What's in a name?
A shortfic that really only works in the Sen no Kiseki continuity, for reasons that'll become clear shortly. For more detail, skip to the AN.
He expected some kind of reaction, certainly. A questioning look, or an amused smile even. After the length of time they had known each other, it was warranted.
Saying the slight frown took him off guard was a bit of an understatement, to say the least.
"W-What is it?" Machias asked, looking a little confused as he stared at the brunette witch from his vantage point on the couch, her hand on her hip and her expression perturbed.
"… That sounded strange."
"What did?"
"How you said my name, just now," she replied with a tilt of her head that was reminiscent of Fie at her finest.
"I-I don't see anything particularly strange about it," he said, pushing up his glasses uncomfortably, the tension giving away the lie. "I called you Emma, didn't I?"
The brunette nodded once, firm and quick. "Exactly. What happened to Emma-kun?"
Machias almost wanted to laugh at how affronted she sounded; luckily for everyone concerned, he managed to hold back that particular urge.
"W-Well, I mean – it's been quite a while since we first met each other, hasn't it? Everyone else calls you Emma at this point; it'd be a little odd if I didn't do the same."
Her frown deepened. "I suppose I can see the logic," she murmured with a wrinkled brow, her disagreement with said logic obvious but left unspoken.
"… I'm sensing a 'however'."
"However," she continued, a tiny smile breaking out in spite of herself, "I've actually rather gotten used to Emma-kun over the years."
"Used to it?"
"Of course," Emma hummed, walking over to the couch and slipping her hands into his to pull him to his feet, much to his surprise. "Very much so."
"Really," he mumbled, more than a little distracted by her arms winding around his neck and Goddess, was she ever attractive. Really, was this even playing fair?
"Mm-hmm. Like you said, it's been quite a while," she pointed out, mischief glinting in her eyes. "Before too long, I found myself accustomed to it, and eventually…"
"Eventually…?" he repeated, watching when she averted her gaze for a brief moment.
"I came to love it," she confessed with a breathy laugh and flushing cheeks, the affection ringing in her voice like a bell. "Because it was what you called me, and no one else."
… And there was the answer to his previous question. No, she wasn't playing fair.
"E-Em – "
"Emma-kun," the witch murmured, leaning closer, playfully teasing. "I want to hear it, please."
His resolve hardened. Two could play at this game.
"Emma."
"Emma-kun," she repeated, staring at him, and he had known her long enough to tell when she was genuinely unsettled.
"Em-ma," the gunner drew out in exaggerated fashion, rather enjoying her poorly hidden agitation.
"Emma-kun. Say it," she demanded, her voice low and throaty now, shoulders quivering with caged tension.
He smirked, deciding to push his luck just a little more. "No."
Her lips thinned.
A second later, his back made contact with the couch cushions right before her mouth crashed onto his with the intensity of a tidal wave, and after that it was all he could do to stay afloat.
His hands slid up to run through her hair as she settled on top of him, her braid being undone with each pass, and the pleased purr was music to his ears, a symphony that he could listen to forever and never tire of.
Perfect. Utterly perfect.
They finally parted, and Machias found himself staring up at pink lips and smoky blue eyes, darkened with something ineffable; something that went beyond want or need and made lightning run up and down his spine.
"Emma-kun," he whispered, the sound of a tipped king.
She smiled.
"Machias-san," she breathed, reaching out and hooking one finger behind the bridge of his glasses to slide them off before she kissed him again, making all thoughts of names vanish from his head.
There were more important things to focus on, after all.
AN: From what I remember about Sen no Kiseki, Emma pretty much refers to all of Class VII as (name)-san. In turn, most of Class VII seems to refer to her as either iinchou (chairman, president, pick your preferred term) or Emma-san/Emma, depending on the time frame.
Machias, however, generally calls everyone in Class VII by name alone, with the sole exception of Emma, who of course gets Emma-kun.
I actually wrote a fic about this. At least I managed to keep it below 1000 words this time; I'm kind of stunned, actually.