It is unusual to think that the most uncontrollable and selfish killer who kills for his own satisfaction has a weakness…one and only.

It's unusual to think that the greatest warrior of the Mibu clan has a weakness…one and only.

And allthemore to think that the heir of the Tokugawa family has a weakness…one and only.

Shiina Yuya.

Torn (by three men)…

A/N: I have here a fanfiction which consists of three (or more…?) one-shots per chapter containing a different pairing, namely YuyaxKyo YuyaxKyoshiro and YuyaxBenitora. Read and review if you please. Flame, comment and add up a constructive criticism if you like. I'd gladly appreciate it!! n,n

This is for my best buds who were there for me when I needed them. La lang, just felt like dedicating this fic to you guys for sticking up for me for such a long time. So shout-out to: "beloved" Sizters Mariel and Cara, Hanna, Meggie, Elaine, Grace, Rachelle, Nadine, Princess, Angela, Mara, Ian, Jennifer, Daniel, Ma'am Mags, Teena, Avee, Marlae, Kathy, Chloe, Christine, Angie, Allen, Joshua, Angel, Aya, Yam2 , Michelle F, Michelle C, teMaite, teMea, Jasper and Dianne-sEmpai. For those who are not mentioned, I still love and thank you all!!

And of couse, para sa mga friendship ko sa net!! Miko-sEmpai, teSyao, TK-san, "Kuya" James, D-Scyther, bAtchm8! (hehe), teApple, Ruby-chan, teAmi-chan and teReen! Hehe…ingatz kayo ha? Lab you all!!

Chapter One: White Lilies

What is his PROBLEM?! Shiina Yuya emerged from the crowd in frustration, holding up a big bag of groceries. That Kyo…he just makes me want to rip my hair off!! Arrggghh! She stepped aside, inserting her way out the gathering of people. The market was just not the right place for Yuya to be or otherwise, she'd be tempted enough to take off her pistol and just hit the guy. But noo, he just had to annoy her so bad that it might make her hair fall off.

But then, she sighed in disappointment when she just realized that complaining was pointless. I just remembered that today is Tanabata Day, she thought, glancing all over the crowd and finding couples and lovers of all sorts. And here I am, a bounty hunter, completely tangled with chores and walking around with an annoying samurai who has a couple of million yen on his head.

Certainly, this was not an unusual sight to see the blond-headed young woman getting infuriated by none other than the demon himself, Kyo.

"Stupid woman," whispered a familiar voice from the crowd. As Yuya turned, she spotted the crimson-eyed man well ahead of her, smirking, as she frowned in utter irritation.

"Baka! Who are you calling stupid?"

He sighed. "Obviously, it's you." Pointing to a wooden bridge where there were less people, he continued, "You just had to pass the hard way."

The woman snorted although it was clear that she was a "bit" embarrassed. "Speak for yourself."

"What's my motivation?" A dry smirk. "You just weren't using your head…that is, if you had any brains inside it."

"BAKA!! How dare you!!" she exclaimed, stomping her foot on the ground.

To this, Kyo let out a slight chuckle of amusement. "You look so childish, slave and stupid woman."

Yuya tried to calm herself down. "Ah, sou?" In a second, an idea just popped out from her head. She folded her arms in confidence. "Let's see you do me a favor then. That is, if you're man enough."

The samurai exhaled sharply. "I don't need to prove anything to YOU." He turned his back on her. "Besides, I know what I am campable of doing. Favors are just excuses…" he narrowed his crimson eyes on the girl; red met green. "And I don't need to prove anything to let you know my limitations."

As he bagan to walk once more, she frowned. He obviously had a point there. What would a samurai who showed the whole world his capability of murdering as well as assassinating a thousand men be proving to a mere woman slash bounty hunter?

"I want you to give me flowers today," it slipped through her tongue. "W-White Lilies…for Tanabata."

She watched him stop dead on his tracks, taken aback by what she just told him.

"What's the matter Kyo?" she teased, although it was clear that she too was not 100 percent sure with this "favor" thing. "But you can just back out. It's as if you've never even tried to do something like that in your life anyway." She laughed. "Kyo, all hail Demon Eyes Kyo who slaughtered so many men, cannot even give a flower to a lady. Not even if I dared him."

He clenched his fists. No one dared to make fun of him like this…ever!! "I had no idea how desperate you were," he said in pure sarcasm.

"Call it desperation, but then I'd call you a coward." She smirked triumphantly. No way is he getting out of this one!!

"A-Alright then," he finally agreed, much to Yuya's shock. "Flowers then. How hard could that be?"

The bouny hunter couldn't help but smile when Kyo had turned around. He was really a jerk. But on the other hand, his pride was so high that it made her very reassured that he would be there to protect and prove to her his capabilities eventhough he acts cocky and as if he doesn't bother. So despite the fact that he was once a cold-blooded killer, he is only human who possesses emotions even if he tried to restrict himself from feelings.

It was because of Yuya that he felt accepted.

And perhaps, it was because of her that made him feel comfortable with others.

"Oi," Kyo's deep-set voice called out as Yuya snapped, who seemed to wander in her thoughts.

"Huh?" she looked up expectantly, finding the samurai looking at her in seriousness.

"Don't think I'm acting all nice on you," he said, never losing his arrogance. He narrowed his eyes on her. "If you want me to prove that I can do anything, then I'll show you."

Yuya had a slight shade on her cheeks, but rolled her eyes to avoid making him see it. "Y-Yeah…whatever."

As Kyo turned to move on, she called out his name on impulse. "Hey…a-ah, Kyo…"

"What?" he paused as she looked up at him in uneasiness.

"W-Well…" her gaze averted from his. "A-Arigatou."

An awkward silence.

Yuya cleared her throat. "You see…you've been nice…well, not exactly as gentlemanly as I mean but…nice." A smile tickled its way to her lips. "L-Let's just say I'm in an awkward phase after this afternoon…when you kept on calling me 'stupid' and when the onlookers laughed at me…" She began to stutter, trying her best not to lose her ground. "I never had the chance to say thanks for saving me a handful of times…I appreciate it even if you're cold and insensitive."

Cold and insensitive.

It sounded more like an insult, but for Kyo, it was one of the nicest things anyone has ever admitted to him. He was inhumane. He was brutal. But, he had a human heart.

Onime no Kyo averted his gaze, hiding a silent smile. They say that when you smile when no one is looking, you really mean it..

======

"Haaaah," sighed Benitora with a full stomach. "Now I can sleep peacefully."

Yukimura chuckled as he took a sip from his sake. "That's good to hear," he remarked as his eyes ran to Sasuke and Saizo's view, who were sitting by the corner of the room. "It's not good to be dieting you know."

"Yukimura-sama, we're not--" Saizo explained.

The man chuckled once more. "Eat before Miss Yuya finishes up the food."

Yuya, with a raised eyebrow who just finished her dinner, replied, "What are you saying?"

"Iie, nothing," the raven-haired samurai smiled. "Kyo won't be eating dinner here again, I suppose. He doesn't eat much anyway."

Sasuke stood up, a bit preoccupied by the thought of Kyo. "Where do you think he's off to now?" he wondered aloud.

"If it's about Kyo, he's probbably gone out again," replied Yukimura, a thought crossing his mind. He smiled. "He'll be back...with something."

"S-Sou..." Yuya nodded. It didn't bother her much, but now that Kyo has not returned from their walk a while ago, she started to worry. I don't think he took my favor seriously, she assured herself. Besides, it is like him to be walking around the city in the dark.

Of course, Kyo could take care of himself. There was nothing to worry about...at all.

"Nothing at all," Yuya assured herself, working her way to her room. She had waited for Kyo outside in case he came, but didn't. It was getting really late so she decided to retreat back in the comfort of her bed. "It's not like he doesn't go out late..."

He must have left some errands.

He must have forgotten about dinner, that's all.

He must have forgotten about her favor..

Another Tanabata Day wasted. But she guessed that along their walk that afternoon, she finally silenced the samurai, and perhaps, felt... just felt... the man smile in tenderness.

She opened the door to her room. And with that, it quite shocked her to see...

A boquet of white Lilies, freshly picked, positioned gingerly on her drawer. She coudln't help but blush as she gazed at the purity and innocence of the flowers. They were beautiful.

"Kyo..." She faced the open window of her room with a smile. "Arigatou."

=======

He sat under the tree in the darkness, watching Yuya as she went to bed. He knew he had her but he thought that, for once, he thought of her as someone much more superior than him. That he thought less of himself. That he wasn't worthy.

A smile, pure and sincere that nothing could ever overlap, occupied his face. He was happy for the first time, not because he witnessed a death, but he found the life and feelings he once lost come back to his heart.

All because of a bounty hunter whom I called a slave, Shiina Yuya.

OWARI

A/N: Hehehe... just a little brainstorm. Tanabata is my favorite Japanese holiday!! n,n I'll be posting another one-shot here again soon. A YuyaxKyoshiro. But expect more YuyaxKyo fics from me! Please Review!! thankz! This is my first Samurai Deeper Kyo fic, btw. n,n

Mendori-chan was here and is signing off!! :)