Disclaimer: Kozue Amano owns the characters, not me.

XIV. Say "Aaaah"

"Akatsuki-san, say 'aaaah'."

He's waiting for her to grasp the reality of what she's really doing: attempting to feed him in front of everyone. And yet, he's also trying to throw away reality and take the shrimp off her fork, breaching one more barrier between them.

XV. Secret

The day he found her at her so-called "secret hideout", his original intention had been to startle her. But when he saw her small frame leaned against the stone of the church with her eyes closed, so peaceful and content, his resolve softened for a moment. And the quiet, very rebellious thought of giving her soft face a caress entered his mind. He still hasn't told her.

XVI. Panic

He also still hasn't told her that when she had said she was going up there to meet someone she was interested in (and in secret no less), his heart nearly gave out.

XVII. Tears

He had rarely seen her cry. She'd shed a few tears of joy here and there, and he eventually found out about the time she cried a few days before Alicia left Aria Company. But if she had ever been like she was now, he'd never seen it. It's obvious this is a momentary lapse in routine for her; she was seldom worried or sad enough to warrant this sort of behavior. But it scares him that even the life-loving Akari is capable of tears. It scares him more to ask why she's this way.

So for now, he doesn't ask. He merely holds her tightly until every single tear is gone. And although she's sad and it makes his heart wince a little, he's not exactly unhappy when she clings to his jacket and buries her face in his shoulder as her tears fall.

XVIII. Pictures

It's just an ordinary evening and he runs into her in the middle of San Marco Square on his way back to Ukijima. A man is giving away cheap photography sessions, so Akari takes advantage of it and drags Akatsuki to have pictures taken. He objects, she claims she needs photos to send back home, and he eventually complies.

They take three:

One is of her smiling and trying to talk him into taking a picture without scowling.

One is of her objecting as he displays a cunning grin and sticks up two fingers behind her head.

And the last one is of her grinning at the camera and him smiling at her, his scowl momentarily dissolved into an affectionate glance.

That one is the one he keeps, lying to her and saying it didn't develop. Every night it's the last thing he looks at before he closes his eyes.

XIX. Expression

He's not an angry man; everyone knows that. But he usually wears a straight face or an off-hand scowl unless he: a) sees Alicia and tells her hello, b) is having the occasional drink with his buddies, or c) is teasing/talking with Akari.

But of all three choices, he finds he smiles the most when it involves c).

Ah yes, more Akatsuki and Akari fluff! Hahaha!

I don't have much to say about this other than it's been fun to make these. There are a few more to come, and your comments and feedback are very appreciated. Don't hesitate to tell me anything on your mind about these. It helps if I get feedback so that I know whether to continue or not.

I hope you enjoyed reading it!