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Abstinence Education	By : MadameManga Category: +. to F > Blade of the Immortal Views: 11959 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Blade of the Immortal, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Thank you to everyone who's reviewed or commented on this story! If you want to help provide beta, you can write up some comments on the story thus far and send 'em along to me via email; just about any sort of reader reaction gives me inspirations!
Thanks again; I'm glad to see there are other fans feeling the lack of BOTI fic. When I couldn't find much out there, I decided to try to do something about it, and I'd love to see more ficcers follow suit...

The characters and universe of Blade of the Immortal/Mugen no Junin are copyrighted by Hiroaki Samura and do not belong to me. Not one sen will come into my hands in consequence of this story.

I adore feedback. All kinds! Please consider posting a review, or email me at MmeManga@aol.com. My Livejournal is the site where all my stories are posted first; there you can read many comments about this and other stories and add your own.

I pay close and grateful attention to comments and crit; IMO, that�s the only way to improve as a writer.
Squick warnings: Sex in various forms, including quasi-incestuous themes and a 16-year-old female paired with an adult male. Violence will eventually rear its head as well; hey, you have to separate at least one body part from its owner in any BotI story.

Abstinence Education

by Madame Manga
Part Twelve

�Oh, that was so much fun!� Rin smiled up at Manji and walked close enough by his side to brush her shoulder against his arm. The covered basket of purchases that hung from a cord on her wrist bumped the twin scabbards projecting from Manji�s left hip. �Thank you for taking me. It seems like it�s been a long time since I was at a festival��
He switched his pipe from one side of his mouth to the other and returned the smile. �Aw, I needed to buy some tobacco and stuff anyway. Glad you had a good time.�
�Of course I did.� She briefly laid her cheek against his sleeve. Other festival-goers were on the street with them, or she might have given him a hug. Around them thronged villagers, merchants, groups of samurai strutting with splendidly fitted swords on display and a fair number of gaily dressed and heavily made-up prostitutes parading for the crowd. However, Rin noticed them only as backdrop; her attention was devoted to her companion. She let her eyes linger on the side of Manji�s face; she liked his well-marked profile and the way his jaw came to an incisive angle just below the ear. With his disfigured right eye turned away from her, he looked friendlier and less intimidating. An interesting mixed tingle of unsettling desire and comfortable affection for him stirred in the pit of her belly. Even the spiky black bristles of his carelessly combed hair struck her as endearing. �I always enjoy being with my big brother.�
Manji tilted his head back and smiled in a somewhat rueful manner. �Sorry I didn�t take you with me yesterday. Might have kept me out of trouble.�
�Oh, Manji, that�s all right. I forgave you, and you didn�t do anything really awful anyway.� Her gaze fell on a pair of young courtesans-in-training teetering along on high geta, servants holding painted parasols above their elaborate coiffures. �I should have expected it, I guess...�
It was hard not to wonder about the prostitute Manji had paid to pillow with him. Maybe they had even seen her promenading in the streets today. Was she very beautiful, or especially accomplished in bed? Rin squelched down the ground-swell of instinctive jealousy that rose within her breast. No matter who that unknown woman was, she hadn�t been enough for Manji�
He reached down and gave her hand an unobtrusive squeeze; the shopping basket bumped his swords again. �Thanks. Wish I deserved that.�
�What?�
�Aw, nothing. Here, gimme that.� He grabbed for the basket with an air of mild annoyance.
Rin slipped the cord off her wrist and tried to transfer it to the other hand. �Sorry�I�ll get it out of your way.�
Manji reached over and hooked the cord with one finger. �I guess you blew most of your cash on sweets and stuff?�
�No, I didn�t. I was very practical this time�no, don�t peek!� Rin clapped the lid on the basket when Manji tried to pry it up. She had bought a new red silk underskirt to replace a torn one, some skin cream guaranteed to keep the complexion smooth and pale, a tiny pot of lip rouge and a charm against female troubles. �It�s personal things. Women need some privacy, you know!�
He grinned, dangled the basket out of her reach and slung it over his far shoulder. �Whatever. I saw you gobbling all that water candy when you thought I wasn�t looking. But you could use some more padding on those skinny bones, so I�m not objecting.�
�Man-ji!� Rin glanced around to see if anyone had heard. A married couple passed them, their manservant carrying an enormous stack of baskets and boxes.
�Well, you�ve had your play time, and the day�s not over yet. Want to work up a sweat when we get back home?� He winked at her.
Did that mean what it sounded like? Rin looked up at Manji with wide eyes. This was the first time he had brought up the subject since they had gotten out of bed. Their mid-day at the festival had been spent companionably eating, shopping and watching street entertainers, and Manji�s manner with her had eased into something like relaxed familiarity again.
�You�re talking about�teaching me some things?�
�Yeah, we lost some time screwing around. Too bad. Though I�ll say you�ve improved a little since we started.� He nodded sagely.
Rin blushed and looked down. �I have? There are so many things I still don�t know��
�We�re taking it all in stages, so don�t get too impatient with yourself. I�ll tell you when you�re ready to move on to something new. Matter of fact, today might be a good time for that.�
�Today�?� She gulped, hot and cold flashes rolling through her body. To her relief, the crowd thinned considerably as they left the outskirts of the village. Not so many people would be watching and wondering what this very embarrassing public conversation could be about. �I mean�yes, sensei.�
Manji glanced down at her with a grin and a raised brow. �Don�t worry; I�ll still keep my sword in the scabbard.�
�Well�yes, of course.�
�When you feel like you�ve got the courage to handle a naked blade, speak up. I�ll be happy to accommodate you.�
�Manji!� Rin jumped away from him and clapped her hands to her mouth.
�What�s the matter? Thought you were working on learning everything you could.�
�Y-yes�but you�this morning�� She couldn�t go on; her throat went dry and her cheeks flamed.
�You won�t be a real kenshi until you can face a sharp weapon edge without flinching. So sooner or later, that�s what you�re going to have to�� He broke off and smiled mischievously at the look on her face. �Hey, what did you think I was talking about?�
�You creep!� Rin swatted at Manji, but couldn�t help laughing with him at the same time. If he could joke about it, perhaps he was telling her he had accepted the situation in some way. She waited for a family with children to move out of earshot. �All right, let�s do some sword training when we get back. But could you please tell me�?�
�Tell you what�s up? Maybe I should.� Manji rolled his shoulders inside his kosode and massaged the back of his neck for a moment. They moved into a tree-shaded lane off the main road.
�If it�s not impolite to ask, sensei�but I think not talking causes problems.�
�Yeah, you�re right. I can�t just leave the fire burning until the lid blows off the teakettle.� He sighed and swung her basket by the cord as they walked. �Half-measures are the only ones we can take, just like I�ve said. I think I�ve got no choice but to use �em, for all kinds of reasons.�
�You mean it�s best to, um, prop the lid open to let the steam out? Because we�ve had some misunderstandings��
�Something like that. With reservations.� He held up a hand. �Educating you is the best idea we�ve had so far, though that ain�t saying much. That still what you want to do?� She nodded. �OK, I figured that. I need to think about it for a little while to get all the ground rules in hand. You know the most important one already� I�m not doing anything that could put a brat of mine in your belly, so you�re staying a virgin. Outside of that, it�s not so clear yet.�
�Um�OK.� Rin felt a sneaking prickle of resentment; after all, this was her body they were talking about. Manji wouldn�t be directly affected by anything they did, so why should he be the one to have the final say?
Because he was also the only one of them with experience. Rin conceded that to herself and listened when he spoke again.
�I need a promise from you too, speaking of misunderstandings. I think you may have got the picture by now, but as long as we�re laying it out straight, let�s not leave a shadow of a doubt.�
�A promise?�
Manji took a deep breath and blew it out. �No expectations.�
�Expectations�? Oh.� Rin nodded.
�I�m not the guy who�s going to make your dreams come true. Looking at me for that kind of crap makes no sense at all. Especially for someone like you, Asano Rin.� Manji�s gaze skimmed her from head to foot and fixed on her face. �Your whole life�s ahead of you. Assuming that at least a little of what I�ve been teaching you gets through your head.� With his free hand he made a gesture like a sword blocking another blade.
�Absolutely. I understand.� She laced her fingers together and looked down for a moment. �I think I can make that promise.�
�Good, I�ll consider it made.�
�There�s something I should probably tell you first, though.� She tilted her head and glanced up.
�What�s that?� He spun the basket in a circle.
�I love you, Manji.�
The basket went flying. Manji tripped on his sandals and stopped short in the middle of the road. �HAAH?�
�I always have. In all kinds of ways. Didn�t you know that already, big brother?� She smiled at him and patted his arm. �That�s different from being in love with you, though.�
�It is? I mean�fine.� Manji clutched his belly with a queasy air, as if checking whether his stomach was still located where it belonged. �That�s, uh, good to know.�
�If I�ve learned even a little over the last week, it�s realizing that there�s a distinction. A silly crush on someone shouldn�t be grounds for upsetting your whole life and making the other person unhappy. I know that we�re together for some important reasons and I mustn�t let anything get in the way of that. So�no expectations.�
�That�s�real grown up of you.� He looked at her with a sense of trepidation and blew out a long sagging breath.
�You didn�t think I would look at it that way, Manji-sensei? See, I have gotten some of your teaching through my head.� Rin smiled, retrieved her basket and moved on down the road.
He didn�t stir until she was a little distance ahead of him; she glanced back and was surprised to see him standing still, staring out over the rice paddies and meandering levees with an unfathomable expression. Below the surface, something might have been rising, disturbing his features like ripples in dark water. Since from this angle she could see only his blind eye, it was hard to make out. Even the scarred white blankness was shadowed by the falling strands of his hair.
�Manji?�
Turning abruptly, Manji met her gaze. Was he angry, or just preoccupied? He forced down the disturbance and set his jaw. With a few rapid strides he caught up to Rin and took her arm.
For the rest of the way home, he kept her hand tight against his side and refused to talk about anything other than the weather.

Continued�
- 11
- 12
- 13
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Abstinence Education