Duty-Bound: Chapter 17
...xXx...
His gaze had been on her for a while now. Did he like the outfit? Since he was the one who chose it, she was sure he did. She still remembered how shocked he was when she asked him to train her.
"Are you sure about that, Mikan?"
She couldn't tell him how happy she was whenever he called her by her name. "I have to do this for Aida."
Aida's name had a great effect as he didn't question her further and promptly agreed to train her.
When she was still grieving, he never left her side as he promised. Well, he did leave her to tend to a few errands but not without telling her. Even when she was barely conscious, she was still able to hear his voice and feel his touch. Whenever he was called away by his subordinates, he would apologise and give her a gentle kiss on her forehead or cheek before leaving. However, yesterday he had kissed her near her lips.
She dipped herself in the water once more before getting out. Without drying off her wet body, she slipped into her yukata again.
He had his eyes closed when she found him. When she touched his folded arms, he opened his eyes.
With a smile, she said, "Thank you for waiting, Natsume. I'm done."
"Ready to go back?"
Disappointed, she looked away from him.
"What is it?"
"Nothing," she replied after a while.
When she felt his grip on her hand, she looked at him with questioning eyes. Her heart skipped a beat when he caressed her cheek and urged her to come closer. As their bodies pressed against each other, she felt her heart race. Before their lips met, she muttered his name, giving him her answer to his silent request.