[ Seeing her expression drop, he blinks at her before he realizes what's happening. And he lets out a soft little chuckle for it as both hands are now free when he faces her at his side. ]
We're still kidding.
[ But he's still smiling all the same. Her reaction just now was really cute, and since they still have some time before the clock strikes midnight and her birthday passes? He's going to give her another present. He'll take part of his 'payment' now when he leans forward to take another kiss from her. ]
[ They were...? Her brows furrow and she frets, tilting her head to the side as she looks at him. She doesn't even know what to say, but... she's honestly a little embarrassed that she didn't know.
Cloud is still smiling, though, so that makes things a little better. Even better when he leans in to kiss her, because it is quite a surprise! It's enough to tell her that it's okay.
They can go back to joking around, right...? ]
Then... was that my payment? [ The kiss he took from her! ]
[ She doesn't get it. At first! And she lets out a barely audible "oh!" when she finally understands. No need for more words. She's going to be the one to get on her knees now to crawl over to where he is, placing a chaste kiss on his lips first, followed by another, and another, when she finally opens her mouth a little more to kiss him in proper. And if Cloud doesn't do anything? She's going to keep going.
Kisses from the Shirasagi Himegimi are supposed to be priceless, but Ayaka fully intends to keep Cloud all to herself. To the point where no one else can have his time because she's paid for all of it for years to come. ]
[ He's literally seconds away from apologizing when she lets out that oh-so-soft "oh!" and she has her little eureka moment. Cloud really couldn't put it into words, but the way she came to the revelation that he was still joking, the innocent look on her face? It makes his heart race a little more as he stares back at her. But then she's just staring back at him now. And he suddenly feels very tense.
Then she gets on her knees and crawls over to him. As she gets closer, he can smell the softest scent of sakura, looking down at her but leaving himself wide open for attack when she plants a chase little kiss on his lips. His eyes are wide upon the first one. Then she quickly gives him another. And another.
And by the time she finally opens her mouth to kiss him proper, he's closed his eyes and surrendered, his arm resting upon her shoulder as he leans on his hand for support so he doesn't go toppling over. It's true. Kisses from the Shirasagi Himegimi are supposed to be priceless. But as he's come to find out about himself, especially when it came to matters of the heart, his reservations stripped away and his filters gone?
He was a greedy, greedy merc. And he'd treasure every single 'priceless' kiss she gives him as he lets out a soft hum in his throat. She tastes like tea, warm and wet as his lips part and he returns her kisses in kind. He's damn near tempted to forget where they are and pull her into his lap out here at the table when his eyes open, half-lids as they briefly flick to the corner of the room. To the shrine.
His own family shrine that, like Ayaka's in her home, they did such a good job of practicing being 'private' for. He draws back, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze as his face is positively flush red. His heart's racing. They'd meant to finish their tea and wagashi. He was going to walk her home. But... ]
[ Ayaka was more than prepared to continue paying Cloud for his service and protection, but she stops when he pulls away. She hasn't realised it yet— how they're downstairs, just right by the shrine of Cloud's mother. Of course she knows where they are, but she's completely forgotten how she'd prefer not to be this intimate in front of family. How they'd kept it that way in the Kamisato Estate.
She hasn't realised it yet either when Cloud asks her to stay. Her focus is there on the question immediately. She's asked something she's wanted to ask deep down, because the truth is that she doesn't want this day to end without Cloud by her side. Just like on the blond's birthday, they went against what seemed. . . proper and fitting for a lady of the Kamisato Clan.
Who she is when she is with Cloud is just Ayaka, though. A girl who's always wanted to love and to be loved. Here she is now, with her dreams come true. And with the safe and comfortable space Cloud has provided her, she would like to still be Ayaka in his presence. ]
I would like to, [ she responds, but there is a bit of hesitation in her tone. She wishes to be able to hear him say that it's okay to do so, even though he had asked her just now. She wishes for her wants to be validated, because it is then that she would feel safe with a choice that Ayaka has made. ] Would that really be okay with you?
[ He'll validate her every single time. Remind her of her worth every single day. Every single time they talk. There's a good reason why, when she asks him how his day was going, his answer was almost always, "Just got better." And despite himself, he does lean in to take one more kiss from her, this time with his hand sweeping her bangs so he can apply a more affectionate kiss to her forehead. He's almost tempted to just forego drinking the rest of this tea now and just take her upstairs.
It didn't matter whether they were making love, talking, or just holding one another in contentment- Cloud wasn't ready for this day to end just yet. Hopefully Ayato understands. He's a selfish beau, but he's going to take care of her. Just like he said he would. ]
[ When Cloud's hand drops after he kisses her forehead, her own hand is on it right away. She wants to hold his hand, lace her fingers in his because it feels right. It always feels right when she's holding his hand, even from the start, when they were just friends. It's a feeling that could never grow old. ]
Thank you. I always wish to be with you, even when the day ends...
[ She's just as selfish as he is. And perhaps it is going to be a realisation of her brother, at some point. . . that she is truly, madly, and deeply in love with Cloud, that she would set aside her title for him, if push came to shove. Cloud has become just as important as Ayato is. He's home, after all. ]
[ Cloud's not stupid. And he knows that Ayato means well! But he can already imagine Ayato's voice now. And his ^_^ smile. But he returns to his tea all the same. He's still excited to keep kissing her, but now that they've confirmed that she's staying here tonight? Cloud doesn't feel the same desperation and rush as before. Like he needed to make his time with her count before she had to go. They had all night. Even if they spent that night asleep together. It's something he wants, too. ]
Once I've spruced the place up some more, I'll hafta have him over sometime.
[ She slides away from him so she can take out her phone and stand up. She would prefer to talk to Ayato while Cloud can't hear them, for the sake of privacy. Not that she would hide anything from Cloud (or Ayato, for that matter), but she would also like to have a private moment with her brother to thank him for today.
And it doesn't take long! About two minutes after being away, she heads back to where Cloud is seated, finishing the tea in her cup before looking at Cloud. ]
Perhaps when you make your stew, Ayato can be one of the first people to try.
[ Cloud patiently waits for her as she goes to call her brother. He didn't need to be there for every little thing. Especially a private conversation with her brother. They'll wake up in the morning and have her back home in time to get prepared for her teaching job. They even had plans later that night to go help his business. He's already polished off his own cup, nodding with a little, "Hey" when he catches her returning to his side. ]
Doesn't sound like a bad idea. [ A beat. ] You can both try.
[ Cloud gets up as he says so. But before he can think of touching anything... When they first started dating, he was still getting used to just how much she liked doing this sort of thing for other people. But he also couldn't just stand there and do nothing. It may be his house, but that mattered little to him. So he asks, ]
Mind if I help bring some of this in?
[ To the kitchen to clean up! Since Ayaka was spending the night, there was no rush to have to get out or go anywhere unless she suddenly wanted to. They could talk, lay down together, pick up right where they left off with his 'payment'. It didn't matter. As long as Cloud was with her. ]
[ He almost completely forgot about the cup for the shrine! Turning to it, steam no longer rising from the lukewarm teacup, he nods back at Ayaka as he retrieves it carefully and follows her into the kitchen. ]
So how much time d'you need to get ready before you head for school?
[ Leisurely walking, he's about twenty minutes away from the Kamisato Estate. ...he gets there in half the time usually. But regardless, ]
Well, I should like to prepare breakfast for us, and I would also like to prepare something for Ayato...
[ She'll have to make extra here, and bring it to the estate for her brother. It would cost more time if she cooked separately at the estate later on. ]
I shall wake up at 6 in the morning, just as the sun rises. That's two hours before classes begin.
[ Luckily for Ayaka, Cloud's cold storage is respectfully stocked up! And he has ample rice. ...as any Nipponese home should have. Really, if he was lacking on that, there'd be a problem. ]
Wanna call it a night soon, then?
[ That doesn't disappoint him, since he'll be with her as they fall asleep. It's an honest question! ...if they don't just wind up talking in bed, that is. She wouldn't dare show it in front of her students or colleagues, but he doesn't want her to feel she's dragging her feet from lack of sleep. ]
[ It takes a moment for Ayaka to answer the question. One, because she's washing the dishes and putting them on the drying rack, and two... ]
It is selfish of me to not want the day to end, isn't it? [ She smiles softly as she asks, drying her hands on the nearby towel before turning to face Cloud. The day will end regardless, but this has been the best day of her entire life. How truly overjoyed she is over everything that happened today can't be put into words, no matter how eloquent Ayaka can be. ] Let's get some rest.
[ True to his word, he allows Ayaka to do the dishes, crossing his arms as he waits patiently. ]
Like I'm any better. [ A gentle exhale through his nose, closing what little distance is left between them. In the comfort of his own home, where no one can see or hear them. Where his blossomed feelings were nurtured and urged to grow. As he unfolds his arms, he takes her hands in his, thanking her for cleaning up with a squeeze of her hands. ] Not gonna close my eyes till you do.
Just saying.
[ They'll drift off eventually. But if she wants to be selfish? That's her choice. Their choice. After all, there can be such a thing as a good ending to a day. ]
[ Cloud!!!! NOW THIS IS HOW AYAKA WILL GET SOME REST... because Cloud won't sleep until she does :'(
But it is that silly comment that reminds her of a wish she made long ago. A wish she made to him, of how he should keep his eyes on her. With his hand in hers, she can't help it! ]
Come with me. [ They said they would rest, so she will tug tug him up the stairs and into his room. She doesn't say anything to him, but she asks him to sit on the bed facing the balcony. ]
While the moon is bright... [ The view from Cloud's bed is nice. Facing the balcony, the sliding doors just open halfway to create a frame of sorts. The moon is high in the sky, stars twinkling bright... there's not much light, just the lamp that Ayaka's switched on, making her shadow all the more prominent as she moves around the room.
She steps out into the balcony, her fan in her hand. Ayaka knows what she's doing— seeing as they are ending the night, she would like to tell him again just how grateful she is to Cloud. Watch her, for she is about to show yet another side of the Shirasagi Himegimi.
Covering her mouth with her fan first, she hums a tune, a song she'd heard in this nation. Still very similar to Inazuman music, actually. Sharing yet a part of her as she sings, closing her eyes and moving along to the beat with her fan in hand. The song doesn't fully convey how she truly feels, but... she asks him to go to the beach with her, to watch the sun with her... though towards the end, she alters the lyrics a little, about how tomorrow, she will wake up next to him, and love is there. Love is always there. ]
[ He shouldn't act so surprised, but she manages to keep him on his toes all over again when she tug tugs him out of the kitchen, past the living room and around the corner towards the stairs. His bedroom's towards the end of the hall, the moonlight casts enough light for them to move around in. He'd stared at her as he follows all the way up here, wondering what she she was planning all the way to the point where she instructs him to have a seat on the bed.
It's less him being confused and more, once again, watching on with a sense of wonder when she eludes to the moon, the halfway open doors to the balcony framing the Shirasagi Himegimi with the soft glow of the lamp in the room accentuating her. That's when it hits him...a feeling that may as well be nostalgic at this point. An 'escape' from the palace as they ran away and took a train to another part of Kyoto. When they found that gazebo to hide away together and talk. Not even the pull of the 'month of love's heat was enough to disturb them in the moment that followed.
In the moment that returns here and now when she beckons him watch. Keep his eyes on her. Always. ]
....
[ And so he does, leaning back on his hands as his soft mako-infused blues hold true to her graceful and elegant form. Her method of song and dance was unlike anything he's seen before. There was nothing extravagant or over the top about it. It wasn't with the same pizazz one would come to expect from the finer night life of Midgar's Wall Market. And yet...as she hums, then sings, her fan creating snowflakes that glisten beneath the moon's guiding light,
It's because it's none of those things. Her dance isn't loud. It isn't over the top. It's enough that he can't help but be taken back to that feeling he got in his chest, heart hammering wildly as he fought not to stand up too soon. As he fought not to just close what little distance remained to kiss her amidst the symbol at her feet and the flourish of whirling snow. He wanted to preserve this. It was worth looping time for if it meant Ayaka's happiest day of her life could continue. She made every step count. Every lyric that guided her along to the beat as she looked like an unreachable princess.
He never stopped believing it, yet it felt like Ayaka was challenging him to witness her again for the very first time. Perceive her again for the very first time. Recognize just how beautiful she really was for the very first time. And relive it. Relive this feeling of falling in love as hard as he did for her. So much so that when she finishes, he slowly rises from where he's sitting. Just the same way as he did in that gazebo that fateful night, calmly closing what little distance is between the bed and the balcony where she awaits. ]
Always there...
[ Her encouraging words. Her cute smile. Every single memory she's engraved in his heart. Her love. It's always there. ]
[ There is a smile on her lips when it touches his. Underneath the moonlight, with the stars above as witness, Ayaka's best day ever draws to a close. She could sing for him, recite poems, tell him each day that she loves him, but nothing could compare to actually holding him. Dropping her fan to the floor, all she would like now is to hold her beau's hand.
Her heart is beating so fast. It was her first time to sing for Cloud, after all! While she knows she is talented, it still is a big difference to perform for the one you love. She hopes he liked her song... she hopes that he'd always remember today, because she could never forget anything that happened on this day. ]
Thank you, my love.
[ Her words brought out as a whisper. Words only for Cloud to hear, because there is no other person whom she loves in this way. No one else will ever find out who Kamisato Ayaka truly is, but Cloud. ]
🌸🌸🌸
[ The door to the balcony is closed when the two decide to call it a night. Ayaka has let her hair down, the ribbons adorning her hair placed on Cloud's bedside table, while she takes a seat on the side of the bed that Cloud doesn't occupy. The smile on her face still hasn't left, but now she is ready to end the day. ]
I'd meant to ask sooner, but... may I ask why you hired someone to deliver the flowers to me this morning?
[ Hahah... she'd been curious this whole time! A light conversation as they wind down for the night. ]
[ Cloud had just finished swapping out of his clothes, slipping into cozier sleep attire and returning from the bathroom after brushing his teeth. ]
Funny that... [ But there's no sense in lying either! It wasn't anything so dramatic, but as he sits on his side of the bed, leaning on his hands and looking back at Ayaka, he continues. ] When we got back from Shikoku, I was trying to get everything ready for your birthday.
Same way you and Zack surprised me. While I got the Hanzaki Clan to deliver the flowers, I picked up your armlet.
[ Cloud has always been so kind and thoughtful... And now that her curiosity has been sated, she can share more about her day! ]
Zack sent me flowers for my birthday too, you know. It was such a sweet gesture. And Ayato had a bouquet for me, as well!
[ Truly the best day ever. ]
Come to think of it, it has been a while since I did something for the Hanzaki Clan. After arriving... it's gotten rather busy. Hehe. But we met because of them.
[ She'd just been talking about this the other day with him— how they would've gotten together regardless. How would they have met if not for the Hanzaki Clan, she wonders? ]
[ Hearing that even Zack sent flowers out for her, actually earns her beau a soft little huff. His smile grows. While he still didn't consider himself a social butterfly, everything he learned since coming here lent to him being more observant of the people around him. If others hadn't done something for someone like Ayaka, he'd have been surprised. So hearing that sans the closest people from her world, that even Zack made the time for her? ]
I'm glad you two get along.
[ Stretching his arms with a small grunt, he swings his legs up onto the bed, not slipping under the covers quite yet as he settles in by Ayaka's side. ]
Really was the best timing, huh.
[ Not just 'good' timing. For him, knowing what he knew now and where their friendship would lead, Cloud couldn't settle for anything less. ]
You wanna? [ Because he will! ] We could always check in and see what's outstanding for them.
[ Whether it was something more diplomatic or something a touch more dangerous, it's nice having an equally badass girlfriend. They spend most of their time doing more peaceful things, but their skills when needed shouldn't grow rusty either. ]
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We're still kidding.
[ But he's still smiling all the same. Her reaction just now was really cute, and since they still have some time before the clock strikes midnight and her birthday passes? He's going to give her another present. He'll take part of his 'payment' now when he leans forward to take another kiss from her. ]
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Cloud is still smiling, though, so that makes things a little better. Even better when he leans in to kiss her, because it is quite a surprise! It's enough to tell her that it's okay.
They can go back to joking around, right...? ]
Then... was that my payment? [ The kiss he took from her! ]
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[ Please get it Ayaka please get it Ayaka please get it Ayaka please get it Ayaka- ]
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[ She doesn't get it. At first! And she lets out a barely audible "oh!" when she finally understands. No need for more words. She's going to be the one to get on her knees now to crawl over to where he is, placing a chaste kiss on his lips first, followed by another, and another, when she finally opens her mouth a little more to kiss him in proper. And if Cloud doesn't do anything? She's going to keep going.
Kisses from the Shirasagi Himegimi are supposed to be priceless, but Ayaka fully intends to keep Cloud all to herself. To the point where no one else can have his time because she's paid for all of it for years to come. ]
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[ He's literally seconds away from apologizing when she lets out that oh-so-soft "oh!" and she has her little eureka moment. Cloud really couldn't put it into words, but the way she came to the revelation that he was still joking, the innocent look on her face? It makes his heart race a little more as he stares back at her. But then she's just staring back at him now. And he suddenly feels very tense.
Then she gets on her knees and crawls over to him. As she gets closer, he can smell the softest scent of sakura, looking down at her but leaving himself wide open for attack when she plants a chase little kiss on his lips. His eyes are wide upon the first one. Then she quickly gives him another. And another.
And by the time she finally opens her mouth to kiss him proper, he's closed his eyes and surrendered, his arm resting upon her shoulder as he leans on his hand for support so he doesn't go toppling over. It's true. Kisses from the Shirasagi Himegimi are supposed to be priceless. But as he's come to find out about himself, especially when it came to matters of the heart, his reservations stripped away and his filters gone?
He was a greedy, greedy merc. And he'd treasure every single 'priceless' kiss she gives him as he lets out a soft hum in his throat. She tastes like tea, warm and wet as his lips part and he returns her kisses in kind. He's damn near tempted to forget where they are and pull her into his lap out here at the table when his eyes open, half-lids as they briefly flick to the corner of the room. To the shrine.
His own family shrine that, like Ayaka's in her home, they did such a good job of practicing being 'private' for. He draws back, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze as his face is positively flush red. His heart's racing. They'd meant to finish their tea and wagashi. He was going to walk her home. But... ]
Stay here tonight?
[ He'll keep taking her 'payment' upstairs. ]
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She hasn't realised it yet either when Cloud asks her to stay. Her focus is there on the question immediately. She's asked something she's wanted to ask deep down, because the truth is that she doesn't want this day to end without Cloud by her side. Just like on the blond's birthday, they went against what seemed. . . proper and fitting for a lady of the Kamisato Clan.
Who she is when she is with Cloud is just Ayaka, though. A girl who's always wanted to love and to be loved. Here she is now, with her dreams come true. And with the safe and comfortable space Cloud has provided her, she would like to still be Ayaka in his presence. ]
I would like to, [ she responds, but there is a bit of hesitation in her tone. She wishes to be able to hear him say that it's okay to do so, even though he had asked her just now. She wishes for her wants to be validated, because it is then that she would feel safe with a choice that Ayaka has made. ] Would that really be okay with you?
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[ He'll validate her every single time. Remind her of her worth every single day. Every single time they talk. There's a good reason why, when she asks him how his day was going, his answer was almost always, "Just got better." And despite himself, he does lean in to take one more kiss from her, this time with his hand sweeping her bangs so he can apply a more affectionate kiss to her forehead. He's almost tempted to just forego drinking the rest of this tea now and just take her upstairs.
It didn't matter whether they were making love, talking, or just holding one another in contentment- Cloud wasn't ready for this day to end just yet. Hopefully Ayato understands. He's a selfish beau, but he's going to take care of her. Just like he said he would. ]
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Thank you. I always wish to be with you, even when the day ends...
[ She's just as selfish as he is. And perhaps it is going to be a realisation of her brother, at some point. . . that she is truly, madly, and deeply in love with Cloud, that she would set aside her title for him, if push came to shove. Cloud has become just as important as Ayato is. He's home, after all. ]
Hehe... I'll give Ayato a call.
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[ Cloud's not stupid. And he knows that Ayato means well! But he can already imagine Ayato's voice now. And his ^_^ smile. But he returns to his tea all the same. He's still excited to keep kissing her, but now that they've confirmed that she's staying here tonight? Cloud doesn't feel the same desperation and rush as before. Like he needed to make his time with her count before she had to go. They had all night. Even if they spent that night asleep together. It's something he wants, too. ]
Once I've spruced the place up some more, I'll hafta have him over sometime.
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And it doesn't take long! About two minutes after being away, she heads back to where Cloud is seated, finishing the tea in her cup before looking at Cloud. ]
Perhaps when you make your stew, Ayato can be one of the first people to try.
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Doesn't sound like a bad idea. [ A beat. ] You can both try.
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After nodding and showing her excitement for it, she decides to start cleaning up, if Cloud is amenable to it. ]
Would you like more tea, or shall I clean up?
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[ Cloud gets up as he says so. But before he can think of touching anything... When they first started dating, he was still getting used to just how much she liked doing this sort of thing for other people. But he also couldn't just stand there and do nothing. It may be his house, but that mattered little to him. So he asks, ]
Mind if I help bring some of this in?
[ To the kitchen to clean up! Since Ayaka was spending the night, there was no rush to have to get out or go anywhere unless she suddenly wanted to. They could talk, lay down together, pick up right where they left off with his 'payment'. It didn't matter. As long as Cloud was with her. ]
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[ He can help if he wants! But Ayaka will still do the dishes. ]
I'll bring these to the kitchen. If you would be so kind to get the cup from your mother?
[ Then everything'll be cleaned before they retire for the night! Ayaka gets up already so she can put everything back on the tray. ]
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[ He almost completely forgot about the cup for the shrine! Turning to it, steam no longer rising from the lukewarm teacup, he nods back at Ayaka as he retrieves it carefully and follows her into the kitchen. ]
So how much time d'you need to get ready before you head for school?
[ Leisurely walking, he's about twenty minutes away from the Kamisato Estate. ...he gets there in half the time usually. But regardless, ]
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[ She'll have to make extra here, and bring it to the estate for her brother. It would cost more time if she cooked separately at the estate later on. ]
I shall wake up at 6 in the morning, just as the sun rises. That's two hours before classes begin.
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Wanna call it a night soon, then?
[ That doesn't disappoint him, since he'll be with her as they fall asleep. It's an honest question! ...if they don't just wind up talking in bed, that is. She wouldn't dare show it in front of her students or colleagues, but he doesn't want her to feel she's dragging her feet from lack of sleep. ]
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It is selfish of me to not want the day to end, isn't it? [ She smiles softly as she asks, drying her hands on the nearby towel before turning to face Cloud. The day will end regardless, but this has been the best day of her entire life. How truly overjoyed she is over everything that happened today can't be put into words, no matter how eloquent Ayaka can be. ] Let's get some rest.
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Like I'm any better. [ A gentle exhale through his nose, closing what little distance is left between them. In the comfort of his own home, where no one can see or hear them. Where his blossomed feelings were nurtured and urged to grow. As he unfolds his arms, he takes her hands in his, thanking her for cleaning up with a squeeze of her hands. ] Not gonna close my eyes till you do.
Just saying.
[ They'll drift off eventually. But if she wants to be selfish? That's her choice. Their choice. After all, there can be such a thing as a good ending to a day. ]
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But it is that silly comment that reminds her of a wish she made long ago. A wish she made to him, of how he should keep his eyes on her. With his hand in hers, she can't help it! ]
Come with me. [ They said they would rest, so she will tug tug him up the stairs and into his room. She doesn't say anything to him, but she asks him to sit on the bed facing the balcony. ]
While the moon is bright... [ The view from Cloud's bed is nice. Facing the balcony, the sliding doors just open halfway to create a frame of sorts. The moon is high in the sky, stars twinkling bright... there's not much light, just the lamp that Ayaka's switched on, making her shadow all the more prominent as she moves around the room.
She steps out into the balcony, her fan in her hand. Ayaka knows what she's doing— seeing as they are ending the night, she would like to tell him again just how grateful she is to Cloud. Watch her, for she is about to show yet another side of the Shirasagi Himegimi.
Covering her mouth with her fan first, she hums a tune, a song she'd heard in this nation. Still very similar to Inazuman music, actually. Sharing yet a part of her as she sings, closing her eyes and moving along to the beat with her fan in hand. The song doesn't fully convey how she truly feels, but... she asks him to go to the beach with her, to watch the sun with her... though towards the end, she alters the lyrics a little, about how tomorrow, she will wake up next to him, and love is there. Love is always there. ]
no subject
Huh?
[ He shouldn't act so surprised, but she manages to keep him on his toes all over again when she tug tugs him out of the kitchen, past the living room and around the corner towards the stairs. His bedroom's towards the end of the hall, the moonlight casts enough light for them to move around in. He'd stared at her as he follows all the way up here, wondering what she she was planning all the way to the point where she instructs him to have a seat on the bed.
It's less him being confused and more, once again, watching on with a sense of wonder when she eludes to the moon, the halfway open doors to the balcony framing the Shirasagi Himegimi with the soft glow of the lamp in the room accentuating her. That's when it hits him...a feeling that may as well be nostalgic at this point. An 'escape' from the palace as they ran away and took a train to another part of Kyoto. When they found that gazebo to hide away together and talk. Not even the pull of the 'month of love's heat was enough to disturb them in the moment that followed.
In the moment that returns here and now when she beckons him watch. Keep his eyes on her. Always. ]
....
[ And so he does, leaning back on his hands as his soft mako-infused blues hold true to her graceful and elegant form. Her method of song and dance was unlike anything he's seen before. There was nothing extravagant or over the top about it. It wasn't with the same pizazz one would come to expect from the finer night life of Midgar's Wall Market. And yet...as she hums, then sings, her fan creating snowflakes that glisten beneath the moon's guiding light,
It's because it's none of those things. Her dance isn't loud. It isn't over the top. It's enough that he can't help but be taken back to that feeling he got in his chest, heart hammering wildly as he fought not to stand up too soon. As he fought not to just close what little distance remained to kiss her amidst the symbol at her feet and the flourish of whirling snow. He wanted to preserve this. It was worth looping time for if it meant Ayaka's happiest day of her life could continue. She made every step count. Every lyric that guided her along to the beat as she looked like an unreachable princess.
He never stopped believing it, yet it felt like Ayaka was challenging him to witness her again for the very first time. Perceive her again for the very first time. Recognize just how beautiful she really was for the very first time. And relive it. Relive this feeling of falling in love as hard as he did for her. So much so that when she finishes, he slowly rises from where he's sitting. Just the same way as he did in that gazebo that fateful night, calmly closing what little distance is between the bed and the balcony where she awaits. ]
Always there...
[ Her encouraging words. Her cute smile. Every single memory she's engraved in his heart. Her love. It's always there. ]
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Her heart is beating so fast. It was her first time to sing for Cloud, after all! While she knows she is talented, it still is a big difference to perform for the one you love. She hopes he liked her song... she hopes that he'd always remember today, because she could never forget anything that happened on this day. ]
Thank you, my love.
[ Her words brought out as a whisper. Words only for Cloud to hear, because there is no other person whom she loves in this way. No one else will ever find out who Kamisato Ayaka truly is, but Cloud. ]
[ The door to the balcony is closed when the two decide to call it a night. Ayaka has let her hair down, the ribbons adorning her hair placed on Cloud's bedside table, while she takes a seat on the side of the bed that Cloud doesn't occupy. The smile on her face still hasn't left, but now she is ready to end the day. ]
I'd meant to ask sooner, but... may I ask why you hired someone to deliver the flowers to me this morning?
[ Hahah... she'd been curious this whole time! A light conversation as they wind down for the night. ]
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Mm?
[ Cloud had just finished swapping out of his clothes, slipping into cozier sleep attire and returning from the bathroom after brushing his teeth. ]
Funny that... [ But there's no sense in lying either! It wasn't anything so dramatic, but as he sits on his side of the bed, leaning on his hands and looking back at Ayaka, he continues. ] When we got back from Shikoku, I was trying to get everything ready for your birthday.
Same way you and Zack surprised me. While I got the Hanzaki Clan to deliver the flowers, I picked up your armlet.
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Zack sent me flowers for my birthday too, you know. It was such a sweet gesture. And Ayato had a bouquet for me, as well!
[ Truly the best day ever. ]
Come to think of it, it has been a while since I did something for the Hanzaki Clan. After arriving... it's gotten rather busy. Hehe. But we met because of them.
[ She'd just been talking about this the other day with him— how they would've gotten together regardless. How would they have met if not for the Hanzaki Clan, she wonders? ]
Should we pick up a commission for them soon?
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I'm glad you two get along.
[ Stretching his arms with a small grunt, he swings his legs up onto the bed, not slipping under the covers quite yet as he settles in by Ayaka's side. ]
Really was the best timing, huh.
[ Not just 'good' timing. For him, knowing what he knew now and where their friendship would lead, Cloud couldn't settle for anything less. ]
You wanna? [ Because he will! ] We could always check in and see what's outstanding for them.
[ Whether it was something more diplomatic or something a touch more dangerous, it's nice having an equally badass girlfriend. They spend most of their time doing more peaceful things, but their skills when needed shouldn't grow rusty either. ]
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