Hey all!

This week's installment of Seeing Red is back! But next week I will not be uploading a new chapter, since I will be going on vacation in China! :D

But you can look forward to the next installment two weeks from now!

This story is Disclaimed: I don't own Kaze No Stigma!

Thank you for your support! As always, you guys motivate me to write, so hit up that review button! ;)

Oh and this is written in Kazuma's Point of Veiw, since I thought it would be more fun that way!

I looked at Ayano while she was looking away out the window of the train, and tried to imagine her in a bathing suit.

The last time I saw her in a very revealing dress, I wasn't disappointed. But this time, she was 18 instead of 17, so I wondered if I would be seeing something even better.

Then again, I've seen some really good stuff at that nude beach I went to in my teens. Ah the good old days.

Woah. I'm beginning to sound like an old geezer! I'm not in my teens, so I can't blame it on the hormones either. I shouldn't be thinking about Ayano in that way.

I mean, she's my work partner goddammit!

If I were to he honest, I would say that Ayano was growing up to be a gorgeous woman. She really was.

The first time I saw her, she was just a kid of 6 or 7. At that time, I was scared of her, since she already could throw a medium grade fireball, and I had nothing. Somehow, we met again. We weren't supposed to, I was supposed to live my happily ever after with Tsui-Ling, and she was supposed to find some kind of normal boy to be with. But that didn't happen, and...

I would like to think it's fate. That's the only time I believe in that destiny crap.

When I met her a year and a half ago, she came at me, Enraiha first. She was blazing red, and determined to kill me.

Somehow we were both forced to work together to save Ren from the youma.

That's when I discovered that Ayano was really a gem of a girl.

She's not good at cooking, cleaning, back massaging, or making you melt with sweet words like Tsui Ling. But I can tell Ayano is very kind. She's also brave, witty, and sharp-tongued. Arguing with her somehow turned out to be one of my hobbies.

She's very important to me. But not in the romantic way. I'm not sure if I'm ready to be involved in that after how the first one turned out...

But I don't like her in just the friend way either.

I don't call her Kannagi-san or Ayano-chan. She was just Ayano.

And to her, I was just Kazuma.

"What are you staring at?" Ayano says to me, her crimson eyes narrowed.

"Just at how gorgeous you look today." She blushes a bit, and turns to hide it.

Sometimes, she's really cute. Like now.

"Aw shuddup Kazuma. I bet you say that to every girl you're with." She retorts, covering her smooth shoulder with her cardigan.

"Are you jealous?" I ask immediately, seeing a chance to irritate her.

I really like irritating her. It's because she lets her anger out, not like some girls that just sulk. She's just so real.

"No I am not. Why would I be jealous of the girls you try to woo? They're probably all old maids anyways." Ayano turns to look at me, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Ah, silly Ayano. The girls I've been with are much more mature and womanly, but they're not old maids. They're all hot, curvy, long-legged women, got it?" I tell her, trying to push her a bit.

It really wasn't nice of me, since I knew all girls were insecure about some part of their bodies, no matter how perfect others think they are.

"You hentai! I bet all you look for in girls is a hot body to have sex with." Ayano says coldly, turning back to the window. Everyone in the subway car stared, and I was a bit embarrassed.

"Wasn't that a bit loud, Kannagi-san?" I whisper, walking closer to her. I could already feel the body heat she was emitting, and I realized why she could wear dresses in the winter. The girl was an oven!

She ignored me. I guess I will have to wait until our stop comes to bother her again.

"This is Mizushima Beach!" The overly-preppy stop announcer said.

"Ayano, it's our stop!" I tell her.

"Okay." She simply says.

I grab onto her arm to make sure she wasn't lost in the crowd of the people getting out.

Soon, we were standing at the place we were supposed to be meeting the rest of her friends at.

It was getting to be really hot, so I took off my shirt. I glanced at Ayano, and of course, she was looking at the beautiful scenery again. I took the chance to scan her over, and I was surprised that she was still wearing everything she was wearing earlier.

On average, Ayano was always warmer than me, so I wondered how hot she must be feeling now.

"Don't you want to take that off?" I suggested.

She looked at me blankly, and then blushed. "Why? Are you really that much of a hentai?"

I was a bit surprised. I really wasn't thinking about her in that way.

"You're usually really warm, I just thought you would be more comfortable if you took all that off." I replied after a second's pause.

"I don't need you to look after me, Kazuma. I can take care of myself."

On that, I shrugged and glanced in the direction of the water. It was blue, and for some reason I thought that it was beautiful.

While I was looking away from Ayano, I tried not to notice the sensation of someone's gaze on me, floating up and down. I knew it was Ayano, so it made me feel a bit self-conscious.

I knew I wasn't that bad looking. I kept myself in shape, doing cardio and endurance workouts every day. Running and soccer was also hobbies of mine.

But knowing that Ayano was looking at me made me feel uncomfortable.

Luckily, her friends came soon enough, all holding hands with what I assumed were their boyfriends.

"Yayyyy~! I can't believe you actually came!" Yukari exclaimed, her already high-pitched voice raising an octave.

I grinned. "Can't miss a chance to see you again!" I said good-naturedly.

"Hey man, lay off. Can't a guy go anywhere with his girlfriend without having another guy trying to snatch her away?" The blond guy next to her said playfully.

Yukari slapped his arm, and began the introductions.

"This is my boyfriend Kimura Len, and that there is Nanase's boyfriend Watanabe Ryuu. That girl with the black hair is our friend Suzuki Mina. The girl with the pink hair is Yamada Tomoyo, and this chick here," she said, gesturing to an attractive girl with mouse brown hair, "is the one and only, Matsuo Sakura."

"Nice to meet you all. I'm Yagami Kazuma."

They all returned my greetings, and I think they were all pretty nice.

I started to talk to Ryuu about a vido game that we both played, and I didn't realize what was happening until I glanced up to check on Ayano.

That rack.

And that ass.

She's been hiding them all along, but now they were showcased in a vivid cherry red bathing suit.

I couldn't help but to stare, and trace her contours with my eyes.

Her creamy white skin glowed in the sunlight, enhanced by that bathing suit that matched her eyes and her hair so well. She wore a simple ruby ring on one hand, and the key suspended on a silver chain that I had given to her for her birthday was nearly smothered by her boobs.

Damn, I wish I could be that key.

A small giggle distracted me, and I looked in that direction. It was Yukari.

"Like what you see?" Yukari teased me.

Hell yeah I do. But I didn't say anything, I just turned back to look at Ayano. She was blushing a deep red, and it made me think of all the things I could do to her to make that blush stay on her face.

I wasn't going to deny it.

Ayano was hot. And that tightness in my pants proved it.

"Well, we'll leave you two lovebirds alone now~!" Yukari said, leading her boyfriend away from us. I looked around. None of her friends were around anymore.

I walked closer to her.

Ayano averted my eyes, dropping her gaze to the white sand below her sandaled feet.

"You look nice in your bathing suit" I forced myself not to make some dirty reference to her rack, or that ass.

Apparently, other guys thought she looked good too. Suddenly, a there was a wolf-whistle, and I turned to look at who it came from.

It was a group of guys around her age, maybe a bit older. The one leading them had a smirk on, and he looked Ayano up and down, like I had done earlier.

But then he kept looking at her, and I knew what he was thinking when I saw that intense stare. He was undressing my Ayano in his mind.

I couldn't keep my cool.

"Hey man, what are you doing?" I said to him, trying to keep my voice casual. Of course the bastard ignored me.

He took a strand of Ayano's hair and twirled it around his fingers. "Hey there gorgeous. Want to come with me and have some fun?"

Fuck. There was no mistaking what kind of fun he meant.

Ayano was frozen, and just looked at him. He brought his finger down, and stroked the top of Ayano's breast.

That was it.

Crack!

I surveyed the damage that I did to him as he clutched his nose. Judging from the sound, I think I broke his nose.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD. YOU RUINED MY GOOD LOOKS! I'LL HAVE YOU SUED!" He yelled as his posse helped him up.

"Go ahead, but don't let me see you anywhere near her again. Do you understand?" I simply said, giving his the scariest glare I could muster up.

Before I met Ayano, everyone avoided me because of that cold look. Now, I was glad it still had the same effect. His group helped him go away.

Ayano unfroze, and grabbed onto my arm. I met her concerned gaze, and knew she was going to nag me.

It's a short chapter but the next one is reallllllyyyy long so...

CLIFFHANGER? :D

Hit up that review button!

12:21PM 3/24/13