Disclaimer: I don't own Samurai Deeper Kyo or any of its characters. I've just borrowed them for a while.

Universe: Post-anime. Kyo recovered his body and fought Kyoshiro, killing him in the process and returning to find Yuya.

Author's Notes: So I started editing this and I was surprised I had as many readers as I did, given the many grammatical errors. Seriously, I cringed more than once. Anyways, in order to keep this story in the same style as my other more recent stories, I went back and re-wrote it completely. Now, instead of it being told in an omniscient POV, the story is told via different characters' perspective. Hope this makes for a better read!

Edited and re-written: June of 2012.

In memory of my loving Grandparents:

Felipe Guajardo (RIP – 9/12/2006) & Isauro González (RIP – 19/12/2006)

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal"

-Unknown-

"Third Desire"

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

Chapter 1: "Sake"

Shiina Yuya cringed when Kyo called her, not by her name, but by her gender with his usual arrogance.

"Eh, woman!"

She turned to him, trying to control her rising temper and failing. "What?"

Kyo continued cleaning his blade unperturbed. Momentarily lifting his eyes, he ordered, "Go buy me some sake."

Huffing and cursing, Yuya left to do as told, knowing that he would give her no rest if she didn't obey. She'd long since give up on arguing with the jerk, especially when he requested his precious sake. She wondered, for what felt like the hundredth time, why she followed him around to begin with.

He had not been, she discovered, the one who had killed her brother and she had already given up on turning him in for the considerable bounty on his head. More importantly, why did he still want her around him? He had fulfilled all of his desires: he had recovered his body and he had killed Kyoshiro Mibu. So what else was there for him to wish for? A servant…? Was that really it? Was he keeping her around because, regardless of her reluctance, she obeyed him?

She sighed. No matter what she told herself or how many times she thought about it, the truth remained the same. Fact was, she knew why she followed him around… why she would always follow him around… and she hated it.

"Stupid jerk! Is he really that blind… that selfish bastard," she seethed, stepping into the first store she'd come across. It was a small, cozy-looking place.

"Well, well," came a sing song voice from somewhere behind her, "what –or rather who do we have here?"

The playfulness in the voice drove her over the edge. She turned around, ready to vent her anger on this annoying man.

"Listen, jer-" a finger placed softly across her lips hushed her.

"Such a beautiful lady should not curse," he chided, his tone light and friendly.

Yuya felt unsettled by the familiarity with which he interacted with her. She was about to step back, but the man seemed to sense this because he took her hand in his, pulling her even closer. With a smile, he brought it up to his lips and kissed the back of her palm gently.

Yuya's cheeks flared in response. In the pause that followed, she studied the man with open interest. He was tall, perhaps even taller than Yukimura, and had pale skin which contrasted drastically with his long, black hair. He was wearing a plain blue gi and black hakamas, which nevertheless, seemed expensive.

Her eyes traveled to his waist. Twin katanas were strapped loosely there; their scabbards sporting shallow cuts here and there, telling her that these weapons were not just decoration. She regarded him with newfound suspicion. His pose told her he was a warrior and that, despite his polite words, his guard was up.

Yuya's body reacted automatically, muscles tensing in preparation to either fight or flee, if it came down to it.

"Tell me," his voice was as soft as silk, "what is your name?"

Yuya raised her eyes, meeting his intense blue gaze and cursed when, again, she felt herself blush. How could one look from him stir within her such clashing emotions? She was afraid and at the same time she was intrigued! She wanted to know nothing and everything about him!

"My name is Shiina Yuya," she blurted, surprising herself with the disclosure. What the hell was she thinking? She shook her head and, realizing that he was still holding her hand, she retrieved it. He was clouding her judgment! How, she was not sure, but an alarm was ringing inside her head and she would be a fool not to heed it!

"The name is just as lovely as its bearer," he said, gracing her with a disarming smile. "I am Sakaki Kenji, and it has been a pleasure meeting you."

"I haven't got the time for this," she excused crisply, making a b-line for the shelf containing the sake bottles. Not even looking for the brand Kyo favored, she took the first her hand came to rest on. She grabbed it tightly, as if her life depended on it, and brought it to the front of the shop. Ignoring Kenji's unwavering gaze, she took out her wallet and tossed some money on the table. How much? She had no idea but she knew it was more than enough. Not bothering to wait for the change, she hurried out the store and down the street.

Trying not to think about what happened, else fear would render her immobile, she made her way to the Inn. Yuya hoped she would not see the man again, for there was something about him which was 'wrong'… it was something he had made her feel…

Yuya shivered when a voice inside her breached the problem, 'Why did I wish to go with him all of a sudden?'

-o0o-

Onime no Kyo's hand tightened around the hilt of the Katana across his lap. The feeling he always got when an unwelcome change was coming stirred to life. It wiggled inside of him, setting off an alarm that was ringing so loud, he could barely hear himself think.

"She has definitely taken 'too' long," Benitora pointed out, breaking the silence. "Maybe something happened to her!"

Kyo scowled, not cherishing the confirmation of this damnable feeling that was taking a hold of him.

"Calm down, servant number two!" he ordered coldly, hoping they wouldn't detect his unease. "She's probably dragging her feet. Who would possibly want to molest that ugly girl?"

Kyo closed his eyes and forced his body to relax. He could feel the group's collective gaze on him, trying to call him on his bluff. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction. The last he wanted was to be tagged as weak, or worst! To have them think he was emotionally invested in a lowly servant!

Yet, much as he wanted, he could not shake off the feeling of trepidation. Yuya had indeed taken more time than usual to buy the sake. He mapped the city they were staying at in his mind. They'd passed a small shop on their way to the hotel. It had not been far. It stood no more than four or five blocks away. Kyo was about to give in to the urge to look for her, when the paper door slid open.

"Yuya-han!" Benitora jumped to his feet, relief obvious in his stupid face. He moved around her, checking for wounds that were not there. His eyes watered regardless, "I was so worried, Yuya-han! I thought you had gotten yourself in trouble!"

Kyo frowned when instead of rolling her eyes or pushing him away from her, Yuya nodded as if in agreement. What was going on? There was something off, only he couldn't pinpoint what exactly.

"You need to work on your speed because you certainly took your time," Kyo taunted drily, testing his theory.

Absent anger and voice, she handed him the bottle of sake and sat down, immersed in thoughts she wasn't sharing. Was she ignoring him? Why else would his words fail to elicit a reaction? They had never failed him before…

"Are you alright?" asked Yukimura, sitting beside her on the floor and leaning forward to better peer at her face. "You look a little pale."

Kyo was glad that someone else had noticed the strangeness in her. There was something definitely off. However, he couldn't question her openly on the matter. It would be beneath him to allow his emotions control of his words.

Yuya blinked, as if waking from a dream. "Of course," she answered quickly -too quickly for it to be true. She'd forced her tone to sound casual, but he'd caught the edge of hysteria. "I'm just tired, I guess. Nothing more… I think I'll just call it a night." With that, she stood up and left the room, allowing them no say in the matter.

His eyes followed her to the door, still trying to put his finger on what was wrong. She slid open the door and step out. Before she could disappear behind it, Kyo swallowed his pride and asked, "In what room are you staying?"

He could tell the question had caught them all by surprised, even her. Yet, for some odd reason, she didn't object or even question whether he had some perverted thought in mind.

"The room to the left," she responded, then slid the door closed.

-o0o-

Sakaki Kenji rose his cup to the sky in silent salute, before bringing it to his lips and draining the hot liquid. He tilted his head to the side, feeling more than seeing his man approaching a second before he stepped out of the shadows behind him. Kenji kept his back to him, knowing that there was no need for him to visually acknowledge him. He stared at the big, bright star suspended on the sky, glowing with more brightness than her sisters.

"I want her," he told him.

"She shall be yours, Sakaki- sama," the man assured. "I will investigate who she is and what she does."

"Report to me as soon as you find her," Kenji commanded, though his tone remained gentle. "I would like to stay in the same Inn as her if possible."

"It will be done," vowed the man before melting into the shadows of the night.

"Yuya- San," he whispered into the chilly night, "you will be mine."

To be continued…