Author's Note: I wrote this simply because this manga needs more stories. Each chapter will be a stand alone story unless stated otherwise. Updates will be sporadic but I hope to have something every month or so. We'll see how it goes.

Summary: Akari was a dreamer. But that was okay because Ryusei had a plan.

Prompt: Calling

Finding a Plan

At age five, Akari was a dreamer. She loved dressing up in her fairy costume and having tea parties with all her toys. She enjoyed putting on her mother's makeup and heels and pretending she was a model. She liked playing doctor with her dad's white collared shirt and put patches and gauze on her stuffed animals.

At age fifteen, Akari was still a dreamer. She spent more time with her head in the clouds than her nose in the books. She lived for the moment. She tried to not focus on the past and never wanted to think about the future.

Then she met Ryusei.

Suddenly the future became very real to her. It wasn't before long that she found herself floundering in the vast ocean of the future. Where should she go to school? Should she even attend college? Where would she work? Should she look for a job outside of kabuki?

It was overwhelming. Two short months before she graduated high school, she finally broke down. Ryusei found her crying in the dressing room backstage.

"Akari! What happened?"

Even as his voice rose in volume, she could feel his arms gently moving around her to comfort her.

"It's nothing," she said, hiccuping into his shoulder. The rough fabric of his kimono muffling her voice, "I'm fine."

"You're crying."

She sighed. Only he could made a word like crying sound like some unforgivable sin. She turned her head to face into his neck. His unique scent of sandalwood and sweat helped to calm her nerves.

"I just…"

"What?"

"I'm graduating soon… and where am I going to live? What will I do?"

His arms loosened as he pulled back to look at her. "What does it matter?"

The slight dismissal in his tone caused something to snap inside of her. The stress, the fear, the anxiety she had been feeling for months erupted in a loud shout as she pushed him away from her.

"This is easy for you because you already know what you're doing, but I don't!" She said her voice rising with a sob, "I'm not skilled. I can't became an actress or anything. What am I going to do?"

She only had a moment to see a flicker of emotion flash across his face before he pulled her close enough to knock the air from her lungs.

"You're going to stay with me," he growled, mouth close enough to her ear to cause her gasp, "You're going to live with me. You're going to be with me."

"Ryusei…"

He loosen his hold long enough to look her in the eyes. "I told you before – I can't do this without you."

The sincerity in his voice caused Akari to smile. "Okay," she replied softly, snuggling into his chest. "I'll stay with you."

At eighteen-years-old, Akari finally found her calling. And it was Ryusei.