"This is slowly becoming a pattern." Hanzo grumbled.

He was leaning against wall next to his bags waiting for Maya. They were scheduled to check out at three but he would rather leave as early as possible. His weekend was pleasant seeing how he spent most of it with someone he's become friends with.

"Friends." He huffed. "At this point it's safe to say we are more than friends. Close friends is a more appropriate term to describe Maya and I. People who are just friends do not act the same way that Maya and I do. We've both crossed the boundaries that divide friendship and...romance. Is that even the right word to use? Romance? When have we ever been romantic?"

He knitted his brows in concentration and replayed his interactions with Maya in his mind. Some time has passed since the earlier days but he could remember them clearly as if they happened hours ago. Through the span of four months their relationship has evolved. Going from irritated comments and hostility, to a mutual respect and understanding, and finally sharing multiple close and intimate moments.

He held her again in his sleep without the influence of his dreams. He did his best to keep his distance while they slept next to each other but the undeniable impulse to be as close to her as possible along with her word of advice to "stop fighting it" helped him to build up the courage to do so.

"If she had a problem with me clinging onto her she would have hit me when it happened or confront me when we woke up."

The soft tap on the forehead she gave him when they woke up was all he needed to know that she didn't mind. In fact, she looked well rested and wore a bright smile that only faltered when they weren't alone. Hanzo frowned when he remembered seeing the old maid from the other day enter their room wearing a scolding sneer and shot daggers at Maya. He was oblivious to the reason as to why she would have a problem with Maya. Whatever it was it didn't sit well with him. She could give him the evil eye all she wanted but Maya was a different story.

The older woman straightened up when Hanzo cleared his throat to remind her that he was also in the room, giving Maya enough time to get out of his grasp and enter the bathroom.

"She may not want to tell me whatever is going on between her and the shrew but I'll get to bottom of it." He muttered to himself. "If the shrew was bold enough to be rude to her, who's the say the other guests won't try something?"

"If you keep frowning like that you're going to get some pretty deep wrinkles."

Maya repeatedly poked his cheek to get his attention. Her incessant poking worked, he took her hand and placed it at her side. She knew why he titled his head and raised an eyebrow after scanning her body and seeing what she was wearing. The supposed yukata was shorter and form fitting than the others she's worn over the past two days. It stopped at mid thigh, showing off her long legs.

"Why are you wearing that? We're supposed to be leaving soon." Hanzo told her, flustered.

"We have a couple of hours, I'll just be out in one of the outdoor baths. A last minute stay in the water never hurt anyone." She waved him off and left.

An ominous feeling came over him at the end of her reply.

Again all eyes were on Maya while she made the short trip to outdoor bath. She noticed there were a lot more men outside this time around and kept her guard up. There was one man in particular who continued to look at her. It reminded her of how Hanzo often times looked at her when he thought she didn't notice. Shivers usually ran down her spine when Hanzo stared at her in such a way, there was an unspoken mutual attraction between them and having him looking out for her put her at ease. But this time around it was a stranger, someone who was lurking around wherever she went. She thought it was all coincidence and her own mild paranoia that he was around when she wandered around the ryokan the other day. His watchful, predatory gaze brought back an awful memory that unnerved her.

She walked out of the washroom that was near the unisex outdoor bath to go to the women's outdoor bath and bumped with someone who was walking in her direction.

"Oh! Maya, I'm sorry!" Naomi yelped.

"Naomi! Shit, I thought you were someone else!" Maya placed her hand on her chest and let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm pretty sure Hanzo is a lot taller than I am." She laughed. Maya saw that she wasn't the only one wearing something out of the ordinary. Instead of a yukata like the other female maids, Naomi wore a T shirt, jeans, sneakers, and a hoodie. "I quit, in case you were wondering. Working here wasn't worth hearing that harpy go on all day. There were other issues too, but that was the straw that broke the camel's back."

"What do you plan on doing?"

"I should be fine. This was more of a way to keep me busy than an actual job anyway. This gives me an excuse to catch up on my soaps! That's something a lot of people do here, right? I might as well give it a try."

"You're more than welcome to swing by my place or crash there if you want. I can always make room for you."

"I'll take you up on that offer. See you Monday." Naomi nodded her head and the two went in opposite directions.

Maya arrived at the women's only bath and quickly undressed, washed off, and got into the water. Once she was settled in the water, she tried to ease her anxiety but was unable to do so. She could still feel the predatory gaze the strange man shot her way and worried that she will run into him. Maya accepted the undeniable link between her emotions and powers. The appearance of her illusions when she was sick and the training exercise with Hanzo and Kenshi put it all in perspective.

There was still a lot to learn about balancing the two. Her mother mentioned that meditation will help regulate her mind and body. Taking her advice, Maya closed her eyes and focused on slowing down her racing heart and thoughts. She was aware of everything, from the sounds of the flowing water around her to her steady heartbeat. The twin illusions made an appearance and waded in the water with her. For the second time she felt in sync with them, giving her some hope that she was finally getting a stronger command over them. Once she felt calm, Maya dismissed her illusions and exited the water.

"Maybe I'm overreacting." Hanzo thought as he looked for Maya. "It shouldn't be this hard to find her. She has very striking and prominent features that set her apart from everyone else here." He spotted a small group of older men resting and carrying on a conversation at a foot bath. He didn't pay them any mind as he walked by them until he heard their conversation when he rounded the corner.

"Do you think he has a chance with her?" That question made Hanzo stand against a wall, concealing him from them.

"He's been trailing her since we arrived here. I don't think he'll quit until she gives in to his charms."

"He said he's heard women like her are promiscuous, the old maid told him that when she saw him looking at her. There was something else about another man being with her."

Those derogatory comments made about Maya triggered something in him. Hanzo's nostrils flared and his hands clenched into tightly balled fists. He knew Maya would want him to stop eavesdropping on the conversation and calm down but he wanted to hear what else the men had to say before directing his anger proved to be a wise decision as he continued to listen to the men talk.

"That's a rather disgusting stereotype."

"Ignorance and jealousy."

"She is attractive."

"Incredibly. That brute of a man she was walking with is a lucky man to be with her. Maybe that's why all of the other women get upset when they see her."

"Ha! They wished they sunk their claws into him first."

Hanzo cleared his throat to get their attention. The men immediately looked up and saw him standing with his arms crossed against his chest. They turned to each other to see who will talk to him first.

"Where exactly is your friend?"

"H-he mentioned waiting for her outside of one of the onsens."

"Which one." Hanzo asked, coldly.

"The one by the courtyard and fire-pit." Another managed to reply.

Maya stared at her pursuer, ignoring him was impossible due to the fact that they made eye contact as soon as she entered the hall that connected the washrooms and led to the hot spring she was in. He got off the wall he was leaning on and stood up straight when she stopped in front of him. She determined he wasn't as much as a threat to her after reading his aura. He was a civilian, lacking any extraordinary strength or magic that could be used against her. She also saw though his false bravado as he straightened his back puffed out his chest.

"Hello." He nodded.

"Hi." Maya replied.

"My name is Isao."

"Maya."

"You know, seeing a woman like you is rare." He began.

"Here we go with this bullshit." Maya thought.

"I should count my blessing for seeing an exotic-"

"Exotic?! For the love of the Gods, tell me this man did not just call me exotic." He may not have been a threat but he was an annoyance. Maya was wrapped up in her own thoughts that she ignored everything else he rambled on about. "Calling me exotic is another way of saying I don't belong here, as if I don't hear that enough of that. He's giving me fetish vibes too, gross."

"What I meant is you're a beautiful woman." His comment was met with silence. "I heard that you're leaving soon and wanted to tell you that you don't have to. I'm more than open to paying the extra day or two for you. Maybe we could have some fun together." He wore a wolfish grin that she wanted to slap off his face.

Isao grabbed her wrist but she quickly snatched it away. She felt a large amount of anger radiating in the area but Isao wasn't the source. Not one to be rejected, Isao tried again which was a near fatal mistake.

Before he could reach out and try to touch her, he was slammed against the wall and held there by the throat. Isao's futile attempts to desperately remove Hanzo's hand around his throat angered and caused him to tighten his hold on the man's neck. Isao watched in horror as red and orange flames enveloped the free hand he balled into a fist and directed towards his face. His pleas for mercy came out as ragged gasps. Hanzo stopped within inches of Isao's face, the intense heat made beads of sweat appear on the frightened man's face and body. Seeing that he was on the brink of passing out due to the pressure he applied on offending man's throat, Hanzo released Isao from his grip and dropped him on the ground. Maya knelt down and stabilized him, allowing him to breathe normally instead of gasping and wheezing.

"Let this be a lesson and a reminder the next time you even think about putting your hands on a woman." Hanzo snarled. Having learned his lesson, Isao frantically got to his feet and retreated, praying that he will not have the misfortune of crossing paths with Hanzo again. Hanzo closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and combed his hair out of his face.

Maya silently battled with conflicting emotions as she watched Hanzo. Seeing him produce and control hell-fire was a frightening sight. He alluded to the fact that elements of his life as a wraith were still alive and a permanent part of him. Every time he brought it up she heard self loathing and disdain in his voice. She hoped he wouldn't fall back into the emotionally and physically draining cycle that always comes along with depression. She monitored his emotions by reading his aura. There was rarely any traces of his anger, a sign that he was in control. It was a conversation they would have a later time.

His brutal display strength and aggression also excited her. She became more aware of their height difference the longer they stood close together and stared at each other. Although she was a tall woman, he towered over her and made her feel petite. The way he handled Isao like a lightweight made her think about how easy it would be for him to pick her up and have her pinned between him and the wall.

"Damn."

"Are you okay?" He asked, tilting his head to look at her. Her intense gaze sent chills down his spine. He expected to hear a joke or a smart ass comment. That was the usual procedure. Instead she scanned his face, dampening her bottom lip with her tongue. After letting out a shaky breath, Maya nodded her head. "If she's not careful she going to end up against the wall next."

The other guests and staff didn't dare to whisper anything about Maya while Hanzo walked closely behind her as she lead the way to their room. His run in with Isao got around fast, being at the receiving end of Hanzo's anger was something they all wanted to avoid. They were all on notice in Hanzo's eyes. While Maya changed, Hanzo gathered their belongings to carry them. Maya rejoined his side and they went to checkout. For a moment, Hanzo questioned if the lack of space between them was acceptable but quickly didn't care.

"Kenshi's showed me how much he values his relationship with her. If he truly cared then he would have been the one restraining that worm instead of disappearing in the middle of the night and leaving it up to me. If Maya was truly happy in her relationship with him, she would make advances towards me or look like she wanted to pounce on me. As childish as this sounds, if he doesn't care then why should I?"

Kenshi kept himself occupied through the day while Hanzo and Maya were away. When he wasn't visiting local stores or wandering around Matsue, he took his time cleaning and sharpening Sento and his other weapons. He didn't take the absence for violence and war as an excuse to slack off. He thought of what he and the others may face in the coming months. Maya's goal to bring in strangers and teach them healing methods to bring peace and relief to those who need it also meant that there was the possibility of running into others who do not have the same gracious and honorable intentions as she does. Kenshi shelved his worries when he heard the front door open and Maya and Hanzo's footsteps. He sheathed Sento, strapped the scabbard on his back, and exited his room to greet his friends.

"Let's see if this plan of mine worked." He said under his breath.

"Kenshi!" Maya sang before walking to him. The two hugged while Hanzo watched, rolling his eyes.

"How was your weekend full of rest and relaxation?" Kenshi asked when they stepped back. Annoyed, Hanzo huffed and went directly to their rooms to put their suitcases away. He purposely bumped into Kenshi as he passed by.

"Well, you would have known if you were there with us." Maya replied with a smug look on her face. "It had it's ups and downs." She shrugged.

"Sounds like a bust." Kenshi frowned. "Really? It had it's ups and downs? That's it."

"Not entirely." Maya nonchalantly replied. "I'll give you the run down later. It looks like you're running off somewhere again. Typical." Playfully scoffed.

"I'm not running off anywhere. I'm only going to be out a little bit. I'll be sure to be back home before dinner, dear." Hanzo heard that and rolled his eyes again.

"Why does she always do that. He abandons and ignores her but then acts like everything is fine the moment they're reunited."

"Abandon? Ignore? Really, Hanzo? Those are rather harsh words don't you think?" Kenshi fired back. He wore an amused smirk on his face while Hanzo scowled and muttered under his breath while he went outside to sit on the terrace.

"You better." Maya kissed Kenshi's cheek and ruffled his hair. Hanzo watched Kenshi wave goodbye and walk out the door with the same smirk on his face.

Maya entered the kitchen to prepare their dinner for the night while Hanzo went outside to sit on the terrace that overlooked the garden and lake. He used his time alone to calm down and prepare himself for the questions she might ask him. He didn't feel an irate wraith in that moment and wasn't worried about it. He produced it as a scare tactic, even though punching Isao in the face would have brought some satisfaction.

"I was beginning to miss our therapy sessions, doctor." Hanzo joked and patted the space next to him. She sat down, making sure to be as close to him as possible.

"This is just a routine check up. I wanted to see how you were doing." She smiled.

"You don't have to worry about me, Maya."

"Kind of hard not to." She sighed. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders while she rested her head on his.

"I'm fine. I don't intend on using that demonic ability often. I understand why you're worried about me. Hell-fire and Scorpion are connected but the former doesn't trigger the latter. It will have to take a lot to make me revert back to that abomination."

"Scorpion? Did you get that name when you were a," She paused, uncomfortable using the word that came to mind.

"Wraith? No, that was actually a title my mentor gave me. We used Sasori instead of the English variation."

"Do you think Sasori suits you?"

"I believed it had to do with how I carried myself in battle and my weapons but now I know better. The name is rather symbolic but I'll stick to Hanzo."

They remained outside for a while, sitting together in silence. He occasionally rubbed her arm and she nestled her head into his shoulder in response. She felt like she would fall asleep if they remained in their position. After she lifted her head from his shoulder, Hanzo lifted her chin with the tip of a finger to make her look at him, taking her by surprise. He covered her lips with his, drawing her into a deep and passionate kiss. Maya melted against him, her lips parting and welcoming him further. He stroked the silk of her mouth, tilting his head to slightly. She moved to straddle and wrap her arms around his neck. He allowed his hands to slowly glide down her body, caressing every curve, until he reached her hips.

"Deja vu." Hanzo mumbled under his breath when she pulled away to catch her breath.

"Hmm?" She hummed and pressed her forehead against his.

"Nothing." He replied, capturing his lips again. "Maya."

"Yeah?"

"I believe you owe me something."

"You know, people usually go out on a couple of dates first." She wiggled her eyebrows, making him laugh.

"That was what I was referring to. I believe you promised to accompany me to Lake Shinji again. Is tomorrow before sunset fine with you?"

"You could tell me we're going out somewhere at midnight and I'll go with you."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"My, my. But what would Kenshi think?" Her question was dripping with sarcasm.

"I honestly don't care what he has to say."

Kenshi acknowledge the fact that he was officially the third wheel when he returned home. He noticed his friends were closer than when they returned home. They emitted the same aura when they were around each other. Hanzo also had her attention whenever all three of them where in the same space. He waited until Hanzo went off to bed to talk to Maya about her relationship with Hanzo. Bringing it up while the other man was in the same room might ignite an argument between the two men.

"I get the feeling that something happened between you two while I was away." Kenshi leaned against a counter and stood by Maya while she washed the dishes. She stopped and looked at him, the cheeky grin on his face made her laugh.

"And I get the feeling that all of the times make up an excuse to go somewhere is part of your plan to make me spend some time alone with him."

"Guilty as charged. Does that mean my plan worked?"

"And here I was thinking that you didn't want to be around me anymore." Maya pouted.

"You two care about each other. That's obvious. Your relationship with him could have remained cordial and not grown in the way it has over the past 4 months. For you it started off as a physical attraction. He's fiercely protective over you."

"Kenshi-"

"He feels a lot better now and could have easily packed his things and went on his way. But what did he do? He continued to live here and go out of his way to spend time alone with you. I admit being passive while you were sick for that week wasn't the best thing to do and could have backfired on me because Hanzo could have done the same thing. But he did the exact opposite. He didn't have to pick up what you usually do around the house by cooking, which wasn't that great compared to what you make, cleaning, looking after your garden, and you. I don't think he got much sleep while you were sick. Sometimes he would sit by you and move your hair out of your face and tuck them behind your ear or run some of his fingers through your hair right after you fall asleep. You did the same thing to him after he had that bad panic attack. You two dating was bound to happen."

"We're going on a date tomorrow." Maya laughed.

"Looks like my rant was unnecessary."

"Are you okay with being the third wheel? You've been the main man in my life for years, think you can handle having Hanzo as competition for my attention?" She repeatedly nudged his shoulder with her elbow.

"Trust me, I'll be fine. You need a break from being around such a handsome man like me. You did go nuts over me when we first met." He smoothed out his hair and leaned in closer to her.

"Hey! I was a teenager who didn't know any better! Besides, the feelings are mutual this time around. Night, Kenshi."

It's been a while since I've updated this story. There was some personal stuff I had to deal with and I had a bad case of writer's block.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter, I had a lot fun writing this one. I will be making some quick editing in the previous chapters and will add some chapter notes at the end of them to give you guys some more info about what's going on in the story.
Thanks again for reading! (*＾▽＾)／