Ketsueki || {Haji/Kat} {End Scene}

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Katsumi hated it when she couldn't use her bow. She was an archer through and through, and, although she felt much stronger now and was capable of more, she still much preferred range over melee. Whenever she got close and personal with people in fighting, it seemed she got hurt. Katsumi was just so small and could get easily overpowered by the right guys, if they were skilled enough.

While on a bounty job, she had come across the criminal, and the two got into a fight. She much preferred the idea of keeping him alive, in order to make more money, but that was what screwed her in the end. When she thought she had him down, he surprised her, and now Katsumi had a large gash in her leg, and her prey was gone, which meant no money for her. Today was just going swimmingly well.

Her charcoal hakama was removed, her slender legs exposed and partially within the river. Nobody was around, so Katsumi felt it was safe to remove the pants. Even if someone came in, her hair was up in the high pony tail, her chest was still wrapped, and she had on the kimono. She could quickly cover herself up and everything would be alright. At this point, most just thought she was an effeminate male.

The cool water felt good against her flesh, and helped relax the woman as she cleaned out the knife wound on her right thigh. It stung, but Katsumi was pleased at least now the bleeding mostly stopped. It was a matter of closing up the wound, so she pulled out a needle and thread from her back and began stitching it up herself, wincing every so often.

Despite her young age, she was more skilled at this than one would expect. Considering her background with her father and his abuse, and all of the training, fighting, and killing in her past, she had to be. Katsumi breathed deeply and sighed, arm lifting up to wipe the sweat from her brow before continuing her work, trickles of blood intermingled with the droplets of water on her flesh.

[Morei Haji]

"Oh man... my sword is wearing down."

I was walking along the road, examining my weapon as I did. Being a normal-made blade, my method of fighting with the blunt end was bringing about too much wear and tear. And maybe rust. Being a simple hand-me-down blade, I wasn't too surprised, but still, it was all I had right now, as my other blade wasn't in much nicer of a condition. I sighed and sheathed my blade, the entry a bit rough. As long as I didn't get into too many battles, I would be fine. I would find a way to raise some money and get a better sword, preferably one with a reverse blade.

I had been walking for so long that I was starting to get thirsty, and once again I had forgotten to bring along something to carry water. Cursing my stupidity, I stopped when I heard something. What sounded like running water... Yes!

I quickly moved off of the road and through the trees off the side of the path. It took quite a bit of jogging, but eventually I ended up in full view of a nice little river, and without much thinking I ran to the side and crouched down, cupping some water in my hands and bringing it to my lips. A few times doing this and I felt much better, and feeling refreshed, I sat down on the ground with an audible "Aah!"

As I looked down the river, I noticed another figure very close by, who was possibly there the entire time. Their clothes also seemed to be partially off, and I stood up quickly and embarrassed, looking away and blushing a bit.

"I-I.. I'm sorry, Sir/Ma'am! I didn't mean to intrude!" I said apologetically, looking away still. But I noticed something a bit strange in the midst of my panic. They looked a little hurt. While still looking away, I asked a question.

"I... um... are you okay?"

[Shinomori Katsumi]

The sound of the coursing river made it so that Katsumi didn't hear the other figure, but when the voice rang out, she was startled a little, eliciting a small gasp. Eyes widening, she glanced over to where the person was and was stunned. His hair, why, it was of a pure white, and her eyes widened more, but out of fascination. She had never seen such a thing, and she almost forgot that she wasn't wearing her hakama.

But that didn't last long, and at realizing he was blushing and glancing away, and hearing him being uncertain about her gender, the merc's legs clamped together and she pulled down the kimono as much as she could, hoping to cover that lack of a bulge.

Coughing a couple of times, fingers brushed her dark hair behind her ear. Katsumi peered through her side-swept bangs and, voice a false tenor, Katsumi lied, a bit nervously, "... Sir. Ahem."

Brows furrowed a little at the man's question, but her gaze dropped to her thigh. She recalled her injury and released a sigh. It was bleeding again, and Kat would need to quickly finish stitching it up and applying pressure to the wound.

"Ah, yes," she remarked, avoiding his gaze. Slender fingers picked up the needle and she quickly went back to work. "Got careless with the criminal I'm tracking. I'll be fine."

Her gaze slid up and she looked over at him, and Kat softly said, "T... Thanks for asking."

She wasn't used to people showing concern. Her father never gave a damn if she were injured, and caused many, in fact. And others just cared if she could complete the job. So his concern simply confused her, and she blushed a little, biting down on her lip.

She kept working, but the colour of his hair kept creeping back into his mind. As rude as it seemed to her, she couldn't help but nervously blurt out rather awkwardly, her social skills far from graceful, "Your... Your hair... it... it reminds me of snow. It... It is very pretty."

Katsumi felt embarrassed and her gaze dropped immediately, and she hunched a bit, hiding behind her hair and engrossing herself with tending to her wound.

[Morei Haji]

Sir? So it was a guy. I wasn't sure what made me so gender confused. I didn't get a good look at the person, but at least it was confirmed for me. I didn't have to be so shy around a guy, right? Either way, I wasn't used to seeing anyone of either gender without their clothing. So I kept looking the other way for now.

Careless with a criminal, huh...? Did this mean they were a bounty hunter of some sort? Regardless, this meant that this person was hurt. And as he thanked me, I looked back over at him, smiling a bit. "I.. yeah, no problem.." I was a bit relieved that I wasn't being attacked for showing up unexpected on someone nearly naked or anything.

My eyes widened when he complimented my hair. "You... aren't scared?" Most people looked at me like some kind of monster because of my hair color. I never knew anyone to actually call it pretty. While it was an odd thing for a guy to say, I felt a little happy that for once, someone wasn't ostracizing me.

Noticing that they were tending to their wounds, I started to walk towards him. I was pretty concerned about it, especially now that I could get a better look at it. "Here, let me see if I can help..."

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Scared? Katsumi brows furrowed. Why on earth would she be scared? His white hair and light eyes were absolutely beautiful, and Katsumi found herself to be rather in awe at the sight. Her curiosity was piqued and she wanted to know so much about the man, but there was her mask to keep up. She couldn't keep complimenting him like that, right? Men didn't do that sort of thing.

Shit.

Fortunately, he didn't seem to notice, and Katsumi proceeded to shake her head, responding, "No, sir. I... well, I have never seen anything like it."

The way he said it made it sound like people were generally afraid of this man, and Katsumi found that to be most peculiar. A single brow raised and she inquired, "Why... Why would I be?"

He wasn't attacking her, and didn't seem particularly dangerous. She had no need to be afraid.

Except now she did. The man started heading towards her, inquiring about helping her, and Katsumi swallowed roughly. If he came too close, he might realize she wasn't a man, and her charade would shatter. After being forced to act like a man for so long, and then doing it on her own for safety purposes, the idea of someone knowing her actual sex terrified her.

Katsumi scooted back a bit, expression showing nervousness, and she winced, leg throbbing from the movement. The woman stammered, shaking her head with wide eyes, legs tightly pressed together, which didn't help her injury too much, "N-No, t-t-that's alright. I... I'm f-fine. I-I'm almost d-done. I can... I can d-do it on my own, t-thank you."

[Morei Haji]

I stared at him incredulously, so he really wasn't scared at all. He wasn't freaking out about my getting closer, or freaking out about some curse or anything. In fact, he seemed rather oblivious to it. It felt... nice. Most people I met who didn't pay it any mind were swinging a blade at me to even really notice it in the first place.

Before I could really answer though, the guy seemed rather scared that I was approaching. They seemed awfully jittery, stuttering over their words. I lifted my hands up to show I wasn't planning on striking at them while they were injured.

"I promise you, I only want to help... you don't seem okay."

His injury could've been a lot worse than he let on. Yes, I was a stranger as he was to me, but it was in my nature to help those I came across. I especially wanted to help someone who wasn't afraid of me. If that previous statement didn't convince them though... I figure I'd answer his previous question.

"The reason why I asked about you being scared or not... is because most people treat me like I'm not even human because of my hair... no one's ever complimented it before like you have. Even if it was brief, you made me feel more accepted... so please, allow me to return the favor."

I held my hand out towards him as a friendly gesture.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Even though she was petrified of him or anyone finding out her secret, when he spoke, Katsumi halted. No one had ever spoken to her like this before, so honestly. It seemed... heartfelt, and she was at a standstill. How was the woman to react to this? She hadn't the slightest idea.

She could sympathize with him. Katsumi was never accepted by the only person in her life. Father hated her no matter what she did. She could never please him, even when she did everything he wanted. No matter what she did, the man had hated her and beaten her again and again, training her harder and harder, and dragging them both down his dark, tumultuous path. And now, after he went too far and she killed him in self defense, she was even more alone than ever before. While capable of taking care of herself, there was an emptiness that was growing within Katsumi, even if she herself was not entirely aware of it.

The merc sighed softly. "I... can relate, in a way."

Looking up at him, her expression softened. While she didn't smile, because she didn't quite know how to do so, there was a light in her dark eyes signaling that everything was okay.

"Really, the wound isn't too bad. I'm almost done stitching it up. If I just take it easy, I'll be alright," said Katsumi. Her lids drooped, a distant sadness within her brown hues as she thought of her past, of the injuries from her jobs and the ones that were inflicted by her father. She looked through the man, and muttered more to herself than to him, "It's not the first time, nor will it be the last."

[Morei Haji]

He could relate? Was there something about him that made him get treated differently by everyone else too? He looked normal, although a bit effeminate, but that wasn't something I would point out or judge him for. In any case, I wasn't going to pry into matters that he wasn't comfortable with sharing. If he wanted to tell me that would be all on him.

I wanted to smile at him when he said it was okay, but something seemed off. I don't know if it had to do with the wound, or something unseen, but I felt genuine concern for him right now. I sighed lightly at his refusal, but reached down into my robe, pulling out a cloth. "At least let me wrap it for you? I always carry one just in case I'm injured, but you look like you could use it more."

Though, his last words bugged me a bit. Wouldn't be the last? That sounded like he'd be destined to do battle again, maybe soon. It was worrisome, to say the least.

"Do... do you have to fight?"

It was a sudden question, I know. But if there was a way for him getting hurt more, I think it'd be best. I know it wasn't any business of mine. I just wanted to be of whatever help I could. It wasn't the path my father wanted me to follow, but I could never leave someone in need behind.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

"I..." as much as Katsumi didn't want him to tend to her wound, to get so close, all increasing the chances of him finding out was a woman, Katsumi couldn't exactly refuse. How did one decline such kindness? She hardly even knew anyone was capable of caring like this, and she found she couldn't say no. Swallowing, the girl sighed, and finished, "alright. T... Thank you."

Her hands folded together and rested on her lap, and the merc glanced up at the other before her gaze fell back down to her hands, which clasped one another. Confusion was within her chocolate hues. "Your generosity... is too much. It is difficult for me... to comprehend."

He cared about that too? Her fighting others? She just didn't get it, this man, at all. Her brows furrowed and Katsumi nodded before moving on to an explanation, expression impassive and tone matter of fact, but slow, with a hint of uncertainty, confused and hesitant due to his inquiry, "It... It's all I've ever known. What I was trained for. To fight, kill. It sustains me. Gives me money. Puts food in my belly."

Kat's brows raised in curiosity and she slowly asked, "Do you not fight?"

[Morei Haji]

I took his thanking me as permission to tend to his wound, and I knelt down in front of him, looking over the gash for a moment. It seemed like it wouldn't be too bad after all, at least he was able to shut the wound... I quickly brought the cloth around his leg, wrapping it around firmly, but not too tight. "You don't need to thank me. I like to imagine it's what others would do in my place..."

Examining the wound, I was up a lot closer now. And this guy seemed a lot more effeminate than I first took note of... his skin seemed really soft, and his leg was a lot more slender than that of most guys I knew... could he be? Nah. Even if it wasn't really a guy, he must've had his reasons, right? Still, I could feel my face getting a little hot, but I tried to ignore it.

"So you fight to stay alive..." It seemed like a sad way to live life. I was tending to the wound of a killer, yet... he didn't seem like a bad person. Finishing the wrap on the leg, I looked up at his eyes now, pondering what he had said. I hoped my unnatural eye color wouldn't scare him away if the hair didn't do it.

"I... of course I fight. Everyone does, but... I guess I fight for a different reason. To help others... I don't believe in having to kill someone else to get a little food. I'd rather work for it in an honest way, I guess." I looked away for a moment, something about looking into his eyes felt a little funny. "Not that I'm saying your way is wrong... is it... something that you enjoy?"

[Shinomori Katsumi]

She listened to the man carefully as he spoke, and her brows furrowed. Everything he said was so alien to her.

"What others would do..?" she questioned, one brow quirking up. Katsumi shook her head and muttered, brows furrowed, "I have not experienced any such thing before. So... please, accept my gratitude."

He knelt down and began wrapping her leg, and the merc was nervous. He was so close. Was he noticing? Could he tell? Why did he have to be so insistent on helping her?! Why couldn't she say no? Katsumi was terrified he would realize she was a woman, and the entirety of her body was tense, stiff as a board.

It took a lot of effort for her to just nod in response to what he said. There was certainly no way Katsumi would have been able to speak. Barely moving her head was sadly the most she could do with how her stomach knotted and twisted so ferociously.

But he didn't say anything. He wasn't getting any closer. The man remained polite, and she didn't want to raise suspicion, so she forced herself to calm down. The woman focused on her breathing, closing her eyes as he worked on her leg, listening to his words.

"To help others..." Katsumi repeated quietly.

Could someone really do that? She had never experienced it. The woman doubted such a thing could exist. It seemed to pointlessly idealistic in a world that, in Kat's experience, held nothing ideal. She learned long ago as a child with trying to please her father (which always proved to be entirely pointless) that hope was pointless. There was simply survival.

But Katsumi would not express her doubts to him. It was not her place, and her thoughts... well, they didn't really matter. Often times, due to how she was raised, she was convinced they never did. It was why she never spoke. When one was beaten for speaking opinions and sometimes just speaking at all, the desire to speak was shushed by the fear of being reprimanded. She was conditioned, and even with her father gone, the conditioning was still in full effect.

Honest work. That seemed almost laughable to her, a person who only knew how make a living and to get food on the table by killing. That is, if she knew how to laugh or had developed a sense of humour. Mercenary work and assassination was all she ever really saw, in regards to that. It was most of what she did when she hadn't been training, because it was all she knew.

But was it something she enjoyed? She pondered his question, staying silent. Of course not. She just did it because she had to. She never had any say so. What else was she to do?

"I..." Katsumi paused, brows furrowing. It was odd to be honest, to state her opinion. She was never allowed to do such a thing. But this wasn't dangerous, and he wanted to know, so she would tell. Several moments passed before Kat eventually shook her head and softly went on, "no. Not particularly."

She looked up at the man, tone quiet but serious. "I neither dislike or like it. I do what I must. What I was trained to do." While Katsumi looked at him, the merc's gaze grew a little distant, and there was a coldness presence. Not anything cruel, but simply distant. To not care or over-think it is what kept people like her sane.

"It's how my world works. What I've always known. Simple as that."

[Morei Haji]

"Well, if you say so... then I shall accept your thanks." I smiled lightly. Now that the bandaging was done, I really shouldn't be so close to his legs like this, and semi-awkwardly I ended up moving away a bit, sitting down nearby instead.

A small sigh of relief swept over me. At least he wasn't someone who actually enjoyed killing, right? As naive as I was sometimes... what I had learned from my short time on this journey was that some people felt like they needed to kill. As foreign as their ideals were to me, I had to realize that mine were seen the same way by them. That many believed me to be a fool whose compassion would one day get me killed. Who knows? Maybe they were right.

"You know..." I began, not quite sure what to say. Someone who lived their entire life just being trained to be a killer, that's what I gathered from what he had told me anyway. But at the same time, they did not enjoy what they did. "Helping others... always leaves me with a feeling of content. Yeah, sometimes it means giving up a meal for the day, other times it lands me in trouble with someone else, but..."

Where was I going with this? "I feel like I wouldn't want to live my life any other way. I dream of a world where we can all be unified, in peace. A world where everyone can live happily... that includes someone like you." I looked over at him again. "What I'm trying to say is... your life isn't set in stone. Just because you were raised to be something else... it doesn't mean you can't find a path for yourself. If it's all you've ever known, maybe you could find the courage to learn something new sometime."

I hadn't spoken to someone in this way in a really long time. And my father would kill me if he heard me talk about walking a different path. Nevertheless, it's what I had believed in.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

It was an absolute relief when the man of about Katsumi's age got up and their physical distance greatly increased. The knot in her stomach ebbed, and it felt like she could finally breathe, at least more than before. There was still some anxiety, but it was significantly less.

She listened intently, but the man's words admittedly didn't make much sense to Katsumi. The woman could simply not relate to it, but, despite that, she was curious. All of it was so alien to the merc and she soaked in his words, mulling them over. And she found that they brought her... sorrow.

"Me? Happiness....?" she inquired, small hand resting over her chest. Katsumi doubted it right away, for she had never been happy, never once experienced it in her life. She had tried and tried, yet never could obtain what some called happiness. The lids of her eyes drooped, and the distant look in her eyes, that emptiness, showed her deep, internal lament. "Sounds like a distant, unobtainable dream."

His further words stunned Kat and her eyes widened, expression fearful. The very idea he was expressing was terrifying, and she gulped. Katsumi wasn't a courageous person. She just did what she had to, and was all about survival. What morals was there in her world? The one she had been raised in? None, and that was comforting. Not caring and remaining impassive is what could keep her going. Learning to empathize and care, to want to protect and have that humanity, to turn on those emotions that were forcefully turned off at such a young age... it caused her to shudder and she shook her head, and that lightedheadedness continued. But she ignored it, as she often did, pushing herself when she shouldn't, and Kat spoke instead.

"You... what you speak of is a dismaying topic, indeed," she said with furrowed brows, biting down at her bottom lip.

"Your life... really must be quite dangerous," Katsumi said slowly, peering over at him. Staring at him for a moment or two, the merc's gaze dropped to her lap and her hands clasped together. The woman masquerading as a man released a sigh. "Mine is already unsafe enough as it is, sometimes. But... I know how it works. It is where my skills lie."

With her gaze at her legs, the merc realized her legs were still exposed in front of the woman. That he could possibly figure out her real gender, and she tensed again. Carefully reaching over to her side, the woman grabbed the dark grey hakama, and started attempting to put them on. But the sensation of being lightheaded only increased, world spinning a bit as her petite body was still recovering from the past blood loss, and her stitched and bandaged wound screamed in protest when she tried moving her leg to put it in the pants.

Katsumi winced, moaning a little, and a hand lifted to her head, body swaying, stomach lurching some. The exhaustion was really starting to set on her now that her hands weren't busily working and her mind wasn't entirely focused on some menial task. She felt as though she were going to topple over, and her palm placed onto the ground, slender arm trying to support her weight. Lids fluttered and her breathing grew heavy.

Blood loss and physical exertion were a trip in the park. Oh boy.

[Morei Haji]

I looked at him curiously. My life, dangerous? It'd be ironic, a guy like me who didn't like fighting, living a dangerous life... But I could see where she was coming from. In this age, ideals like mine... they really were dangerous. But if I wasn't kind to others, then who would be? Meeting someone else who was kind was a rarity, it looked like. Especially judging from his reaction to my earlier compassion, it seemed this man had never truly experienced someone else being kind to him. It was... heartbreaking, to say the least. Just how many people were living with those kinds of feelings lingering in their hearts? To not be able to trust anybody? To feel the need to kill to make a living? It was something I wanted to change... but someone with such a low standing as I had could never do something for the greater good.

"Hey... hey, are you okay?!"

I looked over at the man, who now seemed to be in a whole lot more pain. Without really thinking, I stood up and ran to his side, lifting him up by placing his arm over my shoulder for support. From there, I would help to set him back down, staying near just in case anything else happened. The heavy breathing was not a good sign at all. Crap. What was I supposed to do.

"We need to get you somewhere where you can rest..." I said, looking around. With only the river nearby, all that seemed possible was walking along it until some sort of village was found. I didn't know if he was in a good enough shape to make this kind of journey. "Don't worry, I'll support you, okay?"

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Katsumi was weak, but she was not in danger. The bleeding had pretty much stopped and her wound was taken care of. All Katsumi needed to do was rest while she gained more blood. She was just utterly exhausted, and felt a little cold. It was cooler out, and Kat's legs had been exposed for some time. While in her delirious state, when the man picked her up, the merc leaned against his form, fingers gripping weakly at his clothing, and cheek pressed against his chest.

She heard him speak and slowly shook her head. It was taking a whole lot of effort to speak in a masculine voice, and the tone was waning. "It's... It's fine. I'll... be alright..."

Her body felt particularly heavy and Katsumi leaned more fully against him, hand sliding down as her grip waned. The woman sighed, "I just... need... to rest some..."

He felt so warm, and Katsumi drew closer involuntarily, dragging her legs up a little, at least the best that she could in her state. Her body shivered, and the merc swallowed, smacking her lips, giving a yawn. It was so uncharacteristic for her to be like this, but... when was the last time she really rested? Katsumi couldn't recall, and her fight from earlier just seemed to be allowing all of the weariness, emotional and physical, to overtake her at once.

"Here... is fine. Warm," she muttered, before her words became more incoherent and oddly adorable. God, I'm mean. >.>;

[Morei Haji]

"I..."

As he collapsed, he just fell closer to me, and I wasn't quite sure what to do. Just let him rest? I could do that, but... in this state, I wasn't sure if I should move him at all. Taking another look around, I was foolish to think that maybe a village could appear out of nowhere. It was what he needed most, to rest in a safer environment, with people who knew better how to take care of him and nurse him to better health.

Looking down at him, I could no longer tell if he was conscious or not. And now I could get a much better look at his face... Something just seemed really odd to me, he seemed far too delicate to be a man, and if he really was one, then he was a damn beautiful one... No, now wasn't the time to think about that. I could ponder about his or her real gender later. Nevertheless, something about this didn't feel so wrong...

"Then... I'll keep you safe while you rest..." I murmured. He or she had said it was warm, maybe it was best to keep that warmth. I wrapped my arms around them, making sure the sleeves on my robes covered them better. If night fall came, I'd find a better way to bring warmth, maybe start a fire somehow. I wasn't how sure I'd be sitting here like this though, but it was the least I could do for now. I wanted to make sure this person was okay.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

[[Baw. So cute. :3]]

The warmth increased as his arms wrapped around her, and Katsumi quickly fell into slumber. Her breathing was heavy but light, and for the first time in a long while, she actually slept soundly.

Time would pass, the sun setting and nightfall ascending, and eventually Katsumi began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open, brown hues looking up at the starlit sky, and the merc yawned, hand slowly lifting up and rubbing at her eyes. The air was cool against her bare flesh, yet there was warmth.

Her brows furrowed. Why was her flesh bare? She always had her clothing on. And... what was that warmth? In fact, her back and cheek were resting upon something hard yet... fleshy. Her brows furrowed a bit, and Katsumi's head moved up a little, and her eyes widened at seeing a man there, and she quickly tensed up. At seeing the white hair, everything came back.

That's right! It was the man from earlier. He had tended to her wounds, and she had been injured. Katsumi must have passed out. Had... Had he been sitting there the whole time with her resting on him like that? Her clothes were all in place, so nothing else seemed to happen. This guy couldn't... he couldn't be for real!

A blush coloured her cheeks a bright red and Katsumi tried sitting up, moving away from him, but she fell back against his chest. The rest did wonders, but she was stiff and still weak from earlier. It would take time for her to get her speed and vigour back.

"I... I'm s-sorry!" the girl stammered. Her voice had been higher, and at immediately realizing it, she lowered the tone. She tugged at the kimono, pulling it down, and Kat wondered if the wrap was tight enough. Would... had he felt...? Katsumi gulped. Not only was the merc worried, but she felt terribly embarrassed, and she really didn't understand why. But she knew that the contact increased her nervousness, and thinking about it made her blush all the more. She started to ramble, "I... I must have... dozed... Oh shit. I.... I really am... I'm very sorry. I... I wasted your time and... you... you didn't need to..."

[Morei Haji]

I'm not sure how much time had passed, but darkness began to fall over the horizon. I was starting to get a little tired, but I didn't want to move and risk waking him, or her. I wasn't going to check, as it wasn't right in the slightest. It was really bugging me at this point, but if he said he was a guy...

The dark brought with it a cold breeze, at which point I held this person closer in my arms without really thinking about it. Right now, I was just glad there was no one else around, at least anyone dangerous. Because a kid and an unconscious mercenary were really easy targets.

It seems though, that I didn't have to worry too much. They had begun to stir in my arms, and I loosened my grip on him/her slightly. They seemed to panic and started to try to get away, only to fall back to my chest. "I, um..."

He seemed nervous, judging from all the stammering and apologies. I stared for a moment before smiling. "Hey, you don't need to apologize." I unwrapped my arms from around him/her, leaving my hand on their shoulder to support them at the least.

"It wasn't a waste of time, I wanted to be sure you were okay... I didn't need to, but I couldn't just leave you here. I vowed to myself to stick around until I was sure you were okay..." I smiled again. "You can trust me... I promise you. I'll keep you safe as long as I need."

[Shinomori Katsumi]

His grip loosened and hold unraveled, and then his hand went on her small shoulder, supporting the woman. He began to speak and ended it with a smile, and Katsumi listened with disbelief, large eyes staring up at him. She slowly began to shake her head.

"Why... Why are you so nice?" she asked, voice trembling with despair. Soon enough, Kat's body began to shake, and it was not from the cold. She felt emotions flood her, and the back of the petite female's lids began to prickle. Memories of her Father and how he treated her, her past flashed through her mind. Even after she killed him and got away and pretended to be a man, others were bastards. Rough and violent, just like he had been. But she wouldn't let them touch her like he had. Not with the same control. She survived whichever way she could. "N... Nobody has ever been nice. The world is cruel. People are harsh and filled with... with h-hate. It's just the way... the way it is."

A tear fell down her cheek, followed by another. She never cried in front of other's, not since she was a little girl and her father beat her for doing so a few times. Katsumi learned not to show her weaknesses in front of people, to hide everything and keep it locked away until she was convinced the thoughts and feelings didn't exist. But she couldn't do that now. It felt as though Katsumi was being bombarded with grief and emotion.

The false tenor fell away, and Kat's voice squeaked, as she choked up, question following her previous words, "Isn't it?"

[Morei Haji]

"I..." Oh no. I didn't mean for this person to cry. My hand came up to wipe the tears away. "It's okay..." I wasn't sure what to say. I wanted to reassure them, tell them everything was alright. But this person had grown up in a completely different world from myself, judging from our short exchange. It would be difficult to overcome such grief, it would take a very long time. But whether I was only a part of this person's life for this day, or the rest of time, part of me just wanted to help the best that I could.

"This world is cruel..." I began, but I wouldn't leave it at that. "But there are good people in this world, I can promise you that. If you give me the chance, I can show you." If this person could see the world as I saw it, maybe they'd feel a lot better. The villages I had been to, the people I was able to meet, they made my experience worth it. Perhaps if we journeyed together for some time, or even just sat down and spoke about things, I could relieve some of their burden. With a smile, I held my other hand out.

"My name is Haji, of the Morei clan."

[Shinomori Katsumi]

The man wiped away her tears and spoke comforting words, and that only caused her to cry harder. Why was he being so kind to her? Why was this the first warmth she ever experienced from anybody? Why couldn't her Father ever hold her like this and comfort her? Why was the only touch she experienced from him a slap or punch, a harsh hand? All he ever did was train her and beat her, and it nearly entirely crushed her spirit. Maybe not her will to live, but certainly her faith in humanity.

All she wanted was to embrace this stranger, despite all logic and normal distrust she had, to cling to him, and Katsumi did. Her fingers clutched at his chest and she wept against him. She heard what he said, but she just continued, spilling out practically everything.

"All... All I ever wanted was to be accepted. For... For him to love me and accept me. But... he just... Father hated me. He was so.... so awful, and... and now that he's gone, after I had to k-kil-... I... I've been even more alone than ever b-before. I didn't even... I didn't even think that was p-possible."

It became difficult to breathe, now becoming staggered, and Katsumi coughed as she cried, choking up again. A hand balled up into a fist and she rubbed at her eyes, at her tears. She felt so terribly pathetic and weak, and there was nothing she could do about it, and so she wallowed.

"Life... it's so hard. I hate... I hate being alone, pretending all of the time, but it's all I've ever really known."

She clung to him more closely, burying her face into his chest. Hiccuping, she introduced herself, "My... My name... I say it's S-Saito Hiroshi, but... but it's not. It's... It's Shinomori... Katsumi..."

The merc panicked at saying it aloud, and Katsumi gripped at his shirt, whipping her head up. She stared at him with wide, now pink eyes, and Katsumi exclaimed, pleaded, "People... they can't know. They'll hurt me again. They... They'll kill me. What I am... it's unacceptable... so I... so I have to pretend. Please... Please don't tell anyone!"

Her lids dropped and she slumped against him, releasing a heavy but shaky sigh. "I'm just so... tired, Haji-san..."

[Morei Haji]

My eyes widened as she suddenly opened up to me. All she ever wanted was her father's acceptance... that was something I could relate to. Although from what she was saying, it sounded like she killed her father... a woman masquerading as a man, one that killed someone in her own clan. I could see why she was so afraid of anyone finding out, but I had no intention of betraying her secret.

She was alone, just as I was. Maybe I just managed to shake things off better, or maybe I just got used to the loneliness. But seeing her so broken like this... it struck something in me. She had dealt with this far longer than I had, she carried an unimaginable pain with her everywhere she went. One that I felt I could never truly understand. I wanted to cry with her, seeing how shattered someone could really become, how they reacted to someone who offered them a hand to finally pull them out of the deep.

"Katsumi..."

It was a pretty name, befitting of a pretty woman. And as she slumped against me, I wrapped my arms around her in an attempt to comfort her. This was an unexpected situation for the both of us. She, who was tending to her wound, and myself, who was tending to my thirst. Fate just had a way of throwing us both together like this, maybe it was destined. All I knew is while she was here with me, I wanted to do the right thing, and that was to show her it was okay to trust.

"Your secret is safe with me, I promise." My voice was soft, almost a whisper, but I felt it was enough. "You're not alone anymore. You won't hurt anymore. At least while I'm around, I can swear that to you on my life."

I meant it. She was terrified, the fear of death seemed to be looming over her. While she said before that I lived dangerously, it seemed to be nothing in comparison to her very existence threatening to take her life. If her life was in danger, I'd step in and do my best to make sure she was safe. It was a code of honor, every samurai had something worth giving their life for, right? With no motivation to call my own, I would make due with what was right in front of me. Maybe my answer was closer than I thought.

"You can rest, Katsumi... I promise I'll remain here for you the entire time."

[Shinomori Katsumi]

For the first time really in her life, Katsumi actually felt... safe. When she was a child and up until last year, her Father was a constant threat, and after she was forced to kill him in self-defense she was alone on the road, trying to make a living. It was already dangerous enough to be a lone woman, but if anyone found out she was a female warrior? That wouldn't bode well with their society.

Katsumi drew closer, leaning, clinging to his form, and it felt so relieving to be embraced like this. She had never been held her entire life, never heard a comforting word. The merc never wanted this moment to end, for the affection to stop. She wanted more and more, but the teen didn't know what to do, and so she simply held onto him, sniffling and letting out those long-suppressed tears.

She glanced up at him and the corners of her lips began to twitch in the slightest, as though they were to curve into a smile, but she knew not how to do so, and so there was just the relief and warmth shimmering within her eyes. A dainty hand, fingers calloused from all of her intense training and archery, reached up and cupped his cheek. She didn't know why she did it, or even really notice that she did. It was an involuntary motion, and her heart felt like it was lodged and beating at the base of her throat.

"T... Thank you, H-Haji-san," she whispered softly.

[Morei Haji]

I couldn't deny that I liked the closeness. Embracing somebody like this wasn't something I was used to at all. I could never remember hugging my father, nor my mother before she died, or my brother before he disappeared. Katsumi being in my arms as she was now was the first in my memory, and it was something I felt I would remember for the rest of my life.

As Katsumi looked up at me and placed her hand to my cheek, I blushed rather visibly. My heart began to race, and I didn't know why. Before I knew it, my hand moved up over hers, holding it against my cheek lightly. And as I looked at this girl, for the first time in my life I felt like something more than that kid that people feared, than that child who strived to help people for a day's recognition. Looking at Katsumi, I felt something... special. I just didn't know what.

"Katsumi-chan..." I wasn't quite sure what to say as my heart was still all aflutter. "You're welcome... you're safe now."

[Shinomori Katsumi]

His hand reached up and rested over hers, and they were so close, and yet strangely she wanted to be closer. Kat's heart was fluttering and thumping wildly against her chest, and her tears started to dry up. The girl sniffled and wiped at some of her tears, before unconsciously moving up a little and nuzzling her cheek against the crook of his neck. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

Cheeks turned rosy red when he used the chan suffix, and her heart fluttered even more. Maybe... just maybe she could use an endearing suffix as well, and the very thought caused her to swallow roughly.

There was nothing the merc could really respond with, and there was no need for anything more, and so her hand on his chest released its grip and the palm rested against the center of his chest, the man's name slipping past her lips, warm breath and nose tickling the thin flesh of his neck, "Haji...kun~"

She used the suffix, and it caused her stomach to fill up with bubbles, and her flush to increase.

[[I'm definitely sailing this ship. >.>]]