"Did you know, Ashton, that this strawberry is pale compared to the color of your face?" Celine asked, before popping the fruit into her mouth.
Ashton didn't answer. He didn't even acknowledge the comment. He hadn't touched his breakfast, either. His eyes were focused on space, still embarrassed into shock. Chisato pondered a little bit the things going through his head. Seriously, Ashton, you could never be a reporter. But you're great anyways. She continued to gobble down her food, putting up a screen of non-caring.
Urunun was tired of his companions quietness. "Awwark!", he yelled, nipping at Ashtons ear.
Ashton woke out of his reveree. "What?"
"Awrk Awwrk!"
"Shh", he said. Ashton looked at Chisato next to him. She had her face down to her food, covering her slightly red cheeks. Ashton wished that he had the ability to hide his emotions like Chisato did. He couldn't even talk about women without blushing. His face turned redder. Arrrgh! I can't even think without blushing!
"Where are Rena and Claude?" Chris asked.
"Couldn't say", Chisato replied, head still lowered. She didn't mention that she'd seen them walking away from the river about an hour ago. No words were really spoken, they had just walked away.
"Maybe they're off bathing", Celine said.
"Maybe", Celine replied. There was silence after that.
After a few minutes, Chisato spoke up. "Ashton, walk with me."
They both stood and walked away from the camp, close together. Chris blinked. "I think we're out of the loop, 'line."
Celine squeezed his hand. "Who cares? More time alone for us."
----------------------------------------------------------------
They sat at a ledge overlooking the ocean, the opposite direction of Cross. He was sitting behind her, rubbing her back. She felt very sore, it'd been a long day of adventuring yesterday. Rena sighed as she felt some tension release.
"Claude…how long have we been up here on Lassguss?"
"Three days?" Claude responded.
"It's so pretty up here…I don't want to leave."
"We're not, at least, not yet."
Rena leaned back into Claude, and he held her close.
"Ashton and…", she trailed off.
Claude shushed her. "Don't worry about them."
"I can't not worry about them, Claude. Chisato's nice, but she and Ashton, it can't work!"
"Rena…it's not our place to make that decision."
"I know Claude…I just don't want Ashton to get hurt. Chisato's too…-"
"Ashton will be fine", he said, kissing her neck.
Rena stared off into space for another moment, then hugged closer against Claude. What happens to Ashton and Chisato wasn't her business.
Or is it…, she thought.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Chisato and Ashton walked slowly down the rocky path, not in any real hurry. They weren't talking much, but they were hand-in-hand, and didn't take more then a step away from each other. They found a large rock to sit at, a welcome change from all of the smaller rocks they'd passed on their walk. Ashton sat cross-legged and Chisato lay down with her head in his lap. He played with her hair.
"They saw us, Ashton."
"I know."
"I should've been more careful. I mean, we were in the open…"
"It's not a problem."
"It is a problem, Ashton. It's not fair to you to be embarrassed for my mistake. Besides, I should've known better then that…we were at a public bathing spot, and I was near ready to…" she said, trailing off.
Ashton took her hands in his.
"Really, Chisato…it's okay."
She smiled and sat up, leaning against him.
"There's something I want to tell you, Ashton, but I won't. Not yet. I just want to savor this moment, on this mountain, right now."
"Then savor. Savor away."
~
Ashton didn't answer. He didn't even acknowledge the comment. He hadn't touched his breakfast, either. His eyes were focused on space, still embarrassed into shock. Chisato pondered a little bit the things going through his head. Seriously, Ashton, you could never be a reporter. But you're great anyways. She continued to gobble down her food, putting up a screen of non-caring.
Urunun was tired of his companions quietness. "Awwark!", he yelled, nipping at Ashtons ear.
Ashton woke out of his reveree. "What?"
"Awrk Awwrk!"
"Shh", he said. Ashton looked at Chisato next to him. She had her face down to her food, covering her slightly red cheeks. Ashton wished that he had the ability to hide his emotions like Chisato did. He couldn't even talk about women without blushing. His face turned redder. Arrrgh! I can't even think without blushing!
"Where are Rena and Claude?" Chris asked.
"Couldn't say", Chisato replied, head still lowered. She didn't mention that she'd seen them walking away from the river about an hour ago. No words were really spoken, they had just walked away.
"Maybe they're off bathing", Celine said.
"Maybe", Celine replied. There was silence after that.
After a few minutes, Chisato spoke up. "Ashton, walk with me."
They both stood and walked away from the camp, close together. Chris blinked. "I think we're out of the loop, 'line."
Celine squeezed his hand. "Who cares? More time alone for us."
----------------------------------------------------------------
They sat at a ledge overlooking the ocean, the opposite direction of Cross. He was sitting behind her, rubbing her back. She felt very sore, it'd been a long day of adventuring yesterday. Rena sighed as she felt some tension release.
"Claude…how long have we been up here on Lassguss?"
"Three days?" Claude responded.
"It's so pretty up here…I don't want to leave."
"We're not, at least, not yet."
Rena leaned back into Claude, and he held her close.
"Ashton and…", she trailed off.
Claude shushed her. "Don't worry about them."
"I can't not worry about them, Claude. Chisato's nice, but she and Ashton, it can't work!"
"Rena…it's not our place to make that decision."
"I know Claude…I just don't want Ashton to get hurt. Chisato's too…-"
"Ashton will be fine", he said, kissing her neck.
Rena stared off into space for another moment, then hugged closer against Claude. What happens to Ashton and Chisato wasn't her business.
Or is it…, she thought.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Chisato and Ashton walked slowly down the rocky path, not in any real hurry. They weren't talking much, but they were hand-in-hand, and didn't take more then a step away from each other. They found a large rock to sit at, a welcome change from all of the smaller rocks they'd passed on their walk. Ashton sat cross-legged and Chisato lay down with her head in his lap. He played with her hair.
"They saw us, Ashton."
"I know."
"I should've been more careful. I mean, we were in the open…"
"It's not a problem."
"It is a problem, Ashton. It's not fair to you to be embarrassed for my mistake. Besides, I should've known better then that…we were at a public bathing spot, and I was near ready to…" she said, trailing off.
Ashton took her hands in his.
"Really, Chisato…it's okay."
She smiled and sat up, leaning against him.
"There's something I want to tell you, Ashton, but I won't. Not yet. I just want to savor this moment, on this mountain, right now."
"Then savor. Savor away."
~