Hello! Hello! Welcome back me to the land of the living. I have returned once more to deliver you more Sekirei fluff goodness. I apologize once again for slow (slow is an understatement) chapter updates, but at least there is another one! I will continue to work on the story when I can and try to keep getting chapters out for you guys. Anyways let me get to the reviews.
- Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying the story!
A-Friend01- I'm hoping to progress the story some over the next few chapters (ignore that this one is entirely fluff), so hopefully the story lives up to expectations!
ErwinG'Arc- Appreciate the love! As for Shiina, they are going to be with Yukari. Whether they'll be man or woman I'll think about it. It's an interesting thought to potentially gender swap him. I'll have to see what I could do with that, thank you for the suggestion!
Majin Othinus- Hopefully you haven't bailed after so long of no update, my apologies! I'm still contemplating doing a one shot with Miya, maybe 20k-25k words. I'll have to expand on the idea some more, but it could be fun. I've never read or watched Magical Index before, but I'll have to look into it, always love a good harem. I do have some ideas for other harem story ideas though (spider-man, overwatch, cheat skill in another world, etc.) so I may post some of those.
Tatsumi Partas- I'll be contemplating writing one, if I do hopefully I can do Sekirei number 1 some justice!
BangSplatt- Thank you for the kind words.
Seprith Li Castia- I'm glad you picked the fic back up! The early chapters are definitely a mess, and I hope to clean them up eventually. But I'm glad you're enjoying the later ones. I'm also glad you're enjoying my takes on Akitsu and Yomi, I think both were a bit underutilized in the real story. I am definitely trying to wrangle Minato's character a bit. I'm trying to get across a young inexperienced but ambitious guy down. Hopefully I can better portray that in the future! Thank you for the kind words and thoughts.
Akashi1412- Hopefully the later chapters are better about this :(
Seta88- I did make the change from first to third so hopefully that cleans up some of the complaints. I'll work to better incorporate other's thoughts in future chapters, hopefully this comes across in this one. As for Minato's grandmother its a surprise, but I think it'll make for some interesting story down the line. Especially once Minato finally stops being distracted and actually thinks about whats been happening in his life!
Eternal Violets- I'm glad you've been enjoying the story. Apologies about not getting a new chapter out sooner but I hope your New Year was great!
That's all for reviews for this one. Thank you to everyone who left one. I appreciate them all and I love your guys ideas and criticisms since they help make the story better. We'll go ahead and move to the chapter, thank you for reading. And to all you fellow Yomi lovers out there, this one is for you ;)
Shopping malls were never really Minato's favorite place in the past. Well to be fair he only ever got to go to one a couple of times when his family visited a bigger city, since his town didn't have one, but the large crowd and overpriced items kind of shifted him away from them. If he had known of any better places for a date in the city, he probably would have chosen that instead, but the ideals of romance were one of the few topics he wasn't well studied up on.
Minato added yet another item to his ever-expanding mental checklist, noting that he should probably scout out a few places to take Akitsu and Yomi when they found time. I mean he could have just settled for a movie this time, but he had a feeling that his current date wouldn't have been all that excited by the prospect. His eyes drifted to the fierier woman in his life as she gripped his arm in a vice like hold, walking so briskly that she was close to dragging him behind her.
"Hey Yomi. You know you can slow down a bit, the mall isn't going to disappear anytime soon."
The words caused his arm's captor to slow their pace a bit, as she looked over at him with a hint of sheepishness that soon morphed into what he thought was her best attempt at hiding said embarrassment. "I know, just want to get there fast so we can do more. We have to make sure your first date with the best Sekirei ever is perfect."
Her confident statement caused a laugh to escape the young man, Yomi's cheeks flaring up with a tinge of red at the sound, "What are you laughing at!", she yelled in embarrassment. The grip she had on his arm vanished as she moved a little away from him in protest. Her pace increased a little causing Minato to jog slightly to catch up. His right hand soon entangled with her left, him pulling her back into him and slowing their pace.
"I'm just appreciating how adorable my Sekirei is, that's all," his words caused the blush on Yomi's face to double in magnitude something the young Sahashi took great joy in seeing. "It's only ten, we have all day to do whatever we want, no need to rush. I want to really enjoy the day with you."
His last sentence was emphasized with the squeeze of his hand as they continued walking. Their pace was much more relaxed, they seemed less like a frantic duo on the run, and more like a normal couple having a morning stroll.
"Plus, this right here is just as great as anything else we're going to do," his words got an inquisitive look so he continued. "It's a beautiful morning, in a nice city. I have no work or school. I'm holding hands with one of the most beautiful women in the world, and I know that I have her for the whole day. I'd say this is already pretty perfect."
He flashed a goofy grin with his cheesy words, and even though it was a little dorky Yomi couldn't stop the blush on her face from growing more prominent. To hear her own Ashikabi talk about spending time with her such a way caused her stomach to fill with butterflies, though she quickly hid those feelings by her usual false bravado.
"Ha ha, of course. Just spending time with me is more than enough, but I still want to do as much as possible. That way I can brag and rub everything we did in Miss Ice Queen's face when we get back. I just know it'll get to her!"
Minato rolled his eyes at her proclamation. Yomi really can turn everything into a competition with Akitsu. Last night's dinner being a great example, if he hadn't been quick on his feet, the house may have burned down at their competition over who could cook a better dish for him. He smiled at the thought, it may have been headache inducing at time, but it was something he loved about her.
The 47th Sekirei continued with her monologue about beating Akitsu, Minato merely walking beside her in silence, enjoying the sound of her voice. The smile on his face remaining as they continued their walk to the mall.
…
"Hmmmm. I thought you said shopping centers like this are normally crowded?"
Yomi looked around the large building, noting a bunch of different shops and stands that appeared to be selling a variety of items. Her eyes then locked onto a few of the people walking by, taking in the somewhat underwhelming crowd, scanning to make sure there wasn't anything unusual about. MBI really instilled some training into the Sekirei when it came to combat.
"Well normally they are, but it's Wednesday so everyone is working or in school. It'll get busier later on when all the high schools let out," his words got a small nod from Yomi as she continued to move her eyes across all the different shops and people. Her pace was much slower compared to the trip over as she tried to take in everything she could, though her grip on Minato's hand was as strong as ever. A small squeeze from said man brought her attention back to him.
"Just let me know if you see something that catches your interest. I got a few ideas myself. We should try to do all the fun stuff early before the traffic picks up. Want to make sure my girl gets the full date experience ya know," Minato slightly bumped his hip into Yomi's at his last remark. Yomi quickly looked off to the side as her face gained a blush, something that was becoming way too common than her pride would ever let her admit, though she wasn't alone in her frazzled state.
"My girl! What the hell was that. I've never called her that before, hell I haven't even called Akitsu that, what was I thinking. Ugh I bet it sounded so lame," Minato internally berated himself. His face hid his embarrassment well but he couldn't stop himself from cringing slightly after the words left his mouth. "I can't exactly call her 'My Sekirei' in public, but like I couldn't think of anything else. No wonder I was a part of the single club in high school. Thank God I never said anything that embarrassing while out with Akitsu.'
After a moment Yomi cleared her throat trying to push down the giddiness that she felt at his statement and stopping Minato from continuing to beat himself up internally about his lack of game.
"Of course! We're going to do everything that this place has to offer!"
The declaration came a little loud as a few people looked over in confusion and irritation, though Yomi paid it no mind. Instead, she picked up speed, catching Minato slightly off guard as she pulled him forward to a clothing store that she had noticed during her earlier scouting. If he didn't have some previous experiences getting dragged from store to store by Yukari early on in life, he was sure he may have lost at least a shoe from the surprise.
'If not my arm.'
The pain in his shoulder was telling him that was still a real possibility. He was still amazed sometimes by just how strong Sekirei could be. They put even the Sahashis to shame.
'I'll live with it for now. It's her day. Seeing her this happy is more than equal trade for a little pain. Though I may call Akitsu and have her waiting with an ice pack when we get home.'
...
Minato aimlessly looked around the clothing store. He was slumped over slightly, seated on a brown leather couch, his fingers nonchalantly tapping together as he observed the few people in the shop.
'Is this the eleventh or twelfth clothing store. I think I lost count at eight.', his eyes continued to wander a bit as his fingers tapped together to the tune of the song playing over the store's speakers. 'Hm, guess it doesn't matter since they are all starting to look the same. Never would have taken Yomi for being someone so into clothes.'
Minato's eyes flicked down to the few bags of items they had bought so far. He'd picked out a few things for himself since he felt like he needed a bit of a wardrobe update, and Yomi had insisted, but it was mostly Yomi's stuff. Minato always considered himself a simplistic kind of guy, so he didn't care too much about fashion or clothes shopping, and he especially hated it when he went with his family.
The time he went with Akitsu had been pretty short and simple. Besides the kimonos she asked him for, she mainly just had him pick out everything. He wouldn't be lying if he said that he enjoyed the quick trip.
"W-what do you think?"
Yomi's voice brought his mind back from its wandering as his eyes flicked up and focused in on her form. Her legs were clad in the long black stockings that she always wore, slightly above them a short light blue skirt rest on her thighs. A magenta shirt with a skull in the center hung loosely on her upper body, though the skull was partially covered by a black jacket with green lining that hugged her shoulders somewhat, ending just around her midriff and giving the outfit a hint of a rebellious feel. Her head was tilted to the side with half her face hidden from him as she looked away, something he noticed her doing every time she came out to ask his opinion. Minato took a minute to take her in.
'Yeah, doing a clothing shopping spree definitely has its benefits,' the young man thought to himself before voicing his opinion. "You look incredible. It suits you."
"Mmm you've said that practically every time. You're not just saying it to say it are you my dear Ashikabi. I'm a big girl you know, I can handle what you really think," Yomi leaned forward with a teasing smirk on her face. She was trying to sound more in control but internally she was as giddy as a school girl that just had her crush compliment her, just like she was all the other times he had said it today.
Minato sat up a bit at her statement, his head tilting to the side slightly with a small smirk forming on his face. His eyes met hers for a second as if challenging the statement before speaking. "Of course I'm not just saying it. I've meant it every time. I mean it's hard for any outfit to look bad on you when you look that pretty. And you should wear that color more, you wearing it may have made it my favorite color."
It took a second for Yomi to process his words before she almost tripped backwards at them, the confident little pose she had before faltering as her eyes found the ceiling of the store a lot more interesting than they did a few seconds ago. She missed the look of pain that came across Minato's face a moment after as he realized what he just said.
"Y-you're right. Of course, obv-obviously I look good in it. I guess I'll um get it then." As she spoke, she quickly retreated into the changing room, her face hidden away from her date as she did so.
Once the door to the changing room closed Minato's hand met his face in quick fashion as he groaned to himself. The sound causing a few of the customers near him to eye in him confusion before moving away from the strange man.
'What the hell have I been saying all day. 'My new favorite color', why did I think that sounded smooth. It's almost worse than the "Can't keep my eyes off you" one from earlier. Ugh.' He lifted his head from his hands, shaking it a bit in disappointment of himself at what he thought may have been one of the lamest lines ever muttered. 'Damn why am I so bad at this. I sound like a high schooler trying to flirt. Ugh maybe I should hit up Seo at work for advice on this.'
That thought caused Minato to pause for a second in his little pity party before he suddenly softly laughed to himself out loud. Said laughter then grew louder and more obnoxious the more he thought about it, causing more people to look him at him strangely before moving away.
"Yeah right. I wouldn't ask that guy for directions out of hell. And there's no way a woman would be into a guy like that, he's probably worse than me at this stuff."
That laugh got Minato's spirits up with a wide grin now sitting on his face. Though halfway across the city a man was slumped over on his couch in pain, feeling as though someone had just insulted his very existence and pride as a man.
Yomi exited from the dressing room soon after, back in her starting outfit, with the one she just had on hanging on her arm. Minato stood up from his seat, grabbing the bags next to his feet as he did so, before tossing a smile his date's way.
"You ready to check out?"
"Mm a-almost, I'm gonna grab something else I saw real quick. You can wait for me at the register."
She had done a decent job of recomposing herself, but she still was looking off to the side a bit, making Minato think his cheesy comment from earlier may have lowered her opinion of him a little bit. He internally wished for the ability to time travel before giving a small affirmative 'okay' and making his way to the front of the store. A couple minutes later Yomi joined him, the two of them stepping in line. He tried to ask her what else she got but she just dodged the question and hid them from his view, something that caused Minato to raise an eyebrow in surprise. She knew he didn't care about the price, they had more than enough money from his construction job, though he still couldn't believe they paid that much. The more he thought about it the more suspicious it seemed, but right before he could deep dive into a string of wild thoughts, they reached the front of the line.
"Hello! Did you guys find everything you wanted alright?", the cashier's voice pierced with an unnatural enthusiasm that he still hadn't gotten used to after experiencing more times than he could count today. He gave a small friendly smile and nod to her question causing her beaming smile to grow even brighter, before her eyes shifted to Yomi. "Perfect! Well, I'll ring those up for you then."
Yomi handed the items over to her, though Minato still couldn't quite see what else she had added to the original outfit she tried on. She kept her gaze off to the side as the cashier began separating the items to scan them, hoping Minato wouldn't notice what she got. Unfortunately, the cashier wouldn't let such a dream come about.
"Oooh I see you got a few things in this color. Good choice! I just know it'll look super pretty on you. It goes really well with your skin tone."
She sent another big smile Yomi's way while saying it, though it went unnoticed as she kept her head turned to the side. Minato finally got to see what else she grabbed. Alongside the outfit she showed him earlier was a blouse, dress, and scarf all the same magenta color that the shirt she had on was. They were all very nice looking, but the color is what kept Minato's eye. A goofy smirk found its way to his lips as he looked over to see Yomi cutely trying to hide her blush from him.
'Maybe it wasn't such a bad line after all.'
The cashier finished ringing up the clothes, with Minato handing the money over to pay for them as he took the bag from her. Once he put his change away, he switched the bags over to his opposite hand and took the time to take Yomi's hand in his giving it a small squeeze.
"Thank you for shopping with us! Please come again soon!"
Minato skooched them out of line to let the next people behind them check out, guiding Yomi to the store exit and out into the rest of the mall. They walked past a few stores, Yomi still doing everything she could to look anywhere but at Minato, possibly in a small act of defiance for being exposed but she would never admit that. He merely smiled at her insistence to try and appear confident before nudging her slightly with his arm.
"Ya know, I guess that means I was right."
His words finally made Yomi stop avoiding his direction as she curiously looked over to see what he meant. He was mindlessly looking around with a large goofy grin on his face. Her heart fluttered at seeing it and she felt like she would do anything to make sure it stayed there permanently. The whole defiant act seemed to melt away quickly. Minato finally looked her way after a moment, his eyes not at all hiding his amusement and happiness.
"That color really is perfect on you, someone else even said so."
His words got him a small defiant bump from the shorter woman that sent him off to the side a bit almost into someone else alongside a small string of 'shut up' and 'of course it does', all of which caused a short laugh to escape him as he pulled her back in close to him.
"Come on I saw a Manga store earlier and I think it'll be fun to look around. Can show you something you've been missing out on," as he spoke he pulled her slightly in the direction of the store. The two falling into a comfortable pace walking through the now slightly more bustling shopping center. After a moment Minato felt Yomi snake her other arm around the one currently holding her hand, fully holding onto it and pressing herself close into him, her head almost laying on his shoulder. The action only caused that goofy grin of his to get bigger as he savored the moment of being with one of the women he loved.
'Yeah, it definitely wasn't a bad line.'
…
Yomi's hand idly picked up a french fry from the basket on the table, flicking it back and forth across her index finger for a moment before finally popping it into her mouth. Her and Minato were sitting in the shopping centers primary food court, the past four hours of shopping have worked up an appetite. He had decided to introduce her to the greasiness that was food court burgers, not the most romantic meal, but she let it pass. After a bit of teasing attempts, emphasis on the word attempts.
'Hmph it's no fun when he doesn't get flustered,' the scythe wielding Sekirei internally groaned to herself. 'Ever since I got winged I can barely get a reaction out of him, but he's always getting to me. It's not fair.'
The small pout that formed on her face at the thought was missed by the man causing it, his eyes busy scanning the area around him as he observed the people. Yomi noticed that he hadn't eaten much of the food, but then again that wasn't too strange, whenever they ate at the house he usually didn't eat much. She just chalked it up to a small appetite.
Her eyes followed his gaze for a moment as she flicked another fry into her mouth, before resetting them back on him. She took in the sight of the man that had literally taken her into his life. His right hand was idly tapping on the table as the other slightly propped his head up, his index finger rubbing small circles into his cheek. His jet-black hair lazily laid on his head, a few pieces spiked over to the side or back giving him the appearance as though he had just gotten out of bed. Others may have thought it was weird to go around looking like that but Yomi kind of liked it.
Her eyes moved down to his face, the small goofy smile he had playing on his lips causing her to get butterflies in her stomach once more. She couldn't quite figure out what it was about his smile, but it never failed to make her feel so...content. It was hard to put into words but just seeing it made her feel like everything would be alright. That no matter what if that smile was there, nothing could go wrong. She wondered if it was crazy to feel that way only two and half weeks after getting winged.
Forcing her eyes away she continued downwards, before locking onto a small chain around his neck. It wasn't anything fancy. In actuality it was a pretty simple piece of jewelry. The chain itself was made of a plain silver that seemed to be more on the cheaper side. Attached to it was a small rectangle charm that only had a small heart engraved on the front.
'Mm it doesn't seem special, but he never leaves the house without it on. I wonder why he likes it so much.'
Her focus remained on the small chain for a short while longer before the man wearing it cleared his throat, causing her eyes to raise and meet his gaze. Her cheeks flared up with a color she's starting to despise as he sent her a small teasing smirk.
"You, uh, looking at something you like?"
His words caused her brain to malfunction for a second, something that became obvious when she gulped trying to find an answer, which in turn caused Minato to laugh. The sound was a saving grace of sorts since it helped her reset enough to go into what the rest of the world would probably deem "Tsundere recovery mode", as she quickly looked off to the side with a pout to hide her face.
"Nope. I was just keeping myself busy since you seemed to find what other people are doing more interesting than spending time with me."
She emphasized her jab with a small 'hmph'. Her words caused Minato to a gain a slightly sheepish expression as his hand raised to rub the back of his head in embarrassment. He had a bad habit of spacing out randomly. Sometimes he just got lost in his thoughts.
"Sorry about that. Haha I just catch myself people watching sometimes," his words did seem pretty remorseful as though he genuinely felt bad. But Yomi wasn't letting him off so easily, another 'hmph' came in response as she continued to look away. Minato opened his mouth as though he were about to say something else before closing it once more, taking a few moments to think before his eyes lit up.
"How about I make it up to you?" Those words caught Yomi's attention as she finally turned her head back to him. Her eyes indicating for him to go on. "You like ice cream?"
The deadpan look in his date's eyes at his response almost caused Minato to burst into laughter but he held it back in fear of having to walk home alone. Instead he just put on a dumb grin that likely wasn't helping his case either. "I'm being serious."
"Mm I've never had it. My handler at MBI didn't really give me sweets."
Minato gained a small frown at her words, the reminder of MBI having basically dictated the lives of the Sekirei being something that left a sour taste in his mouth before it was quickly replaced by a small smile once more.
"Well then, I guess I'll just have to introduce you to it. Can't have you going around not knowing what ice cream tastes like, that'd make me an awful Ashikabi,", as he spoke Minato stood from his seat. "I'll be right back."
Before Yomi could even respond Minato was already moving away towards a small stand on the left side of the food court. She snorted in exasperation at his attempt at "making up". She took a second to watch him as he stood in line waiting to order before she chose to partake in the very thing she had been "mad" at him for doing.
Her eyes wandered around the section of the mall they were in, taking in the various people. The place hadn't gotten overly crowded yet but it had picked up a bit. She skimmed over the people eating, taking in their faces. She focused in one couple sat together having what she assumed was a small argument. The man was firing off rapid hand gestures, pointing animatedly at his phone, while the woman looked annoyed. Yomi laughed at little when she saw the woman roll her eyes at something the man said, causing him to slump back in defeat.
She flicked her attention back over to Minato noting that he had made it to the front of the line and was ordering now. Since she hadn't had ice cream before, she wondered what type of flavor he would get her. Her head turned back to where the couple had been arguing, resuming her little viewing of the mall's other occupants. No one else of note caught her eye for a while until she looked to the first floor above and saw an older couple sitting at one of the little rest areas on the walk way's side.
Her eyes remained latched onto them, she could see their hands intertwined with one another as they held drinks in their other. They were talking to each other, and while she couldn't make out what they were saying, the way the older woman giggled childishly as if the man had just shared some forbidden secret and the way the man smiled at her, gave Yomi pause.
For a moment she imagined herself there instead of them, years down the line sitting next to Minato with him looking at her like she was the only person in the world. A lifetime of memories together, of moments like the ones they shared today quietly sitting with them. The thought brought both a sense of happiness and a bit of pain. Something liked that seemed so far away, out of reach.
Her gaze finally broke away from the couple, as she looked down at the table. She wasn't just competing with Akitsu for Minato, no, she was competing with 107 of her brothers and sisters. Sekirei that wanted that life with their Ashikabi just as much as her...and some that were more powerful than she was. It hurt knowing there was a chance of not having a future with Minato, of losing the person she cares for.
'N-not again. I-I don't want-'
Before she could get too lost in the trauma of past memories and morbid futures Minato's voice dragged her back to the present.
"Sorry it took so long, the line was a little long!", his voice caused Yomi to look up. "Since you haven't tried ice cream before I got you my favorite flavor. Orange honey creamsicle."
He sat down back across from her, sliding the small bowl of ice cream to her, while moving his barely eaten burger out of the way and putting his own down. His face had that goofy smile on it that Yomi loved, though it dropped for a second as he gained a worried look.
"You okay?"
He reached his hand back across the table, his palm placed upwards with the invitation clear. Yomi took it, her smaller hand getting wrapped in his as he squeezed gently. She flashed him a smile as her eyes conveyed just how thankful she was.
"You know you can tell me anything okay. I'm here for you."
Minato emphasized his words with another gentle squeeze. Yomi just closed her eyes for a second, taking a second to breathe and recollect herself, before using her free hand to grab the spoon in her ice cream. She scooped a little in her mouth, letting it sit on her tongue for a bit, before swallowing as her eyes lit up a bit.
"It's really good!"
Her voice wasn't overly enthusiastic but she really did mean it. Minato smiled softly at her words. He was still a bit worried, but he wouldn't pressure her to talk to him. She would open up to him in her own time. Instead, he grabbed his own spoon and popped it into his mouth letting out an exaggerated moan of enjoyment.
His actions got a small chuckle out of Yomi followed by some lighthearted jabs about him being dork following. He stuck his tongue out at her in response, earning him a small kick under the table. The two of them sat there for a while teasing and playfully missing with one another, enjoying the sweet treat, but mostly enjoying the company of a person they care about.
…
"Uggggh how's it already seven. It barely felt like the day happened."
Minato smirked at Yomi's complaint, her face now displaying a cute poutiness that he had come to enjoy seeing. The two were now exiting the shopping center, having enjoyed the remaining bit of the afternoon going through the rest of the stores they were interested in. Though the latter half of the date had noticeably less clothes shopping.
'As much as I loved her modeling for me, I'm not sure my mental could've handled looking at a ceiling much more while waiting.' Minato internally breathed a sigh of relief at that thought. 'Though she's right the day did kind of run through quick. Then again, we lost a solid hour in that pet shop while Yomi tried to play with the animals.'
The thought made Minato smile as he replayed the scene of Yomi arguing with the clerk about getting to hold one of the cats for sale. It reminded him a bit of the night he had winged her, seeing her argue with the convenience store clerk about payment. He had no idea how she could sit there and argue about things where she was very clearly in the wrong, but hey it was amusing.
'At least until it starts getting me in trouble.'
Minato took a second to shift the bags around in his hands, clenching and unclenching them for a second to give them some blood flow before speaking, "Come on it's not that bad. We had fun."
Yomi's response was a small glare sent his way, something that amused Minato further, as she slowed her walking pace to practically a crawl. It took Minato a second to notice before he stopped to join her. Her eyes now avoided him all together as she began taking in the buildings of downtown Shinto while they slowly walked, her fingers lightly drumming against her legs.
'Mmm she must really not want it to end yet. She's stalling.' Minato followed her gaze with his own, looking over the city that had been his home for the past sixish months. Yomi's pace slowed even more, to a point where they were practically barely moving. The other people on the sidewalk cruised by them, paying them no mind. 'Cute.'
Minato yanked his arm up a bit, taking a quick look at his watch for the time. It was now a little bit past seven. He had told Akitsu they would be back around eight and have a late dinner together, so they were about on schedule. But one quick look at Yomi told him that she didn't really want to follow the schedule.
'I could always call Akitsu and tell her we'll be a bit late. I'm sure she'd be a little upset but I don't think she'd mind.' Minato had a small internal debate with himself. His eyes flicked over to Yomi once more to see she now had adopted a slightly melancholic expression. 'But where would I take-'
Minato cut his own thought short when a place popped in his mind. His eye gained a small glint of excitement. "Hey Yomi, what do you think of heading to one more place?"
Yomi's ears perked up at the question, her face replacing the more melancholic look from earlier with one of curiosity. Minato smiled at the reaction, shifting all the bags into one hand, before grabbing Yomi's with his now free one. "Come on, I got a place I think you'll enjoy."
Before Yomi could get a response out Minato was already pulling her to where he wanted to go. They were now the ones passing people on the sidewalk as he picked up the pace significantly. Soon he navigated them to streets that he was quite familiar with, ones he used to walk on his way to cram school or back home to his old apartment. The destination was a little out of the way from their house, but he knew Yomi would enjoy it. Soon enough the two of them found themselves at the entrance of a park.
Yomi's brow furrowed a bit at the location, clearly confused about this being the destination Minato had in mind. Though it went unnoticed by her Ashikabi as he merely smiled and pulled her once more into the beautiful landmark. After a moment the pair arrived at a wooden bench, Minato finally releasing Yomi's hand as he went to sit down, placing their bags on the ground next to it and tapping his now freed hand on the place beside him.
Despite her confusion the fiery Sekirei joined him on the bench, the cool touch of which caused her to stiffen up a bit. Minato couldn't help but goofily smile at her reaction, before turning to look at the surrounding trees, breathing out a sigh as he did so. His breathe hung in the chilly air for a bit, the sight of which reminded him that the winter season would be in full swing soon.
"I came here every so often while studying for my entrance exams. It's nice. Reminded me a bit of home. It's peaceful ya know, not like that other park where we did your spar." Minato sighed once more as he enjoyed the silence the park seemed to radiate. There weren't any people in the section they were at, and a lot of the noise from the bustling city was drowned out by the huge trees. "Though it's a bit colder now than it was then."
Yomi let out a small laugh at that, as she folded her arms to fight off the chill. "It's nice. But um what made you want to come here now?"
Minato took a moment to respond, as he continued to just take in the trees, enjoying the faint rustle the leaves made from the wind blowing through them. "I don't know. It just sort of popped in my mind.", as he spoke his eyes finally shifted back towards Yomi. "And I wanted to share it with you."
His hand entangled with Yomi's with that statement, as he once more shifted his gaze back to the surrounding environment. Yomi took that as a hidden blessing, as her cheeks gained a darker red tint than they had all day, though she blamed the cold for that. Totally the cold. She awkwardly looked in the direction Minato was, trying to think of something to say.
"So, um. W-what's your home town like?"
"It's nice. Small, friendly, and peaceful kind of like this. It's a bit far from Shinto, out in the country. It's a lot different from Shinto, that's for sure."
A small silence enveloped the couple for a few moments as Yomi took in his words. She mentally noted that there was a tinge of sadness in his voice as he spoke, clearly missing his old home.
"What made you want to come to Shinto?"
It took a moment for Minato to respond, as he just continued his staring contest with the nature around them. "A lot of things. I mean Shinto University is one of the best in the country. And who wouldn't want to live in the capital for a while.', another small pause followed that statement as he worked to find the answer in his brain. "But mostly, I want to do something with my life. I want to be something great. And I couldn't do that in a place like that."
The answer hung in the air for a moment. Yomi unsure of what to say in response and Minato caught up in his thoughts about what his life would be. The couple merely sat in each other's presence for a bit with the silence blanketing them in a comfortable manner.
As the minutes ticked by Minato's eyes kept wandering across the vast expanse of trees in front of them, before landing on one in particular that now had two pairs of eyes staring back. Two pitch black birds, what Minato assumed were ravens, sat on the branch of a tree side by side softly cawing to one another as they seemed to be observing him the same way he was the park.
"Looks like we're not the only ones on a date."
Minato was the one to break the silence first, nudging Yomi as he spoke and nodding to the two birds in front of them. His words got an eye roll in response as she smiled at his dorky joke.
"Hey come on! I think they make a cute couple." Minato spoke with a hint of mock offense.
"Mhm, they just look absolutely dashing together."
The sarcasm leaking from Yomi's reply got a big stupid grin out of Minato as he slightly yanked on her arm, causing her to fall slightly into his side. The action got a playful glare thrown his way that caused him to chuckle and pull her in more. Yomi adjusted to more comfortably lean into his side, now slightly facing him rather than sitting shoulder to shoulder.
The couple's eyes met, Minato still sporting a small grin with Yomi having a somewhat shy expression forming on her face. Minato closed the distance further between them, lowering his head down a bit to place his forehead on hers. Yomi could feel her heart start to increase in pace, her eyes subconsciously wanting to shift away out of embarrassment, but too captivated by her Ashikabi in front of her.
"You wanna know something?" Minato spoke barely above a whisper as though not wanting to disturb the moment they had just created.
Yomi gulped slightly at his words. Her mouth suddenly felt very dry. Her heart was beating ever faster. She didn't know why she was so nervous. They had been this close last night when he asked her on the date and kissed her cheek, but this felt different somehow. More personal. More real.
"W-what?" She stuttered out, not even bothering to try and hide her feelings by the false bravado she always put on.
Minato inched his lips slightly closer to hers to the point they were almost brushing against each other. His hand raised and touched her cheek, slightly running his thumb across her jaw, causing her breathe to stifle for a moment.
"I made the right choice coming here. I know, cause I met you."
With those words whispered out he closed what little distance remained between their lips. Pitch black wings emerged from behind Yomi for the first time since getting winged. Once more they seemed to suck what little life and color there was out of the atmosphere, encompassing the surrounding atmosphere in a complete darkness that Minato found comforting.
Unlike their first kiss there wasn't a battle of dominance from Yomi or an attempt at teasing, instead she just melted into Minato, letting him take control. Her hands found their way to her beloved Ashikabi's chest, as she leaned further into the kiss. The two remained lip locked for what seemed like an eternity, Yomi's wings having long receded, but neither of them wanting to separate.
Minato was finally forced to break away to catch his breath, but it was a short reprieve as he quickly retook his place in the kiss. His mind was lost in a haze of nothing but Yomi, his body wanting nothing more but to continue this dance forever.
Eventually the two broke apart, Minato leaning slightly back as they sat there staring at each other, their breath slightly ragged. After a moment a small chuckle escaped Minato, with one from Yomi following soon after. The couple laughing with one another over the embarrassment of the heated moment.
"I think we make a cuter couple than the ravens." Minato got the words out between deep breaths and small bits of laughter.
The comment got him a lighthearted punch to the chest as Yomi rolled her eyes at him once more, her own breathing finally returning to a normal manner. She stayed leaning into Minato, her hands still slightly propping her up and allowing her to keep looking into his eyes.
In them she saw emotions she never thought she would see from someone. She felt comfort in his gaze, as though he would take care of every problem that ever got thrown her way. She always wanted him to look at her this way. Her heart ached at the thought of being separated from him, At the thought that he wouldn't want her anymore.
A squeeze on her arm broke her from that thought as Minato softly smiled at her. Suddenly she felt a giant wave of calm wash over her, and all the worries vanished into thin air. All that remained was a chain of light, a link connecting her to the man right in front of her. It set up a wall in front of her, blocking anything from getting through. Protecting her.
Minato leaned forward slightly once more, planting another small kiss on her lips before pulling back again. "We should probably get back."
The words weren't what Yomi wanted to hear, but she knew they had to head home eventually. She let out a small huff as she raised herself off of him.
"Mmm fine. But I want to hold hands on the walk back." Her words came with a mock pout, something that Minato couldn't help but chuckle at.
He stood from his place on the bench, grabbing their bags in one hand on his way up, before reaching out his other towards Yomi. The gesture got a smile as she took his hand, pulling herself up, and wrapping her other arm around his. Once they were properly set up the couple began their trek back home in a peaceful silence, quietly enjoying the day and intimate moment they shared together. Though considering Minato had forgotten to call and tell Akitsu they would be late, it probably wouldn't remain quiet once they got home.