Chapter Forty-One

Cho swiped a crêpe on their way out of the festival, and chewed the sweet treat happily as he followed his scowling boss. A phone was pressed to Saitou's ear as he made his report on the evening's events. The fact that they were expected to check in immediately instead of waiting until they had returned to the office was curious. It was hard for Cho to tell what was being said on the other end, though. Saitou scowled most of the time, and his mood was rarely discernible. After a long period of silence, the wolf's sharp voice cut the still air.

"Are you sure that's wise? He was with the fire demon. Leaving him alone could result in problems later."

There was a brief pause.

"I'm certain he was telling the truth. The boy is not a wind spirit. He's something much stronger."

Tilting his chin towards Saitou curiously, Cho licked chocolate from his lip. Interesting. This is starting to make some kind of sense.

As far as the public knew, wind demons and lesser wind spirits had been thinned out in Neo-Japan due to issues with "public health". Overblown propaganda had been spread about disease and violent wind patterns creating dangerous storm cells. Much like how the fire demons had become omens of ill luck, wind demons were treated with a similar disdain. Not many knew the truth now, and those that did kept the information to themselves for fear of punishments worse than death.

Though there was some truth to what the public had accepted as fact, the reality had nothing to do with the public or concerns for the safety of their environment. Instead, it boiled down to simple paranoia and lust for total power. The Demon Emperor of Neo-Japan was a sky dragon, and older than anyone knew. After the elimination of the humans, the Emperor had gone through a period when he had imagined the other wind spirits to be his enemy.

As a sky dragon, the Emperor was the pinnacle of the wind spirit genus. In true arrogant fashion, he believed only another wind or sky demon could challenge or take his position away from him. Which was something that could not be allowed. The resultant rampage had ended many wind spirit lives, and made them a rarity in Neo-Japan. Any that had survived had gone into hiding.

"Yes, sir."

Anger finally tainted Saitou's voice, and Cho lifted an eyebrow. The phone was tucked into an inner jacket pocket with a jerky motion of disgust.

"What's up, boss? Did we mess up?"

"No." The word growled, and the okami's lip curled. "We've been ordered to stand down. From now on, a different division will keep track of the boy."

"They're taking the assignment from us?" Surprise colored Cho's voice.

"If the Emperor wants someone to babysit his illegitimate children, I'm perfectly fine with him using another division. It's a complete waste of resources."

Cho laughed. "Is that what this was about? The old man's gone soft, hasn't he?"

"I'm not so sure." Saitou's features darkened, and then turned on him abruptly. "What were you doing earlier while I was questioning the boy?"

"Uh… you said we might have to apprehend him. I thought it might be a good idea to bring his little lady along to make him behave."

Yellow eyes narrowed. "You will not involve innocent civilians in our assignments. Understood? My team does not operate in that manner."

The grass demon blinked at the serious tone of his voice, and then nodded his head. "Uh, sure. Sorry, boss."

"Just so we're clear, I will not back you up in a situation like the one you created. If that fire demon had decided to burn you alive, I would have let him."

For a moment, Cho watched Saitou walk on ahead of him, and then quick-skipped to catch up.

"Damn! That's cold, boss!"

X

A soft sigh pushed air between Tomoe's parted lips, and she settled the spine of the open book in her hands onto her lap. Lightly, she smiled as she thought of the happy look on Kaoru's face before they had left. Tomoe loved that young girl, in much the same way she loved Enishi. Seeing her happy filled her with peace and pride.

Only a few seconds later, and the density of her black irises focused on her surroundings. The empty quiet of the lab speared an ache of loneliness in her chest, and she ducked her chin to her collarbone. For most of her life, she had focused her attention on others and on helping others heal. She had been forced to grow up fast after the death of her mother, and had been independent since the young age of only eleven. Due to her father's fall into depression, she had looked after him, and then raised her little brother after he was created. Even at work, she had spent much of her career looking after Kenshin, and then the last year caring for Kaoru.

Have I ever done anything for myself?

Enishi's angry words echoed in her ears, demanding that she put herself first. It sounded easy. In fact, it sounded so simple. Except, this was who she was. Tomoe didn't understand how it was wrong to care for others. She didn't let herself go. She took care of her body's needs. She ate healthy, she exercised regularly, she slept and bathed and even took care with her appearance. She did all the things her mother had taught her to do as a lady. Caring for others was something she wanted to do. Something a part of her needed to do.

It would be nice, though, to have someone care for me for a change.

Or look at her the way that Kenshin looked at Kaoru. Someone she could be a bit selfish with. Someone who would pamper her without letting her know. Someone who might support her when life was hard.

The soft beep of the lab door alerted Tomoe to the entrance of another, and she gasped in a breath as she was pulled from her thoughts. The book was placed on the cushion next to her before she stood slowly off the couch, and a crease of concern touched her eyebrows. It was too early for Kaoru and Kenshin to be back. Had something happened? Stopping in the door to the rec room, Tomoe's anxiety turned quickly to surprise when she found her late-evening visitor was the daitengu working under Genzai-sensei.

Akira halted abruptly in the door to the main room when he noticed her. The red daitengu mask he usually kept over his face was perched precariously upon the top of his head, leaving his features free for observation. As was becoming normal, his body noticeably tensed when their eyes connected.

At first, Tomoe had not known how to take the tengu's outward jitters and awkward conversation. After dealing with Iizuka, she had immediately judged Akira a bit unfairly, and had been suspicious of every word or action he had made around the lab. Fortunately, she had quickly realized that his personality, while really quite shy, was genuine. It had helped that Kaoru had taken an instant liking to him. There was something strangely intuitive about the girl's judgment of others, as she had never really taken to or liked Iizuka. Even when they had first met.

Folding her hands at her waist, Tomoe bowed her head minimally in formal greeting.

"Is everything alright, Kiyosato-san?"

For a moment he simply stood there, before he inhaled a shaky breath. With his mouth open, it appeared as if he wished to say something important, but his vocal cords distressingly produced no sound. An inward struggle reflected clearly on his face, but he gave up only a few seconds later in stifled embarrassment and resignation. The stormy darkness of his eyes fell to the floor, and one hand sadly slid the mask down over his face. It was then that she noticed his other hand was carrying a wrapped lunch box with a thermos hooked by its handle around his thumb.

"I…" The word cracked, and he cleared his throat. Slowly his shoulders sagged, as if further mortified, and he turned toward the desks that lined the back wall to his right. "I forgot something at my desk."

"Oh." A slight frown pulled at Tomoe's mouth, and she wondered why he was still so nervous around her.

Quickly he retreated to the far desk in the corner, and his fingers clasped an upside-down cup she had watched him meticulously wash earlier that afternoon. Again, he paused to stand over his desk, as if working up his courage. The cup turned in agitated circles between the tips of his fingers. Dense black eyes glanced once more at the boxed lunch, and her brows scrunched.

Has he been eating alone?

"You're allowed to eat in the cafeteria with the employees. No one would be upset with you being there."

"Huh?" A jerk of his chin turned the long nose of his mask in her direction, and she smiled kindly. One of her hands lifted to indicate the thermos and bento box.

"You don't have to eat in your room by yourself."

Finally, he glanced down, and his shoulders visibly lifted on his indrawn breath.

"Oh. Uh… no, I-I thought… it'd be nice to maybe watch the fireworks from the rooftop. We're close enough to the festival that they should be visible." For some reason his voice was at once earnest and nervous as he told her of his plans.

"Oh!" Ever so slightly, her features brightened. "So, you prepared something to eat and drink while you watch? That sounds nice."

His eyes looked off to his right, and he tried to laugh, though it was strained. "I-it's… just sandwiches and some tea. It's nothing special."

Tomoe smiled warmly, and folded her hands in front of her. "There's nothing wrong with that. I find simplicity to be a comfort."

The tengu's body language relaxed, and his mouth opened again to speak. Tomoe missed the signals, however, as she bowed her head, this time in farewell. Before he could say anything, she had already turned back to the rec room.

"I hope you have nice time, Kiyosato-san."

X

Stunned and silent, Akira watched the coal demon walk away back to the couch. There was grace in her movements, and warmth in her words. Insistence demanded that he talk to her now, for fear the moment would slip away. Gathering his courage, he called after her.

"W-wait." She paused with a book in hand, and all of his nervousness returned to ball in his throat. Swallowing hard, he forced the words out before he lost his nerve. "W-would you like to join me?"

Dark lashes blinked, and he misread the surprise on her features.

"I-I mean… you don't have to join me. I just thought you might like to… to watch the fireworks, as well. I…" His eyes shot around desperately, and then landed on the cup in his hand. Holding it out for reference, he hurried on. "I have a cup you can use. It's clean. And we don't have to sit together, if you wouldn't like that. I…"

Tomoe's dark eyes were considering him seriously, and he stuttered off into additional offers of compromise. Anything to make her feel comfortable, but also to judge how she felt about what he was suggesting. Just as he was beginning to curse himself for bringing it up at all, she licked her lips. The furtive and shy action stabbed him right in the heart.

"Alright."

Even though his entire purpose for coming back to the small lab was to ask her if she would like to join him on the roof, the soft concession of her voice was unexpected. For fear that he was imaging it, he shakily asked her to repeat herself.

"I'd like to see the fireworks. And I will sit with you, Kiyosato-san. How else would you share your tea with me?" The light curl of her lip was teasing, and he scratched the back of his head.

"R-right. I mean… are you sure?"

"We should bring a blanket to sit on." The book was settled back on the couch, and she disappeared down the hall to return with a throw blanket.

W-we?

"Shall we go?"

WE?

Akira nodded and turned jerkily back towards the outer door. Alarmingly, he found he was having trouble catching his breath as a result of the small, and admittedly weak, inference that they were about to go somewhere together.

The elevator ride consisted of a series of half-caught glances and painful swallows over a dry throat. There was something intensely intimidating about standing next to a woman as beautiful as Yukishiro Tomoe. At the same time, it was wonderfully humbling as well to know she was standing there willingly.

Their arrival to the rooftop revealed a few other of the laboratory's employees had copied his idea, but for the first time it relieved him somewhat to see others about. If it was just the two of them, it would have created a pressure to interact more than he was used to. Spending time alone with Tomoe was also quite daunting to imagine.

"Which way is the festival?"

"Oh, uh, that way, I think." Akira pointed off to their left, but neither of them moved. When he looked over, he found Tomoe waiting patiently, and he clenched his jaw before determinedly leading the way. With eyes practiced in finding the open spaces, he beelined straight for a spot he thought would be good to watch from. She said nothing about his choice, and he hoped that meant she approved.

The blanket was spread out over the hard, cold surface of the rooftop, but despite stretching it as far as it would go, it seemed small to Akira. Though the woman with him seemed to be fine with sharing the cramped space, he pulled his wings in as close to his back as possible to make sure they did not touch her by accident.

"What kind of sandwiches to you bring?"

"Well, I wasn't sure what you'd like…" The unwitting confession flushed his brain with panic, and a strong hiccup capped off his throat. "I mean, I… brought an assortment."

She kindly ignored his bumbling, and was already untying the knot of the plain cloth wrapped around the bento box.

"Oh, egg salad. May I have one of those?"

"Of course. Have whatever you like."

He watched her for a time as she chose the half-sandwich that she wanted. Then he pulled his eyes down to the thermos, and carefully filled the small cup he had brought for her. The lid of the thermos was afterwards filled for his use.

Tomoe was not one to demand conversation, he found, and they waited in silence for the firework show to start. It was slightly awkward, and he worried she would find his company boring. Luckily, once the fireworks began lighting up the sky, speaking was no longer something he had to contemplate.

In the half-dark of the rooftop, while others exclaimed over the brilliance of the show, Akira found the small openings in the mask were constricting his ability to enjoy the overall picture in the sky. Turning his face away self-consciously, he removed the mask to settle on the ground next to him, and peeked hesitantly at the woman beside him. She was calmly engrossed in the beauty of the colorful lights, and he smiled to see that she was enjoying herself.

Cool air skated across the rooftop, and the feathers of his wings fluttered softly in the breeze. A light shiver raced up Tomoe's spine, and her arms crossed to rub her hands up and down her elbows. Again, the wind rushed up from behind them, and was even chiller than the first gust. Without thinking, he spread his right wing out behind her to block the flow of air, and her gentle gaze turned on him in surprise.

Temporarily forgetting that he no longer wore his mask to conceal his features or expression, Akira smiled, openly and with all the warmth hiding in his heart. Dark eyes blinked at him, and she nodded her head shyly before those eyes darted back up to the sky, high overhead.

"Did you see that? I'm so jealous." Whispers from behind them floated to his ears, and his back tensed. Surely, it was not about them.

"Isn't that Tomoe-sensei? Her boyfriend's so sweet."

Embarrassment and fear burned his skin hot. If anyone were to see that he was not suited to be seated next to her, the complimentary observations would turn taunting in a flash. Since he had no desire to subject her to such harassment, he turned away to put back on his mask in the same manner as he had removed it. The wing remained suspended at her back, however, since he could not move it for fear of Tomoe catching cold. Tomoe herself had either not heard what was said, or had ignored them.

It was late when the finale burst and popped across the skyline, and the noise rang in their ears long after the light had faded. In silence, the blanket, thermos, and lunch box were gathered up, and he held open the roof access door for her to pass through. Everyone else had abandoned the roof immediately, and they were left to wait on the elevator to return from dropping off the other rooftop patrons.

"I had a wonderful time." The soft and gentle tones of her voice startled him, but her words swelled in his chest. "Thank you for inviting me."

"I'm glad." Swallowing, he clenched his fingers around the lunch box wrap. "M-maybe… we could do something else… sometime… together."

"I'd like that."

"Really?" The squeak in his voice made her giggle.

"Yes."

The doors dinged open, and they climbed on. The floor where Genzai and Akira were staying was higher than the floor of Kaoru's host lab. He paused before stepping off, and turned to bow low in farewell.

"Sleep well, Yukishiro-san."

With his head bowed, she asked softly for his attention.

"Kiyosato-san."

"Yes?"

Stormy dark irises, like thunderstorm clouds, darted up immediately. Their eyes connected, and the coal demon smiled quietly as the doors slid closed.

"You shouldn't hide such a nice smile."

"W-wha…?" The thermos and lunch box dropped from his hands clumsily, and her giggles echoed back at him as the elevator lowered.

X

An almost strange notion of giddiness lightened Tomoe's heart as she sat on the couch in the rec room, and she reflected on how differently she felt now compared to only an hour before. It had been a ridiculously long time since she had flirted with anyone.

I like this feeling. Even if it leads to nothing, I enjoyed myself.

The door to the lab beeped once again, and Tomoe looked up almost expectantly. Kenshin's voice, though muted and indecipherable, briefly disappointed her, but she also relaxed to know Kaoru was back safely. He did not come fully into the lab, however, and instead left after making sure Kaoru was fully inside. Standing this time to greet the young human, Tomoe's smile felt different on her face.

"Did you have a nice night, Kaoru?" Stepping forward to meet her halfway, she blinked when the girl's face flushed red. Bright sapphire gems squeezed closed, and she nodded her head.

"Oh my." Taking her by the hand, Tomoe lightly touched her chin. "You did have a nice night, didn't you, sweet girl?" Brushing back her hair, Tomoe led her towards the hallway.

"Let's get cleaned up for bed. You need your rest for tomorrow."

X

A/N: I fought with toning Tomoe down in this chapter, but I have lightened her personality considerably due to Kaoru's influence and with her resolution of her past. I like her this way. Flirting for the first time after feeling stuck in a stagnant situation is liberating in a way. Harmless flirting is, anyway. Akira still needs some work, but he just needs to gain some confidence. It's really not that easy, though, especially after having someone else tear it away. Despite his awkward nature, he doesn't hesitate when reacting to what he believes is important. Thus, the cute scene on the roof blossomed in my mind and his use of his wing to protect her from the cold. I wanted there to be a difference between their time together and the feel of the last chapter. Kenshin and Kaoru are very well acquainted at this point, and are comfortable with one another. This chapter was meant to be awkward. First dates are almost always awkward, because you're usually starting out at zero. Zero knowledge of each other, and minimal trust. Embrace the awkward, I say! Don't let it intimidate you, and be excited instead! (Always be safe, of course!) I look forward to them growing together. Next chapter, the seal is released. Thanks for enjoying the sweetness!