"Good evening," he replied, offering her a pleasant smile. He had gotten into the habit of smiling whenever he met someone since it was expected. "Are you the one who did this?"
"If by this, you mean the bloodbath, then no," she replied evenly, offering a light shrug. "These men did this to themselves—quite literally."
::
A small smile graced Sakura's lips as she gazed at the starry sky above them. Although she couldn't see them, she still enjoyed the experience.
She was with Doma, after all.
"What are you smiling about, Little Blossom?" mused the demon, curious.
"Nothing much. I simply remembered the first time we met," she replied, chuckling a little at the memory. "To this day, I still don't really understand what went through your mind when you made that offer, but…"
::
"Tell me, how old are you, Little Blossom?"
"I believe I turned fourteen last week. Why?"
"Then, let's say… six years." He released her chin, his hand sliding upward to stroke her blood-splattered cheek. "Yes, six years. In those six years, we will go everywhere you wish to go, experience everything you wish to experience, and I will show you everything you long to see. Then, in exchange, on your twentieth birthday, when your beauty has fully blossomed… I'll eat you!" He beamed like a child would at the thought of receiving a birthday present early. "Doesn't that sound just wonderful, Little Blossom?"
::
"But, I'm grateful. And happy. I owe you a lot, Doma."
"Is it something that humans do?" he wondered, their fingers intertwining. "Recalling the past when their future is about to end? Seems like a waste of time."
"That may be so, but those are memories that I cherish dearly," she pointed out. "Thinking back on them simply makes me realize how far we've come since then, and helps me appreciate even more what we have now."
"… What a strange little feeling," he murmured, tilting his head as he held her hand. "Content, yet sad. Bittersweet."
"Nostalgia," she answered his unasked question. "I wish we could have had more time together but, since I am to die, I'm happy that it'll happen by your hand."
He clicked his tongue at that, letting go of her hand so he could wrap his arms around her waist, letting his chin rest atop of her head.
"Soon, my Little Blossom," he murmured, his guts churning uncomfortably and the words feeling like sand on his tongue. "Soon, but not tonight."
"Not tonight," she agreed, unperturbed. If she could feel what he was feeling now, she didn't comment on it. "Tonight, let's enjoy the stars."
Just a little longer, they both thought.