The next day started off much as the first; in fact, most of the day was nearly a carbon copy. The young man woke up, got the cold shoulder from Sasuki over breakfast, chatted with Hanabi and confirmed with the royal raven that they could indeed purchase her simple cases to hold bugs in at the next shop, then it was bug hunting. Hanabi helped this time, a bit more than yesterday anyway, spotting and even catching a small cricket just shy of noon.

He could swear he heard Hinata's cherubic laugh on the wind too.

Though what peaceful or pleasant sensations this summoned were sharply stopped when the most innocent member of their party asked a casual, albeit blunt, question. In an instant the air was awkward. He knew without looking that Sasuki was seething in rage behind him, and Sakura felt yet more vindicated in her dislike of him.

Fuck, did Sakura ever even find out about his first time with Hinata?

"What?" her little sister asked, slightly irritated. "I just want to know what exactly you do that makes Hinata so happy?"

"That's…" he trailed off the s, desperately trying to buy time to think. "Well uh, Hanabi, you know how adults are different from kids, l-like how you're not done growing yet," he began, earning a displeased look from the pale-eyed child. The squiggly centipede in his hand that he'd held out to her tickled his hand in a most distracting way. Why was he being punished? All he'd fucking done was chase bugs and ask a cute little girl if it 'made her happy' to see the colorful wiggler!

"Yes?" she replied, long and drawn out, annoyedly asking him to get to the point.

"There's well, things that adult bodies can do that feel really good, especially when they have someone there to hel—you know what, I shouldn't be the one to tell you all this; why don't you ask your sister?" he suggested.

"I did! She just said she was enjoying spending her evenings with you and she didn't give me any other details. You slept together for a bit?" she guessed, correctly and yet not, clearly innocent of unspoken implication. She proved as much with her next words. "What does this have to do with your 'bodies being different' or whatever?"

"….Yeah no, let's leave it there. We're sleeping together for a bit every night, cuddling and such-"

"-oh ick! Cuddling and stuff with you?! Oh gross, that's what it was that's been making her all smiley and happy these past couple of days? Doing blushy stuff with a guy, with you? I don't want to talk anymore about that," she decided, though the unbroken sway of her steps and expressive wave of her hands showed that she was probably the least shook of the traveling party.

Sasuki continued seething with rage behind him, and Sakura even dared to ask a question of her.

"Hm, I don't suppose you'll let me punish this pig for such misbehavior, warleader?" she softly asked after the girl had a few yards of a lead on them.

"Saskui's aware that we have to…. be extra nice to Hinata, given the nature of her powers. She gave explicit permission the first time our specter friend wanted uh… intimacy," he explained, even daring to look annoyed when he turned to the hulking form making credible threats to his life. He followed her eyes over to Sasuki, who glared furiously but continued to say nothing. "Besides, what the hell do you care what I'm doing while I'm so blatantly not welcome in your presence?" he dared add, regretting it as the silence grew awkward and stale. Before long, he picked up his pace to catch up to the kid, happy to see her oblivious and continuing to be so as the hours crept up on them.

By the second he was back to chasing bugs.

By the time they sat to actually eat their supper and prepare for bed, it seemed everything was normal again. Normal compared to the start of their trip, at least. Sasuki didn't order him back to her tent, and he didn't feel particularly inclined to go; as a matter of fact, it seemed far more productive and pleasant to have a chat with Hinata.

A part of him was worried about her.

How much she had heard.

She certainly looked fretful when she appeared, not long after he laid down on his bedroll, wringing her hands and jerking so sharply when he rested a hand on her leg without rising. That at least brought her eyes to him. A warm, if concerned, smile on his face seemed to help, had her taking a deep breath at least.

"Hey Hinata, that was pretty awkward earlier today, huh?" he asked, trying to sound casual, unconcerned. All the same, the words seemed to sting. Her face went as red as blood and her eyes closed tightly while she sucked in another breath, taking a good few seconds to reply.

"I-I-I'm so sorry it's all my fault I-"

"-you didn't do anything wrong Hinata," he interrupted, still smiling.

"I did! I'm the one who made Hanabi curious and I'm the one who came and started this on the trip and I knew Sasuki gets jealous but I did anyway and-"

"-Hinata, seriously, take a breath; everything's fine," he assured, sighing himself as he watched her suck in a shaky breath. "Sasuki's been mad at me plenty of times; it's fine. Besides, it's not like I'm breaking any promises or agreements I made with her; you definitely aren't,"

"But what if things are ruined?" she protested, her voice still strained with worry. "If Saskuki hates me it might make her be mean to Hanabi or throws you out! That would kill her and I-I-I don't- I can't- Hanabi has already been through so much!"

"So have you," he reminded, pulling himself upright just enough to hug her and pull her down onto his chest. She let him. Running a hand through her hair and holding her close seemed to do wonders; her breathing slowed to a calm, silent sound. "You poor, mistreated thing," he pushed his hands a little harder into her form, like he was massaging her, not really sure what he was doing but pleased to see it seem to work. "You've had nothing but horror and hardship handed to you, yet you still act like an angel, like some benevolent goddess. It's why I'm so amazed by you,"

"I… you're just kind. I had a good life," she weakly protested, head fuzzy from the sweet words and the feel of his strong grip. The almost drug-like euphoria of a simple hug. Had she ever been hugged by someone stronger than her before him? Not since her mother died, and not since her mother died, did she feel so comforted, so safe.

"You had a monster and a murderer for a father," he argued. "It honestly baffles me how you can be so sweet and kind, how you can be such an incredible guardian for Hanabi especially,"

"I- Hanabi isn't a burden or…. Still, I didn't go hungry. I didn't break my body with labor or have to worry about people robbing my home or hanging my parents; I'm luckier than most,"

"You died when you were barely past twenty," he protested dryly. "You had your entire life taken from you for some rich bastard's selfish desire to be richer, or a magistrate, I guess. Seriously, you were so wronged by this world to end up stuck in this form for a good deed. Now stuck with nobody for company and some lowborn freak like me,"

His attempt at a joke summoned no laugh; it did cause her to crane her head and look up at him with perhaps the most serious expression he'd ever seen on that regal, beautiful face.

"I feel very, very lucky that I got you, that I have you here," her face darkened with every word, her head even starting to tremble before he leaned himself up and kissed her. Swallowing a sigh as her delicate little hands came up to rest on his pecs. It was surprising that she pulled back, broke the kiss. "Y-you're not a freak,"

"Well, I'm a fey," he teased.

"Fey aren't ah….aren't always bad; besides, you're as human as you are other, probably more human!" she insisted, looking at him with such seriousness that it made him chuckle.

"Relax Hinata, it's not something I feel particularly bad or insecure about, how human I am,"

"I'm more a freak now than you," she pressed all the same.

"You, are absolutely perfect; more than anything, you're a freak because you are so, fucking, pure, so good and kind," he argued, kissing her again, and clapping a hand on the back of her head to maintain it. She seemed happy enough with that decision.

Purring against his lips and only groaning louder when his tongue slipped inside after a particularly enthusiastic squeeze saw her gasp, giving an opening. Soon after, she was putty in his hands. He groped and grabbed and relished every inch of her body, spending a lot of time in particular teasing her splendid round breasts. They were just so sensitive! It was hard not to when it elicited such a sharp and delicious reaction~

He didn't leave them alone until she had came thrice, cried out for reprieve, and shortly after left to check on her sister. Staying awake until she returned was a challenge he failed. Fortunately, he had her company again the following night, the last one of their journey, and that was an even better evening spent.

With Hanabi happy and no further trouble from the others, she was able to enjoy their time far more. Hells, she seemed grateful to him after he assured they could continue sleeping together when they reached town, when they were resting in inns. As if that was any sort of favor on his part. It was their last day on the road for a bit, and apparently that question had weighed on her, worried her enough that she positively showered him with love for the rest of the night together.

Gods, she really seemed to love him.

Did he love her?

It was increasingly difficult to argue that theory, as short as their time together had been, and as strange as the whole situation was, her presence was nothing short of a blessing to him. He felt like a better person when he was with her. Felt like more then Sasuki's slave and sole source of rage; he felt like he could be happy forever no matter what came of that relationship, as long as he had Hinata to hold.

Rationalization was easy too. They didn't need him any less than Sasuki, more really, and Hanabi was far more innocent, more deserving of support. If his raven was so unhappy with him as her lover, she could just stay with Sakura or whatever pompous, prissy noble it became advantageous for her to marry.

There was a dark, sadistic sort of joy in imagining her doing the smart thing and marrying some arrogant ass of a noble who didn't give a shit about her. Someone like Hiashi maybe. Someone grotesquely obese and ugly maybe!

He did his best to bury these thoughts.

It helped that he had a distraction fairly quickly, as early on the third day of travel they saw the first sign of their destination. A tall, stone tower on a hill, supposedly less than a mile from the city proper, Sasuki said. Hanabi was excited, and if he was honest, so was he.

Her because it had been so long since she saw a city proper, him because it was literally the largest gathering of people he'd ever seen in his life. Probably for Sakura too, he mused, Sasuki, he could only guess. She never talked much about her past, and she still wasn't talking to him much regardless.

Still, they all took a moment by that tower to look down the hill.

There had to be at least a hundred structures, several larger than his new family's manor, and the woods were cleared so shockingly far around it, for miles at least! A small lake shimmered like a jewel amidst it all as well, light dancing off its water. It was Hanabi's impatience that spurred them all to move, her loud childish whine that broke them out of the trance.

"Come on can we go! Can we get going and see the shops and find some glass cases already?" she asked with a literal hop in her steps.

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