This chapter is dedicated to KATY! (Lj's tokoyami) 'cause she helped me think of Aaya's special surprise trip. (It's okay if you don't remember Katy, I love you anyway).
Onward then? (Plotless fluff ahead)
Hatori was currently sitting in the passenger side of Ayame's car, wondering how he had gotten into it in the first place. He was being taken to Akito-knows-where, and he was wearing a blindfold.
He couldn't remember how or why Ayame got him to wear the blindfold willingly, but he was still regretting the decision.
"Tori-san," Ayame was saying for the thousandth time "I know that you do not know where I am taking you, but fear not! You are in my good and wonderfully manicured hands and I will take care of you! This will be just the relaxing time that you need to feel better, and once you are better then I will no longer have to worry about your health! Instead, you can worry about my health, as I am so delicate and fragile of body! But not to worry Tori-san! Even after this trip is done, and you are feeling better, I will still worry about you, and I will take you to more surprise places! And then you won't have to worry about me worrying about you worrying about my health, and I won't have to worry about you even though I will anyway!" Hatori didn't need his eyes to picture Ayame smiling endearingly at him. "How does that sound Tori-san? It sounds lovely, doesn't it? Of course it does! Anything will sound lovely coming from my lips!" Ayame chuckled, and waved a hand. "Not that your lips are any less lovely Tori-san! I am sure anything sounds lovely coming from you as well!"
"Good. Shut up."
"Oh you don't mean that Tori-san! As I was—Oh! Here we are!"
Hatori still had no idea where "here" was, and, not surprisingly, that made him uneasy. Ayame was happily parking the car, amidst much babble, but the snake would not let on anything concerning their reached destination. All he knew was that the place sure was noisy. Once again, he doubted that he would get any rest today.
"Okay Tori-san! You can get out now! I am right here by your side, gallantly awaiting to escort you!"
The dragon got out of the car, and reached up to take his blindfold off, when Ayame caught his hands and held them.
"Oh no Tori-san! I have gone all this way to keep your surprise trip a surprise! I will guide you, but you must keep your blindfold on until I give you permission to take it off!"
Hatori sighed and dropped his hands. When Ayame got like this, there was no point arguing. "This once Aaya." He grumbled. "This once."
"Yay!" Ayame clapped, them grasped Hatori's arm in his own and began leading him. "I will lead you Tori-san! You can trust me! I will be your guide, and we will make a handsome couple when we—"
"That's enough. Ayame, can we just please get started?"
"Of course! A few more steps, and. . .Here we are! You may take off your blindfold now Tori-san! Gaze at the wonderful place I have taken you to!"
Hatori ripped off the blindfold, his eyes widening as it sunk in. The sights, the smells, the sounds. . .Ayame had taken him to. . .a festive carnival.
The snake was looking immensely pleased with himself, obviously taking Hatori's silence for approval. "I know Tori-san! It is a wonderful place to be! We will have so much fun! Come!" Ayame offered his arm to Hatori, fully expecting him to take it. When the dragon just looked at him, Ayame grabbed his hand, and dragged him into the midst of the bright, noisy, muddle.
"Come Tori-san! There is much to do and see!" The snake talked happily as he dragged his friend toward some unknown stand. "Aren't you glad to have worn my masterpiece kimoni now? It helps you fit in ever so well, and it accents me beautifully! As I said, we make a fine couple, do we n—"
"Ayame, please, be quiet. Just for now?" The noise of the festival was overwhelming, and Hatori was starting to get a headache. He was sure that he would get used to the sounds in a few minutes, but the snake was not helping. And he still didn't know where Ayame was leading him. Besides, he was worried. This place was crowded, meaning that there were females of all ages, everywhere. Did the snake have no sense at all?
"Of course Tori-san! If you so wish it, I will keep quiet for you at this time, even if it costs me much to retain my great joy at being here with you to have a good time!" Ayame clamped his mouth resolutely shut and pulled the dragon along.
Hatori was still marveling at the miracle of a silent Ayame, when the spell was broken. The snake, who had, to his credit, tried to keep quiet for a few minutes, burst with excitement as he explained the games they had arrived to.
"Look Tori-san! It is a goldfish catching game! These are so much fun! You pay only a few yen, and then you are given a little net and you use it to catch fish. You have an aquarium in your office, do you not?"
"yes, but—"
"Ah well!" Ayame sighed as he spun away from the game, dragging Hatori with him. "It would be simply awful to attempt to intermix goldfish and tropical fish, and one tank is enough for to you take care of. We will be off to find another something to do!"
The dragon was mildly surprised; that was almost exactly what he was just about to say. Sometimes Ayame could talk sense.
Sometimes.
"Ah, a takoyaki stand! Tori-san, I will happily do the honors of treating you to lunch, as neither of us have eaten since breakfast and it is just almost lunch time anyway!"
"Ayame, I'm actually not very hun-"
Ayame cut him off before Hatori could finish the protest. "Nonsense Tori-san! You are very well aware that I have put your nutrition into my amazingly capable, as well as wonderfully manicured hands. It is lunchtime and during lunchtime the general custom is to eat. So eat we shall!" Ayame dragged Hatori over to the takoyaki stand.
"Sir!" The snake said, addressing the cook. "We would like to partake of two orders of your fabulously-smelling takoyaki!" Ayame smiled and patted the counter of the stand. "And please be quick about it, so that my charge does not waste away and turn into a dried seahorse!"
The cook blinked. "…what?"
Hatori seethed. "A…ya…me…"
"Ohohoho!" Ayame laughed and amiably waved at Hatori in an attempt to calm the dragon down, not stopping in his one-sided chat with cook "Forgive me fair chef, I did not mean to bewilder you with my reference. Just please prepare our takoyaki. Forthwith!"
"…right. Will do." Eager to deal with the flamboyant man who was happily flouncing in front of his stand, the cook quickly handed over the takoyaki. "That'll be—"
"This should cover it!" Said Ayame, handing over a handful of yen. He took the two servings of takoyaki, smiled at the cook, then grabbed Hatori with his other arm and led him away. The cook was left at his takoyaki stand, deluged by females wondering if the two people he had just served were models.
Hatori, to his credit, was dealing with the entire situation quite well. He wasn't having a nervous breakdown, wasn't yelling at Ayame, wasn't trying to head back to the car, and wasn't about to kill anyone. What he was doing was eating the takoyaki. Quietly.
"Oh! Look at that!" Ayame immediately changed direction and steered the dragon towards a stand selling souvenirs. "Look Tori-san!" Said the snake happily. "Snow globes!"
Hatori looked at the many globes on the stand and absently reached out for one of medium-size. The scene, as was with most snow globes, was a winter-y one. A miniature couple, bundled up to their ears, were holding hands in the storm. Hatori shook it once, sighed, and put it back. What was he doing here anyway? A carnival? Him? What was the point? He wasn't really enjoying himself, and it obvious by Ayame's babble that the snake was overdoing the cheerfulness bit in an attempt to cheer Hatori up. He felt like he was ruining Ayame's day.
Ayame, who had noticed both the snow globe and the sigh, had also noticed Hatori's shoulders slumping just that bit more. And he felt bad. How stupid could he possibly be anyway, taking Hatori to a stand selling snow globes of all things!
"Uh…you know Tori-san…snow doesn't have to be a…a bad thing." Ayame said softly. "After all, while it may be cold and, as you know, I simply loathe the cold, it gives people an excuse to bundle up together, right?" It wasn't working—the dragon still looked depressed. Ayame pressed on. "And—and it's pretty, isn't it? Snow is beautiful, and shiny and new and pure! And white! Snow is white Tori-san, and lots of good thigns are white! Like—like rice! And Sakura blossoms! Those are mostly white two! And—my hair! My hair, as you can not deny is a lovely shade of white! So you see Tori-san," Ayame drew himself up and happily concluded, "snow is white, and many wonderful things are also white, so snow can also be wonderful!"
Even Hatori had to smile at Ayame's seriousness. "Amazing logic." He said.
The jab either completely passed over the snake's head, or he ignored it. Either way he laughed and happily replied, "Yes! Amazing logic! Now Tori-san," Ayame gestured away from the snow globe both. "Shall we be on our merry way?"
But Hatori didn't answer. He had caught a glimpse of another snow globe and had taken it down to examine it. It was smaller then the other one, and had a more intricate, expensive design; A sakura tree, complete with tiny white blossoms, took over one half of the globe. Walking by the tree was another couple, dressed in light clothes made for spring. This couple too, was holding hands, and you could even see the happy expressions painted on their tiny faces. The "snow" in this globe, though it was also white, was obviously meant to be sakura petals.
The dragon held the globe in his had for several seconds. When he finally placed it back on the shelf, the snake could see Hatori's eyes smiling.
Ayame bought him the globe.
Nevermind. Finished at a much later date, as expected. As in months later. Ah well, at least I got to sleep before midnight the day I began this chapter. So, anyone like? I think I'm beginning to go a bit overboard with Ayame...
Oh yeah, one more thing, this chapter is also dedicated to mastermee on deviantart, just because she's such a fan. I'm Ciu Sune on da as well, mastermee, just so you know. XD I don't have anything on there, but it's fun for saving pictures I like!
Questions, comments, criticisms, and general reviews are all welcomed and appreciated.