A/N: I hope you guys have been liking the story so far! I'm putting a lot of effort into it and it feels great when I get positive feedback from you guys!
Keep in mind that I will be going back and rewriting certain parts of the story. Nothing to change the plot, though. More just grammatical errors and things I could do to better convey the story. This means breaking up character development dumps, adding descriptions, etc. So if you guys see anything that seems out of place, remember to include it in your review so I can go back and correct my mistakes!
Anyway, with that out of the way, I present to you Chapter 4 of Sekirei: Steel of the Bond!
0o0
Chapter 4: Melting a Frigid Heart
Minato smiled as he made a shaking motion with his hand. The soft digits of the girl who revealed himself as Akitsu practically radiating with a cool aura, if that was even scientifically possible. The warmth in his own palm felt as if it was being sucked out of his skin.
"Akitsu… That's a pretty name." He tried his hardest to cheer her up, but Akitsu's stone-like expression held strong.
"Thank you." She replied. Minato couldn't help but let out an awkward chuckle at her bluntness.
'No-nonsense, huh?' He noted how similar Akitsu's personality was to his mother. She wasn't one for small talk, and if you had nothing interesting to say, it's best to not say it.
However, one big difference was that his mother would express her feelings in the form of anger. Minato couldn't recall the last time his mother wasn't at least a bit frustrated at something.
But with Akitsu, she always kept her expressions the same. She wouldn't drop her icy expression for anything, or at least that's what Minato could assume from their short time of knowing each other. Because of this, he had no way of telling what she was thinking.
"So, uh… What happened?" Minato inquired. "With the blood, I mean."
"I'd rather not talk about it." Akitsu replied, steadfast and stone-faced as ever.
"O-Oh, well okay." He scratched the back of his head nervously, not knowing where to go from here. Minato's bashfulness coupled with Akitsu's straight-forwardness made it hard for a decent conversation to start.
"Well, do you have any place to go?" He asked, his body letting out a shiver from the breeze.
"No." Akitsu stated plainly.
"Well… Maybe I could help." Minato replied.
Akitsu was caught off guard. She turned to stare into Minato's soft eyes. She didn't know why, but all of a sudden her body head flared, and the warmth of the aforementioned flame in her chest grew hotter, spreading its heat across her body.
"…" She was speechless.
Minato had already lent her his time and his personal belongings, and he was already willing to waste more of his time on her? But why? She was broken, useless trash. She didn't deserve it.
"I know of a few realtors in the area that offered to me before I rented out the apartment I have now, so maybe we could go talk to them." He suggested.
Akitsu was nearly speechless, and her icy visage was cracking.
"But… Why?" She asked.
"Why?" Minato leaned back, and genuinely thought about an answer. Why was he so ready to help someone he barely knew?
"Well, I was just raised that way, I guess. When I was a kid, I was always the one to help my sister out of situations she got herself into, so I guess that led to me becoming a Good Samaritan." He answered.
Akitsu considered the offer. She was still unsure about Minato's trustworthiness, but she figured that he had gone this far to help her. And he hadn't given her a reason to not trust him.
Yet, at least.
Akitsu nodded her head slightly, but enough to be noticed by Minato. "Alright… I accept your offer."
This caused Minato to smile wide. He was glad she gave him the opportunity to help.
"However," She continued. "If you cross me, I'll make sure you regret even being born." Her icy tone and expressionless face returned, and her words, while monotonous, carried its own weight in metaphorical venom.
Minato was taken aback, to say the least. He made a mental note to not test her word. While there weren't any features about her that proved menacing, he knew that she was a Sekirei. And Sekirei weren't ones to be toyed with.
He also knew that he didn't want to find out what her special abilities were the hard way.
He nodded quickly. "Of course, of course." He held his hands in front of him defensively.
"Well, I don't think any of the realtors would be available right now, so what do you say to spending the night at my apartment?" He asked, still somewhat shaken by the sudden threat Akitsu had made.
Akitsu reasoned the pros and cons of accepting his offer, and figured that if he was this frightened by verbal threats, he wasn't likely to act against her.
"Okay," She stood up from the bench, pulling her arms through the sleeves of Minato's jacket. "But remember what I said about betraying my trust."
Minato blushed heavily from the realization that Akitsu was completely naked from the waist down, and his jacket was just barely covering her… private areas. Noticing his prying eyes, she pulled the jacket farther down, and glared at him, using her eyes to do all of her speaking.
Minato snapped out of his short-lived trance, and turned his head. "A-Ah, sorry!"
He faced the direction in which Yashima was located, and held his hand up high above his head, forming the sign that meant it was okay for her to approach them.
Meanwhile, Yashima was on the verge of falling asleep in her warm jacket she had bought previously. She was about to doze off before she saw Minato's hand rise above his head with the sign.
Her eyes snapped back open, and she collected their things before making her way to Minato and the strange woman, who was now wearing his jacket. She felt a twinge of jealously cross her mind when she saw this, but disregarded it.
Akitsu noticed the newcomer, and quickly assumed a mock fighting stance after jumping behind Minato.
"It's alright, don't worry about her. She's with me." Minato informed her with a smile. Akitsu let her shoulders relax, but remained defensive.
Yashima finally reached Minato and Akitsu after a short jog, and bowed slightly before the stranger.
"Hello, miss. My name is Yashima. I am Sekirei Number 84. Pleased to meet you!" She exclaimed with a cheery expression.
"Sekirei?" Akitsu inquired. She turned to Minato before asking "Does that mean you're…"
Minato quickly finished for her. "Yep, I'm her Ashikabi. We were on our way back home and decided to take the scenic route through the park when we found you." Minato explained.
This only led her to come up with more questions on Minato and now Yashima's true intentions. Did he plan on taking her for his own flock? Did he just want to use her, as the scientists at MBI did? But in the end, that would give her a purpose, right? Isn't that what she wanted?
She felt her head grow light, and, considering the escape she made previously, she nearly face-planted onto the brick walkway from exhaustion. She winced, waiting for the impending impact.
But it never came.
Instead, she felt the cooled bare arms of Minato wrap around her, catching her as she fell.
"Whoa! Are you okay?" Surprised by Akitsu's sudden lack of strength, he acted purely on impulse when he lunged out to save her from the fall.
Akitsu could only stare into his eyes. Those gorgeous, kind eyes this caring man possessed beckoned her to lose herself in them. The heat in her chest was about to burn through her skin, and Minato felt it.
"Jeez, you're burning up! What happened?" Her cheeks flared red, and her breathing became heavy and labored. She found herself losing the battle with unconsciousness as tunnel vision set in. Everything around her grew dark, and the last thing she saw before she passed out, was the worried face of Minato uttering words that fell upon deaf ears. And then; darkness.
"Holy-! What's going on!? Yashima?" The girl in question knelt down beside Akitsu, and felt around for a pulse. Her index and middle fingers were met with blazingly hot flesh and a steady, but faint heartbeat.
"She's fine. But she won't be if we leave her out here." She took the girl into her arms gently. Minato was about to protest, but Yashima silenced him before he could.
"I know what's happening, but I can't explain it right now. I'll take her home. I don't mean to sound rude, but you would only slow me down." Minato nodded, figuring the wellbeing of Akitsu was more important than his own personal pride.
'Man, Yashima really could take charge when she needs to.' He thought.
"Alright. I'll meet you there. Be safe." Yahsima leaned forward and locked lips with Minato, letting her brilliant blue wings unfurl and spread behind her. Minato blushed heavily, but Yashima remained serious.
"I will. You be careful, too." And with that, Yashima bent her legs and crouched down, before shooting off into the night sky, leaving a dazed and confused Minato behind.
"What the…" He started, but decided against thinking too heavily about Yashima's athletic abilities.
'Let's just say it's a Sekirei thing and be done with it.'
He grabbed their possessions before running out of the park towards their house, the cold wind of the night causing him to shudder, but it didn't slow him down in the slightest.
0o0
A giggle could be heard from inside the confines of the black limousine. A young girl, by the looks of it around 16 or 17, laughed to herself. She wore an expensive white dress with a golden trim. She rested her gloved elbow against the fine leather armrest next to her, and rested her cheek against her fist.
"Interesting…" She muttered.
"Should we go after them, Mikogami-san?" A gruff voice was heard from the opposite side of the limo. An older man brandishing a traditional katana latched onto his hip was lounging in the seat opposite of the girl. "You've been looking at that girl for a long while. You just gonna let him take her away?"
"No… Let them go. I have no need for her anyway." She replied, her smug voice being muffled out slightly by the engine of the limo coming to life. "After all, he's gonna need all the Sekirei he can get his grubby hands on.
The man sighed. He had really been looking forward to a good run tonight, but seeing that chance of excitement taken from him brought down his mood.
"He's proving to be an interesting person in this little game of ours… He might be a worthy adversary." Mikogami grinned wide. "Tsama, take us home."
The limo driver nodded to the young girl from the front seat, and the black vehicle pulled from the curb and made its way down the street.
"If you say so…" The older man spoke, resting his eyes.
0o0
Yashima was hopping from building to building, carrying the blazingly-hot Akitsu. She hoped that Minato didn't dislike the sudden kiss, but it was for the best. It allowed her the temporary benefit of higher agility, so it would be incredibly beneficial to the current situation. However, regardless of how platonic it was, it still made her blush at the thought of sharing a kiss with her beloved Minato.
The wind split past them as Yashima moved on. She deduced that Akitsu was in a stable condition, but to be safe, she wanted to get to the apartment as soon as possible. The moon's light shone down on them, doing little to illuminate her path, but it did provide an incredibly pretty sight. One that Yashima didn't have time to admire.
Then something came to her attention. She was carrying another Sekirei. Someone whom she was supposed to be fighting soon. She quickly came to a conclusion; it was because of Minato, and his good nature. If it made Minato happy to help those in need, she would help, too. Or at least try her best.
0o0
A short time later, at Minato's apartment…
Minato was resting on the couch, drinking from a juice box, running tonight's events back in his head while sipping on his straw.
Yashima was in another room with Akitsu. She was dipping a washcloth in cold water and wringing it out before folding and resting it upon the forehead of the still-unconscious Akitsu. The heat that was radiating from her body had gone down, but it was still there. Yahsima knew exactly what was causing this.
'She's reacting to Minato…' She thought, slightly jealous, but grateful for the possible help for the Sekirei Plan. This was both good news and bad news.
The good; if Minato were to wing her, he would have another Sekirei to use in the game, increasing their odds of survival. However, the possibility of Akitsu being the Scrapped Number still remained.
The bad; It would mean less time she would spend with Minato. She bit the tip of her thumb in displeasure. She didn't like the idea of having to share Minato. She loved his attention, and nearly melted whenever he praised her for doing something well, so the last thing she would want is him to stop being with him.
This was, however, contradicted with her knowledge of the bond between Sekirei and Ashikabi. If she was reacting to Minato, then that would mean he is her destined soulmate, and, remembering how she almost had her own bond with her soulmate taken from her by force, she wouldn't want to stand in the way of their bond.
She was at a crossroads. She wanted to keep Minato's attention on her, but at the same time, she wanted Akitsu to be happy.
She then realized what she was deciding on, and mentally berated herself for her own selfishness.
'What am I thinking? Minato is bound to wing more Sekirei… Just from his power as an Ashikabi alone, he's destined to attract a lot. I shouldn't stand in the way of these things.'
Yashima let out an exasperated sigh and decided that she would cross that bridge when she reached it. Right now, she needed to make sure that Akitsu's condition was stable.
Akitsu regained a bit of consciousness, and rolled over, now being in a state more akin to sleep than unconsciousness. Yashima, now satisfied with the work she has done regarding the aid of Akitsu, stood up and left her to rest.
Minato saw Yashima exit the room, looking somewhat tired from the day.
"How is she?" He asked.
"She's stable, and she's now, what I would consider, more asleep than passed out." She stated, letting out another sigh. She walked over, and plopped on the couch, next to Minato, before resting her head on his shoulder. "You're such a nice guy, Minato-sama. I'm glad I reacted to you." She blushed a bit, but she meant what she said.
Minato, in turn, took on a light shade of pink, and wrapped his arm around the drowsy Yashima.
"Thank you, Yashima-chan. I might be stuck in this messed up game put on by a mad-man with a multi-billion dollar company, but I'm glad I've got you here with me." He stated, pulling her into a warm embrace.
She blushed hard. "You flatter me too much!" She nuzzled her cheek into his chest and let out a soft moan of satisfaction.
"You deserve it, though." Minato continued, chuckling a bit after. Yashima's effect on him didn't go unnoticed. His bashfulness when around her had all but disappeared. He felt safe to speak his mind when he was with her, and so he did.
And with that, they rested, with Yashima falling asleep on his chest and Minato relaxing inside her iron grip.
He tried to lie back and sleep, but he found himself unable to do so. He was still incredibly concerned with the condition of Akitsu, wondering what was causing this whole ordeal. Yashima must have forgotten to explain it before she fell asleep on his chest, but he didn't want to wake her just to ask a question. So, he put a pin in it, and cleared it from his mind.
0o0
7 hours later, morning…
Akitsu's eyes slowly opened. The light of the morning sun shining through the parted curtains. She found herself in a bed inside of a small room. It was incredibly bland, but there was something about it that made it… Nice. It made her feel at home in a completely foreign place.
She lifted the blanket off of her to see that she was now wearing different clothing. Her stolen and bloodied dress shirt and Minato's jacket replaced by baggy gym shorts and a plain white T-shirt. She looked around and attempted to gather her wits before standing, albeit a bit wobbly at first.
The reaction she faced the night before did a number on her. She still felt the warmth, but it felt as if the inside of her body was charred. She remembered one of the scientists speaking about reactions between Sekirei and Ashikabi, and how it was unhealthy for Sekirei to remain unwinged for extended periods of time while around the one which they were reacting to.
She clutched her warm chest, tears welling in her eyes.
'As long as I'm around him… I'll only suffer…' She thought. 'But he rescued me, took me in… I can't just leave without a word…'
She stopped herself, shaking her head, trying to get those thoughts out of her head.
'What am I thinking? He's probably just plotting something. His eyes didn't reveal it like I thought they would, but I know… He's not just some savior who helps for the pleasure of helping. He can't be.' She visualized his face again, and focused her mind on his eyes. Those warm grey orbs that seemed to stare into her soul, and offered only kindness.
'What do I do..?' She was on the verge of breaking down, but her physical expressions didn't show it. Instead, she shook it off, and walked towards the closed door. She grasped the metal handle, and twisted, surprised that it wasn't locked.
'I'd imagine that if he wanted to keep me in, he'd at least try to lock the door.' She glanced at the window that let in the only light in the room. 'Not that it would slow me down, but it means that he is either stupid… or he doesn't want to capture me.' She pulled the door ajar, and was greeted with the scene of the raven-haired man that was driving here insane snoozing on the couch with the girl who claimed to be Minato's Sekirei. Yashima was her name, right?
"Excuse me." She said, in her usual quiet, monotone voice.
No reaction.
She moved closer, feeling the heat in her chest grow with each step. She found it a bit hard to breathe again, and she felt her face heat up with a light blush.
"Excuse me, Minato-san?" She said, a bit louder. Still, however, no response. She kept the pace until she was standing right next to the couch and the sleeping Minato. Her breathing was now heavy enough to be audible.
'Goodness… If this heat keeps up…' She stared at the sleeping face of the handsome man that helped her.
'He looks so peaceful.' She thought. Almost on its own, she felt her body lower down, and her face inched its way closer and closer to Minato's. Her blush was a full red at this point, and the heat in her chest was almost unbearable, but she kept her composure. His mouth was slightly ajar, and she was close enough to feel his lukewarm breath brush against her cheek. Closer her mouth drew to his own.
Suddenly, Minato began to stir, and he open his eyes slowly. He was greeted with a blushing, but otherwise stone-faced Akitsu.
"Ah. You're awake." Her icy tone froze him to the bone when he realized how close they were.
"A-A-AKITSU!? What are you-" He stammered and stuttered.
Akitsu quickly placed her index finger perpendicular to his lips.
"Sh." She then motioned here head in the direction of the sleeping Yashima. Minato nodded slightly, and managed to get out from under her without waking her up. He let out a quiet, but obviously exasperated sigh.
"What was that all about?" He asked, his voice down to the octave of a whisper.
"Nothing." She replied simply. That's what she wanted to believe, but she couldn't ignore the searing heat in her body.
"Are you sure? Because it looked like you were pretty close to… Uh…" Minato blushed heavily at the thought. "K-Kissing me."
"You must be mistaken." Was here quick, steadfast reply, her visage holding strong.
"Okay, if you say so…" He let out another sigh. "Well, how are you feeling?"
"Fine."
"Well, would you like me to get you anyth-"
"No."
An unbelievably awkward silence ensued, and the two just stared at one another, with Minato having no idea what to say, and Akitsu ready to curve any question he had for her.
"Alright, if you say so." He proceeded towards the bathroom. "If you'd like, I can get you a bath running." He said.
"That would be most pleasant." Came her stone-faced reply. She then followed him into the bathroom swiftly and silently.
"Alright, I'll get on it. While you're in the shower, I could prepare you so-"
He was cut off by the sight of Akitsu stripping in front of him.
"WHOA, hold on!" He gripped his nose quickly, before the rush of blood came spewing out, and stopped her just in time to protect what modesty she had remaining. She had already taken off her shirt, and was holding it in front of her… rather ample bosom.
"Hm?" She stopped her actions momentarily. "What seems to be the problem?"
"You can't just strip in front of me!" He turned his head away, avoiding Akitsu's stare. If he wasn't blushing before, he definitely was now.
"Why not?" She asked, resuming her stripping.
"Because it's not modest! You can't just go around exposing yourself like that, it's indecent!" He was trapped in the bathroom. There was no other exit besides the one the buxom woman had blockaded with her near naked body, and he didn't want to get any closer, in fear there would be a misunderstanding.
'If Yashima walks in now, I'm done for! Who knows how she'll react!' He thought to himself, looking for a way to escape.
"I've heard that exposing oneself like I am is pleasing to human males." She countered.
Well, one thing of Minato's was agreeing with that statement, but he disregarded that.
"Yeah, but not in broad daylight! Just please, put your clothes back on until I leave!" Minato turned his body around, and stared at the tiling of the bathroom floor, waiting for Akitsu to clothe herself.
Instead, he heard the light, bare-foot footsteps Akitsu made as she approached Minato from behind.
"There is, however, something I would like to talk with you about." Akitsu felt the heat in her chest rise from being in close proximity to Minato. "Something very serious."
Minato gathered himself, and pushed away the feelings of embarrassment for a serious attitude, though he remained stationary.
"W-What is it?" He asked, hesitantly.
'I have to ask him. Now.' Akitsu thought to herself. 'If I don't tell him now, it will just be harder to explain it to him now. But his helping nature might spell suffering for us both.'
She opened her mouth to speak, hesitating a bit, before finally saying it.
"I think I am reacting to you, Minato-san."
Minato recoiled in his seated position.
"What?" He asked, turning himself around to see that Akitsu had put her T-shirt back on, and her face was as serious as ever.
"Every time I am around you, I get this burning feeling in my chest. As if I am burning from the inside out. This is a telltale sign of a Sekirei's reaction to their Ashikabi. However…" She tilted her head down, and closed her eyes. Minato began assuming the worst.
"I am unable to be winged." She finally spoke.
The realization hit Minato like a truck.
'That would explain her feverish temperature last night.' He thought. 'It would also explain her willingness to come along with a complete stranger like myself. How could I be so dense as to not realize it earlier?' He mentally berated himself for his own ignorance, before speaking again.
"So… you're the Scrapped Number?" He asked, sitting up and paying Akitsu full attention.
"Yes. The scientists at MBI wanted to dissect me. They chose me as a specimen for their studies. And as a result of the nonstop testing and experimentation…" She let a small tear fall. "… I am unable to be winged."
Minato couldn't believe what he was hearing.
'I knew the MBI was bad… but I didn't think they would stoop to such low levels.' As a result of his inability to stand by when someone is in need of his help, he spoke up.
"Do you know if there is anything I can do?" He asked, concern filling his voice.
"I deeply appreciate your concern," She stated with a heavy heart. "But I don't know of any way that I could curve the things they've done to my body."
The room fell silent, with Akitsu wondering what Minato's next course of action would be. Minato fell into deep thought.
"Well… How do you know you are unable to be winged?"
Akitsu thought long and hard about the question, but came up with nothing concrete.
"All I remember is the scientists saying something along the lines of 'unwingable' when referring to me. At the time that I caught their conversation, I was under the influence of incredibly strong drugs, so I can't be sure." Her expression was as cold as ever, and she dried the tear that had previously run down her cheek. "But they would have no reason to lie. I don't know of any situation where they would have to. That, coupled with the experiments they had conducted on me, I wouldn't doubt the possibility."
Minato fell into deep thought again. He wanted to find a way to help, but he was too far in the dark. He had none of the scientists to talk to, if he even resorted going to the MBI for help in the first place, and he didn't have extensive knowledge on Sekirei genetics and what makes them tick, so there was nothing he could do. Nothing, except for one thing…
"Have you attempted to test it?" He asked, his body giving off an aura of determination.
"No. You're the first person that I've found whom I reacted to." She replied.
Minato swallowed hard, and gathered his courage before asking, "Would you like to try?"
Akitsu was surprised by the suddenness of his request, but she gladly accepted with a quick, expressionless nod. A light pink glow painted her cheeks.
"But before we do, I would like to ask you a question."
"What is it, Akitsu-san? I'm all ears." He replied with a caring tone.
"Why? Why have you gone to such extents to help me, even though you don't know me? First you take me into your home without even knowing who I am, then you try helping me with my own personal problems… Why do you want to help such useless trash as I?" Her expression showed no emotion, but her eyes were dancing with wonder. And Minato noticed.
"Well, like I said, I'm a Good Samaritan, right?" He laughed.
"No. A Good Samaritan helps those only once. You have helped me many times, and have shown no sign of stopping." She exclaimed. "To me… You're a savior. And I can't thank you enough."
Minato blushed hard.
'Where is this all coming from? Is this because she's reacting to me? Because I truly am her Ashikabi? But what if she actually can't be winged? What then?' Worst-case-scenarios began looping over and over in his head, causing his bashfulness to return.
"Thank you, Akitsu-san." Minato felt the urge to hug her, and finally, he let his urges take control. He reached out, and brought Akitsu into a loving embrace.
Akitsu was shocked by the sudden gesture, but accepted it, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. The burning in her chest was becoming unbearable. She couldn't hold here façade any longer, and the emotions she had kept bottled up inside her were let out. She gripped him tight, and silently wept, hot tears running down her face.
'He's the first person… to ever show me true compassion… true kindness.' She ran their first meeting back in her mind. His dumb, awkward grin warming her up better than his jacket ever could. 'How did I not realize it sooner? I… I'm… In love… With him… And I'll spend the rest of time with him. I'll make sure of it.'
Minato simply held her close, doing his best to comfort her in her time of need. The feeling of her body jolting with each silent sob rattling his body and his willpower. Yet, he was glad to have helped her. He thought back on how Akitsu was so quiet and level-headed, albeit sometimes hostile. And here she was, letting her feelings flow free. He ran his hand along her back in circles as she dug into the crook of his neck with her head.
When Akitsu pulled away, her stone-like expression disappeared, and was left with an expression of want. Of desire. Her eyes met with Minato's and, almost as if he could read her mind, they closed the distance, locking each other's lips in a deep kiss.
The experience was foreign for both of them. Akitsu had never experienced a winging before, but she knew this wasn't how it was supposed to play out. She felt a small headache form from their contact, which exploded into a full migraine in what felt like seconds. Her ears began ringing, and she let out a wince from the pain.
Minato noted how different it was to kiss Akitsu from when he winged Yahsima. The best way to explain it was a string of an unnamed instrument being plucked, and it rang out, loud and true. But with Akitsu, it fell dull. It felt like what he imagined a normal kiss would feel like, considering Yashima was the one who stole his first and he hadn't been with anyone aside from her.
But he noticed… something. It felt like there was a piece of a puzzle, desperately trying to fit into the grand picture, but not being able to form the correct shape to lock into place. He was on the verge of giving up, before he tried one last time, putting all of his concentration into the puzzle piece.
Akitsu felt him pull away as her migraine rang in her skull, but suddenly deepen it, as they traded saliva and allowed one another to explore each other's mouths with their tongues.
And just like that, the piece finally clicked into place. They both felt it.
'Wha..!' Akitsu couldn't think straight. All she could think about was the face of her destined Ashikabi, determination plastered on his face. She was on the verge of losing consciousness once again, from the sheer pain, but then…
Nothing.
Just as quickly as it came, the splitting headache faded, as with the pain. She felt something inside her fall into place.
And with that, the heat inside her chest exploded in intensity. She felt it nearly boil her blood, before it was suddenly cool. She felt the crest on her forehead fill with the fire, before stray luminescent white feathers began springing forth out of it, one by one.
Akitsu recoiled back, breaking away from the kiss. Minato looked on in fascination.
'Holy hell… Did it work..?' He thought. There was no way for him to tell. All he could do was sit back and watch. And hope for the best.
Akitsu felt the fire of her crest rage, before the feathers dissipated slowly, along with the crest. She sat, in a trance, trying to recover from the ordeal.
Out of nowhere, magnificent white wings burst out of her back as she let out a cry of surprise mixed with ecstasy. The warmth that was once in her body moved to her wings, which radiated in it, before it was gone. The room made a sudden drop in temperature, falling to a sub-zero level of cold. The room quickly gathered a thin layer of ice, and Akitsu fell forward, only to be caught by the ever-vigilant Minato.
Akitsu's wings pulsated, and slowly dissipated as the Sekirei Crest relocated itself from Akitsu's forehead to between her shoulder blades.
"Akitsu! Are you-!" Minato was silenced before he could finish by a smiling Akitsu. She reached up and cupped Minato's left cheek in her hand.
"It… It worked… Minato-sama." She said, her smile growing wider with each word.
Minato couldn't help but spread his mouth into his signature goofy grin, which only made Akitsu all the happier.
'Finally…' She started in her head, and finished out loud. "I've found you, my Ashikabi."
"So I guess the rumors weren't true, huh?" He chuckled as he helped the woozy Akitsu to her feet.
"I could only assume." Her stone-like expression returned, but not without a small grin. "Thank you, Minato-sama."
She cupped his cheek in her hand once again, and pulled him in for a fiery kiss. Minato couldn't do much aside from hang on for dear life.
Akitsu on the other hand was in heaven. Not only was she able to be winged, proving those horrible scientists wrong, but she could now relish in the loving embrace of her new Ashikabi.
Minato's bedroom door burst open, and Yashima ran in, with her giant hammer in tow.
"I heard screaming! What's going o-" She gasped loud at the sight of the kissing Akitsu and Minato.
Minato blushed heavily, realizing the situation he was just caught in. There he was, making out with a girl he just met the day before, in front of his soulmate. He quickly held his hands up in defense.
"Y-Yashima! It's not what you think!" He cried.
Yashima blushed with as much, if not, more strength than Minato had, and stammered over her words.
"I-I… I'm…" She let the hammer fall outside the room. "I'M SORRY FOR INTRUDING!"
Yashima quickly ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
"Wait!" Minato cried, rushing after her.
And for the very first time in what felt like ages…
Akitsu giggled, albeit a little bit.
0o0
And there you go! Chapter 4 done!
I had a lot of fun with this chapter. I tried my hardest to go in depth with Akitsu's story, and I spent a lot of time coming up with a special winging ceremony just for her. I'm glad I finished it, and I hope you guys enjoyed!
For those of you wondering, yes, there will be fighting later on down the road, but as mentioned previously, they are still currently only in the first phase. If you guys really are hoping for a good fight soon, I could see about doing something with the Lightning Twins, Hikari and Hibiki, but that's up to you guys.
Sorry I was a bit slow with this one. I had to take my dog to the vet, and it turns out there is a high chance that he's developing lymphoma, so that's been taking priority for a while.
As per usual, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated, as are favorites and follows!
If you see anything along the lines of grammatical errors, places where I should break, etc., please remind me in your review! I had to rush this to make time for my studies IRL, so I didn't have time for a real review of my work.
THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN UPDATED: THE ONLY CHANGE MADE IS THAT MIKOGAMI IS NOW FEMALE. IT HAS BEEN REQUESTED. Chapter 7 coming soon!
Later!
