[D8 LE Yasu's Room] Soft Rain, Soft Words

[Susaki Tanabe]

There is a sadness to his gaze it is hard to fight. When your rock, your one tells you of the connection they have with another. But he squeezed her back just as strong she would not see the first depth of sadness as they embraced tightly the thought of the Deer finding another match her, as always, brings troubled thoughts coupled with her admissions it is a lot for him.

But the Otter is adept at dealing with bad news and absorbs the blow quickly. When they do separate a little the sadness is less raw but it is there.

[Kuni Yasu]

Her own eyes well to see that ache in him, hand coming up to cup his cheek. "I'm sorry. For this...maybe I'd lie to you, if I could. I love you so much my chest aches with the size of it," there's a bit of smile that can't quite be suppressed at that.

"I had a choice, and chose you. I didn't just..." she shakes her head and pulls him close again in a fierce hug. "Does it make sense that it feels more real because I had to chose? Because it's not all this...too good to be true thing that I just fell into?"

[Susaki Tanabe]

He sees her eyes Well and his own pain is chased away by concern for her a soft smile on his lips he now rubs her back in rhythmic reassuring motions as she talks "and I am glad you did." He said his voice soft as they hug fiercely "I....I can understand, a little, but not a lot."

He looked down at her and his smile was a bit wider. His hand came to cup her cheek, his big warm brown eyes looked into her dark ones "because I never had a choice Yasu. It was always you. I was drawn to you the moment I met you. You are my one." He leaned down to kiss her it was soft yet full of urgency, love and tender care as the kiss broke He pushed his forehead to hers his voice low and thick with emotion "and its the realest thing I've ever felt." He nearly whispered in the scant space between them.

[Kuni Yasu]

Her hands can't seem to settle, stroking down his back, up into his hair as they kiss, applying no pressure as she breathes into the tenderness at the heart of what's between them, then tightening to press closer as he speaks. There's a moment of concern, for what that means for him if they don't leave this festival together. Another breath sets it aside, refusing to borrow grief from the uncertain future.

"I spent the day after that kiss in the bath, wondering if *that* was real. How you dared." Eye to eye like this, the rest of the world feels very distant. "Now? It doesn't feel like this could've begun any other way. Gives me some hope that it's part of that strange alchemy the Deer are said to have, and that they can't fail to recognize it."

[Susaki Tanabe]

He smiles, his lips curling into an expression of warmth but also a little mischief on the edge of it "I could not help myself. You stirred something within me something I hadn't known was there. You drew me in and intrigued me."

He chuckled lightly "I cannot say if it was Deer magics or not but I know everytime I saw you my heart sped up, my smile became brighter, it was something undeniable." He thought for a moment "I had seen plays and heard poems of love talking about how you just know it when you feel it, I never understood that. I never got how you could just see someone or have a conversation and fall in love. I thought surely love had to be built or it just happened over time with someone you like."

His hand came up to her cheek his large thumb tracing her cheekbone lightly "but then I kissed you and I got it, I understood. I didn't know it then but I fell for you Yasu. You weren't my first kiss you weren't my first crush I'd done that before felt what those fleeting moments of attraction were like this was, this is something deeper than that."

He shook his head ruefully his lips still curled into a smile "I don't know if any of that makes sense. I'm no poet or Courtier or philosopher. I am a simple man that knows one thing."

He looked her in the eyes full of warm caring and Sincerity "I love you Kuni Yasu, and I will love you until I draw my last breath."

[Kuni Yasu]

"That's as much of a poem as I'll ever need." Leaning in with an enigmatic, very Kuni smile, she adds, "and it's so smart to limit that to your last breath, past that and there's problems."

"You were very nearly my first kiss, and shone so brightly," she says, the words just brushing his lips. Pulling back just a little, her dark eyes are thoughtful, fixed on his. This close, he can't see her small smile, but there's a decision in her eyes and they crease at the corners as her smile widens.

Bringing her hands to his shoulders, she lifts up a bit to kiss his forehead. "Thank you for seeing me. As long as my heart is my own, I will love you, Susaki Tanabe." Shifting to rest a hand on his chest, she continues, "I will guard this soul that loves you for as long as I'm able." The other hand comes up to his cheek as her dark eyes find the warmth in his, "and protect yours with everything I have."

It's quiet ritual of a sort, sealed with her lips on his, soft but insistent.

[Susaki Tanabe]

He listenes a hint of humor at her comment about what happens after his last breath. The rest is listened to intently and as she touches him as she speaks his lips retain a warm smile on them and as she makes her vows he nods.

As their lips meet he is no less insistent then she his arms coming around her and pulling her to him gently. her ritual, their vows, sealed with a kiss under the stars and soft rain fall on the roof.

As with all things the moment must move on no matter how dear, how beautiful it is a moment is just that there one second and gone the next. Eventually that beautiful sealing kiss is over and they separate. "I am so glad to have met you." Were his soft words as he leaned back from her. It seems obvious but it was what he was thinking in the moment.

He picks up his tea and takes a sip of it enjoying the cooling sensation. He looks to Yasu "So when we are married and I join the Crab, what will my duties be most likely? What do most people in your family do if they aren't able to speak with the kami?"

[Kuni Yasu]

She nods as the moment shifts, smiling softly as he speaks as if it's a foregone conclusion that they'll be wed. It's soothing.

"Even those who can speak to the kami don't all do the same things. The rest do...almost anything you'd expect a family to need done, not all of their roles keep them nearby though. The consorts are often away, for example, or were before da's injuries set him to teaching and crafts." She curls up to rest her head on his knee as she had that evening at the geisha house, which seemed so long ago. "You've a size and strength that'd allow you to train with the Hida if you wanted, or.. the Yasuki train yojimbo for the families," there's a small crease to her brow there, but she continues on.

"Would make sense to include your skill at sumai in the negotiations though. Competing would keep you away a lot," there's a soft ache to her voice at the idea. "But that's part of you that I love. Your talent, and joy in it." She reaches to twine her fingers with his. "And it's good for the clan, draws goodwill. support."

[Susaki Tanabe]

And much like that night in the geisha house his hand rested on her hip. He gently rubbed her side and onto that generous curve as she spoke thinking about her words with a slight frown "Well hopefully it wouldn't keep me away too often but it wasn't my main duty among the Otter yet so perhaps the Crab would use me differently."

He continued the gentle motion for a while longer "I hope they give me a duty that keeps me close to you. Do the Kuni ever have yojimbo? I know you are trained to fight as well as study but I'd think being your yojimbo would make me the most happy. So I could protect you and you me. Fighting that good fight side by side." He said in hopeful tones.

[Kuni Yasu]

She squeezes his hand, bringing their joined hands to rest on his other knee. "That's not often how it goes, but I understand the appeal." There's a slow, measured breath. "I won't doubt your courage for such things, or that you can...hmm...focus on the work instead of distractions." There's a smile in her voice at the last, absent when she speaks again, squeezing his hand.

"But there are more non-physical threats than I think you've run into with your current service. Some are such that you could end up guarding others from me, rather than the reverse." She pauses a moment, letting him chase his own conclusions a moment. "And if that were just, tossing me in the dirt, I've got no doubt you would. If it means my death, though, can you be the one in that position?" There's no sense that she's judging his answer, just continuing to make clear what he's getting into.