Fire Flowers

A/N: This is a first. In my years as a fanfiction writer, never have I been able to accomplish writing two fanfics in one day. Although these two are only one chaptered and are mostly teasers, it's still a feat (in my case LOL). Or maybe it's because I'm really comfortable with Amou's character. I think it's very easy to manipulate her character. Or maybe that part was just me. Haha.

The title is the translation of the Japanese term of fireworks, hanabi.

Disclaimer: LCDO characters belong to KOEI and Kure Yuki. Ryuu's mine. Hahaha.

…

Click! Click!

"Aww, this is so cute!" she said as she scrolled through the display screen of the camera. A hand covered the display area and tried to take the camera away from her. "Hey! No fair! Give it back!" she said, half-laughing as she reached up to his stretched up hand. He laughed as he tried to push her away from him. "No, I'll have to delete that shot first!" he said as he turned and began deleting. She ran to him and retrieved the camera but her prized image was deleted already. She pouted at him and stuck out her tongue. "Bully." She muttered then adjusted the settings.

A hand ruffled her head, slightly damaging the bun she did on her hair. "Oi," she hissed as she leaned her head away. "You don't know how long I spent trying to make this bun stay on its place." She retorted. "Hmm? But I think you've always been pretty with or without the bun." He commented. She rolled her eyes, although a blush formed on her face, and began to walk where the stalls started. Soon, he was beside her, the ends of the sleeves of their kimonos brushing on each other. She leaned closer as the crowd began to be thick. Instinctively, he positioned himself so his body was slightly behind her.

He helped her on the small flight of stairs that led to the temple itself. They rung the bell and said their prayers together before joining the crowd and stalls on the temple grounds. She looked up at him and she noted how his blue eyes seemed to jump from stall to stall. He looked like he was seeing a festival for the first time. He noticed her gazing at him so he looked down. "Is there a problem?" he asked. She shook her head and laughed. "Let me guess: this is your first time to attend a festival?" she asked. He looked surprised at first then a blush crept on his cheeks. "Well, this is my first in years." He admitted. They turned to an area where there were seats and tables. "Oh, how lonely your festival-free years must have been." She mocked as they sat. "I j-just thought that they weren't really fun to go to." He said.

"Then what made you come to this festival?"

He paused for a moment, playing with the hem of his sleeve. He wasn't sure how to tell her. He was actually planning on admitting to her. He has a hint that she knows what he feels for her. She's quick with those things. There were times when he was sure that she feels the same for him but…

He's often caught her looking at his cousin's boyfriend in a different manner. The way how her eyes would linger on him, or the way on how she would always tease the guy, or on how she would try to turn a conversation so that she could directly talk to him. He cannot be mistaken. She likes Tsuchiura.

It sure as hell almost killed him. Figuratively, yes but…

He still wanted to believe that he stood a chance. After all, who was beside her when he wasn't around to be her object of jeering? Who stayed by her when she had so much stress and disappointments around her? Who made her smile and laugh whenever she was close to tears?

Who was the one who loves her?

"They said that the fireworks display this year would be much grander than last year." He simply said.

She laughed a little and leaned back on her seat. "They always say that to attract people. After all, what's a festival without a huge crowd?" she leaned on her seat. He could feel his heart racing. She looked absolutely stunning.

A sigh escaped her lips and she looked around. "Where is Kahoko? What's taking her so long?" she asked, craning her neck here and there. "I better send Manami a message as well." He said and began texting his cousin.

"I hope Manami-chan was able to coax Tsuchiura tonight." She whispered. He didn't need to take away his eyes from the message to know how sullen her expression was. It pained him to know that he couldn't make her look his way.

It pained him more to realize that he might probably just be a good friend to her.

A boom in the sky came and colors of sorts followed. Both of them looked up and saw circles of all sizes and color lighting up the sky. The two of them stood slowly, taking in the grandeur of the display of lights in the sky. People started to swarm the nearby open area to get a better view. He looked at her and he saw the sad glimmer in her eyes. His heart crushed.

"Stop that,"

She looked at him, confused. "Huh?" she asked.

"Look at here"

"Ryuu? What's wrong?" She narrowed her eyes to take a better look at him. The occasional shadows hindered a better view of him.

"It's me who's here,"

"…What,"

He couldn't take it anymore.

He took a step towards her.

The finale of the batch of the fire flowers dominated the sky in bright colors, sending sparks around it, and lingered for a while so that everyone could savor its magical and magnificent existence.

Below, apart from the crowd, two figures merged as one.