Oh gosh. Finally another TMM. This came out differently than I would've liked, and sort of jumps all over the place... Feel free to gripe about it to me, but don't complain about the pairing. You can, I mean, if you feel the desperate urge to, but I'll just sing 'LA LA LA' and block you out. Besides, I don't really care for the paring much either.
Disclaimer: One day, one day...
Mint would see Zakuro, serving customers, fighting beside her, in a reflection in her teacup, and would love her in so many different ways.
There was the love of a young girl gives to her idol, mere admiration, of beauty and grace beyond themselves. There was the love of friendship, for Zakuro, in her cold and direct way was a friend, everything she did, be it supportive or destructive, was done for the eventual good of her friends.
And yes, admittedly, in those brief moments when Zakuro would race through the air in that graceful way of hers', or stand so calmly, her perfect skin decorated in scrapes and bruises that only added to her dangerous beauty. And even once or twice at the end of the day when the girl forcefully tore her dress off revealing what little was left to be revealed, there was the briefest feeling of lust.
And when Zakuro looked at her that way, not as a comrade, little girl or friend, that light, piercing glance that disappeared in less than a second, all those feelings, that tumbled so uselessly inside her, lumped together into a greater feeling that made Mint more nervous than she could ever remember being.
There were so few moments when Mint felt that gaze peer into her eyes. Any less and Mint would hardly recall them, any more and Mint might dangerously return them. When Mint had cackled smugly over a disheveled Ryou and Retasu whom she had found in the closet, feverishly not organizing boxes, she had glanced up and out of chance, caught Zakuro's gaze. Something flashed in the elder's eyes, the something that could time and time again turn the girl's knees to jello.
That something had been there when Mint asked her at the end of the day why she had seemed so distracted, when Zakuro shoved Mint out of the way of a monster, even when Mint just so happened to glance up from her tea.
But one time it had been most prominent, and had lasted more than a single breath and had not only made Mint nervous, but scared and more than a little happy. It had been in the old field, in the middle of Mint's attempt to hurt, kill, just get through to Zakuro, when Mint had damn carelessly screamed into the wind a whole-hearted "I loved you!", that the look had not just passed over Zakuro's face, but stayed there.
Mint hadn't known of which love she had spoken of, and she still did not know. Likely, it had been the loving care of friendship, or the idolized love she repetitively threw at the others' feet. She didn't know. She was scared to know, because she was sure Zakuro knew, and maybe, just maybe, reflected it in her gaze.
And more than anything, when she leaned against the wall of the café and Zakuro stood close enough that Mint could've touched the girl's hair had she just raised one hand, and that look flashed in Zakuro's deep eyes and Mint felt all her loose-end emotions ball up into a feeling that could only be described as love.
Zakuro had breathed slowly and steadily, the warm air tickling Mint's neck, and said everything with her calm gaze that just might've, just might've, had quivered with uncertainty, and Mint had whispered words she'd never said before, but hoped to say again and again to Zakuro in the future and the softest lips she knew she'd ever feel had traced her own, and a soft hand trailed her jaw, down to her neck.
Mint didn't want to think, if she had she couldn't and only wanted to feel, feel the hands sliding through her hair and the softness of Zakuro's bare shoulders under her hands, and the warmth of Zakuro's body pulled flush against her own. She just wanted to taste the sweetness of her mouth, and feel Zakuro envelop her senses.
Mint didn't care what anyone else might think, and she certainly didn't care for anyone else. She just wanted to see that look in Zakuro's eyes every time she saw her, and she wanted to learn how to return it, and she wanted to kiss Zakuro as much as she could, she wanted to feel her heart beat and wake up to her in the morning.
Mint wanted to love, and be loved, that was all.
Well, review please! It means a lot to hear from readers. (Besides there are cupcakes involved) :D
