Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail
Hisui hummed in her office, pen writing something that wasn't a formal document for a change, but Christmas cards. Instead of staring at a blank page to come up with an appropriate reply, her pen was gliding across cards, filling pages energetically, building up a tower in no time. Preparations for the celebrations were finished, as evident with the busy bodies outside, decorating the city with festive colours. All that was left is to wait for the huge celebration. Hisui added a spring to her tune, tapping her pen cap against her desk.
Once Hisui was finished, she shifted through her work, examining each letter to the strokes, separating the cards into two piles; the ones that are ready, and the ones that still needs work. The cycle repeated until she noticed that a tray of food was delivered to her desk. Silently thanking Karie, Hisui ate her lukewarm food while keeping her eyes on her creations. Her eyes hovered to a poster at the corner of her desk, grimacing at the thought of the contents. "Why did I approve of this?"
It was an innocent request, yet Hisui never expected it to blow up to such a huge deal people from her city agreed to join in, even a few famous mages from other guilds expressed interest in the event. She was just chatting with her friends in the Fairy Tail guild hall, mainly talking about holiday plans, places to visit and activities to be a part in, sprinkling some girls talk every now and then. A cough from Karie drew attention to her.
"Why don't we hold a ball?" Karie suggested. "I know that it doesn't fit Fairy Tail's style but, I believe that it would be fun."
"That's a great idea!" Agreed Lucy. "But, where should we hold it?" The blonde looked around. "I mean, the guild isn't the most atmospheric place for a ball."
"That's easy to fix," Mirajane said, "we can just decorate the guild, I'm sure Master wouldn't mind."
"I suppose…hey Hisui, what do you think?"
"We can make it work…it's just, I don't really want to be in another ball."
"Why not?"
"I just…have bad experiences with them. It's less about the dancing but the endless courting, or the lack of rest that I'm abhorrent to."
"But we're not like those slime-balls you described, we're your friends!"
"That still doesn't nullify my pass experiences with them."
"It'll be fun, come on." Hisui looked around to see the same pleading face, making her once again wonder why she doesn't have to ability to resist pleas from her friends yet, would slam anyone else with a cold ice wall. Hisui sighed and resigned to her fate after struggling with a losing battle in her head.
"Fine, at least I have an excuse to not be in father's ball this year, you can leave the organising to me." Cheers erupted, becoming the signal to change topics. While everyone else was excitedly talking about what clothes they should wear, Hisui's mind was lost in numbers and the past, taking inspiration from previous balls in hopes of letting people enjoy the event to its fullest.
Getting permission from the guild master was easy, finalising Hisui's fate. She asked around to find out the most preferred time; discussed with Karie and Mirajane to plan out food and drinks; requested Reedus to design a poster before finally calculating the cost of the ball. Three days ran by without Hisui even realising it until a poster showed up at her desk. Two knocks rapped on her office door.
"Come in." Hisui said, hastily putting away her Christmas cards. "Natsu? What's wrong?" Natsu closed the door while giving Hisui an immature look as if to ask something from his mother.
"You still didn't tell me if you'll dance with me at the ball."
"Sorry Natsu, I was busy for a while and I didn't really have much free time to think about it. In the first place, do you even know how to dance?"
"Sure I do, watch." Natsu broke into a dance that Hisui had never seen, Natsu adopted no uniform rhythm, opting for random arm flailing that resembled someone running from fire. "See? I can dance." Hisui was flabbergasted, wanting to look away the instant Natsu started dancing but she transitioned to laughter when facing his eyes that held no intention of joking. "Hey! It wasn't that bad was it?"
"Bad wouldn't even be enough to describe what I just saw!" Hisui said between laughs, broadcasting her clear, uncontrolled voice of pleasure around her office. "I don't even need to think about dancing with you."
"So you won't? I'll…ask someone else then." Natsu turned for the door, not wanting to show his rose-tinted cheeks.
"Stop." Hisui caught up to the retreating Dragon-slayer, voice becoming like a low musical hum, soft and soothing. "We still have two weeks, I can teach you."
"You mean it!?"
"Of course, since I'm going to join in the ball anyway, I might as well try to enjoy it. What better way to do that than to spent it with you?" Hisui took Natsu by the hand to the centre of her office. "Here should be fine. I'll just teach you the most basic one, we don't have as much time as I want and…you appear to not have any experience."
"Shut up…" Natsu complained, drawing another giggle.
"First is the stance. You can think of it like fighting; just like having a bad stance can cause you trouble in a fight, a bad stance in dancing will do the same. If you don't take this seriously you will: not look as good, interfere with the flow in general when moving from step to step. And if you're dancing with a partner: you'll inconvenience them. That's why posture is important, so I hope you don't mind me being harsher for a while."
"I've gone through Erza's torture." Natsu shrugged.
"We'll begin with what's called a closed position. First, place your right hand on my back, a bit above my waist."
"Like this?" Natsu asked, firmly planting his hand on Hisui's back, causing the girl to tense slightly. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No…you're doing fine. It's just…I didn't expect it to be this warm." Natsu's hand was rough, not like sand, but a dry towel—a warm towel.
"Do you—"
"It's not what you think, I like it," Hisui leaned into the hand supporting her, "I feel protected." Hisui pulled Natsu closer by placing her left hand on Natsu's right shoulder. "Natsu? Quit staring at my neck and pay attention."
"I wasn't," Natsu defended, "I was trying to look past it."
"Being too honest can…never mind." Hisui ignored her dyeing face and grabbed Natsu's free hand, knitted their fingers together then brought them to shoulder level. "And that's it. Any questions?" It's only when Hisui stopped focusing on teaching her student did burning wood tickled her nose. She felt her body heat up, branding her with a desire to clutch tighter.
"Nope."
"Then we're moving on." Hisui pulled out of their position, smiling at Natsu's disappointed look. "I'll show what you have to do, watch closely." Hisui showed the basic steps several times, her ponytail swaying in a mesmerising motion, feet drifting along the floor. Her dance flowed like smooth wine, letting Natsu drink in the intoxicating sight, lulling him into a drunken stupor. A blink took him on a one-way trip to a forest, dumbly standing in awe as imaginary music played in sync with a faery's movements. "Now you try." Hisui said, feet returning to their original position, as if they never moved at all. "Natsu? Are you there?" Hisui moved closer to see Natsu's vacant eyes. "Natsu!" Hisui shouted, hands on hip and putting on her best Erza impression.
"A—aye!"
"Do you even remember what happened?"
"Not really."
"From the stories Erza has told me and personal experience, you're not a passive learner…hmm…that's my mistake, I should have known. Come on, let's get back into position, we're going to dance together."
"Sweet! But I still don't know how to dance."
"You'll have to learn by doing." Hisui and Natsu got into position again, the former placing herself into a comfortable spot. "I'm starting to think that you didn't pay attention on purpose." Hisui said, noting that Natsu's hand were closer to her waist than last time. "Are you ready?"
"I'm all fired up!"
hard cut
"You did pretty well, seeing how it was your first time, just make sure to practise."
"Don't have a partner."
"You don't need one, the steps are that simple. In a few days, I'll teach you some advance techniques. At the rate you're going, you'll be prepared by the time the ball comes around. Speaking of which, do you even have a suit or maybe a tuxedo?"
"Why would I need one?"
"You don't even have formal wear!?"
"Nope, I rather spend money on other things than that stuffy thing."
"But you need one for the ball."
"I'll just buy one real quick." Natsu swung his arms behind his head, walking out the door.
"I'm coming with you."
"Why?"
"Do you know where to buy quality clothing?"
"No."
"That's why I'm coming. Plus, I get to see you in one."
"You've seen it before."
"That was hastily thrown on, I want to see you in formal wear without the intention of going into combat."
"How is that any different?"
"Everything!" Hisui retorted, tagging closely behind Natsu. "I want to see you wearing something other than what you're wearing right now."
"But I hate shopping with girls, they're too picky."
"We're picky because the small details go a long way, you'll be surprised how much your look can change with a little more effort." Hisui said, giddily walking to her favourite boutique. "I know we've got long ways to go, I'll mention it anyway, when you're going to a public event—which you're going to a lot once you become King, it's crucial to keep a good image."
"I hate going to those places."
"It's the price for wanting to be with me." Hisui teased. "Look on the bright side, we'll have each other. Besides, we need to hurry up, I have to buy presents for everyone soon."
"What's mine?"
"If you won't tell me what you're giving me, why should I tell you what I have in planned?"
They walked while keeping their friendly banter. Hisui kept her eyes active, admiring the festive sight without having anything to anchor her mind. Soaking the liveliness with her body and pouring smiles once overloaded. Just the thought that these bells and whistles are only just preparations brought a bigger smile to Hisui's face. She tagged the duller, barer parts of her city, lingering for a few seconds before moving to the next spot.
Natsu wasn't having as smooth of a time, he struggled to keep up with the Princess, mainly because it seemed like the mass of people didn't exist for her. Therefore, Hisui's jumping vibrant hair became a sign for life in a field of snow. When Natsu finally caught up, Hisui was patiently waiting for him outside a small shop without windows, only having a sign that read: 'Alice & Ava' and was sandwiched by two gaudy clothes shops.
"There you are, what happened?"
"Since when could you fly?"
"I…can't?"
"How did get here so quickly then?"
"I not quite sure myself. But that isn't important, let's go inside already."
"Sure." Natsu headed for the shop on the right.
"Not there, here." Hisui pointed to the sandwich filling.
"Seems fun, let's go." The two entered the shop and found a staircase leading down. "This place looks fishy."
"I thought a man like you would enjoy a place like this."
"I do, I just didn't expect you would come to places like this."
"Then you just don't know me enough." Hisui grinned. "Besides, I would be troubled if this shop was more well-known." She led Natsu downstairs with an air of familiarity. Quickly opening a blue door, she pushed Natsu inside.
Beside a plain counter, every part of the shop was used to display clothing, arranged from casual to formal. Spotlights shone on delicately designed dresses sorted from complex to simple.
"Hisui! How nice of you to visit." A woman in black trousers with bulky pockets and a loose, pearl shirt. Her forking black hair was tied in a braid to control the mess but still becoming a used brush at the end. "And you've brought Natsu."
"Where Alice?"
"She's gone to fetch some fabric, some stuck-up didn't want to deliver it to us. But that's enough about us, you need a new dress already?"
"No, Fairy Tail is holding a ball soon and Natsu doesn't have anything for the occasion."
"Hmm…" Ava circled Natsu, running her eyes along his toned body. "white tie?"
"It's nothing that formal, I don't think it would fit their style."
"That's true…a shame…he wouldn't be too bad in a tailcoat…but since it's black, we'll have to settle for a tuxedo, unless you think a tie looks better?"
"I'll leave it to you."
"You got it," Ava excavated her pockets for a measuring tape and a pen, spilling pieces of fabric and spools of thread, "stand still." Starting with Natsu's legs, Ava measured Natsu's dimensions, noting down every measurement as she went along. "Do you have anything in mind Natsu? Like colour? Or maybe something else?"
"I'm not taking off my scarf."
"Mhmm…anything else?"
"Nope."
"Then…Hisui, can you hand me the one behind you? No, the one next to it, yep, that's the one." Ava took a black tuxedo from Hisui's hands. "Thank you. Take this and try it on."
"Here!?"
"Of course not, I'm not in the right mood," Ava pushed aside some clothing to uncover a fitting room, "you go in there, have fun." Just as Natsu was about to brush the dresses to cover himself, Ava frowned. "Wait, do you even know how to put it on?" Getting a shake, Ava sighed. "Just put on the shirt and trousers, we'll handle the rest."
"Sure!"
"I'm surprised that he doesn't even know how to wear a tuxedo."
"Well," Hisui said, "you should have seen him when saw him in one, it was poorly put on, his tie wasn't even tied properly."
"At least he isn't going to wear them all the time."
"I prefer that he did, he needs to learn how to dress up formally."
"Why would he need to?"
"I…can't really say."
"I'll find out eventually."
"Not if I can help it."
"Well—"
"I'm done!" Natsu yelled.
"Come on out then, we'll teach you how put on the rest." Natsu walked out the changing room clutching his fist with the rest of his clothes hanging around his neck. "Not bad, a few extra touches and you'll be quite a star! What do you think Hisui?" The Princess in question started with the tight-fitting trousers—ignoring the cuffs that were sweeping the floor—anticipation rising at the thought of Natsu fully wearing a tuxedo. Natsu's misbuttoned, poorly tucked in shirt complimented Natsu's inherent wild look, which made Hisui wonder what happens if you contain a dragon.
"I'll tell you once we're done."
"Then I'll find some shoes, you put on the rest." Ava pushed pass more clothing to a flight of stairs.
"Put on the vest first, I'll teach you how to tie a bowtie afterwards."
"But it's already so stuffy!" Natsu whined.
"Stop being a child," Hisui pulled Natsu close to rebutton his shirt, "I won't be here all the time, most likely a servant will be the one to help you dress up, you don't want that right?" Tucking in the shirt, Hisui stepped back and nodded. "Much better."
"Really?"
"Once we've put on these," holding up a vest, jacket and bowtie for Natsu to see, Hisui continued, "you'll look stunning." The Princess hooked the bowtie around Natsu's neck and pulled him close, leaving a small gap between them. "I'll do this once, then you try." Hisui started her first loop, "I suppose," a playful smile crept up, "I can help you every time, I wouldn't mind seeing a view like this, getting lost in those eyes..."
"I want to do it myself." Hisui's smile widened.
"Lovely."
hard cut
"Why did you send Natsu back in there?" Hisui asked, annoyed at Ava's decision.
"You don't get it do you? I sent him back for the thrill of revealing a transformation! Don't you find it fun to keep things under wraps until the last minute? Isn't your heart beating from the suspense?" While she didn't want to admit it, Hisui was getting impatient, she wanted tear the dresses and shirts away as Natsu was taking longer than most people would.
"I don't really underst—" Once the clothing were being pulled back, Hisui gasped; Ava smirked. It came in waves, amplifying with each assault. Shoes clacked satisfyingly on wood, they demanded attention to its wearer: a confident man that erased every bit of childishness. Wrapped in a jet-black jacket, Natsu walked closer to the awaiting females, wearing a slightly annoyed look. His previous wildness became tamer with the additional layers but kept his personality using his scarf to hang loosely off his shoulders. Clean, sharp clothing piled on like armour, forming a grand piece of art, one that gave off an alluring appeal to Hisui.
"Does it really look that weird?" Natsu examined his legs.
"Not at all!" Ava sang. "Right Hisui?"
"Huh? O—of course."
"Seems like a success! Then come back again in a week to pick your clothes up. Since Hisui introduced you, I'll give you a discount."
Arriving two hours before the event was about to start, Hisui and Karie helped Mirajane organise the tables. The guild was decorated days in advance, but it was the first time that Hisui had seen it. What caught her attention the most was a brilliant Christmas tree being a bright bastion bringing life to everything else in the room. Compared to what is normally setup in traditional balls that Hisui was so used to, this one held the spirit of family wherever she looked. Instead of massive windows overlooking a twinkling capital in the night—far away from the distance— Hisui enjoyed warm street lights and festive colours from nearby households. Complex, flamboyant decorations forsaken for unprofessional but charming, handmade streamers and ribbons. The smell of food travelled from the side, meeting with the three ladies in the centre of a wide area for the main event.
"I think it's time for you two to get changed," Karie said, "I'll handle the rest, this uniform can afford to get dirty after all."
"We still have time before the others show up, so me and Hisui can afford to help for a while longer. Also, I don't think it's fair for us to stand at the side when you're working so hard by yourself, especially when you're not going to enjoy yourself when the event starts."
"I've tried to get Karie join in before but, she never does. It's a shame too, you would be very popular, and didn't your mother tell you to find a partner soon?"
"That doesn't matter right now." Karie replied briskly. "I can finish things up, you two just change."
"There really isn't we can do will change your mind?"
"Not at the moment."
"Fine, Mira, we'll change first."
"Is that really fine?"
"Don't worry, we've got plenty of chances left."
"I suppose…then, we'll go change, Karie, let us know if you need help."
"I will." Mirajane and Hisui hurried to a changing room with their dresses in tow. The former still miffed with what happened.
"Should we really let her do that?" Mirajane asked, showering her bare skin in light.
"Don't worry, there's a reason why she wants us to leave for a while, you didn't see it but, being with someone for long gives you a good idea on what they're thinking. This time, she wants to be alone." Folding her current dress, Hisui replied calmly. "As for why, I can't really say, that's why I propose we go back quietly to see what's she planning. But still, that's a really showy dress you're planning to wear."
"Is it?" Mirajane tilted her head while holding out a black dress with a huge slit at the side. It was strapless and showed a good part of the wearer's back. "I guess the photo shoots really messed with my sense of modesty."
"You mean you wasn't planning to seduce someone with that?"
"What? No, of course not! I just thought that this would look nice. Yours had the same thought process right?"
"Well, I did find something to look forward to after all." Hisui's dress was a deep green and clung close to her figure, but not enough to show each curve with detail, flaring outwards near the helm of the dress. Above a belt made of vines, golden embroideries resembling tree branches stopped growth at the shoulders. Paired with white gloves that covered her forearms and a simple emerald necklace, Hisui spun around. "Can you help me?"
"Sure." Mirajane noted the accessory tying Hisui's hair together while she zipped the dress up. "I don't recall many days when you weren't wearing that barrette, does it mean anything?"
"It's sort of a promise that I made with someone, I promised to wear it as often as possible."
"Who is it?"
"You'll find out shortly won't you?"
"Then let's hurry back, we've been here longer than I wanted." To Hisui's disappointment, Karie already finished setting up and was sitting on a chair, turning pages of a book. "You did all this by yourself?"
"Some boys helped me while you were gone."
"But you didn't accept our offer?"
"Well, this was about to be delivered." Closing her book, Karie produced a red box. "Merry Christmas, Hisui, I hope you like it."
"Can I open it?"
"Please." Making sure to not create any tears in the wrapping, Hisui peered inside the box and found a grey scarf. "It's getting cold and, you don't seem to be getting as many rests as I would like so, this is the most that I can do to make sure that you don't get a cold, just make sure that you wear it."
"I will, thank you." Hisui held the scarf to her cheek, sinking in a layer of soft wool. "Who made this? I can feel the care put into this."
"This was Her Majesty's creation, it was incomplete however, so I took the liberty to finish it. I then took it for strengthening and made sure it would be delivered here at the exact time. I hope you don't mind?"
"Why would I? I haven't received anything from mother in so long, thank you." Relishing in an imaginary warmth, Hisui held her gift like a person.
It wasn't long until the guild hall was filled with chatter and laughter, topped with the scent of alcohol. Hisui searched for a tuff of pink hair in the crowd. People had found their partners to dance with. Yet, Hisui hasn't found hers. She wandered around the hall, stopping at every pink object her eyes would find. Once she found her ember in the dark, Hisui found out the reason for Natsu's sudden increase in hiding proficiency; he was fenced-off. Regret began swirling, bubbling and heating into a concoction of slight jealousy. Though just about everyone was invited and Hisui expected for guys like Natsu to be popular, the result before her was completely outside her calculations. She hates miscalculations.
"Natsu! The dance is about to start, are you ready?"
"You're a lifesaver!" Natsu pushed aside the crowd around him and grabbed Hisui's hands. "Let's go!"
"So why were you surrounded by those people?"
"They said they were my fans, they wouldn't stop asking me stuff." Music started playing, soft sounds flew, making everyone a part of the performance.
"We should start, I hope you've been practising." Hisui held out her hand which Natsu took eagerly.
"You bet I did!" Hisui pulled Natsu close and wrapped her arm around Natsu's shoulder, smiling once Natsu embraced her. Hisui followed Natsu's movements, dancing together in a circle, getting immersed with each other, not aware they were attracting attention. "See?"
"It's like you were two different people." They went on for a few more cycles. "Natsu?"
"Yeah?"
"Why were you so insistent in dancing with me?"
"I just really wanted to."
"That's it?"
"I don't need other reasons, I just want to be with you, just like all the other times."
"I suppose…"
"Why did you agree to dancing with me?"
"To be honest, I found balls like these to be boring, or at the very least, something that I don't find enjoyable. But, you've taught me many things in the time that I've known you, that I should ask for people for help when I can't handle things by myself. There's always someone that will support me no matter what. Through the time we've spent together, even the little things, I've come to enjoy your presence. So maybe, I thought that you could change my mind, maybe by adding you into the equation, it would change my opinion on the things that I previously disliked. In a way, this was a test to my hunch.
"Can you imagine my surprise when I found out how pleasant the results were? You're a very dangerous person to me," Hisui tightened her grip on Natsu, closing their distance, hungry for his warmth, "I've been thinking about you more often, and I've been thinking about my behaviour when I'm with you. I'm like a different person entirely but…I don't hate it." Burning wood muffed out any food or liquor from Hisui's nose.
"Then you like me?"
"If I didn't like you, I wouldn't be considering ruling the kingdom with you, I'm waiting on giving you an answer is because I don't want to make a mistake, I can't put the country on the line just because of my silly thoughts. I need to make sure whether these feelings are going to last."
"Then I just have to convince you."
"Please do."
"Would you mind if I start now?"
"Not at all." Hisui said, anticipation growing.
"I've been thinking about what to give you for Christmas and buying for a Princess is a big pain in the ass."
"Language." Hisui smiled, softly rubbing circles on Natsu's hand with her thumb. And suddenly, Hisui wished she wasn't wearing gloves.
"There's no way I can impress you by buying something expensive, so I got you something I think that you might like."
"And that is?"
"Let's take a break outside."
Leaving their positions—Natsu still having a firm grip of Hisui's hand—the two went under a starry sky, peppered with snow. Apart from faint music behind them, a thick blanket of silence covered them—to the point where Hisui can hear Natsu's breathing which, also made her wonder what could Natsu hear from her, no doubt was present in Hisui's mind that her heartbeat was one of the things he's enjoying, excited and uncontrollable. The warmly-lit city stirred Hisui, she allowed this to happen. It's always moments like this where Hisui would be glad of the job that she has. Squinting her eyes, smiles dominated her view, further cemented the reward she's reaping.
"Are you cold?" Natsu squeezed along with his question. The girl in question just propped against Natsu's chest, letting her cooling body speak. "Sorry to make you come out here."
"Don't be, I quite like my position. So, apart from this amazing view, what else did you get me?"
"This." From his pocket, Natsu handed out a small wood box. Save the lid, no patterns or picture could be found. That's why the sole tree branding took Hisui's interest. "I know that your work is tiring. Although I haven't seen it because you've hid it so well, I'm sure that you've gone through moments when you just want to give up. That's why I want you to have this.
"I hope this can give you strength to carry on. I fell in love with the you that worked as hard as you could, but, that comes at a cost. To make it worse, I'm not always there to help you, I might be off on job or you might be in some meeting in a different city. The point is, every time I'm not there and you need some encouragement, open this. Until I can stand side-by-side with you in your world, this will be everything I can offer to you. Open it, Merry Christmas."
Inside the box was a small, but strong flame twinkling with a radiance that Hisui had never seen before from a fire, it strangely felt alive. She didn't understand why or how, nor did she want to find out for fear of it disappearing, the tiny flame transferred warmth to her heart. It spoke to her—reassured her. Her stress boiled away in the slow, steady flicker.
"Thank you, I will use this."
"I hope that you wouldn't."
"Pardon?"
"Why would I want to see you in a state where you're broken and tired? This is a last resort when I'm powerless to prevent anything."
"If you say so…" Hisui closed the box and pressed harder to Natsu. "though that puts me in a bad spot, I can't really win against that present."
"It doesn't matter, I'll accept anything."
"I need you to close your eyes."
"Why?"
"Just do it." Looking up to confirm that Natsu was in darkness and no one was looking, Hisui pulled up her dress, fumbled around with her garter belt and pulled out her gift. "You can open your eyes now." With flushed cheeks, Hisui held a locket for Natsu to see. It was gold, engraved with leaf patterns for texture, made subtle to highlight the Fairy Tail symbol on the lid.
"Where did you hide this?" Shivers ran along Hisui as she felt Natsu inspect every part of her to find any blind spots where she could have hidden her present.
"Don't ask."
"Thanks then!" Natsu grinned as he accepted his gift. "I really like but, do you mind me keeping this at home? I don't want to damage it."
"No, I wouldn't want you to lose it either."
"Then let's head back, everyone might be wandering where we went."
"One last thing."
"Hmm?" Hisui yanked on Natsu's scarf to plant a kiss on his cheek. It was quick, meaningless to some, but Hisui wanted to go for another one. The pounding in her heart was exhilarating. Wrapping her arms around Natsu, she hugged Natsu with everything she could offer. Finding herself in a burning forest, the smell reminded Hisui to continue with her gift. So Hisui got on her toes, using Natsu's shoulders for support.
"Merry Christmas…" Hisui whispered to Natsu's ear. "Let's have another great year." Once Hisui pulled away, a mischievous smile bloomed in the dissipating scent of wood. "Oh dear, did I turn you off? Perhaps another one will reverse the damage." Burning wood invaded Hisui's sense of smell once more.
Merry Christmas(hopefully it's Christmas in your timezone)! I hope you liked the chapter, I know I had fun writing it. Maybe this scratches the itch for the people that wants more heartwarming moments between the two.
I want to take this time to thank everyone that took interest into this story, I have no idea how many of you enjoyed this train wreck of a story, only that some liked it enough to stick around. So thanks again for the support on this ride thus far!
I wish you all to have happy holidays and a great new year, I've never been the kind of person to give gifts to the people I know, so, in a sense, this is the biggest present I've ever given someone, but I'll stop rambling and get to the point. I expect my uploading to be more messy in the coming year so I'm going to say sorry in advance.
That's all I got for now, have a nice day!