Disclaimer: I don't own 'Tokyo Ravens', but I do own the OC (Miko Kushinada).

THE STARS IN HER BLOOD

If Jin Ohtomo was going to spend hours staring and studying anything at all, he would much rather had preferred it to be her.

It was easy to grow tired of the faded ink underneath his fingertips, annoyed at the care it took to turn the brittle pages of the manuscript to continue reading. Necessity except, there were a litany of excuses ready and waiting to distract him from the task at hand. Studying ancient texts hardly had the same appeal as spending time with Miko Kushinada – and she was his single saving grace from the silence that stretched thin before them.

"Here you go."

There was a resonating thump as she dumped a pile of leather-bound books onto the table beside him, her fingers resting on their spines. Jin would have preferred it if Miko would touch him instead.

"Lucky we're friends," Miko muttered lowly, unwilling to disturb the quiet that permeated the room, "These are from my personal collection, so I'm expecting that you won't go around telling everyone the sorts of spells I keep lying around."

Jin glanced up, watching as she leant her hip against the table he worked at. Miko's gaze was on the book currently open beneath his fingers, her indigo eyes catching in the dim light. The room had only one window, which had long since been covered by a bookshelf that stretched from floor to ceiling. Most of Miko's house looked just like this, which was not unusual considering her love of books. The front of her place even functioned as a bookstore, where as the room Jin sat in now was the secluded study containing volumes and volumes of onmyo magic, both theoretical and practical.

"Now, I don't know why you think I'd do that anyway." He told her, smiling.

Miko returned the smile with her usual passive look, refusing to give away her true feelings. Even then, she was beautiful enough to steal the breath of anyone who looked her way. She possessed a natural elegance, with angular eyes and soft lips, and had an air of unattainability, as if she were forever just beyond his fingertips.

As if to mock his thoughts, she took another step backwards. "I'll go make some tea," she announced, tossing her unmanageably long black hair back over her shoulder, "You keep working, and be careful – these books are hundreds of years old."

"I know, Miko."

"They're worth more than you." She insisted.

He raised an eyebrow, regarding her honesty critically. "No need to sugar coat it." He remarked sarcastically.

She met his words with a mysterious smile, a coy look that was enough to steal the rest of his words from him. It was all she gave him before turning on her heel and leaving the room. Jin resigned himself to the lengthy silence once more, a pause of complete quiet, before his sigh disturbed the dead air around him.

He couldn't even begin to tell if what she had said were true or not. It probably was – although she lacked the stamina to use the magic itself, Miko had always excelled in studying it. It was the difference in her interests that ultimately led to Miko dropping out of the Onmyo Academy before they had graduated, forfeiting her place as head of her family. She was far more interested in books than she had ever been in leading and disappointing her parents. Still, even without them, she had plenty of allies from school, Jin among them.

He pressed a hand to the bridge of his nose, readjusting his glasses. A silhouette at the door, caught in his peripheral vision, preluded Miko's return. She crossed the distance between them, setting down two cups on the table.

"Here." She said, sliding one across to him.

His hands curled around the cup, the warmth seeping into his skin. "Thanks," he said, taking a sip before adding, "You always did make the best tea."

"Well, that's good, seeing as how it's about the only thing I can do well." She replied lightly, knowing her faults.

"I don't think that's quite true."

"Oh, you mean how I read the stars?" she smiled teasingly, "I suppose it is true that I am better at that than you, at least."

"You're better than most at it." He reminded her, dismissing her teasing. He could think of many other things that Miko was good at, even if she never considered them anything more than mundane and unexceptional. He supposed that she was also probably very good at kissing – if only he could confirm it for himself one day.

Miko didn't reply with anything more than a nod, taking a seat at last. She sat with her legs curled up onto the chair, her knees resting against the table. It was a lucky thing she had chosen a pencil skirt to go with her black sweater that day, meaning that he couldn't see up her skirt even in this position. The ensuing silence convinced Jin to return to his reading.

Miko held her cup of tea to her chest, her fingers growing warm even as she took small sips of the drink. She had no problems with the absence of conversation, finding it both companionable and peaceful. She was grateful for every moment of that she could steal away from Jin, whose presence had been so unattainable when he had worked as a Magic Investigator.

Jin's profile as he worked was stern, intent. Miko would have hated to disturb him, especially when she was enjoying the sight of him sitting there as he was. Smiling to herself, she pulled the decorative kimono she wore tighter over the rest of her clothes.

"See something funny do you?"

Miko blinked, pulled to her senses. "No." she replied quickly, looking away to hide her smile.

"Hmph – for some reason, I feel like you're lying to me." Jin replied playfully.

He leant forward with one elbow on the table, sipping at the tea she had brought him. The warmth of the drink spreading through him helped ease the tension from his posture.

"Now Jin, out of the two of us, who do you really think is more likely to lie?"

"I don't think I like what you're insinuating here." He remarked.

"Neither," she agreed, tilting her head, "Shouldn't you be working or something?"

"I should be."

Miko blew at the steam rising from her cup. "…Am I distracting you?" She was, and he was entirely grateful for it. She wasn't of the same opinion. "Maybe I should leave you alone." Miko wondered, one finger pressed to her lips.

"That would help even less." Jin blurted.

"What?"

If he was going to say stupid things, than he figured he may as well act as if it were all intentional. With a coy smile, he explained, "If you leave, then all I'll be able to think about is following."

"Don't be silly." Miko muttered, shaking her head fondly. She hardly ever took his words seriously, and today would be no exception.

"I'm not." he argued, though his conviction sounded unconvincing.

"Hm, sure." She was never going to believe him anyway, so Jin figured it was best to leave it at her comment.

As he returned to his study of the manuscript, Miko finished off her tea in two successive gulps; impressive, considering the tea was only just cooler than scalding. The cup now left to stand alone on the table, Miko unfolded her legs so that she could reach across and drag one of the large tombs towards her. Though Jin's first thought was the most logical one – that she would start reading alongside him – he realised his mistake as she folded her arms across the cover and let her head fall to rest on them as a cushion.

"Work." She ordered, catching him staring. Jin met her brilliant gaze, her indigo eyes that peeked out from underneath the thick fringe, unwaveringly.

He smiled vaguely and redirected his attention as she suggested. He flipped through the next few pages of the text, recognising and knowing the spells described there. What he really needed were the more powerful spells, those which Miko kept closest to her – literally and figuratively. She was resting against a book full of ancient and powerful magic with little regard for her own or the book's safety. Perhaps being surrounded by powerful artefacts had numbed her to the danger of them. If it were the case, then Jin resolved to keep a closer eye on her.

Refocusing his attention once more, Jin kept reading the book open underneath him. His fingers traced the text, pausing over words that had been blurred by age and damage. Determined not to let Miko distract him, he let himself become absorbed by the book and gave up his perception of time.

"Jin…"

His name was a faint whisper, falling from her lips into dead air. She called on his attention, brought him back to reality, but when Jin turned to face Miko and answer her, the words died on his tongue and a smile took their place; Miko was, it seemed, quite contentedly asleep.

Her arms hid most of her face, the dark river of her hair falling over her shoulder. He wasn't sure that sleeping in a chair, leaning forward and using the book as a pillow, would have been the most comfortable way to sleep, but it didn't seem to bother Miko.

He had to wonder what kind of dreams she had that had her calling his name in the midst of them.

Unable to help himself, Jin found himself reaching across the space between them to brush back the hair from her face. His fingers brushed against her skin, amazed to find it was soft as a butterfly wing. That soft touch was enough to disturb Miko, who wrinkled her nose and turned her face away from his hand.

"Miko," he murmured lightly, pinching her cheek, "What're you dreaming about?"

She let out a groan in response, resenting the push into reality. "…None of your business." Miko muttered blearily.

"You said my name in your sleep."

"What? I did?" All of a sudden, Miko was sitting upright once more, pressing a hand over her mouth. She acted like she might just blurt out Jin's name again at any moment.

Although he enjoyed the sight of her embarrassment, Jin elected for a change of topic to spare her. "You should go to bed if you're that tired." He told her coolly.

Miko shook her head, lowering her hands to her lap and folding them into the sleeves of her kimono. "That would be rude to leave you alone here."

"I might be a while." He argued gently.

She frowned, her shoulders tensing. "Why?" she asked, a little sterner than usual, "Why all this research? What is that you aren't strong enough to face already?"

He laughed shortly. "You sure have confidence in my abilities."

"Jin."

Miko surprised him by reaching out towards him, grabbing the free hand that lay near his unfinished tea. More than the action himself, Jin was amazed at how well their hands fit together, how easy it was to let her wind her fingers around his, and how tightly she squeezed. She hadn't been asking so much as she had been ordering.

With a sigh, accompanied by the usual wry smile, Jin conceded his defeat. There was no point in hiding secrets from someone who could read the stars as well she could anyway.

"Douman Ashiya has reappeared."

Miko's grip grew tighter, and she frowned deeply. Jin slipped his hand free from hers, a little regretfully, before poking her in the furrow of her brow. "You're worried." He realised.

"No I'm not." Miko replied, much too quickly.

"Yes you are," Jin was adamant, and in this, he was sure he knew her better than even she knew herself, "Don't worry, Miko. I don't plan on dying anytime soon."

She was on her feet in a moment, in a flash of movement, and now he was sure that she was angry. Her smile had disappeared and the look in her eyes was chilling to the bone; all to hide the breaths she struggled to take and the heartbeat that wouldn't slow.

"I never said anything about dying," she retorted, not at all managing to control the pitch of her voice and the panic within, "Why do you think-!"

"Miko." Jin interrupted her calmly, standing as fast he could with only one could leg to use. It was lucky the table was there for support, or he might have just fallen right into Miko when he reached out and steadied the both of them by grabbing her shoulders.

"Miko, that's not what I said." he repeated, holding her gaze.

"But-!"

"Just relax," he commanded, pulling her a step closer, "I promise that I'm not going anywhere – I could never leave you alone."

His fingers rubbed her shoulders soothingly, refusing to let her go until he was sure that her panic had eased. For as much as her reaction told him that she cared, he hated seeing her distressed in any way. A smile suited Miko best, and if it was to see her happy, Jin would give anything.

When he, in an act of instinct, leaned forward and kissed her forehead, Miko squeezed her eyes shut tight.

"…Jin?"

His fingers ran down her arm, tracing shaky lines, until he met her hands and held her fingers tight in his own. "…What kind of a man would I be," he wondered, smiling softly, "If I left the woman I loved alone like that?"

He could feel Miko tense, close as they stood, but it was different from before – calmer. He held his breath without meaning to, anticipating her every next reaction. He had been sure, when he said the words, that she must have felt the same way, but the longer the silence continued, the more he began to doubt his confidence.

"…You'd still be an ass, Jin Ohtomo, for taking that long to tell me."

"What?" Jin frowned, "Miko, that's not what you're meant to say when someone tells you they love you."

"But it's true," She insisted, "I've been waiting so long for you to catch up, to stop holding back, so that I could tell you that I love you too."

When she glanced up at him, Jin caught a glimpse of the tears shimmering her eyes before she tried to wipe them away with the sleeve of her kimono. Sensing his amusement, she muttered half-heartedly, "I'm not crying."

His hands caught her by the waist, sneaking under her kimono and around her waist. "I know." He assured, playing along. Miko willingly stepped closer, leaning in to his chest and winding her own hands around his neck. Her heart ached with emotion as Jin's arms tightened around her, reassuring her that he never meant to let go.

"Honestly, Miko," he said, lowering his lips to her ear and inciting a shiver up her spine, "I thought you hated me for the longest time."

"I did," she whispered back honestly, "You kept stealing my books when we were at the Academy together."

"Only because you paid more attention to them than you did to me."

He pressed his forehead to her, and Miko let her eyes flutter closed. He was near enough to her that he could count her lashes, study the soft skin, the curve of her cheek and the way her lips parted in anticipation. He liked that look on her.

"But you know," he murmured, prolonging her wait, "I'd much rather have been stealing kisses."

In his arms, under his lips, he could feel her night bleed into him. Her midnight hair tangled between his fingers, her moonlit skin began to glow brighter and brighter the longer he kissed her. Jin had always known what sort a woman she was, one whose blood sang with the power of the stars, and the thought of being the only one to touch her like this only sweetened the moment that she gave in beneath his kisses.

"…Jin." She breathed, forming the shape of his name against his lips.

He took the chance, her open mouth, their tongues moving in and out like tides. Her fingers pulled on his hair, a little too rough, and he would have lost his balance if he hadn't have been able to use her for support. She was sure that his grip on her thigh would leave a red mark, a trace of lines from where his fingers ran across her skin and moved to work up her tightly-wound skirt. It was probably her fault for teasing him so much.

When Jin found himself pulling away to breathe, Miko slipped her hand from his neck and placed it over his mouth to stop him from kissing her again.

"You're meant to be working." She chided gently.

He laughed. "Oh, it's fine. I'm not even getting paid for this, so it doesn't matter that much."

She stood on her toes, kissing him gently, before saying, "That's not the sort of attitude you should have."

He returned the kiss, smiling softly, thinking of her and nothing else as he replied, "I can think of much better things to do with you than work."

I wrote this so long ago and forgot to upload it lol (I probably left it because the ending was so abrupt and shitty).

Thank you for reading and please leave a review! Any and all feedback is appreciated!