For those of you who couldn't read 7 due to the TW: We adopted the hilichurl from 2 :)
Kazuha begrudgingly led you and Karl to his apartment. Upon arrival, he welcomed Karl in and settled him inside the guest room where you were also staying.
"You can get another tatami and shikibuton from the closet along with blankets and pillows," he informed. You had no idea what a "tatami" or a "shikibuton" was, but you found it too awkward to ask and decided to infer that they were the mattress you slept on last night.
As Kazuha flopped down on a cushioned chair, you noticed his expression was one of stress. You walked over to him and crouched down at the chair's armrest, looking up at him like a little puppy.
"You seem stressed," you pointed out. "Are you alright?"
Kazuha simply sighed and took out his vision that he had hidden underneath the folds of his elaborate attire. "As much as I enjoyed the tour of the city with you, it was quite the risk."
Confused, you tilted your head. "What do you mean? It seems safe enough."
"Ah, well... I've been banished from Inazuma for quite the while now with my vision and everything. The places I took you were elaborately away from authority or any watching eyes. I know the Raiden Shogun and any of her goons would spot me at an instant." Kazuha seemed somewhat guilty for putting you in that danger with him.
You reached out and cupped his face in one of your hands. "Well, we're safe now, aren't we?" Trying your best to comfort the samurai, you smiled warmly. "We don't have to go out in the city. I think staying here is good enough for me."
Kazuha seemed pleasantly surprised for a moment before looking away with a smile playing on his lips. "You're very sweet, [Y/N]. I'm glad to be staying with you."
Whether it was the warm weather of Inazuma or the moment itself, you felt an unexpected warmth wash over your face. You quickly looked down and could feel your heart beating fast. "Calm down, [Y/N]," you thought. "You've only known him for a day or two... calm yourself." As you felt your heartbeat slow, you took a deep breath and returned your gaze to the white-haired samurai. He met your gaze and you felt that feeling wash over you once more, like the warmest hug you've ever gotten.
"You're acting strange," Kazuha suddenly said. "Are you alright?" With his words, you snapped out of it and returned to reality. You cleared your throat with embarrassment before speaking.
"Y-Yes, I am." "No, I'm not! It's too early for this!"
"Ah, alright. I'll go make dinner, alright? You can make yourself at home and personalize your room while I'm busy." Kazuha smiled again. You know that it's much too early to develop an interest in this man, but your heart has a tendency to have a mind of its own.
"Maybe it's just because I've never dated," you thought begrudgingly. For all your life, no one has ever expressed interest in you. You decided that you were just desperate, which gave you some peace of mind.
Kazuha blinked. "Hello? Tevyat to [Y/N]?"
"Ah, sorry! Yeah." Before he left, Kazuha gave you a bit of a concerned glance. Filled with embarrassment, you went back to your room to settle down and calm your feelings.
As you opened the door, you noticed that Karl had gotten himself nice and comfortable on the cold wooden floor. Feeling a bit guilty for not rolling out a bed for him earlier, you quickly did that and rolled one out for yourself as well.
Flopping down on your bed on your back, you felt your face burn again as you thought of the moment with Kazuha that you had had just a bit ago. "How embarrassing," you thought to yourself. You turned your head to look at Karl, who looked at peace and the comfiest he's ever been on the bed. "If only I were a hilichurl," you sighed out loud. "Without a care in the world."
After laying down for a moment, you tossed on the bed to lay on your stomach instead. It was comfortable. However, you just couldn't get your jumbled feelings out of your head.
After a long hesitation, you broke the silence. "Karl... have you ever been in love?"
Karl turned his head, curious. "Krr?" He didn't seem to understand what you said, which was expected... considering he's a hilichurl. This only made you feel more embarrassed about the whole situation.
"F-Forget it, maybe we should teach you how to speak first..." You quickly changed the topic and turned your head away as to hide your cherry-red face.
You thought about Kazuha and all his little quirks and features. You couldn't help but smile upon the thought of his face.
"I mean... I guess he is pretty cute," you finally admitted to yourself.
"But... not that I'm interested!"
