Hot. Nyoko's eyes, closing as she gripped Blake, lost the cold glimmer. She felt his warmth near her, the warmth of the man she's been getting closer and closer and closer to by tiny steps with every passing day. And now, a huge leap brought her over right next to him, clinging onto him as if everything was to crumble in this instant. She pressed her lips onto his with fiery passion, her hands softly grabbing him, as if climbing up his body to pull him even closer to her. Her back arched, allowing his taller figure to lean over her.<br/><br/>She was happy. Was this what they called a true emotion?<br/><br/>"'Return' them to you?" Haruki burst out. "Is this some sort of sick joke? Have you lost your sanity? You didn't give them to us! You gave Kurohana to my master, not me. The only person I can return it to is him. They don't belong to you anymore..." he shook his head, the grin fading into a pale imitation of the truly mad grimace he expressed just a moment ago. "If you regret it, then you should have never given these swords away at the first place. But I can't return a gift, and I cannot return the legacy of the man who raised me. A man that took a child readied for death and gave him life."<br/><br/>He drew a sharp breath in. "I understood something when I was fighting<span style="font-style: italic">him</span>. That sword's turned against me and disobeyed my commands because I wasn't good enough for it. I won't let Nyoko put herself into danger and use Akaihana before she's prepared. But I<span style="font-style: italic">am</span>prepared now. I won't be satisfied with being a worthless piece of shit that can't fulfill a task that's been given to me by the man that gave life to me, and gave his own life for us. If you want that sword back..." His fists clenched, so tight his knuckles became white. "Then I'm afraid you might have to have to force it off me. If someone like you can do it, it's not worth having it, anyway."