Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Fuyumi Todoroki, Keigo Takami

Hey, guys! This is the piece I wrote for the Huwumi Mini-Bang. I hope you all enjoy it!

The cricket song floated through the black mesh screen of the slightly ajar window like a soothing lullaby. Darkness shrouded the bedroom, only contained by the soft moonlight filtering in through the windows and the bubble of soft yellow light emanating from the desk lamp perched on the wooden structure. The gentle tune and soothing light washed over Fuyumi as she dutifully recorded her lesson plans for the upcoming semester. The new year was approaching fast and there was still so much to do, but the young teacher tried hard not to become overwhelmed. Slow and steady wins the race, she reminded herself with a small smile. Any progress, no matter how small, is still progress! I just have to keep working at it!

After a few more clacks of the letters on her keyboard, Fuyumi exhaled deeply and pushed her rolling chair away from her desk. Pursuing progress was all well and good, but breaks were important to maintain maximum efficiency! Fuyumi glanced at the clock hanging on her bedroom wall; she had been at this particular session for three hours.

"Yep! I think it's time for a snack," she mused happily. The chair creaked as she pushed off from it, as if protesting her leaving. With a snicker, Fuyumi assured the furniture that she would return swiftly and to keep her spot warm. As she meandered out of the bedroom, she knitted her eyebrows and smiled wanly. "I'm talking to furniture now? Maybe constructing these lesson plans is frying my brain rather than strengthening it," she snickered amusedly.

The baby-blue curtains framing the living room windows fluttered greeting at her as she entered the room. The moonlight puddled over the wooden floor like spilled milk, bathing everything it touched in a silvery-white glow. Everywhere it could not reach, the darkness lurked, gnawing at the edges of the moonlight with sharp and eager teeth. As Fuyumi passed the end table beside the sofa, she slipped the switch to turn on the lamp. The darkness fled to the nooks and crannies as the bulb blossomed with bright yellow light; within those small chasms the blackness waited for the light to fade and its domain to be restored once more. The shadows always sought to take root and snuff out the light; thus, one had to remain vigilant.

It's eight o'clock and I'm turning into a delirious philosopher, Fuyumi snickered as her mind delved into the dichotomous light-dark relationship. She flipped on the kitchen light as she walked through the entryway, bee-lining for the coffee pot resting on the counter. She removed the glass pot from the machine and swirled it experimentally; the dark brown liquid sloshed against the curved sides. Fuyumi grimaced at the precipitated coffee grains swimming in the bottom. Sighing, the schoolteacher poured the cold, stale coffee down the drain, and started another pot going. The bubbling of the hot water and the robust aroma of the coffee filled the kitchen.

"Let's see. Let's see," Fuyumi tutted under her breath. "What kind of snacks go well with coffee?" She opened the cabinets and inspected a handful of boxes with a myriad of frowns and thoughtful pouts. After a few minutes of consideration, she settled on a box of sweet ginger cookies. She arranged about eight of them on a platter and set them on the counter beside the coffee pot, which was now half-filled with the bitter liquid. With a small sigh, she leaned against the tile counter and peered out the small window above the sink.

The moonlight dyed the front yard in silver. A breeze ruffled the grass blades as it rolled over the lawn. The light caught on the ridges of Fuyumi's car to make it shine with a bright sheen. Fuyumi pouted sadly as she recalled the fact that hers was the only car in the driveway. Natsuo was spending the evening with some of his college friends, Shoto stayed at U.A. during the week, her father had taken to staying in a hotel as he distanced himself from the family, and her mother had not yet been discharged from the mental facility and given clearance to move back in. Fuyumi groaned and leaned down to rest her forehead against her arm. It's lonely… she lamented. All Fuyumi wanted was some semblance of a family unit, but it was a daunting project indeed. Fuyumi found herself alone in the house more often than she would like.

"That's all right. At least I have the house to myself so I can work on my lesson plans," she smiled placidly. Her attempts to lift her spirits worked only minimally. Groaning again, she stuffed one of the ginger cookies into her mouth, spreading the sugar coating over her lips as she chewed disinterestedly. Not even the sugary goodness and muted tones of ginger could spark joy in her melancholy soul.

I wonder what Hawks is doing. The thought brought a bright pink flush to her cheeks. As the image of the winged hero bloomed in her mind, she began tracing abstract patterns into the smooth tiles counter. Her acquaintanceship-slash-questionable-friendship-slash-slight-courtship with the suave and flirtatious bird-man had begun with a happenstance run-in at the bubble tea shop near the school at which Fuyumi taught. They had struck up a conversation over a pair of fruity teas and from there, their friendship had blossomed. Hawks and Fuyumi soon found themselves to be regular patrons of the small café; indeed, a good portion of Fuyumi's modest paycheck was now devoted to an assortment of the fun and fresh drinks. Additionally, a good portion of her spare thoughts were reserved for the amiable and handsome pro-hero…

He's probably on patrol, she thought with a small frown as she envisioned her cell phone, which rested beside her laptop in the other room. Their relationship had evolved to frequent text and phone calls. She momentarily considered retrieving her phone to message him, but the last thing she wanted to do was bother the busy man. No… He probably doesn't have time for me, she thought with a small sigh.

She straightened up as the coffee brewer beeped shrilly to alert her that the liquid was finished. Fuyumi wasted no time in pouring herself a healthy amount of the brew, throwing in a generous amount of creamer and a dash of sugar. She sipped at the honey-brown liquid and hummed contentedly at the delectable bittersweet flavor that spread over her tongue. Warmth flooded through her body as she sampled the hot brew, and she admittedly felt a little bit better. Nibbling on another one of the ginger cookies, she chuckled to herself.

"Can't be lonely when I have coffee…" The laughter died in her throat, and she considered texting Hawks again. What if he's not busy…? She couldn't help but wonder.

She straightened up when the empty house suddenly resounded with the high-pitched chime of the doorbell. She wondered for a moment if she had simply misheard, but the tone echoed through the lonesome halls once more, twice, three times. The third and final ring stirred her from her surprised stupor. Still clutching the cup of coffee and a ginger cookie, she hurried to the front door. "Coming! I'm coming!" she shouted as she bustled along the hall. She squealed when her socks slipped over the polished wood and she stumbled. "Shit! Shit! Ow!" she hissed as the piping-hot coffee splashed over her forearm. She set the cup and the half-eaten cookie on a nearby armoire, hissing at the pain. She licked feverishly at her burning wrist to lap it up before her skin melted away and continued onward to the front door. The white hairs on her forearm still clumped together with the dark brew as she collided with the door. "Hold on just a second!" she cried to the shadowy figure visible beyond the marbled windows lining the doorframe. She fumbled a few seconds with the lock, finally managing to flip it to the unlocked position. "Hello, what can I do for… you…"

The words died in her throat as she got a good look with the person slouching on the stoop.

"Hey, uh… Can I come in?" Hawks laughed nonchalantly, as if he wasn't dripping blood all over her floral-patterned welcome mat. Fuyumi's mouth hung open wide enough for the gnats to flutter in as she gawked at the disheveled hero. His normally messy blonde hair was even more crimped and disarrayed, sticking up at off angles. Rips and tears littered the fabric of his hero suit, and Fuyumi was alarmed to see crimson blood leaking from lacerations within the shredded material. His crimson wings, which normally towered behind him in magnificent splendor, were mere tufts of downy feathers clinging to small, bony protrusions jutting out of his shoulder blades. Even the snarky grin that made Fuyumi's heart flutter in her chest drooped weakly. "Please?" he pleaded in a strained voice, stumbling forward to lean against the threshold as his knees buckled.

"O-Oh my! Hawks! Yes, yes, come inside!" she cried when she finally found her words. He flashed her a weary smile while she hastily stepped out of the threshold so he could enter the house. He muttered curses as he stumbled over the threshold, stumbling into the end table beside her door and knocking off the decorative vase. Fuyumi tried not to flinch as the ceramic item shattered into large pieces on the floor. As Hawks began to mumbled apologies, she waved her arms dismissively and kicked the pieces aside. "No, no, it's okay. I bought it on sale at a flea market! Only worth pennies!" she sputtered as she ushered him forward into the kitchen. I liked that vase, she lamented with one last glance at the destroyed decoration before she hurried after Hawks.

Hawks released an agonized groan as he half-sat, half-slid into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. Fuyumi whimpered as red blood blotted the white-striped green cushions underneath the hero. She could care less about the furniture, of course; she was extraordinarily concerned at the amount of blood Hawks lost prior to his arrival. The man slumped over the table, staring at her through half-lidded eyes.

"You look lovely tonight, Fuyumi," he joked. Toil and pain tainted his usually light-hearted tone. The agonized tinge to his tone shattered the young woman's sensitive heart. She scurried to the kitchen sink to dampen a rag, casting fervid glances his way as she wrung it out. She snatched the first-aid kit from underneath the skin and rushed to his side, using the rag to wipe away some blood that had pooled on the table from a laceration on his shoulder. She ignored his compliment.

"Hawks, what happened to you?" she sighed as she flipped open the plastic case to rifle through bandages and antibiotic creams. A low chuckle rumbled in his chest as he watched her through half-closed golden eyes.

"Oh, you know… Some ruffians thought they could spring on me in an alley and get clout for taking down the number-two hero."

"How many ruffians? And take off your jacket and shirt," she ordered.

"Twenty, at least." Hawks purred loudly, and the noise made Fuyumi momentarily consider the romantic implications of the situation occurring in the kitchen. She tried desperately to ignore the red color rising to her cheeks as Hawks reclined in the chair and shrugged out of the cream-colored fur-lined jacket to expose his chiseled arms. A cotton ball doused in antiseptic fell from her fingertips as she gawked shamelessly at the rugged contours shaping his upper limb. Hawks smirked when he caught her staring. "Oh? Like what you see, Fuyumi dear?" She blinked rapidly as he blatantly accused her.

"You mistake me, Hawks," she huffed, her tone disagreeing with the raging blush spreading down her neck. "I was looking at your wounds." The golden-haired man frowned down at the crisscrossing cuts littering his muscular arms.

"Oh. Sure," he mused, clearly not believing her but not in the mood for extended teasing. Fuyumi retrieved her medicine-doused cotton ball as he, with great difficulty, began peeling his form-fitted black-and-yellow patterned shirt from his body. Fuyumi watched with concern as the sheen of sweat appeared on his body with just the small action. As she was arranging the items she would need to cater to Hawks' wounds, she heard him grunt in pain. "Fuyumi… Help…" he squeaked. She glanced back at him to find his elbows caught in the tight material, causing it to catch over his head. As he squirmed, blood oozed from the multiple deep cuts scattered over his abdomen. He whimpered in pain, and a golden eye gleamed at her from within the dark confines of a sleeve hole.

"Oh, Hawks," she laughed lightly and scooched her chair over so she could help him out of the shirt. She nudged her fingers underneath the form-fitted shirt to tug it away from his biceps. As she inched it up the contours of his muscular arms, he twinged and flinched in pain. "Sorry," she apologized softly. Finally, she was able to pull the light material over his head. As it bunched up around his neck, he shook out his tousled hair and smiled painfully at her.

"Thanks," he said as she pulled his shirt the rest of the way down his arms. She threw it aside with the intention to wash it for him later, but her mind was too occupied with the myriad of wounds decorating Hawks' person. Her eyes narrowed sadly as she counted them, but after about twenty or so of the nicks, she was too heartbroken to continue doing so. Hawks' smile grew sadder. "Hey, pretty dove," he laughed lightly. He always called her that when he either wanted to flirt or divert her attention from something serious. "There's no need to look like that. I'm fine!" He threw up his arms emphatically, but as a pretty serious gash in his left ribs stretched, an agonized groan-slash-scream gurgled in his throat. "M-maybe not," he admitted in a small, pained voice. "One of the goons had a blade Quirk… Roughed me up real good."

"How on Earth could you let a handful of thugs do this to you?" Fuyumi whispered sadly as she began dabbing one of the small wounds with the cotton ball. He flinched at the bitter sting of the alcohol in the liquid. Hawks chuckled self-loathingly again and reclined against the wooden back of the chair, watching Fuyumi work through lidded eyes.

"Well… I'll admit that I was a bit off my game. I had my guard down."

"You? With your guard down?" Fuyumi scoffed and peeked up at him through her white eyelashes. His roguish smile carried only half the playfulness as usual, which made Fuyumi sad. The edges of Hawks' smile fell, indicating that her feelings were written all over her face. He rolled his shoulders awkwardly and admitted, "I may have been fantasizing about a certain school teacher who I hadn't seen in a while."

"H-Hawks," she stammered bashfully. The twinkle returned to his honey-gold eyes, if only for a moment. She swallowed thickly, trying to limit the redness creeping into her face, and dabbed a few more times at the small nick on his forearm before then securing an adhesive bandage over it. A throaty chuckle rumbled in Hawks' chest.

"Yeah. I mean, if I'm being honest, this is a small price to pay for dreamin' of a beautiful woman." Fuyumi puffed out her cheeks and pressed excessively hard on the next small cut, making him yelp and wriggle about in the chair. "Ouch… I deserved that."

"You most certainly did!" Fuyumi huffed and slapped a bandage over the small wound. She tried not to feel too guilty for the way he winced at her harsh touch. Her hand fell against the meat of his bicep and gave it a gentle squeeze as she stared with watery eyes at the many, many wounds she had yet to attend to. "Hawks… You can't just… show up like this, all beat-up and bloody and… expect me to just- to just…!" With a miserable whine, she buried her face into her hands to begin weeping petulantly.

"Fuyumi," Hawks sighed. She could feel the air shift around her face as Hawks' hands fluttered around her two-toned hair, but refused to settle. After some minutes of consideration, he finally rested one large hand on her shaking shoulder, and another against the side of her head, threading his fingers into her fluffy hair. "Fuyumi, I'm sorry. I just… This is the first place I thought of," he admitted in a tiny voice. Something about the deep regret smothering his voice made her attempt to swallow the thick lump in her throat and peer through her fingers at him. His golden eyes were cast down at his lap, and his frown cut through Fuyumi's heart like the sharpest sword. "I knew you'd take care of me, Fuyumi." She bit down on her bottom lip as his thumb swept lightly over her cheekbone to catch the few tears that dripped down as she blinked. Fuyumi sniffed and inhaled deeply to gather her emotions.

"Of course I will," she huffed determinedly and returned to tending his wounds. She traced her way up his arms before settling on the wounds on his abdomen, which were arguably worse. Hawks hissed as she poked around the laceration underneath his left arm, which was several inches deep into the sinew and muscle tissue. "This wound really needs stitches."

"Do I need to go to the hospital?" the hero asked. The tone of his voice indicated he was not thrilled with the prospect. Fuyumi frowned as she stretched the torn skin around for a few seconds.

"No… I think I can manage," she said and retrieved a needle and some stitching twine from the first-aid kid. Natsuo and... Touya, when he was here, had a habit of getting all scratched up when they were little. I learned how to stitch wounds pretty young," she explained with a strained laugh. Hawks gave her an amused look as she sanitized the needle and then threaded the twine through the needle eye.

"Your childhood sounds like a party."

"That's not the word I would use for it, but I suppose," she said. "This'll hurt," she warned as she doused the rag in rubbing alcohol. Hawks smiled as if it were nothing, but when she wiped at the gash with the rag, he yowled and kicked his foot against the floor at the rate of a startled rabbit. Profanities and obscenities rich enough to give a grandmother a heart attack poured from his mouth, making Fuyumi flush the color of a tomato. While he was distracted by the stinging, she punched the needle through his flesh and quickly began threading the skin together. She was able to stitch the wound half-way shut before he took notice of her ministrations.

"I'd like to talk to your superior about your bedside manner," Hawks grunted, wincing as she pushed the needle through his skin again. Fuyumi rolled her eyes and continued her work with no modification.

"I'd like to talk to your superiors about your recklessness," she countered. Hawks snickered again and watched with a small smile as she finished stitching the wound. She ran her fingertips over the black interwoven material, frowning at the clear fluid oozing from between the fibers. At the very least, that meant his body had begun the healing process.

"I'll definitely pass on the memo," Hawks laughed good-naturedly in response. Fuyumi studied the remainder of his wounds and concluded that no other lacerations would require stitches, so she set aside the needle and twine and retrieved her cotton ball. The rest of the wounds littered the planes of his abdominals. At her current angle, it was a bit awkward to tend to them. She coughed politely and gave him an expectant look, and for a second, he only stared blankly. "What? Oh," he realized when she motioned for him to move the chair. The feet scraped harshly against the tile floor as he did so. With an awkward cough, he spread his legs wide so that Fuyumi could scooch her chair in between them and have full access to the planes of his abs. As his thigh shifted and brushed against the outside of hers, she became aware of the innate intimacy of their position and slightly blushed.

"Um… Just relax," she murmured, trying desperately to focus on the task at hand rather than the rising urge to scratch her fingernails down his washboard abs to see if they were as defined as they looked. Hawks slouched back against the back of the chair and hung his arms down by his sides. Swallowing the thick lump of trepidation lodged in her throat, she leaned over and began dabbing at the long cuts criss-crossing his torso. She was very much aware of Hawks' smoldering gaze on the top of her head as she carefully cleaned the latticework of lacerations. After a while, her hand stilled, and she just gazed sadly at his bandage-covered body. "Hawks," she sniffed sorrowfully.

"Hey," he tutted comfortingly. When his scraped hand cupped the soft skin of her cheek, she leaned into his touch, craving the warmth blooming over her skin. "Don't cry, my pretty dove." A heat rose to Fuyumi's face. The nickname was new, but he had never prefaced it with "my" before. The possessive connotation of his words sent her heart fluttering in her chest like a fledgling bird. His thumb continued to caress her cheek in feather-light touches that brought a smile to her face even despite her morose state. It only lasted a few seconds.

"Hawks, I-"

"Enough of that." The hard edge of his voice made her look up in shock, thinking he was angry at her. His sweet smile swayed her concerns. "Keigo. My name is Keigo." Fuyumi blushed darker; it was a great honor, to be trusted with the pro hero's true identity, and she wasn't quite sure that she was worthy of the privilege. Apparently this misforgiving showed on her face, because Keigo chuckled and poked the tip of her nose. "What? I'm shirtless in your kitchen in the middle of the night; the least I can do is let you call me by my actual name."

"You have a point," she chuckled weakly. Her laughter seemed to reassure him, for his smile widened. She beamed adoringly at the hero as he cupped her face in both his hands, simply holding her there so he could admire her face.

"Such a pretty dove," he murmured wondrously. "How did I ever get so lucky as to stumble onto you?" Fuyumi flushed red and squirmed a little in his gentle grip.

"Haw- I-I mean, Keigo, you make it sound like we're…" she trailed off, the mere implication making her blush darker. Keigo's eyebrows wiggled playfully behind his cracked gold visor.

"We're… what?" he challenged playfully. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth with an embarrassed whine. I can't say it! He'll laugh at me! It's so ridiculous. "Surely, Fuyumi," he purred as he leaned towards her face. She licked her lips nervously as his warm breath ghosted over her fiery red face, "you can't be implying that my words allude to some measure of affection… can you?" Fuyumi's eyes rolled in her head as she tried to focus on any mundane item besides Hawks' devilishly gorgeous face and that enticing smirk. She stammered a half-hearted refusal. "Well, you wouldn't be wrong," he laughed suddenly.

Fuyumi gasped and finally looked at him, a thousand emotions passing through her mind at once. Her throat bobbed as she struggled to form words, but no sounds formed in her throat, because Hawks' smoldering gaze electrified every nerve in her body. As he trailed the tip of his index finger down her jawline, he cooed adoringly again. "So beautiful. Too beautiful for the likes of me," he sighed with no small degree of self-loathing. As his hand fell away from her face, she snatched it up with both of her hands and she swallowed firmly.

"Don't say things like that."

"I'm not the saint you think I am," he laughed warningly. Fuyumi pushed closer until the edge of her chair bumped the edge of his, and she was basically leaning over his lap.

"You're a saint to me." Her eyelashes fluttered as fresh tears flooded her eyes again. "Keigo, I… There's so much in my life that is dark and confusing, but you… You're the only constant. I can always look to you and smile because… you just light up my whole world," she sniffled despondently. She bowed her head as she cried, dripping tears down onto his pants and the wooden chair. "Don't say things like that, things like you're going to leave me behind…"

"No," he said instantly. Warmth enveloped Fuyumi as he wrapped her up in his arms and pulled her against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his middle, splaying her fingers over the muscle of his shoulder blades as she hugged him like he would disappear if she let go. Her body moved backward as he heaved a massive sigh, then forward as he released it. "No," he repeated softly and pressed his lips to the top of her head. "I could never leave you behind, my pretty dove. You light up my world too."

Blinking tears away, Fuyumi craned her head back to peer up at him. Hawks smiled tenderly and swept his fingers over her cheek again to catch the streaming tears. "So please don't cry, Fuyumi. I'm not going anywhere."

"Hawks," she breathed with an agonized sound. A feeling was rising up in her, one so strong it made her chest grow tight and her breaths labored. She was smothered by the emotion, the love she felt for this man. It was a love unlike she had ever felt- a love so strong it hurt. He tutted quietly at her as he ran his hands up her back, ruffling the thin fabric of her tee-shirt and whispering once more for her not to cry. She barely registered his hands traveling the curves of her body until they hooked under her thighs. He tugged them forward, and Fuyumi complied to his silent request, crawling up onto his lap to straddle him. He groaned lowly at the weight on his battered body, but ostensibly secured his arm around her hips to pull her body flush against his. His other arm brought his hand to her face again to sweep a swathe of her two-colored hair away from her face.

"Gorgeous," he breathed. The sheer amount of reverence in his voice made Fuyumi blush and fidget. "Why are you embarrassed?" he chuckled and swept her bangs from her eyes. "I'm just telling the truth." He laughed spiritedly as she continued to fidget and mumble in mortification. "Hey. Fuyumi." When she looked up at him, pink-faced and perturbed, he wiggled his blond eyebrows at her.

Then, he dove forward to capture her lips in a swelteringly passionate kiss. Fuyumi sharply inhaled through her nose at the shocking action, but made no move to retreat; before she even realized it, her eyes drifted shut and she melted into the kiss and him. A pleased hum vibrated in her chest as her senses came alive. HIs mouth pliantly moved against hers, slowly teasing her lips open so he could carefully slip his tongue into her mouth. Fuyumi did not react disgustedly, he took that as a positive sign and fervently swirling his tongue with hers, drawing a small moan from the woman. His hands roamed the paths of her curves, occasionally stopping to lightly squeeze the soft flesh. Every touch sent electric sparks scattering over her skin, and within minutes Fuyumi felt like she was short-circuiting and sparking like an exposed, frayed wire.

It was exhilarating.

A string of saliva stretched between them as Hawks pulled away from her, then snapped when Hawks licked his lips. Their breath puffed in the small space as they panted heavily with mild exertion and lust. Hawks was still staring at her slightly bruised lips, as if he was debating sweeping her into a kiss again. After a few seconds, his heated gaze slowly trailed upwards until his golden eyes bored into hers. Fuyumi chuckled lightly when his eyelids suddenly drooped and he stifled a yawn with his fist.

"You can stay here tonight and sleep in Natsuo's bed," she smiled and straightened up. Hawks shot her a pouty look.

"Aw? Not yours?"

"No!" she laughed and slipped off his lap. She gathered up the trash from the table and tossed it into the trash bin, then returned the first aid kit to its proper place. As she came up from squatting beside the cabinet underneath the sink, she spied the plate of ginger cookies and the half-filled coffee pot. "I have to finish my lesson plans. The light will keep you awake." She picked up one of the cookies and nibbled at it. She heard the chair squeak as Hawks pushed himself to his feet. His staggering footsteps approached, and she rolled her eyes when he slumped over her back. He nosed at her cheek with a smirk before he bit off the other end of the ginger cookie. She regarded him dourly as his chewing motions rained sugary crumbs down on her shoulder.

"You can finish those tomorrow," he chided persuasively and leaned down to pepper light, chase kisses along the column of her neck. Fuyumi shuddered at how nice it felt and extended her neck for him without even realizing it. He smirked and purred deeply against her carotid, making her gulp. "Please? Won't you reconsider?"

"What are you implying, Keigo?" she challenged with false annoyance. Hawks purred against and traced the path of her artery up to her jaw with the tip of his nose.

"Just some measure of affection," he grinned and nipped at her temporomandibular joint. Fuyumi squeaked as liquid fire jolted up her spine and her knees immediately melted to jelly. She clutched at the kitchen counter as it became significantly more difficult to stand upright, and Hawks' thick arm wound around her waist while he laughed triumphantly.

"You're a scoundrel."

"I warned you; I'm not a saint," he laughed and delivered a sloppy kiss to her cheek. Fuyumi whined loudly and wriggled about in his grip.

"I really need to finish those lesson plans!" she insisted and pushed his face away from hers. She felt him frown deeply against her palm, and then playfully kiss it. "You can't charm your way out of this one!"

"Fine! I'll just stay awake until you're finished. 3" Fuyumi rolled her eyes again, so hard she felt her optical muscles stretch, but she had to admit that his decision sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Still shirtless and seemingly not caring to remedy the issue, he tromped behind her as she exited the kitchen, pausing only to grab a few more ginger cookies to munch on them.

As she passed through the living room, Fuyumi flipped the lamp back off. The darkness dove in with the banishment of the light to flood the small space with gloom. Its blue and black hue smothered everything in sight, but that was all right.

Fuyumi had her light right there.