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Edhla: Thank you for the lovely feedback, and I'll make sure to keep in mind of what you said about the long AN at the beginning. After reading that, I began thinking that I should just put important information at the end AN instead of the beginning AN so people who just want to read can, well, read. *laughs nervously* I probably wouldn't have seen that mistake about capitalizing "He," so thanks for pointing that out (I re-read through my things way too fast, so I probably overlooked that one). Oh? Well... I sort of wondered why that word didn't make sense in the sentence, but, then again, I wasn't good at spelling, so... *laughs nervously again* Anyway, thank you again for the lovely feedback and, like I said, I'll keep all the things you pointed out in mind.
(Oh, God, that's a long reply. x.x)
"Wait... What," Shu and Marumaro questioned in confusion as they stared at Bouquet with puzzled looks.
Bouquet just grinned more. "We're going to pick names out of this bag here," she lifted it up for emphasis, "and whoever we get will be our 'Valentine!'"
The two male Shadow Wielders looked at each other, before glancing back at the female Shadow Wielder. "What if we, I don't know, happen to pick a name of the same gender," Shu asked, making circles in the air with his index finger while his free hand rested on his hip.
Bouquet giggled. "Then that person will still be your Valentine! Although, I doubt you'll pick someone of the same gender, Shu. After all, you are my fiancée."
Shu slumped. "Yeah... Completely forgot..." Although, he was confused as to why Bouquet came up with this game in the first place.
The Hippo wielder shook the bag, and the rustling of small papers could be heard. "Now stop stalling and let's see who you guys will pick!"
Shu stared at the sheet of paper in his hands, swallowing as he did so. He was not expecting to have gotten her name, but he didn't complain.
Bouquet was smiling happily, glad to see that she had her darling's paper and not Marumaro's or Jiro's.
Marumaro was staring intently at the paper in his hands, head tilted and his face contorted to show that he was in deep thought.
The three raised their heads, however, when they heard the approach of two people. Jiro and Kluke blinked at the same time when they saw the papers in each of the other Shadow Wielder's hands.
"What are you three doing," Jiro asked, narrowing his eyes in annoyance at the three. Bouquet's response was shoving the bag towards the two newcomer's direction.
Kluke blinked, before glancing over at Bouquet with a confused look. After a while, she turned her gaze towards the bag that Jiro was holding; she stuck her hand in the bag and shuffled around, before taking her hand out and holding a folded piece of paper. She held it up to her and opened the folded paper. After reading the name, she flushed slightly, before closing the paper before anyone could look at it.
"Why do you have our names on these papers," she questioned Bouquet, staring over at the other girl, her face still flushed.
Bouquet smiled slyly. "It's Valentine's Day," she replied. "And I thought it would be interesting if we did something special for this day... In fact, who did you get, Kluke."
"N-none of your business!" the Phoenix wielder stammered as she turned her gaze towards the ground and hid her hands behind her back, gripping the folded piece of paper as she did so. Bouquet let out a giggle as she covered her mouth with her free hand.
Jiro looked on in confusion, staring between the two girls, before glancing over at Shu and Marumaro, who were walking over towards him.
"Go on, Jiro, maro," the Devee urged as he bumped his elbow against the taller boy's arm. "Why don't you pick a paper? Who knows, you might get Kluke, maro." The Saber Tiger wielder wiggled his brows suggestively, while Jiro fought hard to suppressed the blush that was trying to appear on his face. He succeed...just a tiny bit, though.
Shu decided not to say anything, as he put his folded paper in his pocket, hoping no one would notice.
...Apparently, two people did.
"Who did you get, maro," Marumaro asked, directing the question towards Shu.
The boy raised his hands in front of him and waved them, a nervous expression on his face. "What do you mean," he asked, grinning forcibly.
"You got Kluke, didn't you, maro."
That wasn't a question.
Shu sighed and slumped forward. "Yeah. I did." he mumbled and Marumaro grinned, while Jiro sighed and shook his head.
The Devee child then turned to Jiro, and was surprised to see the boy staring at the unfolded piece of paper in front of him.
Shu looked up from his brooding and saw his rival staring at the paper; he perked up and tried to peer over to see the name of the person that was supposed to be Jiro's Valentine. The older boy saw this from the corner of his vision and he quickly clenched the paper in his fist, before letting the bag that he was holding drop to the floor. Without saying anything, he turned and stalked off, leaving behind four very confused Shadow Wielders.
"I can't believe you talked me into this," Shu sighed, crossing his arms in front of him.
"Well how else are you going to get Kluke something, maro," Marumaro asked.
The two boys had wandered towards the nearest village after Jiro left when they were by the mechat. Bouquet had dragged Kluke to the same village, eagerly wanting to know who Kluke had gotten for her Valentine, leaving Shu and Marumaro behind. Though, it didn't take long for the two boys to follow in Bouquet's and Kluke's footsteps and head towards the village.
Around them, everyone was, from their point of view, ready of Valentine's Day, as well. There were a few people wandering around, obviously trying to find the perfect gift for their Valentine.
"Do you know what Kluke might like that doesn't consist of robots or things like that, maro?" the Devee asked, his lined eyes wandering around as he tried to find the perfect shop for both boys to look at.
"I'm not entirely sure, to tell you the truth..." Shu responded, before stopping right in the middle of the road; Marumaro halted a few paces ahead and looked back at the taller boy, confused.
"What's wrong, maro?"
Shu's face was bright, with a grin and eyes glowing.
Marumaro didn't know what to make of this appearance and, before he could say anything, Shu had surprisingly appeared in front of him, grabbed his wrist, and began heading in the direction of a shop, exclaiming, "I know exactly what to get her!" while dragging the poor Devee child behind him.
...Now that Marumaro thought about it, he wondered how he got into this situation in the first place.
"Look, Bouquet, I know you mean well, but..." Kluke trailed off as Bouquet threw Kluke a stern glance.
"No buts, Kluke," the raven-haired girl replied, wagging her index finger in front of her. "We need to find the perfect present for that grumpy boy."
"Well, uh, yes, but-"
"But nothing! Now come on, let's get going."
Kluke sighed as she was dragged further into the little store, her green gaze glancing around, before they widen in surprise at seeing the boy that they were talking about walking around in the clothing section, a not too happy expression on his face.
"Ah, wait, Bouquet...!" Kluke said, grabbing hold of the other girl's wrist and tugging on the blue fabric of her glove-like clothing.
Bouquet halted and turned towards Kluke. "Oh, come on, Kluke, what is it now?" she demanded, irritated, though the irritation evaporated when she saw the auburn-haired girl pointing to the side. Blinking, Bouquet looked over and was surprised, as well, to see Jiro walking around the clothing section of the store.
Kluke was a little bit nervous as she saw thoughts racing through the other girl's lavender-colored eyes, before they glowed with a brightness that the Phoenix wielder did not like. She, surprisingly, flinched when Bouquet's gaze went towards her, a sly smile appearing on her face.
"Well, Kluke, why don't you spend the rest of the shopping trip with your Valentine," Bouquet stated and, before Kluke could object, she was pushed rather roughly in the direction of where Jiro was. And, after regaining her balance and turning to yell quietly at the other girl, Kluke stopped and blinked in surprise when she saw that Bouquet wasn't there. She sighed and rubbed at her forehead, irritated by Bouquet's action.
"What's that look for?"
The girl in pink let out a sharp intake of breath as she turned her attention towards the person that was talking with her; she let the breath out in a sigh of relief, before staring tiredly at Jiro, who had his arms crossed in front of him and a slightly curious look on his face.
"Please don't sneak up on me like that," the girl muttered and Jiro just shrugged in response. "Anyway," Kluke began, straightening up while her tired look turned curious. "What are you doing here? I would have thought you wouldn't participate in this sort of thing?"
"It was either doing this, or having Shu and Marumaro bug me," he replied, his tone taking a frustrated turn.
Kluke let out a small laugh and she held a hand to her mouth to stifle it, though it didn't do much as Jiro still caught it.
He narrowed his eyes. "What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing." the girl replied by waving her free hand in front of her.
Staring at the female Shadow Wielder with a degree of suspicion, Jiro decided to question her. "And what about you," he asked, "what are you doing here?"
Kluke blinked a the boy, her earlier humor gone as she lowered her hand down by her side. After a few moments, when the boy's question sunk in a bit deeper, the auburn-haired girl blushed lightly and turned her attention elsewhere. "Ah, well, I was here with Bouquet, but she - I mean, I kind of lost her," the girl replied and Jiro raised a brow.
"Are you sure it was you who lost her or her that lost you?" he questioned and Kluke glanced over at him.
"Both?"
The boy shook his head, while Kluke grinned nervously.
An awkward silence passed by the two of them, with Kluke staring at Jiro curiously, as the older boy was looking through the clothing section again. Before she could ask what he was doing, Jiro turned to Kluke and, knowing that this was going to be one of the most stupidest things he was going to say (as well as one of the most perverted), asked, "What size bra do you wear?"
"Hmm," Bouquet thought aloud as she skimmed over a few things in the store. She wasn't having much luck in finding a good present for Shu, but, then again, the rest of the group was having the same troubles. Bouquet sighed and tapped her chin as she glanced around the store. "What is it that Shu likes..." The raven-haired girl continued walking, while, behind her, two boys walked right at the spot that Bouquet was at, though she didn't see this as she turned a corner.
"I really thought that would have been a good present," Shu grumbled and Marumaro shook his head, placing his hands on his hips.
"You really need to learn, maro," he sighed, before he glanced around the store and grinned after finding what he was looking for. "In fact, I think I could show you a thing or two, maro!"
Before Shu could ask what it was that Marumaro was talking about, he yelped as the Devee grabbed hold of his wrist and dragged him to the section of the store that Marumaro seemed quiet excited about, while the dark, brown-haired boy didn't seem all that thrilled about it.
Jiro and Kluke were walking out of the store, both holding bags, though one was holding their cheek in slight pain, while the other looked a bit angered and flushed.
"You hit a lot harder than I anticipated," the Minotaurous Shadow Wielder grumbled, still rubbing his abused cheek.
Kluke crossed her arms and turned her gaze somewhere else. "I'll hit even harder if you do something like that again," she said, glaring over at Jiro, who narrowed his eyes a bit.
"What else was I supposed to ask? What type of underwear you - hey!" the boy yelped as he ducked out of the way of a punch coming in his direction. After he straightened up from the dodge, he began talking with the other Shadow Wielder, though with a tint of anger in his voice. "I was just asking!"
Kluke didn't respond verbally, but physically, she crossed her arms and turned her attention away from the boy, ignoring whatever he had to say.
Jiro grumbled under his breath again and he turned his angered eyes somewhere else, too, deciding to just keep quiet until this whole situation was resolved in some form that didn't involve him getting punched or kicked. The two of them stayed like that as they continued their walk back to the mechat, though they were, somewhat, in front of the village's gates, when a loud shout caused them to halt and turn around, just in time to see teal-and-white flash through their vision.
"There are you guys are! Leaving me behind like that!"
Jiro could only watch with a slight blush and an irritated look as Bouquet continued to crush Kluke in a tight hug.
(Why do their chest have to be involved in this hug, anyway? If anyone saw this, besides me, they'd get ideas... Stop it, Jiro, stop thinking about this!)
"B-Bouquet, c-can you l-let go, please," Kluke managed to gasp out, face flushed because of lack of oxygen. Bouquet, realizing that she was suffocating (not really, right?) Kluke, quickly loosened the hug and held the girl in pink at arms-length, smiling sheepishly.
"Sorry about that, Kluke," she apologized as the auburn-haired girl took deep breathes to get her air back.
"It's fine." Kluke shook her head, before turning to Jiro, who quickly looked away with his eyes closed and his arms crossed.
Bouquet followed the other girl's line of sight, before grinning mischievously. "Am I ruining your date?" she asked.
The disbelief that followed after from the two Shadow Wielders was what brought the raven-haired female to let out a laugh. "What?!"
"I'm just playing," Bouquet said, waving a hand dismissively at their exclamation, though the mischief in her eyes did not disappear.
"Of course you were," Kluke grumbled under her breath, but Bouquet heard it, and chose to ignore it.
"Pushing that aside," Jiro said, breaking the silence that had hung in the air for a few moments, "where are the two morons?"
"Shu is not a moron," Bouquet quickly defended, while Kluke narrowed her eyes at the Hippo Shadow Wielder. The auburn-haired girl shook her head and turned her attention back on Jiro.
"They're probably wandering around the village - they'll make it back to the mechat...maybe," she added, blinking a few times as she remembered how sidetracked Marumaro could get when something he deemed "interesting" catches his eye.
Jiro rolled his eyes. "Of course," he muttered, walking past the two girls and heading right to the entrance of the village.
"Hey - where are you going?!" Bouquet called out, as she and Kluke hurried after the Shadow Wielder.
"Where do you think?" was the curt response.
It was around late afternoon when Shu and Marumaro arrived back to the mechat. Bouquet was cooking dinner (as usual), while Jiro and Kluke were going over the mechat parts and seeing what they needed from the village before they continue on their journey. Zola was standing to the side, watching with, what appeared to the two young wielders as amusement gleaming her eyes.
"Hey, everyone, maro," Marumaro called out, raising his hands and waving them back and forth. The shout caught the attention of everyone and Bouquet lit up at seeing Shu, while Zola nodded her head in recognition of the duo; Kluke flashed a smile, while Jiro stared at them with his normal blank look.
"Well, if I remember correctly, don't you have something that you each brought with you," Zola asked in a very sly manner.
Immediately, the kids froze and, interestingly, Kluke turned a nice shade of pink and turned her attention back towards the mechat, making sure to keep her gaze there and ignoring the questioning gazes of everyone else.
Marumaro snapped out of it first and grinned, walking over to Jiro and patting the taller boy on the shoulder, still grinning. "So, you never said who you got for your Valentines, eh, Jiro, maro," Marumaro said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Jiro sighed and shook his head, taking the bag that was beside him and throwing it (literally) at Marumaro's face. The Devee flailed his arms a few moments, before regaining his composure and grabbing the bag before it slid off of his face.
Understanding who was Jiro's Valentines, Bouquet and Shu laughed, Zola smiled in amusement, and Kluke gave a small chuckle under her breathe as she looked over the mechat.
Marumaro looked through the bag, and the curious look on his face quickly changed to a happy grin.
"You're not that bad, maro," the Saber Tiger Shadow Wielder said, patting Jiro's shoulder with one hand.
The mentioned boy rolled his eyes and turned his attention back on the mechat.
"W-well, who's n-next," Bouquet asked through her fits of giggles. Shu's laughter changed from upbeat to nervousness in a matter of seconds. He was definitely thinking about giving his present to Kluke, but, before he could say anything, Marumaro put his bag down, grabbed the bag that was on his arm, walked over to Bouquet, and handed the bag over to the raven-haired girl.
Bouquet stopped laughing and blinked a few times, before grabbing the bag and peering inside it. After a few moments, Bouquet closed the bag. She punched the Devee on his potted head.
"Did you really have to give me something like that, pervert," she exclaimed, blushing brightly.
Marumaro's grin never vanished, even as he rubbed his aching head. "Of course, maro," he said, "including now that I know that I wasn't the only one that got something from the same section, maro!"
It took a while to process what Marumaro said, but after those short seconds, Shu and Bouquet's eyes widen in surprise and disbelief, and they turned their attention to Jiro, who was completely ignoring them and writing down what it was that they needed for parts for the mechat.
"Really, Jiro," Shu asked.
Jiro ignored the Dragon Shadow Wielder.
"I really thought you were completely different," Bouquet said, blinking a few times.
Again. Ignored.
"Well, it's not like there was anything else that could have interested Marumaro," Kluke said, glancing over her shoulder at the two with humor in her eyes.
"That is true, maro," Marumaro chirped, sitting next to the food that Bouquet was cooking. He was grinning way too much for the four Shadow Wielders' tastes.
"Alright, so who's next," Bouquet asked, finally cooled down as she put the bag by Marumaro and continued on with cooking.
"Well, I'll go, or whatever," Shu muttered, a blush dusting his cheeks lightly. He walked over to Kluke, who turned her attention to him with curiousness, and he held out the small bag to her, looking in the other direction, a pout on his face.
Blinking a few times, Kluke grabbed the bag a bit hesitantly. She looked into the bag and glanced up at Shu with wide eyes. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, not sure how to say what was on her mind.
Feeling a bit curious, Jiro peered over Kluke's shoulder and stared inside the bag that Kluke was holding. He looked up at Shu with a raised brow.
"I'm curious as to know as how you even thought of getting her this," he asked. Without thinking, he rested his chin on Kluke's shoulder, who barely even noticed the extra weight on her shoulder.
"H-hey, s-shut up," Shu stuttered angrily, glaring at Jiro. He turned his head to the side and crossed his arms in front of him. "I'll have you know, that Marumaro helped me out with this!"
"That...actually explains at a lot of things..."
"I said shut up!"
Kluke blinked a few more times, before a smile broke out on her face. "It's great, Shu," she assured. She took the item out of the bag, showing that it was a necklace, with a green gem on it.
Shu looked back at Kluke, confused, but a grin broke out on his face a moment later. He raised his hands and folded them behind his head, still grinning. "Of course," he said, chuckling a little. He watched as Kluke put on the necklace, before turning and walking over to where Marumaro was at.
"You know, that leaves Shu and I who haven't gotten any presents," Jiro commented.
Kluke shivered at the feel of Jiro's warm breath on her ear.
"I have a feeling that you'll get your gift soon," the girl answered, shouldering Jiro's head off of her shoulder. She turned her attention on where Bouquet was, already knowing that she had Shu as her Valentine. The raven-haired girl was walking over to Shu, her hands clasped behind her and gripping tightly on the medium-sized bag that she was holding.
Jiro turned to look at that direction and blinked a few times, before realization dawned on his face.
"O-oh," he muttered. He turned his head to the side and his cheeks were suspiciously a tad-bit brighter than usual. "So, that's why you told me to wander around the store, huh?"
"Mhm," Kluke hummed in response, turning her gaze away from Bouquet and Shu and staring at the ground, gripping tightly onto her arm with her free hand. A blush was staining her face cutely.
"Wow - thanks, Bouquet!"
The shout from Shu was what caused Jiro and Kluke to glance over at the duo. Shu was sitting beside Marumaro, both boys staring intently on the chocolate wrapped cake that was resting on Shu's lap. Bouquet was standing on Shu's other side, smiling cheerfully, though the blush on her face spoke wonders.
"You're welcome, darling," the raven-haired girl responded.
Jiro glanced over at Kluke and was able to see the girl glance over to the side, a pout forming on her face. He smirked, but dropped it quickly as he saw Zola glance over at his and Kluke's direction. Though, it wasn't just her.
"Kluke," Bouquet called out, causing the mentioned girl to blush an even darker shade of red. "You're the only one who hasn't given their present." The mischief in her voice was unbearable, at least, to Kluke.
The Phoenix wielder breathed out a collective sigh, before turning her attention to Jiro, who looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Feeling very nervous all of a sudden, she grabbed the small bag that was beside her, and handed it to Jiro, her gaze towards the ground and her face still burning a bright red color.
Jiro blinked a few times, before raising a hand. He hesitated for a few moments, before actually grabbing the bag. He peered inside of it and couldn't help the surprise that appeared on his face. He stared up at Kluke, still having the surprise on his face.
Marumaro, Shu, and Bouquet were confused as to the reaction, as well as edgy as to find out what it was that Kluke got for Jiro.
"I-I was only kidding, I hope you know that," Jiro stuttered.
"I know." was Kluke's shy reply.
"Then why did you..."
"I thought it would look cute on you."
Jiro was speechless after that, while Marumaro and Shu had to keep their laughter lowered with their hands over their mouths. Bouquet, on the other hand, was more interested to know what it was that Kluke bought for the grumpy Shadow Wielder. Jiro sighed and shook his head. He reached his hand inside the small bag and took out a necklace with half of a red heart on it. Bouquet gasped in surprise, while Shu and Marumaro stopped their laughing and stared in surprise. Zola was equally as surprised as everyone else at the gift, though (beside Shu) they were all thinking the same thing: where was the other half of the necklace? It was obvious that the other half of the heart was somewhere.
Jiro stared at the red heart in upmost concentration, before turning it around to face the back. His eyes widen and a blush appeared slightly on his face.
"Before you say anything," Kluke hurriedly said, seeing his eyes glance over at her direction, "it's just something I thought would be for the best..."
"...Where's the other one?" he asked, as he put on the necklace.
Kluke was silent for a few moments, before she responded, "I have it."
"Oh, I see where this is going," Bouquet giggled to herself, though it was loud enough for the ones closest to her to hear. Marumaro grinned suggestively and Zola smiled slyly despite herself. Shu glanced between everyone, unsure of the smiles, the nervousness from both Kluke and Jiro, or the fact that their eyes were glowing with an emotion that Shu couldn't quite place.
The crackling of the fire was one of the things that could be heard throughout the night. Zola sat beside the fire, breaking twigs and throwing them into the burning light. From the corner of her eye, she saw movement. She glanced over and saw that out of all the kids that were asleep, only two of them were awake. Smiling to herself, the swordswoman turned her blue eyes over to the fire, deciding not to pry on the conversation that the two might be having.
"Talking up here is a bad idea, Kluke," Jiro grumbled, "Zola already spotted us."
Kluke raised a hand to her mouth, stifling her giggles. "Ah, but it's better than talking in the forest, hmm?" She lowered her hand to her side as she took a seat by the pilot's chair of the mechat. Jiro sighed and sat next to the girl in pink, suppressing the smile that would surface.
Kluke saw this and, with a grin, raised her hands and placed her index fingers on the corners of the boy's mouth; she moved the corners upwards in a forced-awkward smile. "There. Now you look cute."
Jiro rolled his eyes and grabbed both of Kluke's wrist with one hand and removing her hands from his mouth. "Knock it off."
The girl stuck her tongue out in response.
Jiro chuckled and, without so much of a thought, wrapped his arm around Kluke's shoulders, pulling her closer to him. Kluke blinked a few times in surprise, eyes wide and cheeks flushing slightly.
"J-Jiro...?"
The boy didn't respond, but he did nuzzle his cheek against the girl's soft, brown hair.
Kluke sighed softly as a gentle smile appeared on her lips. She moved the turtle neck of her dress away from her neck and pulled out a necklace with half of a heart on it. Though the color of this heart was green, and there was a letter on the back of it, as well as half of a plus sign. The letter was a capitalized "K."
"Heh... You weren't kidding."
Kluke started at the sound of Jiro's breathe against her ear (again?!) and glanced over at him, seeing the boy staring intently at the green half heart. He blinked once, before moving his hand to the turtle neck of his sweat. He did the same movement that Kluke did and, in no time, he was holding onto the red half heart that he received from the girl during the day.
"Can I see yours?" he asked, glancing over at the girl, who blinked up at him curiously. She nodded and handed the necklace to him, even though it was still around her neck. Jiro held onto the green half heart and stared at the letter that was behind it. He turned his gaze over to the red half heart that was in his other hand, staring intently on the half plus sign and the capitalized "J." Smiling, Jiro put the two half hearts together so the plus sign was completed, as well as the heart itself.
"Sorry if it looks sappy," Kluke mumbled, burying her face against Jiro's shoulder.
The boy laughed softly. "It suits us," he whispered, turning his gaze from the heart to the girl shying away against his shoulder. His normal cold eyes were soft as he gazed warmly at Kluke, who glanced up at him with amused eyes, though there was some tint of confusion in their green depths.
"Whatever you say," she muttered, wrapping her arms around Jiro's arm.
The boy grinned in response to this action and let go of both hearts, letting them fall and rest in front of their respective owners. He placed his chin against her head, closing his eyes and just relishing the feel of having Kluke close to him. The girl closed her eyes, as well, and, soon, they both fell asleep.
This is such a horrible storabble. ;; But, at the same time, I'm proud of it! By the way, I was making this before Valentine's Day, and, well... I'm sure you can guess what month it is, right? *shot*
Anyway, I have horrible time management and writers' block, so I wanted to get this done because I liked it... Um... I think that's it, so... Hehe...