The day was ending, the sky darkening. The air was cool and crisp, the faint sound of crickets filling the garden. Reiko and Chun were sitting by the small pond, talking. They had been sitting there for a while now, chatting and playing with the sparrow siblings.
Reiko was smiling, but her thoughts were somewhere else. She couldn't help but wonder about Samickle; She was sure he was taking a bath, but she couldn't help but worry about him. She didn't know much about him, and it was worrying her. He seemed kind enough, but she didn't really know his thoughts. She hoped he was enjoying himself, but she couldn't tell.
"Big sister Reiko?" Chun tugged at her sleeve. "Is something wrong?"
"Ah... No. I'm just a bit tired, that's all." Reiko forced a smile, petting the little sparrow's head.
"Is the scary man your boyfriend?" Chun asked.
"Huh?" Reiko's eyes widened, her face turning red. "W-what? H-he's not-"
"Big sister Reiko! Your face is red! Are you sick?"
"Ah- N-no, I'm not." Reiko chuckled, waving her hand. "I'm just a bit tired, like I said."
"He is your boyfriend, isn't he?"
"Wh- no! I mean, uhh, no..? He's... Umm..."
"Awww. Big sister Reiko has a boyfriend~" Chun teased, giggling.
"N-no! I'm telling you, he's not!" Reiko crossed her arms over her chest. "Besides, why would I have such a 'scary' boyfriend?"
"Because he's scary, but not bad!" Chun replied. "And big sister Reiko is good and kind, so you can see past his scary face, right?"
"W-well..." Reiko's voice trailed off. The little sparrow's words had struck a chord, and Reiko found herself speechless. "I... I don't know. We're just friends."
"Mmhm, mmhm." Chun nodded, a sly smirk on her face. "He has a scary mask, but I can see he's just staring at big sister Reiko all the time..!"
"I- what?!" Reiko stammered, her face turning bright red. "S-staring? No, he's not..."
"Big sister Reiko likes the scary man!" Chun declared, pointing her wing at the blushing Reiko.
"Th-that's not true! He's not... I'm not... Ugh!" Reiko grunted, covering her face with her hands.
"Your face is all red, big sister Reiko." Chun chuckled.
"Okay, you little rascal..! That's enough..!" Reiko gave the sparrow girl a playful nudge. "I think I'm gonna go and take a bath. Be a sweetie and get me a change of clothes, okay?"
"Awww. I was having fun teasing you." Chun pouted, but complied nonetheless. "Don't be sad, big sister Reiko. If you like him, you should tell him."
"Chun... I'm not-"
"I'll get you your change of clothes!" The little sparrow ran off, her voice echoing in the garden.
Reiko watched her go, letting out a long sigh. She was happy that Chun was having fun, but her comments were embarrassing, not to mention, completely off. Samickle was a nice person, and Reiko liked him, but there was no way she had a crush on him. ...Right?
"Ugh, no. Just no. There's no way." Shaking her head, Reiko stood up and made her way across the garden and back to their room. "There's no way that I-"
As she stepped inside the room, her eyes met his. Samickle stood in the middle of the room, dressed in a yukata, his hair wet.
"Oh- Ah. H-hi." Reiko stuttered, her eyes widening. She felt her face turn red, and quickly averted her gaze. What had surprised her the most, was that Samickle wasn't wearing his mask; They were in a bath resort, and wearing that mask in such a humid environment would surely feel uncomfortable, so it made sense, but the sight of his bare face still caught her off guard.
"Uhm... Hi." Samickle greeted her. "I, uhh, already took a bath. I hope you don't mind..."
"Not at all." Reiko shook her head.
"Good." Samickle paused, shifting his weight awkwardly. "So, uhh... How was the garden?"
"Ah, yeah. The garden was nice." Reiko replied, still avoiding his gaze. "The kids were playing, and I just sat there, chatting with Chun. They're great kids, and... well... uh..." She had her nervous twaddle going on. "Why am I this nervous, all of a sudden..?!" She thought to herself, stealing a side-long glance at Samickle. His yukata was hanging a bit loosely around his body, revealing his neck and part of his chest, the fabric clinging to his wet skin. It had been a long time since she saw his face, too, but he was just as handsome as she had remembered; His features delicate, yet strong, his skin pale and smooth, his hair hanging wet around his face.
"I'm gonna, uhh, go and take a bath, too." Reiko cleared her throat, quickly turning away.
"You're not gonna..?" Samickle looked a bit surprised when he noticed Reiko heading outside again, instinctively glancing to the direction of the bathing room.
"Ah, well... There's an outdoor hot spring as well, so I thought that I'd check it out."
"I see. That's nice." Samickle's brow twitched slightly as he processed her words. "Is it... safe?"
"Safe?"
"I mean, is it safe to use? Can anyone go in, or..?"
"Oh, right." Reiko chuckled, finally meeting his gaze. "It's reserved for the guests staying here. Hopefully there isn't anyone there at this hour, so I can-"
"Mind if I come?" Samickle cut her off.
"Eh?" Reiko's eyes widened. "Y-you want to- Uh- It's completely safe, yes, if that's what you-" She hastily tried to explain, but Samickle had already grabbed his katana with him, and was making his way towards the door.
"Great."
"G-great..?"
"Let's go."
"Well, this is one way to book a private bath..." Reiko thought to herself, her eyes glued to Samickle's back.
Almost like a watchdog, he had positioned himself at the entrance to the outdoor bath, his sword at the ready.
"Samickle, I appreciate the thought, but... is this really necessary..?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean... The hot spring is completely safe, and nobody is even using it, so-"
"I'm keeping guard." Samickle stated bluntly.
"Keeping... guard? For what?"
"Anything that could pose a threat."
"A threat..?"
"Yeah."
"I really don't think that anyone is gonna attack us."
"I'm not taking any chances."
"Samickle, I'm pretty sure that we can-"
"I'm not taking any chances."
Reiko opened her mouth, about to protest further, but decided against it— Samickle wouldn't give up, stubborn as he was. "Okay, fine..!" She sighed, raising her hands in defeat. "I'm just gonna… dip in, then. Just sit down, will you? You look like you might slash off someone's head the very second they'd step through that gate."
Samickle was silent for a moment, his brow furrowed, but finally, he gave her a weak nod, and took a seat near the entrance, his katana laid against the wall.
Making sure he wasn't peeking, Reiko took off her robes and slipped into the warm, steaming water. The hot spring was big, surrounded by boulders and a small grove of trees. She let herself relax, leaning back against the rocks. A long sigh escaped her lips as she felt the warm, relaxing water surrounding her. It was wonderful, the scent of flowers and steam filling her nostrils.
"This is amazing..." Reiko muttered to herself, her voice barely a whisper. She was glad that they had taken a break; After travelling for days on end, a place like this was much needed, and she was happy that Samickle had agreed to it. Speaking of him, Reiko couldn't help but think of him again. "I wonder what he's thinking about..." She wondered, gazing up at the darkening sky. "Does he regret leaving the tribe..?" So many questions were floating around her head, her thoughts racing. She had gotten to know him better, but he was still hard to read. "Is he really happy here..? With me..?" She let out another sigh, her brow furrowed. "I should talk to him." She told herself. "Ask him what he thinks. But how should I even start...?"
"What are you thinking about?"
"Huh- W-what?" Reiko glanced up. Samickle was still sitting nearby, his back turned to her.
"I heard you sigh." Samickle explained. "Is everything okay?"
"O-oh. Yeah, it's nothing." Reiko cleared her throat, forcing a smile. "I was just thinking, that's all."
"About what?"
"Well..."
"It's not like I'm looking." Samickle said, sensing her hesitation.
"I know, but... Uhh..." Reiko hesitated, unsure if to speak her mind. Then, a thought crossed her mind. "You still have problems shifting into your wolf form, right?"
"Huh? Yeah." Samickle nodded, a bit confused by her question. "I've been trying, but-"
"Do you want me to try and tend your chakras?" Reiko suggested. This was an idea she had been mulling for a while, and she felt like now was the perfect time to ask him about it.
"Chakras? You mean the energy points on the body?" Samickle asked, his brows furrowed as he slightly turned his head to steal a side-long glance at Reiko.
"Yeah. Sometimes, when we experience strong emotions or physical pain, the chakras can get blocked, making the energy flow in the body disrupted." Reiko explained, her expression serious. "I could try to unblock them, and maybe help you shift into your wolf form."
Samickle fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.
"You can trust me." Reiko assured him. "I know what I'm doing, I promise."
"I don't doubt that, I just... I don't know." He muttered, still seemingly hesitant. "What is it that you do, exactly..?"
"I'll just place my hands on the spots where your chakras are located, and try to clear the blockages." Reiko explained.
The thought made Samickle shift in his seat, his throat tightening at the thought of Reiko's hands on him.
"It won't hurt." Reiko continued. "It's supposed to feel good, actually."
"I- I don't know." He bit his lip, trying to hide his nervousness. He felt it again, the heat building inside him. It was like his body was yearning for her touch, his skin tingling at the thought. A soft, shaky gasp escaped his lips, his mind drifting into dangerous territory. He was getting aroused, his heart racing in his chest.
"Please." Reiko's tone was gentle, a hint of pleading in her voice. "I just want to help you."
Samickle said nothing. The silence fell between them, and then, he slowly shook his head, his shoulders slumping. "I- I'm sorry. I can't." He mumbled. "Just forget it."
"What are you afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid, I just... I can't."
"Samickle, please. Just-"
"No." Samickle cut her off. "I can't, okay?! Just drop it."
"You can trust me."
"I do trust you. I just can't do this, okay?!" Samickle snapped, standing up. He looked almost flustered, his face a faint shade of red.
"Okay, fine! I'm sorry for suggesting it!" Reiko raised her hands in defence.
"Don't be. I'm... I'm gonna go." Samickle muttered, grabbing his sword. Without another word, he walked away, leaving Reiko alone with her thoughts.
Reiko sighed, lowering her head. "Damn it."