#kthomas325

“What is this… Valentines Day, kitten?”

“Yes, I am curious as well.  I’ve never heard of such a day before.”

I looked between Mitsuhide and Masamune and could feel my cheeks grow warm.  

I hadn’t meant for the topic to come up - the two warlords had been chatting after the war council earlier and had heard me sigh, deciding that they needed to come over to where I was to investigate.

Valentines was two days away and I was feeling particularly lonely in the romance department.  Not because the six warlords hadn’t been kind to me or even interested in me, in certain cases. But it wasn’t the same as having someone to spend time with romantically when I wasn’t working as the chatelaine or a seamstress in Azuchi.

I felt like kicking myself when that thought manifested.  I’d only been in the Sengoku era for a few short weeks and I wasn’t looking for love or even romance since I was leaving in a couple months. Nobunaga also made sure I didn’t have time for it and Hideyoshi was always looking over my shoulder, always the brother figure. Who had the time?

Turning to the two warlords with mischievous looks in their eyes, I gulped silently before attempting to explain.  They had no idea I was from the future and Valentine’s day was likely not a well known part of Sengoku culture.

“Well,” I started to say, unsure where to even begin, “it’s a holiday that is usually for romance.  Girls give boys chocolate. Couples sometimes go visit places they normally wouldn’t. Friends show other friends their appreciation by giving flowers or candy. It’s something that can be very special and even fun.”

After I finished my explanation, I watched the wheels start turning in Masamune’s head while Mitsuhide just gave me his patented snake’s grin. I felt unease bloom in my belly at the sight the two of them created.  ‘What are they planning? Am I going to regret telling them?’ I can’t help but think as take a half step back away from them.

Without warning, Masamune closed the gap between the two of us, placing himself closer than would be considered a friendly distance. Warmth infused my cheeks at the sight of the half smile that formed on his lips.

“Then let me treat you, kitten.  Give me a few hours of your time and I’ll make sure you don’t regret it.”

“I think I might like to also take up a short amount of your time on that day as well.” Mitsuhide added, his sly grin never leaving his face.

Masamune turned his mischievous gaze to Mitsuhide. “Want to make a bet of this? Whoever she admits to enjoying having spent time with more wins.”

“That seems a little simple, but I’ll take it.”

I just watched as the two attractive men shook hands before turning to smile at me. Mitsuhide nodded as he passed, his hand brushing my left and I was surprised as a jolt of awareness passed from the back of my hand and up my arm. I turned my head to watch his lean figure walk out of the audience chamber, his figure oozing confidence.

“Don’t give all of your attention to Mitsuhide, Kitten.  That just wouldn’t be fair.” I turned my head back to Masamune at the sound of his deep voice as it rumbled in my ear. I felt another shiver, tingling down my spine this time, pool in my stomach.  His voice was like melted chocolate and I suddenly felt hungry.

“Why are you two even doing this? What do you guys get out of it?” I asked, furrowing my brows in confusion.  None of this made sense - they had more important things to worry about than a bet involving me. Like the whole “Make Nobunaga a God” campaign.

“The challenge to woo you is one too strong to pass by.” He gave me a half smile, causing his one vibrant blue eye to crinkle and my heartbeat to pick up. I wonder what he would look like if he actually smiled. I shook that thought away, too, as he continued. “Besides, who wouldn’t want to try to court a lovely lass like yourself?”

With that, Masamune exited the room as well and you could do nothing but stand there and stare where the two scheming men had last been.

~*~

~Two days later~

I woke up from a dreamless sleep to the sound of someone calling me from the other side of my door.

“Masamune?” Surprise was an understatement for what I was feeling right now as I pulled my kimono on over my night robe. I tied a cord around my waist quickly before hurrying to the door.  When I opened it, it was to see Masamune smirking down at me. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s Valentine’s Day and we’re going on an adventure. Hurry and get dressed so we can get going, because I only have a few hours.”

“A few hours?” I had only just woken up - I didn’t need this kind of confusion so early.

“That’s right, so finish getting dressed so we can go!” With that command made, he slammed shut the door in my face and I heard his heavy boot falls slowly disappear down the hall.

After blinking a few times, I turned back to my room and finished situating my kimono layers and, before I knew it, I was out the door, seeing Masamune waiting for me at the end of the hallway.  

And what a sight he created! Arms crossed across his chest, causing the sleeves of his kimono to pull taught across the hard-earned muscles, he was resting one booted foot against the wood pillar supporting the wall. At first glance, with his chin nearly touching his sternum and his eye closed, it looked as if he was taking a nap while waiting for me.  But as I approached, he looked up with his signature smirk.

“Let’s go.”

Five minutes later, my handsome escort and I reached the stables and he was taking the reins to his mare from a young stable hand.

“We’re riding?  How far are we going?” How am I getting there? Because I’ve never ridden a horse before, unless you count driving a Mustang. My eyes were drawn to the beautiful creature that was patting the neck of the horse… no, wait, that’s wrong.

Masamune was patting the horse’s neck as he looked at me with an unreadable expression. “We aren’t going far, Kitten.  What?  Are you nervous?”

“No!  I’m not nervous, what do I have to be nervous about?”

All that earned was a quirk of his eyebrow before he turned to me and, with his big hands on my waist, lifted me up onto the mare. The suddenness of his movement caused a yelp to escape from me.  I quickly grabbed onto the horses’ mane, feeling the subtle movements from the creature below me as she moved with us.  She pawed the ground, excitement coming off her in waves when Masamune hefted himself up behind me and grabbed the reins.

With a crack like thunder, Masa snapped the leather straps in his hands and we were off like a shot. I could feel a scream building in my throat from how fast we were moving, but it was because of how fast he was directing the horse, that it because lodged in my throat.

My body must have been tense as well, because I suddenly felt Masamune’s lips at my ear. “Be calm, Lass.  Feel the breeze, the freedom.  Nothing can hold you back, hold you down, or keep you in one place.  You have nothing to fear from riding with me.”

Oddly enough, his words caused tension to leave my body I hadn’t even realized was there.  Once I was suitably relaxed, I was able to look around and admire the scenery as it flashed by us in a blur of color. The motion of the horse’s movements under us felt more natural as my muscles released their holds on my bones. Before I knew it, the scream that had lodged itself in my throat had turned into a giggle, morphing into laughter in no time.

We rode like the wind until we reached the shore of Lake Biwa. I felt my mouth drop at the sight of such a massive lake.  The waters were clear and cool, sparkling with life in the brightly shining sun of midday. It was stunning and I couldn’t help but think that, when Sasuke and I return to the future, if we go to the lake, our view of the lake will change because of what 500 years would do to it.  The thought made me sad, but I quickly pushed it away and focused on the present.

Masamune guided the horse along the shore for a time, slower than when we were traveling here, simply admiring the view and listening to the water splash up against the stone walls, until we reached a grassy outcropping with a copse of trees. As we drew closer, I noticed a blanket and a box was already laid out, each corner held down by a heavy stone, the whole setup gently shaded by the leaves of the trees.

“Masmaune, what is this?”

I watched him pass by me and walk to the box as I came to a stop at the edge of the blanket. I knelt onto the cloth as he opened the box to reveal layer after layer of different foods.  There was onigri, mochi, steamed vegetables and an assundry of other tasty treats.

“It’s lunch. Today is a special day, so it deserved a special meal.”

My heart swelled at such a thoughtful gesture. “Thank you, Masamune. This is so sweet of you!”

As I settled in to eat after picking up a pair of chopsticks, Masamune moved to sit down next to me, using his own set of chopsticks to pick up a carrot, leaning close. “Try this, it’s delicious.”

My eyes widened slightly when I felt his large, warm hands touch my chin, lightly pinching it to open my mouth so he could gently place the vegetable on my tongue. I tried to tear my gaze away from his vivid blue eye, but it was like I was held captive by his gaze and was no sooner able to look away than pull the sun from the sky.When he was sitting straight again, I chewed and felt the subtle but vibrant flavors wash over my tongue and felt myself moaning with joy at the taste.

“Liked it, did you?”

“Very much! Did you make all of this?” He nodded with a smile.  I never would have guessed that Date Masamune was a accomplished chef.  Color me impressed!

The next couple hours went by quickly and never had my heart gotten so much exercise from simply walking with someone. I knew that Masamune was a flirt, but it felt like he was laying it on thick this time but I couldn’t find it in me to care.  I was thoroughly enjoying myself.

As we walked along the waterline up on the cliff, he’d occasionally pick a wild flower for me or tuck my hair behind my ear. We talked about different things and he really seemed interested in what I had to say. It made my heart warm and my stomach flutter like a kaleidoscope of butterflies had been caught in there.

“Looks like it’s time.  Are you ready, Kitten?”

“Time for what? What should I be ready for?” Because the answer would likely be no to both.  I was really enjoying myself and was enjoying the heat blooming in my chest.  I didn’t want to be thrown back into reality that was life in Azuchi.

Masamune looked down from where he was glancing up at the sun, and I had to blink a couple times in disbelief.  Is that a real smile? It was so much warmer than others I had seen from him. It was like the sun had soaked into his skin while he was gauging the time and shown just as bright when he looked down at me. I felt butterflies in my stomach again and heat on my cheeks - so much so that I had to look away to avoid embarrassment.

“It’s time to go back to Azuchi.  I’m not the only one who has plans for you today, lass.”

~*~

Back at Azuchi, I went up to my room to rest after the ride home that was just as fast as the ride to the lake.

As I made myself comfortable near my desk, picking up a kimono that I’d been working on as a commission, I noticed a piece of folded paper on my desk. I cautiously picked it up, noting the fine quality of the paper, and opened it.  Inside was a short message, written in elegantly slanted script.

‘Meet me at the clothier - M.’

‘M? Who could that be?” You think to yourself before a memory makes it way forward.  A brush of hands, the calming scent of tea leaves, pale eyes that shine with mischief. A bet between two troublesome warlords. “Mitsuhide.”

Curiosity overcame me and I found myself putting my sewing back down and standing, moving to my door to leave the castle once more.

The sun was approaching the hills surrounding Azuchi when I made it to Azuchi Village, creating a warm, golden glow over everything I saw. I loved walking through this town, seeing all of the people living their lives and happily working hard to make a living. So many interesting items for sale lined the street as I made my way to the clothier.

When I arrived, Kazutaka and I greeted each other and he handed me a slip of paper and a bolt of fine silk. “‘Go to the best place to get a view of the city - M’. What is he up to?” I murmured as I looked at the fine details in the cloth. I marveled at the brilliance of the royal blue background, the pale yellow that was the natural silk color making up the flowers, the leaves so green they almost looked real.

“I can’t say for sure, my friend, but he was definitely up to something.  He was smiling the whole time he was here picking out that fabric.”

I felt surprised at that bit of information.  Mitsuhide didn’t seem the type to pick out fabric, let alone smile about it.  In the end, I bowed to Kazutaka and left, carrying the bolt and the note, and looked around, trying to decide the best place to view the village.  

Gazing around, the sounds of the town a low hum in my ears, I saw a lone tree sitting up on the top of a hill just beyond the last line of buildings nearby. I quickly walked up the grassy knoll to the young tree and found another note and another gift.  This time, it was a small box of stationary.  On the top page of the lovely floral-print paper, was scrawled in the same print as the last two notes, was: ‘To write home.’

My cheeks burned slightly at the sweet gesture.  I wouldn’t need it to write home, but I would definitely use the beautiful paper. Mitsuhide was full of surprises!

And the surprises continued. He sent me to two more places, receiving an order of sweet dumplings and a hair ornament to match the fabric he had left for me, before finally sending me to his manor house. “‘Go to the home of the man you know, but don’t know.”

Know but don’t know? My curiosity was piqued because it was true - Akechi Mitsuhide was an enigma that I’d been curious about for the longest time.

So I walked the short distance from my most recent destination to Mitsuhide’s palace. Once inside the front gates, I was greeted by one of his retainers and escorted through the halls, across open verandas, to his study.

There, I saw him sitting at his desk, casual as can be as he used his brush and ink to write something. This room was bare, with only a few knick knacks on shelves that were packed full of books.

After I was announced and my guide left, I took in his figure as he worked.  People said he had serpentine tendencies and features, but the more I looked, the less I agreed entirely. His light colored hair, that framed his thin face, swayed in the breeze coming in from a nearby window that he had cracked open. As I watched his hands while he wrote, his slender fingers gripping the brush gently as it flowed down the paper, I couldn’t help but wonder if his hands were strong though they looked lithe, calloused though they looked soft.

“Do you plan to stand there all night?  Or are you going to join me?”

I jumped at the sound of his deep voice calling out to me. The low tones with an ever so low rasp, likely due to consuming next to nothing but sake, washed over me and I felt a delicious tingle move through my body.

A lump formed in my throat that I had to force down to make my voice come out as anything but ragged or high pitched. I’ve talked to him plenty of times outside of war councils, but never have I heard his voice take on that tone - one you would expect to say sweet nothings while spending quality time alone in the bedroom.

I shook my head slightly to disperse such thoughts and walked over to his desk.  When I paused to sit, he stood up instead and silently motioned for me to follow him.

“Wow!” I gasped on a breath at the sight before me. Past a set of shoji doors, he lead me into another room. Another set of doors was open to the veranda, letting in a cool breeze and the light of the full moon outside.  Scattered about was several small lantern, the small flames dancing with the light wind, causing flickering shadows on the barren walls. Right in the middle of the room, surrounding a steaming clay pot, was a beautiful tea set waiting to be used.  

Mitsuhide motioned for me to sit near the setup before joining me. I watched Mitsuhide as he began preparing matcha tea, whisking the green tea with hot water that he ladeled from the pot on a small fire.

I was watching with rapt attention, only tearing my eyes away when I heard a soft sound come from him that could be mistaken for a chuckle.  Did Mitsuhide even chuckle normally? 

“You’re watching as if you’ve never been a part of a tea ceremony.”

“I haven’t.  I’ve only seen them on…” I almost didn’t catch myself before accidentally revealing my origins to him. Recovering my near miss, I corrected, “I haven’t seen them in person, but I’ve seen paintings.”

Mitsuhide eyed me from the side as he poured the tea onto one cup and handed it to me, before pouring the frothy tea into a cup for himself. There was an air of disbelief from him, but thankfully, he didn’t ask any questions about it.

After several moments of silence, I remember I never thanked him for the gifts. “Thank you for the gifts, by the way. They’re lovely.”

I could feel his eyes on me as I sipped the green tea. I felt myself warming under his gaze and I felt sure it wasn’t solely because of the tea.

“You did well to figure out the clues.”

The way he spoke had taunting tones and I immediately reacted, feeling anger color my cheeks. Just as I was about to speak, I analyzed his words again and heard what could be a compliment under his teasing.

Just as I was opening my mouth to reply, he reached into his sleeve and pulled a small book out and handed it to me.

I looked down in confusion at the title.  It was a book on subterfuge. Something he was good at for sure, but why was he giving it to me.  I looked up at him for answers, but he was sipping serenely away at his cup, so I looked back to the tome resting in my fingers.

Why would he give me something like this?  Is he trying to train me to be one of his little birds?  I thought back to our conversations in the past and never had he given any notable intention to make me some kind of spy. Perhaps he wanted me to get to know him?

That thought filled my heart and I smiled. It was something I’d been wanting to do for a while now, but I either didn’t know how to go about it or was reminded of his serpentine tendencies.

I placed the book gently in my lap and turned the pages slowly as I looked through it while drinking my tea. Half way through, I found a piece of paper tucked in amongst the pages.  It didn’t match the other pages, so I pulled it out to look at it.

On the neatly folded piece of paper, in the flowling scrawl I recognized as Mitsuhide’s handwriting, were lines after lines of a poem. I was immediately drawn in by his words that felt so romantic in nature that it felt completely at odds with the man next to me.

By the end of the poem, I felt a blush on my cheeks again and looked down at the book in my lap. “Thank you, Mitsuhide.  This was very sweet. Did you write this?”

I could see him nod ever so slightly out of the corner of my eye, just enough to show acknowledgement to my words. I looked up at him in time to see his thin lips form a small smile. “I’m glad you liked it. The book is yours as well.” He added when I tried to hand the book back to him.

“You’ve already given me so many gifts today, I couldn’t-”

“Then don’t consider it a gift. Consider it homework to assist you in becoming more aware of your surroundings.”  I pursed my lips together when he cut me off.  He wasn’t looking at me as he spoke, but I felt like I knew what he meant.

We moved to the veranda outside his quarters and simply watched the moon rise over the edge of the trees as we sat next to each other, not touching. I thought back over the day I’d had - a horseback ride and picnic lunch with Masamune, treasure trail with gifts and a tea ceremony, followed by moongazing, with Mitsuhide.  

This valentines day was quite the experince. I’d had several dates on valentines day in the past…er…future, but none of them stacked up against the two outings I’d been on today. It made the day feel anything but lonely.

I turned to look at Mitsuhide as he stared up at the moon, full and bright. His profile made quite a striking image, his features angular, but his eyes were soft and distant.  He appeared deep in thought and I could only imagine what thoughts were flying through his head.

“Mitsuhide?  Thank you for the gifts and the tea.  I had a good time, but I should get back to the castle soon.” I smiled as I rose to my feet. I bowed to him and was turning to leave when I felt the hem of my kimono tugged on.

Looking back and down, it was Mitsuhide that was keeping me from leaving. He was looking up at me in silence, rising to his feet with just the sound of rustling fabric, dropping my hem in the process. “A woman walking the streets alone? So many evil things could happen while you’re out there.”

I raised an eyebrow at his words and felt a small smile form.  “I guess that means I need an escort, doesn’t it?  Care to volunteer?”

Mitsuhide sighed as if I had put him in some enormous predicament. I watched him move to stand beside me, tucking his hands into his sleeves, the picture of serenity. “I suppose.  I am the only one capable nearby.”

I felt a chuckle form in my throat but quickly suppressed it. He already teases me enough during the day, I don’t want to give him a reason to do it now.

~*~

The next day, after a war council I remember next to nothing of due to thinking about the day before, I was staring of into space when I felt a dark shadow fall over me. When I blinked back into focus, I looked up to see Mitsuhide and Masamune standing over me.

“Can I help you?”

Masaume crouched down next to me while Mitsuhide knelt down on his knees.

“Did you have fun yesterday, Kitten?”

I cocked my head to the side in confusion.  “You know I did, Masamune. Why do you ask?”

“He wants to know with whom you enjoyed your time more. His or mine?”

I felt put on the spot - Was this because of the bet I remember them making days earlier? I felt upset start to form at the thought that they had only done that for me because of a bet. But that wasn’t completely true.  They are my friends that didn’t want me to be alone on a day that seemed to be important to me.  The upset was replaced by happiness and I smiled at them.

They were watching the change in my facial features, Masamune with concern and Mitsuhide with near disinterest.  When I turned to them in turn, they seemed to relax slightly.

“Neither.”

“Neither?”

“Neither. I had fun with both of you equally.  You are really great friends to me and I appreciate what you did for me.  It’s a day I will never forget!” With those words and two surprised Sengoku Lords round me, I rose and walk off with a smile on my face.

~*~

“Friends?  Is that what you thought that was about other than a bet?” He thought to himself as he rose and walked out after you, intent on telling you just what the prize from the bet had been decided on.

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