Title: Not Quite Number One
Author: Sicilian Maiden
Pairing: Narumi Ayumu/Yuizaki Hiyono
Fandom: Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna
Theme: #10—#10
Rating: PG-ish?( Depends on what you see as "bad language")
Disclaimer: All characters of Spiral are the property of Kyou Shirodaira; I alleged no possession of said characters. I only request to take them to over-rowdy soccer games and force them to play at gunpoint.
Summary: It was only number, right?

Hehe, I'm just bursting with the sudden flow of ideas. (: Huzzah! For notes, Ayumu and Hiyono are in their late-twenties, early-thirties.

-o-

With a huff of absolute disdain, he threw the newspaper down. The nerve of those damn reporters! Honestly, who did they think they were?

"They need to get their goddamn facts straight," a gruff voice grumbled. The annoyance in the tone was evident and a pair of caramel-eyes watched, gauging his attitude before approaching the irritated man, two petite hands coming down to massage his shoulders. Contradictory to what she had been expecting, the owner of said shoulders did not push her away, rather, he sighed heavily and leaned into her touch.

A rich humming noise resounded from deep within the man's chest as the woman behind him smiled contently at her husband's changed mood. She always thought that if she didn't going into writing that she should have been a masseuse. Several minutes passed and the small home remained silent, with the exception of a rather obese cat that was mewling, hoping to gain attention. Its green eyes were almost glaring at the fair-haired woman in a "take your hands off him" scowl; she stuck her tongue out at the feline and continued her kneading. When the cat persisted in its stare-off, the woman hissed at the animal and muttered, "Mou, get lost Kiku."

This seemed to break the spell that the two had been under—the auburn-haired man turned around, his dark eyes gazing at the woman behind him. She smiled softly and he nodded. It appeared that not long after their marriage, the louder of the two had calmed down, albeit, a slight adjustment but a necessary one all the same.

"Ne, what's the matter?" she asked concernedly. It wasn't often that her husband became angered but when he did, watch out. He'd been working on his stress control so this outburst wasn't as bad as previous episodes.

His jaw clenched though he inhaled deeply and then motioned for his wife to sit by him. She did so and soon, two slim legs were propped over his lap and thighs. Her long, silky hair was free from the usual bun she put it in; the strands cascaded down her back and arms. To him, she seemed much older and mature looking (an appearance that she strived to have) when her hair was pulled back so it was bizarre to see her with it down. She had grown accustomed to having to give the impression of professionalism with her writing career rising as fast as it was. Narumi Hiyono was a name that women and teen girls throughout Japan knew. Her series of romance novels were number one in the country and her first autobiography was in the top five most read memoirs.

So when she saw the headline that read "Top Ten Crime Solvers," she had an inkling of where the conversation was headed. She kept quite, however.

"It's just that..." his voice died off. Hiyono gestured to the paper and when he nodded, she picked up the article and allowed her eyes to roam the cover. After a few moments, a large grin fought to spread over her face. She snorted in a very un-lady-like fashion only to hid her face into her spouse's neck.

He grimaced at her laughter and felt her body shake in mirth. Hot breath whispered over the juncture of his neck adding to his embracement.

"It's not that funny," he poignantly stated. Really, there was nothing humorous about the situation. He was pissed, dammit.

"Oh yes, yes it is," came her muffled reply. It was hard to decipher her next sentence as she dug her face further into him. She giggled uncontrollably letting the newspaper fall to the floor where Kiku batted it in passive amusement. Even with his agitation, Narumi Ayumu felt a small grin pull at his lips—he refused to acknowledge it.

"Ayumu-kun, really?" She had finally pried her face away and wiped at nonexistent tears. Her cheeks were flushed from her sudden outburst and, in all truth, the dark-haired man had never seen his wife look so beautiful (aside from their wedding day, of course).

"I think so. Do you truly think I'm that bad?" he asked.

"Ano, Ayumu-kun, why do you believe what they write?" She never liked the media; they always blew everything out of proportion.

"They've been kind to you, haven't they?"

"Pft, is this what it's about? Dear, I think you are looking at the wrong source." She felt like bopping her husband over the head. He was constantly radiating a "suave and smooth" demeanor—no one would think that the Narumi Ayumu was self-conscious.

"The wrong... source?" Finally, she did whap his noggin. He blurted out a "Hey!" and Kiku immediately ran off.

"What was that for?" he demanded.

"Honestly, you are so dense. It's always said that you are so intelligent yet, my goodness, you are so thick-headed," Hiyono sputtered between laughs.

"I—"

The fair-haired woman snorted again and promptly silenced his mouth. After the initial shock, he began to move his lips against hers. It wasn't long before her arms wound themselves around his neck and his had found their way through her golden tresses. When they broke apart, he was staring at her with a quizzical expression.

"Who cares what they say," she began. She shook her head in amazement and continued, "So what?" In an overly-cheesy voice, she added, "You'll always be my number one."

Her caramel-eyes looked at the article on the floor once more.

Top Ten Crime Solvers:
They solve crimes, help our citizens, and keep the bad guys at bay. Here's the list of the top ten detectives in Japan:

...

#10 — Narumi Ayumu. Though he's an attentive and all around astounding detective, his introvert behavior and cold-shoulder attitude keep many police chiefs shaking in their boots. Maybe open up more, Narumi-san?

With that, she exhaled loudly and swiftly kissed him again. Though she was engrossed in lifting her husband's spirits, her frustrated spouse only had one thought on his mind:

'Damn that Kudo Shinichi!'

-o-

Tada! (: Did you like it? I hope so :p Ringraziatta. Thanks