[Closed] To Restring the Lyre

[ShinobiTruth]

Two months had passed since Maru and Sayuri had met, quickly as the swift spring breezes that broke the bite of the winter that had just passed. Maru hadn't told anyone about his relationship with her. To be fair, he wasn't certain that anyone would believe him if he told them; though Sayuri was privileged to see a softer gentler side of Maru, one at least incrementally closer to who he used to be, in public he was more or less the same. For now, those walls still protected him from the prying eyes of others who didn't deserve his trust. He was on his way to see her now, his work for the day concluded. They'd made plans to have dinner together. He wasn't certain whether she was cooking or whether they were going out to eat, but as long as they were together, Maru didn't ultimately care. Maru waded his way through the crowds like a current of water smoothly sliding around rocks in a stream. The living situation was... complicated. He still technically had his barracks at the Citadel, but more and more of this time had been spent in that house, that haven, where she rest those golden eyes every time she lay down to sleep.

Maru had thought deeply about the vision he'd had during that intense night. Seeing his father like that... He couldn't pretend like it didn't affect him. It surely was just a delusion, his mind playing tricks on him. It had to be. The dead were gone. The living had to make do with their memories. Still... the death of Maru's mother had affected his father so much that he'd forgotten there was a time they could talk normally. He had the journal in his jacket, but he still resisted reading it. He wasn't about to let a momentary psychotic break compel him to uncover wounds that were far from healing.

As he walked, a faintly familiar sound hit Maru's ears, another ghost from Maru's past. He stopped in his tracks as his mind immediately flashed to memories he'd worked so hard to try and suppress. No matter how much he had alienated himself from those things, Maru immediately recognized what it was: the plucking concordant strings of a harp. His eyes quickly scanned the area, looking for the source of the sound, but the area was wide, and there were many people. His frustration quickly began to mount as he began to breathe more heavily, and he made the decision to simply move forward. Everything was starting to become too intense: the light, the smells, even the soft abrasions of people's garments against him as he moved past. If he stayed here, that music would simply torment him further. Already the flashbacks were so vivid that they hurt, and if he stayed too long in this place, there was no telling what might happen if he lost control.

Though for a time, the music intensified, eventually, it faded into the cacophony of the market's background noise. Maru continued walking as he started trying to control his breathing. He was slowly regaining control, though he doubted that Sayuri wouldn't at least notice something was off. She'd proven herself to be particularly perceptive over the two months he'd known her, and though it sometimes irritated him, Sayuri's prodding had always been for the best. Still, he'd have to reconsider his travel route to her house. That was the first time he'd heard that music there in these last two months. It had to be some new merchant or something, and he had to make sure to stay away.

The last music shop he had been to he had personally leveled, obliterated with a single punch.

Finally making to her doorstep, Maru paused as he tried to compose himself. Now that he was on her doorstep, his eyes brightened some and some of the tension fell away from his chest. He was with Sayuri now. Everything would be okay.

[Willoria]

Sayuri had spent much of her morning training. It hadn't been going quite as planned and she had wound up coming out of it not quite unscathed. That wasn't really unusual for Shinden training, but it made Sayuri grateful that she had decided to pick something up for dinner that night rather than trying to cook something completely homemade. She had gotten home and set up a few things to warm up before tending to herself. Her armor she set aside in her study to clean later, ignoring the fact that one of her pauldrons was cut clean through. She changed her clothes, opting for a skirt tonight that had a slit that ran up to her thigh and a loose fitting t-shirt. Though she had tended to her smaller wounds and bandaged her left forearm, she had missed a gash on the back of her left shoulder that slowly stained her shirt.

She went back to her tasks, setting up a nice meal for the pair in front of the fireplace that included a good broth soup, rice, vegetables, as well as steak. After the day of training she was looking forward to relaxing with Maru a bit as she heard him walking up the front doorstep of her home. She already had a smile on her face as she paused her preparations to head for the front door and open it to see him. 'It already feels amazing to not be alone all the time here...' she was thinking to herself when she opened it.

[ShinobiTruth]

Any other person who would have opened that door would have likely found his fairly expressionless face to be foreboding, intimidating. They would not be able to read his eyes or his body language as anything other than cold or standoffish. Sayuri, however, was different. In a happenstance meeting that had started as a mild altercation, the pair had quickly found unity, and in a fortunate twist of fate, they found affection through their shared pain and their shared desires. Though they'd stopped themselves from going too far, that affection had not gone away; instead, it had deepened over the last two months. Maru was a notably different person when he was with Sayuri, and her warm flame was slowly thawing his frozen heart. When she opened the door, the same faint smile she'd seen the first night they met crept to his lips. "Hello, Sayuri," he spoke softly, his inflection more natural with her than anyone else.

If she allowed it, after stepping in and closing the door behind them, he would draw her into his embrace, his hands naturally drawn to her waist and her back as he planted a single kiss on her brow. He did not take their moments of contact for granted. As such, Sayuri had learned that these embraces would last for some time, Maru content in the proximity and gentle intimacy of the moment. It wasn't unlike a spring slowly decompressing. The contact was a reassurance that here, in this space, things weren't terrible. He wasn't alone. Sayuri was here. He was safe. He could be vulnerable.

As they hugged, Sayuri's various scents drifted into Maru's senses. Though they'd had the privilege of their first encounter being more pristine, Maru had come to appreciate her natural notes. The mild zing of copper from her washbasin, the light floral scents of her laundry soaps, and again, the curious smell of lavender and cinnamon that came from her hair, more subtle given her hair was currently in its normal braid. "Every time I have to wait to see you feels too long already," he breathed into her skin.

His heart pulsed perceptibly against her chest, a slow steady rhythm nearly in tandem with her own. Maru sometimes wished these little moments could last forever.

[Willoria]

One of Sayuri's favorite moments was when the door closed once Maru was in the house. It was as if he had to keep up appearance outside but with her he was himself. She didn't mind this at all, and in face she cherished these moments. He would pull her into his arms, and she would wrap her arms around his neck. The moment he kissed her on the brow she'd simply smirk and reach a hand to touch him on the chin and pull him into a full kiss on the lips. Though they still hadn't given in to their strongest desires as of yet, she loved to skirt that line sometimes when he came to see her, kissing him deeply and pulling back breathless with a smile on her face. She'd still stay in his arms for as long as he wished, smiling as he spoke of how much he clearly missed her in their moments apart.

"Every time I'm here waiting though." she reminded him, smiling when they'd finally part and she inclined her head towards the fireplace. "I have dinner laid out." she told him, taking him by the hand as she turned to lead him towards the same couch they had first really learned how much they enjoyed one another's company.

[ShinobiTruth]

Gods, those lips. Ever since he'd first understood how warm and inviting they were, it was only for the sake of holding himself back that he didn't partake of their heat and taste at every opportunity. Of course, Sayuri didn't have those same inhibitions, and without a moment's hesitation, she pulled those very lips to his. With every kiss, she'd cause goosebumps along his arms. The fact that the back of his neck was very sensitive (which she had quickly ascertained) guaranteed that his face quickly became flushed. Sayuri knew Maru well, and their kisses would last for a considerable time. Maru wasn't certain if these little exchanges were getting longer with each time they saw each other, but he certainly didn't mind if they were. Sayuri would probably find a great deal of enjoyment from the vibrant flush on his face once their lips parted, his breath just as heavy as hers when they parted. Her eyes always captivated him with their glow, and it took considerable effort to let go as she started leading them toward the couch.

It was a split moment before she started to turn to lead him there that a much different and much more worrying scent hit his nose: blood. His eyes flashed with concern; he'd not suffered any injuries during his work, so there was only one source this could come from. He didn't have to look hard for the dark blot on her back. "Sayuri, my sweet, you're hurt," his tone clearly showing his concern, tugging very lightly on her hand to halt her movement forward. Reaching into his pack, he secured some gauze and some medical tape. He wasn't a medic, and he didn't have any formal training on sutures or stitches, but he did have at least a basic understanding on applying bandages and pads to gashes and cuts. Such injuries were liable to bleed profusely or, even worse, get infected during war. "Here, sit. And don't move. Let me tend to this for you," he offered, guiding her to the couch before moving over to the sink.

He washed his hands with soap and water, aggressively cleaning and scrubbing between his fingers. Drying his hands, he secured a clean cloth and lightly wet it. Sitting down behind Sayuri, her back faced to him. His mind wasn't focused on anything outside of treating her wound, so when he moved to remove her shirt, he didn't even think twice. "We need to get this off so I can clean the wound," Maru advised her, being gentle with removing the garment. He started to lightly dab around the area of the cut, trying to avoid causing as much pain as possible, the cool water of the cloth contrasting with the natural warmth of her skin.

[Willoria]

"Hm?" Sayuri was surprised at his sudden concern, but she didn't fight him as he led her over to the couch rather than her leading him. "I thought I'd gotten them all." she said with a sigh, gesturing the bandages on her left arm. "I'm sure it's nothing too serious, training Shinden just gets a bit rough sometimes..." she mentioned. She wasn't wrong. More than one move meant shattering targets and throwing debris. It wasn't uncommon to get scraped by various flying objects as a result. She sat down to wait on him to help her, though she had expected him to just lift up the back of her shirt to help her. What she hadn't expected when he returned was for him to completely remove her shirt.

Her back was to him when he did it so she couldn't help a bit of a smirk as he worked on the wound, though she did feel a bit disappointed as she realized the wound might mess up her tattoo if it didn't heal right. She kept her shirt in front of her though, covering certain vital parts of herself so when he was done with her wound she could still turn and look at him with a bit of a smirk. "Couldn't wait to get that off of me again?"

[ShinobiTruth]

Maru's intense focus on Sayuri's wound had blinded him to exactly what he was doing. The shirt simply was getting in the way of his work, especially given it was something as important as this. He'd heard her discussing training, which made sense. He certainly wasn't above getting cuts or bruises from training. Still, the last thing she needed was to ruin a shirt by completely bleeding through it. This way they could enjoy their evening without distraction or worry. Taking his time, he applied the gauze and then secured it with medical tape. Once he was satisfied with his work, he lightly scratched her back to signal he was done.

It was only when she brought up the obvious that he realized what he had done. Bringing a flush to his face, he looked away bashfully, but he wasn't about to let this exchange end without getting a word in edgewise. Leaning in toward Sayuri, Maru slid his hand around her waist, her fingers gently trailing along her stomach as he planted a soft kiss on her neck, followed by a single tender nip of the flesh, lightly pulling the skin before releasing it. "The wait is what makes it all the sweeter," he whispered into her ear. "But they were lovely to see the first time, so I admit it's hard to resist."

Sayuri was generally the person to be coy and playfully tease, but it wasn't completely beyond Maru's reach, either. Her reactions usually tended to make these occasional quips very much worth the effort.

[Willoria]

Sayuri was still smirking as she watched Maru blush and look away when he realized what he'd done while treating her wound. Of course, then he slid a hand around her waist. What he did next caused goosebumps to rise from her arms and a shiver ran down her spine. Her breath hitched for a moment as she swallowed thickly as he whispered in her ear. "Well now you're just being mean." she told him, smirking at him again when he pulled away. She shuddered slightly before forcing herself to put her shirt back on. Part of her didn't want to, but she had a hunch that if she left it off they might not even get to dinner before they moved on to other things.

She motioned to the food she had laid out on the table to remind him that she'd set out dinner before pouring a simple drink of cold tea for each of them and plating up food for both of them. "Tear down more buildings today or just training?" she asked, looking at him briefly. She was pretty much asking him the standard 'how was your day' she knew. While it could be boring, she also found it important to check in with him. She was still learning what his walls were protecting him from, still learning about the man she seemed to have fallen for in such a short time, and she did want to help him. Being his safe place and his refuge from the world was only part of what she wanted to be for him.

[ShinobiTruth]

That hitching of her breath was something that secretly drove Maru wild. Needless to say, he was fairly pleased with the reaction he received, her golden eyes sparkling in such a way that he could feel himself melting into her eyes. The shudder didn't escape his notice, either, and he allowed himself a slight grin at the personal victory. His eyes traced her figure as she was slipping her shirt back on. He had to stamp down a primal hunger that quickly rose up within him. 'Not now, Maru,' he reminded himself. 'She deserves you at your best. Give it time.'

Slipping his jacket off, Maru turned his eyes to the food she had prepared, but he waited until she was sitting down and had her food in hand before he started to partake. The slight smile that had only occasionally peeked out when they first met was not more consistent. It was still subdued, still muddled by the trauma of his past, but it was certainly a measurable improvement. Maru shook his head when Sayuri asked him about his day. "Neither, actually. I had Jousai duties today. We were cleaning and patrolling the inlet roads to the village for trade," he replied. Maru appreciated that her questions were more specific instead of being so generalized. He wasn't fully aware of exactly how considerate Sayuri was in how she was phrasing those inquiries, but he could sense she was making some effort to avoid upsetting him. The fact that she was even willing to take those measures endeared her all the more to him.

As they ate, Maru couldn't help but feel like he could do more for Sayuri. She never refrained from showing how much she appreciated him being around. Loneliness had been a stifling cage for her, and just like she helped him manage his grief and his pain, he gave her a refuge away from isolation. Still, he knew he was capable of more, and Sayuri shouldn't have to do everything emotionally. If she was there with him, and if he pushed himself just a little bit, it wasn't impossible that he could contribute more to their relationship, too. Taking a moment to swallow his food, he looked toward her. "Do you have any places you visit outside of the house when you're not working or on missions?" he asked, an unusually exploratory question for the normally reserved Maru.

[Willoria]

Sayuri leaned back into the couch with her plate, getting comfortable before she began to eat. She smiled as Maru answered her question. She was honestly glad to hear his answer, she had noticed he seemed more at ease when he had Jousai work, from what she'd noticed he seemed more at ease after a day with focused orders. Days that ended in him tearing down buildings meant he'd had to come up with his own work and his mind had been eating at him before he'd begun. Those days could be rougher at times. She had already learned so much about him, though her assessments were things she was learning as she went, playing things by ear and observation.

He asked her a question and she thought for a moment before shrugging. "I go to the market sometimes, when I don't want to come back to the empty house." she admitted quietly. "I don't really like crowds, but at the same time its better than being alone... but the best days there are when I can catch someone playing music." Suddenly a deep blush spread across her cheeks as Sayuri looked down. There was one thing no one really knew of her hobbies, not even her parents had known. "Sometimes... well, there's a couple of people who play sometimes that let me accompany them. Um. I sing. Sometimes."

[ShinobiTruth]

The first part of Sayuri's answer seemed par for the course. Given how much she hated being in the house by herself, the market seemed to be the easiest distraction from the solitude that didn't require long travel times. He was admittedly surprised to hear that Sayuri also didn't like crowds, especially since she commanded such a presence. Still, this suited him just fine. Right now, large crowds were still a source of agitation for Maru. It wasn't like his journey here today had been without incident anyways. The fact she preferred staying together here made things easier.

What did surprise him was what came next. She loved music. Needless to say, that presented... challenges.

Maru stared hard at the cup of tea in his hands, uncertain of what to do. He'd just barely avoided a panic attack on the way here because of music. It was entirely possible that the people Sayuri was referring to were the same ones playing the instruments in the market as he walked past. Vivid memories of the assassin, the spirit Dokka, that underground warehouse, and Mr. Seng were never far behind. There weren't many things that could easily undermine Maru's veneer of stoicism so quickly. It was the most profound betrayal he'd ever suffered, and the anger behind it wasn't something he'd been able to address... not in a safe way, at least.

Then again...

Maru's eyes shifted to Sayuri's, her bashful innocence so reminiscent of his own when he was younger. He remembered the steps he'd taken to make certain that his father never knew about his talent with stringed instruments. It was something that had been precious to him, a means by which to honor his mother's memory. And now he saw this darling woman shared a similar hobby. Perhaps the reasons were different, but her passion for it was so familiar. It would be hard, yes, but he'd just told himself that he wanted to do more to support her. If he wasn't willing to tackle his own demons to do so, would he ever truly live up to that commitment?

And so, it was with an unexpected determination that he responded to this new information after taking a draught of his tea. "...We should go to the market, then." The words came out slowly like he had to really think about what he was saying. But his eyes would reflect his uneasy resolve. "I want to hear you sing."

[Willoria]

Sayuri's blush only worsened as she noticed him staring into his cup of tea. She wondered if she had said something wrong, and looked at him in concern for a few moments as he sat there in silence. She set her plate down and sat up, looking at him as he finally looked at her and she waited to see what he might say. Something odd was in his gaze but she couldn't put her finger on it. He mentioned going to the market and her blush quickly returned. "I... are you sure?" she asked. "I mean... I've never, not in front of anyone I know anyway..."

She shrugged as she tried to put off her own nerves that had suddenly come up at the idea of singing in front of Maru. As much as she enjoyed singing, she didn't really think of herself as being very good at it. "I don't even know if anyone is playing right now, or at least anyone that I've sang with before..." She felt the excuses just pouring out before she could stop them and when she eventually fell quiet she was simply blushing, almost as red as a beet.

[ShinobiTruth]

If Maru had been determined before he'd asked the question, now he was almost adamant. Sayuri had always been the pillar between the two, Maru sometimes barely having the emotional intelligence to be little more than a statue. In both private moments and public, she was constantly protecting him and supporting him. Sayuri never asked anything of return other than Maru's companionship despite working so hard to help him with his problems. And now there was a way he could actually do something meaningful for her? There was no conceivable way he was going to let this opportunity slip by. Nope, not by a long shot.

He set his teacup down and slid closer to her, taking one of her hands into his own. Bringing her hand to his lips, he gently planted a kiss on it as he sought her eyes. "...These past two months, you've always been there for me, Sayuri, through hell or high water," he insisted. "For once, I want to do something for you. If singing is something you enjoy... then I want to support you in that."

This level of persistence was certainly new between them. Maru often spoke with a level of uncertainty in his voice. None of that was there now. Maru didn't want to think about what it would mean if he didn't resolutely stand beside her in this. No, this needed to happen, whatever it might cost him personally. "Please... let me hear you sing."

[Willoria]

Sayuri looked at him as he moved closer and even kissed her fingers. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath, nodding slowly as he made it clear he really did want to hear her sing. She had already shown him a great deal of her life in these two months that she had never shown anyone. Singing was something that she had literally never shared with anyone she knew, she had only ever done it in front of strangers. He asked her again, and finally she nodded, relenting. "Okay." she said quietly. "I... I need to change though. I never go... like this." she admitted before sliding off of the couch and making her way upstairs.

When she came back downstairs, she was dressed differently than usual. It was still something she was comfortable in, but different enough that she didn't quite look like herself. Her hair that she usually kept up and out of her way, she had down and loose, simply pulled over one shoulder in front of her as she walked down the stairs and back over to Maru. "Ready to go when you are." she told him quietly.

[ShinobiTruth]

Seeing Sayuri so reserved was definitely new. There was a battle waging inside of himself even as he watched her go up the stairs to change, still beet red. His motives were honest... but was he pushing her to do something she didn't really want to do? Or was it that she was simply bashful in performing in front of others? Perhaps he was making a mistake. It was hard to not cede way to doubt. If this went south, it would represent the first real rift in their relationship, one that Maru was desperate to protect. Right now, Sayuri meant more than almost anything to him. He didn't want to lose her just because of his personal insistence.

But his resolve held out. If this was because Sayuri found it embarrassing to sing around other people, then Maru didn't just want to do this. He had to do this and endure whatever discomfort might come from it personally. She'd never once sang in front of him. He wanted her to be comfortable in her own skin, especially since she worked so hard to do the same for him. He wasn't going to be a burden again. Not now. For once, she could look to him and expect him to be there when she felt vulnerable. He promised to himself he would not fail.

When she descended down the stairs, Maru found himself with a light blush again. Sayuri always looked radiant in whatever she wore, and this modest attire was no exception. He nodded before offering his arm to her, giving Sayuri a space to thread her arm through and hold onto him before stepping out of the house. They would make their way toward the market, though it was still a ways off. Maru began mentally preparing himself for what was to come, flashbacks and all. This wasn't going to be easy for him, either, even if he didn't say anything about it. But if it was for Sayuri, he was certain it would be worth it.

[Willoria]

Sayuri saw Maru blushing lightly and couldn't help that another small one of her own came to her face. She took his offered arm, looping hers through his to walk along with him as they left the house. She was practically hugging his arm nervously as they walked. One hand was up on his shoulder, the other on his forearm as they approached the market. She could hear quiet music begin as they got closer, and almost immediately she could recognize the sound and knew who was playing. "Sounds like Nezumi." she said quietly. "She's a friend, very talented." she added. "Lute, lyre, so many instruments, I swear she can play almost anything." Maru would likely hear an excitement start in her voice as she spoke. Her nerves slowly quieted as they got closer, and she could feel herself getting excited.

When the market came into view they'd see a raven haired woman playing her instrument in the center, seated on a stool. When Nezumi spotted Sayuri her face lit up and Sayuri herself felt like her stomach was doing flip flops in her body. Her grip on Maru tightened slightly as Nezumi almost immediately stopped what she was playing and started up with a new tune. Sayuri swallowed hard as she glanced at Maru briefly before fixing her gaze forward and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and listened for the right moment to begin singing.

"Shadows fall... and hope has fled... Steel your heart! The Dawn will come!"

[ShinobiTruth]

Maru knew she was nervous. She could feel it through her contact as she gripped him just a bit more tightly than usual. Seeing this vulnerable side of her was new, and the profound sense of gratitude that he felt for having enough of her trust to see wasn’t something Maru could put into words. He focused on her and on that gratitude as hard as he could.

He knew what was coming next.

Right on cue, the music hit his ears, and Maru felt a cable pull taut in his chest even before they caught sight of the person Sayuri identified as Nezumi. He managed to avoid any major shifts to his expression on his face, but his jaw reflexively clamped down as the memories started flooding in from the back of his mind. He put up a brave front, but he knew that without anything else to focus on, he would quickly falter and flounder into a full-blown panic attack.

Sayuri’s voice drifted into the air, and almost as if he was reading her mind, he closed his eyes, focusing on the simple beauty of her melody as she began to sing. Her voice didn’t make the terrible memories go away. There was no magic panacea that was going to instantly make everything better. But it gave him strength to fight against the torrent of vile, haunting memories that always came when he heard music. He couldn’t quite stop his heart from racing, yet he forced himself to remain rooted to the spot where she chose to sing. Her voice was wonderfully fresh and natural, like an uncut gem just waiting to be polished, and he wouldn’t allow himself to miss a second just because he was on the brink of a mental breakdown. Maru’s keen ears caught every word, every trill and staccato and committed them to memory.

Eventually, Sayuri’s voice trailed off, finished with her song, and the tension from his chest released as he exhaled. He didn’t realize his hands were lightly trembling, nor did he recognize that his breathing was just a touch off. He’d been subconsciously holding his breath. ”That was beautiful, Sayuri,” he offered quietly, his exertion at least somewhat visible.

[Willoria]

As Sayuri sang, she wasn't wholly unaware of what was going on with Maru at her side. She did lose herself in the music and the view of those around her, but as the song came to an end and she felt her focus return to the moment she became even more aware of him. Many were clapping and her friend Nezumi looked towards her. Sayuri made a discreet signal at her free side with a hand and Nezumi quickly went back to playing another song to draw the crowds attention while Sayuri turned her full attention to Maru. "Thank you." she replied to him quietly, moving in front of him as her hands moved to rest, palms flat, on his chest as she looked at him a moment. She could feel his breathing and something with his heart-rate as well.

She brought both of her hands up to gently cup his face in them as she fixed her eyes on his. "Are you alright?" she asked quietly. One hand moved back to his chest, the other remained on his cheek. The woman didn't have to look around to know the people around them were focused on Nezumi's music rather than on the two of them. "You with me?"

[ShinobiTruth]

Despite his best efforts, Maru didn’t make it through the performance unscathed. His eyes were still somewhat dilated even while he tried to regulate his breathing, a clear sign of a trauma response. What was even more telling to Sayuri was what she saw inside those eyes: pain. She knew him well enough to get the sense that she wasn’t the cause of it, but he’d never spoken hide nor hair to her of his neglected passion for music… and he certainly hadn’t told her the reason behind why it remained in its prison.

Maru feared she might think herself to be the cause of his struggle. Though he couldn’t reveal everything due to where they were, he could at least give her enough. Placing his hand over here upon his cheek, he inhaled and exhaled deeply before divulging. ”…I… I used to play instruments. My teacher… he used me to hurt many people,” he admitted softly, his hand still a touch shaky. ”It’s hard for me to hear them… but I didn’t want to let anger stop me from supporting you in something you love… and from learning to love it again someday.”

His eyes searched Sayuri’s, almost begging for forgiveness. Maru was deeply concerned that she might be upset that he didn’t say anything. But she deserved to be able to do the things she loved around him. His weakness wasn’t an excuse to curtail someone else’s life.

[Willoria]

Sayuri smiled gently as he explained things to her. She could understand why he came with her, and why he felt the way he did. Though she did feel like there had to be even more to the story. Her hand trailed down from his cheek, running down his chest and his side to eventually take up one of his hands in hers to gently pull him along with her. She carefully led him over to where Nezumi played. The other woman gave the pair a puzzled look but didn't say a word as Sayuri would try to coax Maru to sitting on the ground only a couple of feet away from where Nezumi played. There he could not only hear the music best, but see it best. She kept his hand in hers as she moved to kneel behind him, her other hand moving to one of his shoulders to gently pull him back a little so that his back was against her chest as Nezumi continued to play.

Sayuri leaned down slightly to whisper in his ear. "Remember, no matter what your teacher did or used you for, the music never used you." she told him. "You use the music, all it ever does for you is caress you, it holds you, just as I do." she told him, squeezing his shoulder lightly before straightening up a bit and beginning to sing with Nezumi's music again.

"May it be an evening star, shines down upon you. May it be when darkness falls your heart will be true. You walk a lonely road. Oh, how far you are from home."

[ShinobiTruth]

Some of the tension Maru had been holding in his shoulders released as Sayuri smiled at him. Good. He was afraid she might not understand. It was hard to separate the trigger from the memories. He remembered the events of those days so keenly, the sight of Mr. Seng being led away in chains. The white hot core in his chest had erupted that day, after everyone was gone. He'd never screamed with such rage as he had that day. It was the final straw that had broken him down while already dealing with his father's death and leading those slaves into captivity for the village. Mr. Seng was the only person who Maru had ever come to hate, more deeply than anything he'd ever felt up to that point. Everything he was associated with became anathema.

Thus, Maru couldn't help the uncertain look as Sayuri started leading him closer to the instrument and its player, but he didn't fight her even as she beckoned him to the ground with the gentle pressure only she knew would sway him. There was no ploy here. One of the women playing seemed just as confused as he was by how Sayuri was guiding him. When she pulled him back, he nearly caught himself fearing he would fall into nothing, but Sayuri was there to catch him. It was a good thing she was; he couldn't completely resist the impulse to tense up, and it was only her presence that staved off any worse reflexes.

Sayuri's words resonated in his ears, and though it wasn't comfortable to do so at first, he listened intently to the music. Sayuri's voice mixed with the music like seamlessly crossing threads through a fine tapestry. The images of the music shop didn't magically go away. They were still there, and they still hurt. But as the song progressed, he started remembering why he had started playing the koto and the harp in the first place. He remembered who had taught him: his mother. Those memories from his childhood also crept into that stream. They were moments of refuge within a barrage of pain, anger, and hate. He remembered the joy of watching her play. He would sit in her arms as a young boy, feeling her hands guide his own over the strings. And now... here. Watching the familiar movements of the strings, the heat of Sayuri's embrace and her rustic harmonious voice further soothed the sadness within him. This tide of hate wouldn't subside in a single day. No person had that power. But it was a start, and Maru relaxed into her embrace, his features visibly calming.

Maru reached up to clasp Sayuri's hand. None of this would have been possible without her. Before this, he had already adored her and admired her. He had already been infatuated. Now? It was more than any of those things.

This was the moment Iwamaru started to fall in love with Sayuri.

She'd feel the mountain of a man melt into her arms. She would finish her song, and Maru's panic subsided. Amidst the applause, Maru kissed the top of her hand yet again, pouring every bit of gratitude he had into the gesture. Hopefully, she would understand.

[Willoria]

As she sang, Sayuri smiled when she felt him melt against her. It had taken nearly the entire song for him to relax so much. She felt him kiss her hand as people applauded. She nodded to Nezumi who simply returned the gesture before Sayuri looked down at Maru. She leaned down, still kneeling over him, to kiss him gently before standing and offering a hand to help him up. Assuming he took it she'd simply take a moment to look at him, to see how he was doing. "Come on, lets go home." she said quietly before turning to lead the way back to the house. She knew she had been exposing him to something difficult for a period of time already and didn't want to push her luck. She needed to get him away from it for a bit, to where he could really relax, and naturally she had questions she was debating asking him.

She'd lead him back to the house, the fact that she had just sang for him hardly on her mind. What she was really thinking about was how she felt she had helped him through something. Those moments when she had been singing, and he had melted in her arms, she felt like she had finally found a way to truly help him. Perhaps in his hardest moments, when things were clearly chaos in his mind, she wondered if she could calm him in the same way.

[ShinobiTruth]

The mental strain this event had placed on Maru had drained him a bit more than he had expected. As Maru felt Sayuri’s lips press against his skin with a kiss, his eyes scanned the instrument this Nezumi was playing in a bit of a haze. It was a beautiful piece of woodwork, carefully etched and carved with tribal designs. Depictions of horned beasts and monsters lined the outermost parts of the lyre while lines of soldiers bordered the inside, almost like they were protecting the strings and fending off the creatures with their spears and shields.

That cloud of fatigue lifted for a spell as his eyes focused on that figure of the soldier carved into the instrument, unable to deny the familiarity he felt with the image. Where had he seen this before?

Sayuri’s words broke him from his staring, but the image was locked into his mind. He’d sort out the mystery of where he’d seen it before later. Taking her hand, she pulled him towards home, and Maru didn’t protest. As the music faded away, they were left to themselves again, the sound of footsteps the only sound to punctuate the silence. The touch of her hand was a reassurance. So long as she was here, Maru felt like he had a place to center and ground himself against these demons that had ruled his life for so long. He’d follow her wherever she would take him, knowing very likely it would be back home.

’Why do I recognize those images?’ he asked himself, unable to get the carving out of his mind.

[Willoria]

Sayuri felt her own shoulders relax as they walked into the house once more. It hadn't even dawned on her as of yet that when she had mentioned 'going home', she didn't see it just as her home in that moment. She didn't just see it as a safe place for herself anymore, or the empty tomb her parents had left it. She was starting to see it as a home she shared again, in spite of how short of a time she had known Maru. He was becoming a central part of her life very quickly. She led him into the house and closed the door behind them before going to make a fresh batch of tea for them and sitting on the couch, waiting for him to join her. He still looked a bit out of it, and she hadn't missed that.

She waited for him on the couch, a worried expression on her face as she watched him. "What's on your mind, Maru?" she asked him. When he'd inevitably come closer she reached out a hand for his, intertwining their fingers. She brushed her lips across his knuckles before looking at him again, the worried expression still on her face as she waited, silently hoping he'd explain what was on his mind.

[ShinobiTruth]

The couch was a welcome, familiar place, and Maru slid down on its cushions with a practiced ease. Despite all of the work Sayuri did around the house, she never complained. He knew he definitely didn’t make things easier on that front, at least not all of the time, but she eagerly tended to him almost like she looked forward to it. Maru deeply appreciated her for that in a way he couldn’t fully articulate, and he promised himself she wouldn’t bear that unfair burden for any longer than was necessary.

Sayuri’s fingers seamlessly intertwined with his own, and Maru beckoned her closer with a soft tug of her hand, pulling her into a gentle embrace. ”Well… there’s a lot, honestly,” Maru admitted, taking comfort in her touch and her scent. ”It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about Mr. Seng… and everything he did. He put malicious spirits inside of instruments and had me deliver them to other members of his criminal organization in exchange for free lessons. He didn’t tell me what was inside of them, of course, and I trusted him implicitly. All I knew was that I was helping someone I respected run his shop.”

He sought Sayuri’s eyes after a long pause. ”At some point, my connection became a liability to him… and he sent his personal assassin to kill me. He injected me with a spirit that started to corrode my veins and arteries while pushing illusions into my mind,” Maru confessed, clearly remembering the fear of that night. ”I didn’t even know who had sent him. I just remember being… so afraid. If Shizuo hadn’t been so close by, I would have died that day.”

[Willoria]

He pulled her in, and Sayuri wrapped her arms around him after shifting the way she sat so that she could be as close to him as possible while also being comfortable. As he began talking, she simply held him, though as he continued she shifted her positioning. She moved so that she was sitting beside him, putting her legs over his lap and wrapping one arm around behind him so that it was around his waist. She held him like this, her other free hand resting on his chest as he continued to talk. She looked up at him, working to stifle her own worry as she listened to him. What he was telling her obviously wasn't impossible, but even in the shinobi world it sounded insane. Such work would be risky, imagining the ire of so many malicious spirits, not to mention the ire of the village and the wrath such acts would incur.

And of course, thinking about what had been done to Maru personally made Sayuri's blood boil. She couldn't help that her fingertips dug at him slightly as he told her about the assassin, and about Shizuo saving his life. She had no idea who this Shizuo was, but suddenly she felt like she owed him a great deal, at the very least a drink. She reached up a hand and touched the side of his face gently. "I'm glad you made it out of all that." she said quietly, wholly unsure what else to say on the subject.

It took her a moment to process the entire story of Maru's horror, or at least of this one. "So he turned instruments into literal evil for you." she said quietly. "Maybe its time for you to see what they really are again... today was a good start."

[ShinobiTruth]

Sayuri's transparency with her feelings was refreshing to Maru's fatigued spirit. He didn't have to guess how she felt. Every gesture, every touch, every flash of her eyes spoke what was in her heart so clearly that there was no way to mistake it for anything else. Whether it was for politeness's sake or perhaps to avoid an awkward confrontation, Maru had learned to dislike such duplicity that he saw so commonly amongst others. He knew it wasn't normal for people to be so open, but for all of the emotional barriers he was fighting within himself to tear down, it spoke volumes that she was willing to be just as emotionally open and vulnerable as he was in those moments. Leaning into her hand, he closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the feeling of her skin on his cheek, exhaling deeply before meeting her eyes once again. "Shizuo and I found his warehouse and took down his operation... but I was so furious that I destroyed his old shop with a single blow. I poured every ounce of rage I had into that one punch... I hadn't let myself see them as anything else before today."

He sat quietly for a time, content with Sayuri's company as he held her close, one hand around her waist and the other on her knee. This was different from the first time they had met. There had been a sense of lust and passion behind his hands and their travels then. Now, though, his touch was more deliberate. It wasn't just hunger. Touching her was now a form of security. It brought peace to his scarred spirit. Before, he had touched her because he wanted her. This touch, though, meant so much more. He was past the want of lust: he needed her. His heart needed those golden eyes, that warm smile, the gentle sound of her songs, the peace her words brought. She had quickly become his world, and he simply hoped to be the earth upon which her eternal beauty walked.

It was now his turn to lean into the crook of her neck and rest against her. "Thank you, Sayuri. You endured discomfort for my sake. I don't ever want you to doubt how much that means to me," he told her softly, his breath tickling her neck as he basked in her warmth.

[Willoria]

Obviously Sayuri knew that Maru had the strength to take down buildings with his bare hands, it was quite literally how they had met. But hearing about him having such a rage was a bit unsettling. It simply wasn't something she could see in him at all, but at the same time she simply hadn't been through something the way he had been. She could only assume she didn't understand that rage because it was in the moment. Her mind worked to find something parallel that might help her to understand, and all she could think of was her father fleeing the village. It was the only thing that filled her with her own kind of rage.

She sat with him quietly, her arm around behind his back slipping under his shirt to feel his bare skin with her fingertips. She ran her hand back and forth across his lower back before gently running them up and down his spine. When he rest his head in the crook of her neck, she rest her cheek against the top of his head. She smiled as she felt his breath against her neck but stifled the feelings this brought with it. Her other hand continued to simply caress his cheek, her thumb periodically running across his lips as well. "I'd endure anything for you." she said quietly. "Discomfort is easy."

[ShinobiTruth]

These tender, quiet moments between the two of them had quickly become the most important part of Maru's day. He still didn't fully understand how someone who had been through the loss that Sayuri had endured could still be so loving, especially to the emotional wreck that he was. What he did know was that Sayuri was irreplaceable to him. It had only been a scant two months, yet even in that time, she'd changed his life considerably for the better. She had provided a stable space where he could be safe, where the judgments and scrutiny of those around him were absent. Despite how uncertain he had been when he first received that advice, Eriko had been right all along. In the most unlikely of places, he'd found someone who would fix the cracks in his heart with gold like kintsugi. One day, he hoped to bring Sayuri to meet her. Perhaps together, they might find a way for Maru to fulfill his promise to her and heal her wounded heart as well.

Sayuri's fingers on his skin were always enough to make him melt. Maru drew Sayuri into his lap, still snugly fit in her arms, relaxing even further into her touch if it was even possible. It was difficult to not plant tender kisses, one after the other, on her neck as he rest against her like this, but he held back, knowing what that could lead to. Mostly, at least. Maru knew she enjoyed it, and who was he to deny his darling such a small token of his affection? Thus, he did brush his lips against her neck in a single, sweet kiss before nestling his brow against her once more. His hand on her knee would slowly trace up and down her calf, fingertips sending tiny waves of pleasure up her leg.

Maru's mind drifted back to the market that had spawned this whole bonding session: the instruments, the strangely familiar etchings on the wood of that lyre, and Sayuri's gentle songs. "...I love your voice, Sayuri. It's simple. Pure. Beautiful," he reassured her. Emerald eyes would once again mix with gold as he sought her eyes. "Promise me that you'll never stop yourself from singing on my account. Your songs are a treasure to me, and I want to hear more."

[Willoria]

Sayuri couldn't help a deep blush as he complemented her singing. In spite of praise she got from strangers, somehow it felt as if she'd never received real praise for it until she heard it from his lips. "Any time you need to hear it, you only need to ask." she assured him. She nuzzled against him slightly, sighing in contentment. Though as she was finding was becoming their usual, while he was holding back, she found herself wanting more. She voiced nothing, still following Maru's lead as she intended to do, but when the chance came she still kissed him gently. Her hand shifting from his cheek to the back of his neck as it turned more passionate for a moment before she broke contact.

Her days with Maru felt entirely separate from her life as a shinobi for the moment. The violence of her training, and sometimes of her missions, was such a contrast to the time she spent with him. Slowly her home was becoming a world separate from her life, and not just upstairs in her bedroom which she had styled as a getaway. Somewhere in the back of her mind she started to wonder if it was time to work on the rest of the house, to finally begin to wipe away the touches left by her parents and make it completely her own.

[ShinobiTruth]

The taste of Sayuri's lips were sweeter than any honey, and in the moment, Maru could not resist their flavor. Maru's hand gently squeezed her waist by reflex as their lips touched. Though the kiss was brief, the passion and desire for each other that it communicated were unmistakable. He saw in her eyes how deeply she wanted to proceed to the next phase of their relationship. And Maru suspected that Sayuri realized he did not hold back due to a lack of desire or will. He still keenly remembered the first day they had met. The moments they had almost shared with each other that night was founded on a passion so potent that they likely would have shaken the very earth with their intimacy. His want and longing for her hadn't decreased in the slightest. Rather, it had grown and swelled further, and though he was skilled at maintaining that control, each passing day made it more difficult to resist that urge. It was only his principled temperance that held him back. He meant what he said: to give himself now would be to give only half of a man, less than what his beloved deserved. She deserved all of him, just as she was willing to give all of herself to him.

Yes. Beloved. He'd realized today exactly how much she meant to him. For the first time, he could say in his heart he truly loved her.

Looking around the room, Maru had already been having the same thoughts as Sayuri. He wasn't skilled in contracting, but he certainly had the muscle to provide. As he scanned the area, his eyes glowed. This floor was still a reminder of what had been, the family life she lost. Perhaps... perhaps he could help change that. Yes, this was the next step. This was another way he could give back to her. He could support her in a way that was meaningful. Still, she had done everything with the upper floor by herself, and though she freely shared this space with him, he didn't want to take anything for granted. Would she accept the proposal? Mustering the courage, Maru spoke. "Sayuri... do you think I could help you make this space more your own? I've not been trained in building things... but I'm strong, and I can learn if you teach me," he asked softly.

Hayabusa had taught his son scant little outside of his training as a shinobi. Perhaps he had intended to, but his wife's death had shattered him so profoundly that he simply hadn't had the will after her passing. Maru had to admit that there was some level of shame in admitting he didn't know something so basic, but he thought it better to introduce the elephant in the room than try to pitifully hide it behind an ill-suited curtain.

[Willoria]

Sayuri thought about it for a moment after Maru asked. It seemed both had been thinking on the same wavelength somehow. She looked around the room at her father's trophies from his hunts, a couple of display cases of her mother's instruments. The room really felt like a tomb, a memorium to two people who were gone. Her father had left them behind and he had taken her mother with him. For a moment it was Sayuri's wall that faltered as she looked around and memories washed over her. A tear slipped down her cheek. Part of her didn't want to part with any of it, part of her wanted all of it gone to the point of suddenly feeling an urge to tear it off the walls. She stopped the traveling of her fingertips over Maru's back and for a moment her fingers gripped him instead.

But in the end she nodded slowly. "Yeah... I think its time." she said quietly, sniffling before she realized she had been tearing up already. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "This place smells dusty, musty... like a tomb. It's past time I fix that." she said quietly, turning to look at Maru a moment. "What touches would you want to add?" she asked as she tried to smile in spite of the tears. "This is your home too now you know..."

[ShinobiTruth]

Maru felt the shift in Sayuri's countenance before he fully recognized what it was, a slight change in her heartbeat and a momentary tension in her breathing signs enough to understand that something had changed within her even before her fingers gripped his back. Looking back at her golden eyes, he saw a listlessness he'd never seen before, uncertainty so foreign to her gentle confidence. And as her eyes glassed over with inevitable tears, he gently put the back of his hand to her cheek to catch the very first one that fell. This... this was her vulnerability, her agony. All this time, Sayuri had been clinging to it and to the memories of pleasant times now past, so unjustly stolen from her. Had she truly even grieved? Now that he saw this pain within her, Maru's heart yearned to console her, and he could not stop tears of his own from welling up. Finally, after all of this time, his wish to be her crag, her rock of refuge, was granted. She would not be alone to carry that burden anymore. He would share everything with her now, both the misery and the joy. She would never be alone again. He swore it upon his very life.

Maru planted a gentle kiss upon her brow, his own eyes misty from tears as he cupped Sayuri's face in his hands. "You're not alone anymore, my sunshine, my starlight. We'll decide those things together, you and I," he whispered to her before bringing her head to his chest to cradle her in his arms. "As long as you're here to share it with me, anything will do."

He wouldn't insult the moment with further talk, instead content to hold her and plant occasional kisses on the crown of her head, her hair's perfumed shampoo practically branding itself to his senses and memory. He would never let himself forget her scent. It was more than just a pleasant smell at this point. As Sayuri had just said...

She smelled like home.

[Willoria]

Sayuri looked into Maru's eyes and smiled. She didn't say anything in return as he held her head against his chest and cradled her. She let herself be held, taking a deep breath to enjoy his scent, and listening to the sound of his heartbeat as well. Her smile lingered and once more she found herself smiling happily as she silently thought through ideas of just what she could do to change the decor of the room. Already her mind worked through ideas and a thought came to her. "What instrument did you play?" she asked him quietly.

When she finally did sit up, she'd kiss him gently before standing from the couch to offer him a hand to join her. "We should sleep." she said quietly. "Long day tomorrow..." she added. "I have some research and training to see to, I'll probably be out in the caves for half the day and holed up in the study for the rest of it...." She led the way up the stairs towards the bedroom.

She started getting ready for bed, simply washing her face and hands and letting her hair down. When she made her way over to her dresser she started to undress as she did every night. Ever since Maru had joined her in her home however she had changed one part of her nightly routine. She had started going to bed at least in a simple shirt and underwear or shorts. But as she watched Maru walk by towards the bed, she found herself wanting to go back to her usual routine. She wasn't entirely comfortable sleeping the way she was, she had always felt completely secure in herself in her home and it dawned on her that she should still be comfortable in her home. But the thought made her blush lightly, made her nervous, but also made her smirk slightly. Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she slipped out of what remained of her clothes and walked over to the bed to slip under the covers.

[ShinobiTruth]

These quiet moments weren't rare, but Maru always enjoyed them. It felt like he and Sayuri could tell each other so much without uttering so much as a single word. Their speech came through other methods: their breathing, their touch, the looks they gave one another... so little noise but so many ways they could talk. Her fluttering heart settled as they simply took comfort in each other's company. After a spell, Sayuri finally broke her silence with a question, one which took his mind back to today's events... and that peculiar imagery on that lyre. "I play the harp... and the koto," he responded. "I remember she would always take some time out of her day to play. She'd guide my hands over the strings as a boy... and eventually, she taught me how to play when I was old enough."

Ah, those lips. He would never tire of their supple touch and their warmth as he returned Sayuri's kiss. At her behest, Maru took her hand and followed her upstairs, rising up to the now much more familiar room. Waiting for Sayuri to finish washing her face first, Maru would take his turn, rinsing his face and hands as well before removing his thermal shirt and his pants, now left with boxer briefs. He would slip under the covers first, awaiting his beloved's arrival to bed.

Maru kept his eyes locked on Sayuri as he waited for her to join him, and he noticed an unusual pause. She normally did not hesitate in her bedtime routine, especially if she had an early day. One thing his beloved valued was her sleep. Maru wouldn't have to wait long to see the reason behind this, and his heart quickened at what unfolded next: in the glow of the moonlight, Sayuri's clothes slid softly to the floor one article after the other with deliberate intent. Maru swallowed hard and his cheeks flushed with fire as he eventually watched her clothing fall to the floor one piece after the other. She turned toward the bed to slip under the covers, and Maru branded the image of beauty he saw to his memory. Every curve, every peak, every contour. Not a single detail would be forgotten.

To say he was excited was an understatement, and that was before she laid herself against him. The touch of her bare skin against his own was a sensation from another world. It took all of his willpower to not let his curious fingers travel to places they hadn't already been, but he would drink in this warmth like the finest of wines, his hands softly tracing down her hip and the outside of her leg. He'd stare deeply into her eyes, heart beating out of his chest. It occurred to Maru that he hadn't ever been as bare as he was now before her, either. Despite Sayuri’s habit of touching his chest, shoulders, and back, he suddenly found himself quite nervous, wanting to measure up to her tastes.

He would not break. He swore to himself he wouldn't. But this certainly would be the toughest challenge to his resolve he had faced until now. Whatever fascination with musics or carvings were forgotten in the moment, the intimacy of the here and now fully captivating his every sense...

[Willoria]

Sayuri had her own blush that had worked its way up to the tips of her ears by time she had climbed in bed with him. Her first day with him she had thought that this state of undress would have been a 'point of no return', and now here she was hoping that her desire to be comfortable wouldn't turn into her inadvertently taking him down a path he wasn't ready to go. She curled up against him and looked into his eyes as she questioned herself, and silently questioned him. She leaned forward and kissed him gently, but refrained from kissing him passionately for the moment. She reminded herself that they were there for sleep, not for the physical, even if she was finding a new sense of comfort in his arms.

When she broke the kiss, she rest her head on his shoulder, a hand on his chest as she traced an invisible design on his skin and sighed heavily. Her eyes closed as she felt sleeping calling in spite of her other desires. Yet as sleep and the land of dreams called she still found her lips forming words she hadn't intended to say aloud just yet, and still felt at her core.

"I love you, Maru."

[ShinobiTruth]

Even as Sayuri rested against him, finally comfortable enough in her own skin around him to not force herself to change, Maru chastised himself for allowing his thoughts to wander as quickly as they had. He realized how juvenile he was being. She knew well how much he'd kept his baser instincts in check. It wasn't like she hadn't wanted to take things just as far as he had wanted to on that first day they met. Yet, despite all of that, she'd shown nothing but respect for his wishes. And as Sayuri lifted her head towards him and softly kissed him, Maru returned it in kind, those primal urges fading into the background. She trusted him enough to lay with him uninhibited, hiding nothing of herself from him, and he came to understand how much that meant to him. He was the only person who got to see her like this, the only one she felt safe enough to be around like this. Her faith in him was implicit, and he promised himself he would not betray her. He would not be a hypocrite, especially not toward Sayuri.

Maru often fell asleep only after he felt the rhythmic touch of Sayuri's breath upon his chest, a sure sign she was deep in slumber. He couldn't help but want to keep watch. It was in his nature to protect, and there was no one he wanted to protect more than this woman lying next to him. His fingers gently ran up and down the curve of her back, reciprocating the tracing of shapes she had become so fond of doing upon his bare chest. His mind drifted back to Sayuri's pure, rustic songs and started committing them to memory. If he could summon the will to play the koto once more, he wanted to learn them so she could sing. Perhaps she would feel more comfortable with singing if he-

"I love you, Maru."

His ears heard the words before his mind understood. And the realization came shortly after understanding, each stage visibly crossing his features. Wh...What? She... she what? Maru's eyes glowed as they looked down and beheld the sleeping Sayuri in wonder. He was left breathless. How... How long had it been since he'd heard those words? And this was even more fundamental than a parent's love for a child. This was something he'd never felt before, and for a moment he was lost in a whirlwind of emotions ripping through his conscience. Eventually, his mind settled, and he could not help the silent tears that came to his eyes. In an instant, the worry and the weight that was constantly on his shoulders lifted away. The walls were gone, the stoicism that dominated every facet of his life up to this point disappeared, even if only for this moment. For the first time, the real Maru was free.

A beaming smile shining through his tearful joy, he leaned down and kissed her on the brow.

"I love you, too, Sayuri."