My heart fluttered as I knocked on Mikhail's door. I could feel Ina's curious eyes watching as I waited for Mikhail to answer, but he didn't take long. He greeted me with a smile and we walked together out the door and towards the mountain path. We walked together in silence for a while; I found myself a little tongue tied.
"Are you ok Reina?"
"What? Oh yes, of course. I guess I'm just a little nervous about going to Bluebell."
"Don't worry, I travel there often and the people are really very kind."
I nodded and smiled as he reached out and took my hand. As our fingers interlocked I glanced up at him and saw a small blush cross his cheeks.
"Besides," he continued, "I'll be beside you the whole time."
It was my turn to blush but he didn't seem to notice and simply began to hum a song as we continued to walk.
As I watched Reina examine every single seed and flower that Cam had for sale a melody wove through my heart. I laughed as she asked Cam question after question, and he did his best to respond but seemed a little overwhelmed by my inquisitive little companion. When she made her selection I insisted that she let me pay, and with a little persistence she allowed it. On the way back to Konohana she talked nonstop about what she was going to do with the purchases, but I was content listing to her beautiful voice. At the peak of the mountain I asked, "Do you want to take a break by the Goddess Pond?"
"Um ok," she responded.
I really wanted to get home and study the plants and seeds Mikhail had bought me, but I also wanted to spend more time with him. I agreed to take a break at the pond with him and was pleasantly surprised when he leaned over and kissed my cheek. My face turned as red as the falling leaves and he mumbled, "Sorry."
"I-it's alright," I manage to say. I quickly lean over and peck his cheek before saying,
"Thank you. You've really helped my research."
He begins to laugh and I soon join in. I'm so glad that he doesn't seem to mind my
constant chatter about my work.
"Would you like to come to my lab and assist me?"
He cocked his head and smiled. "I would love to, are you sure I won't be in the way?"
"No I'll show you what to do so don't worry."
I could tell that Reina was doing her best to be patient with me, but I was a little lost even with her instructions. I eventually told her that I would rather watch her work, and she agreed almost too eagerly. I didn't mind though, it was fun watching her. She scrunched up her nose when she thought and mumbled to herself as she took notes. I couldn't say how long I sat there and watched her but she eventually took a step back from her microscope to stretch and jumped when she saw me sitting there.
"Oh I am so sorry Mikhail! I get so caught up in my work that I tend to forget about everything else."
I laughed and walked over to her. "It's alright," I say as I lean over and press my forehead against hers. "Did you know that you make the cutest faces when you're working?"
Her face turned crimson as she mumbled, "Cute? That's dumb, how could I look cute if I'm making a face?"
I shrugged. "Well I think you're always cute."
Reina blushed and backed away from me. She bumped into the bookshelf behind her and jumped. I was afraid that I had upset her and decided to stay where I was. "I'm sorry," I said in almost a whisper.
"No no I'm sorry," she said with a nervous laugh. "I'm just not used to um, well any of this."
I looked at her; she was fiddling with one of her braids but met my gaze and shyly smiled. I walked over and took her hand. "Promise me you'll tell me if I do something that upsets you."
She nodded and shyly wrapped her arms around me. "You haven't done anything wrong; I just don't know how to respond sometimes."
I kissed the top of her head and she sighed, it was a beautiful sound.
Mikhail was so warm. He also smelled of nature, no doubt from the amount of time I knew he spent walking on the mountains. Even though he made my heart race, he was also incredibly comforting. I closed my eyes and nestled against his chest. "Mikhail?"
"Yes?"
"When did you know that you ah, liked me?"
He laughed. "Well one day I heard you singing in the mountains, I believe you were singing to the flowers. It was love at first song."
"Love!?" I squeaked as I jerked my head back and hit it against the shelf. I released my hold on Mikhail and rubbed the painful spot. When I looked back at him, he seemed sad. "I developed a crush on you last spring," I blurted out in hopes to bring a smile back to his face. "I saw you brushing the dirt off of some plant sprouts by the goddess pond. They would of done fine on their own, but it was sweet of you."
His smile returned, but I barely got the chance to see it before he pressed his lips against mine.