Ayano's Seventeenth Birthday
December 7th, Saturday
Set two days after Kazuma's return from his failed search for Bernhardt.
It was the early hours of Saturday morning, the very early hours, just gone midnight in fact, of 7th December, Ayano's seventeenth birthday. The house was chilled in the winter weather and she was curled up in her bed, fast asleep.
Kazuma had been gone for most of the last month, working with Jugo and Kirika trying to track down Bernhardt Rhodes. So far; they'd been unsuccessful. He'd kept in touch with Ayano and Ren, not wanting them to think her abandoned them during his search though.
Now he was back, and he'd spent the last two days since his return sleeping; mostly. He'd been more exhausted than he'd lead them to believe.
A sudden noise startled Ayano awake and she grumbled sleepily as she sat up in her bed.
"W…what? What was that?" she muttered.
She conjured a flame in her hand to illuminate the room and saw that the window had been opened and the curtains were blowing gently in the cool, night breeze that now fluttered into the room.
On the floor beneath that window, Kazuma was slumped against the wall, one leg bent at the knee and the other sprawled on the floor.
"K…Kazuma?" Ayano breathed in shock. "W…what're you doing in…in my room?" she stammered, blushing.
"Can't sleep," he muttered, his voice hoarse.
The flame in her hand vanished and she reached out to turn on the bedside light.
He looked like a beaten man. Not in the sense that he'd lost a fight, but in the sense that life in general was weighing him down. His hair was an unruly mess, his usual black shirt were askew as though he'd hastily gotten dressed and the sleeves were pushed up to his elbows and he wore no shoes. His eyes were bloodshot too and his head was resting against the wall as though he couldn't even hold it upright anymore.
"Are…you okay?" she asked. She clutched at her bedsheets, concerned.
"Well…I can't sleep," Kazuma reiterated.
"You said that."
"Did I?"
She stood up slowly and walked over to him and then knelt beside him.
Ayano didn't get an answer to her question, at least not a verbal one. She heard his deep, bone weary sigh and she could smell alcohol on him.
"Have you been drinking?" she asked quietly.
"…A bit," he admitted. That was new. She'd seen him drink before, but not to this degree. "…Sorry…I'll just go…" Kazuma said and tried to stand up, and then fell back down again.
"No!" Ayano grabbed his arm. "I mean…you shouldn't fly drunk…right?" she asked, awkwardly.
"…Guess not. I think I hit a building or two on the way here, not really sure. Might've done," he drawled.
"Geez," Ayano sighed.
Then, he tried to stand again but collapsed against the wall and sank down to the floor slowly. "'S all spiny…" he grumbled.
"Yeah, that's what happens when you drink too much," Ayano replied.
"How would you know? S' cold," he grumbled with a shudder.
"That's what happens when you open the window," she said.
Ayano slid the window closed and turned back to look at Kazuma again. Despite the fact that she was ridiculously embarrassed by the fact that he was in her room at night, he was clearly distressed. And with everything that had happened, she and Ren bad been concerned about him. Not only everything with Lapis but also with Kenji's very public apology two days ago. It had to have brought up more unhappy memories for him. Maybe that was why he couldn't sleep.
"I talked to Jugo this morning," Kazuma said.
"To otou-sama?" she blinked and he nodded. "About what? A new job?"
"No…told him I'd leave and stay away if that's what'd be best," Kazuma said.
"Eh?! Didn't we already settle that?!"
"Bernhardt…and Lapis…" he hissed both of their names with vehement hatred. "All that mess happened 'cause of me. It's me they're after. Maybe if I left they'd leave you and Ren alone…that's what I thought, and that's what I said to Jugo. We can't find them…we dunno what they're gonna do…so…"
"You can't leave!" she cried.
"Why?"
"Because…because otou-sama said there's no point and…Ren would miss you! He loves you!"
"I guess. But he got over it the first time…"
"No, he didn't! He missed you a lot! You'd break his sweet little heart if you left again! What kind of big brother would do that, huh?"
"I'd call him. Don't see what the big deal is, anyway. You people already kicked me out before. And it's not like I need the Kannagi's permission to leave or stay or whatever anyway. I'm not family anymore, remember?" he grumbled.
"But…"
"Relax. Jugo said 'no'. Again."
"Do you…want to leave?"
"No…"
"Then stay," she said.
"But…"
"I don't care!" Ayano interrupted him.
"You should."
"Well, I don't."
"Fine," he shrugged.
"Did you…come all the way here just to wake me up and tell me that?"
"I just…"
"Couldn't sleep, I know," she finished for him. "You look like you really do need to sleep though," she said. She gently out a hand on his shoulder and was shocked by how cold he was. "You're freezing!" Ayano exclaimed.
"It's cold at night, y'know," Kazuma replied.
She quickly grabbed a blanket from her bed and wrapped it around him. Then she conjured a flame again and held it close to warm him up.
"I'm tired," he admitted.
"Why can't you sleep?"
He bit his lip and looked away from her. Then, without warning he rested his head on her shoulder. For fear of burning him, the flame in her hand vanished and Kazuma took the opportunity to hug her, pulling her in close and wrapping his arms around her.
Ayano sat there stunned, not even the worryingly cold temperate of his body was enough to shock her from the haze she had descended into. He was hugging her. Kazuma was hugging her. In her bedroom. In the middle of the night.
A quiet sound of nervous shock escaped her lips as he breathed out a weary sigh against her. It reminded her of the time he'd hugged her after Lapis has said those horrid words to him. It was a desperate need for comfort, warmth and for companionship. And once again, he'd come to her in search of all of those things.
"Kazuma," she muttered.
Ayano sat there frozen for a moment by her usual embarrassment but then she slowly put her arms around him, one resting on the back of his neck, warming the frigid skin there, and the other around his shoulders. Her nervous breaths slowly calmed and as the seconds passed into minutes, she could feel him begin to regain some warmth from her. As an Enjutsushi she ran warmer than him anyway but even so, he'd been unnaturally cold.
It was when he gave a quiet little sniffle that her heart clenched painfully for him and she tightened her arms around him. There was nothing she could say to make him feel any better and she doubted he'd appreciate her saying anything like 'it's alright' because it wasn't.
"I guess I can wait to beat you up for waking me till later. I don't fight anything before breakfast, y'know," Ayano muttered. She was aiming a light hearted, teasing tone, and it must've worked a little because she felt him scoff lightly against her. His body shook a little as he let out a reluctant chuckle.
"So generous, Princess," he replied, quietly.
"Just tell me you weren't drinking your liver dry for the last two days," she said, hopefully.
"I wasn't. Not all of it," he grumbled.
"Okay," Ayano nodded, hoping that he was telling the truth.
"Ayano?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I sleep here…just for tonight?" Kazuma asked, his voice quiet and uncharacteristically shy.
"Eh? Here? I…in my room?" she stammered.
"I can stay on the floor," he said and pulled back from their hug with slow, sluggish movements. Then he curled up on the floor, hugging the fluffy, pink blanket around himself tightly.
"O…on the floor? Without a futon?"
"Slept in worse places," he shrugged.
"B…but, you c…you can't sleep on the floor," she insisted.
"Why not?"
"It's not comfy, you'll get a bad back and they'll you'll just complain."
"I'm not an old man," he yawned.
Ayano bit her lip, she was flushed bright red at the thought of him sleeping in her room, but at the same time, she'd feel terribly guilty if she left him sleep on the floor like that. Especially after the long month he'd just spent trying to track down Bernhardt.
"Get up," Ayano said. She began pulling him upright by his arm and he grumbled in complaint.
"Right…yeah…I'll go then," he sighed.
"I'm not throwing you out. But you look like someone just kicked your puppy or something and it's just sad," she said, helping him to stand. He was leaning on her heavily and he scoffed at her words.
"I don't need your pity," he muttered.
"It's not pity. We're friends, aren't we? You said we're…p…partners, right? S…so…anyway, it's not pity!" she faltered.
"If you say so."
She helped him stumble the few steps over to her bed and then sat him on the edge.
"Y…you can sleep here…or there's guest rooms you can…"
"No," he shook his head. "Can't sleep here. I hate this place," he admitted.
"This place? My room?"
"This house."
"Oh…"
"This room is fine. But I'll go if you want," he said and rubbed at his eyes.
"It…it's fine…I just want you to get some sleep so…so…you can stay here," Ayano said. She could at least understand why he hated the house that had only ever caused him pain. But in that case why come to her at all?
"Y'sure?"
"Mmmm," she nodded.
"…Thanks," Kazuma said, after taking a deep breath.
"You look like a zombie, seriously just go to sleep," Ayano ordered him and pushed a hand against his shoulder so that he'd lie down.
"A zombie?" he snorted.
"A drunk zombie."
"I'm not drunk."
"Okay, but you've been drinking."
"Doesn't mean I'm drunk."
"You said you flew into a building on the way here," she pointed out.
"I'm…tipsy…and it's windy out there," Kazuma retorted, pedantically.
"Fine, fine, whatever. Just go to sleep," she sighed.
"Bossy," he smirked, but he did actually lie down on the edge of her large bed. Right on the edge of the mattress, like he didn't want to impose.
Ayano pulled the covers up over him to keep him warm. Then, she stood there, her heart fluttering uneasily, and wondered if she should leave him there and go to one of the guest rooms.
"What?" he asked, opening one eyes to stare at her as she stood there.
"Erm…well…"
"Turn the light off," he muttered.
With a minute wave of his hands, a gentle gust of wind blew her forwards and she landed on the bed beside him.
"Oi," she muttered, her eye twitching in annoyance even as she blushed red.
With a sigh, Ayano turned off the bedside light and settled under the covers again. She lay there with her eyes open wide even though she couldn't see much at all in the dark room now. She could hear his even, relaxed breathing next to her. Though she couldn't see where he was, they weren't close enough to touch, and she wasn't quite sure if that was good thing or a bad one.
Very tentatively, he moved closer to her, he was drawn to her, even in the dark. She was impossible to ignore because his senses could perceive her brightly glowing spiritual power. It was like a beacon.
His hand found hers and though she jumped a little at the contact, she didn't push him away. She nervously threaded her fingers through his.
He could have just stayed away for good after he'd left, hoping that they'd be safe. But as he'd told her before; he was selfish. He'd missed her while he was away and between her and Ren, they'd drawn him back.
Even after the last few days of nightmares, he'd come back to a place that he hated, a place that made him uncomfortable, because she was something that made him feel safe, and that things might be alright if they were together. So there he stayed, resting beside Ayano.
Again, very slowly, in case she pushed him away, he shuffled closer and curled around her, his nose buried in the hair loose at her shoulder and an arm draped over her waist.
"…Eh…Kazuma…" she stared down at him, despite the fact that she couldn't see him. "W…what are you doing?!" she cried.
"Sleeping," he said, simply.
"B…but…I'm not a pillow!"
"Really? But you're comfy."
"Hmmm," she breathed out a nervous sigh. But she didn't complain, he noted.
"Ayano…have dinner with me tomorrow…or tonight, I guess. It's after midnight right?" he said, still curled around her.
"Eh?" Ayano flushed.
"Call it a birthday present if you want. Unless you're having a party or something," Kazuma muttered.
"I…I'm not! Otou-sama was just going to give me my presents later and Yukari and Nanase are gonna take me shopping so…so…"
"Oya? So you can?"
"I…I can, but I get to choose the restaurant," she stammered.
"Not a restaurant. My place. I'll cook."
"Ehhhhhh? Your place? Wait, you can cook?" Ayano exclaimed.
"Why'd you sound surprised? I'm insulted. Yes, I can cook. If not, I'd have died of food poisoning a long time ago, don't you think?"
"W…well…I guess…" she said. "Ano…Kazuma…you mean…this is like a d…date?"
"Yeah, a date. That a problem?" Kazuma replied, calmly.
"N…no!"
"Good."
Without another word, she feebly moved one hand to rest on his forearm that was draped over her.
"Missed you while I gone," he said so quietly that she hardly heard it. "But don't tell anyone I said that," he added.
"What…what happens if I do?"
"I'll deny it," he said, quickly.
"Huh. Well, that's really mature," she replied and he laughed.
"Never said I was perfect."
"Oh, you really aren't! You're so far from perfect it's not even funny," Ayano droned, finding confidence in their usual teasing.
"Ouch," Kazuma scoffed.
"B…but I…I missed you too," she said very quickly and all in one breath with a red face.
"Good to know," he chuckled.
"And I'll deny it if you tell anyone," Ayano harrumphed.
"Okay. That's fair."
Mid way though laughing, he yawned deeply again and settled against her sleepily.
"Go to sleep, zombie," she said, smiling.
"Mmm," he breathed and he was asleep within minutes.
It took a little longer for Ayano to get back to sleep. Lying there in the dark with him curled around her kept her awake and alert for longer than she'd have liked. He was never this still. He was always moving, flitting about in the air or vanishing and reappearing whenever he felt like it. It wasn't just the fact that he was unmoving, but he'd been tender too. Something else that was rare with him too, but she seemed to see it more and more just lately.
Finally, Ayano fell asleep too.
When she woke up in the morning, Kazuma was gone, and there was no sign that he'd ever been there at all. Except for the fact that on her bedside table was a small black box with a post it note stolen from her desk, stuck on it. It read, 'happy birthday Princess. Dinner at my place, 7pm.' There was even a hastily drawn crown doodled over the words.
Ayano yawned and rubbed her eyes, then reached over and grabbed the box. When she read the note she blushed bright red again. Only Kazuma called her 'princess'. The box had a gold emblem engraved on the top, it was a jewellers' mark written in English. She lifted the lid of the box and inside was a gold necklace, with a heart formed from elaborate gold swirls and spirals. In the centre of the heart was a Labradorite gemstone, a fire stone in other words. It was a striking red stone and it caught the light beautifully.
Later, as she made her way through the house to the main room for breakfast, she saw her father.
"Ah, good morning Ayano, happy birthday," her father smiled at her and then hugged her. "Is this new?" Jugo asked, the necklace having caught his ever watchful eye.
"Erm…it's a…birthday present," she flushed.
"It's beautiful," he remarked
"Mmm," she nodded and reached up a hand to toy with the necklace between her fingers.
"Who's it from?"
"Erm…that's…It's…from Kazuma," Ayano stammered.
"Oh, that's very kind of him," Jugo smiled, it was a hopeful smile. He didn't ask about how on earth she had it so early in the morning or how he had given it to her, though.
Later that day, Yukari and Nanase arrived at the Kannagi household and were on their way to Ayano's room when they met Jugo sitting on on the veranda, drinking tea with Ren by his side.
The two teenagers almost bumped into them in their excitement.
"Ah, we're very sorry," they bowed, embarrassed.
"No harm done," Jugo smiled at them.
"We're here to take Ayano-chan shopping," Yukari explained.
"Ah, she's been looking forward to that," he nodded.
"And this is a special occasion. We have to find her the perfect dress for tonight," Nanase smiled.
"Tonight?" Ren blinked.
"She has a date with Kazuma-san. At his condo. He's cooking her dinner," Yukari explained.
Jugo's eyes practically lit up at those words. "A date?" he repeated.
They nodded with identical grins.
"With nii-sama?!" Ren exclaimed, blushing and they nodded again.
"Tonight, you say?" Jugo asked. Once more, they nodded simultaneously.
"Mmmm," they hummed.
"Well, at least now I understand your excitement," he stated.
"Ayano was really nervous and she doesn't know what to wear, so we're gonna help her find the perfect dress," Nanase smiled.
"Personally, I don't think Kazuma-san will care what she's wearing, but as her friends, we're gonna make her look great," Yukari said.
"Please follow me," Jugo said quietly to them.
He led them through the centuries old house and to his study. In a locked drawer he took out a credit card and gave it to them.
"If Ayano happens to need anything…spare no expense," he said pointedly to his long time partners in crime. "This is of the utmost importance. This family has to change," Jugo said with conviction. "And those two are a key part of that. This has to be a success. To that end, I'll leave my daughter in your hands," he gave them a formal bow.
After a long day of shopping, they were certain they had found the dress for Ayano. It was her favourite colour, pink, and was made of a smooth silk like fabric. The bodice was artfully ruched and the length went down to her knees with a split then ran up to her upper thigh. Two narrow straps held up the dress and it fit her perfectly.
"That's it!" Yukari cried with hearts practically in her eyes.
"It's definitely it," Nanase nodded in agreement.
"And it goes really well with your new necklace," Yukari remarked.
"From Kazuma-san," Nanase whispered.
"Ayano-chan's boyfriend has really good taste in jewellery," Yukari conflicted and Nanase nodded.
"Eh???? My…my…eh?!"
"Well, he's asked you out on a date, hasn't he? And he slept in your bed last night…maaaaa…how romantic," the blonde said ethereally.
"It really is."
"W…w…what?!"
"And you agreed to go on the date," Yukari continued.
"And with this dress, Kazuma-san will probably forget his own name when he sees you," Nanase added.
"But you really can't get in a fight and destroy this one like the last one," the blonde said.
"Well, they're not going out, so they won't run into Catherine-san again. So it might be okay," Nanase mused.
"Unless Kazuma-san likes it so much that things get heated and he…" Yukari smiled.
"S…shut it!" Ayano screamed at them, flushed red.
"Sorry, sorry, Ayano-chan," the blonde waved a hand and then took out the credit card. "Let's go pay," she smiled.
"Eh? Where'd you get that?" Ayano asked them.
"Your father," Yukari smirked.
"Otou-sama? Why?" she blinked.
"He wanted you to have a nice dress for tonight," Nanase replied.
"T…tonight?! Wait, you told him about…"
"We might've let it slip," the blonde said, innocently.
"Ah!" Ayano blushed.
"But it means we have practically limitless resources for whatever you need," Nanase declared.
"I…I guess…" Ayano lamented.
"So we have the perfect dress and shoes," Yukari stated happily.
They were sitting surrounded by shopping bags at a table in the busy food court area with a warm drink each on their table.
"Ayano-chan…I know Kazuma-san be…kinda frustrating but…he asked you out on a date. A real date," Yukari said, carefully.
"On your birthday. After he gave you jewellery. It's romantic," Nanase added.
"I…I guess…"
"You really like him, don't you?" the blonde asked, hopeful.
"W…why are you asking me…"
"Because he came back. He didn't have to. You said he talked to your father about staying away for good," Yukari said.
"I made him promise to stay! He absolutely can't leave! I'd never forgive him!" Ayano declared.
"Why?" Nanase asked.
"B…because…"
"Because?" Yukari prompted their blushing friend.
"Because…" Ayano stopped.
"After everything that happened, I don't think anyone would blame him if he'd left. It must've brought up a lot of bad memories for him," Nanase said.
"Mmmmm," Ayano nodded. "But he did come back! And he's not leaving! So it's fine!"
"Well, not really. If he's still sad about it and drinking too much…" Yukari sighed. "Poor guy. But he came to you for help. That's got to mean something, right? He didn't go to Catherine-san, or Kirika, he went to you."
"That's right! He's one of those guys that likes teasing people but it's not like he trusts them or anything, right? Unless it's you," Nanase said.
"What are you guys getting at?"
Yukari and Nanase exchanged an exasperated glance and then turned back to Ayano.
"Ayano-chan, we just want you to be happy," Yukari stated.
"B…but I am happy."
"About going on a date with Kazuma-san?" Nanase asked.
"Well…yeah…that too I guess…" Ayano flushed. "He says he's gonna cook dinner. I didn't know he could cook," she said.
"And he's not doing that for anyone else, right?" Yukari stated.
"Like Catherine-san?" Nanase suggested.
"So, you don't need to be jealous anymore," Yukari then said.
"J…jealous?!" Ayano exclaimed, slamming her hands down on the table.
"Mmmm," not her friends nodded.
"You never noticed you were maybe a little jealous before? Like when Catherine-san said she'd take Kazuma-san back to America with her?" Nanase said with a smile.
"T…that was…"
"Or when the detective gets close to him Yukari held up her index finger. "They're just two flirts. It's harmless…probably," she said.
"Jealous…" Ayano breathed out the word again.
"Ayano-chan?" Nanase looked at her.
Ayano, her face a bright shade of red and her eyes as wide as saucers, seemed to come to a realisation, finally. And then dropped like a puppet with broken strings and practically flopped over the table, her head hitting the surface and her hair fanning out around her.
"Ayano-chan?" Yukari asked, cautiously.
"Are you okay?" Nanase put a hand on her friends's shoulder.
"I'm so stupid," Ayano said, her voice muffled.
Her friends once more, glanced at each other with sympathy and smiles. "I can't believe I was jealous over that idiot! He's a womanising idiot! What an idiot!" Ayano continued to grumble much to their amusement. "It's just so embarrassing! Why does he make me feel so embarrassed all the time?! It's soooo annoying!"
"Because…you like him…maybe…" Nanase ventured, kindly.
"But…" Ayano grumbled.
"And because you've never been bothered about boys before…but I wonder if 'boy' is the right word for Kazuma-san," Yukari smiled, dreamily.
"Why'd it have to be him? And why now?" Ayano grumbled.
"Mysteries of life," Yukari shrugged.
"It's annoying. How do I make it stop?" Ayano asked.
"What? The embarrassment or the love?" Nanase asked, confused.
"The embarrassment! How do I stop that?! How do I stop being so nervous?!"
"Well…you could just kiss him!" Yukari declared.
"Eh?! K…kiss?!"
"Mmmm," Nanase nodded.
On hearing that, Ayano deflated again and sagged in her seat.
That night, Yukari and Nanase escorted and very, very nervous Ayano to the grand building that Kazuma lived in. She was shaking and they were walking on either side of her for moral and physical support. Wearing her new shoes and dress and carrying a small, matching clutch bag, Ayano was a beautiful, nervous wreck.
"Almost there, Ayano-chan," Yukari said as they got into the lift. She gently patted Ayano's hand with a smile. "You're doing well, but you should probably calm down a little bit," she added.
"She's right. Take a deep breath," Nanase said. Ayano did so. "And breathe out," Nanase then said. And Ayano did.
"I…I'm fine," Ayano insisted.
"Of course," Yukari nodded.
"You're just excited, that's all," Nanase remarked.
"About your date with Kazuma-san. But it'll be okay," Yukari added.
When the lift arrived at the top floor, they delicately walked Ayano out and into the corridor and then they stopped at Kazuma's door.
"Just one more thing," Nanase handed her the bag she'd been carrying.
"Eh? I thought that was yours," Ayano said, confused.
"Noooope. It's for you."
"What is it?"
"Weeeeeell, just a few things. Some overnight clothes…just in case…some clothes for tomorrow and a few bits and pieces…" Yukari hummed.
"O…overnight clothes…" Ayano stammered.
"Just in case," Nanase said.
"I…in case of what?!" she demanded but her friends just smiled innocently at her.
"Who knows?" Yukari shrugged and knocked on the door for her. "Okay, Ayano-chan, have fun!" she said and waved.
"And we want details in the morning…or on Monday at school," Nanase added with a smile.
"D…details?! Huh?!"
"Bye bye," they both waved and ran off just as the door opened.
"Wait! I'll get you for this! Just you wait!" she yelled after them.
"What, threatening me already?" Kazuma remarked as he opened the door.
"Huh…no…not you…" she turned round to him. "I meant…Yukari and Nanase…" she pointed down the corridor.
He looked much better than he had last night, he didn't look nearly as tired or burdened down. He'd changed his usual black, button down shirt for a smart looking white one, too and he didn't smell like alcohol anymore, thankfully.
"Nice dress," he remarked, appreciatively with a hand on his hip as he stared at her. Then he stood aside and let her in.
"T…thanks…" Ayano muttered, stumbling her way into the room.
He closed the door behind them and for a fraction of a second, his hand brushed against her lower back, then it was gone.
"What's in the bag?" he asked.
"Eh…well…n…nevermind the bag," she said hastily and tossed it behind an armchair. She kept her clutch bag in her hand though. "It's not even mine! Nanase…" she trailed off, pointing towards the door. "A…anyway…nevermind!"
Unfortunately for her, she threw it so hard, then kicked it for good measure that the bag fell open and the first thing that fell out was a box of condoms.
"WHAT?!" Ayano yelled, blushing bright red.
"Oya? That's a bit optimistic, isn't it?" Kazuma remarked with a grin.
"I…I didn't…that's not…I didn't put those in there!!!!!" she yelled. She fell to the floor and stuffed the box back into the bag then shoved it away again.
"Oooookay," Kazuma stretched out the word, sounding amused. "There's no bag. Got it. I saw nothing," he held up his hands.
"But I didn't…I swear I didn't…" she insisted, standing up.
"And I believe you," he assured her.
"You do?" Ayano asked, teary eyed and still red in the face.
"Don't worry about it," he nodded. Only an idiot would believe that she'd suddenly been cured of her never ending embarrassment and actually brought a box of condoms with her.
He gently took her hand, led her away from the offending bag and further into the apartment. "Now, unlike a certain lady of leisure, I haven't been shopping all day, I've been hard at work slacking over a hot stove," be remarked.
"Well…it does smell nice…" Ayano muttered, looking around. All thoughts of the bag vanished in an instant when she smelt the delicious foods he'd been cooking. "A…and by the way, you should wear a white shirt all the time for work. You look…less shady," she said, aiming for their usual teasing.
"You should probably save the insults till after dinner y'know. I could still poison your food for insulting me," he mocked.
"What kind of jerk poisons someone on their birthday?!"
"Mmmm. On second thoughts, you're probably safe. I spent all day cooking that food. I wouldn't wanna ruin it," he shook his head.
"Greeeaaaat," Ayano sighed.
She sauntered further into the room, turning her back to his quiet chuckling. The extravagant chandelier was lit and it shone beautifully in the other wise dimly lit room. The dining table that he tended to shove to the side of the room in disuse was set with a spotless tablecloth, silverware and crystal wine glasses. It looked beautiful.
"You wanna sit down, I'll get you a drink," he said.
Ayano took a seat at the table and he returned holding a bottle of wine.
"Wine for the birthday Princess," he announced and filled the wine glass waiting on the table.
"Erm…"
"It's non alcoholic," Kazuma assured her, showing her the label on the bottle.
She took a slight sip from the wine glass and begrudgingly nodded at him. "It's nice," she said. It was cool and sweet and delicious.
"Good. I had to try three stores before I found that," he remarked and set the bottle down on the table. Then he vanished into the open plan kitchen area again.
He returned shortly after carrying two steaming bowls of soup and he loved the first in front of her and the other one, opposite.
"Smells nice," she remarked, picking up a spoon. "What is it?" she asked.
"Carrot and lentil soup," he replied, sitting down at the table.
"Never heard of it," Ayano said, trying the soup. "Whoa…" she blinked. "It's good! You actually can cook…wait…did you order it in?"
"Nope," he smirked. "Well, I bought you some cake for later unless you're sick of it by now. But knowing you, that's impossible. I don't really like cakes all that much so I didn't wanna try and make one and just end up ruining it," he explained.
"S'good!" she admitted, happily surprised as she ate more of the soup. "You don't like cakes, huh? Always knew there was something off about you," she said with a smile after a moment.
"So out of everything, it's that I don't like cakes that stands out the most," Kazuma scoffed.
"That's the worst!"
"Of course it is," he rolled his eyes. He poured himself a glass of the non alcoholic wine and sipped it. "You're right, it's not bad," he remarked with surprise.
"Hmmm. For my next birthday I want a crate load of it," Ayano said.
"You haven't even got through this birthday yet and you're already making demands for the next one," he laughed. "Well, maybe I should get more and I'll stick to this for a while. Wine hangovers really are the worst the morning after," he said ruefully, setting down the now empty wine glass and picking up his spoon.
"Still hungover?"
"Wasn't that bad. I've had worse. It's fine. I don't drink all that much anymore honestly. Yesterday was…a bad day," Kazuma admitted. "Besides, if I can still cook this well after it, then it really wasn't all that bad," he added after having some of the soup in a much more light hearted tone.
To say that only yesterday had been a 'bad day' was an understatement for him. It had been a bad month, ever since things had started with Pandemonium. It hadn't been easy for him.
"I don't…think I've seen you like that before. I was worried," Ayano muttered.
"I won't do it again."
"You better not," she glared at him with concern in her eyes.
"Contractors' word of honour," he held his hand, jokingly.
"Did you really fly into a building, though?" she asked.
"A little bit…" he shrugged.
"Really?!"
"Mmm…think I'm getting a pretty little bruise on my shoulder too," Kazuma said and clutched at his left shoulder with his right hand. He moved the joint about a little and then winced. "Yup, that's gonna bruise," he sighed.
"So all it takes is a bottle of wine and a building to bring you down, huh?"
"I'd hardly say I'm down for the count," Kazuma scoffed. "It was just one little building and I wasn't paying attention. I'll be fine…don't worry about it…Contractors heal pretty quickly, y'know," he said after seeing her concerned expression.
In fact, she had actually noticed that before, but it didn't stop her from worrying.
"I know…even so," she said, biting her lip.
"Forget it, I won't fly into any more buildings. I promise," he said, affectionately.
Some time later he brought out the main course to an adoring Ayano. Her adoring eyes were for the food, naturally.
"Butter and lemon salmon for the birthday Princess," he announced, setting the plate down in front of her.
"Whaaaaaaa!" she beamed happily at the sight. She eagerly tucked into the food.
"'Oh, thanks for this really nice dinner, Kazuma, it must've been really hard work, you're amazing'," he suddenly said in a poor imitation of a woman's voice.
"Shut it, I'm eating," she snapped.
"Well, that's attractive," Kazuma smirked.
Later that night when the food was eaten, Ayano leaned back in her chair at the table with a happy smile. She'd just finished a slice of very delicious, store bought cake and she pushed the plate back.
"Whaaaa…" she exclaimed. "That was all sooooo good! I can't believe you've been keeping it a secret that you can cook like that!"
"Well, it's not like I kept it a secret as such, it just never came up. It's not like it's as useful as fighting or tracking or anything," he shrugged.
"It is! It's way more useful!"
"Say the woman who marches on her stomach," Kazuma rolled his eyes.
"Huh," she scoffed.
He pushed his chair back and stood up, then walked over to her and pulled back her own chair.
"W…what about all the…" Ayano trailed off and looked back at the dishes left on the table.
"I'll deal with it later," he said and led her over towards the sofa and the large tv across the room.
It was a large, modern flat screen tv and in the floor by the side of it was a neat stack of books written in both Japanese and English. Those books were about the only few personal items in the whole apartment. The rest, although elegant, had nothing that was 'his' in it, really.
"Here," he turned on the tv and handed her the remote.
She looked at the tv screen and was surprised to see one of her favourite shows playing.
"I love this show!" she beamed.
"I know."
"…How?" Ayano asked. Of all the things they'd done, watching bad tv shows together wasn't one of them, until now.
"I asked your friends."
"Asked them what?"
"What shows you like. I don't use the tv in here much. Haven't really watched anything in years anyway so I didn't even know if this thing'd get the right channels," Kazuma said.
Before she could say something sarcastic, Ayano couldn't help but remember their visit to an amusement park, in which he'd said that he'd never been to one because of his father's rigorous training schedule. It was likely due to the same reason. Not for the first time just lately, she wondered why her father gave her so much leeway and why Kazuma's father had done the opposite for him. And also, why she'd never bothered to notice that fact when they'd been children.
"It's not like you're missing much anyway. Ren hates this show, he says it's stupid," she settled for saying.
"He's probably right. But it's your birthday. So it's birthday Princess' choice," he replied and threw himself onto the sofa, then he patted the space next to him expectantly.
"W…why'd you ask them something like that?" Ayano quietly asked as she sat down beside him, nervously clutching onto the remote.
"Because I realised I didn't know it. And I wanted to know," Kazuma answered, still lounging back with his usual air of aloofness.
"Know what? What tv shows I like?"
"Well that, yeah, and other stuff. But I'd rather you tell me anything else."
"Like what?"
"I wanna know what things you like…aside from me," he joked. "And I wanna know what things you hate…aside from me when I annoy you," he said.
"Oi, not everything is about you!" Ayano's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.
"Of course it is," he shrugged and she let out an irritated little growl.
After a moment, her annoyance faded and she couldn't help but ask, "But…why?"
"Why what?"
"Why ask at all?"
"Partners, aren't we?"
"Partners…I guess so, but…as in…partners against youma, right?" Ayano mumbled.
"If that's all you want, sure."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means; I'm greedy and selfish, but I do have limits," he muttered back.
"But…partners just in fighting…don't sit around in someone's place like this, or come see the other person when they're drunk and sad, or cook each other a nice dinner, do they?" Ayano asked.
"They might."
"Oh."
"But then again, they might not," he added, unhelpfully.
"…Oh," she reiterated. "Would that be…bad?" she then asked.
"No."
"Oh," Ayano breathed, nervously.
"If that's all it was, I wouldn't really need to know or care about what stuff you like, would I?" Kazuma asked, with enough bluntness that even she would understand.
"Hmmm…then…I like…cake," she said, looking down with a blush. "I wanna try food from every country. All of it! My favourite colour is pink. I like watching stupid tv shows and I don't care that they're stupid. I wanna travel to lots of places but I don't know if I'll ever be able to because I'm the next head of the family; I mean travel for fun, not for work. I love my family but I'm gonna change it for the better! Everything is always 'Kannagi this and Kannagi that' it's stupid and it's not fair," she crossed her arms. "I like wearing nice clothes but I always end up in a fight and they get burned. I can shop all day and not get bored or tired. Even Yukari and Nanase get bored eventually.
I hate getting up early in the morning! Whenever I get days off I wanna just lie around in bed and sleep. I hate tests in school, so much! I don't like the cold. I guess I used to hate the wind but I don't anymore. I hate that I get angry so easily and you and father don't. It's embarrassing but I can't help it…I hate what the family did to you. I hate what I did to you when we were kids, I hate…" she sniffled a little.
"Oi, Oi, no need to get so sad," he stopped her.
"But I do hate it! And I hate that I didn't stop it!"
"You were a kid. What could you have done?"
"But…" she pouted. "I'm still sorry. I really am…" she then added.
"Okay, fine. But you still couldn't have done anything. It was my old man's fault, not yours," Kazuma said with conviction as he gently tugged her closer to rest against him.
She shifted her weight so that she was resting completely against him and tossed the remote aside. Her heart beating so fast she was sure that he would hear it, or at least feel it. Ayano rested her head on his shoulder and was startled when one of his hands sought out hers. She didn't push it away.
"So…I told you stuff I like and hate…now you have to tell me," she muttered.
"That wasn't part of the deal."
Ayano swatted her hand against his chest. The one that he'd been holding.
"There wasn't a 'deal', but fair is fair!" she said.
"Fine," he scoffed. "Stuff I like…hmmm…I like flying. There's no one up there at all except the birds sometimes and it's quiet and peaceful in the clouds. I like it. I like wine, good wine, expensive wine...or just nice, fancy things in general I guess. I didn't have much for a while, so why shouldn't I like nice things? I like a good fight, it's fun. I actually like cooking, but if it's just cooking for yourself all the time there isn't much point. It gets boring. I don't mind reading, now that I can choose what I want to read," he said, glancing at the pile of books.
"Reading what? What sort of books?" Ayami asked.
"Well, just this and that…some history stuff, it's kinda interesting to read about the stuff I can see from up in the sky. Some mysteries…just passes the time," he said.
"Hmmm…" she hummed thoughtfully.
"I hate…my old man. I hate mosquitoes…no…I hate all bugs. Y'know, when I started flying I forgot there'd be bugs…it was disgusting. I figured out after that I'd need a wind barrier to keep them away," he shuddered.
Ayano couldn't help but laugh. "I'd love to have seen that," she grinned.
"How cruel," Kazuma said with mocking exaggeration. "The sky is for the Fūjutsushi's, the bugs can go to hell. And so can planes…and helicopters. They're so damn noisy. But bugs are the worst," he added with such serious hatred, that it made her laugh even more and she forgot her own embarrassment for a while.
"Heeee."
"And…I hate fire. Or at least, I used to. It was just the symbol of everything bad that ever happened to me," he then said, seriously.
"…That…makes sense," she nodded.
"But…I don't hate it anymore. Not yours anyway. Yours is different. It's beautiful. Maybe it's stupid…fire's fire, right, wherever it comes from? But that's what I think. Doesn't have to make sense," he finished with a sigh.
She felt him move, only a little and then he dropped a kiss gently, to the top of her head and began to caress the strands of her hair through his fingers. Ayano froze in shock, she sat there, stock still against him, mulling over what he said. He throught her flame was beautiful. Even though he hated fire.
"Ayano?" Kazuma said, startling her out of her haze.
"Y…yeah?"
"Is kissing on the list of things you like or things you hate?" he asked.
"Eh?!"
"You heard me, Princess, which list?"
"W…well, that's…" Ayano then dropped her head, letting her hair conceal her eyes.
"Yeah?"
"A…kiss like what you just did or…" she absentmindedly stroked the hair atop her head that he'd just pressed his lips to a moment ago.
"No. A kiss on the lips."
"Oh…"
"A real one."
"Erm…"
"Hmmm?"
"I…I don't know!" she finally exclaimed.
"You don't know?" Kazuma blinked.
"No, I don't!"
"Oh, that's a shame. It's nice, y'know," he drawled with understanding. If you'd never been kissed, how would know if you liked it? She clearly didn't want to admit it, but she didn't have to, she was an open book as always.
"You would say that."
"Well, I guess…but no one's been brave enough to try and kiss you, have they? Can't really blame them, you can be scary," he said pensively. "Luckily for you, I like scary," he added.
"Scary? I'm not…"
"Wanna find out?" he interrupted what would have been another embarrassed, angry rant.
"F…find out what?"
"If you like kissing or if you don't?"
"Erm…well…you mean right now?"
"Why not? Don't you want to kiss me? You can if you want, y'know," he smiled.
"I…"
"But if you don't, that's fine," he added.
"Well…"
"But you'll have to tell me, either way. I'm not a mind reader."
"Erm…"
"If you don't want to…"
"I want to!" Ayano exclaimed, grabbing his arm, holding him close. "But…" she trailed off.
"But?" Kazuma prompted her.
"But I don't know…how," she muttered, still hiding her face behind her hair. "Why's this so embarrassing?! Why'd you make me so embarrassed?! It's annoying! You're annoying! Add that to the list!" she poked her index finger into his chest for emphasis.
"Okay," he said with a kind smile that she couldn't see, but she could hear it in his voice. He so rarely smiled kindly that she was almost sorry to have missed it.
"And you've probably kissed a lot of people," Ayano said, jealously.
"Well…a few," he said.
"But you're a big stupid flirt! You flirt with everyone!"
"Maybe I do. A bit."
"So…is this…just that? Like some stupid game to annoy me?" Ayano asked, genuinely.
"If I was playing, I'd have just kissed you already and saved myself the trouble. It's been years since I kissed someone, y'know. Just because I like to flirt and make people uncomfortable for fun, it doesn't mean I'm a jigolo," he scoffed.
"W…what?!"
"Relax, I said I'm 'not'. Although, maybe it'd pay well. Of course, you've only got my word that I'm not. I guess you could call Kirika and Catherine and they'd tell you, after teasing the hell outta you, that I never kissed either of them. I could've, I guess," he shrugged.
"I know, they wouldn't have said 'no'," Ayano sighed. "It's annoying," she lamented.
"Something else for the list?"
"It's that stupid, pretty, stupid face! People don't know how irritating you are 'cause they can't see past it!" Ayano exclaimed, and then blushed once more when she realised what she'd said.
"Ah, so you like my face, that's good to know," he grinned.
"It's your personality that stinks," she retorted, still flushed red.
"Well, I can live with that…because I'm pretty," he smirked.
"And stupid."
"But I'm pretty," he reiterated.
"And annoying," Ayano added.
"Well, if I'm that bad, why are you still here?"
"B…because you're a good cook and there's still cake left over that we couldn't finish…and I want it. You'll just…throw it away 'cause you don't like cake," she stammered, quickly.
"Ah, so you're just using me shamelessly, huh? That's my girl," Kazuma proudly smiled.
"Eh?" she blinked rapidly.
"You like the necklace then?" he asked, without context. He trailed a hand towards the gold necklace hanging from her neck and smiled.
"Yeah…"
"Thought you would. It's called a Firestone, y'know. Maybe it's lucky or something," Kazuma told her.
"C…close your eyes!" she ordered him suddenly.
"What?"
"Just do it," she said, hoping it'd be easier, and less embarrassing, without his eyes scrutinising her every move.
With a put-upon sigh, Kazuma closed his eyes.
"You can't open them! Don't open them!" Ayano added.
"Why? If you draw all over my pretty face, I'm not gonna be very happy about it," he remarked.
"Just promise me you won't open your eyes utill I say so!"
"I didn't think you'd be this kinky on the first kiss, y'know. Good for you. I like to play, too," Kazuma smirked.
"T…that's not…Kazuma, you idiot!" Ayano yelled at him.
"Alright, alright. See, I'm sitting here with my eyes closed, and I won't open them unless you say so. Happy?" he said.
Silently, Ayano cursed; he was handsome even with his eyes closed and he was teasing her. And she still wanted to kiss him. It really wasn't fair.
With a deep breath for courage, Ayano slowly reached out her right hand and carefully cupped the side of his face. His skin was smooth and cool to the touch.
"You're always so warm. Shouldn't be a surprise, I guess. Enjutsushi's run warmer than other people," he remarked, quietly and pressed his face closer to her hand.
"And you always feel colder," she replied. Every time he carried her while they flew, she couldn't help but notice that he lacked the physical warmth that the rest of the Kannagi family shared.
"Fūjutsushi's don't get an internal heater. It'd be nice in winter though."
"Maybe, but it's not nice in summer when it's so warm and it won't turn off," she said.
"It's your internal flame, you should be able to control it," he said, sounding uncannily like his father.
"I know, I know," Ayano grumbled.
"I guess a can just call a nice breeze for you in summer," he whispered.
"A…and I could keep you warm in winter…"
"I like the sound of that," he said, chuckling darkly.
"Shut it!"
"You said to shut my eyes, not my mouth. Such a bossy princess."
"A…and I'm not gonna change," she stated.
"Right! You'll probably only get worse when you're the Soushu. What am I getting myself into? Am I a masochist?" Kazuma said, pensively.
"No, just an idiot."
"So cruel."
She smirked and bravely began to trail her fingers down from his face, to his neck around his loose shirt collar. All the while his usual air of aloof calmness never faltered and she was fighting to breathe calmly. Just once, she'd love to see him loose his cool.
"What are doing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow even with his eyes still closed.
"Got any complaints? Should I stop?"
"Noooope and nope."
"Then shut up."
"Fine, fine. Do whatever you want," he smirked.
"Hmmm," she harrumphed.
Kazuma was rude, irritating, sarcastic, selfish and bitter, but even she had to admit, that he had good reasons sometimes to be so. After how he'd been treated by their family and what happened after, anyone would develop a negative personality, she supposed. But despite all of that, he could also be kind, generous, loyal to a fault, incredibly intelligent, and he cared about ultimately doing the right thing. He was an annoying mess of contradictions.
He was also an incorrigible flirt. But as he'd said, she'd seen no evidence that he'd had a girlfriend since he'd been back. As much as it annoyed her when he flirted with other women, as her friends had pointed out to earlier that day, at some point during their long shopping trip it was because she was jealous. It annoyed her further that it had taken her so long to admit it. Maybe he was right when he called her an idiot.
"What…what you said this morning…about leaving…you wouldn't really leave, would you?" Ayano asked, her palm now pressed shakily against his chest. She could feel the gentle rise and fall as he breathed and it was oddly relaxing.
"No…no, I'm not leaving," he replied.
"Promise?"
"I promise," he swore, sounding uncharacteristically genuine.
"I don't…want you to leave," she admitted quietly. "Because…" she faltered.
Instead of speaking, Ayano leaned closer to him with lightning speed and pressed her lips ever so gently to his. Then she pulled back and flushed a brilliant red.
"So? Is kissing on the good list or the bad one?" he asked her.
"Erm…"
"Maybe you should do it again to be sure."
"…Maybe…" she muttered.
And she did. It wasn't quite as hurried as the first one, but it was still over in less than a few seconds.
"How about now? You figure it out yet?" he asked, patiently.
"N…not yet," Ayano replied.
"Hmmmm…that's a problem," he hummed. "Can I open my eyes yet?" he then asked.
"Erm…I guess so…"
The second that his eyes opened, Ayano kissed him again. This time, before she pulled back, Ayano felt his tongue brush at her lower lip and she froze for a moment in surprise. Then he leaned back a a little.
"Still not made up your mind yet?" he asked, his lips almost close enough to touch, but not quite. She could feel his warm breath on her own lips, he was that close.
"Errr…well…"
"How 'bout now?" Kazuma asked.
He leaned in closer again to kiss her, reaching up a hand to tangle his fingers through her long hair and hold her close.
This time, she didn't pull away after a second, instead she stayed close to him, her fingers curling around the soft fabric of his shirt. His lips moved against hers this time and she copied what he did. With his hand still caressing the back of her head, Kazuma tilted his head light to one side and swiped his tongue at her lips again.
A quiet, almost silent whimper came from Ayano, thought she would forever deny that she'd made such a sound, when her lips parted ever so slightly and his tongue touched hers. Then it was gone.
She could feel him start to start to move away again but acting on instinct rather than experience, she tried what he'd done. She leaned in closer and sought out his tongue with hers. His lips smiled against hers and she could feel it, so she smiled back.
He tugged her carefully closer and onto his lap, after some fumbling on her part, she found self resting over him, one leg on either side. She leaned back from him a little and took a breath through her nose because her mouth was otherwise occupied.
It was an oddly powerful position like that, she was slightly higher than him now and that made a change. It was also somewhat difficult given the dress she was wearing. The skirt was rather form fitting so it ended up mostly bunched at her thighs, which Ayano didn't notice. Not yet, anyway. She just wanted to get closer to him.
When they finally did separate, they were both breathing deeply and Ayano couldn't help but lick her lips, tasting him on them.
"So…you have to know now, right? Kissing; good or bad?" he asked with one arm around her and the other resting on her hip.
"It's…It's…on the good list…I guess," she but her lip. She ran her tongue over her teeth a little and she could swear she could still feel his own against it.
"You sure?"
"Mmmm," Ayano nodded.
"Kissing in general or kissing me, specifically?"
"Eh? What's that supposed to mean?! It's not like I ever kissed anyone before anyway! I mean, kissing you, dummy!" she exclaimed.
"Just thought I'd check," Kazuma smirked.
"Idiot," Ayano grumbled. She rested over him, nestling her face into his shoulder and taking a steadying breath. His arms wound around her a little more and she exhaled a little contented sigh.
"Ayano…"
"Mmm?"
"Did you like this…our date?" he asked.
"…Yeah," Ayano replied with a blush.
"Soooo…you wouldn't mind if we did it again some other time? Or we could do something else, whatever, you choose."
"M…more dates?"
"Yeah."
"L…like…w…we're d…dating?"
"Mmmmm…I guess that's what you'd call it. Yeah, that okay?" he nodded, smirking when he could physically feel her heartbeat speed up against him and her nerves increased tenfold. She really was so easy to rile up.
"Y…you mean l…like you're my…my…my…b…boyfriend?" she stammered, clutching the front of his shirt in her nervous hand.
"Yeeeeah," he drawled.
"And that'd make me…"
"My girlfriend. My partner. Whatever you wanna call it."
"Oh…I…guess that'd…be fine…"
"Don't sound so enthusiastic about it then," Kazuma laughed, stroking a soothing hand down her back.
"T…that's not what…"
"I know, geez, you're so tense. Relax already, I don't bite…well, not much, anyway."
"Eeeehhhhhh?!"
"So, I'm your boyfriend, eh?" Kazuma grinned. "And that's means I can kiss you again…or you can kiss me, whenever you want, y'know. Nice, right?" he said.
"W…whenever I want?"
"Like I could say 'no' to you. Whenever you want, wherever you want."
"Erm…just…just me though…right?" she asked quietly.
"Yes, just you," Kazuma chuckled.
"Hmmm," she nodded.
A light, cheerful chime interrupted them from across the room and Ayano looked up.
"My phone," she muttered.
She'd left her own small bag by the table and it was far away enough that she'd have to get up to go and fetch it.
With a wave of his hand, the pink bag was floated across the room and onto the sofa right next to them.
"Okay…that's pretty handy," Ayano remarked.
"You're welcome," he grinned.
It was now, finally that she noticed she had been straddling his lap this entire time and her face reddened immediately.
"W…when were you gonna tell me I was…"
"Well, I wasn't. We were cosy, weren't we? Besides, I feel like I should just point that you just had your tongue half way down my throat, you could lighten up a bit about it…maybe," he shrugged.
"…Maybe…" Ayano mused. "I really am an idiot," she muttered, thinking of what her friends had said to her today.
"Where did that come from?" Kazuma asked, raising an amused, yet confused eyebrow.
"Something…my friends said to me today."
She crumpled to the side and landed on the sofa seat, exhaling a deep sigh with one leg still draped over him.
"Oi, what am i? A pillow?" he asked.
"You treated me like a pillow yesterday," she recalled. "Anyway, if you're my b…boyfriend…you're my pillow now, too. Get used to it," she said and settled comfortably on the sofa. She threw her legs over his lap and kicked off her heeled shoes and lay down across the seat.
"Where'd shy Ayano go?" he asked, amused as he stroked a hand over her leg. "Ah, nope she's still here. You're as red as a tomato," he then remarked.
"Shut it," she grumbled and wrenched open her bag, rummaging from her phone.
The chime they had heard was a text, from Jugo.
She read the text and then blushed. It said, 'consider this a work free weekend. For both of you. Enjoy your night and don't worry about your curfew. Just remember to be in class on Monday. Happy birthday.'
"What?" Kazuma asked her.
"N…nothing…" she snapped her phone closed and stuffed it beneath the cushions behind them.
"Oi, you're a terrible liar, y'know."
"It's…not important. It's just otou-sama…that's all…"
"What's he say?"
"It's just about work…"
"On your birthday? Doesn't seem like him. That's more like my old man, not yours," he scoffed.
"Well…he says there isn't any. He says I can have the weekend off," Ayano said, leaving out the rest of it.
"Oh, well that sounds more like it. A whole weekend off, eh? How often you get that?"
"Not a lot really," she sighed. "On my last birthday, otou-sama said I needed to take on more responsibilities as the next Soushu…so why's he saying I can have time off now?"
"Who cares? You should make the most of it."
"I probably should. It won't happen again," Ayano lamented.
"At least not for another year. He might feel generous again on your next birthday," Kazuma replied.
"Maybe."
"Soooo…speaking of that, you doing you anything tomorrow?" Kazuma asked.
"No…no, why?"
"You could just stay here, we could do something if you want."
"Like what?" she asked nervously.
"Whatever you want, it's not like I have plans," he shrugged. "And if you go back, Jugo might change his mind and have you working instead since you're not doing anything else."
"…That's…a good point, I guess…" she admitted. "I don't wanna work," she sighed, heavily.
"Then it's settled; you're staying here," Kazuma announced and she blushed.
"Eh?! Here?!"
"You wanna risk working? Besides, you have to admit, this place is better than that draughty old pile of wood any day."
"It…it's not a 'draughty old pile of wood'!" she exclaimed, propping her self up on her elbows to glare at him.
"Yes it is! Admit it. It's damn cold in winter in there. I remember."
"It's not that bad!"
"Yeah. Not for you lot, you all have internal central heating! The rest of us don't. I prefer actual central heating, thank you. It doesn't even have chandeliers either."
"Why the heck would it?"
"And it doesn't have air conditioning."
"Of course it doesn't!"
"And no soft warm, carpet either."
"Well…no…"
"Less people too," he added.
"Hmmm…"
"My place is looking better and better," Kazuma grinned, smugly.
"It's not that bad. You're just exaggerating," she said.
"Don't think so. You can't compete with this kind of luxury. It's okay to admit it. But you should probably tell Jugo that you're staying here, right? He won't mind," Kazuma said.
"Erm…"
"Here, I'll call him for you…" he reached for Ayano's pink phone.
"Ah! Noooooo! I can do it!" Ayano yelled, clutching her phone.
"Then do it."
"Fine!" she yelled and flipped her phone open. Then she bit her lip and paused. "What if he says 'no'?" she asked.
"He really won't. Trust me," Kazuma scoffed.
"How'd you know?"
"I just do. Magic Fūjutsushi powers," he said, amused and waving a hand in the air.
"That's stupid," she said.
"Go ahead, then."
"…Maybe I'll just text instead…" Ayano muttered and began typing.
Shortly after she sent a message, she got a reply back from her father.
'That's fine, I have no problem with that. As I said, have a nice weekend and remember to be in school on Monday. Then I'd like for you to come home after that in case of any work for you, then if there isn't, feel free to return to Kazuma's apartment. Enjoy your weekend with Kazuma, Ayano.'
"Uso!" she exclaimed.
"So, what'd he say?"
"He said…it's fine…he says it's fine if I stay here the whole weekend as long as I'm in school on Monday and I then I have to go home after that in case there's any work…but if there isn't then…" she grumbled.
"Then?"
"I can come back here," she said.
"Looks like he sold you out."
"How'd you even know he'd say that? That's not a Fūjutsushi power."
"I'm a mind reader."
"Liar."
"There's the proof," he pointed at the phone.
"I can't believe it was that easy. He only ever lets me stay at Yukari and Nanase's places for one night. It's usually just easier for them to stay over at the mansion."
"Anyway, problem solved," Kazuma said taking a breath. He took the phone from her, snapped it closed and tossed it aside.
"Is it…really okay for me to stay h…here?"
"I already said it was."
"But…"
"What? No one's making you, y'know. You can go home or stay here, it's up to you. I just thought it might be nice," he said, very matter of factly.
"I know…" she murmured.
"I don't wanna make you any more nervous and red in the face than you already are…well, maybe that's a lie…but I know your friends were just trying to help or have a light or whatever when they left you that little present in that bag before, but I won't try anything if you don't want me to," he said.
"Present? Oohhhh…you mean the…oh, yeah…I can't believe they put those in there," Ayano flushed.
"Gonna kill 'em, aren't you?" Kazuma chuckled.
"I really am."
"Let me watch," he said. Then he leaned back against the sofa, taking a breath. "So, you going home or what? I'll fly you, if you are," he told her.
"I don't…wanna go home. C…can I stay here?" Ayano asked, timidly.
"Course you can," he smiled. "So, what'd you wanna do tomorrow? You hate mornings, yeah? Stay in bed till midday and then brag about it to Ren. He'll still probably have to get up early for training with the old man. Poor kid," he said.
"That…that doesn't sound like a bad idea. Except bragging to Ren. He trains hard, y'know," Ayano mused.
"See, I'm a mind reader and a genius!"
"Modesty is a word you might wanna look into," she mocked.
"Why?"
"…No reason," she sighed at his playfully clueless expression.
"Could just go flying and see where we end up," he suggested. "It's not gonna be as far away as Paris, but I can fly us somewhere here for the day."
"Really?!"
"Sure."
"Kyoto! What about that? Can we go there?" Ayano asked, excitedly.
"Another cliché?"
"I haven't been since I was a kid!" she said with wide eyes and a pleading expression.
"Fine. Kyoto it is," he sighed in defeat.
"Yes!" Ayano yelled, happily.
"I really am a pushover," Kazuma lamented.
Ayano begrudgingly admitted that she couldn't wear her beautiful pink dress all night, especially not to sleep in. So she trudged her way over to where she'd tossed Nanase's bag and opened it.
Along with her school uniform and essentials like a hair brush, perfume and deodorant, there was also her pink pyjamas, several pairs of undergarments, some of them very lacy, which she promptly stuffed back into the bag with a furious red blush.
"Oh, that's thoughtful of them, too," he noted, calmly.
"Whaaaa!" she yelled and fumbled with the box, hiding it under some of her clothes. "I didn't put that there! They did it! That's nothing to do with me!" she cried.
"Shame. They're nice."
"Quit staring at them!"
"Fine, fine, I'm gonna go do the dishes," he added, holding up his hands and walking off.
"I'll…I'll help," Ayano said. She set aside her pyjamas and zipped up the bag with a little more force than was strictly necessary.
"You wanna do dishes on your birthday?" Kazuma grumbled.
"Well, I should help do something! You did all that cooking after all," Ayano said.
"Fine. But you don't get to complain that I made you help with the clean up. I didn't. I want that noted."
"Noted where?" she asked, dryly.
"I don't care. Anywhere. Go get changed and bring 'em over then," he said, pointing at the dishes left on the table.
Soon after, both of them made a very domestic picture, Ayano in her pyjamas and Kazuma with his shirt buttons loose and sleeves rolled up as they were washed, dried and put away the dishes. Turns out, cooking a full dinner made a lot of dishes, Ayano mused, never having had to do so before.
"Not that one, the one next to it," he said to her as she searched for the right drawer to put a dish away.
The drawer she opened though was the wrong one and it was filled with a ridiculous amount of candles.
"Why'd you have a drawer full of candles?" Ayano asked, fearing the worst. For example; they were for setting the mood for all of the times he invited women around.
"It's not what you think," Kazuma chuckled. "There's flashlights and a bunch of batteries too. Those are definitely not for dates, right? Take a look."
She did, and just as he'd said, that's what she found. "Huh. What are they all for then?" she asked.
"I've lived in a few places where there's a lot of power cuts. It's not like I'm expecting it to happen here, I just think it's better to be safe than sorry. For what it's worth, I don't really think that sitting around a bunch of open flames in the dark is particularly romantic. Not with my experience of fire," Kazuma shrugged.
"Oh," she closed the drawer, feeling a little guilty. But really, with him, what was she supposed to think?
"So, you should remember that for future reference, honey," he said in a lighthearted tone.
"Eh? H…honey?!" she exclaimed.
"No candles for future dates. Your boyfriend doesn't like them. Remember that," he reiterated and pointed at her.
"O…oh, right," Ayano stammered and closed the drawer. "Where do they even have that many power cuts that you'd need so many candles, anyway?" she asked.
"Florida after a hurricane, for one," he replied. "And no, I didn't cause the hurricane. They have enough of their own over there without me adding to it. There was a lot in China too, power cuts I mean, not hurricanes. But I guess no one really cares when it happens in the slums. Oh, and there was one while I was in Germany, but I'm pretty sure I caused that one. I was messing about with generating static electricity and it just got away from me. It's kinda tricky, y'know," he mused.
"You really have been all over the place, haven't you?" she tilted her head. "I'm kinda jealous," she added.
"Well, it's not like I just traveled around to be a tourist. There just wasn't much to keep me in one place for very long. When you get right down to it…everywhere's pretty much the same," he said, dismissively.
"That's…a really jaded way of looking at it," Ayano remarked, sadly.
"Maybe," he chuckled.
"I'd like to see London…" she hummed wistfully.
"It's noisy, dirty and expensive," he shrugged.
"And I'd like to try French pastries in Paris…"
"They're overpriced. And that's such a cliché."
"Yukari knows someone who went to see the Pyramids in Egypt last year. It looked amazing!"
"You'll get scammed. Seriously, you'll get scammed. There's people just waiting for gullible tourists everywhere you look by the pyramids. Don't do it. Trust me."
"What? You're such a kill joy," she scoffed. "And w…what's with calling me h…honey, anyway?!" she demanded and tossed the tea towel over her shoulder.
"What? You don't like it?" Kazuma asked, slyly.
"I…I didn't say that! It just came outta nowhere," she said.
"Back to the drawing board, eh? Don't worry, I'll think of something else," he said.
"Something else? L..like what?" Ayano asked, concerned.
"Wait and see," he said with a grin.
She sighed at his amused expression. "Why do I feel like it's just gonna embarrass me, whatever you come up with?" she muttered.
"Because everything embarrasses you," Kazuma stated dryly, which just made her sigh again.
He took the dish towel from her shoulder as well as his own and crowd them over the edge of the sink. Then he pressed a kiss to her cheek, lightly. "But that's fine. Nothing embarrasses me anymore so I guess one of us should feel it about something. Come on," he said, taking her hand.
"Eh?"
"We didn't watch your stupid show, right?" he said, leading her back to the sofa and the tv.
It was around midnight when Ayano started to doze off. They'd settled comfortably on the sofa, lying together and watching the tv screen, with him making the occasional sarcastic remark about the show.
Kazuma turned off the tv with the remote and stood from the sofa then lifted her into his arms, then made his way into his bedroom.
"W…where're we going?" she asked, sleepily.
"S' bed time, honey. You're half asleep. More than half," he remarked
"You just don't wanna watch anymore," she yawned, turning her face into his shoulder.
"Not really, no."
"You thought it was funny. I heard you laughing," Ayano said.
"Now you're just delirious. You really do need some rest," Kazuma replied.
"I heard you."
"Delirious," he reiterated and she sniggered.
He turned back the covers of the bed with a docile blast of air and settled her cozily on the mattress.
"I won't tell anyone you liked the show," she murmured into the pillow as she curled up on her side beneath the covers.
"No one would believe that complete and utter lie even if you did."
"Don't worry, we can watch it some more tomorrow," she said.
"Great," Kazuma rolled his eyes.
With her eyes barely open, she took off her necklace and placed it gently on the bedside table. "I'm tired," Ayano declared.
"Yeah, me too. I was hungover most of the morning y'know, and I worked hard cooking you dinner," he replied.
"It was nice," she said quietly.
She could feel the mattress move as he got into the large bed beside her and settled down quickly. The lights turned off, either by themselves or with his powers, she wasn't quite sure which and she wasn't too bothered how, either.
After a moment, as he had done the previous night, she shuffled closer to him in the bed, close enough that she could feel his warm breaths against her skin.
"Y'know…it's just gone midnight. It's officially not your birthday anymore, so you can't make me watch that stupid show anymore," Kazuma remarked.
"Sure I can," she gave a sleepy grin. "I'm your girlfriend," she added, sounding almost punch drunk.
"Yeah, you are. But I'm still not watching it," he said, draping his arm over her waist.
"We are."
"Nope."
"We're sooo watching it."
"We are soooo not," he insisted but she merely laughed. "Go to sleep, bossy," he said.
"…Mmm…Night," Ayano uttered meekly with a yawn.
"Night," he whispered back.