Watering Can
Miyu stepped inside and she had a cheeky sort of look on her face. She knew she wasn't supposed to be here, so she relished the fact that she was. Spectre gave her an exasperated expression as he let her inside; not shooing her away or giving her a snide comment, nothing like that.
"Thank you for having me." she mumbled and there was a mischievous glimmer in her eyes.
"I don't care." Spectre replied. He sighed and looked around. "You caught me at a good time though, I hadn't started my chores yet. So, do you want some tea?"
"Yes, that would be lovely, thank you." Miyu said.
Spectre led her into the living room and Miyu made herself comfortable on the lounge. It was a pretty basic set-up: one arm chair either side of the lounge itself. There was a low, glass coffee table and some generic art on the wall. In the corners, various ferns were potted and even on the coffee table, there was a vase of well-tended to orchids. It was to be expected though, this was Spectre's apartment, and his first one at that since he had moved out from Ryoken's mansion, after all and he wasn't the gaudy type.
Spectre flitted into his kitchen, which was latched on behind the living room and separated by a half-wall. Miyu looked around for something to do. He didn't have a television and she couldn't see any magazines lying about either.
"Don't touch anything." Spectre said.
Miyu stiffened and she turned around. Spectre had his back to her. She wondered how he had known that she might have been looking for trouble.
"You're an utter butterfingers. I know something will somehow get broken if you touch my things all willy-nilly." he huffed as he prepared the kettle.
"Alright." Miyu sulked and she turned back to face the wall in front of her.
They didn't make conversation after that, but the apartment began to smell of fragrant tea. Soon, Spectre brought over a tray of tea served on some very nice china but Miyu was certain this was his pauper set. No special consideration for her, the uninvited guest. He sat next to her, if only so he could place the tray on the coffee table.
"May I?" she asked as her hand hovered near one of the cups.
"Of course." Spectre said.
He let her make her choice before he selected the cup which remained. Miyu sipped delicately from the teacup and smiled. The tea made her belly feel warm. Spectre noticed, and he was, just a teensy-bit, glad that he could provide some hospitality to her even if he was cold and annoyed that she had turned up unannounced.
"So, what are your plans for today?" Miyu asked.
"Chores." he replied, idly.
"Oh." Miyu said. "Like what?"
"Today's watering day." Spectre said.
"That sounds fun." Miyu exclaimed.
"It is." Spectre admitted with a twinge of a smile on his lips.
"Can I help? I've got more than enough time on my hands." she laughed.
Spectre paused and scrutinised her. Miyu smiled, unrelentingly, back unto him and with a hint of puppy-dog eyes too.
"Fine." he surrendered. "Once we finish our tea, it's a sin to waste food after all."
"Sounds good." Miyu agreed.
She continued to attempt to make light chatter with Spectre as they drank. Spectre was more attuned to listening than responding but Miyu didn't mind. She could tell that he was slowly lowering his guard to her. He was the standoffish sort, so she wasn't offended. It helped that she was the kind of girl who liked to try to befriend everyone and anyone.
Eventually, the teacups were drained, and Spectre returned them to the kitchen. Miyu offered to help clean up and Spectre accepted her invitation. So, they spent a few moments by the sink, scrubbing down the teacups and the pot itself. Whilst they did so, Miyu was able to confirm her suspicions regarding which of Spectre's crockery he had used for them. There were nicer sets in his cupboards with far fancier and intricate designs, so he had used one of his worse for wear sets for her. She wasn't offended though but his nervously protective antics were a bit much. It was only a few things to wash-up after all, she wasn't going to mess up.
Though, as soon as she had such scoffing thoughts, Miyu messed up. Her fingers relaxed slightly too much as she was dragging the tea towel across the saucer one of the teacups had come on and dropped it. With a magnificent clatter, the saucer consequently broke into a few different pieces.
Miyu paled. "Oops?" she offered as she robotically looked up to Spectre.
Spectre sighed. "I should have seen this coming, in all honesty." The delivery of his comment was flat.
Miyu set aside her tea towel. Guiltily, bent down and began to pick up the pieces. She tried to fit them all together as she held them and showed Spectre.
"Do you think it's possible we could glue it back together?" she asked.
"It's okay Miyu, I'm not mad." Spectre said: his voice was finite and even. "Accidents happen."
"Oh. Uh, thank you then… For not being mad." Miyu replied.
"If you make a habit of it, I will be." Spectre replied, and he found himself resisting the urge to pet the top of Miyu's head.
She looked strangely cute in the mid-morning sun which was barely coming in through the windows. Her hair, the pink-brown, turned an auburn colour in it and her eyes were so wonderfully expressive. It was hard not to be entranced by her, even when she was being naughty. Or so Spectre found, and he would defend himself as saying anyone would feel that way about her because Miyu was cute. Very cute, even.
Regardless, they soon finished up and the broken saucer wound up in the bin. With the crockery sorted and returned to their proper places in Spectre's humble cupboards, they moved onto the next chore which was, of course, the chore that Miyu had distracted Spectre from originally upon her moment of arrival. So, Spectre led Miyu to his laundry.
"Please," he begged her, "do not flood my apartment."
"I won't, I won't." Miyu huffed. She wasn't that annoying.
"Okay then." he said sharply. "Now, this is where I keep my watering cans. I will get you a small one and you can start on the living room plants. I will begin on the ones in my room."
Miyu's eyes lit up again and her lips parted slightly. It was an overeager expression which filled Spectre with dread.
"I want to see your room." she said.
And, for a moment, it struck Spectre that Miyu was still a little bit younger than him and less wizened in the ways of the world. She was just a high schooler.
"And why, pray tell, would you want to see such a thing?" he asked.
"Because it's interesting." she snickered.
Spectre was unnerved by such a reply. So, he chose not to make a big deal of it. Relenting despite himself.
"Very well then." he murmured.
Spectre opened the door to his laundry and almost immediately in front of the door, were two pairs of watering cans. One was small and plastic, with childish designs on it, and the other was larger and made of tin. Spectre picked up the small, plastic one and handed it to Miyu. She smiled.
"I can totally handle the bigger one." she said.
"I want you to do the hanging plants; that's the can I use for those." Spectre told her.
"You want me to do the annoying ones, don't you?" she said in an accusatory tone.
"I have no annoying plants, I just think it would be cute to watch you struggle." Spectre teased.
Miyu stuck her tongue out at Spectre. "Rude. I'll just have to prove you wrong."
"I would love to see you try." Spectre replied, a slight hum of amusement in his voice. He patted her shoulder. "Here, you fill up your watering can first."
He indicated the deep basin and Miyu huffed. She brought her can to it and began to fill her assigned watering can. Behind her, Spectre patiently waited. By the time Miyu turned the faucet off, she had overfilled her can. The meniscus was far too close to the opening rim and Spectre noticed, he chose not to tell her. She could learn just like he did.
Miyu stepped out of the way. She smiled, slightly forced, as she hefted her watering can around. Water was a lot heavier than she thought it was. Spectre passed in front of her and filled his watering can to a reasonable limit.
"Okay, we're ready to do the first room." Spectre said.
"You're room!" chirruped Miyu.
"Yes, my room." Spectre replied.
Miyu left the laundry first and Spectre pointed her down the hall, adjacent really. She waited aside and let Spectre open the door. He pushed it open using the toe of his shoe, at the door's base, and it swung open silently. Miyu didn't know why but she had expected it to creak. She swallowed, strangely nervous even though she she had no reason to be, and Spectre permitted her passage into his room.
She stepped inside, wide eyes in wonder, and it was exactly how she had imagined. Cream walls with ornate windows and plants. More plants that what ought to be allowed to inhabit a space. His room was positively weeping with lichens and ferns and pansies and other little flowers. It smelt wonderful in here, fresh and crisp. Miyu was amazed by it.
"How do you sleep?" she asked, a slight giggle in her voice as she stared up at the floating planter boxes with the realisation that they were her job.
"Very well thank you." Spectre replied with snark tinging his voice.
"I can't even see your bed for all the greenery." Miyu said.
"It's how I prefer." Spectre said. "Now, enough talk. We have work to do."
"Yeah, yeah…" Miyu murmured.
Spectre went to the furthest reaches of his room and deftly avoided all the curls and coils and tendrils of his plants, barely brushing past extended branches or leaves. He was very graceful and Miyu liked to watch him, she realised. Her heart pounded as she watched him so tenderly water his low hanging plants and all their pots. His actions, so subtle and pure, were illuminated by a creamy-yellow sunshine, as filtered inside his room through his curtains. Miyu smiled and stared. Something which did not go unnoticed.
Spectre glanced over his shoulder, curtly and returned his focus to his plants. "Miyu, stop staring…"
"D'aww, you feel self-conscious?" she asked, and she pretended to look like she was doing something, her gaze rising to the nearest hanging pot plant.
"A little…" Spectre confessed.
"I couldn't help myself, sorry," Miyu said, "you just looked like such a gentleman. It was… nice."
She could think of other words besides nice as well. Handsome, lovely, stunning… so on and so forth. She then hefted her watering can above her head. She went onto her tip-toes and she struggled to tip the watering can's contents out onto the plant. She began to wobble and soon enough, Miyu made yet another mess of herself.
She lost her balance and dropped the can. Water went everywhere, and she pouted. It clanged on the floor and Spectre ceased his watering of the can.
"Sorry…" she mumbled.
"Don't be." he said, and he drew in closer to her.
"That was fun though." she said.
He looked down upon her and she smiled up at him. Water streaked down her face, through her hair which now clung to the head. It seemed her head had copped the most of it – it and the floor. Spectre could feel the wet beneath his slippers. He smiled back, and he was seized by a strange desire.
The desire to kiss Miyu. She looked so adorable. Earnest in her mistake and still wanting to be helpful. Her eyes were wide and partly apologetic yet keeping of that sparkle which made Miyu distinctly Miyu: carefree and mischievous but so, so sweet all the same. Spectre caressed her face. The touch of her soft skin was electric on his fingertips.
"I really like you, Miyu. More than I've liked most people." Spectre confessed, his voice low and his eyes sparkling.
"I like you too, Spectre…" Miyu replied.
She lifted herself onto her tip-toes and closed her eyes to Spectre. Spectre, awkwardly, took the cue and kissed her lips. His fingers ghosting underneath her chin. Their kiss was chaste, but it was exciting. Both were quiet as they kissed. Barely opening their mouths to each other as they kissed but they could feel each other's warmth. Shared between this sunlit place.
Neither one broke off first. It seemed mutual. The need to breathe soon overcame them, overpowered their desire for intimacy. When they opened their eyes to each other, they could see themselves reflected in the other's widening pupils. So stark and awed. Miyu beamed.
"That was lovely, Spectre." she said.
Spectre swallowed. His cheeks reddening like a blooming rose and Miyu laughed. She had never seen him caught so off-guard before. Her heart pounded, vibrating with excitement, and she found herself swearing to cherish the moment, so awkward and lovesick.
"Let's, um, let's get you cleaned up. You're still sopping wet, you, silly girl." Spectre elected to reply to Miyu's compliment instead of anything equally sincere or heartfelt.
"Alright then." Miyu replied.
Spectre was glad that Miyu not overly miffed by his attempt to save face. He did genuinely enjoy the kiss – and, more importantly, her company. He was just uncertain of how to voice it without coming across as creepy. He had complexes regarding that and they had been reignited now that he was 'civilian' and not a Knight of Hanoi.
So, he decided to say something despite his fear of social failure. "I think you are quite lovely as well, Miyu." he murmured.
"Thank you, Spectre." Miyu said, her eyes gleaming with her love of being praised and Spectre's heart beating because he loved to give praise.
"But we still have so many more plants to water so let's get a hurry on. And no more accidents, I mean it this time." Spectre hastily added and folded his arms.
Miyu laughed. She was endeared to Spectre and chose not to bring up the fact that he had most certainly let her overfill her watering can and purposefully set her up to fail. For now, anyway. The moment she needed an upper hand in something, she would absolutely inflict that little factoid on him. But, until that, happened Miyu was content to continue helping him with his chores, instead of hindering him. Well, maybe she would hinder him a little bit. Giving him surprise kisses and other touches and that sort of thing. It was more fun that way.