Once Upon An Assassination Attempt || Kamisato Ayato

Chapter 25 | Tranquility

UNEDITED

When everything fell into silence, I finally removed the shield, falling onto the commissioner as I did so. He fell on the pile of snow underneath, and I faceplanted on his chest.

"Sorry, I'll move-"

I tried to move myself in case I might get a little too comfortable, but he pulled me closer.

I can- I can feel the muscles. The abs formed by the sword training- shut up don't think about it don't-

"Don't move. Just stay like this for a while," he whispered into my ear, his voice making me turn different shades of red like a sunsettia field in the harvesting season.

I was never more aware of how my heart was beating than in that moment. I could feel him breath in and out, could feel his hair tickling my neck, could feel his arms around me, holding me closer still.

And I wanted to stay. He made me want to stay, to forget everything. How could I  do that?

"Looks like we're stuck here for the time being since we don't know which way is the exit."

"Yeah. There's nothing to do but to wait."

"Hm."

"Why don't you tell me about..your past, while we're waiting?"

I didn't answer. Honestly, I didn't know where to even start. He seemed to notice the awkwardness, and started talking again.

"When I was small, there was a time when the Kamisato clan was embroiled in dispute about the succession rights right after my parents...passed away."

I didn't say anything, since it seemed like he needed to collect his thoughts.

"It was hard to deal with everyone and everything I didn't have to until then.. specially when most of them dissapproved of me becoming the head."

"You did it. It was hard and you did it." I pat him on the head. I couldn't see his face, but I hoped it brought him some comfort.

"Hm. Now I'm just a normal person who works a lot and is hardly home. Still, I hope that my sister would stay away from our clan struggles and be happy. I don't want her to be forced into a situation like this marriage. As her older brother, it's my duty to shield her from all that." He laughed, the sound making me smile.  "It feels like yesterday that she was still trying to beat me in a sword fight."

"Don't worry. We'll protect Aya-chan well."

I pulled away reluctantly, and Ayato had his brows furrowed.

"What?"

"Won't you tell me? You're trying your best so we can be happy, but why won't you yourself try to be?"

I broke eye contact, pulling my legs closer together.

Ayato grabbed my hands, and sighed.

"We're gonna be trapped here for a while. But if you don't want to tell me that's fine. I don't want you to tell me. I want you to want to tell me."

His earnest gaze, the straightforward tone, and the hope on his face somehow made me want to tell him something I hadn't wanted to tell anyone before.

"You'd be the first person to hear this."

"I'm honoured." His lipped tugged upwards.

"It was before I joined the fatui, and before I ever tried to follow sensei into the fatui. I used to be the daughter of a somewhat noble family in snezhnaya. Every year, there's a festival that happens in the main..city I could say." I paused, trying to piece things together. "I wanted to go, but my parents were of a strict nature and wouldn't let me go out of the house much. So of course, I sneaked out one year. I convinced my cousin to help me. I had fun at the festival and when I came back, everything was ruined."