Disclaimer: Tactics is not mine.
Strawberry Kiss
Kantarou had thought it would be funny. Unfortunately, the joke had backfired on him. Terribly.
Haruka had caught Kantarou attempting to pawn off his rice-bowl earlier. The reason the folklorist gave was rather pathetic. "I just wanted to exchange it for information; I would've have gotten it back for you!" He'd said. What really upset Haruka was that Kantarou had tried this before; the stupid "demon-buster" should've known the repercussions. And his master was saying he lacked a sense of humour. Frankly Haruka thought the one lacking anything (that being common sense) was Kantarou.
Kantarou's eyes met the blank sheet of paper – which was supposed to be his next article – with an equally blank stare. He hadn't meant to make Haruka mad. Now his tengu refused to say anything to him, and Kantarou didn't dare to go up on the roof to make peace lest the current occupant decided it would be amusing to kick him off. Heaving a dejected sigh, he let his head hit the desk with a loud thud. I should've known better than to take Haruka's rice-bowl, even though I meant it as a joke.
Youko peeked into Kantarou's room and sighed. When things like this happened, the tension lasted for a whole day, or more. Thank goodness she knew how she could dissipate it. She slid the door open.
"Kan-chan, is Haruka-chan still angry at you?"
Kantarou gave a start. "Eh?" Turning, he saw Youko's perfectly innocent countenance. "Yes…he is," he replied, tapping the desk with the wrong end of his pen. "I know how you can make peace," Youko began, "and you won't even have to go up to the roof." Kantarou looked up. "Really?"
Kantarou stared in disbelief at Youko's "secret foolproof plan" which lay placidly in a bowl. They were red. And covered with green tops. "Strawberries?" "Hai!" the kitsune chirped, "You didn't know Haruka-chan likes them?" Kantarou turned a light shade of pink. "Er…no. How'd you find out…?" Youko giggled. "Well…we passed a strawberry farm the other day…and Haruka seemed reluctant to leave it…so I got him some, and he told me about how he hasn't had one in ages." Kantarou picked up the bowl, and prayed it would work. "Arigatou, Youko-chan."
Fortunately for Kantarou, Haruka had decided to come down from the roof and was sulking in his room. "Haruka!" Kantarou called out cheerfully, only to be met with a gruff "What do you want?" "I'm sorry about this afternoon, Haruka," Kantarou said meekly. "Strawberries?" At the mention of the fruit, Haruka perked up, forgetting his anger. "Where did…?" Kantarou grinned. "Youko-chan gave them to me, and I remembered you liked them…" Picking up one of the luscious red berries, he held it up to Haruka. A faint blush spread across the tengu's cheeks as he took a bite. Kantarou noticed Haruka moving closer as he was fed strawberries and decided to shorten the distance by shifting a bit as well.
"Haruka?"
"…?"
"Do you like me?"
"…Yes…"
Kantarou put down the bowl and tilted the tengu's chin up. "Even when I make you mad?" he asked. Haruka's blush intensified. "You've…already said sorry, haven't you…?" Kantarou smiled. "Yes, I have…"
When their lips met, Kantarou discovered that maybe, just maybe, strawberries were good for something after all.
Author's Notes: This story was written in the year 2004-2005. xD I only posted it this year, sad huh?