and now as she sat frozen staring back at him the cup overflowed.

Kenshin was less than surprised to see Motochika, Kasuga had informed him of his relationship with Ren and had come to his own conclusions. Sasuke sat back to watch the whole scene unfold with a satisfied smile, while Yukimura looked between the pirate and Ren a sense of worry for her building.

"You!" Motochika said pointing his finger at her. He stomped over to her unhindered by anyone, reached down and took hold of her yukata and drug her up till she stood on her tip toes and nearly nose to nose with him. Yukimura went to stand and started to shout but Sasuke had stuck out a foot and skillfully had tripped the poor man.

Ren had never felt real fear before when concerning Motochika, and it wasn't fear that she felt now. Only a little apprehension, shock and maybe...just a little elated?

"How dare you throw that cold condescending 'go back to the sea' in my face! Do you have any idea...I really can't stand that you had to go all...noble on me! ME! Your friend!" He half shouted at her and shook her as if that would get through to her. Where as usually Ren's head would instantly be filled with come backs and snide remarks the only thing she could think was that he had come all this way to tell her that.

"Motochika..." She whispered it but he had heard her. He moved his head so that his hair covered his good eye and pulled her a bit closer until his nose practically rested in her shoulder.

"Do you have any idea how worried I've been?" He said it quietly like confessing that would undo him. The whole room heard it and Kenshin had to smile at the two, the tension had suddenly fizzled away. From his sprawled out position on the floor Yukimura watched in confusion, and for some reason suddenly felt like he had lost a battle. Kasuga, Kojuro and Sasuke all couldn't contain their grins.

"Maybe we should talk outside." Ren suggested gently putting a hand on Motochika's to coax him into letting her go. He mumbled a reply and Kasuga opened the shoji door to the garden and closed it once the two had exited. Of course the lot of them then proceeded to press their ears against it to listen in, all except Kenshin who serenely sipped his tea. No doubt he would get a full report later.

Ren could feel heat slowly creeping up her neck and turned to stare at Motochika who had gone silent. The sun was just starting to set and the orange light played on his hair. It seemed that he looked anywhere and everywhere but at her.

"I'm sorry." She said suddenly gaining his attention. She sighed and looked at the flowers around her thinking it would be easier to speak to them rather than Motochika.

"Why don't you trust me?" He blurted out before she could begin explaining herself. Her eyes, wide, shot back up to him. Was that what he thought? That she didn't trust him?

"I trust you completely." She said, and it was the truth she realized. He looked at her with a sneer.

"Your actions speak otherwise, Ren all you had to do was tell me the whole story, I wouldn't just leave you to your brother." He was getting angry again just thinking about it.

"It's wasn't that, well at first is was, at first I thought you'd hand me over in a heart beat but that was before we made port. Before I knew you." She said feeling strangely vulnerable.

"But, as we got to know each other I knew you couldn't do that, and from then on it became...well me." She didn't know how else to tell him. She could feel a deep nagging pain in her stomach, it whispered to her how unworthy she was.

"What do you mean it was you? Ren I'm not your brother, you'll have to explain things to me in simpler terms." He said half joking. She smiled up at him sadly.

"My brother used to tell me about how horrible you were, and I thought I would hate you if I have met you. Then I did meet you, and now I can't help but think that I of all people don't deserve your friendship. I'm spoiled, conceded, false. Just like my brother." Her self depreciation made Motochika move forwards and grasp her arms, it irked him that she thought of herself that way. She chanced a look up at him and nearly made a move to run away. Anger, disgust, annoyance. She could have handled all of that, but the gentle warm smile he gave her, she was completely unprepared for.

"My Ren is none of those things, she's fiery, intelligent, and kind. And whither she likes it or not I will have her beside me as my ally, my friend, mine." Her face turned the color of Yukimura's vest. She was suddenly very aware of how close they were, of the warmth of his big hands on her arms, and of the little distance it would take to close the gap between their faces.

"But...I'm a...Mori." She stuttered unable to complete thoughts before she spoke. He grinned at her.

"Oh shut up." His hands released her arms and found perfect spots on her neck and pulled her up. Ren stilled, eyes wide until Motochika kissed her and her mid stopped working.