~Vaster than the Sea, Wider than the Sky~

Disclaimer: The characters in this fanfiction belong to Studio Ghibli. Copyright infringement is not intended.

The issue with being spirits and good-looking ones, as Haku and Akihi were quickly discovering, meant that it was near impossible to go undercover.

"But, the first part of the infiltration was successful," the fire elemental argued. "We've explained to all and sundry that we're Fujimoto's Oceanography students."

Haku shook his head. That wasn't the problem. The problem was, everywhere they went, they caught too much attention. He'd sensed that this would be so. Earlier on, when they'd first started their search and had asked for directions at a house down the street from Fujimoto's, the old lady had blushed and simpered. Akihi had remained oblivious, accepting the large basket of vegetables with good-natured nonchalance. Haku on the other hand, had been used to administering to many different characters at the bathhouse and alarm bells were going off as he watched the old lady giggling and fawning over Akihi like he was the very incarnation of a soppy golden retriever puppy.

Then, when he'd tried to explain to Akihi, his friend had only looked stunned.

"Seriously? We're that attractive?"

"Yes. Well, you are," Haku explained patiently. "It's your spirit aura. You need to tune it down." He gestured briefly. "Like this."

Akihi's golden eyes gleamed mischievously. "Now I see! And I was wondering why all the nurses at the Home seemed so delighted to see us." He burst into an amused chuckle. "And no wonder Fuji-chan looked so annoyed!"

Haku sighed. "Can we focus? Even the dragon court has sent their spy over."

Akihi grew serious at that. "Ah, yes," he said unhappily before brightening again. "But this aura would come in useful wouldn't it, if we need to ask people questions?"

"Perhaps." Haku admitted. It wasn't in his nature to do things in this flashy way. He preferred discreet observation and reconnaissance. Fire types like Akihi on the other hand... This was why he'd been reluctant when Akihi had volunteered to come along. In some ways, the Akihi of this mission was like a child who'd been given free rein in a candy shop and Haku couldn't help but wonder at his indiscreetness.

"You should watch out for your friend," Zeniba had remarked casually as she carefully shuffled papers. Haku, who had stayed back after the Council meet to speak to his mentor looked up from clearing the rest of the unused parchment.

"Akihi?"

"Did you know he is the nephew of the ruler under Mount Owakudani?"

Haku's brow went up. "I'd suspected he wasn't the usual wizard. His magical abilities are a cut above the normal. You must have read the report. He fought back two of the Yamazaki spirit's elite guards under the pressure of an unfavourable field."

"Hmm. Yes."

He followed her when she strode out of the room. "What are you saying?"

She turned round so abruptly her nose was nearly in his chest. She twitched. "I'm just saying."

His mouth quirked. "Just saying what?"

She sniffed disdainfully. "That is for you to find out."

That was that. Haku hadn't probed further, mostly because he knew the witch had told him all she knew. Zeniba may live in a swamp but she made it her business to remain informed and it troubled him that everything else about Akihi seemed up in the air. Still, Haku couldn't shake off the feeling that things were on a downhill slide. Blame it on years of working with Yubaba - but if there was something he'd learnt from her, it was how to watch your own back, and right now, his back was prickling with premonition.

Weighed down by the unexpected vegetables, they were waiting to cross the road in front of the district's sole public sports hall, Akihi seemingly oblivious to Haku's mood as he chattered on. Haku's face fell. A group of girls had trooped out and he'd spotted a familiar brown head among them. That Chihiro was there was not lost to Akihi. He nudged Haku, winking as he did "Why, it's that girl!"

"Don't -" the dragon began desperately, but already, Akihi had bounded forward and introduced himself to them.

"Afternoon ladies," he said as he leaned rakishly against the lamp post.

Chihiro stared solemnly at him. There was something odd about this young man. He appeared to be about eighteen or nineteen and had a mop of wavy blonde curls of the sort that might have not looked out of place on an Italian Renaissance statue. And his behaviour... Such open friendliness... was he perhaps a foreigner? She found herself caught by a flicker of gold in his eyes. To be accurate, a foreigner with tinted contacts. Well.

He's come a long way, she thought, and then, that came out of nowhere.

"Aren't you Akihi-san? My sister was talking about you," Ami was gushing by the time she'd shifted her attention back to her.

The handsome stranger flashed a pearly smile and Chihiro could have sworn she'd seen sparkles popping out of her starry-eyed friends.

"What gave me away?"

Ami pretended to think. "I don't see a lot of blonde-haired strangers around," she commented with a smirk. "And my sister works at the home. It seems you've become something of an idol. You can ask Chihiro here. She helps out there some time. Right?"

"Eh?" Chihiro hastily snapped on a polite smile as her friends fawned over the good-looking stranger. "Er yes... What were you saying?"

Ami rolled her eyes. "Hello... good-looking guy at twelve o'clock..." she whispered.

But Chihiro's attention was gone again, her gaze shifting thoughtfully to the pedestrian sidewalk opposite. It was empty, the sunlight glittering over the waves and the dusty black and yellow paint of the seawall. She turned reluctantly back to the Michaelangelo impersonator that Ami and Yura were busy chatting up.

Akihi's smile was wavering. The human girl was unnerving; the way she was seizing him up, it felt as though her unblinking gaze would bore a hole through him. Then, all of her sudden, she was smiling in this weird way at him. Discomfited, Akihi found himself turning his attention to the other two girls who'd been a little more correctly mesmerized by his aura.

"I see that you're going for a game?" he enquired.

The two girls giggled. "No, we've just finished and were just about to get a drink. It's a hot day," the shorter girl corrected with a meaningful smile at the large bundle of turnips in his hands. "It must be heavy. Where's your friend?" Akihi, who had truly forgotten the vegetables (and a certain dragon) blinked down in genuine surprise. Quickly recovering, he flashed the trio a grin that would have melted a frozen pond. "A gentleman is always able to carry his own weight, let alone these turnips. And as for my friend? Why? Are you interested in him too?"

The two girls smirked and then broke into giggles again. "That's not true."

"Really? And I thought he was the one all the nurses were looking at..."

"Not my sister that's for sure," Ami snorted. "Mari's definitely voting for you."

His gold eyes flicked mischievously to where Haku was. "What about you Chihiro-san? What do you see in a guy?"

Floating invisibly alongside the seawall, Haku looked heavenward, silently begging any listening kami in the vicinity to spare him the embarrassment of watching Akihi flirt. He was on the verge of sending a timely rain cloud over when the fire elemental popped that question. He stiffened. That wretched sprite!

Chihiro could feel heat rising involuntarily to her face. "Oh, nobody," she said, reddening.

Akihi's brow went up. "Are you sure? A pretty girl like you should have a lot of suitors. Perhaps..." he smirked, "they are just shy..."

Someone coughed. "Or perhaps your presence has scared them away."

The new arrival had fine dark hair and curiously-shaped eyes and was dressed in a loose white shirt and jeans that, (had Haku been conscious of), served only to accentuate his slender build. Chihiro stared rather and then looked away, scuffing her shoes. Pretty, that would be what her friends would describe him as. But there was more than that - he held himself with a sort of regal stillness, like a courtier in a fairy tale. Which fairytale? Chihiro hadn't exactly grown up knowing a lot of such stories. Was she imagining it then? The thought worried her so much that it was only when Ami dug her rather painfully in the ribs that she remembered where she was.

Catching her eye, Ami nudged her mercilessly again. "That's the other guy I was telling you about! Try to pay attention won't you?"

"H-Hai..." she murmured, still blushing. The dark-haired young man it seemed, had thankfully been busy admonishing his friend and had not seemed to have noticed them properly.

"Didn't you hear me call you? Fujimoto-sensei has been looking you," he scolded.

"Ha... I mean, when did you get here?"

Haku smirked playfully. "I was always here. You aren't very observant are you?" Then, while Akihi was still fuming, he turned to the girls, bowing politely. "I am very sorry. I hope my... classmate has not been troubling you. He tends to get carried away on holidays."

"Excuse me?" Akihi demanded indignantly before having the second sack of turnips placed unceremoniously in his arms. "Wha... Hey!"

Haku glanced coldly at him. You idiot, he sent, what do you think you can accomplish like this? And stop harassing Chihiro.

Don't be a square. I'm not asking you to forget the mission. I'm asking you to talk to her because you like her.

The girls, to whom the fierce mental exchange was lost, only smirked among themselves and giggled again. "Not at all... er...?"

The dragon smiled uncomfortably, Akihi's mental message still resounding in his head.

"I am called Haku," he said.

They introduced themselves again at the sleepy cafeteria of the local sports complex, Akihi keeping up a steady stream of light conversation. It wasn't only that he liked talking (he did) but when his partner had become suddenly reticent after his initial introduction, he hadn't a choice. Ami and her shyer friend, Yura had by then opened up, offering sight-seeing advice and suggestions of local eateries.

"Perhaps we can all meet again if you would like," Ami suggested casually. Yura was already nodding excitedly. "Yes! And we can show you around... right Chihiro?"

"Chihiro...?"

The girl twitched visibly when Yura peered at her closely.

"Hai?"

Akihi smiled and leaned over to Ami in a whisper. "Your friend's... an interesting character isn't she?"

Pretending to be affronted, the short-haired girl folded her arms. "Don't be such an egoist. Not everyone's gentle and humble like yourself," she stated sarcastically and then smirked when Akihi looked suitably apologetic.

"Allow me to get you dessert, by way of an apology," he said and pulled Haku up with him. "Come on," he said. "You've to help me pick something."

They had barely left when Ami gave Chihiro a gentle push towards Haku. "Why don't you introduce yourself to him eh?"

When the girl stared blankly at her, Ami rolled her eyes. "Come on. I've never seen you smitten before."

That, Chihiro thought wryly, was because she'd only been introduced to Ami and Yura two days ago by Risa.

"And don't say I don't know you," Ami added (as if reading her mind). "Mari gets that look all the time."

"I'm not - what was that word you used - smitten," Chihiro insisted. Her friend snorted dismissively. "Anyway since you're already standing, why don't you go over and tell them I want rainbow sprinkles on my chocolate sundae?"

When Chihiro got there, the two young men were leaning against the counter, whispering fiercely.

"...if you don't dare ask Chi..."

On seeing her, Akihi flinched and Haku looked up, a guarded expression on his finely sculpted face.

"Excuse me, was I interrupting something?" she apologized. Akihi shook his head lightly and graced her with a bright smile. "Of course not," he said, though Chihiro could have sworn she was. Akihi waved grandly at the small cafe's paltry offering. "Haku and I were merely debating the comparative merits between the lemon meringue and chocolate sundae."

Chihiro was no expert on the human psyche, but right there a little shiver went down her spine. They'd been discussing her. Akihi was still refusing to meet her eyes properly, though Haku, she observed, was staring at her gravely. An involuntary blush crept to her cheeks. The cafe vendor banged down two sundaes on the glass topped counter. It was chocolate, luscious, cool and topped generously with chopped hazelnuts.

"Ami is allergic to nuts," Chihiro said, remembering why she was here in the first place. "She asked if you would order one with rainbow sprinkles instead."

Flummoxed, Akihi looked at the two sundaes. "Oh..." It was definitely going to waste and the cafe vendor shrugged.

"I can have it," Chihiro and Haku both said at the same time and then looked at each other, startled. Akihi raised an eyebrow sceptically. "Alright then... if you two like nuts that much..." He thrust one of the sundaes at Haku. "Wha-

"Share it," the fire mage intoned, jerking his head in Chihiro's direction. The girl coughed, embarrassed but Akihi had bustled off back to their little table under the umbrella. Schooling his face to one of apology, he placed the ice-cream in front of Yura. "For you," he said as Chihiro and Haku caught up. To their utter surprise, Ami jumped up, pointing at their sundae with abject horror.

"Nuts! Oh I'm going to faint..." she moaned, flinging a limp palm on her forehead. Then, still pointing with her other hand, she indicated the table on the far side of the cafe. "You two. Sit there and don't come back here until you've finished that abomination."

This was too much for Yura, who burst into giggles. Tottering over to Chihiro, Ami slung one hand around her friend conspiratorially. "Do me a favour," she muttered into the bemused girl's ear. "I've just gone and made a fool of myself for your sake. Even the cafe oji is staring."

Chihiro glanced at the other sundae perched on the table between Akihi and Yura. It too was covered in nuts, though Ami hadn't seen fit to deem it a biological hazard. In any case, Chihiro knew a lost cause when she saw one - even Haku had already moved over to the other table without a word of complaint. The cafe vendor had returned, this time with Ami's order and as he set it down on the table, he nodded sagely. "Youth only happens once, young lady," he said, jade-green eyes crinkled in amusement.

Ami grinned widely. "Exactly! So off you go - if you don't mind!"

There was nothing else for it and Chihiro sat down opposite Haku, feeling a little outcast. Ami smirked triumphantly and then mouthed gambate when she looked at her accusingly. However, Haku's soft chuckle claimed her attention then and she smiled a little. "I am sorry for the trouble. Ami doesn't mean anything by it..."

"And do you?" Haku asked.

Chihiro shivered again. Though he'd spoken before, up close, she was surprised by how nice his voice sounded, cool as a fountain on a hot day. "Eh?" she said, conscious how awkward she must appear to him. But Haku, who seemed to regret his hastily blurted rejoinder, was no less comfortable. "It's nothing," he said, "Sorry."

"I don't think this conversation isn't going to go anywhere," Chihiro replied timidly as she traced the rim of the sundae glass shyly. "If we're going to keep apologizing to each other that is."

"True."

"It'll be a waste of time."

"Mhmm."

Silence. Even the other group of three had fallen silent, so rapt was their attention on the couple. Chihiro didn't know whether to feel amused or annoyed. She settled on a mixture of the two. Glancing at Haku she observed he'd noticed them as well and though his sober expression hadn't changed, his eyes were crinkled with what was obviously amusement. They both shared a knowing look.

"Should we keep them watching?" he suggested, with a lift of his eyebrows.

Chihiro dug a generous helping of the sundae, looking remarkably innocent as she pretended to consider the proposal.

"How do you plan on going about that?"

Leaning over close to her, he whispered, "Simple."

There was a sharp intake of breath that was neither of them and Chihiro clapped a hand over her mouth to stop the rash of giggles from bubbling out of her. She felt like she was ten again, though she hadn't done anything remotely this childish even then except for once when she'd snuck off to the back to eat onigiri (it didn't matter whose backyard it had been - did it). Haku was smiling again, though this time it was more akin to a smirk. Your turn, he mouthed as he sat down again.