[ml1201]

"Itsoo? You're slurring a bit there. Its oo...do you mean its you?" Once she finishes undressing him she starts to undress herself. "I'm actually a little surprised that you let yourself get lost in your drink. From what I've learned of you over the past few days its not a habit you have. Normally you're pretty level headed, even though both of us are not used to being outside of our clans."

Folding both of their robes neatly she sets them in a cubby, then grabs towels for each of them along with soap for him.

[CycloneKira]

Akira is able to process Yusa's words, but only barely. He listens to what she says, but only half of it reaches him.

"Itsoo," he says again. "You... lost... my drink..." He is unable to form proper sentences anymore. He meant to say that he lost himself in the sake because of her. Or rather his feelings for her. He feels like it is wrong to have such thoughts because he has only just met her. But he cannot possibly form such long sentences at this point, to explain to her. He just sits there in silence, stealing a few glances at Yusa from time to time.

[ml1201]

Trying to not show that's this conversation is making her sad, Yusa puts all the stuff into one of the buckets and carries it under one arm while she helps Akira up and leads him to the baths.

"Sorry that my family problems have upset you like this, unfortunately it seemed unavoidable with how things were going." After easing him into the water she sets the bucket down and takes out the soap and towels, setting them to the side. She gets in the water with Akira, using the bucket to scoop up some water and carefully wets his hair with the water.

"I'm just glad that you're letting me travel with you, besides what's happened because of my father I've been having a lot of fun."

[CycloneKira]

Akira looks at her, looking confused as Yusa eases him into the water. What is she talking about? Her family problems don't bother him in the least. At least, not anymore, it's ancient history now. He can't help but think about how beautiful she is, as she wets his long hair using the bucket.

Then he frowns a little as she seems a little sad, and his thoughts run mile-a-minute, with the alcohol stooping his brain from repressing them.

Why is she sad? Where did the smile go? He wants to see her happy and smiling. Ah, never mind, he'll just put one on her face, then she'll look pretty again. He reaches out to her face and pulls the ends of her lips upwards, in a lopsided smile. He seems satisfied with it, however.

"There, pretty," he says, grinning.

[ml1201]

She stares at him for a moment, then cracks up laughing, "Well, you sure are interesting when you're drunk, that's for sure. Now let me wash your hair for you." Smiling softly while laughing to herself about his antics. She putting some shampoo in her hands and starts lathering it into this head.

"You know, what with all my family trouble and all, it's got me wondering about your family."

[CycloneKira]

Akira smiles widely when she sees that she's laughing. He's happy to see her like that. He lets her lather the shampoo onto his hair. At her question, he tilts his head to the side.

After thinking for a moment, he finally says, "My family is big. Very big." He is starting to feel a little sleepy, but is kept awake by Yusa scrubbing his hair.

[ml1201]

"Well, if you mean your clan, then yes, that would be big. But I mean like parents and stuff. You've mentioned them in passing before, but you don't really talk about them. Now close your eyes and tilt your head forward, I need to rinse your hair." She fills the bucket with she dumps water on his head to rinse out the shampoo.

[CycloneKira]

Akira is silent for a moment as he obeys Yusa and tilts his head. His attitude takes a complete turn. "I don't remember," he says, slowly. "Hiroki and Sayuri Koga took care of me when he found me at the age of eight." His eyes get a distant look as he remembers that fateful day. "My parents."

Now that he has started, he can't stop. He continues to talk about his parents. "My father found me on the streets. I had tried to steal from him on that day. I was not always a thief. Street life forces you to do things. His... men... would have killed me if it weren't for him. He saw potential in me." He falls silent again.

"My mother couldn't bear him any children of his own. Still, she treated me like her own son. She gave me the love that a mother would have given her real son." His speech slows even more. "I... owe them... so much..."

[ml1201]

She listens to him as she continues to rinse his hair, when she's down she gently wraps her arms around him, "I'm glad they loved you so much, they probably wanted you to be happy no matter what. Have you thought of possibly visiting them in the future? To tell them stories of the places you've been and the things that you've seen? I think that would probably make them really happy finding out about all the things you've experienced."

[CycloneKira]

"Yes. I will see them. My father said that I was welcome at all times." Akira tells her as he feels her hands around him, making him blush a little. He continues to talk, pouring his heart out to her, even though he has only just met her.

"The Koga elders were nice too. My grandmother, especially." He laughs as he thinks about Hiroki Koga's mother. "She would laugh so much if she could see me right now." He put on a face, imitating his grandmother. "Ha ha, look at you! The great Akira Koga, smiter of the devil himself, goes weak in front of a woman!"

He laughed out loud, still imitating his grandmother. He had no idea that his sentence was a dead give-away. He was too busy laughing to notice.

[ml1201]

Smiling, she enjoys hearing about his family, but stiffens a bit when he imitates his grandmother, her mind running a million miles a minute. Going weak in front of a woman? He hasn't done so in front of women that I've seen. Unless... Letting go she nervously moves so that she's in front of Akira, facing him.

"Akira, you weren't drinking because you were worried about me, were you? Do you..." she tries to say like while blushing, and can't get the word out for some reason, it just feels like her throat keeps closing up on her for some reason. She's never experienced this before and doesn't know what to do.

[CycloneKira]

Akira's laughs slowly die down as the sleepiness from earlier makes its presence felt. He yawns widely and looks at Yusa, who is now in front of him. She has gone beet red for some reason, but Akira likes it. He smiles sleepily at her. She doesn't complete her question, making Akira wonder what she's talking about, but the sleepiness is getting to him.

"I'm sleepy," he says to her, finally. "Can we go to bed?" His face resembles that of an innocent child.

[ml1201]

Still red from embarrassment she sighs and shakes her head, "Alright, let me help you out so you can get some sleep." Helping him keep his balance while he gets out she's having a hard time looking at him without blushing. Using the towels she dries them both off and gets their robes on, helping him back to their room.

Upon entering she realizes that neither futon is set up for them to sleep, not having anticipated Akira drinking like he did. Sighing she sets him against the wall, "I have to get the beds set up, but as soon as I'm done we can go to sleep." Without even waiting for him to respond she moves the stuff in the room out of the way so she can get the first futon laid out, laying it neatly on the one side of the screen.

[CycloneKira]

Akira holds on to Yusa as she guides him into their room, enjoying the fact that they are so close to each other. He would never have allowed such thoughts to come to him if he weren't drunk. Even if they did, he would have pushed them out.

Once inside the room, he waits as she spreads the futons out so that they can go to sleep. He immediately goes to lie down, unable to handle the sleepiness. Once Yusa is done ans she lies down on the bed herself, he puts his arm around her, holding her close, and slowly drifts off to sleep in that position.

[ml1201]

Yusa senses Akira coming over to the futon, but is surprised when he pulls her down with him to sleep, latching onto her. She tries to wiggle out of his reach so she can make her own bed, but can't get out without waking Akira up. Eventually she gives up and just falls asleep next to him, snuggling closer to him in her sleep.

[CycloneKira]

The next morning, Akira wakes up sleepily, initially unable to see anything clearly. He freezes and goes red when his vision clears up and he sees the position he's in. And it all comes back to him in a flash. The drinking. The going crazy. The baths...

Even so, he can't resist watching Yusa's sleeping figure for a while. Then, after a few minutes, he carefully gets up, taking great care not to wake her up.

He sits up and thinks for a moment.

I went too far yesterday. This has to stop. I might have to ask her to go her own way. But how can I do that?

His face is a little grim as he thinks. Finally, he just decides to act as though nothing happened. He could easily pretend as though he doesn't remember what happened last night.