It All Fell Down

[Amy]

Tsubaki woke with a start, her eyes darting around her tent. When she didn’t see anything that would have awaken her she strained her ears listening for even the smallest sound that was out of place. After a few moments she sighed, exhaustion making the sound heavy. That night, just like every other night since they had moved, her body had awoken her in a panic for no reason. She was just too tense. The familiar sounds of the crew mixed with the unfamiliar sounds of the new area played tricks on her when she was tired or asleep. The unfamiliarity teased her and tricked her, forcing Tsubaki to be on high alert at all times. It had only been a couple of weeks, she comforted herself as she laid back down. She was going to have to give herself time to adjust.

The crew had just completed set up a couple of days ago and everyone was still falling back into their normal habits. A few fights were still breaking out here and there over possessions that some claimed had switched hands during the move. Or, that some of the new duty schedules were unfair. But overall the mood had been pretty high especially that morning which is probably what had awoken her specifically. Despite it barely being sunrise a large majority of the crew was out and about completing their duties early. Akio had named the day as the first they would go into the town to explore, buy some necessities, and give the crew some time to blow off some steam.

Knowing there would be no more sleep for her now that people were moving around, the young woman pulled herself up and got herself ready for the day. The water in the basin near her cot was nearly ice cold from sitting out all night and did wonders for shocking away the weariness that dragged her expression down. After getting dressed she went in search of Shirai though it wasn’t much of a search. She found him sound asleep in the med tent, his blanket thrown off of his body and puddled on the ground next to him. One of his legs hung off of the side of his cot and he looked nothing but peaceful. She hopped up next to him and rested her hand on his forehead.

“Rise and shine sleepy head, we have chores to do this morning too.”

Did they have to be done this early? Nope. But Tsubaki wanted some company and who better than her first choice.

[ThatGuy]

As Shirai slept, he dreamed of the past. It was not very often that he did so, but the recent move reminded him of moving from town to town in hopes of making enough money to afford his next meal. It started as a nightmare, with him back on the streets, shivering in the cold as he took cover from the rain in an alleyway. This wasn’t right! Where was Tsubaki? Where was the camp? Where was home? He sank right back into the pit of loneliness that held him in those days. He started to question if he had ever escaped the streets, if he had ever met Akio, and if Tsubaki even existed. Just when the loneliness was getting to be too much to bear, he heard a familiar voice.

”Shirai? What are you doing out in the rain? Come inside.”

A hand reached out to him, and the boy froze in place. The woman that stood before him was proof that he was in a dream. With tears forming in his eyes, Shirai grabbed her hand, and without even realizing it, they were back home.

“You’re dead”

His mother pulled him into a tight embrace. Shirai couldn’t believe how real it felt, like she was actually back. If this was his dream, then he didn’t want to wake up yet. There was so much he wanted to say. So much he wanted to apologize for. But before he could open his mouth, she spoke.

”It’s not your fault”

When Shirai woke up, he found himself somehow more happy to see Tsubaki than usual. With a tear sliding down his left cheek, he pulled her in close, trying to hide that he was close to crying. As much as he missed his mother, he would not trade his life at the camp for anything. With a tired voice, the boy spoke.

”Orrrrrrr… We sleep in and let those idiots take care of it.” Not giving Tsubaki much of a chance to protest, he mocked having a horrific realization before shooting straight up in his bed. ”Bad idea. They’ll find a way to hurt themselves, and I am not about to babysit bandits to make sure they don’t tear a stitch.”




------------------------


”It would cost you less to just have me kill him.”

”If he unexpectedly drops dead, everyone will know it was me. I need him to cause his own downfall.”

”Whatever. It’s your money.”

Koukai made sure that his new acquaintance could not see him roll his eyes. One of the benefits of handling the money for a crew of illiterate bandits was that they had no idea when he pocketed some of the funds for himself. It had taken a long time, but the green-haired bandit had finally saved up enough money to hire a missing ninja to do his dirty work. It was enough to get them to slaughter the whole camp if he wanted to, but that’s not what he wanted. For some odd reason, Koukai felt the need to take over the crew. No one but him seemed to realize just how much value this group of bandits had. Even without Akio and Tsubaki, they were not a force to be reckoned with. The perfect group to pave his way to bigger and better things. So he had devised a plan to get rid of not just Akio but Tsubaki as well. One that would leave him completely free of blame.

”Meet me back here tonight.”

”Just give me the signal.”

With a smile on his lips, Koukai walked back towards the camp. Hearing some of the crew laugh in the distance, he laughed himself. They were all blissfully unaware of just how bad things were about to get.

[Amy]

It was early afternoon when Tsubaki, Shirai, and the rest of the crew were ready to make the trek into town. Luckily it was nothing like the trek it took to get to their new camping spot as they had set up only a few miles outside of the town limits. Close enough for day trips but not so close people from the town would stumble upon them on a regular basis. Tsubaki figured it still happened more often than anyone knew but that anyone who did stumble upon them hightailed it out of there in a hurry. She knew that prior to knowing the crew that’s what she would have done. No one sane walks into a bandit camp in the middle of the woods and invites themselves to dinner. The thought of it happening made a smile flit across her face as she raised it to the sun and took a deep breath.

The sun beat down on them slightly less intensely than it had a few weeks ago. Fall was sneaking up on them fast and even though it seemed so far away Tsubaki knew snow was right around the corner. She wouldn’t think of such things now though, now when it was such a beautiful day and she had Shirai by her side. An overwhelming surge of love flooded through her and she couldn’t help but to reach out and take his hand, squeezing it firmly.

“It’s not the same, but I think it’s nice here.” She had probably been the most quiet about the move but also the most upset by it. Her life had been uprooted so many times but it wasn’t until now that she realized all of those other times had been when she was alone. This time…well, this time she moved with her family. With Shirai. It hadn’t been lonely at all. “Wanna sneak off when we get to town? We’ll end up babysitting if we don’t. I’m sure everyone will head for the main strip so if we go off a little further we should be able to lose everyone else.”

Her and Shirai had probably the most to get done anyways. They needed to shop for any personal items but they also were responsible for buying all of the medical supplies they were running low on. Which, with how she had been forbidden from going to the last town, was almost everything. “You ok by the way? You seemed a little off this morning.” She had noticed it almost immediately when he woke up but he had brushed it off so quickly it seemed like he just wanted to forget about it. But now, close to town, it still seemed to be hanging over his head. And what kind of girlfriend would she be if she didn’t make sure he was ok?

[ThatGuy]

Shirai was lost in thought as he walked alongside Tsubaki. He had done his best to stay present, but in these brief moments of silence, he found his mind wandering back to his dream. It had been a while since he had thought about his time on the streets. The memories of being a medic for hire were still fresh in his mind, but he had somehow blocked out the lonely nights. Tsubaki squeezing his hand was enough to snap him out of it. He turned his head and gave her a big smile as she asked if he wanted to sneak off when they got to town. It was funny, they spent a lot of quality time together in the camp, but it just wasn’t the same as going out alone. That was one of the reasons that the lake was so special.

“That sounds great! I’ve been craving some adventure.”

Shirai’s expression quickly changed when she mentioned that he had seemed a little off. He thought he had been hiding it so well! Not wanting Tsubaki to misinterpret his sudden mood change, he explained himself.

“Ah… It was just a bad dream. I didn’t want to kill the mood.”

He knew that Tsubaki wouldn’t care about any of that, but she had been through so much as of late, and he really didn’t want to pile on with his own problems. But he felt a wave of guilt come over him during the brief moment of silence after speaking. He didn’t want to hide anything from her. Shirai knew that she was a very understanding person and wouldn’t press the topic further, but he wanted her to know.

“I was back in the streets, taking cover from the rain in an alley. Even though it was a dream, I was freezing. I looked around for you and for the camp, but I was all alone again. Even back then, I had never felt so cold and alone. I’d convinced myself that my life in the camp was just a dream and that you were just a dream. Then my mother showed up, she took me back to our old home, and I realized it was a dream because…” Tears welled up in the boy’s eyes, not quite finding their way down his cheek. “She’s dead. I’m the reason she died.”

Shirai squeezed Tsubaki’s hand harder, knowing that there was no way he could accidentally hurt her, and with his other hand, he wiped the tears from his eyes. After a few sniffles, he slowed his breathing and calmed himself down. Shirai had always been the one to find humor in any situation and to do whatever it took to fight back the negative emotions, but things were different now. All of that had been done out of fear of being hurt, but now he had someone who made him feel safe enough to be vulnerable.

“Just a dream, though. When I woke up and saw you,.. I don’t think I’ve ever been so grateful to be in a camp full of idiots.”

With a chuckle, he continued to walk with her, thankful for the time they had spent doing chores together. If it were anyone else, he would have been bored out of his mind, but with her? He hardly noticed the time passing.

[Amy]

As Shirai spoke of what had been bothering him all day, Tsubaki pulled his hand over her shoulder and wrapped her arm around his waist. She leaned her weight against him just slightly while they walked side by side. The crew had already started to disperse around them, many of them so excited to get to a bar or brothel they were practically running. It didn’t seem like they would need to sneak away after all, the crew abandoning them first. Only once she was sure Shirai was done sharing did she speak.

“I’m always going to be here for you, Shirai. I’m never going to leave you alone.”

She squeezed him harder against her before pulling away slightly and holding onto his hand tightly again. He carried a heavy burden and while she understood what that was like, she didn’t share the same type of burden. She didn’t know how to convince him that it wasn’t his fault. He was only a kid, he wasn’t responsible for such devastating things. So, instead of trying to convince him to see his childhood differently she chose to convince him of something she could actually influence.

“It’s you and me, Shirai. You oughta know that by now.” She bumped his shoulder lightly, smiling up at him. “I’ve always believed that some things were just meant to be. That they were written into the universe and no matter what choices or decisions you make those things just persist. I think that’s us.” Tsubaki looked up at the bright sky, filled with clouds and birds and hope. “By all reasonable expectations we should never have met. A runaway Yakuza turned bandit medic meets and falls in love with a runaway Kumo ninja? It sounds more like a novel than real life. But here we are, against all odds. This isn’t something that’s just gonna disappear.”

They were on the cusp of town so Tsubaki stopped, pulling Shirai off to the side of the road so they weren’t blocking it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a small kiss below his ear before she whispered the rest of what she wanted to say. “You can always tell me about the very worst parts of yourself. Nothing you have to say could ever scare me away. Not even the gods of this earth could keep me from you.”

Grasping his hand tightly again, Tsubaki pulled him into the hustle and bustle of the town to find that they were already alone. She could catch glimpses of some of the crew here and there but no one was paying attention to them at all. Which was exactly what Tsubaki had hoped for. They had already agreed, chores first then fun otherwise they might not get all of their purchases made and that wasn’t a conversation they wanted to have with Akio. Luckily, there were several medical supply shops around as it was a fairly decently sized town so it shouldn’t take long to get everything they needed.

“Maybe we should find an inn first? No way we’re making it back to camp tonight and I have no plans to sleep on a bar floor with the rest of the crew. If we grab a room we can put all of the supplies we need there so we don’t have to carry them around the whole day?”

Tsubaki’s hands fidgeted in front of her as they walked slowly through town. They hadn’t really discussed what they were going to do for sleeping arrangements in the town. It made sense to get a room together. They slept in the same tent all the time. But somehow…somehow, this felt different. So much more personal. So much more serious.

[ThatGuy]

I’m never going to leave you alone. Tsubaki always seemed to know the right thing to say, but Shirai wasn’t sure if she realized just how much those words meant to him. He’d been running from it for so long, telling himself that he was fine by himself and that he didn’t care, but that was all just to protect himself. As she continued to speak, Shirai had to hold back his tears once more. It really did feel like fate, like they were always destined to be together. All the terrible things that happened in the past were completely worth it, knowing that it all led to them finding each other. It was all he could think about lately, just how lucky he was. That belief was only strengthened as she whispered in his ear.

“Not even the gods of this earth could keep me from you.”

With a warm smile, he once again wiped the tears from his eyes. While he felt perfectly safe crying around Tsubaki, he didn’t want to draw any more attention to them than was needed. When she pulled him back out into the street and started to speak about finding an inn, Shirai picked up on her nervousness.

“An inn sounds great! We’ll finally be able to have a bit of privacy. There’ll be no bandits with boo-boos walking in in the middle of the night. We don’t have to worry about Akio’s feelings about us being together. We’ll have actual walls instead of fabric, so we don’t need to worry about making too much noise, for the most part at least. Oh, and a bed. Do you remember what those things are like? I sure don’t.”

Shirai didn’t have a whole lot of money, but he kept a stash just for occasions like this. Maybe he would take her out to dinner later. He suspected that it had been a while since either of them had had a nice meal. The food at the camp wasn’t bad, but it certainly wasn’t something people got excited for. This would be their first official date after setting up the new camp, so he wanted to get the chores out of the way as soon as possible.

"Alright, so let's find a place to stay, buy our supplies, drop them off, and then maybe I can take you out to dinner? Assuming you were not looking forward to having potato soup for the third night in a row, that is.”

He gave Tsubaki a wink before laughing. While the rest of the bandits would be at the bars and brothels, Tsubaki and Shirai would do some celebrating of their own. They were normally stuck being the responsible ones in camp, or at least Tsubaki was, but today would be a great chance for them to just relax. Plus, their last night out on the town was ruined, and Shirai wanted to make up for that.

[Amy]

Tsubaki had stopped momentarily at Shirai’s words. ”We don’t need to worry about making too much noise.” A blush crept up from under her collar before it hit her that that was probably not what he had meant. Her free hand grasped the back of her neck in an attempt to hide the flush and she was eternally grateful when he didn’t seem to notice and continued to speak. She swung their hands back and forth gently as they walked, her eyes roaming the streets. This all felt so normal to her and she wasn’t quite sure why as she had never experienced anything like this before. Relationships had never been on the menu in her village life. There had been no time, no energy, no reason. But now, walking through a town hand in hand with Shirai, making dinner plans and planning to book a room and run chores together, it all just felt so right. Like a piece of her soul had finally fallen into place and she was complete.

“Well, you know how much I love potato soup. I guess it wouldn’t be too much of a hardship to miss out for once though.”

People bustled past them, everyone on their own mission for the day. Tsubaki studied each person carefully but quickly as they passed, suddenly reaching out when a young woman turned her body to squeeze past them in the crowd. The woman stopped when Tsubaki’s hand fell on her arm, her eyes flicking up to see what Tsubaki wanted. They were kind and gentle, clearly open to helping Tsubaki if that was what she was after.

“Sorry to stop ya, miss. This is our first time here. Can you point us in the direction of a nice but affordable inn?”

The woman smiled kindly, a knowing look in her eyes as she assessed their clasped hands. She turned back from the direction she came from and pointed down the street. “Go down this way until you come to the cross street, then go right. Take a left when you get to a weapons shop and then after a short walk there will be the Robin’s Inn on your right hand side.”

Tsubaki smiled gratefully at the woman, removing her hand. “Thank ya, miss. Have a nice day.”

The crowd soon converged around them, separating them from the woman but they had gotten what they needed. Following the woman’s directions it didn’t take long to arrive at the inn and Tsubaki knew instantly it fit the bill. It was clean but not luxurious. Nice but not too nice. It was perfect for a getaway without spending too much of their money. Tsubaki took the key and wrapped it tightly in her hand, leading Shirai down the hallways until they reached the room that matched the number on the key. Stepping inside, she let his hand slip out of her own and moved further into the room, looking around carefully. Looking at everything except the one bed that was positioned in the middle of the room.

“Well…I think this will be sufficient, yeah? We have those actual walls you were looking for, for the soundproofing.” A small laugh filled the room. She didn’t even have to turn around to know he was blushing.

[ThatGuy]

Shirai couldn’t help but smile as Tsubaki asked the stranger where to find an inn. Just a couple of years ago, she’d be more willing to walk around for hours trying to find a place on her own than ask someone she didn’t know. Her time with the crew had done a lot to break her out of her shell. Sure, Shirai’s constant teasing was a big factor, but he had to admit that everyone in the group played their part in it. Akio, most of all. Things had changed quite a bit lately, but there was no denying that without Akio, she would never have felt safe enough to join a crew of bandits. It was a funny thought, considering that she was likely strong enough to take down the whole camp by herself.

When they made it to the room they rented at the inn, Shirai looked around for a bit before resisting the urge to jump onto the bed. If he laid down now, there was a high probability that he'd never want to get up. So instead, he stood in place and waited to see what Tsubaki thought of the place. He blushed slightly at her comment, that wasn't quite what he had meant earlier. Not one to be outdone, Shirai responded with some teasing of his own.

“Well… The walls definitely could be thicker, but they'll do so long as you don't get too excited tonight.” Shirai chuckled before continuing. “For dinner, I mean.”

----

“To th’ crew!”

Akio held his mug high in the air as he called for a cheer from the other bandits in the bar. They yelled out in response before chugging their drinks. He was happy to see his crew finally be able to blow off some steam. Tensions were high, and it was past time that they got a chance to unwind. The likelihood of drunken brawls would be high, but it wouldn’t take much effort for Akio to break them apart. Normally, he’d be more than happy to let them fight it out, but the owner of the bar was kind enough to let a group of bandits drink at her establishment. There was no way he was going to let his crew betray that kindness. Turning to the middle-aged woman at the bar, he set down his empty mug and gave her a large smile.

“Thank ya again fer not turnin’ us away. If anyone starts givin’ ya trouble, just find us, an’ we’ll take care’uv ‘em for ya.”

“You’re an awfully polite lot. Not like any bandits I’ve ever met.”

“Ha! I guess we’re jus’ bandits in name nowadays. We picked up a guy a while back whose pretty good with money an’ haven’t had ‘ta do much robbin’ since. Don’t let ‘em fool ya, though. They forget their manners, an’ I have ‘ta knock some sense into ‘em from time ‘ta time.”

After letting out a loud laugh, Akio was provided with another drink. After thanking the owner, he turned back to spend some time with the crew. He’d been too commanding as of late, he didn’t want them to forget that he was one of them. While he often needed to put his foot down as leader of the crew, they were his family, and he didn’t want them to feel like he was above them. So with another laugh and a few pats on the back, he sat down and started playing some cards.

----

Shirai let out a heavy sigh as they left the inn. He was glad that all of their shopping was over. While he did enjoy the time walking through town with Tsubaki, he was eager to get their date night started. Looking around, he tried to find a place that was cheap but not too cheap. As much as he would have loved to take her somewhere fancy, it was just not within his budget.

“Anything you’re craving? Maybe some seafood? I think there’s a couple of ramen places too.”

There were a surprising number of options in the town, despite its size. It seemed they took a lot of pride in their cooking here. It only made Shirai more excited for the food. He’d be lying if he said that his decision to go out eating wasn’t at least a little bit selfish. Shirai was quickly getting sick of soup, whether it was potato, mushroom, or even chicken. It was time for some real food!

[Amy]

Tsubaki stretched her arms far above her head, arching her back slightly. Several hours later and the town was only getting busier as people started to finish with their jobs and their chores. The street vendors were in full force, their voices overlapping each other, everyone selling the best you had ever seen. It was a lot for her but Tsubaki couldn’t deny that there was something nice about being just one face in a crowd full of people. Not a single person spared her more than a glance as they rushed about living their own lives just as she didn’t spare them more than a glance of her own. The only person on that street who held her attention was Shirai. He looked even more tired than she felt having insisted on carrying the heaviest of the bags. They were both definitely ready for dinner.

“Seafood sounds nice. We don’t get it very often and ramen just sounds like another type of soup right now.” Tsubaki shuddered dramatically at her own words. She needed something of substance, something she could really sink her teeth into. But she also knew that Shirai wanted to treat her and she didn’t feel like letting him blow all of his savings on her. She had been on the lookout all day for different restaurants they could eat at and she took a second to think if any of them had looked like affordable seafood places. They had passed so many shops and restaurants that they all sort of blended together but she had the distinct feeling they had passed one that would fit the bill.

“I’m pretty sure we passed a seafood place near the second med shop we went to. I don’t remember exactly but I’m sure we can get some directions once we get closer.” Holding out her elbow, she waited for Shirai to loop his arm through hers before she started walking in the direction she thought they needed to go. As they walked it was difficult to keep up a conversation as the crowd on the street was getting rowdier by the minute. They would have had to shout to keep up a conversation so they both naturally fell into silence.

She was determined to keep this night light-hearted and fun. There was so much heavy stuff going on in the crew and Tsubaki seemed to always want to talk about it. Probably, she figured, because she was always thinking about it. But they weren’t going to solve any problems that night so she could do nothing but remind herself of that fact and let it go. At least, for a little while. As they got closer to where Tsubaki thought she remembered the restaurant the crowd started to get a little extra intense. She figured this would happen. Most places that were affordable to eat at were that way because of all the booze they sold. She started craning her neck, trying desperately to see over the crowd that was majorly full of people who were taller than she was. A small tap on her shoulder got her attention and she looked up to notice Shirai pointing at a lit up sign a little further down the street. She gave him a thumbs up and they beelined their way there.

“Oh good, looks like it's open seating. I see some open tables over here.” Tsubaki dragged Shirai behind her, plopping down quickly into a seat at one of the few two tops left. “Looks like we got here just in time.” All of the wait staff looked busy so Tsubaki took the opportunity to breathe to look up at Shirai. Her eyes widened slightly as she took him in, her chest aching slightly with each beat of her heart. It never ceased to amaze her how everything she felt for him could fit within her heart. The ache seemed to suggest it was almost too much.

“This was a really great idea. Thanks for thinking of it.”

[ThatGuy]

Shirai found the act of walking through the crowds, arms locked together, to be oddly peaceful. There was chaos all around them, but at the same time, with her by his side, it felt like they were the only two in the world. Looking around for the place Tsubaki had mentioned earlier, he soaked in the moment. He found himself doing that a lot lately. Eventually, he spotted a familiar light and pointed out the place to her.

After being pulled to an open table, Shirai sat down and quickly assessed the place. It was nice, but not so nice that he couldn’t afford it. Luckily, a girl who had been living with bandits for the better part of three years didn’t seem to have the most expensive of tastes. This only reinforced Shirai’s suspicion that he did, in fact, find the perfect partner. When she thanked him for the idea, he turned back toward her.

“Why, yes. It was my completely selfless, not at all personally motivated, decision. I’m pretty great, aren’t I? You may thank me in the form of handwritten letters of appreciation.”

Shirai laughed before noticing the look she was giving him. There was so much passion behind those eyes. It still amazed him that she could match his feelings and return them with the very same intensity. It was enough to make Shirai blush. Quickly recovering, he gave Tsubaki a playful look as he spoke in a hushed tone.

“If you keep looking at me like that, people will talk. There is a lot of gossip in towns like this.”

As they were approached by a server, Shirai quickly shifted from playful to polite. It was an incredibly rare sight to see him in his best behavior. Normally, he couldn’t resist poking fun at people any chance he got, even if it meant they’d likely spit in his food. But he simply couldn’t stand the idea of Tsubaki's food being ruined. After ordering their food, their server left, and without skipping a beat, Shirai leaned back in and spoke.

“I think he’s onto us. We’ll be social pariahs!”

[Amy]

“Good,” Tsubaki managed to whisper before the waiter arrived at their table. “What I feel for you is no secret to be kept.”

She sat back, smiling softly at Shirai as he ordered for them both. She was a little surprised at his take charge attitude that day but it wasn’t entirely unexpected. She wondered if he realized just how much he had changed over the past few years. The past year even more so. He had grown taller and the word lanky didn’t quite fit him anymore. Though his goofy smile remained unchanged it was undeniable that he had outgrown some of his boyish charms. It was more than his physical appearance though. It was the way he considered situations now, no longer defaulting to being the clown of the situation. At least, not every time.

Despite all of his changes though he was still the boy she fell in love with. Still the boy who made her laugh and who she sought for comfort. He was the one she wanted to sneak kisses with and sneak off at night with. He was everything.

“This town seems pretty progressive, I don’t think they’ll shun two kids in love. And even if they do, I can’t say I care.” She kept his eye contact for just an extra moment so he could see how serious she was. There had been a time in the beginning where Shirai thought that she would be or should be embarrassed of him. Of being in a relationship with him. Akio’s reaction hadn’t helped that situation. It had taken weeks, months, to make him realize she felt no ounce of shame to be with him. While it seemed that fate had had a hand in their relationship she had made the decision on her own to be with him, if he wanted. She wasn’t going to let anyone take from her what she had chosen for herself.

The waiter stopped by with their food, a couple of plates of steaming fried fish and veggies, some small cups of different sauces, and some rice. A low groan came from Tsubaki as the steam wafted up from the plates and into her nose. She wasted no time digging in once the waiter had vacated their space, shoving several different things inside her mouth all at once. A heavy sigh left her mouth around the hot food, creating a small cloud of smoke in front of her face. She rested her forehead on the back of her hand, braced on the table by her elbow. Chewing slowly, practically able to feel her body being re-nourished, she considered how much her life had changed for the better. How good it felt to just be herself.

“We’ve really gotta start getting more cooking supplies. Can’t go back to soup every night after this.” She pulled back from the table, leaning back in her chair, glancing slowly around the restaurant. All types of people were there. Other couples like them, groups of friends, a few business meetings even. All just coexisting within the same space, no one paying attention to anyone else. It was beautiful, in its own way. No one was being judged or criticized for just living their lives. It was a life Tsubaki had grown to love and would never give up.

“How drunk do you think the rest of the crew is right about now?”

[ThatGuy]

Shirai’s heart melted as Tsubaki spoke of not being afraid to express her love for him in public. He’d always been the clown, a rude one at that, and he was definitely not the one to bring home to your parents, but here Tsubaki was, unashamed to show him just how much she loved him in public. Something as simple as a look in her eyes might not have seemed as significant of a public display of affection as a kiss or hug, but the look in her eyes was nothing less than a declaration of war. It was her and him versus the world, neither of them were going to allow anyone or anything in the way of them being together. They had already survived Akio's disapproval of their relationship, so whatever else came their way, he was confident that they'd pull through. It was nothing that they hadn't said before, but with each moment like this, it left him little room to even think about doubting the strength of their relationship.

When the food arrived, Shirai snapped out of his trance and eagerly scarfed down the food placed in front of him. He made sure not to eat too fast, but the excitement had definitely gotten the better of him. After the first couple of bites, he had to close his eyes for a moment and truly appreciate the flavor. Now this was food. When Tsubaki mentioned getting cooking supplies, he let out a slight chuckle.

“Well, if we keep them for ourselves, sure. But if we’re not careful, then they’ll notice and start begging us to cook, and we both know they won’t trust me touching their food!”

Shirai took in the moment as Tsubaki leaned back in her chair. Everything was perfect. Could the restaurant have been better? Sure. Would he have preferred to be around fewer people? Yeah. But did he want to be anywhere else than right here at this moment? Absolutely not. This was proof that, despite moving away from their special place, they could take that feeling with them. When she asked how drunk he thought the crew was, Shirai laughed.

"Well, I’d say they’re drunk enough to start challenging Akio to arm wrestling, but we’re still about twenty minutes out from the first bar fight."

He gave Tsubaki a big smile. The crew’s parties were really something else, but it got too chaotic too quickly. It was fun, but he was much happier with their quiet dinner date. The thought gave him an idea, however.

“What do you say we grab some drinks ourselves after dinner? We don’t have to go to a bar or anything, we can just pick something up and head back to the inn if you want.”

----

“The fuck did I say about scrappin’ in town?”

Akio grabbed the two burly bandits by the scruffs of their necks, one in each hand, and lifted them into the air like children. He knew the fights were going to start breaking out at some point, but it seemed that the crew was getting an early start. It wasn’t great for image, and it was just plain rude to break out into a fight in the establishment of someone who was nice enough to let them in. After the two men stopped thrashing around in an attempt to escape Akio’s grasp, he tossed them to the ground towards the woman at the bar.

“Ya gonna repay their hospitality by causin’ a scene and breakin’ shit? Not on my watch. Now apologize to the kind lady!”

The two men grumbled but ultimately prostrated to the woman and apologized loudly. No sooner had they lifted their heads than Akio picked them back up to their feet and put his arms around them. With a laugh, he walked them back over to their table and poured each of them a drink.

“Every family ends up at each other’s throats at some point, but if ya still have bad blood, settle it at the camp. It’s a celebration! Let’s keep the party goin’!”

With that, he patted the two on the back and took a drink alongside them. He had diffused the situation for the time being. That was all he could ask for. Pounding his chest, he yelled out to the rest of the crew.

“Let’s keep it civil, boys! There’s plenty o’ drinks to go around!”

[Amy]

“Mm, sounds like a good idea to me. If you’re getting dinner drinks are on me. Can’t let ya bankrupt yourself. I know how much you make.” Tsubaki grinned, resuming her consumption of the feast in front of her. The rest of dinner passed by uneventfully, a few more dishes ordered and consumed until the only things left on the table were empty plates. She didn’t particularly like letting Shirai pay when she was the one who had wanted to go off on their own. If they were with Akio and the rest of the crew the bill would be paid for out of the crew fund but on their own they were just that - on their own. There wasn’t going to be any arguing with him over the fact though. He had technically been the one to suggest dinner so it was ‘his responsibility to pay’ or some other nonsense. Joke was on him though, she told herself as she grabbed his hand outside the restaurant. She was going to buy him so many drinks.

She kept her eyes peeled for what she was looking for, which was some place that seemed unlikely to find the crew. Something smaller was the only thing that would really ensure the crew wouldn’t go there. No matter how dirty, beat up, or smelly a bar was, the crew would persevere for a glass of sake. But since it was a party night they would only go to places everyone would fit. Hand in hand, the streets now slightly less crowded since the dinner crowd had cleared out, they walked until they found the perfect place. It was tucked into the center of town between several much louder and brighter establishments that had scantily clad women slinking in with men shadowing closely behind them. The place they ducked into though had none of that, save for a bright sign hanging over the doorway that labeled the bar as the “Moonlit Bar”. Her eyes quickly assessed the situation when they made it past the doorway.

There was a bar that ran from one long end to the other with seats all along the way. Two bartenders behind the bar with another two waitresses handling the tables that lined the middle of the room and the booths that lined the opposite wall. She met eyes with one of the waitresses who gestured at the whole room, imploring them to sit anywhere they would like. Tsubaki immediately headed for the booth in the far back corner where she could keep an eye on the entire room. She slid in first, pulling Shirai down next to her before he could sit across from her instead. The strange brown fabric was sticky under her hands but she chose to ignore that as the waitress came to take their order. Her fingers brushed against her pants as she ordered a bottle of sake and a jug of water. As she walked away, Tsubaki looked up at Shirai, an impish grin lighting up her face.

“I don’t quite remember what happened last time we did this but I feel like I would have remembered more if we started the night drinking some water.” They did not have a good track record for drinking out on the town but she had the feeling that tonight was going to be the night that was different. No one was trying to forget anything this time around. No one was trying to drown out their nightmares. Tonight was only about good feelings. Good things. A great future. Tsubaki grabbed Shirai’s hand and placed it on her thigh as she turned slightly, bracing herself against the wall. “Plus if we get too drunk I can’t say the night will end how I imagined it ending.” She grinned again, biting her lip slightly in an effort to reign it in when the waitress dropped their beverages off at the table. She poured two glasses quickly, pushing one in front of Shirai.

“To us.”

[ThatGuy]

Shirai was happy to go wherever Tsubaki was taking him, so he eagerly followed her out to the streets and eventually into the bar. The place was a bit dingy, but hey, there was not a member of the crew in sight! Well, other than Tsubaki and himself. Shirai’s eyebrow raised as he noticed the grin on Tsubaki’s face before laughing at her comment. They’d only gone drinking a couple of times before, but each time proved to be quite eventful, even if the memories were blurry. The main thing he remembered were the hangovers. But he wasn’t going to let the fear of a little hangover spoil their fun!

He blushed as Tsubaki put his hand on her thigh and hinted at how the night would end. Shirai was not one to ever get red in the face, but Tsubaki had that effect on him. Plus, he was normally the one doing the teasing! Recovering quickly, he raised his eyebrow and gave Tsubaki a playful look before being interrupted by their drinks arriving. After she poured the drinks, he grabbed his glass and raised it slightly for a toast.

“To us.”

As always, the alcohol burned Shirai’s mouth and throat. He rarely ever drank, being too afraid to alter his consciousness while out on the streets alone, and even after joining the crew, his job as a medic meant that he couldn't’ risk getting drunk. If someone got injured, he needed to have a clear mind. Shaking his head in reaction to the bite of the alcohol, he laughed.

“It’s been a while.”

With that, he took another drink from his glass. He could feel the warmth slowly start to spread throughout his body. It was no wonder that everyone loved the stuff so much. Eagerly anticipating the warm, fuzzy feeling that came with being drunk, he spoke once more.

“So… Whaddya say we make this a little more fun? Let’s play two truths and a lie. If you guess which one is the lie correctly, I gotta drink, if you don’t, then you drink. I’ll go first.” Shirai counted his statements with his fingers as he spoke. “I’ve never won a fist fight, I always wanted to be a hero growing up, and you are my second girlfriend.”

He gave Tsubaki a grin. He did his best to make it difficult to guess, but he had a feeling that she’d see through him. The one about fist fights was obviously true, but Shirai was the last person you’d expect to have a hero fantasy, but he was a much more idealistic kid before his time on the streets. The harsh reality of the world was enough to crush that dream, but it all led to him meeting Tsubaki, and being with her was a dream the world couldn’t crush.

[Amy]

Tsubaki raised her eyebrows in agreement as she watched Shirai react to the harsh alcohol. He had always been a little more sensitive to the first few sips but she supposed she had been too, when she first started drinking. The little stint of drinking every day after the kidnapping had gotten her maybe a little too used to the harshness. Now, a small nose wrinkle was the biggest sign that she was at all bothered by the sharp burn to her nose. It didn’t matter though, to her. Whether he liked drinking or not or was bothered by the burn or not. Many of the crew thought it was a show of strength to keep a straight face when drinking the most disgusting and vile alcohol but Shirai had never cared for showing such false “strengths”. At least, not around her. It was something that made her love him even more, that he never wanted to be anything but himself around her. When he suggested they play a drinking game, she nodded enthusiastically, throwing both of her legs across his lap so that she could fully lean against the wall and still see him.

“You’re on.”

She listened carefully to his posed truths and lies and shook her head while laughing.

“You can’t just make them all easy so I don’t get to drink. I’m not your second girlfriend, I’m your first. Just like you’re my first boyfriend. Now drink.” She rolled her eyes and tossed her hand at him, not actually mad at his soft ball first round. It was her turn to think and she didn’t want to make it too hard on him. There was so much about her life that he still didn’t know, it wasn’t fair to pick things that would all sound foreign to him. They had to be things he at least had a decent chance of guessing. And, most importantly, things that would not ruin the mood.

“Alright, I got it. I’ve never had a pet, I threw a bucket of water on Akio the day after we met, and I graduated from the academy with all A’s.”

Breaking the rules of the game already, Tsubaki took a drink from her glass, laughing at her own posed truths and a lie. She didn’t honestly know if he would be able to guess correctly. The more she had thought the more she realized there was so little he knew about her. So, no matter who won the game they would both end up winning as she finally started to share a little bit more about her past. It was something that had scared her ever since she left Kumo. Even as they got closer and closer, Tsubaki couldn’t deny the fact that she was terrified that Shirai might reject her if he found out too much. But lately, the truth had started to sink in. He was going to be by her side no matter what. No matter what she told him. So this game, it was the perfect way to start opening up in the way she wanted to.

She kicked her feet back and forth on his lap, speaking in time with them.

“ Tik, tok, tik, tok. Make a choice, which is the lie?”

[ThatGuy]

Maybe he had not done as good of a job as he originally thought with the first round. Oh well. It was time to kick it up a notch. As Tsubaki told her truths and a lie, Shirai came to the realization that he was outmatched. He’d shared much more about his past than she had. It was something that Shirai didn’t mind, but he realized that he was about to get drunk far quicker than he had anticipated. Throwing a bucket of water on Akio was definitely true, seeing as the two had originally met with the bandits partying at the bar she was working at. She was likely told to wake them up by her boss. The grades were a little tricky, seeing as Shirai didn’t really have any other shinobi to compare her to. But there was one thing he did know: Tsubaki was not only a hard worker but incredibly smart, albeit a little too stubborn. So the lie must have been not owning a pet. He could see her having one growing up, seeing as she was such a caring soul. 

“I’m going to say you did have a pet growing up.”

He was surprised when she informed him that it was actually the line about having straight A’s that was the lie. After giving a shrug, he took his drink and thought of something a little bit more difficult. The last round was easier to guess by just knowing his personality, so he needed to think of something that solely focused on his past. As he thought about what to say, he patted Tsubaki’s thigh before rubbing his hand in small circles. He stopped and turned to her with a grin as a good one came to mind.

"I am an only child, my parent’s names both end with ‘ai’, and my last name is Fukumoto.”

This one was a little tricky. It occurred to him that neither of them knew each other’s surnames. He didn’t think either of them was keeping it a secret on purpose, but rather that they'd both moved on. Shirai was effectively banished from his family, so he didn’t take the name with him, and Tsubaki had left her life as a shinobi behind, her family name likely only reminded her of what she left. Shaking the thought from his mind, he took another drink. If Tsubaki was going to break the rules, then so was he!

----

“Bring in as much help as ya like, it ain’t gonna change a thing.”

The patrons of the bar were presented with a comical scene: the biggest and baddest of the crew, as well as some of the more muscular regulars of the bar, were pushing with all their might in an attempt to push Akio’s arm over. Taunting the men, Akio covered his mouth with his free hand to yawn before swiftly putting an end to the one-sided arm wrestling match. The men fell over on top of each other and, in the process, ended up breaking a table.

“Shit! Is everyone okay!?”

The men all grumbled in response, thankfully, no one was hurt. Akio slapped his palm against his forehead as he realized how much of a hypocrite he had just made himself. Standing up, he walked over to the woman at the bar and apologized profusely.

“I am so sorry about that, ma’am! I’ll pay for it!”

“It’s okay! Accidents happen. Plus, I haven’t laughed that hard in a while.”

She giggled as Akio insisted on at least leaving her some money for the table. Turning back, he met the judging gaze of the crew. Some shook their heads, like disappointed parents. Akio laughed before speaking.

“Alright, alright, ya got me. Let’s get ready to head out, boys. I ain’t about to let anyone pass out in the bar. We’ll continue the party back at the camp!.” Heading back to the bar, Akio got some drinks to go and thanked the woman one more time. “I really appreciate ya lettin’ us party here.”

“It’s not a problem at all. The bar hadn’t been that lively in a long time. Please, do come back!”

[Amy]

Tsubaki laughed and shook her head with great animation at Shirai’s guess. She took a brief moment to explain that while she had always wanted a pet her parents were incredibly strict. When she was never able to get her combat grade above a B they used it as an excuse to never let her bring one home. What she didn’t take the time to explain was that they were that strict about the rest of her life. It had never mattered what she wanted or what she was good at. The only thing that mattered was what they wanted her to be. The image they had in their brains of what their only daughter would become. She smiled and laughed through the thought that crossed her mind in the middle of the dark bar: What would they think of their bandit daughter being at home in a dirty bar in the middle of a small town with her ex-Yakuza bandit boyfriend? She wanted to tell herself she didn’t care but that wasn’t true. What was true though, was that it didn’t matter right now.

She placed her finger against her lips and tapped them, pursing them in what she hoped was a “deep thought” look. Her eyes flicked quickly down to Shirai’s hand on her thigh, a light blush warming her cheeks. Something she would swear came from the sake. Certainly not from the feelings that blossomed in her stomach as she wriggled herself down just a little bit further in the booth so his hand had a wider range to reach without straining.

“Well, I refuse to believe you would keep a sibling from me so that’s definitely true. I think I should be concerned I’m not positive about this next one buuuttt…I’m going to guess…that’s not your last name!” Tsubaki laughed loudly when she found out she was right, drinking enthusiastically, clearly having forgotten the rules of the game. She waved her hand to the waitress, requesting a refill on both their water and their sake order. The woman popped over to the table only for a second to drop the drinks off but long enough to see what was happening. A small smile graced her face as she met Tsubaki’s gaze. The women shared a small moment before Tsubaki went back to thinking of her next question.

“This is hard, she pouted, crossing her arms. “We don’t ever talk about our pasts. Let’s see. My favorite color is green, my last name is Kato, and I was once in a shipwreck.” She harrumphed loudly, taking another drink of sake before downing a full glass of water. Let’s see him guess that one right, she thought smugly to herself. They had never once talked about the shipwreck that Tsubaki had been in immediately after running away from Kumo. He had never once pried her with questions on the nightmares that kept her up every time there was even so much as a heavy rain. He had always been so respectful of her space and her independence. Hopefully, that would come back to bite him in the butt now, she thought, causing a trickle of laughter to bubble out of her.

[ThatGuy]

Shirai let out a groan as if he’d been stabbed, as Tsubaki once again guessed correctly. She was kicking his ass in this game! Shaking his head, he drank a glass of water before letting her know that she was right. When she mentioned them not talking about their pasts much, he nodded his head in agreement. It wasn’t a bad thing, but it was definitely making the game a bit harder. When she presented the next round, he thought it over for a moment. She was incredibly hard to read, which is not surprising considering her past. Shirai could feel the warmth spreading throughout his body, with his head feeling lighter and his limbs a bit heavier. He really was a lightweight. Chuckling to himself, he decided to go off intuition rather than logic. He knew that Tsubaki had had some kind of traumatic event in the past. Even before she was tortured, she was prone to nightmares, and he had a feeling the heavy rain triggered them. It was hard to tell, however, as her time with the crew left plenty of wounds that she had to heal from. Unfortunately, as of late, it seemed that just the act of sleeping itself would trigger her nightmares. He had no idea about her last name, but his gut told him that green was not her favorite color. There was not much logic to it, he just didn’t think she seemed like a green type of person.

“I’m going to guess your favorite color isn’t green.”

To his surprise, he was correct. Shirai let out an ah ha as Tsubaki took her drink. Finally, he scored a point. The game was just for fun as well as learning a bit more about each other, but that didn’t mean Shirai was going to ignore his competitive side. It was strange to know Tsubaki’s last name after all this time. At the end of the day, it didn’t change anything. He was happy to learn more about her, but knowing her surname didn’t make him feel any different. To him, she’d always just be Tsubaki. Who cared about her former family? She had a new one, and from what he understood, it was much better than what she left behind.

“Well, Cutie, now that I know your last name, fair is fair. My last name is Igarashi.”

It didn’t quite feel right to say that name again. It was the first time he’d said it since having to run away from his hometown. Giving Tsubaki a warm smile, he held eye contact with her for a moment, hoping to convey the message that the names didn’t matter, he just wanted her to know. Before long, however, he started to lose focus as he couldn’t help but notice a couple strands of hair hanging in front of Tsubaki’s face. Thinking about what he might say for the next round, he reached out and brushed the stray hair out of her face before playfully booping her nose. The action elicited a chuckle from Shirai, which escalated into a laugh as he realized the alcohol was already getting to him. After he finished laughing, he gave Tsubaki a big grin and spoke.

“I grew up rich, my father taught me how to con people, and I’ve been practicing medicine since I was five years old.”

Shirai’s grin turned to a smug smile as he finished declaring his next round of truths and a lie. This one had to have been a lot sneakier than the previous two. Tsubaki had been reading him like a book up until this point, but he was positive this one would stump her.

[Amy]

“Ooo, Igarashi Shirai. That has a nice ring to it,” Tsubaki spoke playfully but she maintained enough control to stop speaking before the next thought in her mind came out. Igarashi Tsubaki. It sounded so lovely in her mind, such a pleasant ring to it. It was just a name but it held so much meaning and it made Tsubaki giggle with what could only be described as a giddiness. They weren’t even engaged but it didn’t matter because Tsubaki knew that she and Shirai were forever. When he reached over to fix her hair she latched onto his hand before he could pull it back. She held onto it, placing small kisses in the middle of his palm while he posed his next set of factoids.

“You’re making these too tough now!” Tsubaki practically shouted, briefly pulling the attention of the other patrons of the bar. Most of them smiled or shook their heads before turning back to their own drinks. “I don’t knnnowww. Well I know you’ve wanted to be a medic for like ever so that’s probably true. I’m..gonna saayyyy…you growing up rich is a lie!” When Shirai smugly shook his head and informed her that she was wrong she couldn’t even believe it! How was she supposed to expect that he had grown up rich!? He only ever talked about his time on the street. Rich kids didn’t live on the street!

“That’s definitely cheating. You were rich?! Eating soup every day must be so hard for you!!”

Tsubaki was clearly very upset about this turn of events as she drank the rest of the sake in her glass, filling it quickly with water and drowning that down too. Despite how much she was enjoying the buzz of alcohol she was committed to not losing sight of herself. She did not want to pass out and forget the night.

“I’m gonna make this next one so hard. You’ll never guess.” Tsubaki put on a very serious face, racking her brain for things she could say that wouldn’t bring down the mood of the game too much. Then, it hit her. If she couldn’t win fair and square she would win by cheating. “Both of my parents are ninjas, I’ve never celebrated my birthday, and I’m wearing black underwear right now.”

Tsubaki wriggled her eyebrows at Shirai as she finally released his hand so that she could sit up closer to him. A serene smile lifted her mouth, her eyes soft and gentle. She sat on her knees on the bench beside him, resting her chin on his shoulder so that her mouth was nearly pressed against his ear. She balanced herself with her hands on his thigh, her fingers holding just so tightly that she was sure she wouldn’t lose balance.

“C’mon, Shirai. I’m waiting for your guess.”

[ThatGuy]

Shirai laughed as it became evident that he wasn’t the only one who was starting to get drunk. He shook his head with a smug smile on his face as she guessed incorrectly. Now he was back in the game! Who would have expected a kid like Shirai to have grown up rich? It was the perfect bait.

“Nope. I grew up in a big house, got everything I ever wanted, and had big meals. I was a completely spoiled child. My father actually wanted me to get a good education and live outside of the Yakuza. When it comes to crime, I’m one hundred percent self-taught. But when you live on the streets long enough, you stop being picky about food.”

When she leaned in close, he had to resist the urge to kiss her right there and then. It was rude to interrupt someone when they were talking. So he waited until the moment she stopped. Giving her a quick peck on the lips, he pulled away with a devious smile.

“Well, there’s an easy way to eliminate one of those.”

He mockingly reached for her waist as if he were going to take a quick peek but instead brought his fingers up to tickle her sides. With a laugh, he wrapped his arm around Tsubaki and pulled her a bit closer, so that she was side-by-side with him. With his right arm wrapped around her, he thought carefully about what his answer might be. As far as he knew, everyone in the villages were shinobi, so he’d guess that her parents were too. She’d also not celebrated her birthday in the time they had been together, in fact, he didn’t even know her birthday! He didn’t need to, however, as every day he was with her was special, and he liked to think it was the same for her. But there was always a possibility that she celebrated it when she was younger. So he had to use another means of deduction.

“Seeing as we’re bandits and all, neither of us have a big wardrobe. I’ve seen everything you have to wear both on and off your body.” He chuckled playfully before continuing. “You only have four different colors of underwear, and I know for a fact that you wore a black pair yesterday. So I’m going to say you definitely aren’t wearing black, and I’d go as far as to say you are wearing that blue pair. The lighter one.”

When she confirmed he was correct about the lie, he smirked but blushed as she told him he’d have to figure out the exact color for himself later tonight. Shirai was never ashamed to act perverted, but when it came to Tsubaki, she always knew how to make him blush. With a chuckle, he rested his head on her shoulder for a moment. His head felt like it was full of water, and he was having issues thinking up another set of truths and a lie. Absent-mindedly, he presented his next round of statements.

“I am responsible for the deaths of thirty people, my mother was killed by my father, and I once killed a man for money.” There was a brief moment before Shirai’s head shot back up. “Nevermind, don’t guess. I don’t know where that came from.”

Smooth move, dumbass. Way to kill the mood! He leaned forward to pour himself a glass of water and was surprised to find that Tsubaki didn’t seem to mind. Their relationship was strong, but would she look at him the same if she knew the darker truths of his past? Clearing his throat before taking a drink of water, he waited for her guess, keeping faith in the strength of their relationship.

You can always tell me about the very worst parts of yourself. Nothing you have to say could ever scare me away. Not even the gods of this earth could keep me from you.

He was going to trust those words because there was no one in this world he trusted more than Tsubaki.

[Amy]

He lured her into a false sense of security with his sweet little kiss before he pretended he was going to try to cheat by looking! What a little pervert! She tried to slap his hands away but he had already moved his hands up to her sides, gently tickling her. She instantly forgave him though when he pulled her against his side, holding her tightly. Her head fell comfortably against his shoulder as he thought about his answer to her posed truths. The waitress was headed their way, another bottle of sake on her tray but Tsubaki subtly sent her away with a shake of her head. They were both comfortably not sober and Tsubaki could feel herself on the slippery edge of going from happy drunk to sloppy drunk. Which meant it was a good time to stop drinking.

She wasn’t even surprised anymore that he managed to guess her lie correctly. Even when he didn’t actually know any of the things to be true or false he seemed to be able to read her so well. It was something that she usually enjoyed but right now, during this game, she found it to be quite annoying. She sat up slightly, still with her weight leaned against him, waiting for him to pose his next set of truths and a lie. She patted his head gently when he laid it on her, absentmindedly running her fingers through his hair. But when he finally spoke, she found herself stilling, feeling a slight shift to the game they had been playing.

“No, no. You asked for a reason. But I think I wanna head back to the hotel so I’ll think about it for a second.”

After paying, she grabbed his hand and pulled Shirai from the booth, leading him out to the quiet streets. The moon had fully risen by this point and the streets were nearly empty save for the patrons traveling from one bar to another. She was pretty sure she already knew the answer to the question because two of his options were things out of his control. And she knew that one of them, Shirai would never do.

“The lie is that you killed a man for money isn’t it?” When he quietly confirmed that she was right she squeezed his hand even harder, walking in silence for a few moments. The air was brisk and clean and helped to clear the fog of alcohol that had settled over her while they had been drinking. She didn’t want to bring up any bad memories for Shirai but he had been bothered by the past all day. If there was a chance he would feel better by getting something out in the open she wanted to give him that opportunity.

“Do you want to talk about it? You can tell me anything, Shirai. Nothing in your past will change who we are now.” Tsubaki was careful to not make any suggestion towards which truth he may want to tell her about. She only wanted him to talk about what he was comfortable talking about.

[ThatGuy]

Shirai felt a little guilty when she suggested leaving. It was getting late, though, and he tried not to attribute the departure to his darkening of the mood. Tsubaki wasn’t looking to get too drunk in the first place. As she pulled him out into the moonlit night, he filled his lungs with the crisp air. It was a beautiful night, even when looking at the sketchier parts of town. When she asked if killing a man for money was the lie, he pursed his lips and nodded silently. Shirai had never taken a life, only failed to save them, and even then, it only happened a couple of times. Back then, he didn’t have Tsubaki to help him, so if someone was stabbed in the wrong place, there was nothing he could do. He was a medic, not a surgeon. After she asked if he wanted to talk about it, he let out a deep sigh. It wasn’t one of annoyance or exhaustion, instead, it was to prepare himself to talk about something heavy. He wanted to keep everything to himself, but he wanted her to know everything about him even more. So after a brief moment of silence, he spoke.

“When I told you I used to be a Yakuza, that wasn’t the full truth. My father, Sai, was the patriarch of the Seiryu Clan. They completely ran the village I was from and a few of those around it. My mother, Rai, worked as an underground doctor for the Yakuza. So when I was born, I was practically criminal royalty. Despite being such a prolific member of the Yakuza, my father was actually a kindhearted person when it came to his friends and family. He never so much as yelled at me, instead, he gently tried to guide me along the right path. I idolized my mother, though, she saved lives every day. I’d follow her around constantly, even when she did her best to keep me away from seeing things no child should. But even at that young age, I was resistant to the sight of massive cuts being sewn shut or burns being wrapped... Because I knew what she was doing was helping people. So at the age of five, after sneaking into her place of work for what seemed like the hundredth time, she started to teach me medicine.”

He trailed off and looked up at the moon as they continued to walk down the streets. Shirai knew that he had the best parents a child could ask for. It only served to make his heart hurt more as he remembered having to leave them and what fate had befallen them. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he tried to push the guilt to the back of his mind. It may have all been his fault, but there was no changing the past.

“My father was not happy that I was around blood and gore at such a young age, but he relented and bought me my own supplies and little things to practice on. As I grew up, he even bought me medical books. My father spared no expense when it came to my education, so I found myself reading and writing at a higher level than all my peers. It wasn’t that I was a genius, the money just provided me with a head start. At home, we even had a servant of sorts. He wasn’t a slave, but he did a lot of things around the house, including helping tutor me while my parents were busy. Matsuru taught me a lot and loved me like one of his own, but that never took away from my parents' time with me. When they got home, he’d do the cooking and cleaning so that my parents could spend more time with me, and when dinner was done, he’d eat with us. Sometimes all four of us would go places, and we’d have so much fun together. I truly had the best childhood one could ask for. Until…” His eyes started to overflow with tears. “Until I ruined it all.”

His voice was quaking towards the end, and he stopped walking for a moment. Taking a minute to compose himself. The memory was too painful. Taking another deep breath, he wiped the tears from his eyes and looked back at Tsubaki. He’d need a moment before he was able to continue his story.

[Amy]

Tsubaki walked quietly beside Shirai, holding his hand tightly but not interrupting him while he spoke. The emotion that was present in his voice told her everything she needed to know about how hard this was for him. He had shared little bits and pieces of his past with her before but nothing like this. Never so many details and never so much behind the inspiration that had made him who he was. She had had no idea that he had such a similar life to hers growing up. A good education, good food to eat, a safe place to sleep at night. But yet his life was so different from hers despite these similarities. Even though they were reluctant at first his parents both supported him in what he wanted to do. It was all she had ever wanted from her parents. The support to do what made her happy.

When he stopped talking, the emotion finally taking over too much for him to continue she squeezed his hand even harder. She wanted him to know that she was still there for him, that he wasn’t scaring her. That nothing he was saying was changing her opinion of him. Unfortunately, it was affecting her opinion of herself. Tsubaki felt like this was the point where she was supposed to offer up something about herself. The part where she was supposed to talk about how her parents had disappointed her all the way up until the day she left. Or, maybe she was supposed to tell him about her teammates and how they all either hated her or wanted to date her and when she turned them all down they shunned her. Was she supposed to talk about how she had never felt like she belonged anywhere until she met the crew? Or maybe she was supposed to talk about how everything she did was for the sole purpose of feeling like her life meant something.

But Tsubaki knew that she wasn’t going to talk about any of that. She wasn’t going to talk about leaving Kumo and the aftermath. She wasn’t going to talk about why she was in the bar where Akio found her. And she could tell herself a dozen lies and excuses but the truth was simply that she was a coward. She didn’t doubt that Shirai would still love her just the same even if he knew all of her deep and dark secrets. But she just couldn’t bear to put her burdens on him. It was too much for him with everything else they had going on. Her problems would be for another time, another place.

“You know, she finally said, when Shirai was still quiet. “You were a kid. No matter what happened, it wasn’t your fault. And you’re probably thinking that I’m only saying that because you haven’t said what happened yet. But even after you tell me it’s going to be just as true.”

She turned them towards the hotel, the air getting chilly. Plus, Shirai was getting emotional and she wanted to make sure that he was in a place where he felt safe.

“No matter what. It wasn’t your fault.”

[ThatGuy]

Tsubaki’s words of reassurance helped Shirai pull himself together for the moment. After a few sniffles, he followed her to their room, holding her hand tightly the entire way. Upon entering the room, he sat down at the end of the bed and cleared his throat before continuing.

“Being the rich kid of a patriarch alienated me from the other kids growing up. So I made up for it by becoming a clown, or when I felt insecure, I’d start bragging about things. When I was thirteen, my father got some of the neighboring Yakuza clans to agree to form an alliance with him as the head. You could probably count on your fingers the number of Yakuza in the world who hold that kind of power. I bragged about it to my so-called friends and, without thinking, mentioned one of the big meetings that was going to be held to celebrate the alliance. That night, the meeting was raided. I don’t know if one of the other kids had Yakuza in their family or if I was being spied on, but of the fifty people who attended the meeting, only twenty escaped with their lives. Most of them were the bodyguards, but a patriarch and three captains also died. Somehow, they found out it was me who accidentally leaked the location. No matter how high up on the ladder my father was, this was inexcusable. I’m sure you’ve heard of the custom of the Yakuza cutting off their pinkies in an attempt to atone for their failures, so that’s what my father did. But it wasn’t enough. They wanted me dead. So my family pooled together some money and supplies, and they snuck me out of the village. That’s how I ended up on the streets.”

Shirai wasn’t finished telling his story but needed to take a quick break. He was getting used to the pain of remembering by this point, but the memories were flooding through his mind too fast. The sound of his mother weeping, the look of devastation on his father’s face, and the guilt... so much guilt. In a single moment, Shirai had managed to tear apart his entire family. With dry eyes, he sniffled a couple more times and took a deep breath.

“Please don’t get the wrong idea about my dad. It’s easy for people to think that they’d do differently in his shoes, but there was really nothing he could do. It wasn’t just his position and livelihood at stake, if he told them no, they’d have killed our whole family. There were multiple families involved in this alliance, so you can imagine what kind of hell they would have wreaked on us. Him staying but letting me go was the best decision because, with him still sitting at the top of the organization, he’d be in a better position to hinder the search and keep me safe. I’ve told you a bit about my time on the streets, maybe I’ll tell you more another day, but do you remember the night we went drinking in town? When I had stepped away to take care of something really quick? Well, I recognized someone from Yakuza and did a little bit of investigating. I asked about my father and found out that... That… Because I got away, my mom was killed in my place."

The tears poured down Shirai’s cheeks once again as he allowed the full force of his grief to take hold. He couldn’t fight it any longer. Deep down, he knew that it wasn’t his fault. But that didn’t stop him from blaming himself anyway.

“If I’d just kept my fucking mouth shut..."

[Amy]

Tsubaki once again listened to Shirai without opinion or judgment. She removed her coat and shoes slowly, climbing onto the bed only once he was settled. Her hands wrapped around his shoulders, fingers digging gently into his tight muscles. Desperation to do anything to make this easier for him flooded through her. This was the past and there was nothing that could be said or done to fix it. The only thing left to do was show him that she had meant what she said earlier that day and what she had been saying for so long now. It was them until the end.

Perhaps better than anyone, Tsubaki understood Shirai’s explanations about his dad. It was always easy to think that you couldn’t let the person you love go like that. It was easy to think that if you were in that situation you would handle it differently. But Tsubaki had been on the receiving end of the opposite. She had been forced to stay when she should have been encouraged to go out on her own for her own well being. Even though Shirai ended up on the streets, it had been what was best for him. She was glad that he understood that, even if it hurt.

But what really brought to light the trauma surrounding the situation was what he said next. Her heart ached at the sound of his voice breaking, the bottled up emotions finally too big to be contained, shattering the hold he had kept on them. What a terrible thing to have to live with. Tsubaki sat up quickly, wrapping her arms around his neck and chest. She buried her face in his neck and covered his body with her own, sheltering him from whatever she could.

“Oh, Shirai,” she whispered, keeping her voice so quiet it was only heard by the two of them. “You shouldn’t have kept such a thing secret. You’re not responsible for the actions of adults. If you had known the consequences, I know that nothing could have made you give up that information. You just didn’t know any better, it was just an accident. You can’t blame yourself for not having information then that you have now.” Tsubaki kept her arms wrapped around him until his shoulders stilled and the tears had stopped. She could think of nothing except for how to lessen his burden. How to bring a smile back to his face. She desperately wanted him to see how much good he had brought to the world, not just how much sadness.

In a smooth motion she swung her body around so that she was sitting across his lap but her weight was mostly balanced on her knees. She pushed him gently back on the bed, her hand staying put on his chest. Tsubaki leaned up and one by one kissed away every tear that remained on his reddened cheeks, her other hand now threaded through his hair, holding him gently in place. Once she was finished she leaned back and looked down at him, her own cheeks now reddened from a rush of blood to her face.

“I know it’s not going to be so easy to forgive yourself for what happened, even though it’s not your fault. I understand more than most how easy it is to blame yourself for the decisions of others. But as many times as you need, I’ll remind you that you didn’t mean to. And I think it’s important that you remind yourself of that too.”

Tsubaki leaned over him again, because she wanted him to see the truth in her eyes. Tears pricked at the corners of them, kindness and empathy softening them when she repeated herself as clearly as she could.

“It was an accident. You didn’t mean to. It’s not your fault. It was an accident.”

[ThatGuy]

Shirai felt safe in Tsubaki’s embrace. Her reassurances that it wasn’t his fault didn’t make him magically believe so, but it made it much easier. So for the moment, he let the tears flow—everything that he’d been holding back all these years. It was far from the first time he’d cried about this, but it was the first time he truly felt like he could let it all out. When he’d finally cried all he could, Tsubaki pushed him back onto the bed and gently kissed the tears from his cheeks. When she leaned back and began speaking, his heart felt like it was about to burst. The complete and utter acceptance by Tsubaki was something he knew to expect, but it still moved him more than words could describe. How did I get so lucky? It was the only thing he could think about lately. Just when he thought he understood just how much they loved each other, Tsubaki seemed to go even further. When she leaned over him, they stared deeply into each other's eyes. The sincerity in her voice as she continued to tell him that it wasn’t his fault healed something deep within him. Bringing his arms up, he grabbed the sides of her face and gently pulled her down into a passionate kiss.

“My past left a massive wound, and it’ll take time to heal, but, luckily, I have the best medic in the world with me.” After another kiss, he suddenly but gently rolled so that he was now leaning over her. “I just needed you to know, but now the past is in the past. With that behind me, I can focus on my future.”

She was everything to him. Shirai didn’t care where he would be in ten years or what he’d be doing. As long as he was with her. Because the circumstances were not his future, she was. The look in his eyes said just that, and he held it for as long as he needed to get that message across. Sharing his past had lifted such a burden off his shoulders. Shirai felt like a new man. He leaned inches away from Tsubaki’s face as a devilish grin grew across his own.

“Now what do you say we test the soundproofing?”

----

”We need to act quickly and quietly. Akio does not drink often, so we won’t get another chance like this for a while.”

”Are you positive he won’t wake up?”

”He drank enough alcohol to knock out ten men, we should be fine.”

The two figures made their way to Akio’s tent, where they found him completely unconscious. Koukai smiled as he saw the blissfully unaware face of his ‘leader’. As the man he hired pulled out their supplies and entered the tent, Koukai stayed outside and kept watch. This was the most important piece of his plan, but if everything went as planned, the crew would be as good as Koukai’s. The green-haired bandit smiled to himself as he thought of Akio’s downfall. Oh, how beautiful it will be.