This is written for dragonshost in exchange for her caramel recipe and for shipping me with writing and also for strixsoul because apparently Jumaru is her OTP so I thought I'd indulge her more. (Although I apologize in advance because I don't think I got what I aimed for in this drabble, haha!)

To Blue Star: Thank you so much for giving this a try and leaving a review! It means a lot to me when people move out of the their comfort zone, haha. I don't mind if you're just in it for the fluff! And LOL I didn't even know who the hell Totomaru was until I started writing this so no shame there!

Everyone, thank you so much for love and kindness! Can I just say that I totally didn't expect to be received at all? T_T You are all the best!

exhaust

She never understands why he always tries to catch her hand when they're out walking together.

But she lets him have her hand anyway, lets him twine his fingers between hers, allows their warm palms to hug and their wrists to kiss. His grip is hot and heavy and she's afraid that her hand will turn to steam.

So they walk—together—and he swings his handful of her back and forth childishly, as if he is proud to be holding her at arm's length, elbow to elbow with a leash made of muscle and bone. She wonders if this so-called connection is what makes him happy, and she wonders why showing the physical attraction even matters when it isn't even real.

But if she ponders much more on it, she realizes that this all actually means something to her, and she had never in her whole life learned how to let any one person waste her mental energy, so she decides not to think too long about it and just let her elemental opposite do as he pleases.

Every now and then he dares to take that hand and press it against his lips. He would look up at her eyes and try to catch her gaze to see her reaction, a sly smirk sliding across the corners of his mouth.

He's searching for the flame behind her cool ocean eyes but the ultramarine won't let the heat reach her pristine mind.

However, the fire mage makes life much more interesting than stitch after stitch of teru teru bozu dolls.

Is it wrong for her to indulge in the game a little bit?

But she doesn't think too long about the answer to this either, and so she glares at him, offers him an icy stare, lets her hand turn tense and stiff in his hands.

She plays dead to his affection. And he seems to become more livened up by it.

His eyes sparkle like sharp obsidian and he chuckles once, never breaking eye contact, laughing a smoky exhale over the back of her hand. He gives her hand back to her, and she quickly snatches it back from him, tucking her hand into the other, still feeling the singe of his kiss on her skin.

It isn't safe to play with fire.

But fuck it. She had water at her side and she could put him out anytime she wanted to.

thir13enth