I have returned from the long hiatus I went on. I apologize to my readers for being gone, there were a lot of things that ended up happening from the last chapter I updated. Eventually, I decided that I needed to start working on this story again. There were be around 15 or so chapters, so that's something to look forward too.

I was trying to keep this a "T" rated story, but in the end I changed the level to M. I hope this isn't a big deal for anyone. I'll warn everyone that there is a 'scene' in this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai 7

---

Kikuchiyo was pretty sure that he was happy for once in his life. He remembered being somewhat happy during various battles he had been in, but other then that...nothing compared to how he felt now.

They had finally settled for the night, but there was still a long road ahead. He had not seen Katsushiro all day, and figured that the boy was probably helping the people settle down. Komachi was sitting across from him at the fire, and Kirara had headed off to take a bath in the stream. Lounging back, he yawned widely,

"God, it's been a long day."

She laughed, "With all those children hanging on you, I'm surprised that you didn't keel over."

The blond man scratched his head, "I'm strong, I don't mind."

"You are strong." she said. Her thoughts began to wonder slightly, and he did not miss the slight red tint that she finally got in her cheeks, "Kikumaru-san?"

"Hum-mn?" he leaned his head all the way back so he stared at the dark sky overhead.

"Do you...do you ever get deja-vu?"

"What the hell does that mean?" he picked up a twig and stuck it in his mouth. Komachi made a face, watching him chew on it. He was staring at the starry sky, a rather peaceful look on his face.

She sighed, "Nevermind."

They both looked up as Katsushiro approched them.

"Katsu-niisan?" Komachi looked up.

"Have either of you seen Lady Kirara?" he asked, "I can't seem to find her."

Kikuchiyo and Komachi exchanged a look, and they both smirked. Komachi winked at him, and Kikuchiyo could not help but be thankful that his little side-kick still existed in that young woman somewhere.

Kikuchiyo yawned, "She's not here, bro."

"I think-" Komachi thought a moment, "-she mentioned something about going into the forest."

"Alright." he rushed off towards the trees. When they were sure he was out of earshot, Komachi burst out laughing, Kikuchiyo chuckled,

"He's so thick for someone that supposed to be oh-so-mature." he said, "I swear, Katsu needs to take a break sometimes. Either that or somebody needs to give him a swift kick in the butt once in a while."

She laughed, "Yes, he-" Komachi stopped a moment, staring at him in shock. Sitting up, he headed towards his tent.

"Something wrong?" he asked, giving her a confused look.

Katsu...

"Kikumaru-san?"

"Yeah?"

Komachi was giving him a strange look, and it was starting to make him uncomfortable.

"When did you start calling Katsushiro, Katsu?"

"What do you mean? That's his nickname."

"How did you know that?"

"I-"

Oh shit. If he did not act fast she would catch on.

"I..." he shook his head, "...I heard one of the other villagers calling him that."

"But, none of the people-"

"Forget it."

She stood up, "But-"

"I said forget it!" he snapped.

Komachi froze, staring at him. Kikuchiyo glared at her a moment, and pulled the tent open, "Good night, Komachi-san."

He disappeared, and she sighed once more, "Good night."

Something was up with him, she knew it, and she was going to find out what it was.

---

Katsushiro strolled threw the woods, his hands in his pockets. His sword was strapped to his back, but he was wearing a simple gray yukata. It felt good once in a while to throw on some relaxing clothes and not worry about having to look dignified all the time. He had learned in his time spent out in the battlefield that he needed to try and relax when he could.

Kirara was wondering around somewhere, and he had the mind to rat on her once he found her. It was not a good idea for a young lady to be alone in the woods in the middle of the night. Turning around the corner, he looked up at the sound of the waterfall, and froze.

He ducked behind the large tree at the last moment. His cheeks turned bright red.

Oh dear god...

---

Kirara stood under the waterfall, enjoying the bath under the cool water. That particular day had been very warm towards the end, so the rush of water felt good. She swept her dark hair over her shoulder, and drew a brush threw it. Although she had originally intended never to return to the city, and the trip was not the best of circumstances, it was an opportunity to get some supplies that she would not normally get from the village.

Like some nice hair conditioner.

She made a face at the ends of her hair, they were split. The last few days of baking her hair in the sun while working in the fields had not been a good plan. She was already so distracted by Katsushiro's return-

Kirara stopped, hearing a branch creek somewhere on the bank. Crossing her arms over her chest, she peered over her shoulder. No one was there, or at least, there did not appear to be anyone.

The water told her otherwise.

As long as she lived, whether she became a permanent Mikumari or not, she would always be able to hear the water. It was like her own soul, or an extension of her own being.

Someone was there. Was it an enemy or someone from the village?

"Hello?" she frowned, "Who's there?"

A hand stuck out behind the tree, and waved at her absently.

"It's just me, Kirara-dono."

Katsushiro.

Her entire face turned red as she ducked into the water, "H-How long have you been here?"

"My apologies." he replied, "I did not know you were bathing." Katsushiro was going to beat the living daylights out of Kikuchiyo next time he saw him. He was young, but not ignorant enough to not know he had been set up.

"I-It's okay." she said, "I should have said something to you before leaving. Did you come to take a bath?"

"I can wait until you are finished." he said, "Besides, it is not wise to be alone in the forest this time of night."

Kirara nodded to herself, even though she knew Katsushiro could not see her.

The memories of kissing him back at the village came back into her mind. She sunk into the river up to her nose, and frowned. It had been such a long time since she saw him, and she had just come to grips with the fact that she was still very much in love with him. When he had returned and ignored her at first, it had hurt her more then she think he knew.

"Um..."

Was she really going to take that step? Did she really want to open her defenses and finally let him in? There was no garentee that he would not throw it back in her face, and she would deserve it. Kirara was well aware that she had hurt him horribly already.

What did she really want?

"Is something wrong, Kirara-dono?" Katsushiro asked from his spot behind the tree.

Kirara closed her eyes, and sighed. She wanted him to stay. Life just did not feel the same without him there with her.

"...would..." she stared at the tree where he was, "...would you like to join me?"

Katsushiro's breath caught in his throat, "What?"

"It's okay." she said, blushing, "I...don't mind."

He opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it.

Kirara looked away, "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to-"

There was a small crackle of branches as he unstrapped the sword from his back, and set it against the tree. Kirara gasped and turned around, listening to him slowly undress. Wadding threw the water, he dove in and swam to the top, shaking the water from his face. He had taken the sticks from his hair, and it was now sticking to the side of his face.

"Kirara-dono?"

She glanced back at him. Katsushiro ran his fingers threw his wet hair, trying to keep it out of his face. Before she could catch herself, she reached forward and helped him brush a lock from his face.

He stared at her.

She jerked her hand back, "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to overstep my bounds." she told him, "I-"

He caught her hand in mid-air, "You mustn't apologize."

"Katsushiro-"

It was to late to stop himself as he pulled her into his arms. He thought just having her by his side was enough.

It was never enough.

"Kikumaru and Komachi set us up." Katsushiro chuckled into her hair, "We'll have to get them back later."

Kirara could not say anything. She was being hugged by Katsushiro, and her face was buried into his bare chest. One of his hands pressed against the back of her head, his fingers tangled in her soft hair. It would be so easy for him to simply loose himself.

Control.

Control was out the window at that point. His years of discipline had decided to abandon him at that moment.

Katsushiro did not care. For once, he did not give a damn if he did something stupid.

His lips were on hers. It took all of his self control not to haul her up onto the bank and bury himself in her right there. There was a soft moan in the back of her throat as her arms wrapped around his neck as she melted in his arms.

She was not close enough.

Kirara heard him gasp as she pulled herself up in the water and wrapped her legs around his waist. She was higher then him now, and his hands gripped her waist to keep her falling. Her hands pressed on either side of his face, turning his head to the side so she could kiss him better.

"Kirara..." he murmured into her kisses. He wanted to touch her, but he could not let go of her.

"What..." she breathed, biting his lower lip, "...what happened to Kirara-dono? No formalities?"

Katsushiro's eyebrows knitted together, he wanted her right now. Turning around and walking towards the bank, Kirara felt him pin her against the tree, the bark digging deeply into her back. She did not seem to notice or care.

"I get it..." he chuckled, "...I'm a moron..."

"If you say so, samurai-sama..."

She was mocking him. Two could play at that game.

Kirara gasped as he slipped his hands under her legs, pressing against her as close as he could without cutting off her ability to breathe.

"I want you." he whispered into her face. His voice was shaking slightly, like any moment she thought he would cry. Whatever was going threw his mind, she could not tell. "I-"

"Hush, it's okay." she smoothed her hands over his face.

"But-"

She kissed him, "You worry too much."

They both knew what they were doing. He wanted to tell her a lot of things first. A lot of things that he had never been able to tell her before. That he wanted to live the rest of his days with her by his side, for her to grow old with him.

She was right. Katsushiro knew he worried a lot.

Ignoring the voice in his mind that told him to be careful, and to step back and gather back in common sense, he moved forward intsead. He buried himself in her, hearing a gasp leave her lips as he tightened his grip around her. Her fingers were digging deeply into his biceps, her hair poured over his shoulders as her forehead rest on his.

"I..."

Katsushiro felt like telling her something, then he forgot what it was. He did not even think he could speak if he really had wanted too. His knees threatened to give out for a moment, and he ended up leaning against her and the tree.

He looked up at her. Kirara gazed back at him, waiting for him to make the next move. She could still hardly believe what was happening. The only things she could really remember was wanting to take a bath in the river, and now she was...

She felt him move slightly, and her hands gripped tighter onto his arm.

He did not have enough energy to hold her up anymore. Turning around, she the found herself laying on the forrest floor. His weight pressed on the top of her. With his hands finally free to wander, he kissed her lips, running his fingers threw her hair.

"Katsushiro?"

She had to tell him now before she was too lost in her own feelings.

"Yes?" his voice was breathy as he moved over her, his fingers pressing into the earth next to her head. Her heels were digging into the back of his legs.

"I love you."

---

He froze a moment.

Katsushiro was staring at her like he had seen a ghost. He looked absolutely glorious to her with his hair sticking to his face with sweat and river water. It suddenly dawned on her that there were tears in his eyes right then.

"You...what?"

"I-I..." she gulped. There was no turning back, "I love you, Katsushiro."

One of the tears slid down his cheek and landed on her face, sliding down her own cheek. Years of fighting, training, suffering, and all the other hardships he had gone threw seemed to be too much. The wall holding back his feelings simply broke, and there was nothing left anymore. He had waited so long for her to feel the same way he did.

Now that she said it, he did not know what to do.

She was in his arms, his face pressing into her neck. There was a loud sob that broke from his throat, his fingers slipping back into her hair.

"What's wrong-"

"I love you." he told her, "I've waited so long...for you to say it. Oh god, I've loved you since the first moment I saw you..."

She kissed him and stopped his rambling words. Brushing the tears from his face. Despite his mature personality, Katsushiro was very young and he had suffered trails that were usually given to warriors that were ages ahead of him. He had been forced to grow up quickly, and she was no surprise that he was simply unable to hold it all in anymore.

So she simply held him, and let him cry.

---

When they were calm, she was laying on his chest against the tree once again. They had both bathed once again and dressed. Katsushiro's hair was loose around his shoulders, and she could not help but trail her fingers through it. It was much softer then she imagined.

"When this is all over, will you take a trip with me?"

Kirara looked up at him, "What kind of trip?"

It was not that big of a deal anymore. Komachi was perfectly capable of taking over the Mikumari duties, which was also something that Kirara had intended to give Komachi in the first place. Her grandmother had also been telling her to do something for herself for once.

"My family..." he replied, as if he was lost in his own thoughts, "...would like to meet you."

Kirara sat up, staring at him. Katsushiro never talked about his past to anyone. She suspected that maybe the other samurai had known something about who Katsushiro's family was, but she had never asked.

"What kind of people are they?" she asked.

Katsushiro stared at her a moment, a look of mild confusion, "You...you mean you didn't know?"

"Know? Know what?"

"Kirara..." he looked at her uneasily, "...my family runs the government of a large city much like Kogakyo."

"They...what?"

How was she supposed to know that Katsushiro came from a rich family? He was chuckling at her, "You didn't know, did you?"

Kirara stared at him in shock, and then she burst out laughing with him.

---

Komachi sat outside Kikuchiyo's tent, and frowned. She could not seem to be able to sleep. The young lady in her told her that she was being childish and needed to rest, but the former tag along of Kiku told her that she needed to march into that tent and question Kikumaru about who he really was.

He knows things only Kikuchiyo would know.

But that was impossible because he had been killed years ago. She remembered visiting his grave every day for months afterwards, and that Kirara had been unable to console her for a long time. If Kikumaru was Kikuchiyo, how was that possible?

The tent flap opened again, and Kikumaru stepped out. He yawned widely, and gazed back at Komachi, who was still laying next to the dying fire.

"What's wrong?"

"I dunno." he replied, "Something feels...odd."

"Odd?"

It was his old samurai instincts, they were kicking in again. Looking in a few directions, he could not necessarily see anything, but that did not mean the Nobuseri were not there.

"Has Katsushiro come back yet?"

Komachi shook her head.

"Go find him, I think we'll need to scout-"

His sentence was cut short as he turned to see the wave of dozens Nobuseri rising over the hills.

---

She had first heard it in the water of the river.

Katsushiro was clinging onto her hand as they raced through the forest. The Nobuseri were not too far away, and if they did not get there soon, they would be too late. He knew that Kikuchiyo and Rikichi would not nearly be enough to hold off a dozen bandits. Katsushiro was the only one able to fight them.

Kirara was still holding onto his hand.

It was not a dream.

"Kirara?"

She looked up at him. There was a part of him that looked savage as he ran threw the woods in the gray yukata and his hair pulled down around his shoulders.

"I will take care of the villagers." she said, "Don't worry, I will still be here when you win. So that means you have to be careful, okay?"

Katsushiro looked at her, and smiled, "Yeah."

That's all he needed to hear.

---

Send a review and tell me what you think!

Thanks for being patient. I know that I have not updated in a while, and hopefully I will be able to finish this story by the end of the July or August.

Thanks again

Lilith