Author's Note:
Like all my writing, the plot unfolds as I write. I have a general idea of where I want to end up, but the specific events are made clear as I wade through each adventure—one event leading to the next.
I had no idea how fast these segments ran together until I'd already exhausted myself over the first few chapters. By the time I realized I needed to slow down their relationship, I was too far ahead to want to go back and stretch it out further.
The result is something a bit more rushed than I would've liked; but hey, this is my guilty pleasure.
. . .
Kagura insisted on sweeping the entire supermarket to make sure they didn't miss anything. They each picked up a bathing suit, sunglasses and towels. She was especially excited about the sunglasses.
"You look like a movie star!" She grinned at Saiga and pointed to a mirror.
"You don't look too bad yourself."
Kagura blushed.
She pressed him to buy a big striped umbrella and forced him to buy a tube of sun block. Saiga didn't see the point of either of those things, but he couldn't refuse her wide, pleading eyes. In the magazine aisle, she put at least a dozen periodicals in the cart.
"Look at all this candy!" She exclaimed once they'd reached an entire aisle of gleaming, sugary confections.
Saiga glanced at his cart. "We do need some snacks. Candy probably isn't the best thing, though."
"Maybe just a couple bags?"
She also suggested they buy more Ramen for dinners in their hotel room. "It was our first meal together."
Once they wound their way to the hair-care aisle, Kagura turned from a selection of barrettes to talk to Saiga.
"What do you like to do for fun?"
He leaned into the cart. He never got enough groceries at once to need a cart; everything was completely backwards now.
"Uh… Fun."
"What did you use to do in your spare time?"
"I watched a lot of TV. I went to bars. I went for walks and smoked."
She blinked.
He laughed nervously. "I used to play cards at base during the war. Maybe we could try that."
Finally they finished their spree and headed towards the checkout. Kagura stared wide-eyed at all of the impulse items, and Saiga yawned through each refusal.
"What about this little feather pen?"
"No."
"Some gum?"
"We already have a huge bag."
She glanced across the aisle to the other rack and noticed a man staring at her hungrily. She whirled back the other way, then timidly peeked at him again. He continued to stare. Kagura slipped to Saiga's side and clutched his arm.
"What?" He asked, looking around for the cause of her uneasiness. He immediately found the peeper. "Hey!" Saiga bridged the gap between them and gripped the man's shirt collar. "Why don't you check out someone your own age, pervert? Get out of here!"
The man opened his mouth, gurgled, and turned on his heel to find another aisle. Saiga threw a few glares at the bewildered customers surrounding them.
"Thanks," Kagura whispered, grabbing Saiga's hand and squeezing it tightly.
His heart leapt uncontrollably.
'What kind of fucking nut-job am I turning out to be?' He wondered.
. . .
Saiga managed to get a deal on a hotel suite after booking the room for a week. He figured it would take awhile for Suitengu to get a grip after the wedding fiasco, and tracking them would be a little more difficult with their sporadic driving. Both of them needed a little break.
The suite included two bedrooms, a sofa set and TV, and a dining table with a small kitchenette. As much as Kagura was used to extravagance, she was thrilled by the tiny room, insisting it was like their own apartment. They unpacked their groceries and clothes and sat on the balcony to enjoy the view of the setting sun over the distant ocean.
"This is so perfect," Kagura sighed.
Saiga tried to ignore the pit in his stomach. "Yeah. It's pretty nice."
"How long are we staying here?"
"A week. Do you want to check out the beach tomorrow?"
"That sounds great!"
"Good. We have enough food to eat most of our meals in the room. The less exposure we have, the better. But it'll be nice to go the beach every once in awhile."
. . .
They spent the rest of the evening in front of the television, watching a documentary about African animals. Neither were very interested, but they were content not to have to think for once. Kagura buried her face in a magazine and glanced at the TV every once in awhile.
"What's in that thing?" Saiga asked, eyes unfocused in the direction of the TV.
"All kinds of stuff: what to wear, makeup, celebrities, how to get the perfect boyfriend."
"Heh."
"Apparently I've been wearing the wrong things my whole life."
"I wouldn't put too much stock into what those glamour queens say."
"These girls look very pretty, though."
"Hm. I'm a photographer. I know a fake when I see one." He took the magazine and flipped through it. "Most of this is doctored. They're not that spectacular, trust me."
"Do you think I'm pretty, Saiga?"
"Huh?" He whipped his head around to gape at her. "Of- of course you are."
"Thanks." She smiled.
He turned back to the TV. He tried to push away the memory of their first meeting. She had been stunning in that moment—eerie, but stunning.
"I think you're handsome."
Saiga jerked his attention back to her. "Huh?"
Kagura giggled.
"Um, thanks."
"It's your eyes. I've never seen such a blue."
He wished she would stop. Maybe if he just ignored her.
"Saiga? Did you hear me?"
"I think your judgment is skewed."
She laughed. "You're being awkward again."
"Seriously, how many men have you met to be able to judge?"
Kagura shrugged. "I do know that at least compared to these people." She shook her magazine. "You're very handsome."
A lion pounced on a small lioness on the television. Saiga scrambled to flip the channel.