The Day of Thunder

Hikaru closed his eyes as Satsuki leaned her head against his chest. Tilting his head, he kissed the top of her head. He wondered if she could hear the steady beat of his heart through his thick kimono.

"It was rather like that." Hikaru said, speaking softly; he knew he could whisper, and she would still hear him. "I travelled the Empire looking for a cure for Doji, and later, to fight the corruption. As I travelled, people would ask me for assistance. Sometimes, they would not ask, but I would help if it was needed anyway." Pride or fear, two things that might keep someone from approaching a samurai.

His pale eyes met her green, locking him in as thoroughly as her hands linked around his neck. He leaned in, kissing her, lingeringly and tenderly, sighing pleasantly as their lips parted. "We are quite different, you and I." He said, his voice still soft. "And yet, we are much the same." From his tone and expression, it seemed as though this thought pleased him.

She felt more the warmth of his body than she could hear the beating of his heart, as she was always more in tune to warmth and heat. "And you helped those people because you're a good person. And you continue to do what you can for Doji because you're a good person," she murmured into his clothes, the words vibrating gently against his form.

Her green eyes closed as they kissed, and the lips remained in the shape of a content smile in the aftermath. "I think it's good to have some differences. That way, we can improve eachother more, or something like that."

Hikaru closed his eyes, savoring the feeling. "Satsuki..." He whispered, full of feeling. There were so many things he wanted to tell her, but the words wouldn't come. He'd never been good at expressing himself without a brush in his hands, or... something.

The comment made him smile. "Yes. We shall." The smile grew. "And while it pains me to say, at this moment, we should focus on improving each others' swordsmanship. That image of Lady Anjing suddenly appearing is very much on my mind once more."

There was no need for words for a moment for her, and she relished in the senses of hearing him whisper her name like that. Her embrace tightened a little as she hugged him more closely.

"Hmmm, right, right. I do need you to be in your best shape without broken legs or arms, if you're going to finish your quest," Satsuki murmured warmly, her lips smirking at the little joke. Another brief kiss was exchanged before she let go.

"Back to training then!" Arms outstretched reached for the sky to limber up again, ready to get back to practice.

Hikaru smiled. "As though that would stop me." It was only half a joke.

One more shared kiss, and though Hikaru found it difficult to stop there, it was back to training...

/fadetoSWORRRRD