Tags: Rio/Sanjay, Rachel/Sanjay, hurt/comfort, fluff

Notes: A Tumblr meme prompt request with Rio/Sanjay for "accidentally witnessed kiss."

Accidentally Interrupted

Her heart racing and her cheeks flushed, Rio wound her way through the crowd of festivalgoers, offering a friendly hello or a quick chat as she went. At the edge of the clearing, where the long, untended grass gave way to the forest, she paused beside a maple tree and glanced back, making sure of no onlookers.

Then she slipped past the broad leaves and out of sight.

Once safely ensconced amidst the woods, some of the fluster left her, but butterflies continued to whirl in her stomach as she walked. Birds chirped high above in the trees, and sunlight broke through the canopy in dappled stretches of yellow warmth. Here, it was serene, private, as though it were a passageway to a sanctuary. She could even nearly forget the bustling fair she'd just slunk away from.

Like some shameful secret, a part of her whispered.

Rio irritably brushed the thought away. True, the two of them were secretive about their relationship, but he'd never hesitated to show her affection. To hold her hand; to lean down and whisper sweet nothings into her ear; to ask if he could kiss her before embracing her and making good on her "yes."

Just… not in front of others.

But before she could think further on it, she broke through to the other side of the forest, and her troubles scattered at the sight of the man in question:

"Sanjay! I'm here!"

He looked up from his study of a flowering tree near the river with a smile. A soft, gentle smile that had soothed and undone her all too many times before, and now was no different as she stood transfixed, in awe of him as though seeing him for the first time again. How handsome he was, the collected poise of his bearing, his hair shining in the sun like a river of starlight over his shoulder.

"Rio, my dear!" he called, breaking her from her reverie. "I'm sorry I didn't see you coming, I was just so caught up in the nature here. It's nearly overwhelming."

She stepped over to him and, after a second's pause, laced her fingers with his. He smelled faintly still of the herbs and spices from cooking breakfast, and she smiled against his sleeve, squeezing his hand. A rush of warmth bloomed across her face and in her chest when he squeezed back.

"It's all right," she replied. "There aren't many places like this in your homeland, is there?"

"Not many, no," he said with a shake of his head. "There are the royal gardens, of course, and the university conservatories. But aside from those, such places are rare, and those few must be diligently cared for. It's just… The rich wilderness in this land amazes me, even after living here for some time." He reached up to carefully press a flower – a small bloom with white petals – between the fingers of his free hand. "Although…"

"Although what?" Rio asked.

A grin flitted across his face, and before she could guess at it, he plucked the flower from the tree and tucked it behind her ear. "Ah, now it's perfect," he sighed.

"Sanjay!"

He chuckled as a hot flush ran across her face. "I'm sorry, my dear," he said, though his smile belied he was anything but. "You're simply too cute when you're embarrassed." Then his eyes softened, and he added more gently, "And you are beautiful, Rio. You always are to me."

Her cheeks burning, Rio chewed her lip and tremblingly reached up to brush her fingertips over the flower. Goddess, how he always managed to tie her tongue in knots.

Instead of speaking, she drew a hand over his jaw to gently cup his cheek, a movement so tender, so familiar between them now, that he needed no words to know her mind when she encouraged him down. He eagerly met her with his own embrace and, then, his lips against hers.

He enveloped her senses, and she shut her eyes to lose herself all the better. How warm he was, how silken and soft his clothes, the weight of his arms around her middle, the comforting press of his hands against her back. And around them there was nothing but the grass rustling in the meadow, the burbling river, and the calls of birds in the forest beyond. They were entirely alone. Nothing could—

Click!

They broke apart with a shocked jolt and whirled to find the source of the noise. It peeked out from a bush, staring at them with wide green eyes, for a long second. Then it gave a small, sheepish wave.

"Tina!" Rio cried.

"Sorry!" Tina squeaked, trying and failing to sink back behind the leaves with her camera. "You were just so enchanted with each other! And it looked so magical with the river! And – well, I couldn't not!"

Sanjay straightened, his back stiff and his expression unreadable – and his hands already busily smoothing away any wrinkle to show they'd been together, Rio noticed. It was like a cold stone dropping in her stomach. Again, she thought, twisting her fingers together. Again he's ashamed to be seen with me.

"Miss Tina, I'd normally be happy to see you," he said, "but I had no idea you'd act in such a way. Taking someone's photo without their permission is quite rude, don't you think?"

Tina sank down further into the bush, even more shamefaced than by Rio's shriek.

"S-Sorry," she said again. "I honestly didn't know you two would be—Well. I just saw you both sneaking over here, and I had to follow to find out what you were up to. Reporter instincts, you know?" She grinned and raised her camera up as if to take a picture again. When no one responded, she lowered it, her smile faltering. "Er. Anyway, you two were really cute! I'm sure the photo will look great in the newspaper."

"No!" Rio and Sanjay yelled out at once.

"Please, Miss Tina," Sanjay beseeched. "What would everyone think? They'd find it wholly improper."

Tina frowned. "But—"

"Tina, you can't!" Rio begged as well, wincing as her voice trembled with it. "Don't you get it? It'd embarrass Sanjay so badly for everyone to see him with me."

Sanjay's mouth dropped open. "I—What?"

Rio wrenched her eyes up to him, surprised by his response. "You-You're embarrassed, aren't you?" she managed, then swallowed, her throat too thick. Her misery clung like a bad cold in her chest. "It's okay, I get it. It's still too early, and I'm just a farmer and not very refined—"

"No!" Heedless of their audience, he took her hands and squeezed them to keep her from going further. He gazed at her imploringly, his brow creased. But when she looked away once more – had to look away, as tears threatened to escape – he gathered her in his arms and pressed her to his chest, murmuring soft words into her hair. "Rio, my dear Rio," he said, "I'm so sorry. You are wonderful as you are. I never meant to make you feel so horribly. I assumed…" He let out a heavy sigh. "I assumed wrongly, evidently."

She sniffled. "A-Assumed?"

He took a step back to look at her proper, and this time she was able to look back. He pressed her hands again and explained, "In my homeland, lovers are not to be seen together in public till they are wed. Such displays of affection are seen as, well, immature. Self-centered. Indecent, even. Perhaps rather like showing off a delicious cake to everyone, then eating it all yourself in front of them. Hm?"

He offered her a quirked smile at his example. She couldn't help a small laugh in return and was glad to feel her tears drying. "All right, I think I understand."

"Regardless, I deeply apologize, my dear," he said, solemn once more. "I hadn't thought to consider the customs of my new home here. You embarrassing me couldn't be further from the truth. I am always happy to be with you. I love you, Rio."

"I love you, too, Sanjay," Rio breathed.

She reached for him again, to cup his face and bring him down to kiss her as they had before. He responded in kind to take her in his arms as though it were the most natural thing.

But the rustling of a bush stopped them.

"Go on," Tina whispered.

Rio shot a sharp look at the reporter, but Sanjay only smiled and took her by the hand once more. She gawped at him as he began to lead her away, back to the forest, to where the festival grounds lay beyond. "What are you doing, Sanjay?" she hissed. "We can't go back together! Everyone'll know!"

"I know," he replied, his cheeks dark and his eyes bright. "Come, my dear, our audience awaits."

"A-Are you serious?"

He only laughed, smiling wider, and joyously led her further on.

Tina scrambled out of the bush after them. "Wait!" she cried. "At least wait for me to publish it in the newspaper first! Come on, you guys!"

xxx

After the three left, another bush at the edge of the forest rustled. A moment later, two sprites – one in red and the other in purple – struggled out from between its branches and tumbled out onto the ground.

"Oof!" Aaron groaned, rubbing his rear. "That was a rougher landing than I'd hoped…"

Alice huffed as she got to her feet. "Ugh! How many times can a reporter get lost on a straight walk through the woods?" She grumbled as she brushed the dirt from her tunic and then straightened her ball-topped hat. "So much for those 'reporter instincts' of hers. Honestly, I was starting to wonder if we should've put up signs! It's a miracle she got here in time at all."

"But she did, and everything went according to plan in the end," Aaron said, offering a reassuring smile as he smoothed his own clothes. "That's what matters, isn't it?"

"True," she replied with a satisfied grin. "My plan was pretty ingenious, wasn't it? Without me, those two would still be sneaking about with their little romance. Really! I'll never understand humans."

"Uh huh, your plan." He rolled his eyes behind her back. "Well, I'm just glad they can finally be themselves."

She nodded. "And we can finally enjoy the free fair food."

"Speaking of—"

"See you there!" Alice laughed as she skipped away.

"Hey! Wait for me!"