Disclaimer: I do not own Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji (Wolf Girl and Black Prince) or any of the characters
"Are you going to keep sniffing that flower the entire day?" Kyouya asked as his brow twitched. He bought it on a whim when the old woman told him that he should give it to her on their first date but now regretted it. He went through the trouble of planning their date and she was ignoring him within the first ten minutes! Why did a flower make her so happy?
"I'm just so happy that you did something so romantic. This is going to be a wonderful date." She smiled softly and Kyouya found it hard to continue being angry with her. Did she know what she did to him? He was painfully aware of her presence as she sat next to him on the train. He hoped the trip would be worth the trouble and that she would be happy with his plans.
Erika started to fiddle with her bag and he wondered if she forgot something. Kyouya looked at his watch to make sure that they had enough time to go back to the dorms. He wouldn't be surprise if she did forget something. She looked slightly worried as she studied the flower again. "What's wrong?"
"I'm worried this flower will get squished if I put it in my purse. If only I brought a book to press it in and I can preserve it forever. I could hold it the entire time but what if I drop it or forget it? Worst, if I'm holding the coronation the entire time, I won't be able to hold your hand." Erika told him and he almost laughed at how simple her worries were but stopped himself.
"You're hopeless. Give me that flower," Kyouya took it from her hand before she could move. Slightly worried about what he was planning, she tried to take it back but he stopped her with a hand on her cheek. He held her face in his hand and she closed her eyes for a moment. She felt his soft touch in her hair and she opened her eyes but he was already leaning back against his chair again.
"Mom, that girl has a pretty flower in her hair. Can I have one too?" A small girl across from them asked and pointed towards her. Curious, Erika looked at her reflection in the window and saw that Kyouya had placed the coronation in her hair. Touching it lightly, Erika grinned to herself. He could be surprisingly romantic at times and she voiced that comment to him.
When she was staring up at him with wonder, he felt nervous and tried to hide it by pushing at her shoulder so she wasn't so close to him. She fumbled to steady herself again and made sure that the flower was still in place once she did. "I don't want you worry over a silly flower the entire date. I'm surprised that even you couldn't think of a solution as simple as putting it in your hair."
"I love it," Erika giggled. She looked out the window to the passing trees and wondered where they were going since they were traveling by train. When she asked, he simply said that it was a surprised and he had to admit that he found her flustered face slightly cute. She was just too easy to tease. "I have to wonder how you're able to weave the flower into my hair so well."
"Are you jealous?" He asked in a teasing tone and she huffed, a silent sign that he was right in his assumption. Kyouya considered if he should tell her the truth. He pinched her cheek and said after a hesitation, "You don't have anything to be jealous about. My mother liked flowers and my sister and I would get her flowers for her birthday. She taught us tons of things about flowers."
"That's adorable. Little Kyouya must've been the sweetest thing ever," Erika thought back to the boy she met long ago but stopped when she remembered how sensitive the topic of his family was for him. He became stiff next to her and she placed her hand over his. He could see that she was truly sorry as she thought over what she should say. "I've ruined the mood, didn't I?"
"It's okay. I told you that I really don't really care since it's in the past." Kyouya told her and she looked conflicted. He nudged her again and she looked up at him. "You better not be frowning through our entire date. I didn't bother to buy us tickets to the Fairy Tale Park just for you not to enjoy it."
"Fairy Tale?" Erika squealed and several people turned to stare at her. She blushed, embarrassed, but couldn't hide her excitement. Kyouya laughed to himself at how easy it was to please her. "That's one of the most beautiful natural parks. Their rides are famous for being the perfect blend of modern magic and preserving nature. It's winter so the animals won't be out as much but that might be for the best."
"We'll be there in half an hour," Kyouya checked his watch. He yawned and leaned his head against her shoulder, causing her heart to leap. He opened his eyes slight and grinned up at her. "I've been up all night taking care of you and planning this date so in exchange, you're going to be my pillow."
"I guess I can since I'm your girlfriend now." Erika giggled but Kyouya didn't respond since he was already asleep. He looked different as he slept and she was glad that she was able to experience that moment. His face was more relaxed and more vulnerable. When she first fell in love with him, she never thought they would actually start dating.
"I love you, Kyouya." She whispered softly to him and touched his hair gently. Erika didn't see his lashes move slightly and his lips curved into a smile at her words.
"It's closed?" Erika's jaw dropped at she read over the notice on the entrance door again. She couldn't hide her disappointment and her shoulders slumped. Apparently, the previous night's storm caused the river located in the park to overflow. "They said that they should be able to fix the dam by five o'clock. Do you want to do something while we wait for the park to open again?"
"I didn't plan anything beyond the park." Kyouya scratched the back of his head. He knew that there would be a lot of activities that she would enjoy in the park so thought that they would spend a good amount of time in there. He looked at his watch again and saw that they needed to wait for six hours.
As he tried to think of some things they could do that would take six hours and he burst out laughing when Erika's stomach growled loudly. Kyouya ruffled her hair and pulled her away. "You sound like you have a monster in there. Let's go find something for you to eat before it comes out. I don't know a girl that eats more than you."
"My father said that a girl needs to have a healthy appetite if she wants to be happy." Erika puffed her cheeks. Kyouya didn't know if he should tell her that he actually found it charming that she didn't feel ashamed of whom she was.
"At least it looks like there are lot of cute shops near the park so we don't have to go too far." Erika started walking down the street and he fell into step next to her. She looked into each shop with interest but didn't buy anything. He knew that she didn't have expensive taste since she usually wore simple clothes. This was the first time he saw her dress so elegantly.
"Do you think she needs help?" Erika stopped and stared at an elderly woman about to cross the road but the carriages were passing by too fast and frequently. Kyouya knew that Erika wanted to help her even before she pointed out the lady to him. "We should help her out. It probably won't take that long and I'm not that hungry so I can wait a little longer before finding a restaurant."
"You can do whatever you want," Kyouya shrugged but she smiled at his reply. He knew that Erika wouldn't be the woman he loved is she wasn't hopelessly kind to a fault. She went to the elderly woman and he followed her. He knew that Erika was small and wasn't strong enough to help the woman across the street so talked to the woman first. "Do you need help, madam?"
A kind, princely smile spread on Kyouya's face and Erika could see how the older woman instantly gravitated to it. Erika wondered if there was anyone he couldn't fool with that smile. But she was glad that he was kind enough to help the grandmother. "My legs aren't as good as they used to be. You are so kind for offering to help me. Can you carry me to my home?"
Aren't you taking advantage of our kindness a little too much? Kyouya groaned inwardly. He knew that it was already too late to take back his offer when she and Erika started to talk to each other like old friends. He told himself that the woman's home couldn't be too far and knelt in front of the woman. With Erika's help, she climbed onto his back and they followed her instructions to her home.
"So this is your first date with this young man?" The old woman spoke with Erika and she blushed as she nodded. She knew that the conversation would likely turn to her relationship with Kyouya but she still felt giddy being able to talk about her relationship with someone. "You chose a really kind man so you shouldn't let anyone steal him from you."
Erika laughed lightly and Kyouya found himself watching her from the corner of his eyes. Her eyes always shined when she laughed. "Kyouya has his moments and I love him. He's actually very popular in school but I'm not going to let anyone take him from me. It's because of him that I'm able to stay in the academy and learn more magic!"
Kyouya barely joined their conversation as he walked down the street. He was beginning to wonder if the woman hadn't leaded them in a circle since they've been walking for near half an hour. He was sure that Erika was starving by now and he didn't know how much of the park they could enjoy in so little time. He felt relieved when the woman pointed out a house. "We're here."
"That's an adorable little house," Erika complimented as she helped the woman off Kyouya's back. Once he stood fully, he felt Erika's hands on his shoulder. He turned back to see her smile as she rubbed the tension from his shoulders. He blushed and looked away when she complimented him, "You're surprisingly kind to the elderly."
"Well, I knew you would insist on helping her so I really had no choice. Hopefully, we won't have to walk too much to find a place to eat." Kyouya knew they wouldn't be able to find a restaurant in the residential area the grandmother lived in. He thought back to some of the restaurants they passed on their way and wondered if Erika would like one.
"If you two are hungry, I have some sweets and you're welcomed to come in and have tea. I never get company and it's been so lonely since my husband passed away. I live alone and my grandson never comes by. You remind me of him actually, Kyouya, since you're so kind." Kyouya hated that the old woman was making it so hard for him to refuse.
He knew that he could only give one answer when he heard Erika's stomach growl. Even though she was hungry and tired from walking, her sympathy was for the woman. "I guess we still have some time, Kyouya. The park won't be open for a while and I'm fine with staying for a little. You must be hungry too so it's better to eat something now."
"Thank you for your generosity," Kyouya hid his growing annoyance and spoke kindly to the woman. They entered her living room and sat on the couch as she went to get tea and snacks. The room was covered in photos and Kyouya felt so uncomfortable when so many eyes surrounding them. They only needed to have one cup to appease the woman and they could leave.
They spent more than an hour looking over her photos. More specifically, the woman and Erika spent their time looking at photos. The old geezer had Kyouya running around the house doing repairs and he couldn't argue when she started to tell him about her back pain and how there was no one to help her. He was beginning to doubt her.
"I'm finished with the lights," Kyouya told them as he came into the living room. Erika stood and picked up some bread she wrapped in a cloth. She walked to him and held out the bread. He hoped that he would be able to eat it before the woman sent him on another errand.
"This is for you since you've been working so hard, Kyouya." She told him and he couldn't love her more when she turned to speak to the elderly woman. "We actually have something we need to do. Thank you for the food but we must be going."
The woman waved to them as they left. Erika held out the bread to him and smiled apologetically. "If I knew that she would tell you to do so much, I would've told her no. But I couldn't just leave her when I saw that she needed help. She must've been lonely if she kept looking for ways to make us stay. My mother always said that good things happen to kind people so something good might happen today."
"You're really too nice and I'm sure she was taking advantage of that," Kyouya pointed out and she wondered if that was true. He saw her brows furrowed and ruffled her hair, playfully. "At least we got to kill some time. The park should be open in three hours so what do you want to do? If you're still hungry, we can find a restaurant to eat at."
"I think she filled me with sweets," Erika laughed to herself. To be honest, she was more worried about Kyouya since he barely ate. He wouldn't like to eat in a crowded restaurant so thought of something they could do together. "How about we get some rice balls as snacks and see a movie? There should be a mini theatre here. Since there won't be that much people, we can be lovey-dovey like a real couple!"
"Give me a break." Kyouya didn't know why the thought of being 'lovey-dovey' with Erika made him shy and tried to hide how nervous he felt. He didn't feel like watching a movie but knew it would make her happy and they had nothing better to do while they waited for the park to be open. "Wasn't there a popular romance movie that just came out? Do you wanna watch it?"
"I didn't think you would like those kinds of movies." They stopped in front of the theater and she looked over the movies playing. One caught her eye and she pulled on Kyouya's sleeve to get his attention. "That's the new Kishibe-san movie! My father loves his movies and we always watch them together. My mother said she watched it with my father already so I want to watch it with you."
"Kishibe?" Kyouya looked at the movie poster and raised a brow at him. Kishibe was a famous actor that starred in a series about a war set in federal times and he couldn't see Erika watching his movies. When he asked her if she was really interested in it, she blushed. She knew that most girls weren't into series but wanted to see the movie.
"It's kind of a tradition for my family. I'll have to admit I'm not good with the bloody scenes but my dad always made me feel safe. He's like you in that way, you both know how to make me feel better. There's also a romance in it too. A common warrior and a princess, kept apart by their station but ultimately they find a way to be together."
Her eyes shined as she told him about the series so he took her hand and led her into the theater. "We'll watch the movie but you better not hold onto me too tightly when you get scared."
"So you're letting me hold you if I get scared?" Erika grinned and Kyouya realized what he said. He meant the comment to be teasing but couldn't take them back. He bought them tickets and they stepped into the elevator. She was still talking about the series and he wondered if it was as good as she was making it out to be.
As soon as the elevator was in motion, it jerked to a stop. Kyouya pressed the button to open the door but it didn't respond and he checked the jewel powering the elevator to find it flickering. "It looks like there's enough energy to make a call. Hopefully someone will come help us soon."
"We're trapped here?" Erika started to panic and Kyouya didn't understand why she looked so scared. Even in the dimming light, he could tell that her face was pale. He knew that she was forcing herself to calm down as she forced her breathing to be even. Instinctively, he placed an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his chest.
"… It's alright." Kyouya never had to comfort a woman before so tried to think of the best way to reassure her. She shook against him but he was glad that it was gradually lessening. "I said that you can hold onto me if you're scared as long as you don't hold on too tight. Just close your eyes."
"Is our date cursed or something?" Erika whispered to herself as she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Stupid, these are just coincidences." Kyouya pinched her cheeks. He didn't know why there were so many mishaps and he hoped that he could get one thing right before the day ended. He sat against the floor and patted the space next to him, telling her to sit. She did and moved towards him like a lost puppy.
Kyouya thought he felt a sudden chill and he stiffened. Erika looked up at him in confusion. He didn't want to worry her so placed a hand over her head, "I just got this weird feeling."
As the feeling left, his phone rang and he saw that it was Takeru. Kyouya didn't know why he was calling so picked it up. Takeru immediately spoke when he answered. "Did you get my message? Nozomi and I wanted to cheer you on so Sanda helped us communicate with you telepathically."
So that's why the feeling was so cold, Sanda was the one sending the message. Kyouya thought. He knew that Sanda was still angry with him for leaving Erika in the rain that those feelings came through in her message. "Idiot, what's the point of sending me a message with magic if you're just going to call me five minutes afterwards?"
"I just wanted to wish you luck on your date. Do your best and show Erika how much you love her," Kyouya and Erika blushed since Takeru was so loud Erika could hear him clearly. "Remember this is your first date and you need to act like a gentleman. I know it's hard for you to be honest but-"
"Look, Takeru, I know you're trying to help me but wouldn't it have been better to tell me this yesterday instead of in the middle of the date?" Kyouya interrupted him, not wanting Takeru to embarrass him any further. The man never seemed to know then to stop.
"I'm sorry! Just tell me all about your date when you get back." Takeru hanged up and Kyouya sighed in frustration. He was surprised when Erika starting laughing, all the tension leaving her body. Seeing her laugh, he could see the humour in the situation too and laughed with her.
"Takeru really is a good friend, isn't he?" Erika noted how different they were yet how close they were as well. "How did you two meet? A story might make time pass quicker since we're stuck here."
"I used to call him an 'ally to justice' to make fun of what a good guy he was." Kyouya eyes looked far away as he started to tell her about his days in high school. She didn't expect him to tell her about his past and realized that this was the second time he was doing so. Kyouya thought that it was surprisingly easy to tell her about himself, knowing she wouldn't reject him.
"I didn't have many friends since I pissed a lot of people off. I'm pretty sure Takeru was the only friend I had. A couple of kids were ganging up on me and Takeru just came in like an ally of justice and defended me. He was the first to help me…"
"That seems like something he would do," Erika nodded.
"I thought he was a fool going into someone else's business when he could've been hurt." Kyouya laughed to himself. "I was right. We both get the crap beat out of us and ended up in the infirmary. We got bandaged up and I thought that would be the last time we'll talk to each other.
"After that, he started to pester me every day and it just became natural for us to hang out with after a while. I was surprised that we laughed a lot while we were together. I wasn't the most pleasant person to be around and I was blunt but Takeru didn't seem to mind. You see, I wasn't the perfect prince I pretended to be now."
"I always wondered why you took up that persona." Erika admitted.
"It was because Takeru asked me to," Kyouya answered her and her jaw's dropped. "I've been having a lot of trouble in school and he said he was worried about me since we would be going our separate paths after high school. We were growing but he was still my friend so I didn't want him to worry about me.
"So I pretended to be the perfect prince. If he saw that I was getting along with people, he wouldn't have to worry about me. In a way, it helped me too. Guys stop picking fights with me if I don't say anything. Even if girls still surrounded me, they're not catty if I rejected them gently. After a while, pretending to be a prince became easy to me. Everyone liked me."
There was something sad about the way he said his last statement and she placed her hand over his in the darkness. "Takeru and I love you for who you really are."
"The air feels so fresh," Erika breathed in deeply once they were free. It was dark out night but she was glad to be out of the cramp elevator. She would never understand machine when one could use something more reliable like magic. Even if the machine was powered by magic, she didn't think magic would fail her on such an important date like her first date.
"It's nine," Kyouya checked the time and sighed. He knew that there wouldn't be much to see at the park since he originally wanted to have quiet lunch with her and watch the scenery but they couldn't enjoy it in the darkness. They would have to return to the dorm soon and he didn't know if they had enough time for the last thing he had planned.
"Let's go!" Lightly taking her hand, he pulled her away.
"Where are we going? The park's the other way," Erika pointed out.
"I know but that's not where we're going. Just follow me," Kyouya said instead of answering him. She trusted him so let him led her but still wondered where they were going as they boarded a bus. Erika sat beside him and once again asked him where they were going. "Herbis tower. I made reservation for us there. If we run, we should be able to make it on time."
"Herbis tower?" Erika's eyes shined. "My mother said that the view is beautiful but it's hard to get a reservation. How did you arrange it in so little time?"
"Takeru has an uncle that works there and I asked him for a favour. Everything I've planned went wrong today so I want to end it right at least. We haven't eaten so hopefully this won't go wrong too," Kyouya looked out the window and watched the passing buildings. "It'll take us half an hour to get there by bus so you can rest until we get there."
"I'm really excited," Erika nodded but found that she was a little tired. A yawn escaped her mouth and it was echoed by Kyouya's. She leaned against him and her eyes started to drift close. "A lot of things happened today, didn't it?"
"Yeah," Kyouya wanted to continue to talk to her but her voice seemed to lull him to sleep.
"Excuse me," Someone shook Kyouya's shoulder and he woke with an irritated groan. The weight on his shoulder shifted and he looked down to Erika waking as well. She sat up straighter and rubbed her eyes. The voice came again and he faced at the bus driver. "Pardon me but this is the last stop. You need to get off now."
"The last stop?" They both became fully awake. Kyouya left the bus quickly and tried to see where they were but knew that there was no way they could make it to their reservation. It was already past eleven and he groaned. In the end, he couldn't even get one thing right. He groaned and didn't know if he should turn to see Erika's reaction.
"That was the last bus…" Kyouya couldn't believe their luck when he checked if there was another bus that could take them home. He sat on the bench and ran his hand through his hair. "You gotta be kidding me. I really can't think of anything else that could go wrong."
Erika made the strangest noise as she sat next to him. She laughed. He didn't understand why she was laughing and studied her face. He was sure that she had gone crazy when she hugged her stomach. Her laughter wasn't fake since her eyes still brightened like it usually would. "If you think about it, it's kinda like a miracle in an odd way."
She always finds a way to smile, even in a situation like this. Kyouya thought and reached out a hand to place on her cheek. "I'm sorry our first date turned out like this."
"Don't apologize," She leaned into his hand. "I'm happy as long as I'm with you and all the thought you put into planning it means a lot to me. Neither of us could've known about the mishaps beforehand. It wasn't so bad since I got to learn more about you. I think we did alright for our first date. My mother always said that it's best to laugh off misfortune."
"You're right." Kyouya chuckled beneath his breath. He didn't know when it had become so easy for her to lift his mood. He stood from the bench and held out a hand to her, "It looks like we have to walk back so I hope you're ready."
She nodded and they started to walk back towards the academy. As they turned the corner, Erika noticed someone walking ahead of them and she looked familiar. She turned when Erika called out to her and they recognized the old woman they helped earlier in the day. She greeted them with a smile and asked, "What are you doing out here so late?"
Kyouya didn't know why but the woman seemed different than before. She looked the same but the way she held herself wasn't the same. Erika didn't seem to notice as she explained their situation. The woman looked at them with sympathy and handed Kyouya the bag she was holding. "This might help you get back to your school. It's the least I can do to say thank you for helping me."
"We really can't take this from you," Erika said quickly as Kyouya pulled out a large carpet from the bag. He was surprised that the large carpet fit in the tiny bag but when he spread it out, he recognize the design on the carpet. He looked at the woman more intently but she only smiled secretively at Erika.
"It's a magic carpet and you should be able to use it to fly home. You don't have to worry about returning it to me since I've been planning to throw it away anyways." The woman insisted. Kyouya debated what to do when he noticed that Erika was wearing heels. He couldn't make her walk in them and unfurled the carpet. Without looking at her, he muttered beneath his breath.
"Thank you, I really appreciate this." Erika was still hesitant and he gave her a gentle push so that she sat on the carpet. He kept his eye on the woman as he sat next to Erika. The woman gently touched the carpet and it lifted into the air. Its sudden movement made Erika hold onto him.
"I hope we meet again," Were her parting words as the carpet flew away.
"What a kind lady," Erika told Kyouya but he looked lost in thought. She knew she should question the woman's appearance more but told herself that it must've been pure luck. Her mother did say that good things happen to one who did kind deeds. "At least now we don't have to worry about walking back to the academy. Our date did ended good after all, didn't it Kyouya?"
"I guess," Kyouya ran his hand over the familiar carpet and didn't know if he should tell Erika the truth since it would only worry her. He looked back to the woman but she was already gone. He pulled her closer to him and let himself enjoy the night sky rushing past them. It's been a long time since I've flown on this magic carpet but I can't remember it being this fun.
I have to admit that I've had this ready for a week but then I read the extra chapter explaining Kyouya and Takeru's past and just needed to tie it into the chapter since it was so cute. I've been pulling my hair out trying to reorganize the chapter to fit it in until I just went: 'screw it, this chapter's going to be long as shit' XD