I was, once was (Open)

The Black Angel smiled at Katsumi's gentlemanly ways as he opened the door for her, it had been quite sometime since she'd actually been romanced, work, her state of mind, and her time in coma didn't allow for much serious dating, not to mention the fact most men were intimidated with the fact she could easily kill them with her bare hands. In Katsumi she seemed to have found a kindred spirit, which made her feel almost like a school girl as they walked about the steps of her apartment, which she suddenly felt inadequate about.

When Katsumi mentioned Los Angeles, the Black Angel said "Ahhh.... So that's where the mysterious man in red is from? I've never been to L.A. I'd love to see it one day, the city of stars.... All those dreams come true, mixed with all those broken dreams, certainly seems like an interesting place... Much more so then.... Well Chicago....". The Black Angel laughed, then said "Well.... Home is home I suppose... Even if it's an adopted one...".

When Katsumi mentioned showering arrangements, the Black Angel was certainly tempted to accept, but she was still a lady in her own mind, even though the thought of intimate company was an intriguing one indeed. She'd been alone for the most part in her time in the city, with little more human interaction then a passing conversation with a stranger. Nevertheless she didn't want Katsumi to have her to easily, even though there were few first dates which included a massacre of gangsters, a bout with a wolf man, yet all the while having all the nice subtle moments of a good first date.

A bit flustered yet again, the Black Angel coyly said "Ladies first.... Though your offer is tempting...". She moved towards the bathroom, but stopped short, saying "TV is in the living room, help your self in the fridge.... Don't have to much, there is a bottle of wine in there if you want to open it go ahead... Just be careful, door doesn't always shut sometimes, have to slam it. Well make yourself at home, and I'll look for a change of clothes that will fit you. I have some over sized shirts and those sorts of things.". Feeling like she was lingering to long, she smiled and said "Well.... See you when I get out...".

With that she left Katsumi to explore her apartment, as she ran the shower, hoping to rid herself of the massive amounts of grim she collected from the sewers of the city. The Black Angels apartment was small, and knowing the hefty checks that came along from being an assassin intimately, the Black Angel hoped Katsumi wouldn't think she was completely broke. Her apartment was mostly bare, as she'd found her former living space in NYC ransacked by either the Triad, or vandals after the destruction of the city. Whatever the case, there was very little in this world she possessed. What she had, she maintained, as the few small trinkets she'd picked up from Chinatown attested, but it was a long way away from her NYC penthouse...

Katsumi enjoyed being the gentleman. It was much more appealing than being the shadow feared across the world, the assassin painted in blood. Right now, he was neither of those. He was Black Angel's date. They had had a bit of a hiccup, but that was okay. If Wolf Boy hadn't shown up, than they wouldn't have needed to go to the sewers. If they hadn't gone to the sewers, than they wouldn't be here for a shower. Katsumi couldn't help but enjoy fate's dealing of the cards this day.

As Black Angel mentioned on what she had heard about Los Angeles, Katsumi felt a bit uneasy about how much he had shared with this woman. Never before had he been so free with personal information. What caused him to be so talkative to this woman? Nothing could be done to take that back though, so instead he replied, "Los Angeles isn't exactly the best place to be. There is currently a staggering amount of Metahuman activity there. It almost seems as though it will be the next New York. There is currently one team I know of that is going to be starting a rampage soon enough. They are of group of anarchists, the leader of which I've grown to be on good terms with."

Katsumi could see the hesitation in Black Angel's reaction about the showering arrangements. He could see her loneliness, her need for companionship. Normally these were things he looked for when he was working on a target's weakness. Now, he just wanted to be able to help ease her suffering.

When Black Angel said she would shower first and explained the house, Katsumi replied with a smile, "I will be glad to look things over and make myself at home. Thank you for your hospitality." When she shut the door to the bathroom, Katsumi got to work. Moving with all his super speed capabilities, he flew about the home while staying quieter than a mouse. He looked everything over, looked for hiding places, secret stashes. He wanted to know where most of her easily accessible hiding places were, just in case this really was just a trick. Finally, after searching for a minute and a half, Katsumi felt he knew the place well enough to relax.

In the kitchen, Katsumi found a plastic bag. He peeled the street clothes from his body, leaving only his ninja outfit. He than removed the shirt and socks and placed all the clothing into the plastic bag. His red dragon pants he decided to keep on for Black Angel's sake. Katsumi's chest, back, and sides, were riddled with scars, some long three part gashes, some deep stabs, many bullet wounds, and a number of smaller tributes to his lifetime of pain. When he was much more comfortable in just his red pants, Katsumi looked to do something productive.

Katsumi searched the kitchen and found flour, eggs, and milk. He searched a bit more and found some peanut butter in the cabinet. After that, he located a mixing bowl and fork. He mixed the ingredients together, placed them on a cookie sheet he had located, and placed it in the oven. Katsumi turned the oven on and set a timer. If Black Angel turn an average shower, the peanut butter cookies would be done just as she was finishing up.

As the Black Angels showered, she had a rush of mixed emotions, all of which she'd felt it some way before, but never at once. She thought to herself how nice it would be to not be so alone, to have someone who could help share her burdens, to help ease her pain, maybe even to..... The Black Angel stopped that thought quickly, shaking her head and saying "Ughhghg... I'm so stupid, it's not like I've never met a guy I like before... Here I am going on and on, and we've only known each other a night, and I'm already talking to myself....". With that the Black Angel returned to washing, lathering her smooth but scarred skin, removing the soiled smell of death, the sewers below, and the dirty Chicago air.

The Black Angel figured Katsumi was searching her apartment, the assassin as untrusting as she was, and she hoped her going first put the man a little more a ease, as he could easily lay a trap for her, or discover one she'd lain. She didn't know why she was so trusting of this man, perhaps it was because she'd been past mans final frontier.... Death, which was no longer something for the Black Angel to fear, nor embrace as she once did. Life had a reason, and for whatever reason she felt Katsumi was meant to meet her this night.

The Black Angel turned the water off, which made a shuttering sound beneath the wall, the water finally sputtering to a stop. She opened the shower door, sighing heavily, perhaps just realizing how tired she was. Grabbing a towel for herself, and one for Katsumi, she wrapped her towel around her, placing Katsumi's on the sink neatly. The light blue towel went well with the tiny dark blue kitchen, giving the bathroom a seaside feel, which made you feel a thousand miles away from rundown Chicago.

Satisfied she dressed the bathroom up enough to her standards, the Black Angel opened the door and was immediately greeted by the smell of baking cookies. Sure enough Katsumi had been busy baking, which brought a delicate smile to the Black Angels beautiful face. Katsumi stood over the baking pan, which held the steaming cookies, and the Black Angel began to notice the many scars over his toned body, which spoke to a grueling life that she was all to familiar with.

No longer thinking, simply reacting, the Black Angel walked over to Katsumi, and took his head in her hands, and kissed him passionately, while repeating a stanza of a poem between long kisses, which she knew but did not know how. The lines were spoken gently by the Black Angel, as she said

"Is it like this, In death's other kingdom
Waking alone
At the hour when we are
Trembling with tenderness
Lips that would kiss
Form prayers to broken stone"

When she whispered the last line, she dropped her towel, and she and Katsumi fell into each other like a daydream or a fever.

Katsumi had just finished baking the cookies, when he heard the shower turn off. Katsumi momentarily debated putting a shirt back on, but decided against it. He heard the door open and assumed he had at least a minute or two while Black Angel put something on. It surprised him though when she came out in just a moment, with only a towel to cover her.

Katsumi took all of Black Angel in quickly, her scars almost as numerous as his own. Her supple body barely hidden, her curves outlined by the towel. Katsumi saw the smile his cookies brought to Black Angel's face. As she walked over, Katsumi quickly put the cookie sheet down.

When Black Angel kissed Katsumi the first time, he wasn't quite sure of what he was doing. Quickly though, his body started to react of it's own accord, joining in the passionate embrace of lips. His arms slid up the sides of her body, wishing to feel more than just the soft fluffy towel. He didn't know why he wished this so strongly, but he couldn't stop his body's reactions.

In between the kisses, Katsumi heard Black Angel recite some sort of poem, but he was too overcome with the heat of the moment to decipher what it meant or even what it was. As Black Angel dropped her towel, the last barrier holding Katsumi back had been done away with. As he pressed ever closer, his senses were lost to oblivion.

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Katsumi lay next to Black Angel, both his hands wrapped around her as though she would disappear if he released her. He had never felt this happy or complete in his lifetime. They had experienced something magical together, and Katsumi couldn't look away from the woman that had touched him so tonight.

"I enjoy your company so much, Angel. I'm lost in the joy that you make me feel, the euphoria you've given me. It seems like fate that we should have met like this," Katsumi whispered into Black Angel's ear. "What was that poem you were saying earlier?" he asked her.

The Black Angel was lost in Katsumi's embrace, never had she given herself to someone so fully, and never had she been loved in return. In Katsumi's hands she felt safe, a feeling which she rarely felt, as she knew the most powerful criminal empire in the world would love to add another scar to her collection of them. She'd known passion, as she'd loved her things, her cars, her clothes, but she'd never truly loved another person until this night.

As Katsumi spoke, the Black Angel smiled, as they'd been so lost in one another, they'd seemingly forgot to speak to one another. Once he finished, she said "Mmmmm and so do I Katsumi.... More then you know.. I've never really lived an adult life, I've either lived from one job to the next, or lived following someone else's commands, I've never even cared to be with someone other then for business reasons....".

When Katsumi mentioned the poem, the Black Angel kissed him, then said "I don't know.... I've heard it though.... A thousand times in my dreams, my nightmares, I think I've known it since I was a little girl... Every time I go to sleep, it's exactly the same.", the Black Angel kept her smile and once again kissed the assassin.

The Black Angel then asked Katsumi while looking deeply into his eyes "Where are you going to be going next?", knowing full well a professional assassin was never in one place for to long.

Katsumi had given everything to this woman. He had exposed himself to Angel, and she had taken him in open arms. Katsumi had never felt so connected to anyone before. This was what his master wanted him to do; find love, and not be alone. Katsumi listened to Angel's feelings, and he couldn't help but agree. When she kissed him, Katsumi held each kiss as long as he could.

Finally, Angel asked Katsumi about his next move. Katsumi looked down, he thought whether or not he should say, but they had just passed a line together. Katsumi replied, "I wish I could stay forever, but unfortunately I have business in Rome. This is a favor for a friend so I can't back out. Not to worry though, I will stay as long as I can."

After that, Katsumi would lay with Angel, lightly stroking her with the tips of his fingers. Softly, slowly, Katsumi would lull this woman to sleep. Only when she had gone into the peaceful world of slumber would he quietly climb out of bed, gather his things, and go. Only when she was dreaming would he go back to Rome.

(Red 53 out)