Author's note: I haven't written romance in a while, and I was never very good at it in the first place... But I don't think I've ever read a fic about this pairing, despite the fact that Mayura used to have an obvious crush on Yamino at the beginning of the manga series, so I decided to give it a shot. I hope the ending isn't too confusing.
SERPENTINE GENTLEMAN
The classroom was in silence except for the scratching of pencils on paper, chalk on blackboard, and the teacher's drawling voice lecturing about the solution to a mathematical problem. Soon this class would come to an end and they would all be able to go home. With that in mind, Mayura kept glancing at the clock on the wall, practically counting the minutes till the end of the class. Occasionally, she would lower her gaze back to her notebook and start scribbling absent-mindedly.
In truth, she wasn't taking note of what the teacher was saying; she was hardly listening to him. She hadn't been paying attention to any of her classes lately. Her notebook was covered not with equations, but doodles and one name. All day long she had only been thinking about him.
She sighed, a smile playing on her lips.
When the class finally came to an end, she was the first to leave. She went on her way as fast as was possible without actually running, keeping up a brisk pace. She couldn't wait to reach the Enjaku Detective Agency and see him again.
Of course, she did like to go there for the sake of mysterious mysteries. She was convinced that they were attracted to Loki like magpies were to shiny things. For someone like Mayura, that agency was a gold mine. A mystery mine, rather. However, there was another reason why she was very eager to go back there.
As she thought of him, her pace slowed down to a skip and she began to hum a cheerful tune under her breath, not caring what she looked like until she saw the looming, impressive building that was the Enjaku Detective Agency. Feeling as though she would burst from anticipation any minute now, Mayura approached slowly.
Ah, there he was...
He was sweeping the front lawn again, reminding Mayura of when they had first met. He was as handsome and charming as he had been that day, with his long hair pulled into a thin ponytail, the glasses that gave him an air of intelligence and mystery, his long, slender limbs, and his cool, impeccable clothes...
As if sensing her presence, he turned to meet her gaze with those beautiful, mesmerising green eyes of his.
"Hello, Mayura," he greeted her, with a smile that was both friendly and enigmatic.
Mayura started, feeling dazed, as if she had just woken from a trance.
"Hi, Yamino!" she replied perkily. "Any new mysterious mysteries?"
"No, unfortunately not," he said, coming over to open the gate. "Won't you come in? Master Loki is in his study."
"Oh, um, actually, Yamino," stammered Mayura without really thinking. "I was wondering if we could do something different today, maybe?"
Yamino gave her an uncomprehending look.
"I mean," Mayura went on, "it's a such nice day, isn't it, we shouldn't waste it by staying inside all the time, we could go and have some ice cream or a coffee or something and then do something fun like karaoke or go to the movies, stuff like that..." The words just kept pouring out, sounding slightly incoherent even to her own ears, and the reasonable, often overlooked part of Mayura's mind, mortified, just yelled at her, shutupshutupshutup―
She bit her lip and looked up at Yamino expectantly. This felt a little weird, even for her. Normally, it was the boys who asked the girls out, not the other way round. But then, she reasoned with herself, this wasn't a date; she just wanted to get to know Yamino better so they could be friends.
"That's a good idea, Mayura," he said, smiling. He began to step back. "I don't know if Master Loki will want to leave the agency now, but let's ask him anyw―"
"No!" Mayura burst out, startling Yamino. She laughed awkwardly, feeling her face burn. "Er, it's just that... Loki is just a kid, so he'd just get in the – I mean, he might not like the things we do – not that we're going to do anything... you know... well... What I'm trying to say is, a kid his age would just find it all really boring, I think."
Yamino's smile had faded during Mayura's jumbled explanation and for a while he just stared at her with an unreadable expression. He suddenly looked just like Loki in one of his most mysterious moments. Mayura was both entranced and dismayed. Then, a small smile lazily spread on his lips. It wasn't really a smirk – it wasn't any different from how he always smiled – yet there was a certain aloofness to it that took her aback. And that twinkle in his eye, like he had just realised something...
Mayura felt her heart beat so fast she thought even Yamino would be able to hear it. Had he figured out what she felt for him? He might not be a detective, but Mayura knew he was very intelligent and there was no doubt that he was at least almost as sharp as Loki.
"I see," he murmured.
Feeling foolish, Mayura braced herself for a refusal – which, coming from him, would be a polite one, she was sure, but a refusal nonetheless.
"All right, Mayura," he said at length. It took a while for the words to sink in. When Mayura looked up at him in surprise, her eyes wide, he was smiling as warmly and innocently as usual. "Just wait a moment here, please. I'll tell Master Loki I'm going out."
"Oh!" Mayura couldn't contain an ear-to-ear grin. "All right! Thanks, Yamino!"
oOo
When the door to his study opened, Loki was surprised to see that Yamino was unaccompanied. He knew Mayura had come to the agency, not only because she was completely predictable that way, but also because he had sensed her presence in the vicinity of the manor.
Yamino stood before him at a respectable distance, his expression serene.
"Master Loki, I'm going out to buy the groceries. Mayura is coming with me, because she also has to do some shopping and she will need my help." A brief pause. "Would you like to come with us?"
Loki quickly reflected that if Mayura was going to shop and needed another person's help with it, it could only mean one thing; she was going to spend the entire rest of the afternoon buying tons and tons of clothes. By the time they came home, they would be carrying so many bags that they wouldn't even be able to see where they were going, and their backs and feet would be hurting like no tomorrow, not to mention all the tedious hours at the shops, where Mayura would try everything on and stare long and hard at herself in the mirror. It would be absolute torture.
"I'll pass, thanks," he said with a snort, leaning back on his comfy chair. "Have a nice... shopping."
Yamino bowed. "Thank you, Master Loki."
Loki waited until he'd left to look through the window at Mayura, who was by the main gate grinning like a madwoman and practically bouncing on her feet. At first glance she looked like she had just consumed a little too much sugar and was feeling a little hyper. But then, when he looked a little more closely, he thought he could see light pink blotches on her cheeks, which turned into a full-blown blush when Yamino left the manor and met her at the gate. And that look on her face... Oh, Loki knew quite well that look.
Oh, good grief, Loki thought as realisation dawned on him. That was it, then. What he'd feared had finally happened. Yamino was going out on a date – with Mayura to boot!
He frowned at the couple in resentment. Although he would never admit it, he felt jealous. Jealous of Yamino's now divided attention, which should have been by all rights focused solely on Loki. Jealous of Yamino's looks – back in the old days, when he'd still been in his true form, Loki had been the one to charm the girls, but now he was always underestimated by them in favour of Yamino. Sure, they thought little Loki was cute, but it just wasn't the same thing.
Maybe he shouldn't be envying his own son, and he didn't particularly care for Mayura that way, but it hurt his pride that the both of them had abandoned him so shamelessly. He should teach those two not to go gallivanting around and leave him behind. He should sneak after them and make sure this date turned out as miserable for them as possible. If nothing else, it would be worth a few laughs.
Collapsing back on his chair, Loki shook his head at himself. What was he thinking? That course of action was all too predictable, and Yamino would catch on in no time. Besides, he wasn't sure if he could sabotage his own son. Ever since he'd come to the human world, Loki had been growing a conscience, especially concerning Yamino, who had done so much for him without a single word of complaint and always with a smile on his face.
Oh, well, Loki thought. Let him have his fun. Not like he's had a lot of chances at it.
It was actually kind of amusing, come to think of it. If only the ophidiophobic Mayura knew she was dating a snake... Loki smirked at the thought before pushing the thought of Yamino and Mayura together and tried to go back to work.
oOo
Mayura could barely contain her giddiness as she and Yamino walked side by side. She still couldn't quite believe this was happening; it was too good to be true, and she did feel as though she were dreaming.
"It's such a beautiful day, isn't it?" she remarked out of the blue, partially to break the silence between them and partially because she felt she would burst if she didn't verbalise her happiness somehow.
"Yes, it is," Yamino answered in surprising earnest. When Mayura looked at him, she could see how he seemed to be soaking up in the sun, like someone who had just gone through a long, harsh winter.
She was about to remark on it when something else caught her eye, a beautiful red dress on a display window. She paused to admire it, imaging herself wearing it.
"It's a very nice dress, isn't it?" said Yamino. "Why don't you try it on?"
"Ooh!" exclaimed Mayura, twirling her hands in eager anticipation. "Yes, I think I'll do just that!"
That ever-present, gentle smile never leaving his face, Yamino held the door to the shop open for her. He was such a gentleman, Mayura thought, feeling pleased and a little flustered at the same time.
As it turned out, Mayura tried on not only the red dress she had seen on the display window, but also a dozen other dresses. Yamino just sat patiently and gave his opinion when Mayura asked for it. Never once did Yamino look bored or annoyed, and he actually seemed to give some sincere thought to his comments rather than just deliver empty praise to indulge her.
After almost two hours, Mayura was only undecided about two dresses – the red one from the display window and a dark green one. Once again, she asked Yamino for his opinion. As he eyed both pieces pensively, she searched his face for any sign that he was bored and merely humouring her. She found none.
"I really like the green one," he began. With a small, secretive – almost sensual – smile, he added, "Green is my favourite colour, after all. And it really flatters you."
Feeling her face burn, Mayura whirled around to face the mirror. She watched his reflection as he stood up and sauntered in her direction, and then held her breath as he came to stand right behind her. With such proximity, she half-expected to feel the warmth of his body, and was a little disappointed to feel nothing at all. Almost as if he weren't quite there, but rather only a shadow of him...
"On the other hand," he continued, eyes narrowing as he scrutinised her. "The red one will compliment both your hair and your eyes beautifully."
"So..." said Mayura slowly, twirling her her hair around her finger in a nervous gesture, "which one is the best?"
"I think they are both perfect in their own way."
"I know!" Mayura groaned. "That's why I just can't decide which one I should pick!"
"Why don't you take both?"
"Oh, I wish!" she sighed and lowered her head in dejection. "But I barely have enough to pay for just one."
A soft chuckle reached her ears and she looked up to see Yamino's reflection.
"If that is what you're worried about, Mayura, I can assure you it won't be a problem at all."
She blinked at him, not sure she had understood. "What do you mean?"
"Why, I'll pay for them myself, of course," he answered, having already drawn his wallet out of his pocket.
Mayura gasped. "Really?" she burst out in her excitement, causing some people in the shop to look at her. Then, remembering herself, Mayura mentally slapped herself. What was she thinking? He wasn't her boyfriend, not really, and he owed her nothing. Besides, it wasn't as though he was just buying her an ice cream; these dresses were a lot more expensive than that! He must be just so eager to leave the shop that he had no choice but offer to pay for them.
She began to protest and refuse his kind offer, but he insisted that it was all right and that he had intended to pay for whatever she wanted all along. Flustered, Mayura promised she would pay him back later, but once again he insisted that wasn't necessary.
"This is a gift for you," he told her. "When one gives a gift, one shouldn't except anything in return."
It was all Mayura could do to refrain from giving him a hug and a kiss right there and then. Instead, she thanked him repeatedly and with increasing enthusiasm. Such a thing would almost certainly have bothered anyone else, but Yamino simply responded with a calm "You're welcome" to each "Thank you" she uttered.
She only stopped when they were well out of the shop, though she remained in a happy daze. Her lips were frozen in a permanent grin for so long that it hurt, but she just couldn't stop. Yamino was just so nice! No, he was nicer than nice – she just had no words to express how nice he was. Surely there was something more to it. No one was this nice just for the sake of being nice. They weren't even that close as friends! Maybe this was a hint, Mayura thought, allowing herself some hope. Maybe this was his way of showing an interest...
"A-are you sure it's okay? You paying for these, I mean..." she asked, still feeling a little guilty about the money. She had no idea how much a butler was paid, but she didn't believe it could be so much that these two dresses would be considered cheap and could be bought on a whim. Anyway, considering how hard he worked for Loki, he deserved to spend it all on himself.
He gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure Master Loki won't mind. As long as you're happy..."
That made her pause. What a strange thing for him to say. Why would Loki mind at all what Yamino did with his own money? The way he said it, it felt as though Loki was the one (indirectly) giving her a gift.
"Look, a karaoke bar!" said Yamino, deviating Mayura's attention. "Didn't you also mention you wanted to sing at one?"
"Oh! Yeah!" replied Mayura, her excitement reinvigorated. "Let's go!" She hurried to the bar, looking back once to make sure Yamino was close behind her. "Have you ever been to one of these?" she asked, having noticed how he was eyeing the karaoke machine curiously.
"Just once, very briefly," he admitted. He continued to look at the machine, now with something akin to trepidation.
"I'll go first, if you'd like," said Mayura, figuring she needed to give him some time to relax before he felt ready to sing himself.
Mayura knew quite well that she wasn't a very good singer, but she didn't care. Karaoke had nothing to do with being a good singer, but everything to do with having fun. She selected a high-spirited song and focused all her attention on the music, forgetting all about the people around her, including Yamino. If she thought about him, she would inevitably blush and stumble over the lyrics and get all off-key – more so than usual, that is.
Only when the song was over did she turn to look at him. He looked highly amused, and while she was always glad to see him have a good time, she felt a little self-conscious and wondered if she her performance had really been so laughable.
"How bad was it?" she asked half-jokingly.
"Not at all!" he said. "You are a great singer."
"Oh, you flatter me!" she giggled. "I saw how you were laughing at me!"
"Oh, I wasn't laughing at you, Mayura." He took a look around, as though to make sure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. "I was just thinking that it's a good thing Master Loki isn't here."
"Huh," said Mayura, a little surprised. As far as she knew, Yamino was never actively glad to be away from Loki. "Why is that?"
"Because he would have wanted to join you in singing, and Master Loki is..." he paused to choose his words carefully, "not exactly the best singer in the world."
"He sounds like a dying rat, is what you mean?" she said bluntly.
Yamino quickly covered his mouth and made a muffled, choking noise; he seemed to be desperately trying not to laugh. A moment later, a little more recomposed, "That's a disturbing, if unfortunately rather accurate, way of putting it," he admitted. Then he looked a little guilty for saying such a disrespectful thing about his master.
"I probably don't sound much better," said Mayura, laughing good-naturedly, to dissuade his discomfort. Then, she handed Yamino the microphone. "Let's see how you do, then!"
He hesitated and looked at the microphone for a moment before slowly taking it.
"I'm not much of a singer, either," he murmured.
"Nonsense, I'm sure you can sing just fine!" said Mayura, gently pushing him to stand before the machine. "Just think, if nothing else, at least you can't be any worse than Loki, right?"
He stood still in front of the karaoke machine, his face an uncomprehending blank. Under the guise of helping him, Mayura herself selected a song for Yamino – a popular love song by a young man about his beloved. That way, Mayura could pretend that Yamino was singing about her. A pathetic little self-indulgent fantasy, maybe, but what was the harm in that?
And, boy, could he sing! He was really just being modest when he said that he wasn't a good singer. Mayura barely paid attention to the lyrics, so entranced was she by his voice. Unlike most karaoke singers, he made no effort to project his voice or put any emotion into it. As a result, he sang with a low, soft voice, almost like a hiss, that made her shiver. He looked so cool and self-assured, so different from how he'd been just a couple of minutes ago, when he'd been nervous about singing in public.
It was over all too soon. Mayura started as though she had just woken up from a trance and only then realised the small crowd of girls that had gathered around Yamino. Maybe it was a good thing that it had ended so quickly, Mayura thought as she glared at the other girls in jealousy. Seeing that they were inching their way closer to Yamino, she hurriedly grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the bar, muttering under her breath.
"S-so, how was it?" asked Yamino uneasily. "Was I that bad?"
"Hm?" Mayura stopped and turned to look at him. "Oh, no, no, you were wonderful!" she said. Now that they were far from those drooling girls, Mayura's good mood came back and she could smile at him with sincerity once again. "It's just that it was getting really crowded there, you know. But really, we should do this more often! Why don't we do a duet next time? That'd be cool, huh?"
He returned her smile. "Yes, I'd like that very much. So, what shall we do next?"
"Hmm, how about a movie?" Mayura ventured to suggest. Yamino took one glance at the sky, then another at his pocket watch.
"That would take too long, and it's already getting a little late," he said. "I have to be back home in time to prepare dinner for Master Loki."
Mayura pouted. "Can't he just order a pizza or something?" Really, it wasn't that hard, and Loki was no baby...
However, Yamino only gave her a blank look, as though Mayura had suggested he should abandon Loki forever and let him starve to death.
"No, I'm sorry," he said slowly. "I don't think that will be possible at all. Master Loki would get very mad at me."
Mayura nodded as if to say she understood, though she really didn't. She was thinking that either Loki was more spoiled than she'd first thought, or Yamino was just giving her an excuse to get away from her.
Her disappointment must have showed in her face, because Yamino suddenly looked sorry and hurried to add, "But we can still shop some more, and then we can go to a café, like you suggested before!"
"Really?" she asked, her heart lightening with joy.
"Of course!" he said. "By the way, I hope you won't mind if I do some shopping of my own, because I told Master Loki I was going to buy the groceries."
"No problem!" Mayura assured. Especially if it means more time with you, she mentally added.
oOo
The shopping didn't take long, but Mayura was nevertheless very pleased, as they had also occasionally stopped to buy more things for her, like jewellery, stuffed animals, and, her favourite, detective picture books and a newly released movie about an alien invasion. She fully intended to watch it with him – and maybe with Loki, too – one of these days. Since they couldn't go to the cine today, that would be the next best thing.
She was beginning to feel a little sorry for Yamino, who had to carry both his groceries and her shopping bags. It was very chivalrous of him, of course, but this was getting a bit ridiculous; unlike most girls she knew, Mayura wouldn't have minded giving him a hand so he wouldn't be overloaded with shopping bags. He declined all her offers to help, however. Oh, well, at least he could still see where he was going.
Just when the sun was beginning to set, they stopped by a café, where Mayura had a strawberry sundae and Yamino had some Darjeeling tea.
He was so refined and classy... it was almost intimidating.
He was getting more and more talkative, too. Maybe all this time away from Loki and his other responsibilities was at last allowing him to relax. Mostly, he talked about Loki. As mysterious and interesting as Loki was, however, Mayura wished Yamino would talk a little more about himself. She was dismayed to realise that she knew next to nothing about him.
Unfortunately, whenever she asked him a more personal question, he would give her the vaguest answers possible and quickly change the subject – usually back to Loki. Even when Loki wasn't the main subject, there was always some mention of him; Master Loki says that, Master Loki thinks that... Though, similarly, he never let slip any information about Loki that might be too personal. What a tease he was! All she knew was superficial things, like their favourite foods and books and pastimes.
Eventually, she decided to let it go and just listen to him and appreciate his beautiful voice. She was suddenly reminded of his performance at the karaoke bar. He wasn't singing now, but his voice was just as melodic and entrancing as then, each syllable touching deep into her soul, or so it felt. She gazed into his eyes, which were so very captivating, almost hypnotic, just like his voice. She couldn't look away if she tried. Not for the first time today, she felt as though she were in a trance, only this time the feeling was much stronger. She was paying the utmost attention to his words and understood them perfectly, but if asked to repeat them, she would have been at a loss. Odd, that.
After a long while, when Yamino looked away, Mayura blinked and touched her temple, feeling a little drowsy and light-headed. That was what she got for staring at a single point for so long. She blinked some more and looked at Yamino, who was checking his pocket watch. Funny, she didn't remember seeing him taking it out in the first place.
He looked up and smiled at her apologetically.
"It's getting late. We should go."
"Oh," she said, still a little dazed. Only then did she realise how dark it had got. "Yeah, okay," she mumbled, standing up slowly.
They walked in silence all the way to her home. Mayura's mind was a blank, or maybe she just wasn't quite processing her rapidly fleeting thoughts. Before she knew it, they were standing in front of the gate of the Daidouji temple. Feeling a little more like herself, Mayura carefully took her shopping bags from Yamino's hands and smiled at him.
"Thank you so much for today!" she told him. "Even though it was only for a few hours. I had a lot of fun. And thank you for buying me all this stuff, too."
"No, Mayura, it is I who must thank you," he replied. "It's not often I have the opportunity to have such fun and relax. I will always treasure the memory of this day."
She blushed. "We could do it again, you know."
"Maybe," he said. "Maybe next time we should let Master Loki come along."
There he went again, gratuitously bringing up Loki. Only this time Mayura didn't mind it so much. In fact, bringing Loki along the next time they went out sounded like a great idea.
Later that night, while lying in her bed with a mild case of insomnia despite her drowsy state, Mayura found her thoughts swarming not around Yamino, as one would have expected after their date, but around Loki. It didn't make sense; part of her still thought that Yamino was the perfect boyfriend – he cooked, he cleaned, he was handsome, nice, polite, intelligent, athletic, and all else that was good – and yet she couldn't stop thinking about Loki. Not in a romantic way, of course – he was much too young for her to even consider it – but she often imagined how good-looking he would become when he grew up. That boy was very promising in that regard.
Poor Loki. She had never given him as much thought as she gave Yamino, even though Loki was the detective. He was the great enigma. Maybe she really had been underestimating him. She should hang out with him more, and give him a little more credit. He'd even been nice enough to (indirectly) buy her so many gifts. She made a mental note to take him to the amusement park on the weekend and buy him something nice in return.
When she finally fell asleep, Mayura dreamt that she and Loki were on the beach, building sand castles.
oOo
Loki was beginning to regret having allowed Yamino and Mayura to go out without him. He just couldn't concentrate on anything else. It was all he could do to refrain from going after them to make sure their date wasn't as successful as they wished it would be. He wouldn't even have to show his face; a magically well-placed rock to make Mayura trip and fall into a lake or something embarrassing like that would put a damper on anybody's mood, even if it was the happy-go-luck Mayura.
It was very tempting for the god of mischief.
But no, he had argued with himself over and over every time that impulse threatened to take over, Yamino would realise immediately that it was Loki's doing. He was too damn perceptive. Besides, botching his own son's date was low, even for him. Especially since it was Yamino, who had never, ever had the opportunity to date anyone (for this same reason, Loki half-expected Yamino to ruin his date all on his own due to sheer inexperience, making Loki's interference redundant). Being a giant snake didn't make him very popular with women – with anyone, really. Let the boy have some fun, repeated Loki's sensible, paternal side. He needs it, after all. You said it yourself, he hasn't had a lot of chances at it!
Thus, he had spent the past hours mentally repeating his new mantra, I will not sabotage my own son, I will not sabotage my own son...
"Master Loki! I'm home!" came Yamino's voice, along with a knock on Loki's door.
Loki started at the sound. He hadn't even noticed it when Yamino had entered the agency.
"Come in!" he shouted, affecting a bored expression and posture.
"I'm sorry I'm late, sir," said Yamino, and Loki was glad to see not a trace of smugness or exaggerated delight on his face. It made him wonder if his date had really gone all wrong after all. "I will start making dinner right away."
"Okay," Loki drawled. "So, how was your, erm, 'shopping' with Mayura? Had fun?"
"Yes, it was fun," said Yamino vaguely. Despite his apparent aloofness, Loki could tell he was being sincere.
"I see." Loki tapped his fingers on the table, trying to look not troubled as he felt, but happy for his son and his friend as he should. "I suppose you'll be going out again soon, then?"
"No, sir, I don't think we will ever do this again. It would be pointless." Suddenly, Yamino's standard polite smile was replaced with a mischievous one, his eyes narrowing in what appeared to be amusement. "Besides, I think she will be wanting to spend more time with you instead from now on, Master Loki."
Loki frowned at him inquisitively, but Yamino didn't elaborate. Instead, his son pulled out a pocket watch.
"Dinner will be served at seven o'clock," he announced.
Loki frowned again, this time at the pocket watch in Yamino's hand. Why had he bothered to take it out when there was a bigger one right there in Loki's study for him to see without even turning his head? Then, Loki recognised the watch and suddenly understood what had happened. This was Yamino's way of answering Loki's unasked question, he realised.
"Thanks, Yamino," he said, both grateful and chagrined.
Yamino beamed. "It's always a pleasure to serve you, Master Loki."
The End