Third in row... Leon-kun and Ai-chan... Oh this will be fun. (Really! It will!!)
I don't have a problem if you write your own pairing with Aiko... Whether it be Anrima (I hold NOTHING against that guy... I might if he didn't have Akatsuki-kun's voice actor... But...) or heck, even Momoko. Go for it. (thumbs up)
Yeahhh... This is actually a fairly acceptable pairing in my opinion... Even if Leon-kun is a loser compared to Aiko. (laugh)
--
Snowball Fights
Can someone please remind me why I with him?!
Senoo Aiko groaned, wrapping the scarf tight enough to choke herself. It couldn't be helped. You'd react the same way too, if your overly persistant so-called "rival" wanted to play at ANOTHER pointless sport...
In the snow. In the freezing, cold snow.
Which, miraculously, Leon didn't seem to mind one bit.
He clearly was having a heck of a time watching Aiko tread through the tangible water, seeing her face redden with such anger and such a cute look that only a girl could pull off.
The blue witch groaned.
"So why... For the love of all that's warm and cozy, do ya want a rematch now? In the SNOW?"
"Seems like a good time." Leon grinned.
"Yer an idiot."
"Aw, don't be like that, Ai-chan."
"SHUT UP."
He obeyed, taking a step back. Aiko huffed and continued stomping through the mushy snow.
"Why me... Why me... Why me...?" she muttered over and over again, groaning. "Why now??"
"Now seems like a good time." she heard her blond counterpart mutter behind her. At that time, she was very tempted to smack him or something.
But no, she had to be good.
Because, with Leon's terrible timing, it was Christmas Eve, for pete's sake!!
Still, that didn't necessarily water down her mood one bit...
Or would that prevent her smacking the first person who asked if the two of them were a couple...
Of all the ridiculous things...
The blue witch growled, kicking a bit of the snow.
Stupid Leon-kun. Stupid, STUPID Leon-kun.
Behind her, Leon whistled, still in an annoyingly cheery mood.
Aiko made a face.
"How can ya be happy in this kind of weather?"
He didn't answer.
She tried again.
"Why are ya here to begin with?"
"Nothing to do back home." Leon shrugged. "Besides, we heard about a holiday going on in Misora... Nothing's wrong with curiousity."
"Curiousity killed the cat. The blond, blue-eyed cat." Aiko seethed.
"That's funny." he chuckled a bit. "You sure know how to joke, Ai-chan."
Aiko's mouth dropped, a blush painting her cheeks. "And... ya sure know how to be annoying."
"Then tell me to leave."
That sounded simple enough, but Aiko just growled.
"Ya wouldn't listen."
"I beg to differ." Leon grinned, expectantly.
The blue witch just blinked. She huffed, turning heel and continued walking.
"Whatever."
Leon's stupid grin just widened.
"Whatever you say, Ai-chan."
He wasn't one bit aware of the blush that had heatened up the blue witch's cheeks.
That Leon-kun...
She wavered a bit as she walked, nearly running into several people on the way. ("Hey watch where you're going, kid!")
Leon just followed, and for some reason, Aiko imagined him with a wagging tail.
That would sure be a sight.
"Are you still mad?" he asked, confusion lighting up his bright blue eyes.
Aiko glared at him but said nothing.
"I'll take that as a yes..." he mumbled.
"LOOK around ya, Leon-kun. Is that all ya have to ask?" she growled, still in a horrid mood.
"No, actually. I was debating whether or not to ask if you would punch me anytime soon... This time I'd like to be forewarned so I could duck in time."
She stared at him wordlessly.
Leon shrugged.
"What?" he asked innocently.
"N-Nothing." she muttered, spinning around to continue her walk. Man, what happened to the idiot who always asked for a match?! Has he been taking manner classes from Akatsuki-kun or somethin'? Maybe... I wouldn't put it past him... Always wantin' to spend time with Doremi-chan... Urgh...
She shook her head. Why the heck do I envy that so much?!
"Ai-chan," Leon's voice called out from behind her. "What are you in the mood for, anyway? I figure since we're already outside... We should do something besides walk all day!"
"How about I play ya to leave me alone, just like last year?" she grumbled.
"What?" he responded in confused but still strange sounding English.
Man, he got nothin' on Momo-chan. the blue witch couldn't help but think before shrugging.
"Nothing..."
Why did I just say that? Someone stop me, please.
Leon grinned, and Aiko's lips twitched.
Why can't I ever get this guy to go away?
"So? What will be, Ai-chan?"
"Decide for yerself," she mumbled, casting her gaze to the side. "It's too cold for anythin'... Lemme tell ya."
"That doesn't stop the kids..." Leon responded, smiling a bit.
Aiko looked at him, her sapphire eyes sparkling before she quickly looked down, embarrassed.
Someone mind tellin' me why I feel so nervous all of a sudden? Is there somethin' wrong with me or what?
"Yeah, yeah, yeah..."
Leon glanced at her, smirking.
"Your face sure is red from the cold."
Huh?! What the-?!
Immediately, her hands jumped up to her cheeks, flinching at bit at the frostbitten touch before she focused.
Sure enough, her cheeks felt a TINY bit warm.
Ya have got to be kiddin' me. YA HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDIN'!!
"Ai-chan?"
Leon flinched from the vicious glare he received, and shivered.
"Um... Ai-chan?"
She snarled, and he stepped back again, being cautious.
"...Ai-chan?"
Silence. He shuddered from the cold and tried once again.
"Hey... Ai-chan?"
Aiko stared at him, biting her lip as her eyes flashed.
"What," she growled. "is wrong with you, Leon-kun?"
"I should be asking you that same question..." Leon's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Why so upset, Ai-chan?"
Aiko made a face, and then she shrugged.
"I just don't like the cold, alright?"
"Really?"
"What's it to ya, Leon-kun?" she asked, her eyebrows raised with suspicion.
"Well..." the English-speaking blond started in a matter-of-fact voice. "I noticed that Ai-chan is stronger than usual if she's angry enough. It's what makes her scarey."
That earned a snowball to smack in his face.
Leon quickly rubbed his face.
"Man that's cold, Ai-chan!!"
Aiko growled, folding her arms.
"It's yer big mouth, not mine, Leon-kun... Did it ever occur to ya that I may have to tape it up myself?!"
Ouch. Ever the aggressive one.
"Well... At least it's better than that time you threw a basketball at me..." he muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Oh, do you have one? Let me borrow it for a minute."
"No way," Leon snapped in his usual funny-sounding English, putting his hands on his hips. "I've actually learned my lesson from that."
"Oh no... Really?" Aiko's face held several doubts. "I ain't buyin' it."
"You're always like this," he accused. "Can't ya at least pretend to be happy?"
"Keep that mouth of yers shut and I'll consider it," she huffed in response.
"Oh Ai-chan, you're no fun... Looks like the only thing I can beat you in is not losing my temper." he rolled his eyes. "You seriously need to loosen up."
"Ya wanna run that by me again, Leon-kun?" Aiko hissed, the anger rising in her face.
"I said, you need to loosen up."
A snowball slammed into his face again, and he growled.
"Didn't I tell you to stop that?!"
"Oh, look who's the short-tempered one now," the blue witch snickered, pride filling her handiwork.
Leon narrowed his eyes, and threw a snowball at Aiko, her face quickly lighting up with shock.
She turned a ruthless if-looks-could-kill glare and returned fire.
Her counterpart lifted his fingers in a "bring it" motion and the two of them continued in their snowball fight, the snow going both left and white until both of the athletes were freezing and shivering.
Leon fell to his knees, his hands a bright red as he shuddered from the cold. "D-Darn... Lost again."
Aiko was still on her feet, but she was shaking even more than Leon was, and her hands were glued to her mouth, as if to prevent her from crying out, and a weird, strangled sound was coming from her throat.
Leon looked up, his eyes question marks.
"Ai... Ai-chan?" he asked a bit shakily, momentarily stumped on whether she was going to burst into tears or explode from anger.
Aiko's sapphire eyes seemed to glitter over her hands, and moisture formed as she shut them tightly, shaking even more if that was possible.
Her counterpart looked freaked, and finally she let it out, but it wasn't the sound he expected.
Aiko; aggressive, frightening, short-fused Aiko, was laughing?!
She was laughing hard, too, shaking so much it looked like she was having a seizure, banging her fist onto the stone wall, her entire face flushed.
Leon just sat there, blinking and confused.
What the...?
Finally, her loud laughter turned to giggles, and she wiped her eyes.
Then, in the next most surprising stunt, she smiled.
Her face seemed to glow with excitement, and she never looked so happy.
Leon's heart just skipped a beat.
Ai-chan...
Aiko giggled again, extending her reddened hand.
"Need a hand up, Leon-kun?" she chuckled, still a bit giddy.
He just took her hand, and she helped him up.
Aiko winked, beaming.
"Excellent aim. Ya got me so many times."
Leon just blinked, his expression clearly stating whether or not his rival was mentally stable.
Aiko smiled again, her joy faltering.
"What? Is something on my face?"
"You're not... mad?" was all he could muster. From all his experience with the blue witch, a more natural thing would of been her smacking him upside the head.
She shook her head, still smiling brightly.
"Mad? Why?"
He stared at her with his jaw dropped and he gulped.
"It's just... Ai-chan... You were so happy all of a sudden."
"Well ya'd be cracking with joy, too!" she laughed, elbowing him sharply in the ribs. "Ya should have seen yerself... Please Leon-kun, it was just a game, wasn't it? It isn't exactly possible to win in a snowball fight."
"Last man standing?" he offered, his lips in a tight line.
She shrugged.
"Whatever. I've never had so fun before, though..." her smile widened, her eyes glittering. "Thanks, Leon-kun. I really needed to cool down, if ya get my drift."
He just shrugged.
"Oh, well. I'm still confused."
She slapped him on the back.
"Get ahold of yerself, Leon-kun!" she exclaimed, still unbelievably cheery. "Life's not all about competition!! Why do ya think it is we even celebrate Christmas over here?"
He merely stared at her in still confusion before his lips had an O shape. "So... You're not mad?"
She shook her head.
"Not even the littlest bit mad, Leon-kun."
"You're... You're not upset?" He tried again. It was all still mind-boggling.
"Of course not." Her tone was kind now. "Why would I even be, Leon-kun? Tell me that."
"You always are..." he muttered, shifting his gaze away from her.
"Oh..." Aiko's expression changed, like she was surprised. "Am I really?"
She turned thoughtful, as if to recall a moment where she actually was happy to be near him.
"Huh..." she finally stated. "Guess I should apologize for that."
Leon looked baffled. "Did you... hit your head or something, Ai-chan?"
Aiko glared at him.
"No. Can't ya just grasp the fact that I actually like that yer here?!" She threw her hands up in the air, exasperated.
"I mean seriously, THINK about it, Leon-kun! Why else would I put up with all yer nonsense?! Why ELSE would I actually think that someday, maybe, just MAYBEsomeday ya'll beat me?! Answer that!!"
But he couldn't. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates, and his jaw was dropped, as if the girl had just claimed to be back from the mothership.
"Co... Come again?"
"URGH!!" she groaned, slamming her hand on her forehead. "You're so freakin' CLUELESS!! What do I have to do?!"
Leon blinked, frowning.
"I... I still have no idea what you mean, Ai-chan."
Aiko made a face before shaking him firmly by the shoulders.
"Listen to me, you idiot." she growled, grinding her teeth together. "I. Like. YOU."
To prove her point, she pushed herself forward and connected their lips, pressing as hard as she could without opening her mouth.
Leon's eyes widened before he quickly returned it, almost certain he could hear both of their hearts pounding.
Aiko pulled back, her face impossibly flushed before she gulped.
"Do ya get it now, Leon-kun?"
His face was blank.
"You win again, Ai-chan."
The blue witch just laughed, releasing his shoulders.
"Come on," she whistled as she took his hand. "Let's go play in the snow some more."
She winked. "I wanna see if ya can beat me in a real snowball fight, Leon-kun."
Leon just grinned.
"This time I'm prepared, Ai-chan."
"Oh, please!!"
As the two's laughter echoed in the distance, it was then, Aiko decided.
There's nothing more relieving than a fair-played snowball war.