I'm a little rusty on the writing, but I hope you like this one.

The town lights twinkle, slow and colorful in the lampposts warped in a layer of fog. The festival's atmosphere floats in the air, accompanied by the laughter and music that carried themselves along on the wind.

Sayaka breathes out as she considers taking a look into the agitation. She watches the puff of condensed breath leaving her mouth, quickly dissipating through the night air.

She shivers, closes her jacket to her chest. It's probably reckless of her to be out so late when the night is as chill as this, but the stars… the stars are keeping her up at night. Now she could see them slowly appearing across the boundless dark. Diamond after diamond sparkling in the night. She had taken a certain habit to watching them shine.

It's worth the cold coating her skin and the hours spent without sleep.

"Hey." A voice jump startles her. She turns to see grey eyes and a small timid smile to which she returns with a wide one.

"Hiya!" She greets, cheerful.

"Thought it was you…" Hachiman says.

"Oh…" she blinks. "It's dark out… was it the hair that gave me away?"

He shakes his head. "Not at first." He says quietly. "I was heading to bed, but something made me look out the window. Can't explain it but… it had to be you." He shrugs coolly.

"Well…" she starts. "Wanna do something fun since you're here?"

"What— right now?" He asks, his eyes widen slightly.

"Do you have anything better to do?" She asks.

"Not really." He shifts on his feet, thoughtful. He thinks too much, she's more of a think later type of person. "But it's late."

"It's not that late. And even if it was, late is when all of the fun happens." She says. He pauses to look at her, brain processing she's sure of it, he does that thing with his mouth where he chews on the inside of his bottom lip when he thinks. Always thinking. It's cute but it's not for right now. Right now, she needs him to act. "Promise I'll tuck you in when we get back!" She leans in, he moves an inch back, glances away for a second. His shoulders slump down, his hardened gaze becomes softer. His whole posture just relaxes. She loves disarming him and it's starting to take her less and less time to.

"What can be considered fun around here?" His voice is smoother now, he rubs the back of his neck. That shyness, that vulnerability makes her smile want to explode out of her.

"There are a few stands with some books, some art crafts and food that I had my eye on when we got here! Let's start there?"

"Lead the way." He compromises, hand gesturing towards the path ahead.


Behind Hachiman, something catches her eyes. A stand with a few tables spread out near it. A small sign swinging above and a word written in bold letters, almost like a small café of sorts. Displayed along the counter, several candy of various colors fill the space in different shapes and sizes.

She smiles at him expectantly, eyes dancing between him and the stand behind until he turns his shoulders to look at what is capturing her attention.

"You want to go check that?" He asks, thumb lifting over his shoulder. Perceptive, he's learning. When she met him he wasn't as fast at understanding her words, let alone her body language.

She winks. Maybe it's the festival lights swinging over them playing on his skin, but she thinks she sees a soft pink blushing his cheeks, which she finds as adorable as his nervous tick of awkwardly looking away.

Either way, she's glad he seems to be enjoying thier time together.

She hums a little when they approach the stand, taking a moment to smell the sugary scents in the air. There is more candy than the eyes can see, but what really shines are the flower shaped ones. So beautiful it's almost a sin to eat.

"Hard to choose one huh?" He asks by her side.

"Can you do it for me?" She asks back.

He shifts, and crosses his arms. "Trust me to do that?"

"Sure! I want to know what you'd pick!" She laughs. She could take the opportunity to get to know his tastes better, no harm done in that… right?

He nods, unfolds his arms to lift a finger towards a pink, big flower. The snowflake shaped sweet.

Her eyes widen in surprise, it wouldn't have been her first pick, so she hesitates a moment before weakly smiling back at him.

"Not really your thing?" He crooks an eyebrow, voice falling low with a hint of humored tone.

She shakes her head.

"Can I try again?" He says, eyes narrowing with concentration.

"Sure." A short nod, her hands clench behind her back as she straightens up. She loves doing this, push him a little out of his comfort zone, she's aware. It's like telling a complicated story over and over again, but finding out new details one would have missed at first telling.

He takes a moment, brow furrowing as his eyes slide side to side in search of a sweet that she would like. It's not about the candy, she would have been fine with anything he'd chosen. It's taking in these short moments with him, making them matter. The tease of watching him be, his uncertain eyes as they scan the goods, the slight fidget as his fingertips drag over the sides of candy and cookies, his smallest interactions, all the little things in him that culminate into something grander.

He picks a light green one up. She takes it, clear to her how comfortable he has become when touching her hand now as opposed to before, when the slightest touch would only startle him.

"This one seems perfect." She grins. His lips curve up into the tiniest smile. It's a rare sight she takes in with attentive eyes. "I'll share!" She takes a bite, splitting the small candy in two with her teeth to hand him the other half.

He stares at it a long moment, still and silent, hesitating as if she's presenting him something he's never seen before in his life, probably pondering about how close the sweet had been to her lips. That faint blush tinges his cheeks again before he finally takes it in his fingers.

She smiles softly, continuing to chew on the mint tasting candy in her mouth. She watches him take his half to his lips at last and then slowly placing it in his tongue.

He doesn't show much, she had sort of expected it. A modest glance up to her eyes to looking back down to the money in his hand he pays the candy with. It's subtle and quick but non-the-less noticeable to her. There's a certain fascination she finds in him she hasn't been able to feel for anyone else in her life. His reclusive ways, are kind of comforting qualities to witness the growth of.

"So? Did you like it?" She asks, bumping his shoulder as they resume walking.

"Yeah." He replies. "Tastes fresh."

She laughs at how honestly he answers. "You chose well."

Involuntarily she draws closer to him, their hands brush against each other briefly. There's a sudden shift in the atmosphere around them, an immediate silence triggered by some unspoken feeling of tenseness that neither are able to explain.

She hums but finds herself at a loss for words. It's unusual of her but right at that moment, she can't seem to think of anything to say. There had been a time she would have tried to get closer, say something witty, take his arm maybe.

"Want to go somewhere else?" His voice interrupts her thoughts. He had slanted away from her a bit and she wondered if she had made him uncomfortable somehow. Something in her chest tightens at the thought.

"Maybe we should call it a night." It takes her breath away to speak.

"What happened to having fun?" He asks, eyes fleeting to hers, voice lighting up a bit.

"You mean you want more?" The words leave her mouth before she could do anything about it.

"You've woken me up now." He shrugs, that little smirk of his shows up.

Her heart hurts, she realizes, from hopeful insecurities. Is that what happens when something feels too good to be true?

"Look at you!" She says, a playful smile forms on her lips. "I have taught you well, my work here is done." She lifts her chin up proudly. "I have given you the gift of fun!"

"Don't get cocky." He says, trying to sound serious though the expression on his face is something close to mischief.

"Want to know how else I know you're actually a fun enthusiast?" She asks, doesn't wait for his answer. She leans in and he doesn't draw back this time. "You, mister…" a slender finger pokes him in the chest. "…are… it."

And she starts running away from him laughing, turning back to watch him follow behind. She glides through venues of stands, past people and street entertainment, the lights blurring in her eyes, the cold air filtering into her lungs. She feels him chase her, getting closer, he's much faster.

And when it becomes too busy to, she stops and lets him meet her face to face.

Her chest heaves, her breath short and catching. And him, looking at her from across the road, dizzying her senses. The street is packed, people walk in between the distance separating them while his gaze doesn't falter from looking only at her. Focused, yet lively. Dark hair, messy and tousled, moonlight framing his smooth skin. Running has nothing to do with the crawling in her skin she feels traveling through her body.

That piercing gaze of his . It's taunting and it's pleading etched within his icy eyes.

He smirks and she freezes in place. He takes a step towards her, she moves a step back, synchronized like a much rehearsed dance.

But she gives up, can't find the strength to keep moving when he approaches her with a confidence that makes her belly churn in a pleasant way.

"Maybe we should call it a night." She repeats, heart thumping in her ears. He's standing closer than what he usually allows himself to be.

She moves, but the moment she does, his hand lifts and his fingers come wrapping around her wrist. His gaze travels up to hers, stilling her body.

He takes a few seconds holding her, fingers brushing the tender skin of her wrist, but something flashes across his eyes, quick and relentlessly, making the grip on her hand slip.

The loss of his touch strikes her like a blow. She grabs his hand right as it fell along his side and before he can react she is already pulling him away from the bustling street.

It takes them a few steps, a few determined yet faltering steps where she feels her knees go weaker by the second.

"So it is real." He says. And his words, solid and cutting, make her come to a halt, their hands remain wound around one another and her grip on his hand hardens, like she's trying to ground herself down.

"What is?" She can't seem to be able to look back at him.

"This." A pause. "Us."

A lot runs through her mind, the what-ifs and the maybes.

If there's ever a time to pull away, walk away definitively, don't turn around… this would be it.

But she doesn't.

"What if I break your heart?" She asks, finally turning to face him.

"Break it then." He answers, as plainly as that, as if the hurt is of little consequence against the possibility of happiness.

"What…" her voice fails her. Her throat closes, her eyes prickle.

"You heard me." He takes a step closer. "I'd rather have it broken, crushed, shattered down to a million pieces, than having this...insufferable choke in my throat whenever I look at you."

She can't do anything but stare. "What you're asking…"

"Is that you give us a chance." He says, his lips press into a thin line, his eyes don't falter from looking straight at her. The world around them spins, blurring into a mess of colors and light.

She only sees him.

She feels something hot and light slide down her cheeks.

"I finally found it." He finishes. And she doesn't know who moves first, who reaches out first, her lips are on his the next breath she takes. She feels him tilt his fingers up into her elbow before his other hand cups her cheek to hold her face as she lets herself fall into him.