.
.
They're standing next to each other by the sink when Bishamon notices it: Kazuma is taller than her.
Bishamon blinks, startled. Of course, she knew on some level that he was - she wore high heels both in her private life and in battle, and she and Kazuma were the same height, then. She had always just assumed he was close to her height, maybe a few centimeters or so taller than her, nothing that would make that much of a difference.
But she stands there now, holding her toothbrush, dumbstruck, as she looks at their reflection in the bathroom mirror and sees that not only is Kazuma taller than her, she barely comes up to the top of his ear. The realization makes Bishamon blush, unexpectedly.
"Veena?" Kazuma holds his toothbrush, glancing back at her. "Is everything okay?"
"I-" Bishamon's mouth is dry. Kazuma had taken off his glasses to wash his face, and she can see the rivulets of water dripping down his temples and chin.
"You're taller than me," Bishamon says. Kazuma quirks an eyebrow.
"You are just now noticing this?"
"I always wear heels." Really, he is in no position to be making fun of her. "Don't look at me like that, Kazuma, you and I are the same height when I wear shoes, I knew you were taller than me already."
Kazuma gives her an amused look, then takes a towel to wipe off his face. As he bends over, the plain T-shirt he's wearing lifts up, exposing a line of skin along his waist.
"Take off your shirt," Bishamon says, suddenly. Kazuma glances up at her, surprised. He lowers the towel.
If he wants to make fun of her, he doesn't. He folds the towel carefully over the rack, then pulls off his shirt, just like she asked. Then he stands there in front of her, waiting for another order.
She steps close to him, letting her hands rest lightly on his chest.
Bishamon has never really taken the time to look at Kazuma before. True, they were lovers now, and she has seen him undressed before. The only thing she had noticed, before focusing on how he feels or trying to keep him from stinging her, was his youth, and the boyishness of his body. She had never really paid attention.
Of course, this is a fatal flaw, one that led both to the destruction of the Ha and Ma clans and nearly killed her exemplar in the process, because now that she's standing close in front of him, under the fluorescent light of the bathroom, she realizes, with growing embarrassment, that Kazuma's body isn't boyish. It is lithe, lightly muscled, and surprisingly sturdy under her fingers.
She drops to the floor suddenly, pushing up one pant leg and feeling up his calf. Kazuma jerks back, startled.
"V-Veena!"
"Wow," Bishaman says. She inspects his calf muscle the way a farmer would inspect an animal. "Your calves are really well-developed."
Kazuma's face goes up in flames. "What are you- why are you- Veena I am not a cow!"
Huh. Apparently Kazuma knows her well enough that the image of that farmer had also popped up in his mind.
Bishamon stands up again, grinning at him. Kazuma, shirtless and without his glasses, is red-faced and embarrassed. He glares and crosses his arms the way a girl would trying to hide her breasts.
Bishamon bursts out laughing. "Kazuma! You look so scandalized! Come here."
"I do not appreciate being ogled over!" Kazuma says.
"Is that so, Kazuma? Because I see evidence to the contrary."
They both look down at his erection tenting up his pants.
Kazuma's eyes widen. He slaps his hands over his lap.
Bishamon smiles sweetly at him. "Shall I take care of that for you?" she asks. Kazuma sighs, exasperated.
"If this is your way of seducing me, Veena, I'm telling you now I would much rather just be ordered."