Zenki could never be sure about what it was so special about the human that was his master. Even after being together for so long, there were still so many different things about her that he loved, that it made it hard to choose between them. Maybe he loved everything about her so much, that it was impossible for him to decide. He wasn't quite sure. Then again when it came to Chiaki, more often than not, he wasn't sure of anything.
Maybe it was her skin. Despite hundreds of battles, her skin was still smooth to the touch. Not only was her skin smooth, but it was soft. There was softness and a smoothness didn't seem to fade, and he hoped they never did.
Perhaps it was her hair. Thick, midnight strands that flowed like water down her back, gleaming with highlights of amethyst. He loved watching Chiaki brushing her hair when she'd had a particularly stressful day. The movement of the brush sweeping through her hair helped relax both of them.
Or was it her eyes? Under constant stress daily had given Chiaki's eyes an almost hard look. But if you knew her well enough, you'd be able to read her eyes with ease. They were still just as expressive as they had been the day they had first met. How he loved looking into her eyes. He could read them so well, that an entire conversation could pass between them, and neither one of them would have to say a word. There were times, he swore, that he could get lost in depth of Chiaki's eyes.
Maybe it was her breathing. As odd as it sounded, he loved watching Chiaki breathe. There was something about the simple motion that moved him. It was a sign that Chiaki was alive and well. More easily seen and heard than her heartbeat - not that he didn't love listening to that too. He could watch Chiaki breathe for hours on end. He'd spent many a night just watching her breathe. Even when she was awake, he'd watch her breathe. There was a calming factor to Chiaki's breathing. It was always steady. Each breath forcing its way through mouth or nose, and always coming at the same rate,when awake or asleep. He could practically keep time by listening to Chiaki's breath, and more often than not, if they were separated on a battlefield, he'd listen for her breathing in order to find her, or to find out her physical state of being.
Was it right to love someone for their size?
He supposed that it didn't really matter. It was something that he would probably never mention to her, but he loved the fact that Chiaki was smaller than him - well, when he was in his true form, anyway. He knew that there were times that Chiaki's petite stature bothered her immensely, but it didn't bother Zenki at all. It gave his master an almost cute factor. Something about Chiaki being so small made her far more attractive to him, than she would have been had she been his size. There was a grace and delicate quality that came with her size. Besides, it was a plus in his books that he could hold Chiaki in both his true form's arms and his arms in his temporary form. Chiaki didn't have any trouble sleeping in either, and more often than not, one would think she slept cradled in the arms of her guardian every night. Zenki loved the fact that she was small enough to hold, in more than one way.
This was, of course, something he was wary of telling Chiaki about.
Then, there was always Chiaki's strength. Chiaki had always been strong. It had just taken a while for her to realize that she was. It had taken some digging for her to uncover her own hidden strength, but eventually she had done it. After she had found her own inner strength, it had been nearly impossible for her to fail at anything.
Then there was Chiaki's nature. The way Chiaki was, more often than not, was enough for those around her to like her. Kind-hearted and spirited was the girl that those who cared enough to get to know her, that they grew to know. Always kind and gentle. Though she could have one hell of an attitude when she wanted to, and had a mouth smarter and faster than anyone he knew. More often than not, Chiaki was blunt and straight forward when it came to talking. He'd miss it if she ever stopped.
Seeing her ready for a fight was something as well.
He wasn't sure what it was about seeing Chiaki in her robes that sent a thrill through him, but it did. There was just something about it that thrilled him. There was a grace there, that Chiaki didn't seem to possess when she was out of her miko robes, that she did when she was in it. There was something about her during battle, that was different from the Chiaki he knew so well. There was ferocity in battle that was never there, at any other time. There was something primal about her during battle, that seemed to take hold of her. There was no mercy in her attacks.
Perhaps it was Chiaki's love.
Never before, in his long life, had he seen a creature love like Chiaki did. Not only did she seem to love easily, but she was easily loved in return. She seemed to inspire even the hardest of warriors to love. He had loved Chiaki from the first moment he'd seen her, though he hadn't known it at the time. That was okay though, for both of them had needed the time to get to know one another, and to discover the love that had buried itself deep within their souls. It hadn't taken them long to discover that love, when circumstances had allowed then to. Chiaki loved him in a way that was deep and pure and completely innocent in a way that only she seemed able to be. And it was such a love, as to lift the very deepest depths of anger from his heart and bask him in a warm light, that drove every other negative feeling away from him.
With Chiaki, there was only love.
And now that Zenki thought about it, perhaps that was what he loved most about his master. Perhaps it was her ability to love so deeply, despite all that had happened to her. No matter what she lost, she still loved so deeply. Zenki smiled as he looked down at the girl sleeping in his arms. Chiaki wouldn't be waking up any time soon. This was one of the rare nights that she would spend in Zenki's arms - his true arms - all night.
His lip curled as he placed a kiss on top of Chiaki's head, and ran his fingers lightly down the side of her face. There were so many things about his master that he loved. It was a list that changed and grew as time went by.
And Zenki looked forward to finding something else about his master that he could love.