Ageha [A Shokugeki No Souma Fanfic]

Stars

Ageha came home to a huge knife case in front of her door.

"Quel têtu," Ageha mumbled, grabbed the case and walked to a nearby apartment. It was Takumi's mezzaluna that she had left in front of Takumi's door the same way she found it in front of hers, and it seems like the blond isn't very happy of its return. Ageha rang the bell three times before she was given access to the apartment, she went in straight away looking for Takumi in his room. She walked in to the sight of shirtless Takumi still in his towels, freshly showered.

"Oh merde!" and Ageha closed the door right away.
"Language, Ageha," Takumi shouted out from the depths of his room.
"What the hell it wasn't my fault you didn't lock the door that I had to see you in such an a state which is far from being respectable."
"Well now give me a moment to make myself look 'respectable' but I noticed that you're here to return the mezzaluna which I don't accept."
"Why are you so obstinate? It's your mezzaluna. I'm returning it."
"Ageha, you won it. Keep my mezzaluna. I'll take it back from you later in a more 'respectable' manner. I don't accept gifts like these. Especially when they are taken by a maniac and a certain short tempered girl had to fight in my place for me to get it back. I can't."
"Takumi I fought out of my own free will. I didn't choose to fight for you. It's for my own self and I don't know what you're trying to pull but you do know you need the mezzaluna."
The door opened, Takumi put a finger in front of Ageha's lips.
"Shhhh, don't say anything anymore. I'm leaving the mezzaluna with you. I'll get it back someday. Until then, keep it for me alright?"
"But-" Ageha tried to protest, but Takumi muffled her mouth and hugged her.
"Shhhh Ageha. Keep it. Thank you for your hard work. I feel safer leaving it with you and not with someone else, do me a favour will ya?"
"But your mezzaluna is important to you and you cant cook well without it and it's very precious and..."
"Hey," Takumi put a hand on Ageha's head and adjust his height to her height that their eyes are the same level.
"I understand all your concerns, but I'm a professional cook. Don't underestimate me okay?" Ageha hastily nodded.
"Can I trust my mezzaluna with you?"
Ageha looked uncertain, but Takumi's kind eyes convinced her.
"Alright."
"Good. Congratulations on winning. What do you want for dinner? I'm cooking today."

Ageha lied on the sofa after dinner. She was far too full to move an inch. Same goes with Isami Aldini who was lying on the floor and Takumi who was slumped at the kitchen pantry. Apparently Takumi went overboard in cooking saying that they should be celebrating Ageha's win. Turns out Ageha could eat quite a lot, and with the presence of Isami, they couldn't keep track on how much they ate. Takumi who usually doesn't eat much was also overwhelmed. He went to the balcony to find his own bubble since there's not much space in their living room. There, he stared at the night sky.

Fifteen minutes after being left alone with his own thoughts, Isami joined his brother on the balcony.
"Tired nii-chan?"
"A little. You left Ageha alone?"
"She's sleeping on the couch."
"Ah alright then," and Takumi looked back at the sky.
"Nii-chan," Isami broke the silence after a few minutes.
"Yeah?" the blond answered.
"What do you think of Ageha?" Takumi took a few while before he could answer.
"She's....a nice girl. Great passion towards sweets. Very straightforward, honest and innocent I would say. Easy to read. Quick in temper. Her face gets red in a blink of an eye. She's simple but at the same time I feel like she has seen a lot of things."
Isami nodded his head. He agrees. There's something about Ageha that makes people back off. It's like something has happened in the past that makes her build a wall so high that leaves people thinking she's not worth the effort they're spending.
"You like her do you?"
"I do. Despite all the quarrels and her stubbornness, she's one of a kind. Ageha's selectively nice. She's not nice to everyone but once she decides to be nice to someone, you can be the luckiest person alive. These kinds of people need to be protected, because they give and they give and they give thinking that by giving they're making themselves happy. At the end, people would start asking for more and she will give a piece of her to make people happy and she would break herself for the sake of her chosen ones' happiness....and I wouldn't like that to happen very much."
"Nii-chan you know her a lot do you?"
"I would say we became good friends in the last month. You should've come with us to Italy back then. But yeah, you know. Despite her showing the world that she's an arrogant piece of nut who is really hard to tame, she's actually a very lovely girl. I'd say she's somehow fragile."
"Well, that's good to know. Isn't this your first time getting close to a girl nii-chan?"
"Wha-what do you mean Isami!!! Ageha is just someone I have to take care of. She's like a second you. She's a little sister. Imagine her eating baguette everyday until this very second. Wouldn't be nice would you think?"
"Really? But nii-chan you don't carry my bag and walk home with me everyday and look at me and smile at me that way and you don't play with my hair as well as you pat her head," Isami teased his brother.
"Isami cut it!!! She's a girl and you know it!"
"Know what? I didn't know you let any other girls put their heads on your lap and play with their hair while watching TV even though I know they would do absolutely everything for that," Isami laughed.
Takumi blushed, it was a week ago when Ageha came over and he thought Isami was sleeping in his own room. Takumi was watching TV and Ageha needed to put her head down so he let her put it on. He saw everything after all.
"Neither did I know you let anyone call you 'Takumo' or wear your clothes or fix your hair or play with your phone. Ageha must be something more that 'someone to take care of' don't you think?"
Takumi stopped to think for a second. True, he never really allowed anyone to touch his blond hair nor his phone. Although he has nothing to hide, he just doesn't like the fact that his privacy is breached and his personal space bubble popped. The fact that Takumi let Ageha touch his hair itself is surprising even to himself. Isami was right, Ageha couldn't be just that 'someone to take care of'. There should be something more.
"You're right. This is my first time getting close to a girl. Why did I not notice it. I never really had problems talking to girls but Ageha really is my first girl best friend."
Isami's eyes widened. He couldn't believe just how dense his big brother was, but he ran out of words to say. After a few while Takumi stood up saying he'll check up on Ageha and walked to the sofa and the sight of her sleeping unmoved. Noticing that she was cold, he picked her up and moved her to his room in his very own bed, under his very own cover. He left Ageha to sleep in his bed and went out to join Isami at the balcony again.

It was 2 a.m. when Ageha woke up not in her own bed, the sight of Takumi's room all very clear to her. She didn't remember falling asleep on his bed, but she might have unconsciously moved and stole Takumi's bed. She tiptoed her way out of the room wondering where did the owner go after she invaded the bed to find Takumi sitting in the balcony. She peeked out and saw that Takumi was asleep sitting up. She grabbed a blanket to cover Takumi and that's when the pair of ice blue eyes opened.
"Ageha?"
"Yeah Takumo?"
"You're not asleep? Oh wow wait I fell asleep here."
"I'm sorry I invaded your bed."
"Hahaha you didn't. You invaded my couch but the risk of you catching a cold in there is very high so I moved you in. Come sit with me."
Ageha sat down beside Takumi, "You mean Isami moved me in?" she chuckled.
"What do you mean? I moved you in," Takumi's eyebrows furrowed and that's when Ageha noticed even though Takumi doesn't look necessarily strong, he's still a man.
"Right, thank you. Why are you in the balcony?"
"Stargazing. Tonight was clear. If you keep staring you might see a shooting star or two, blanket?" Takumi offered Ageha to snuggle in the blanket with him which she gladly took.
"Yes please," and she slipped herself in.
"Oh Ageha, just be real. Aren't you cold?" Takumi said as he noticed that Ageha is barely under the blanket. He circled his arms around her shoulders and brought her closer to him.
"Better?" Takumi asked.
"Better," as Ageha snuggled closer to Takumi.
The two stared at the sky in silence for quite some time until Ageha saw a shooting star.
"Ah a shooting star! Did you see?"
"Yes I did."
"It was soooooo huge! Ah there's a small one up there!" as Ageha put her head on his shoulder. Takumi picked up his hand and start stroking Ageha's head.
After a few moment of silence looking at the stars while having her head stroked, Ageha closed her eyes.
"This is nice," she said with eyes closed.
"Yeah it is," Takumi stopped stroking and put his hand down to hold Ageha.
"Noooooooooooooo," she reopened her wide azure eyes.
"What happened?" Takumi asked in confusion.
Ageha took Takumi's hand and put it back on her head. Once again she closed her eyes, "Don't stop," she said, smiling.
Takumi chuckled, Ageha could feel the vibration of the chest that she rested against as he laughed and started stroking her hair once more.