I do not own Saiunkoku Monogatari.

Pairing: None. Sakujun-centric. Shuurei is here as well... pairing? slight... it's so complex, isn't it?

POV: SAKUJUN'S - for the most part... he knows she's Shuurei - which is why i kept her name the way it is... but she refers to him as Waka-sama... so rather... odd...

WARNING: Fluff! (I guess...) . What else do I call this?

Read and REVIEW! Tell me what you think! This is my 1st TIME writing KOKUMONO!

Let me hold onto these days

Onto these memories of you

Onto this love, this madness

Let me hold on...

-

"Good morning, Waka-sama!" Shuurei smiled as she opened the window shutters to let in the early morning's feeble sun rays. Inhaling the fresh air, Shuurei couldn't help but sigh with happiness. There was nothing like a sunrise to cheer her up.

It reminded her of so many things.

Most of all those fun (but exhausting!) times she had stayed up all night to study for the exams -

She'd be sitting there, stretching her arms and yawning - and somewhere she could hear Seiran bumping around sleepily as he tried to figure out his breakfast in the kitchen.

Shuurei smiled in fond memory.

Those were the times... Unlike now...

Her forehead wrinkled, her mouth twisting in a wry frown.

THAT MAN... is being difficult again...

"Waka-sama," she towered over the recumbent figure of her "master". "It's time to get up!"

"Urrrgghhhh..." There was no reaction on his part - just a strangled moan.

"Have you been drinking again?" Shuurei sighed. "What an irresponsible person you are! Are you sure your family didn't send you on this journey of yours just to get you out of the way?"

She glared.

He snored.

"WAKA-SAAMMAAA!!! I said it's TIME to GET UP! We'll be late for -"

"Unnn... what time is it?" he mumbled, as he rolled over - eyes still glazed with sleep.

Shuurei's gaze lingered over the dopey face, tangled hair and half bared body.

Geez... he's such a-

How are am I ever going to get to Kinka on time at this rate? He's lacking in so much enthusiasm. I thought Ryuuki was bad... but... this guy is...

Shuurei fumed.

Sakujun blinked at the sight of her looming over him, hands on her hips like some scary mother.

It was a nice thought - and made him smile.

"What time is it?" he repeated, his voice still husky from sleep.

"Almost nine o'clock!"

"Too early," he said shortly, promptly rolled over and shut his eyes.

Sure enough, her hand was on his shoulder shaking him. Bending over him.

It is nice to be worried over.

All his life his time had been his own. As the second son of the Sa main clan, he was at once nothing and everything. Everyone learned to follow his suggestions -

There has been nothing I wanted that I did not get...

Except you...

And yet, there were many things to be hated - for nobody cared for him like Shuurei did... Her generosity and care was something to be treasured.

Yes.

He had decided that quite sometime ago. So he lay there and let her fuss over him - drag him out of bed. Refusing his routine offer of sharing his bath with her.

As she pushed him out, eyes shut, face red, he couldn't help but chuckle.

Shuurei... you've stolen my heart...

"I'm going out to get everything prepared."

Oh yes, Sakujun thought, picking up a book that had fallen from the bed. We are starting out today for the next town. Excited as usual... But... the sooner we get to Kinka, the sooner everything will disintegrate. If only this journey could last forever...

"You seem sleepier than normal this morning, Waka-sama," she smiled as she set the tray down at the table. "You were up late last night again? Good heavens! Don't you know that sleep is important - especially when you KNOW that we're leaving early today! Now we're going to be late all day..."

Listening to her cheerful grumbling, Sakujun sipped...

Guangzoh? Ah... the expense is probably eating away at her... Heh.

Well... there was always the Gan Lu tea...

He sat there idly, picking at the hem of his robe - as he watched her quickly and deftly clean up, pack up and disappear to deal with the more mundane matters of travel. When she returned and saw him still sitting there (now with a cup of sake before him), Shuurei sighed and drooped.

"Waka-sama! It's only eleven-thirty! You can't be drinking yet! What will people think? They will think that the House of Li is full of reprobates!"

"I'm a reprobate already, Kou-rin," Sakujun smiled flapping a hand carelessly. "Besides, I'm bored -"

"You could have got yourself ready!" Shuurei shook her finger at the man. "Come! Let's get you into something! It might be fine with you to be a reprobate - but I'm the one who has to travel with you! Don't make it harder!"

"Well..." Sakujun smiled again. "You could always... punish me, Kou-rin."

"...Uh... yeah..." Shuurei rolled her eyes as she found his trunks - not yet packed - still in the closet.

"I'll pack, you dress. What would you like today? The blue robe? You've not worn that for a while."

"I liked the peach better -" sighed Sakujun. "I think it matches with my hair better... but, I'll take the blue today."

Shuurei nodded.

"You look good in anything, Waka-sama. So I wouldn't worry about small things like that."

"Oh I don't know..." Sakujun began to undress, watching her face in the mirror turn a deep red.

Shuurei left the room with a shocked look on her face - and underneath the shock, anger. Sakujun couldn't help but chuckle.

Such an innocent! And yet, so feisty!

-

It was a beautiful day - however late they had started out. Finally managing to find time to take a breath, Shuurei leaned back on the seat with a deep sigh of relief. They were FINALLY on their way! Everything had been set to rights - and even Waka-sama looked his best.

He was sitting there reading a book indifferently, with occasional glances out the window.

"It's so nice isn't it?" Shuurei said conversationally, as he tossed the book aside with obvious boredom. "Late mornings like these really make me feel happy to be alive! To be here - in the sun, watching the clouds roll by - and the birds sing... It's like... everything is living in harmony, even if some people can't get along, there's always hope..."

Shuurei fell silent at the weight of his gaze on her face.

"Is something the matter, Waka-sama?"

His eyes slid sideways to stare out at the trees and the small river following alongside the road.

"... Nothing..."

"I guess you still don't feel well. Perhaps -"

She stopped - as the carriage jerked to a halt.

"Eh? What's happening?"

"Ahh... we've arrived!" Sakujun smiled cheerfully.

"EHHHH??? WA-WA-WAKA-SAAMMMAA!!!" Shuurei wailed as her dillettante employer stepped out of the carriage onto the grass.

Already the outriders had spread a blanket with several baskets of food.

Shuurei frowned.

Since when -

"Ahhh... This is a perfect way to restore one's equilibrium!" sighed Sakujun. "Tea and manjuu buns by a river under the soft shade of such lovely trees. Already I feel better! Come, Kourin - look! I brought your erhu as well!"

Since when -

"Why so silent?" Shuurei found herself suddenly nose to nose with her employer. "Did you not just say that nature is living in harmony and we should also become one with it?"

"I didn't put it quite like that," huffed Shuurei. "I was content to let it pass us by -"

"Now that would be doing it a disservice indeed!" Sakujun chided his young servant. "Kou-riiin! This day IS a beautiful day - as I thought it would be. See! I prepared this all last night -"

"WAAKKKAA-SAAMMA!!!" Shuurei wailed, now fully traumatized. "Don't tell me you kept yourself and your servants up for this!"

"Is it so wrong to want to spend a beautiful summer day with such a lovely lady as yourself?"

Shuurei blushed.

"Waka-sama... I don't want to set you back..."

"No, no," Sakujun said smoothly, sitting down and waiting for Shuurei to do the honors of opening the baskets and dispensing the food. "I think of you only."

"That might be your problem," muttered Shuurei with a sigh.

-

He was glad he had expended the effort. Watching her smiling face, now relaxed under the sun as she played the erhu - its melody dancing with the leaves and the sunlight on the water...

He was glad he had taken the time to sit there. It was foreign to him. This feeling and desire -

To actually go out of my way yesterday - to set up the suprise as if I were a young boy again.

Not that he'd done anything so elaborate for anyone, even as a young child. Kokujun had been an annoyance - always in the way, whining for attention... And Soujun had always been putting on airs...

They were all annoying and thinking always about themselves - everyone in his clan.

He had followed carefully in their steps... until...

Her.

Watching her, he knew that his planning had gone more than well. She was happy - and the kind glances she gave him - it was the ultimate reward for something so uncommon as his attention and care.

Well, she'll never know, Sakujun mused. I'd never plot something so lovely as this for anyone but her... She deserves the best... And if the servants and I had to stay up all night to prepare it... so be it... Still...

-

Shuurei stopped playing, muttering under her breath, "A treat for me, he says... but I end up doing all the work... Really... Waka-sama... he is..."

The young girl paused at the sight of him - eyes now shut, as he lay bonelessly against the tree cushioned by his favorite pillows (arranged just so!).

More like an emperor, she thought with a huff - and a small smile. Much more majestic than Ryuuki... Ryuuki...

Her gaze became wistful at the memory of him in the garden eating her manjuu buns - and then falling asleep due to overwork "catching up with the records".

And there, beside her...

Waka-sama, she sighed, unrolling a small blanket to cover him from the light breeze. You didn't have to exhaust yourself needlessly on my account...

"Such childishness."

Picking up her bow, Shuurei continued her playing, contemplatively. Her mind far away.

And Sakujun slept on.

-

Sakujun dreamed.

He dreamed of her sitting at his side, with her hair down... And she was smiling.

And so was he.

-

Let me hold onto these days

Let me hold on...