#katsuverse

“Here. Maybe these will help.” Katsuko gave her a bundle of hand towels.

Sute did her best to wipe the worst of the excess off her hair and face. But there weren’t enough towels in Kasugayama to dry the rest of her. She put on her most pathetic expression, the one Chiyome had described as ‘kicked dog.’ “Do you have anything to eat? Sweets?” Shingen always kept a stock of desserts hidden somewhere.

“Oh sure. Of course.” Katsuko retrieved a basket of sweet buns and Sute happily dug in. The buns were no longer warm, but having something in her belly was a comfort of sorts.

Shingen frowned at the rapidly emptying basket. “Devil, I was saving these.”

Quickly, Sute stuffed the last bun into her mouth, even though she hadn’t finished chewing the last one.

“She’s wet and hungry.” Katsuko cuddled up next to Shingen at his desk, then opened the packet of reports that Sute had just delivered.

“She’s conning you.” Shingen raised the stakes on the ‘kicked dog’ face by sending Sute a somewhat fatherly ‘behave’ glare. She’d noticed him doing that more often these days. “You know as well as I do that Sute is well paid. And… I was saving those.”

“She is right here. I missed my last meal because I was chasing Ryuchi’s courier all over the province.” It was a dance that all three were doing. Shingen might put on the paternal act now, but it hadn’t even been two years since he had taken Sute to bed. Sometimes. For that matter, Katsuko was more than aware of Sute’s capabilities – the two of them sometimes worked together to steal information from people too stupid to be cautious.

Katsuko grinned as she poked Shingen’s ribs. “If you want pastry that much, I’ll get you some before the teahouse closes.”

“At which point, you would be the one soaking wet.” He returned that casual affection by tugging on his lover’s ponytail.

“Then you can have fun drying me off… completely.” She winked at him.

“Deal.” He kissed her ear. Either he had forgotten that Sute was still standing right there, or he didn’t care. She imagined that even if she were to ‘accidentally’ loosen her clothes, neither would notice her.

The buns settled at the pit of her stomach like rocks. It wasn’t that Sute missed sleeping with Shingen. Their encounters had only been a convenient way to satisfy some pressing needs. Nor was she jealous of Katsuko. Gods, she liked Katsuko and was happy for the two of them. It was clear that Shingen, in spite of his new fatherly attitude to her, seemed younger, healthier, and Sute was glad for that.

It was just…

Why don’t they invite me to join their fun?

Being nestled between Katsuko’s soft skin and Shingen’s powerful thighs would be an experience she could slip into her memory and take out to warm her on these cold wet days.

Instead, she’d have to be content stealing Shingen’s dessert. Sute wet her finger and stuck it back in the basket, trying to grab even the smallest remaining crumb.

Finally, Shingen turned his attention to the courier packet that Sute had gone to the trouble to retrieve. He frowned at the report, then tilted it so Katsuko could read it too. Casually, she braced herself on his shoulder to do so.

Knowing that the couple was likely to talk dull strategy for the rest of the day, Sute took advantage of their distraction to hunt for more sweets. Maybe there was something interesting in that cannister on the shelf? She made her way back there to explore it more closely.

“It’s just tea.” Without turning around, Katsuko had apparently figured out her intent. Sute opened the cannister anyway, since Katsuko was perfectly capable of lying to her.

Though not in this case. Tea.

Her sweet tooth still unsatisfied, Sute turned back to the pair at the desk. Katsuko leaned casually against Shingen, his hand was in the small of her back, slowly massaging tiny circles. He said something to her, something Sute could not hear, and Katusko leaned into his touch.

The hot look the two exchanged could have dried Sute’s clothes if she’d been any closer to them. If she hadn’t been in the room, they would probably already be naked. No longer able to stand being invisible, she planted herself in front of the desk. “What next?”

“Nothing for now. I’m expecting a few more reports from Suruga. I would prefer to have additional details before I send you out again.” Shingen picked up a sealed packet from the corner of the desk. “Take this back to Chiyome.”

She tucked the packet in her clothes, bowed to them, then scampered back up into the ceiling. Below her, she heard Katsuko say, in an amused voice, “Why doesn’t anyone use a door here?”

Shingen’s reply wasn’t loud enough for Sute to make out, she could only hear the low rumbling tone that had always reminded her of sweetened pastry. Low, rich, heavy on the tongue. Not that he ever used that tone with her anymore.

Oh well. Sute wasn’t one to dwell on old times. Besides...

She took three steps into the maze of ducts and corridors that crossed through the ceilings of Kasugayama before halting. She stood still for a count of twenty, waiting for Shingen and Katsuko to feel confident she was on her way. Then she crept back to the ceiling tile, the one she had left a crack open for this very purpose. If anyone caught her, she would simply tell them that she had forgotten her sandals and had turned back for them.

But no one had caught her yet – the only other person who regularly used these passages was Sasuke, and she knew him well enough to know he would not question her.

Carefully, silently, she lowered herself to her hands and knees to peer into the room. They were… talking.

Shingen had a map open on his desk, and Katsuko was listening to strategy as if it were the most exciting thing she’d heard in her life.

Were they only going to talk?

Had she sacrificed her shoes for this?

But then Katsuko put her hand on the map, possibly to make a point, maybe just to rest it, and Shingen brushed his fingers along her wrist. She smiled and him, and though Sute could not see his face from her perch, she could imagine. She could remember. His eyelids would lower a fraction while his eyes would darken with smokey interest.

Sute watched as Katsuko took her other hand and stroked his face. Their heads moved closer as he leaned in… the sigh of a kiss.

She slapped her hand over her mouth – had she been the one to make that sound? Quickly, she pulled her mask over her face, more as a reminder to stay quiet, than as a disguise.

Good, they hadn’t heard her.

Their embrace grew more intense; Shingen freed Katsuko’s hair from the leather wrap, and it dropped like a river, flowing over her shoulders and down her back. Sute’s fingers itched to wind themselves in that brown silk, even as she imagined Shingen’s mouth on her own breast.

As if he had read Sute’s mind, Shingen eased Katsuko’s kimono off her shoulder, and lowered his head to –

Sute thumbed her nipple, pinching it, allowing the rough fabric of her kimono to increase the friction. Shingen had never been as forceful with her as she wanted, but up here, surrounded by the symphony of Katsuko’s moans and Shingen’s deep breathing, Sute could arrange things just so.

In the room below, clothing was flung to the floor, and Shingen suddenly turned Katsuko around, balancing her on his desk so he could enter her from behind.

Yesssss.

Sute crept to the other side of the tile, thrilled to be able to see both their faces. She slipped her hand underneath the hakama she chose to wear for ease of movement. It was still wet from rain, but the material clinging to her pussy owed less to the weather and more to the unwitting show Shingen and Katsuko were providing.

Had they only invited her to take part, it would have made up for any discomfort. As it was, Sute had to make do on her own, stroking herself in a rhythm matching theirs.

If they had invited her, this would have been the moment that she slid down Katsuko’s belly, past her hips, deeper, lower, to get a taste of her, a taste of the juices that were pooling in response, around, Shingen’s cock.

Maybe Katsuko would gasp in surprise at the extra sensation, her voice one thrilled, long, ohhh…

And if Sute was lucky, very lucky, Shingen would ask her, “do you want some attention too, Angel?” He might pull her back up, and suck her breasts – yes, his teeth would tug on her nipple -while Sute would be free to capture Katsuko’s mouth with her own and –

Shingen scooped his hands under Katsuko’s ass and carried her out of sight, and only the sounds of their bodies hitting the futon mattress gave her a clue where they’d gone to.

Fuck.

She could still hear them, but their groans and murmured words of love were for each other. The slap of skin on skin did not include her.

Deprived of the view, Sute’s fantasy evaporated, leaving her empty, wanting…

She finished herself off, but the swift, weak orgasm left her unsatisfied, lonely. This was not the way things were supposed to end.

Rearranging her clothing, Sute got to her feet, just as she heard the two lovers cry out and then be silent. They were probably already snuggled up, wrapped in each other’s arms, drifting into sleep.

Now, Sute just wanted to be away, away from the closeness she was not part of. Her shoes could stay where they were for now. She’d get them later… after she paid a certain visit.

When dropping in on another ninja, the element of surprise is difficult to pull off. In fact, Sasuke didn’t even look up from his papers - weird symbols and diagrams – when Sute flipped herself out of the ceiling and landed gracefully in front of him. He simply gestured to the tea kettle that dangled over the irori. “There’s more than enough water in there for tea.”

He continued to make rapid calculations, aided by an abacus. Whatever he was doing was far beyond her understanding. But that was fine. There were other things that he could do that she understood perfectly well.

Uninterested in tea, she came up behind him to blow cool air on his neck. No apparent response. Fine. She wrapped her arms around his waist, giving him a light squeeze before letting one hand drift downward.

Ink splattered on the paper.

At last, she had his attention. He raised his head from his work, looked over his shoulder at her. “Ah. I understand now. This is a booty call.”

Half the time she had no idea what he was saying, and this was one of those times. “Is that a good thing?”

He pushed his glasses further up his nose. “I have, in fact, occasionally wondered whether afternoon delight is considered delightful due to the positioning of the sun.”

“It’s raining. Are we going to fuck or not?” If she didn’t shut him up, Sasuke was likely to talk forever. Later, when they were done, and cuddling (Sute liked the post sex cuddle… maybe more than she would admit out loud), she would be happy to listen to the sound of his voice. But right now, she wanted only his body to talk.

“Yes?” He made it sound like a question. “I’m at the precipice of figuring out something crucial and until I do, I won’t be able to give you all my attention. May I have five minutes to finish this equation?”

“I don’t know what a minute is.” She plopped down on his futon to watch him make quick markings with his brush, his fingers pausing to move the beads on the abacus. His brush and clacks combined with the patter of rain on the roof should have been soothing, but Sute only lasted a few breaths of stillness before she jumped up and prowled the room.

Bored…

Bored…

Squirrel!

“Kunai!” Sute amused herself with Sasuke’s pet for a while, tossing nuts for the squirrel to chase around the room before that also got boring.

Sasuke was still face first in his project.

I should have visited Yoshimoto instead.

Eager to hurry him along, she stripped off her still damp clothing, acting as if it were the most natural thing in the world to stand naked in front of him. She’d kept her movements sharp and brisk, not to entice but to remind. I’m here. Aren’t you hungry for me? Making sure to keep within his line of sight, she walked over to a kimono rack and tossed her wet clothing over it. When she turned back around, Sasuke was watching. “I’m wet from the rain.”

She could see his throat constrict when he swallowed, then coughed. After clearing his throat, he said, “My apologies. I did not mean to objectify you.”

“If that means getting you inside me faster, you can objectify me all you want.” Keeping her eyes on his face, she strode over to him and took the brush out of his now slack fingers. “I want to objectify you too.”

“That… seems like it’s only fair.”

“Good.” She paused, leaving her hands a breath away from his body. “What does objectify mean? Am I doing it right?”

“As always with subjective constructs, it’s open to interpretation, but for the sake of brevity, one could say… mmmmf.” She’d slapped her hand over his mouth. He mumbled a “yes” into her palm.

“You talk too much.” She tugged at his hakama, yanking it roughly past his hips, revealing he was already erect underneath the fundoshi. She untucked that final barrier of fabric, as he watched her, now finally silent. Maybe she’d scared him speechless. That was ok. She didn’t need words and sometimes Sasuke’s just bounced around in her head like tiny tamari balls. Good thing he was very skilled at the non-talking stuff too.

Already, he was wrapping his hands in her damp hair as he deftly removed the leather wrap that was entangled in there, easily smoothing away that snarls caused by a long day in the wet (and to be honest, she didn’t remember if she’d combed it this morning.).

This was … nice.

No. This was too intimate. Like a mother brushing through a child’s hair. She’d not known hers at all, but when she was in the orphan home, one of the older girls used to brush out her hair and braid it in a neat queue. It had been the best part of the day, having her hair brushed.

But now, she didn’t want him to be gentle. She wanted release, so she pulled the rest of his clothes off, leaving him standing in only his glasses. Experience had taught her to wait until they were safely in bed to remove those.

Now that all the barriers between them were gone, she sprang at him and he caught her automatically, lifting her until her legs were around his waist. “It’s about time.” She dragged his face to her and claimed his mouth, biting his lip in her eagerness to-

“Sasuke, I – Oh. What? Uh.” Yukimura was half frozen in the entry, having slid the door open without knocking. In his surprise, he looked like a garden statue, motionless, dropped jaw, eyes bugged out. “Sorry! Sorry! I’ll come back later! I mean. Tomorrow! I’ll come back tomorrow!”

Ooooh.

Sute had always wanted a taste of Yukimura, but their paths rarely crossed, and when they did, she’d been too busy to give him a go. “You don’t have to leave. I don’t mind if you want to watch.”

With Sasuke’s body pressed so close to hers, she could feel his pulse speed up at her suggestion. Interesting. She wondered if Sasuke too had sometimes watched people from a perch in the ceiling.

There was no response from Yukimura. It was as if the two men were stuck in an endless pause, both thrilled and scared of her suggestion.

Adding a little weight to scale, Sute pressed herself closer to Sasuke, then turned to wink at Yukimura. “Or…” She added a pause to let him start imagining. “Join us.”

She liked that idea. Oh, how she did. Snuggling up against one person was lovely, but two. Two would be perfection.

Neither man moved, but she could feel Sasuke trembling beneath her.

I have to do everything around here.

She climbed off Sasuke and walked toward Yukimura, putting a purposeful sway in her step. When she halted in front of him, she reached over and ruffled his hair. The whole time… his eyes were on Sasuke, not hers.

“Sute.” Sasuke’s voice was shaky, but there was a tone of warning in it. “Don’t objectify Yuki.”

“Huh?”

Ha! Yukimura didn’t understand what Sasuke said either. It wasn’t just Sute who got confused.

“Yuki, you don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Sasuke hadn’t made any effort to cover himself, but she thought that was because he had forgotten he was naked.

She made an obvious show of putting her hands behind her back. “See! I’m not objectifying!”

“Geez.” Yukimura now raked his own hand through his hair until it almost stood on end. “I. Don’t. Not. Want to.”

“Oh! Good! Come on!” Not one to waste time, Sute grabbed his hand and flung him toward the futon. Surprised, off balance, he stumbled and fell into Sasuke.

Should she close the door now? For herself, Sute didn’t much care who might walk by and witness them, but… Yukimura and Sasuke might be more fun if they weren’t worried about additional visitors. She slid it shut, then turned to see Yukimura and Sasuke sitting side by side on the futon. Yukimura fidgeted with the corner of his clothes, while Sasuke politely kept his hands to himself. She noticed that his body was angled slightly toward Yukimura, even as he refused to look at anything but the floor.

“Yukimura, you have too many clothes on.” She faked a pout, pursing her lips like a courtesan. “I could help you.”

He sputtered a few nonsense syllables, then Sasuke looked at her and opened his mouth to speak.

Sute interrupted before he could get a word out. “Did I objectify again?”

“There’s a colloquial expression where I am from. Patience is a virtue.” His strange speech seemed even stranger coming from a man wearing nothing but a pair of glasses.

Yukimura rolled his eyes and looked at Sute. ‘Can you believe this guy’ was written all over his face. He and Sute had united against Sasuke’s big words, and finally she felt let in to both sides of the triangle.

United enough that when Yukimura fumbled with his clothing, it was both Sute and Sasuke who helped him – Sute pulled his sash open while Sasuke briefly squeezed Yukimura’s hand before tugging the kimono off his shoulder.

As always, his face gave away nothing. But his breathing, Sute knew, even without thinking about it, that this was something Sasuke had imagined happening… and when Yukimura’s breath sped up in response –

This time Sute did not feel lonely. She’d been part of this, she’d helped them along. When they looked back on this moment, she would be in the memory of it too.

That certainty led her to join them on the mattress, cuddling up to Sasuke to kiss his mouth, then immediately to Yukimura to kiss him too, as if she were transferring Sasuke’s kiss in the process.

I kiss you. I kiss him.

Back to Sasuke, who this time responded with light pressure. Again, she took his kiss to Yukimura, delivering it as a courier.

I kiss you. I kiss him.

Until finally… Sasuke and Yukimura bypassed her and came together in a kiss that ramped up from curious to urgent before Sute could blink.

She sat back like a proud parent watching a baby warlord take his first sparring match, until Sasuke, ever the polite Sasuke, yanked her into the tangle of limbs, and Yukimura’s mouth found her breast –

Now, yes now, that his control had broken, Sute found the force of Yukimura’s urgency exactly matched her needs. “Yes. Bite. Please. Harder.”

Teeth and tongue nearly made her leap off the futon, as the sharp, sweet sensation raced through her.

No more watching –

Outside, thunder rolled, and rain pounded against the walls, rattling the building, muffling sound.

Inside, Sute lost herself in this storm, mouths, hands, sweat, the sticky salty taste –

The driving rain mixed with Yukimura’s guttural moans and Sasuke’s praise of Gods whose names she had not heard of – her own voice urging them not to stop –

It was Yukimura who filled her – rough thrusts, his thickness stretching her just to the point of discomfort, but it was a good discomfort and she ground herself into him, digging her fingers into his shoulders, feeling his muscles contract under her touch. She angled her hips to take him deeper, her body rushing her onward, straining for release.

Barely, she was aware that Sasuke’s arms were wrapped around Yukimura from behind, his mouth clamped on the other man’s neck.

I want…

I want…

And then no more wanting as she came with a scream moments before Yukimura erupted inside of her.

For a moment, she couldn’t move and lay there, melting into a boneless puddle.

After the sparks behind her eyelids faded, and Yukimura had rolled off her, she saw that Sasuke was still waiting for satisfaction. “Fair is fair, ninja.” Her voice sounded rusty, raw, from her screams.

She crawled across Yukimura, intending to take Sasuke in her mouth, but Yukimura got there first, stroking his friend far more hesitantly than he had fucked her.

So, with her chin resting on Yukimura’s chest, she again became the watcher, but this time it was ok. She was still with them. Still here. And when Sasuke’s cum finally spurted onto Yukimura’s hand, Sute felt like she was just as responsible.

Warm, comfortable, she half dozed, drifting in and out of childhood memories, while Yukimura and Sasuke continued kissing lazily. As a little girl, she’d shared a bed with three other orphans, kept warm in winter like a pile of kittens. This felt the same. Warm. Together. Once again safely snuggled, protected from the weather, even as rain pattered steadily against the wall.

She curled up between them, her head using Yukimura’s arm as a pillow, then Sasuke reached between her legs, his skilled fingers gently teasing her, slow waves that crested into another orgasm, one that sent her drifting into sleep.

Time passed.

Possibly they all slept.

As the room turned from rain dimmed to night’s darkness, Yukimura stirred and mumbled something about needing to leave. He didn’t make any effort to move, and Sute took the moment to pull both men closer. “We could do this again sometime.”

Sasuke’s answer was in his rapid heartbeat and held breath, until Yukimura said, “Uh. Yeah. Again. That would be. Ok. Or. Good even.”

“I concur.” Sasuke’s voice was a whisper over her shoulder.

Sute couldn’t wait for the next rainy day.

When Aki aimed his gun at the minion, I shut my eyes, waiting for images of my past to flash before me, as is foretold in popular fiction.

That didn’t happen.

Either I wasn’t going to die… or popular fiction was wrong. I had a bad feeling it was going to be the latter unless I took steps to avoid that fate. I opened my eyes again, knowing that as soon as Aki killed the minion, I would have to use that moment of distraction to act –

THWUMP!

With more power than grace, Mitsunari hauled himself over the edge of the tower and knocked the minion off his feet.  As a distraction, it worked wonderfully. I grabbed the war fan out of my kimono, jammed it into Iekane’s stomach, then flipped him over my body.

He landed right where Aki was waiting for him.

While Mitsunari was easily dispatching the minion, I grabbed Hikosane and yanked him out of the path of any stray bullet, sword, or –

THUNK.

Unconscious minions.

The second the minion hit the floor, Mitsunari had Hikosane and I in his arms, as far away from the Iekane and Aki’s fight as possible. At the moment, there wasn’t much else we could do except let Aki have his chance at Iekane. The two of them were evenly matched. Aki discarded the musket for his sword, and they battled across the perimeter of the tower, grimly trading hits, swords clanging against each other. Then Iekane backed up a step and pulled out a small rectangular object … was that a cell phone?

“No, you can’t it’s too-” Aki’s words were lost as he leaped at Iekane -

For a moment, out of the corner of my eye, I saw an odd aura – almost like the ones I used to get before a migraine headache. It felt like reality was rippling around me, almost as if the horizon was a curtain that was about to lift. I’ve… seen this before…

Then Aki’s forward motion took both of them over the railing of the tower.

Holy fu-

Mitsunari, Hikosane, and I rushed to the railing, and I was hoping against fate that I would find Aki clinging to the edge of the tower, and not in a broken heap on the ground below. Of course, he’d be clinging to the edge. This was Aki. Slippery. Wily. Acrobatic…

He was not clinging to the tower.

Nor was he – or Iekane – in a heap on the ground below.

In absence of their fight, the birdsong seemed unnaturally loud. None of us said anything to break the quiet. The three of us just stared over the edge, looking at… nothing.

We weren’t that far off the ground… a fall from the tower platform would have been survivable, although neither Aki nor Iekane would have had time to drag themselves into the woods, nor was there any evidence of two adult sized bodies having thudded to the ground.

It was as if they had never been there at all.

Finally, I pulled myself out of the shock, and rushed down the ladder and through the tower to the outside, barely aware that Mitsunari and Hikosane were right behind me.

Aki?

Dad?

Even in my head ‘dad’ didn’t sound right. Aki was… just…  Aki.

And he was gone.

Vanished somewhere between the tower platform and the soft, springy ground – a ground that clearly had not been crushed by two men thudding onto it.

“Where did they go?” Hikosane looked through the brush around the tower.

“Um, ninja tricks,” was all that I could come up with on the fly. I might have been able to formulate a better lie, but my attention was caught by something on the ground. A few stray leaves. Normally, exactly what you’d expect to find on the ground in the middle of a forest.

But they were late Autumn leaves. Maple leaves. Brown and gold where all the trees around us had yet to change color. Nor were any of them maple. I picked one up to examine it. Aside from being out of season, it was just a leaf.

“There may have been men waiting down here to help Iekane escape.” Mitsunari’s explanation to Hikosane sounded more plausible than mine. He glanced at the leaf I had in my hand and nodded.

Aki and Iekane had somehow, without a wormhole, gone elsewhere in time.

“We’re going to go after them, right?” Hikosane tugged on my arm. “Iekane and your father.”

Mitsunari sent a startled look my way – I guess he had missed that part of our drama. “Yes, of course I want to go after them, but now isn’t the time. I’ll need supplies and more arrows,” and a time machine. “Besides, right now we need to get you back to Genba, where I am sure your own father will be watching for you.”

We walked quietly back toward the castle, still alert to any remaining stragglers from Iekane’s crew that would be lurking, ready to jump scare our party. But Masamune and Ieyasu had been quite thorough in the mop-up detail. Masamune’s reputation alone might have been enough to send many those mercenaries running.

I felt a light touch on my shoulder and looked over to see Mitsunari looking at me steadily. “How are you?”

“A few bruises, that’s all.” Hopefully not another black eye. “Nothing that needs medical attention.”

“That was not what I was asking.” He glanced back over his shoulder, to where the tower was still visible in the distance.

Yes. I had been aware that he was really asking, ‘are you ok after watching your father apparently die?’ I had no answer to that. I wasn’t used to delving through my psyche. My mother’s emotions had strangled Toshiie and I for years – I’d never seen any reason to inflict mine on anyone else. Mitsunari was asking me to access the sort of things that were usually packed neatly away. I was afraid if I unpacked them, I would discover feelings that I couldn’t shove back into the suitcase.

But…

Aki’s disappearance… no, I wouldn’t think of him as dead. The man had always seemed indestructible. He wasn’t though. Aki was human. He aged. He could die.

He could die.

He might already be dead.

I couldn’t cry now.

Not here.

Mitsunari took my hands, and gently pulled me into an embrace. Then, with my face pressed against his chest, I cried, while Mitsunari simply held on, his fingers soft across my back.

We returned to the last thing I was in the mood for… another banquet. If Mozumi was humiliated that his wife had not only been cheating on him, but had been treasonously plotting to kill Nobunaga, he chose to pretend otherwise. Or maybe this was banquet was more along the lines of a plea to Nobunaga, the old, ‘hey, I’m sorry a member of the household tried to kill you, but look on the bright side, you didn’t die, so let’s party’ distraction technique.

The mood, at least, was far more subdued than the engagement banquet, and the ‘let’s entertain Nobunaga’ banquets. Most of Mozumi’s vassals were still on the coast, and the ones who had stayed behind, like Susumu, had lost friends and comrades in the struggle. While they were grateful enough to be fed, they (naturally) weren’t in a celebratory mood. Mozumi himself was seated only with Nobunaga and Hideyoshi, all three with their heads together in an intense discussion.

Mozumi didn’t look like he was pleading for his life, but his attitude was far more deferential than it had been a couple weeks ago. I wondered if they were trying to decide Lady Yone’s fate. Normally, she would have been sentenced to death for her treasonous acts, in fact, I was surprised that she had not already been executed. But Mai had pleaded for leniency, for the sake of her daughters, all of whom were under the age of ten. Last I heard, her punishment had yet to be determined.

On the other hand, the happiest person at the banquet was Shohime, who was in her element, alternately – or, well actually simultaneously – flirting with Keiji and Masamune. Both seemed happy enough to reciprocate. I wondered if they were getting her ‘beautiful, perfect, but dumb’ persona, or if now that Hikosane was safe from Lady Yone, Shohime was finally going to be able to allow her true self to emerge.

One person who had escaped the celebration was Mitsuhide, who had claimed that the sight of his injuries would put people off their food. Personally, I thought that unlikely – these men and women had seen far too much danger and battle to care. More likely, he didn’t feel social, or had decided to keep his presence on the down low.

Hikosane had also been able to escape the ‘banquet’ and was supposedly in his room – but I had a feeling he’d snuck out to the stables to hang out with Mitsuhide.

I would have like to have been able to get out of the feasting too – it would have been nice to be able to find a time and space in which to process the events of the few days. But since I was supposed to be an Oda Princess, I couldn’t suddenly claim to be mourning my father (long-dead in my fake backstory). Additionally, to avoid confusion, Hideyoshi had (reluctantly) decided to let the false engagement stand until we returned to Azuchi.

But… I wouldn’t be returning to Azuchi.

Travel in this century being what it was, I intended to part ways with the Oda and Mitsunari as soon as we left Genba. There wasn’t time for me to go all the way to Azuchi and then travel back up to the Togakushi shrine  – I would miss the wormhole if I did.

Until then I would pretend to be a happy, engaged Princess. As such, I looked over and smiled fondly at Mitsunari, who was happily catching up with Ieyasu (less than happy to be caught up with). Déjà vu, Mitsunari’s hand came close to knocking a bowl of soup into Ieyasu’s lap.

Ieyasu braced himself, that familiar scowl descending his face. Mitsunari slowed down, moved his bowl out of the way, and continued the conversation.

Startled, Ieyasu blinked. Then he frowned again – must be disappointed not to have anything to complain about. If I had been in a better mood myself, I would have laughed at him.

Yes, Mitsunari had changed. Well. A little. He was less clumsy. More confident. Oh, under that he was still the too literal absent minded, sweet genius that I …

…couldn’t possibly allow myself to think, to feel about in that way.

Suddenly, I could no longer stand to be in a room full of people and before I could think of any excuse, I jumped to my feet.

“Are you feeling alright, Okatsu?” Looking concerned, Mitsunari reached for my hand, but I was already backing away from the table.

“I’m fine. I thought I’d steal some dessert and take it up to Hikosane.” It was a stupid excuse – Hikosane probably had been fed the same meal we had. But I realized I did want to check in on the kid. “Oh, no stay put,” I added when Mitsunari moved to join me. “I know you haven’t seen Ieyasu in a while, and you want to spend time with your friend.”

Ieyasu sighed the sigh of a man facing a long evening.

Without allowing either of them to say another word, I hurried out of the banquet hall.

Eventually, I tracked Hikosane to the stables – just as I expected, he was pestering Mitsuhide and Kyubei to tell him about their adventures.

“Young man, you are one question away from becoming as annoying as – that one.” Mitsuhide indicated me with a nod of his head.

“Truly? I am honored by the comparison.” Hikosane gave a rather Mitsunari-esque response. Perhaps he had been spending too much time with both of us.

“That was in no way intended to be a compliment.” Mitsuhide stood up, signaling to us all that whatever patience he had was at its end.

“Huh, actually, I took it as a compliment too.” I held out my hand for Hikosane. “If I can annoy you, I must be doing something right.”

Kyubei hastily smothered a laugh, which earned him a look of doom from Mitsuhide.

“Anyway, I will be out of your … wig… soon enough. And you can sooth yourself with the knowledge that Hideyoshi hates me even more than you do.” Every time that man looked at me, his jaw twitched as if he were biting his tongue.

“There is that.” Mitsuhide then turned serious. “Neither I nor Hideyoshi hate you… far from it. You’re simply too volatile for my peace of mind. Doing the work that I, and by association, you, do, requires a certain cold calculation that at this point, you do not yet possess.” I opened my mouth to protest that (which… might have proven his point), but he continued, “And I would regret it if someday you were to acquire that skill.”

He turned back toward Kyubei, who, I belatedly noticed, was sitting in front of a partially completed shogi game – I suppose Hikosane had interrupted them. I wondered if Mitsuhide and Aki would ever get the chance to complete their long-running game. Hopefully, wherever Aki was, he was still alive and would be able to return to this time.

My expression must have been unusually unguarded, because Kyubei said, “Hikosane has told us what happened to Akihira. Do you think Iekane would take him prisoner?” Unspoken was the ‘or simply killed him elsewhere?’

“That’s certainly a possibility.” Or they could both be chasing after each other in a different timeline, but that wasn’t something I could bring up to this audience.

Reminded of his manners – or at least of macro-etiquette in this type of situation, Mitsuhide turned back to me. “I am truly sorry that you lost your mentor. I imagine you were close.”

“He’s her father!” Hikosane had not yet fully learned the lesson of keeping information private, but this likely wasn’t something that I would have been able to hide from Mitsuhide in the long run anyway. “Of course, they were close!”

That bombshell prompted mirror image raised single eyebrows from both Kyubei and Mitsuhide (yeesh, can everyone but me do that?). “Fascinating. That was information that had escaped me.”

I considered telling him that it had been a surprise to me as well, but it would do him no harm to believe that I had always known and had managed to keep it a secret from him. I also imagined I’d get some spy credit chips if he thought that I had grown up being trained by Aki. “Well. You can’t know everything.”

That, in my opinion, was a perfect exit line, so I gave Mitsuhide a version of his own mocking bow, and a more polite one to Kyubei, before leading Hikosane back to the castle.

Hikosane looked back over his shoulder toward the stables as we padded through the corridors of Genba. “I’m looking forward to knowing him better.”

“I don’t think anyone really knows him, aside from Kyubei.” The castle had quieted down for the night. Seemed like the banquet had ended earlier than usual, and people were heading off to bed.

“When Shohime and I are living at Azuchi, I will make it a point to learn as much as I can from and about him.” Hikosane’s voice held a solemn vow, but I was more interested in what he said, and not how.

“You’ll be living at Azuchi?” I slid open the door to his room, and automatically scanned it for samurais and snakes. The page waiting for Hikosane flinched under my stare and stepped backward, nearly tripping over the futon.

“It has not been formalized yet, but we went to Nobunaga and offered ourselves as hostages – no, it’s what I want – and Shohime too,” he added quickly before I could make a protest. “While you may not think it’s necessary, I wish to learn more about governing and I’ll learn more from Nobunaga than my own father.”

This was clearly true, and if his life was still in danger from Iekane, Azuchi was a safer place for him to be. “You’re right, you probably will.”

“I can learn from you too. I’ve never known a kuinochi princess before.” He bowed to me.

Neither have I.

“Hikosane, I’m going on a long journey first – to spend time with my brother and look for my father. I don’t know exactly when I’ll be returning to Azuchi.” Too many directions I wanted and needed to go. No matter where I ended up, part of my heart would be somewhere else.

He looked at me a long time, then ran to me and gave me a long hug. “I am certain I will see you again.”

“You’ll see me tomorrow.” I bowed to him. “Good night, Hiko.”

As he slid closed the door to his room, I wished I were not leaving. I would like to see this child grow up and become whatever it was he was to become. I even wanted to see what kind of damage Shohime would do to the Azuchi warlords.

Who knows… maybe she and Mitsunari would end up together after all. I wished that thought didn’t hurt as much as it did.

I took a deep breath.

And then another.

By the time I got back to our room, I had composed myself… until I opened the door to discover that Mitsunari had lost his mind.

He was …? I tilted my head to try and get a better perspective on what he was… he was… well, it looked like he was playing a game of invisible twister with an octopus.

When he saw me, he blushed, then lost his balance and collapsed in a heap, half on the cushion and half on the floor.

I rushed over to help him up. “Are you alright?” By which I meant both physically and mentally. He scrambled to toss something behind him. It, naturally, bounced off the wall. I put my hands up to avoid getting smacked in the face with it, and –

One of Mozumi’s pillow books?

I looked at the book.

I looked at Mitsunari.

He was still blushing.

For the first time in years, I could think of nothing to say. I might (possibly) have been blushing too. I simply handed the book back to him. My mind still blank, I considered whether I should just back out of the room, then re-enter and do a retake of the entire last five minutes.

Hey. Time travel. It could happen.

"Halt. Do not move." Instinctively, Mitsunari froze at the sound of authority in Hideyoshi’s voice, and in the process nearly overbalancing on the step. He tightened his arms around Okatsu. No, he refused to trip and fall, not when he had such an important bundle in his arms. Okatsu let out a dismayed sigh, and for a moment hid her face in his chest. Mitsunari wished he could pretend she was doing so because she wanted to be closer to him, but he knew her well enough to realize she was trying to avoid Hideyoshi’s eyes. "Did you not leave the mine early to rest your injury?”

How to respond? He didn’t want to lie to Hideyoshi. Not again. He didn’t want to lie any more than he had to… even presupposing he could come up with an effective story this quickly in any case.

Okatsu rescued him, lying as easily as she did everything else. "We did, and we did. We spent the afternoon in the garden, and Mitsunari let me rest my foot in his lap."

Hideyoshi didn’t look happy with that explanation. Did he not believe her? Mitsunari hurried to back up the story. "Yes. It was elevated."

There was a shocked little peeping noise from Okatsu. "My foot. It was elevated, as Mai instructed. It was very restful."

Without another word, Hideyoshi took Okatsu out of Mitsunari's arms. "I’ll carry her." The sudden emptiness left Mitsunari feeling bereft – and that emotion was replaced by something else when he saw her wrapped in Hideyoshi’s arms. It felt almost like … anger? He had an impulse to grab his sword and run Hideyoshi through.

Horrified, he squashed that impulse down.

Where had it come from?

He was still trying to puzzle that out when he caught Okatsu silently trying to tell him something. What? Save her? From Hideyoshi?

Her lips moved again.

He… still had no idea what she wanted him to do.

Her hand was resting on Hideyoshi’s shoulder. She waved it at him and he realized there was a paper tucked between her thumb and her palm. Where had she gotten pap- The note!

She wanted him to check on Hikosane. Mitsunari paused, not entirely sure he knew where to find him. In his room? In the garden?

Hideyoshi glanced over his shoulder. "What is wrong?"

Mitsunari told the most believable lie he had ever told in his life. "I’m going to go get a book."

Over the course of a long search, Mitsunari discovered that Hikosane was not in the gardens, not in the archives, and not in his room.  Nor was he in the armory… although one of the Genba maids and one of Mozumi’s personal guards were, and Mitsunari hastily retreated after stumbling through a long apology for interrupting them (he hadn’t been aware that particular activity could be performed standing up). Eventually, he tracked the boy down in the kitchens, where he was playing suguroku with a page.

Winning, in fact, and the page was more than happy to turn over his part of the game to Mitsunari and return to his duties. “Good luck, Lord Mitsunari. You may need it. Hikosane is very good at this game.”

Once the page had left, Mitsunari studied the board. “Hikosane, are you well?”

“Of course, Lord Mitsunari.” Hikosane smiled as he rolled a combination of numbers that allowed him to move more markers closer to the finish. “Why do you ask?”

“I am making conversation.” Mitsunari didn’t want to come right out and tell a small boy that he might be in danger. “Has anyone pushed you down the stairs recently? Or have you nearly been shot? Or stabbed? Or… been standing under something heavy that mysteriously fell?”

There. That would gently lead up to the topic, he thought.

“You believe I am in danger.” Hikosane stated it calmly, but his hands were shaking.

Perhaps… that had not been the best way to go about it after all. Okatsu was better with the child. She would know what to say. “Er. It is possible. Will you come with me to talk with Okatsu? We can come up with a plan to keep you safe from potential assassins.”

Hikosane swallowed loudly. “Assassins?”

Why had no one written a book on how to talk to small humans?

By the time Mitsunari returned to their quarters with Hikosane in tow, it was fully dark outside. Okatsu was lying on her stomach on the futon, puzzling over the note. She had a brush and a scroll, and it appeared she had been researching whether it was a code, for the scroll contained several lines of nonsense words. She sat up and set the materials aside when she saw them.

As soon as he crossed the threshold into the room, Hikosane got right to the point. “Mitsunari believes I’m in some danger.” Though Mitsunari appreciated directness (from any person, be they adult or child), given the way Okatsu was frowning at him, he must have done something wrong. Maybe he should have done a better job at keeping the information from Hikosane.  “He didn’t tell me in so many words. I guessed from the manner of questions he asked.”

“We don’t know.” Okatsu suddenly smiled at Hikosane, and Mitsunari realized he hadn’t seen her smile very often, but when she did smile, it felt like a sunrise. Unfortunately, the sun was rising on Hikosane, instead of Mitsunari. “We were given a message, but it was vague.”

Hikosane curled up next to Okatsu to read the note, and though this was only a child, Mitsunari felt again that same rush of anger he’d felt when Hideyoshi had scooped her into his arms. “I see. The truth is, I am in danger, I have always been in danger – this is something that has been told to me as long as I can recall. The question is, am I suddenly in more danger? Immediate danger.” His hand went to the child sized sword at his waist.

At the reminder that there were more important things to worry about that his own feelings, Mitsunari sat down too, ready to push emotion aside to deal with the problem. “Yes. That would be the dilemma. Have you experienced any unusual accidents in recent days?” When Hikosane shook his head, Mitsunari continued, “what about illness?”

“Last month, I became sick after something I ate. It tasted odd, so I only had one bite.” Hikosane shrugged. “However, that may have been an accident.”

Okatsu seemed thoughtful. “Was anyone else sick?”

“No… but.” Hikosane suddenly looked appalled and tears came to his eyes. “Two of the dogs died the next day.”

Poison. He could tell Okatsu was thinking the same thing.

Hikosane launched himself into Okatsu’s arms, hiding his face in her shoulder. And this time, Mitsunari didn’t feel angry at all. If anyone had earned the right to Okatsu’s hug, it was Hikosane.

Once the embrace ended, Okatsu asked him, “Are there people here who you trust – people you know will not try to harm you?”

He counted the names on his fingers “You. Mitsunari. My father – though I do not see him often. My sisters.”

It was unlucky for Hikosane that he only had sisters. Sisters who were like Shohime, instead of like Okatsu. An Okatsu sister would be a great advantage to the child. But at least her fiancée was young and likely able to protect Hikosane. “When Shohime marries Iekane, would you be able to go to them for long periods of time?”

Hikosane’s hands balled into fists. “I hate him! He smiles too much.”

“I thought smiling was a good thing?” Wasn’t it? Mitsunari realized he smiled a lot too. Was that wrong? But... “I like it when Okatsu smiles.”

“I do too.” Hikosane looked like he was about to crawl into Okatsu’s lap, and Mitsunari started to get that mixed up angry feeling again. “Iekane smiles when he means to frown. I don’t trust him. You do believe me, don’t you?”

“I do.” She ruffled his hair. “I … don’t like being around him either, so how about this? When he is around, come over to me and we can protect each other.”

Why didn’t she like Iekane… had the man also threatened Okatsu, or accosted her the way Mozumi had? Why hadn’t she told him? Did she not trust him yet? He wanted to pull her close, and comfort her somehow. But he couldn’t think of what would be the correct way to do so without being as free with her person as the other two men.

During his mental debate, Hikosane said something that Mitsunari missed. He hoped it hadn’t been important.

Hikosane bowed. “I should return to my room before someone looks for me.”

Since Okatsu stood up and seemed determined to accompany him, Mitsunari got to his feet as well. After all of this, he didn’t want her to have to return to their rooms by herself. There were too many potentially dangerous people about.

Hikosane took Okatsu’s hand, and then, to Mitsunari’s surprise, he discovered that Hikosane’s other hand had found its way into his own. Interesting. In a sense, Hikosane felt like a link in a chain that connected him to Okatsu. It felt… warm, also to be allowed into this circle of trust, and Mitsunari realized that even without the presence of Okatsu, he would like Hikosane for his own sake.

Once, they reached his room, Hikosane bowed again and thanked them, after a hastily covered yawn. He thunked down on his futon.

Mitsunari had half turned to leave, already mentally preparing to ask Okatsu what she knew about Iekane, when he heard the noise.

HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

The blanket undulated, and his eyes focused on the snake that was already honing in on Hikosane. “Hiko! Do not move.” To Okatsu, he asked, “Mamushi?”

HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

There was fear, and the urge to shield Okatsu, to shield Hikosane, and under that was the terror that he would not be able to save either of them. He pushed that away. A snake was a sword. Its actions were just as predictable as that of a warrior. It was threatened and it would strike where it deemed the closest threat was. Right now… that was Hikosane.

What tools did he have with him? Sword. And, Okatsu must be armed as well, he knew she never went anywhere without at least –

Yes, she was reaching for a knife she had strapped to her ankle. Was she as good with a throwing knife as she was with a bow and arrow? “Can you hit it?”

“I’m … I’m not sure.” She frowned at the snake, which still had its full attention on Hikosane.

If Okatsu threw the knife and missed, or didn’t do enough damage to the snake, it would bite Hikosane. If Mitsunari approached it with his sword, the snake might bite Hikosane before he could get to it. Therefore, they needed to divert the snake’s attention, first. In his mind, he could see how to accomplish that and the steps that immediately would need to follow.

Knife.

Roll.

Approach.

Sword.

Strike.

Kill.

“Hikosane – on the count of three, Okatsu will throw her knife behind and to the left of the snake. As soon as it turns to look at the knife, you are to roll to the right.” He spoke softly, trying not to agitate the snake further.

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

With the calmness and skill of the best warriors, Okatsu sent her knife sailing over, and behind the snake. It bounced off the wall and clattered to the floor. The snake hissed and turned its head.

Hikosane rolled off the futon.

The snake turned back as if to strike, but Mitsunari knew where it was going, where it would be, and got his sword there first.

Even before the two halves of the snake hit the floor, Okatsu had Hikosane wrapped in a hug. “He is not staying in this room.”

“It is probably safer now than it ever will be. Whoever put this snake in here will be counting on no one coming in until morning.” But even as Hikosane spoke bravely, he looked at the dead snake with apprehension.

While she comforted Hikosane, Okatsu glanced around the room, possibly seeking additional deadly traps. Mitsunari took the opportunity to hold her hand again. “I forgot. You did say you are afraid of snakes.”

She shrugged slightly. “I’m not fond of things that can kill me. It’s good to be alert for that kind of thing.”

Though she had seemed less worried for herself, she had kept hold of his hand, and that made Mitsunari feel warm inside. Hopefully, this meant that she finally trusted him.

"You don't like Iekane.” Mitsunari made it a statement, not a question, though he kept his voice low. After a brief discussion, they had brought Hikosane back to their room, figuring he would be safest with them. He grabbed his night clothes and slipped behind the screen. "Is there a particular reason? Or a feeling?"

"Would that matter?" There was a note of challenge in her voice, that even Mitsunari could pick up on.

"I trust your feelings either way.” He struggled a bit with his sash, not wanting a repeat of the time he had gotten stuck in his clothing. Luckily, this time it wasn’t tangled or twisted around. He freed himself on his own and kicked his kimono out of the way. "But if he has actually done something, I would like to know what he is capable of."

Her hand whisked the kimono off the floor. "Remember when I said someone locked me in the crate? That was him."

The mixture of anger and confusion that he had felt earlier was nothing compared to the sheer rage that swept over him. For a moment, he couldn’t see or hear, it was all a whoosh of hot anger. If Iekane had been in front of him in that moment, Mitsunari would have cut him down faster than he had the snake.

Thwap!

Someone had punched at the screen.

It was him.

He’d punched it.

And then the need to assure himself, to confirm, that Okatsu was ok had him rushing out and yanking her into his arms. She was ok. She was alive. What had happened to her had happened years ago, and if he had anything to say about it, nothing would happen to her again. But Iekane had been here all day. She’d had ample opportunity to confide in Mitsunari. But… she hadn’t. "Why haven't you told anyone this?"

She mumbled something too quiet for him to hear, so he reluctantly let her go.

"I confronted him the other day. He said it was an accident." She shrugged. “That I had gotten confused. And meanwhile, he was robbed and unconscious for days. Eventually he was adopted by the previous daimyo… who apparently recently sickened and died. So. That’s where he’s been.”

As stories went, it sounded less than likely, but Okatsu knew Iekane better than Mitsunari did. "Do you believe him?" He realized he was still holding his night kimono, so he shrugged into it.

"It's a plausible explanation, but... no. I don't." Okatsu made a circular motion with her hand, and Mitsunari turned around. Then her hands came around his waist, and he was momentarily thrilled until he realized she was fixing his sash. "The problem is, without Aki- my lord- I have no way to prove it. It's his word against mine."

She slipped behind the screen to change, and to distract himself from the delicious sounds of silk fabric sliding across her body, Mitsunari instead pictured Iekane, and what he would do to him when he found him. "I will take your word. That being the situation, what are his skills? Lying and manipulation - poisoning- for its likely he killed the previous Daimyo. What else?"

"Pretty much anything I can do, so can he." There was a long pause, and a relieved sigh, and Mitsunari wondered what she was doing back there. Focus! Enemy. He concentrated on her words. "I'm a much better archer- he's better with a sword."

Then she emerged from behind the screen, and her hair was flowing all around her shoulders, still wavy from being confined in that elaborate hair-bundle she’d been wearing it in, and everything left his mind except … her.

"Your hair is pretty." He reached out to touch it, only remembering just in time that that would be an invasion of her person.

"Er. Thanks." She looked away from him, then her eyes grew big in surprise. Hikosane had fallen asleep across her futon. There was no room for anyone else.

That was… ok. She could sleep in his futon. Mitsunari could sleep on the floor, if needed. But it was probably for the best. He would stay up and attempt to figure out what to do about this Iekane problem. "You can take mine.  I will be awake formulating a strategy.

"You will not. You need sleep. We all do. Your strategy will be better after a good sleep." Okatsu was all business as she briskly climbed under the bedding. "There's enough room for two. I trust you."

She trusts me! But the sight of her, warm, flushed, her hair a bit disordered, and the thought of pressing up against her all night long almost overwhelmed him. No. Did he have that much control? "I am honored, but… You... should not." He didn’t even have enough control to refuse the offer. He carefully perched on the edge of the futon. "Perhaps a short nap."

"Even if you weren't the most trustworthy person I know, it's not like you would do anything with Hikosane in the room." Okatsu rolled onto her side, facing the window – they could, potentially lie down back-to-back.

A little hurt by her automatic dismissal of him, he lay down, keeping a hand space between them. “That is a good point, I suppose. Although an untrustworthy person might not care."

Was it that she found him trustworthy? Or did she not consider him worthy of sexual interest?

"Go to sleep, Mitsunari."

"Goodnight Okatsu." He reached over and squeezed her hand, just to remind her that even if he was “trustworthy,” he still was human.

He would be lucky if he slept at all.

In the end… he slept. Some. Okatsu was a restless sleeper, who talked in her sleep. Nothing that gave him any information about how she felt about him, unfortunately. Nothing even that made any sense, either, simply random phrases, like, ‘where’s my IC card?’ ‘missed the bus’ and ‘wiped-out on the half pipe.’

What did make sense though, was shortly after sunrise, she was relaxed, curled into him and once again, Mitsunari had that feeling that together, they simply fit, that they added up to something that was important and strong.

He couldn’t revel in that insight too long though. As she unconsciously burrowed closer, a physical need for her, to be inside her, flooded through him. It was almost painful in its intensity, and if he didn’t-

Oh. She was awake.

Was she aware?

Could she tell?

She was smiling though. If she could tell, perhaps it was ok?

"Good morning Okatsu." He said it as quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb Hikosane, not wanting the moment to end. He put the palm on his hand on her cheek, the way he had done weeks ago when she was injured. The way he had done the first time he’d noticed they fit.

She didn’t move. Mitsunari didn’t either, waiting for a signal to do something, to move, either closer or away. Cautiously he lowered his head. If she didn’t want a kiss, surely she would say no, or move or…

She was going to let him kiss her!

"We have a problem! "Hikosane yelled from the doorway.

Okatsu leaped away from him, while Mitsunari got tangled up in the blankets, and in his frenzy to escape, banged his head against hers.

Hikosane was in danger, that was certain. But at the moment, he was in danger from Mitsunari.

I felt a tug on my hand, as Mitsunari spun me back to him. He placed his palm on my cheek, and just looked at me as if I was the most important person in the universe. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.  But it was clear he wanted to say something, and so I put my hand on his heart, hoping to calm him. Hoping to calm myself. Then he visibly took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling under my hand.  Instead of speaking, he pulled me close, and kissed me with an intensity I wouldn’t have thought him capable of.

Just as his smile could always quiet the negative voices in my head, his kiss brought the world into focus. The world that was Mitsunari. His lips, his hands, his body. I wrapped my arms around him, feeling like I could climb inside his skin, as he clung to me just as desperately.

The world that was Mitsunari.

The world where there was an “us.”

When the kiss ended, he continued to hold me, breathing me. “I love you, Katsuko. Please, someday, find your way back here. To me. When I’m with you – I feel like I’m more than what I thought I was … and that’s you. I want to be more for you.”

“You never needed to be more. You’ve always been more than what you thought.” I understood what he meant though, because when I was with him, I felt like I was more too. And I loved him. Of course, I loved him. I’d been wrong to pretend otherwise. “I love you too.”

In the movies when the girl or the boy realizes they’re in love, there’s always a running montage – often through a big city – as they desperately try to return to the side of the love of their life. I didn’t need a running montage - I was already at Mitsunari’s side. I would be crazy to leave it with no guarantee of return.

“Katsuko!” Toshiie’s voice was getting increasingly desperate.

I looked over my shoulder, to where the others were waiting for me. “I’m sorry. I can’t go back. I was never happy there. This is my place.” In this time. In these arms.

Whatever protest he was about to make, stopped before the words left his mouth. I could see that Toshiie remembered what it had been like, in that last year, the year I chased death. In any case, with the wormhole rapidly approaching, we didn’t have time to argue. “Of course, you would choose the most inaccessible place for me to visit, Doofus.” He hugged me. “I’ll have to keep track of the wormholes, I guess – or you could bring your warlord to visit me. Sometimes.”

Sasuke lightly punched my shoulder. “I understand, Okatsu. This is my place now too, and eventually I will come back to stay.” Then he whispered in my ear, “See if you can get Ieyasu’s autograph for me.”

Lord Shingen bowed to Mitsunari and I. “Angel, if I couldn’t tempt you, then at least I can console myself that it’s due to true love. Good luck to you both.”

“Be well, sir.” I did hope that he would soon be as healthy as the other timeline’s Shingen.

“Thank you, Lord Shingen. For everything.” Mitsunari performed a low and respectful bow.

“You’re welcome, but do not think I will go easy on you if we ever face each other in battle.” Then he winked, before he turned and followed Sasuke and my brother into the wormhole.

All three vanished in the fog.

Mitsunari held me as we watched them disappear, and I would be lying if I didn’t admit that it hurt to see my brother fade away in front of my eyes, especially so soon after finding him again. But this was my choice and at least this time I knew he was alive and well.

The fog lifted as fast as it arrived, but the rain continued, an unrelenting downpour with an Autumn chill to it. I turned to Mitsunari to ask where he wanted to go next and found myself tucked into his embrace again.

He looked down at me as he held me firmly against him, our soaking clothes providing less of a barrier than usual. “Okatsu, all I can think of at this moment is how much I want to kiss you again. May I?”

“You didn’t ask me last time.” Not that I had minded. Being grabbed and kissed into breathlessness hadn’t been on my bucket list, but clearly that had been an oversight on my part.

“There was not time. Lord Shingen said-”

“Lord Shingen gave you advice on love?” I had to laugh and wished that I had been able to overhear that discussion. “I figured the two of you were discussing battle tactics.”

“In a sense, we were.” He brushed a finger across my lips. “You did not say if I can kiss you.”

“Oh. Well. Yes. Of course, you c-”

That was all I got out before his mouth claimed mine, smoothly brushing my lips with his, once, twice, and then when mine naturally parted, his tongue tentatively edged my lower lip. There was a brief hesitation, until I encouraged him, tapping his tongue with mine, then he moaned, and threw away all uncertainly. Maybe there was more passion than skill, but I wasn’t going to complain (I could barely think). Whatever had been holding him back before had shattered, and his unchecked desire was a whirlwind all its own. He swept me along, and I could no longer determine which was him and which was me.

And then…

CLINK.

Ow.

Mitsunari jumped back instantly. “I’m sorry. Are you hurt? What did I do wrong?”

“Not you.” I glared over my shoulder at Moonlight, who had expressed her displeasure at getting wet by nipping at my shoulder and propelling me right into Mitsunari’s teeth. “Her. She hates water.”

Forgiving creature that he is, Mitsunari gently patted her nose. “She may be correct that it is time for us to be on our way.” He wiped his face with his wet sleeve.

“I suppose you’re right.”

We dove into each other for another kiss.

I imagined that Moonlight, if her thoughts could be translated into a human tongue, would seriously be voicing her displeasure… in every obscenity she knew (and living in a stable, she probably knew quite a few choice words).

Eventually, though, the downpour proved to be too much to ignore, and we made our way, travelling the vast distance of … oh it was at least two kilometers … to a small village near the shrine, and stopped at an Inn. The building itself was small, but it looked well-kept and clean, and I thought I spotted a path to an Onsen …

Huh… I was pretty sure that in the future there would be a nice resort hotel built right around this spot. Toshiie and I had once had dinner there, after one of the few times I had dragged him out snowboarding. If I remembered correctly, the rooms had a beautiful view of the mountains. If this time’s version of the hotel was similarly situated, it would be the perfect place to wait out the storm.

Well. It was storming.

We would be waiting.

If we were to find interesting ways to pass that time, well, who could blame us?

Besides, after the events of the past couple days, we were clearly too tired to travel through a storm. It would be better to take a day and a night to rest before setting off on the journey to Azuchi.

After handing over the reins of our horses to a boy who was barely six years old, we entered the Inn as the Innkeeper rushed out of a back hallway to greet us. Hopefully, he would give us a room at this early hour of the day.

The Innkeeper squinted at me. “Kaya?”

Holy cats. Is that…?

“Okitane?” Aki’s old apprentice had gained a bit of weight over the past seven years, but otherwise he hadn’t changed. “I thought you and Niwa went to work in Heimji.”

Behind me, I felt Mitsunari sigh in impatience. I guess he really wanted to get into a room, and … nap.

“No. We were going to but, the earrings you gave us turned out to be worth enough money to purchase this Inn. It seemed silly to travel all the way across the country when the perfect place was right here.” He indicated a corridor off behind him. “She’s in the kitchen – do you want to visit with her?”

There was another sigh behind me. I knew Mitsunari wouldn’t stop me from visiting an old friend, but I saw no need to torture him. Oh…who was I kidding. I wanted to get my hands on him as soon as possible.

“I would love to catch up with her, but my husband and I got caught in the rain. We’d really like to get dry and warm.” Mitsunari startled at the field promotion to ‘husband’, but it was easier than having to explain the whole story. “Later today, when she’s got a free moment?”

Or tomorrow. Tomorrow would be good too.

“You two do look soaked.” Okitane indicated a walkway to the back. “All of the rooms are empty – the one furthest from here has the best view.” He lowered his voice to a confidential whisper. “And you will enjoy the most privacy.”

Huh. Guess he was not fooled.

“Thank you, Okitane.” I managed a quick bow before Mitsunari took my hand and led me away.

I couldn’t help but laugh as he pulled me across the courtyard. Simply looking at him and holding his hand was enough to send joy bubbling through me.

Smack

“Oh. I am truly sorry.” Mitsunari apologized to the pillar he had just bounced off.

“Oooh. Are you ok?” Now would be a Murphy’s Law time for him to get a concussion. I could almost picture birdies circling his head.

“I am fine. Why did you ask?” He took my moment of concern as an opportunity to kiss me again. And now I was the one seeing a circle of birdies. Holding rose petals and-

We did make it inside the room before any clothing came off. We even managed to get the door shut.

“I’ve wanted to do this for such a long time.” Mitsunari kissed under my ear, and I felt the heat of his lips travel all the way to…

A long time? How long? An old worry stopped that heat before it could build further. Was this connected to that so called love potion?

He noticed my hesitation and stopped. “Okatsu, did I do something wrong?”

“It’s nothing you did, really. But what if this is because of the love potion? I mean, I’m sure it wasn’t really a love potion, but even so it could have put the idea in your mind. They call it the placebo-” I halted when he lightly put his finger to his lips. “Effect.”

Gently, he untangled my still damp hair. “Since the day before the day Shohime gave us that tea.”

Oh. Well. That’s ok then. Carry on.

Please.

“How would you like me to touch you?” He trailed his fingers over my face. “Like this? Or… is this better?” His other hand stroked my side, eventually coming to rest at my hip. Under his touch, warmth bloomed and radiated through my whole body.

“You know what? It’s all good.” I wanted his hands everywhere. If I could have walked him through a nuclear reactor in order for him to grow a couple more hands, I would have done it. “Just touch me.”

He worked to untangle my obi tie (unfortunately making it more tangled). “While that is exciting to know, how will I be able to learn if you don’t tell me?”

“You’ve always been an adaptive learner… I have every confidence that not only will you figure it out, but our study of each other might become my favorite class ever.” Granted, ‘favorite class ever’ was an extremely low bar.

“I will work very hard to make certain of it.” He gave my obi tie another yank, but I had lost patience with waiting.

Sorry Mai.

I grabbed my dagger and sliced it open. The obi fell to the floor with a wet plop and once loosened, my kimono slipped off one shoulder.

Reverently, Mitsunari cupped his hand over my shoulder, fingers tentatively travelling along my arm. He followed that with tiny kisses everywhere he’d just touched. It was such a light stroke, almost as if he was drawing feathers across my skin, but so effective that I realized I was trembling. “You are cold?”

Half a question, half a statement. “No, I’m not.” I thought about that. “Ok, yes, actually I am cold too, but that wasn’t why I shivered.”

“Why then?” He continued brushing his fingers along my arm.

“Because it felt good.” So good that I wondered how I would possibly survive him touching me in other places. I might be the first recorded case of spontaneous human combustion.

He smiled then, and it was like having the sun come out to dry and warm me. “I’m glad.” He reached for me again, helping me to peel the rest of my wet clothing off. “This… is a complicated equation.”

Have you ever experienced a day where half of it is a complete blur and the other half stands out in sharp reality?

I know that Mitsunari and I managed to get our wet clothes off. I know that we stirred up the coals in the firepit to help ward off the Autumn chill. But I don’t remember how any of these things happened. What I remember was the look on his face when I finally got my wet clothes off. I remember that Mitsunari’s sandals somehow fell into the fire and we didn’t notice until they had completely burned up because we were too busy kissing.

Somehow we managed to get from the firepit to the futon – I think that Mitsunari had simply boosted me into his arms and carried me, while my arms were locked around his neck and my legs were around his waist – but that trek across the room is now a blurred memory of sensations – the feeling of his tight abs between my thighs and his erection pressing against my butt, the slide of his chest across my nipples.

I do remember how we got into bed because Mitsunari tripped on it, sending us both tumbling onto the futon mattress.

“I am sorry! Did I hurt you?” He immediately rolled off me and I felt the loss of contact through to my bones.

“No, I’m fine. Get back here.” Er. Hadn’t meant to be so dominant. “Um. Please.”

“I want to do this slowly. I want to have every moment of this captured in my memory.” He took my hand and kissed each fingertip. “Lord Shingen said I must worship you. That is what I intend to do.”

He turned my hand over and kissed my palm, finishing the kiss with a swish of his tongue that left me shaking with need.

“While I imagine that Lord Shingen is very skilled,” (the other Katsuko didn’t act like she had any complaints), “you don’t need to do what he would do. Or what he told you to do.” And then, because I could already feel him pulling back, I hurried on. “I want what Mitsunari wants.”

“Everything. I want everything.” He drew me into his arms and buried his face in my neck. “I want you so much that you cloud my thoughts.”

I tugged him closer, so close that the only thing between us was a slight sheen of sweat. “I want everything too.”

“Where do you like to be touched?” He pressed his lips to my throat. “Here. I know here.” He kissed me harder, nipping and sucking, and I moaned and arched off the mattress. “That is good too?” It was part question, part awed realization.

“Stop thinking.” I plastered myself against him and kissed him hard. He couldn’t stop and second guess himself if I kept his mouth occupied.

“Yes. I will stop thinking,” he managed to say before he gave himself over to the embrace.

We lay on our sides, face to face, body to body – naked kiss, gliding across each other as what I guess had been an anxiety pause was restored to the need that had propelled us into this room, into each other.

Touch, that was all that I wanted. He could ask where or how but my answer would be the same. Yes, there. That’s good. Now. More. I hooked my leg over his hip and inched myself closer still.

Just the sensation of him slick and trembling against me – or was that me, was I the one shaking? – was enough. The being. The sharing. He was right – we were right, together we were more than I thought I could ever be.

And so, though I may not have been physically close when he thrust into me, I was emotionally ready to feel his fullness inside, to feel that complete. Part of me wanted to hold onto that moment, to freeze it in time forever.

His mouth captured mine in a long kiss as he continued to move within me. I slipped my hand between my legs, touching myself to catch up, and then my genius lover followed the trail, his hand covering mine, learning by example, where and how I liked to be touched.

I arched against him, as he continued to pump into me, holding him as he climaxed with a groan… then relaxed. His sweat-tinged hair tickled the top of my arm, and I reflexively began combing it back into place. Somewhere from deep inside my consciousness whispered mine.

“You did not… also?” It was a few moments later when he regained speech. “Lord Shingen said-”

I silenced him with a kiss. We did not need to add Lord Shingen’s thoughts and opinions to this moment. “That was how I wanted it… I … many women… are not as quick to warm up as men. But I wanted that closeness. I wanted to…” I couldn’t find the exact way to explain that I’d wanted to give myself over to him. “That… it was for you.”

“Thank you, Lady—Thank you Katsuko.” He returned his hand to between my thighs. “If I am understanding correctly…”

That light touch was just a whisper against me, but even the hint of friction stirred the coals inside me. I’d been close before, it didn’t take much for that throbbing feeling to return and my need to build. “Yes?”

“A man is like an arrow – all that is needed is to focus… draw… aim, and let go?” He added a little flick for emphasis, and my quick gasp probably told him he’d found his target.

Military terms? Now? “Uh. Sure.” He had gathered more confidence, as this brilliant, adaptive learner pressed harder now, his explorations having told him that… oh yes… tiny circles was…. Yup…. that’s good.

“Whereas women are like flint lock muskets. They need a spark and a long… slow… burn.” He brought his other hand into the equation, inserting two fingers inside me. He’d mapped that path before, and now, he easily found again a place that made me take in a quick sharp gasping breath.

I closed my eyes and rode that sensation, wanting to enjoy it, hold it to me, as long as possible.

Mitsunari might not be able to walk and read at the same time, but his hand-eye coordination was… just fine. “Until finally,” he continued, his voice lowered to a whisper, “one is able to pull…”

I was wide open to him, hanging off the edge of rational thought.

“…the trigger.” He raked his fingers across me, then as I began to spiral, he continued pressing his thumb down while I exploded against him.

Thank goodness Okitane put us in the furthest room.

While I was still trying to remember how to breath, Mitsunari pulled me on top as he rolled to his back to cuddle me against his chest (mostly… I did have to casually free my arm, which was caught under him at a weird angle).

“It was your hair.” His whispered non-sequitur pulled me out of a post-coital daze. I felt a slight tug and saw that Mitsunari had grabbed a lock of my hair and was coiling it around his fingers. “That first night… you couldn’t sleep. That you let me… trusted me to touch you. I wanted more.”

Aw. That’s sweet. I booped his nose – no particular reason why, I just felt like booping his nose… and anyway, he was still talking. “No. It was before that, but I didn’t realize. Or understand what it meant. When you were injured.” He placed his palm on my face. “We fit. I didn’t examine my thought then. But even back then… I knew we fit.”

“I felt something then too.” I hadn’t examined it either, letting it skitter across my nerves into my subconscious. “Yeah. We fit.”

His hand drifted down my cheek, as he gently lifted my face to his. A tiny kiss, briefest brush across my mouth. “I can’t imagine ever tiring of kissing you.”

All thoughts of napping fled the room. Soft kisses built into longer kisses, that merged into one long open mouth exploration of tongues, lips, until we finally only broke away to breathe. The room spun around us. He’d literally kissed me until I was breathlessly hyperventilating.

Then his hands were everywhere, re-awakening nerve endings that didn’t want to rest after all – not when his mouth was on my breast and his tongue fluttered against me. The whole world shrunk to that point, that sensation of his mouth sucking my breasts. He gave each one careful, even attention, as if he was studying them with his lips and tongue, and even with tiny nips of his teeth.

He shifted me until I straddled his hips, and again I felt his hardness pressing against my butt. With a smile that was half-curious, half-wicked (where had he learned how to be wicked? Did I do that? Go me!), he said, “This… the book made it seem like this was something that you would enjoy. Yes?”

“You… stole Mozumi’s pillow book?” My gasp was equally the shock of his thievery as it was the sensation of being lifted directly onto his shaft.

“No.” He thrust upward. “I read it. Every. Single. Page.”

Oh, bless his eidetic memory!