Amagiri didn't say anything else and only nodded in agreement. Chizuru looked away from him. She was not willing to talk to him.
Some minutes later Amagiri excused himself to go to sleep. He went to the other room and when he slid the shoji door open to the room Chizuru could see that there were three separate futons.
"Was Kazama going to sleep separated from her tonight?" She thought.
She was sleepy too but she didn't go to bed and she rather stayed by the heating for warmth. Eventually she rested her head on the table by the heating, not intending to sleep the whole night there but she fell asleep soon after.
Sometime after midnight Kazama who was out drinking in the snowy yard slid the shoji door open to find Chizuru sleeping by the heating. Her head was still covered by bath cloth but more of her front hair was revealed which was obviously freshly washed and damp. Her skin tone looked lighter due to an earlier bath. Her skin looked more supple due to the mix of the dampness and heating by her skin. This was a tempting sight for a man to bathe too and then cuddle with his wife but this is not how things are currently working for them.
He calmly approached her and bent on one knee next to her partially hovering over her. He put his arm around her and his hand on her distant shoulder and his other hand sneaked lightly under her knees before gently carrying her bridal style.
Chizuru woke up as she sensed the movement around her and on her but not willing to fight as there was nothing to gain at the moment from fighting she pretended to be half asleep as he carried her and put her on one of the futons and she turned on her side with her back to him.
Kazama put the blanket on her before resting his hand on her shoulder, applying pressure while rubbing it a little and resting on his elbow "You think you are the only one who finds it hard Chizuru?" He whispered with his face closer to hers as he leaned on her from behind.
"I too wish we didn't have to go through any of this and I feel guilty that I didn't come to you sooner." He continued in the same low voice and tone.
Chizuru turned her face to him, now they both looked in one another's eyes. "If I know that you killed him I'll have no obligations for you and you won't be able to do anything at all. Keep that in your mind more than anything else." She said in a low and solid voice. Her eyes showed no fear nor hesitation.
"I told you he is dead for you." He said as he reached his hand to her front hair near her ear to brush his fingers through them but was stopped as Chizuru held his wrist with her hand that was small against his thick wrist. "Don't you even think of touching me if he's dead. Even if you force yourself I'll fight you and believe me you have seen nothing." She said in a harsh tone as she pushed his hand away.
Kazama, believing that he managed to kill Hajime, merely looked back in her eyes that were full of solid determination. "This is going to take time." He thought as he got up without saying anything and went to change his clothes into a sleeping yukata before going to lay on his futon that was separated from hers.
"One way or another I'll find a way out of this life or I will find a way for revenge. " thought Chizuru to herself before falling asleep