Mornings

By Cassandra Sisenta

A/N: A chapter of mush with Kitto and Miku. What else can one expect huh? Ehehehehe, anyway. Enjoy! Because really, I don't have anything else to say.

DISCLAIMER: I own Kitto and Miku only. Nothing more.

Chapter VIII

Kitto and Miku

"Does it hurt?"

"What do you think?"

"Ah, stupid question, yes?"

She nodded her head slowly against his shoulder, her face averted from his questioning and all too concerned expression.

"Gomen nasai, Miku-san."

"Mou, what are apologizing for, Kitto-sama?"

"I shouldn't be asking questions with obvious answers. It only makes you feel worse."

His tone was kind and pleasant as always, making the blush on her cheeks a shade deeper. She was feeling so embarrassed then and he wasn't helping by being so concerned.

"You shouldn't have bothered to carry me like this, Kitto-sama."

"Why shouldn't I?"

"You were supposed to be having your alone time right now weren't you? I don't want to disturb you."

"You're not disturbing me, Miku-san."

"Yes, I am." She argued, raising her hunter green gaze to look stubbornly into his eyes to drive her point across. It was a very big mistake.

He was smiling in that usual sincere, unconsciously charming way of his and it made her insides melt, especially when he spoke,

"That's my Miku-san, always so full of life. I'm sure you'd heal fast."

His words made her flutter and had she been standing, her knees would have weakened and she would have fallen again. Only this time however, she was sure she would not only twist an ankle, but fracture her foot as well.

The combination of his smile and soft, fond utterance of the words "my Miku-san" had a lethal effect on her that would have rendered her weaker than any youma's attack ever could.

Leaning her head against his shoulder again to hide her fast flushing face, she made a small sound of distress. The sound of it seemed to have made her Kitto-sama move faster towards their destination.

"Just a bit more, Miku-san. We'll be taking care of your ankle soon." He reassured her, shifting her in his arms to make her more comfortable as he walked as fast as he could without jogging her sprained ankle further.

If only he knew that it was his caring gestures that caused her much distress and not her injured appendage.

Miku Kou had always dreamed of being in Kitto Akari's arms. Evers since that fateful day long ago when he had come out of nowhere and asked her to become a Starlight senshi as he smiled his knee-weakening smile, she knew she had found the love of her life. It never mattered to her that she had only been an innocent girl of ten then who probably didn't know what she was talking about.

The butterfly feelings in her gut and the thrill that filled her, reducing her to a weakened, sighing fool, whenever she saw him had been enough proof for her. She was in love and her handsome prince was no other than the blond-haired, jade-eyed Prince of the Sands, Kitto Akari.

She had spent many years pining after him, going out of her way to always prove herself to him so that he would notice her. She tried her best to become the best senshi she could be and somehow she knew she succeeded in becoming that. However, it didn't seem to get his attention. Oh surely he would smile at her with approval and shower her with praises, but that was that.

He would smile at her than he would move on.

She had had so many fantasies of them being together. She dreamed of the day when he would sweep her away on his princely (or Knightly, whichever you preferred) steed and whisk her away where in the middle of their bliss of being together at last he would declare his undying love for her. Then he'd take her in his arms, lean down, and kiss her passionately as the sun set before them.

Well, part of the fantasy had sort of come true now. There was no princely steed and he hadn't whisked her away. She was in his arms though. He was carrying her bridal-style and while she could think of various scenarios from her day and night dreams that involved him carrying her like this, she never thought about this one.

Her Kitto-sama was carrying her towards the kitchen to get some ice for her sprained ankle. She had caught him doing his morning scimitar exercises and she had suddenly found herself sprawled in a very undignified position on the stone path with her ankle bent in an awkward angle.

Any other female would have found this particular situation a good one. She was in his arms and he was going to take care of her. That was just perfect wasn't it? But then again, Miku wasn't exactly your normal female.

She didn't want to be seen like this. She didn't want her Kitto-sama to see her so vulnerable and acting like some damsel-in-distress. He had her trained as a senshi for goodness' sakes! She should be strong. He should never have to worry about her because he didn't need to.

Wasn't a ride towards the sunset and a declaration of undying love asking for too much?

Probably… Miku mused silently just as she was sat down in comfortable chair. She barely even noticed when they had entered the kitchen.

"Wait here." Kitto told her after he had propped her foot up against a nearby stool. "I'll be right back."

Moments later, he was back with the promised ice and a roll of bandages. He had taken the position of her foot on the low stool. After her usual protests, he steadied her foot over his knee and held the ice against her slightly swelling ankle.

 Miku sighed then, finally acknowledging that she would never get her way with him being so insistent. Besides, when she really thought about it, her ankle would probably just get worse if it wasn't given attention quickly enough and that wouldn't be good.

She barely noticed it when she started studying him.

His white-blond, almost platinum hair was free of its usual turban today and his bangs fell softly just a bit over his light eyebrows. His hair had always been cut short, but apparently he hadn't had a trim recently since the back was a bit long and it was curling up over the top of his collar. His jade eyes were staring intently at her foot as if it were the most fascinating thing on Earth. His hands were firm and yet gentle as they secured her ankle for it to remain still.

Today he was wearing a simple white shirt that was slightly dusted and wet with sweat around the chest area over a pair of tan work pants. Gone was all formality since he wasn't in court and he had been practicing with his scimitars. It wouldn't do to be jumping and slashing around when he was in his usual fine clothes.

It suited him and it didn't surprise her. You could put Kitto Akari into nothing but rags and he would still turn heads. Kitto was that handsome, apparently.

And he didn't know it.

She sighed and it made him look up at her for the first time since he had placed the ice against her foot.

"Is anything the matter aside from the obvious, Miku-san?"

You're just so perfect. Why aren't you married or something? "I just thought that I should be thanking you, Kitto-sama. I mean, you did all this and I did nothing but whine and argue." She told him, a small smile coming alive in her face. "I'm really sorry too that I had been such a nuisance. I didn't even know I was that clumsy until I fell flat on my face."

His chuckle was rich and his smile breathtaking. He was a Knight and a prince in one who happened to be handsome, titled, rich, caring, intelligent, thoughtful and the perfect gentleman. Why wasn't he taken? Were the other women in court daft?

"You're not a nuisance, Miku-san, nor are you clumsy." He shrugged slightly, careful not to move her foot too much. He connected their gazes, jade looking into hunter green.

"I believe you're just being human."

Miku paused at his words, puzzled by them suddenly. What had he meant? Was he trying to say something to her?

Knowing Kitto, and she knew him quite a bit, his words always held a meaning. He never said things just because he had to. He always meant them and people who heard him always seemed to end up thinking about his words afterwards.

What was he trying to say?

"The swelling seems to have gone down. You should try not to move it too much, Miku-san. I'll bandage it up so it'll be easier to keep steady. Would that be all right with you? Or am I going to be arguing with you about this again?"

Miku smiled back at Kitto before she sat back and sighed.

"All right, Kitto-sama."

He smiled at her again and she smiled back wider, matching his sincerity and unknowingly falling deeper.