Soft crackling filled the silence as the fire spread its golden glow throughout the house. The wind made the walls shake.

Still, at least it was somewhat warm and dry. It had started to rain. Although the fire was burning, you couldn't help but sit closer.

You were cold.

Jin was lying next to the fireplace. His wounds had actually been almost completely torn open again by riding. You had to sew everything up again.

He had put up a good fight and hadn't passed out, but now he was tired and couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. You had wrapped him in both blankets that Yuriko had given you. Nevertheless, he didn't seem to be warming up.

In front of the house, Nobu was standing under a roof where old firewood had been stored. You had taken everything you could carry with you. The stallion was unimpressed by the rain. All he was interested in was grass.

The fox had disappeared.

"Jin.", you gently patted his cheek.

The sweat had already cooled and he was only colder underneath. A blush spread across his cheeks.

"Jin.", you patted his cheek again, harder this time.

Eyes moved under closed lids. A deep breath squeezed out from between his lips.

The glow of the fire kissed every little blemish on his skin and for some reason you wanted to do the same. Kissing all his wounds.

Taking a deep breath, you close your eyes and shake off the thoughts. The last time you had been close to a man was with him and he had betrayed you like no other.

But maybe it had been so long that your body didn't want to wait any longer. People have feelings and needs and that was perfectly fine.

What was wrong was the fact that Jin was unconscious and in critical condition. It was distasteful of you to have such thoughts.

And yet.

It would have been a lie if you had said he wasn't good-looking.

"Jin.", this time you leaned so far down towards him that he could feel you.

His face twitched. His lips twisted into a frown as eyes flickered.

"I...", he gasped, the warmth of his breath caressing your neck.

A shiver ran through your body.

"Are you awake?", you wiped a few strands of hair from his forehead.

He smiled softly at the touch. His eyes still didn't open.

"I... was dreaming about my mother.", he whispered.

Smiling, you crouched down next to his head so that you could both be warmed by the fire.

"Your mother?", you asked, resting your head on your knees. "What was she like?"

The smile on his lips faltered.

"She... I don't... remember her...", he admitted.

The pain that spoke from his words almost tore your heart apart.

"Many others seem to remember her. Tanaka, for example."

"Yes... that was... years ago. Twenty, maybe."

You looked at him, frowning.

"How old are you, Jin?"

Without thinking, you reached out to touch his cheek. He leaned into the touch with a soft sigh. As if he wanted to reach for your warmth and sink into it.

"Thirty...", he replied with a heavy swallow. "My mother... has been dead almost as long."

"And your father?"

He frowned, obviously not wanting to think about it.

"Dead too.", his eyes opened a crack for the first time. "Lord Shimura... my uncle... he was like a father... to me."

Something tightened in your chest. Now Lord Shimura was dead too and, like you, Jin was completely alone.

"My family disappeared a long time ago.", you didn't know why you were telling him all this but you wanted him to know that you weren't completely dissimilar. "Well... they escaped. We were all prisoners of the Mongols."

His dark eyes travelled through the house. When they found you, they sparkled like amber.

"Why are you... left...?"

You smiled bitterly.

"My mother lost me in the night. The Mongols found me before her.", tears burning in your eyes when you met his gaze. "Now I'm looking for her. Or someone else of my people. Anyone, really."

He nodded understandably, trying to lie down better to escape the cold that was settling in his body. He seemed to be getting chills. In this case, it would be inconvenient to just let him sleep. He might not make it through the night.

"Are you cold?", you asked, although the answer was obvious.

He nodded wearily. Then Jin laughed softly. It was a warm laugh, powerful and more honest than you'd heard in a long time.

"Ridiculous...", he whispered, his tongue heavy. "I fought... battles..."

You smiled.

"And won?", you playfully ran two fingertips over the scar on his cheek.

The smile he showed this time even bared his teeth.

"I was a stupid child...", he admitted with a grin. The scar... I could have spared it..."

His eyes returned to your face, examined it as if he tried to remember every single detail.

"You don't... have any scars.", he said.

You tilted your head with a smile.

"Not in the face.", you confirmed.

Curiosity awoke in the brown of his eyes. Slowly, his gaze travelled down your body, along your neck, lower until he finally averted his eyes, startled.

Laughing quietly to yourself, you sat lay on the floor next to him and rested your head on one arm.

"That's the second time.", you reminded him.

He frowned.

"When did I...?"

"When you woke up. In the middle of the night."

"I - that was...", he seemed to blush, but maybe that was because of the glow of the fire.

"You could have just denied it.", you said with a shrug.

He sighed.

"Why...?"

"People do that."

"I own up to my mistakes... and... I apologise. That was... never my intention."

"Certainly. When people escape death or face it, they usually become as simple as they are born."

Sighing, he closed his eyes.

"I... was brought up well...", he said with restrained emotion.

Smiling gently, you came closer to him. Your hand came to rest on his cheek. At the touch, he opened his eyes again to look at you. Flames danced in the brown, seemed to turn it to melting gold.

"I'm not judging a dying man.", you moved a little closer. "You are cold. Let me warm you."

And all he could do was stare at you, swallow hard and finally nod.