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Under the shade of the cherry trees, Masamune took his helmet off of his head and set it down on the grass before him, running his fingers through his hair. His men, behind him, were unwinding after the stress and rush of a long, grueling day on the march – and although he did not have much energy to celebrate left in him he would not begrudge his men their laughs. It kept morale up and without morale, the Date army was nothing.
“Boss Masamune.” Kojuro greeted him with a curt nod before folding his legs beneath him and sitting in the grass without any further words. There were none needed – that short battle with Sanada Yukimura, the Tiger’s cub, had left a lasting impression on Kojuro’s own master.
However, unlike how Kojuro had seen in the past, Masamune was not guarded, nor tense, nor closed off. As a matter of fact he was facing him and openly smiling, albeit lazily, resting his weight back on his hands as he gazed up at the stars.
“That’s not the last we’ll see of Sanada, Boss.”
“I know.”
Masamune grinned, taking a sip from the gourd next to him. “It better not be the last. I’ve not defeated him yet.” But it wasn’t with hate that he’d said those words – rather it was with a childish sort of excitement, the likes of which Kojuro hadn’t seen in years and at that moment oh, he could have wept from joy. You cannot show weakness, Bontenmaru. He’d nearly spat those words with hatred – not at his young master, of course, but at himself for saying such a thing when he knew that all Bontenmaru had wanted was to be a little less scared and alone.
“You say that as if you are looking forward to meeting him again.”
“And I am!” Masamune tossed his head back and let out a short bark of laughter, completely relaxed and at ease, but not nearly to the level that most of his (rather intoxicated) soldiers were. “My only regret will be if I am to die without facing Sanada Yukimura in a fair fight.”
Kojuro had to hold back tears, and he very determinately looked down at the ground. His master shouldn’t be worrying about him, this wasn’t even about him. But then his name was called and he had to look up – there was no way that he could, in good faith, ignore his Lord.
“Something the matter?”
“Not at all, Boss.”
“Don’t give me that, Kojuro.” Masamune turned so that he was laying on his side, stretching out and sighing. “What’s got you like this, huh?”
Kojuro swallowed hard – it was suddenly much more difficult to speak than he had ever thought possible, and it wasn’t even because of sorrow, or pain. It was pride, it was joy and happiness, because he’d not ruined this scarred boy’s soul after all.
“I’ve not seen you like this in years, Boss Masamune.”
“The hell’re you talking about?”
“Unguarded.”
“Oh?”
“Allowing yourself to be human, Boss Masamune. And embracing it.” The silence that followed felt deafening and he carefully watched Masamune’s face – more than anything else he did not want to push him back into his corner, the one that he had been forced into by Kojuro himself all those years ago for his own sake. The world had been against him then. His own mother, his own clan, and Kojuro, no matter the cost, would not let him be snapped up at his most vulnerable point.
But then Masamune broke into a wide grin and before Kojuro could say anything else he was suddenly knocked back by Masamune himself launching right into his chest. Just like when he was a child.
“Boss Masamune – “
“Shut up, Kojuro.”
He remembered holding onto Bontenmaru as he sobbed brokenly into his shoulder, from the pain of his bleeding wound, the empty socket where his eye had once been – but most of all, from the fear. He remembered the broken look on the boy’s face when he’d had to steel his voice and become the opposing force he had sworn never to become, and all for his sake.
Maybe he hadn’t failed him after all.
“You sound very happy to hear that I’m human,” Masamune said, prying himself out of Kojuro’s arms and brushing himself off as he finally sat back up – the smile was still there, thankfully, as was his relaxed stance, thank goodness. “Are you?”
“Am I – what, Boss Masamune?”
“Are you proud of me?”
Masamune had made to move back towards him, but then Kojuro reached out and snatched him forwards by the front of his jacket, crushing him in an embrace so tight that Masamune temporarily forgot how to breathe. And yet he wouldn’t have traded this moment for the world – neither of them would have.
“Yes,” Kojuro whispered, and this time he did not try and hide the tears – he was human too. “More than ever.”