-Hanzo x Hanabi- The Akuma & The Scarlet Flower

#14: His 'considerate' heart (Highschool AU Part 5)

Handholding with the dude she hated the most?

She wanted to screw herself so badly.

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"Hey Esme... I know it's crazy but..."

"What is it?" Esmerelda averted her attention from peaking out of the bus window towards her seat mate.

"I don't think Hanzo's really that much of jerk...maybe..." Hanabi's voice trailed off while her thumbs were twiddling, feeling very much strange admitting to such a thing.

There was a bit of silence, before Esme smiled. "Well, what makes you think that?"

Hanabi shook her head, believing the idea was dumb... but what would Esmerelda think? Would she believe her to be a fool?

"Well for starters, he took care of me yesterday, bought me dinner and stuff to help we with my jetlag, he made me tea, and carried me to my room without waking me up..."

Esmerelda took out some buttermilk cookies, chewing them before remembering something very important and...adorable.

"So that's what Khufrykins was talking about..."

'Khufrykins'..? Hanabi snorted a bit upon hearing the term of endearment, before darting her eyes towards Esmerelda, peering at her expectantly.

"What do you mean?"

"He told me he saw Hanzo hauling you all over the place. They talked for a bit before he left to tell Mr. Moonton something."

Hanabi blushed slightly, "Wow...So basically you're saying that multiple people saw us like that."

How embarrassing...

No really, how embarrassing.

Esmerelda patted her shoulder playfully, waving eyebrows towards her, "Nope doubt it. Everyone was in their rooms at that point...But who knows, he might be the person you'll end up liking~"

Immiediately, the blood rushed through Hanabi's cheeks, making her blush more solid. There was no way she would fall for a person who wanted to kiss her just so he could win a bet, he was just... such a petty snob with everything- it would just be so... irrational of her.

"Esme!!!" Hanabi reprimanded, concealing her blush with her hands, "Stop...."

The astrologer took another bite of her cookie while looking away coyly. "Relax I'm just joking!(not)"

"But honestly..." Hanabi muttered inwardly, taking a cookie from Esmerelda's pouch, "He used to be such a shy and introverted person, he became a jerk. I would like to ask why but I already know the reason."

"Wait...What?"

"There was a bit of history between us... when we were little. Things were complicated, but we weren't that close though." Hanabi finished lamentably with a dry laugh.

Esmerelda would like to ask just what took place all that time ago, but stopped herself when she saw Hanabi appear melancholic and sorrowful. Instead, she she took an unopened bottle of tea from her travel bag, and gestured for the scarlet ninja to take it.

"You know, if you'd like, we can always talk about something else."

Hanabi eyed the drink, before feeling a smile grace her features, taking the bottle in hand. "Thank you..."

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Ah, Stonehenge. It was the next tourist spot, the stones were ordinary, but the stories that surrounded them were far from it. It was a perfect day, it wasn't too scorching but cloudy, just the way Hanabi enjoyed it. She was alone, though it was something she didn't mind.