"Feeling better?," Suga asked Kitsuna after a tour of an old temple. They were milling about the gift shop, each one looking at something different. She was holding a bracelet up to better examine its details, her brow furrowing as she let it fall back on its display peg.

"Yeah. Sorry about that," she looked away from him with that apology. She had pushed herself hard, and they all acknowledged it, but she was obviously distressed with the way she ended up needing to be guided out and talked down. She wandered off then, settling down on some steps while the others finished their shopping. She opened her phone, sending a text to some of her other newly made friends about the adventure with the Skytree. A thanks, to a certain setter as well, for the information on the game she had tucked in with her new clothes. A new message popped up, a mass text, informing them that it was time to head back and get ready to go home. She stood up, stretching her arms out, and stifling a yawn. The view from earlier was terrifying, but from up here on the steps of the temple with the setting sun it was stunning to say the least.

"Ready to go?," Asahi joined her first. Kitsuna nodded, stuffing her hands in her pockets to keep them somewhat warm.

The others made their way out separately, until there was a small group at the top of the stairs. They walked slowly down the winding steps, taking a few pictures along the way. The bus ride back to the hotel stop was even more crowded as people started to get off work and mill about for the weekend. They stepped off at their stop, some breathing in the crisp air with renewed appreciation for the free space they had there. Takeda peeked out from around the bus they were taking home, explaining that some had yet to arrive and they needed to go get packed up. He went inside the inn, the students trailing behind him slowly. Suga tugged at Kitsuna's sleeve, a move she was used to happening in reverse, and she stopped just past the bus's doors.

"What's up?," she asked, not getting an immediate response. The weirdness from the whole day was catching up with her, and a level of irritation and exhaustion. She turned around slowly to face him but he wouldn't meet her gaze. Not immediately anyway. He was fidgeting with some small package and very apparently nervous about something.

"Suga?"

"Hm! Sorry. Um," he laughed nervously and shook his head to chase away any lingering doubts he was harboring before he charged forward.

"Here. I-it's not just from me! I mean, they, er, everyone kinda figured out that you set a bunch of stuff up for us today. And other times. So, a few of us wanted to pitch in and..um. We appreciate it, so here," he shoved the box toward her and she took it with a little bit of hesitant curiosity. It was a small black box, nothing fancy, with some unfamiliar kanji in silver on the top. She opened it up and felt everything else wash away to be replaced by something new. Her suspicion over the others, and anxieties over various things. Her poor wallet, the team's overall morale and mood. Her yet to be answered confession from a few nights ago. Now, at least one was cleared up and left her close to tears.

There inside the box was a bracelet. Silver chain, with two small orange beads that had black and white marbling through the center of each one. Between the beads were two tiny and intricate bird silhouettes. The birds' beaks came together to hold up another bead. A black one, carved into the shape of a fox's head. A fitting image for the inari shrine they visited earlier, and with a small touch that made it feel deeply personal with the birds. They probably weren't crows, but that didn't really matter.

"Here," two pale hands extended over the box, pulling the bracelet out and fiddling with the clasps. Kitsuna's mind was blank but she still held out her wrist, where those same hands slid the jewelry around and closed the clasps there. She looked at the loosely hanging jewelry as it glittered in the setting sun's light, still stunned.

"I was supposed to wait to give that to you til later. Try not to say anything?," Suga's hands retreated to his sides. He toyed with the ends of his jacket's sleeves and his breath caught in his throat. Kitsuna shivered from the cold suddenly, clasping her hands around the box and blowing on them to warm them up.

"There's..something else," Suga swallowed hard. Kitsuna looked over at him, feeling another shock when her eyes met with his.

Her heart felt like it stopped in her throat, then pounded mercilessly in her ears. He looked as though he felt the same, the clouds of breath rising up from his mouth shaky and erratic. He met her gaze for a moment, then saw only the gravel of the parking lot under his feet. He pulled at the pale blue scarf tied around his neck, picking at a loose thread there. The silence dragged on endlessly in the small space between the two as the sun crept lower and lower toward the horizon. It was painful, cold and quiet like that. Their minds whirring and hearts racing as each tried to predict the other's next move. To force themselves to make a move.

"I-!"

Suga started first, but his voice cracked and his words caught in his throat again. Kitsuna could only stare back at him as she waited with bated breath. All her expectations, fears, hopes. She forced them aside in order to fully take in whatever it was he was struggling to tell her just now. The cold bitter wind, the seconds ticking by before they were bound to be interrupted. She forced herself to acknowledge each in turn, grounding herself.

Sugawara saw her start to fidget as she tried to focus, and slowly started hearing the sounds around him again. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath.