31_days | My first post, and first 'date' story!

Title: And the Truth Shall Set You Free
Day/Theme: Jan 30th - "I'll make you true."
Series: SAMURAI 7 (set just before the ending of the series)
Character/Pairing: Shimada Kambei/Kakita Nasami
Rating: PG
Note: For those not familiar with the anime SAMURAI 7, this is spoiler-ish. This is also very much based on my SAMURAI 7 novel The Sword of the Soul, for those interested in reading more on the adventures of Nasami and the Seven.

Cheers,
Michelle
aka
Samurai_ko

Shimada Kambei stalked angrily to the edge of Kanna Village, climbing the hill that led to the graves of his companions. Once there, he paused before the four mounds that lay there, swords standing proudly atop each of them, and he sighed deeply.

He drew his own katana from the saya at its side, and drove it into the dirt above Kyuzo's grave, then sank down to sit cross-legged before the grave, staring moodily at the sky.

"I am sorry I could not keep my first promise to you," he said softly, gazing up at the moon. "I will never forget that we still have a score to settle... that there was unfinished business between us. But I... I did keep my second promise." He bowed his head and sighed. "I told her that I loved her."

Kambei wearily rubbed his temples, fighting off the headache that was growing there from exhaustion.

"And... I know that she loves me. But I am ronin... so why was it so important to you that I tell her how I feel? We both knew... we all knew that such a thing can never be."

"That's not true," he heard from behind him, and he turned to see Nasami, carried by Shichiroji, making her way up the hill. Carefully, the lanky blond samurai set her on her feet and helped her sit, then he took the sword she handed him, and he drove it into the soil on the grave before taking a seat himself.

"Give me one reason why you should regret tellling me the truth," the samuraiko asked, gazing intently at Kambei.

"I am ronin," he said softly, not looking at her.

"That's not good enough."

Angrily he turned to face her. "I have nothing to offer you. No name, no pride, no wealth, no lands... you have everything you could possibly ask for."

"I don't want wealth and land, fortune and fame," Nasami sighed, idly combing her fingers through her long white hair. "I already have all that. What I do not have, and what I want, is you. Just you."

"Your family will never allow it."

"They will."

"You're pretty confident," Shichiroji remarked, glancing over at her. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because I have done enough for them, and never once have I asked for anything. My Clan deals in favors. And they owe me."

Kambei looked away once again. "You deserve better than me, Nasami."

Abruptly she pulled her saya from her obi and as quickly as a striking snake, whacked him across the back of the head with it.

"Damn it, what was that for?" he shouted.

"That was for lying to me."

"I wasn't lying!"

She hit him again, and Shichiroji laughed.

Kambei glared at him. "And what do you find so amusing about all of this?"

"That for once, you've finally found someone more strong-willed than you are. You two are perfect for each other, can't you see that?"

"Shut up," Kambei growled.

"Roji-san's right, you know," Nasami said with a grin.

"Nasami-"

"Well, you either lied then, or you're lying now. So which is it?"

"I'm not lying!" he shouted in frustration.

"So you don't love me?"

"No-"

"You don't want me?"

"No-"

"You don't want to marry me?"

"Nasami-"

"You don't like the way I smell?"

Kambei groaned, knowing full well that Nasami's unique sandalwood scent was one of the things about her that could always distract him from whatever he was doing.

"No-"

"I'm a lousy kisser?"

"God, no!"

"I'm too short?"

"What has that got to do with it?"

"So then why?"

He groaned again and rested his head in his hands.

"I... I just can't."

He lifted his head to look at her, and winced at the pain he saw there in her eyes.

"Do you love me?" There was no avoiding the point-blank question, nor the expression in her eyes.

Kambei sighed and bowed his head again.

"Yes."

"Do you want to marry me?"

"Yes," he said again, his voice softer.

"Do you believe that I love you, and want to marry you?"

"Yes." This time his voice was barely audible.

"Then what's the problem?"

Kambei startled himself by laughing. "You know, I had no idea you were this pushy."

"You'll be forever discovering such things about me," Nasami said cheerfully.

Kambei liked the 'forever' part of that idea.

"Come on, Kambei-sama, you know you want this, too," Shichiroji teased. "Besides, I can't be the only one with a beautiful mate, you know!"

"Flatterer," Nasami murmured, elbowing him. Then she looked back at Kambei.

"So?"

"So... what?" he asked her.

"What have we just been talking about for the last ten minutes?" she asked in exasperation.

"You did ask a lot of questions," he told her, a smile playing around his mouth.

"Fine, answer any of them."

"Well..." He reached for her, drawing her into his arms, and kissing her until she could hardly breathe.

"Um, Kambei-sama..."

Kambei and Nasami both ignored him, and Shichiroji chuckled.

"Maybe I should just go." Grinning widely, Shichiroji got to his feet and made his way back down the hill.

When she was finally able to come up for air, Nasami gasped, "And that was the answer to which question?"

"Whether or not I love you."

"Ah... and the other questions?"

"As for whether or not I want you, for example?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Well..."

Things got real quiet after that.