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It had surprised Hayato, that on naming his province of origin, Ooshiro Mugen had told him how sorry he was about his clan's demise.
Maybe it shouldn't have surprised him; Samurai were basically nobility after all, nothing like Hayato, a man without a clan name. Mugen recieved orders directly from the shogun, was clearly a loyal and trusted retainer - of course he would know much of what happened over the country. Perhaps for tactical reasons.
It still had surprised him anyway, that Mugen had taken the time to find out, even if it might well have been for getting to understand the people around him, his subordinates better.
Tactical. Strategic. right?
But Hayato couldn't help remembering the heavy warmth of Mugan's strong hand on his shoulder in that small, smokey bar, the way his eyes had been dark and sympathetic.
There were plenty of reasons to think that Mugen's investigating Hayato's background was entirely strategic and not at all personal, but Mugen's gaze had been anything but.
And even then...
Hayato was younger than Mugen, yes, and there was definite power and strength in those hands and shoulders that would move anyone with a heartbeat.
But Hayato was no beautiful youth; he was younger but not that much younger. He was, as he'd told Yuki-chan, a grown-up man. Nothing of youth's beauty clung about his features, and haven't, for a long time. Maybe a decade ago, he might flatter himself that he was desired in such a way, but not now. Battle-hardened, cynical and scarred, he was nothing desirable to someone like Ooshiro Mugen, a man with a proper clan and the ear of the Shogun.
So it was ridiculous to be tongue-tied when Mugen told him, very kindly, warm and off-hand, that Yuki-chan was to be his student. That'd he'd promised on his behalf that he would be the little feral urchin's sensei. Just as he'd been tongue-tied when Mugen had asked him to make a grappling hook for the girl, tongue-tied and unable to say anything else but no.
(But then, you didn't say no to samurai, did you ? He had an excuse. he did.)
He should have said no to the girl. he should have left immediately, gone and found a different job in a different province from a different employer.
But Mugen's smile right as he'd left the room had stayed his tongue and stopped his heart and breath and when he could breathe again Mugen had long left the safehouse and he had been left to take in what he could of his life now.
He should never have helped that samurai at Osaka Castle in the first place.