/12/
He didn't like it when anyone assumed she couldn't smile. His teeth clenched and his lip curled back as they passed by, the same whispers floating by them - ungrateful, emotionless, strange…
The women's laughter and voices faded away and he exhaled loudly, his heart pounding away in a strangely irregular and erratic rhythm. He thought of turning around and reprimanding them for their uncomfortably loud remarks and sly smirks but he knew they had left the hallway.
He kept walking, his partner as silent as ever.
She turned right, swinging open the gate to the courtyard and he followed her towards the pile of cleaning supplies in the corner. She leaned against a pillar in the shade and he sat beside her, unsheathing his sword without speaking.
For a few minutes, she merely sharpened her blade and he concentrated on rubbing his knives clean. Then she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and he looked up, his eyes wide and the grip on his cleaning rag tightening. She turned away and shook her head ever so slightly.
He swallowed nervously and opened his mouth to apologize, wanting to tell her that he would certainly defend her next time. Then her lips turned up at the corners ever so slightly and he heard the smallest of laughs reverberate in the empty courtyard.
He stayed quiet until she moved to leave minutes later, the sound echoing in his ears and matching the beating of his heart.
A/N: I was asking 'Nayuki bunny-chan' why we hadn't contributed to this series' fanfiction archive and so we came up with this drabble set idea. I adore Mitsuhide and Kiki and really hope we get to see their story in the manga soon, but for right now, I'm going to let my imagination construct their story. Hope you enjoy!