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

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Katsumi's eyes widened. She was surprised entirely. "I... I have? How...?"

The archer's brows knit and she shook her head in confusion. "You seemed... so happy before already. I thought... the only one who was empty was..." she didn't finish her words, trailing off, but it was clear what she was going to say.

Haji's nose and forehead rested against her own and his words caused her eyes to well up with tears again. They slipped down her cheeks and her arms moved so that they were around him, and Kat embraced Haji. She whispered, voice cracking from being overwhelmed, "I... I don't want to ever leave you. I... I don't want to... to be alone again."

The man kissed her nose and chin gently, and Katsumi hiccuped, tears streaming down her cheeks again. She was just brimming over with emotions. Despite her wound and everything that had happened and been said, and the concerns, her lips crashed against his, eyes closed, and she held herself as closely as she could, hugging him tightly.

[Morei Haji]

She was confused, but it was to be expected. I wanted to show her that her presence did a lot for me as well, that she wasn't the only one who found what she needed. I wanted to show her that every single word I spoke to her was the truth. I wanted to take away her pain and her loneliness so she could be happy. And above all else, I wanted her to smile.

"No matter what smile I wear on my face, I've always been alone... I just wasn't sure what was missing, not until I found you. I've been looking for a reason to fight... and I think it's you, Katsumi-chan. I will never let you be alone again."

Or... at least I wanted to be there as much as I humanly could. I knew there would be circumstances in which we would have to be separated, but I could only hope that they would not keep us apart for long. I didn't care how little I had known her by this point, I was sure the future would allow us to get closer. I was sure that in a world of turmoil, there was a happy life waiting for us somewhere. We were a classic tale of young love, and I hoped that this fire between us would always burn.

Her sudden kiss would take me by surprise, but I didn't mind at all. My eyes would shut too, and my lips would kiss her's more passionately than before. It felt wonderful to have her lips against mine, to be in her embrace like this. I would hug her tightly in return, arms still around her waist. We still had many long hours of the night to ourselves.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

They were both alone, and yet Haji and Katsumi handled their isolation entirely differently. She was entirely reserved and quiet, shying away from others and hiding herself. Haji emanated warmth and kindness, with a smile always on his face and putting himself out there. Despite her fully believing he could change her, Katsumi doubted she could ever become quite like that. Being so direct and warm was too unlike her. The archer was much too serious and socially awkward for that.

But change wasn't necessary. What the two would do, she suspected, would be to balance one another out. She had no idea what exactly that would entail, never having someone like that in her life, but Katsumi desired to stick with him and find out.

For her to be his reason to fight... why, what higher compliment could there be? A blush coloured her tear stained cheeks and the corner of her lips twitched again. Her heart felt as though it were about to burst, and she wondered if this was, in fact, what love was. What it was supposed to be.

How was she supposed to respond to that? She could not do so verbally, and showed it through her embrace and kiss, tears of joy sliding down. The passion was sparked again and she deepened the kiss, fingers gripping at the back of his kimono.

Several moments passed and she needed to breathe, to say what was on her mind, what she felt in her heart, and she pulled her lips again from his, panting. A hand moved to his cheek and her dark eyes held his gaze.

"It... It has been such... such a s-short time, but... but you... Haji-kun, you are the b-best thing to have ever c-come in my l-life," she whimpered, hiccuping at the end and sniffling.

[Morei Haji]

Words could not describe how wonderful the passion behind her kisses felt. I felt as though I could get lost in them. I wouldn't mind spending an eternity locked in this moment with Katsumi. The rest of the world seemed so insignificant whenever we kissed, it was a feeling I could get addicted to. While it was far too early to tell, I felt like being in love with Katsumi was just so... right.

As she pulled the kiss away, her words flattered me beyond belief, and once more I would smile at her. My hands would come up to wipe her tears away, and I gently held her face as I kissed her softly just once more.

"Katsumi-chan... you too, are the best thing that could have ever happened to me. To have you like this... I must be the luckiest guy alive."

My hands would reach down to grab her's from my chest, bringing it to my lips and kissing it gently before leaning my forehead to her's again. No matter how long we kept at it, my heart was still pounding in my chest, and she still had a way to take my breath away.

"It's my dream to see you smile, Katsumi-chan." My nose touched her's, closing my eyes. I left one of my hands in her's as my other arm found its way around her waist again, holding her to me.

"You're warm... I just want you close."

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Haji kissed her softly once more, hands cupping her cheeks, and he spoke. He only continued to warm her, more tears slipping out, and he then kissed her hand, holding it in his. Heads and noses touched again. Everything Haji said and did felt so nice, so true.

"I want you to be the first to see me smile, and to be the first reason," she whispered softly in response.

After how much he had done for her in this exceptionally short time, it was true. Someday she hoped to show her full appreciation for the happiness he brought her, to be able to show it with her lips, like so many others could do with ease.

He was warm too, and Katsumi found herself snuggling up to him after his arm wrapped around the back of her waist again. Lowering her head, her lips pressed beneath his jaw, tongue touching the flesh simultaneously. She kissed him on his sensitive flesh and Katsumi's thumb brushed along the back of Haji's hand.

"Same, Haji-kun~"

[Morei Haji]

The first person to see her smile. What greater honor could there be to one as lovestruck as myself? To be the very reason of it, as she was for mine in this moment, it all felt like a dream. A perfect dream that I never wanted to end.

"That first smile of yours will mean everything to me, Katsumi-chan."

I knew seeing her smile would bring me greater joy than just about anything, although I just wasn't sure how much until it actually happened. I would exhaust every fiber of my being if that was what it took to make her smile. This girl in my arms, I felt like she deserved it, she deserved to be happy.

Feeling Katsumi's lips and tongue beneath my jaw would cause me to let out a soft but audible moan. It had caught me by surprise, and to feel her tongue on my skin brought so many joys. I would hold her tighter, and my hand would come from her waist down to her (uninjured) leg, slowly running back and forth playfully caressing her.

I did not want to sleep. I did not want day to come. I just wanted to be in this moment forever.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

The girl had never known someone so warm, so very good and sweet. His words kept causing tears to well up in her eyes and for her heart to feel as though it would nearly burst. She hugged him more tightly, as a result.

Her passionate kiss was met with a moan, and her heart fluttered. Katsumi loved hearing him make that sound, it excited her, and the archer found herself bringing her hand to his chest, sliding along his flesh, and slipping beneath his open kimono. She continued to kiss him and sighed, warm breath spilling over his neck, when his hand ran up and down her thigh. His fingers against her bare flesh felt like electricity, and Katsumi's arm went up, arching over his back, hand slipping beneath the fabric and running along his upper back. As she did this, Katsumi pressed her front fully against his.

She didn't really know what the hell she was doing, but the girl followed instinct. Katsumi wanted to get closer, as possibly as she could, and her hand left his, the two slipping his shirt over his shoulders to bare them. Fingers trailed over his chest and she blushed, both at being so forward and because she felt this way.

The kissing stopped and her cheek rested against Haji's collar. Katsumi's hand rested over his heart, feeling the beat, and she went quiet, pondering. The archer was sure now that what she wanted, what they were doing, or starting to, was what she had overheard so many describe. The intimacy with their wives and lovers that she would hear the other men discuss. A blush coloured her cheeks. Many of them had always sounded so vulgar, so crude. She had had no interest in learning about what they talked about. But this... what Haji and her were sharing now... it was far from what she imagined and what they said, and the girl bit down on her bottom lip.

A sigh released from her lips, and Katsumi decided to say what was on her mind, sharing her feelings like the rest of the night. Katsumi needed to be honest. She owed him that. Everyone seemed to have this kind of experience from what she could tell from the many conversations Kat had overheard, but she, well... didn't.

"H... Haji-kun. I... I really don't... I have no idea what I'm doing. I've just been... following what... feels right."

She moved away from his chest, hand still over his heart, and the archer peered into Haji's eyes, and Katsumi tentatively continued, "But I'm not sure if it is, or if it should."

[Morei Haji]

I really didn't want this feeling to end. The way Katsumi's lips feeled against my skin, the way her fingers danced along my skin, the way she felt against me. There was no way to describe just how perfect it felt. As she continued to kiss me, I would bite my lip, supressing a moan, but the way my body arched towards her would show how much every inch of my body was enjoying this sensation.

As she slipped the clothing from my shoulders, the cold night breeze seemed to not exist at all, she kept me warm with her closeness. It was all I craved right now, and I couldn't get enough. As her fingers trailed across my chest, my own would continue to run along her leg, my hand now massaging her gently. And as she stopped kissing and placed her hand to my chest, she'd be able to feel how much she made my heart race, and I'd blush realizing she'd know just what she was doing to me. Making my heart all aflutter in a way that no one had ever done before, spurring these reactions from me that I never could have imagined. But with her it just felt right.

As Katsumi spoke to me, revealing how she felt, I would let out a reassuring smile. My hand that wasn't on her leg would come up to her cheek as I looked back into those beautiful eyes of her's. I wanted to get lost in them.

"Katsumi-chan... it feels right to me too, I promise you. Something in me... just burns with desire for you."

And it was the truth. I wanted to have her. Not just in lust, but I wanted her to be mine, and I wanted to be her's. I wanted us to have a forever together. But right now, I wanted this.

"Whatever happens with you... I won't regret any of it."

Instead I felt like I'd get even more attached to her, but... I didn't mind at all.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Of course he smiled, unaffected by the lack of experience that caused her stomach to knot. Instead, his hand continued to caress her thigh and his other cupped her cheek. He spoke, and Katsumi's heart clenched, the emotions rising up again.

The woman felt the same. While one filled with distrust towards the world and its inhabitants, this man held every ounce she seemed capable of with where she was now. It seemed even doubly so, due to the fact that she never had anyone who loved her, with whom she could trust. Never once in her life had she felt so relieved, so relaxed, so... safe. To feel all of those things couldn't have made her any happier, and Katsumi already love Haji deeply for it.

She wanted to smile, and it showed in her dark eyes. "Neither will I, Haji-kun."

Despite her injury, and all logic and reason, and the fact that these two barely knew one another (and yet, he knew her more than anyone ever did in her life), Katsumi really wanted this, them. It felt right, for them both, and the archer's arms wrapped around him, hugging Haji. Bringing him close, her lips embraced his, this time softly, and one of her hands brought Haji's to the tie that held together her kimono. Separating from him, Katsumi nodded to show that, yes, this was in fact what she desired, and she closed the distance once more.

[Morei Haji]

Of course I was nervous, scared even. I just didn't want both of us to be so nervous that we weren't sure what to do. But no matter my smile, it was without a doubt that my heartbeat gave me away. But if it was anything like when I felt her heartbeat before, then maybe she loved the feeling of it as well.

As I looked into Katsumi's eyes, there was this feeling of complete happiness and bliss. A feeling that I got every time I looked into those eyes of her's. I felt like I could read her every feeling, and if it wasn't enough, she managed to convey it through her actions. It was the way she looked at me, the way she kissed me, even just the way she touched me, there was something there that made all my worries melt away. As close as we had gotten in a single night, anyone might think we'd known each other a long time. Something just clicked, and we felt like a perfect fit for each other. As crazy as it sounded, I felt like I was already madly in love with her.

She wasn't the only one that felt this way for the first time. This, too, was my first time ever opening up to anyone this way. And while she probably wouldn't be the only one to learn of my life in the days to come, she'd be the only one to see this side of me. And I wanted to share with her more than I'd ever show anyone else. Katsumi deserved that special place in my heart, a place no one would ever wrestle from her.

As she hugged me close and kissed me softly, I would return that same gentleness. My eyes widened a bit as she brought my hand to the tie on her kimono, and I found my face heating up and feeling like I was blushing a storm. Her nod reassured me, however, and as she closed the distance, I would kiss her a bit more deeply, my hand beginning to undo the tie. Slowly, my hands would come up to slip it off of her, revealing her in nothing but the wrap that bound her.