Saki pov:
I hummed a happy tune to myself while I worked on the wheel. It was a pleasant morning and everything was perfect. My life had burst into even more vivid colors after what had happened with Starrk yesterday. Just thinking about the way he had his arm wrapped around me holding me to himself, the words he said that showed that he had accepted me made me feel like grinning wide. And he had said that he was the possessive type....that made my heart race!
"Well, well, Saki chan! You're in a good mood today." I looked up, my smile widening.
"Hirohito san!" I chimed and stopped the wheel.
I got up, washed my hands and walked over to him. Tomo had already gone off to greet him energetically and he was receiving a nice scratch behind his ears. When I reached where Hirohito san was, he let go of Tomo and stood up.
"How have you been, Hirohito san? It's been so long since I heard from you."
He laughed and ruffled my head once. "I've been doing good, Saki chan. And it's good to see that you and your companion have been doing well too. I haven't seen you smile like this in so long....I'm feeling refreshed!"
I giggled and beckoned him to look around the shop. "Would you like something to eat or drink while you look around?"
"No, I'm fine." Hirohito san chuckled. "Anyway, you see exceptionally radiant today! I've never seen you in such high spirits before....even when you had a successful exhibition. Did something good happen?"
I bit my lip to hold back a blush. I interlocked my fingers behind me and rocked on my heels like a little kid. "Well, you could say that."
"Do I get to ask what it is?" He pressed with a teasing smile.
I put my finger on my lips and winked. "That's a secret!"
"Alright! Alright!" Hirohito san laughed heartily. "Anyway, I'm here because I have a request for you, Saki chan."
"A request?" I asked curiously.
He reached into his pocket and got out a photograph. He held it out to me so I could have a look at it. It was a picture of a porcelain tea set. It was very beautiful and had characters written on the kettle as well as the cups in Chinese in a stylized brush font.
"This is a picture of the tea set that I had with me a few years ago. It was a gift from a very close friend of my wife and she really liked it. When we shifted to Karakura Town, the movers misplaced it. I found this picture when I was cleaning the attic a few days ago. I hadn't been able to find another set like this anywhere and I hadn't seen anyone skilled enough and I had confidence in to make an exact replica. But I believe that you will be able to make it for us. It was Izumi's suggestion to ask you for the favor. Can you give it a try?"
"You think I can make this? It's not very complicated but being able to replicate it with the exact same design and the shape will be a challenge." I said, tracing my fingers over the picture.
"And I believe it is a challenge that you can succeed in." I looked up when Hirohito san spoke again. "You are very talented, Saki chan. And I'm sure that you will be able to replicate it perfectly."
I blushed at his words. He had so much confidence in me and I could not let him down. The piece was beautiful and I think it would definitely be worth putting in effort and working on. After all, what gave me most joy was the happiness of others when they used my works. And since Hirohito san was all the more special to me, I wanted to do my best!
"I'm really honored to know that you think I can do a good job. I'll do my best to replicate this tea set!" I grinned at him, earning another ruffle.
"Well then, I should be heading home now. I came here just to give you this. When will you be able to have it ready?" He asked and I walked with him to the entrance.
"Well, I should be able to finish it in about fifteen days. I'll need some time to get the size and the paintings right. About how big do you want the kettle?"
"Hmm, maybe about this big?" Hirohito san held his hands up, indicating how big he wanted the kettle.
It looked to be about six to seven inches wide. I nodded slowly, the gears in my brain already working up calculations on how much clay I would need, how I had to do the shape and what height I should be working with. Judging from the appearance of the kettle in the photograph, the cups would be about three and a half inches wide at max. I would have to write down some of the calculations if I wanted to get it exactly right though.
"Okay, I'll get it done. I'll call you up and inform you when it's ready."
"That sounds great, Saki chan. Oh and don't worry, I will pay you for your hard work." He winked, making me chuckle.
"You don't have to, Hirohito san. You've helped Eri and me so much and it's not every day you ask me to help you with something. I'd be happy to do it for free."
"I know you wouldn't mind doing it for free but I don't want that." Hirohito san said.
I laughed, shaking my head. "Alright, I'll leave the amount up to you then."
We exchanged bows and Hirohito san left. I looked at the picture in my hands, studying the details of the tea set as I walked towards my wheel. Tomo followed me and sat down on his rug next to the cash counter and got busy biting one of the big treats that I had got for him recently.
I couldn't study the details for long because I sensed a familiar presence in my shop. I turned around with a smile and blush and came face to face with none other than Starrk. Lilynette wasn't with him and I guessed that she had gone off on her own to prank some unsuspecting humans.
"Hey Starrk!" I walked up to him and stopped barely a foot away. I tilted my head up to meet his gaze and his eyes softened.
"You're working hard like usual...." He glanced at my incomplete piece on the wheel and then looked back to me.
"It is what I love to do." I shrugged still smiling.
We looked over each other's features silently for a few moments and then my smile softened. I reached out and took a hold of his hand, entwining our fingers. I looked at the bracelet on his wrist and lifted his free hand up so I could touch it. Starrk didn't say anything to my gestures but I stopped what I was doing when he wrapped his other arm around my shoulders and pulled me to himself.
I smiled, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. I squirmed in his hold and lifted one arm so that it was wrapped around his neck. I let the other rest on his shoulder and then I closed my eyes with a content sigh. Starrk was hunching over slightly to compensate for the differences in our heights and we stayed as we were, basking in each other's affection.
When we pulled away, I was still a little flushed. But I was so happy that my heart was right about ready to burst out of my chest.
I was mildly surprised that instead of starting a conversation or stepping away, Starrk took a hold of the side of my head so that I was looking straight at him. His hand was large and warm and my heart skipped a beat at the tenderness of his gesture. I closed my eyes once again and place my hand on top of his gloved one relishing the feeling of acceptance.
We stayed like this for several moments. I felt a slight movement in Starrk and I snapped my eyes open, caught off guard, when I felt something against my lips. My eyes went wide when I realized that Starrk was now bending to my level and his lips were pressed up against mine gently.
A million sparks went off in my head and my heart raced. My eyes lost focus and I felt light headed. I can't believe Starrk is actually kissing me! I had never expected him to take the initiative to exchange gestures of love because he still wasn't certain of whether we could be together. He didn't seem to be the type to do so either and I had had thoughts on how I could possibly give him a clue that I wanted to be a little more intimate with him.
But this feeling was out of the world! I was nervous because this was the first time I had fallen in love and this was my first kiss. The feeling was absolutely electrifying and my head began to spin. I shut my eyes and gasped, breaking the kiss when my legs buckled under me. Starrk was quick to take action and caught me with a firm grip around my waist. He hauled my up into a proper standing position, supporting my weight against himself and I took a hold of his sleeves.
I was so glad that there weren't any customers who had walked into the shop in the last few minutes. I would not only have been embarrassed but I wouldn't know how to explain the situation.
"Oi, what happened?" Starrk asked cautiously.
"I-I'm sorry....I-I just didn't expect that. I suddenly got lightheaded. It was my first kiss and it was.....amazing." My face flamed at the way I told him how I felt about the kiss.
"You got light headed? I've heard that people do this when they are together as a....what do they call it? Ah, a couple. But I haven't heard of anyone reacting like this." Now he sounded curious.
When I looked up to meet his gaze, my face felt even hotter. He was watching me curiously and innocently and I didn't know how to react to it. I bit my lip as I gazed over his lips for a split second and met his eyes again.
"C-can we try that again?" I almost squeaked out, embarrassed.
His lips twitched, threatening to break into a smile. But he didn't smile. He didn't say anything and looked at my lips before leaning down to place his against mine again.
This time, I was ready for the fireworks that exploded in my head. I closed my eyes and lifted my arms to wrap them around his neck and shoulders again. He too held me even more firmly than before and caressed my lips with his. My eyes stung for a moment because I had never imagined that this would truly happen. But it was happening right now and I didn't want this blissful moment to end.
After a few yearning caresses, we fell into a gentle exchange of affection. I lowered one hand to cup his cheek gently, rubbing his cheek with my thumb in soothing circles.
We finally pulled away and looked into each other's eyes. The embarrassment and fluster that I was feeling before the kiss was no longer there. It's like I already knew that we were meant to be like this. We fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. The comfort we felt in each other, the longing we had to be around each other and the way we had felt like we were complete when we kissed was not something we could ignore. Well, at least I felt that I was complete when Starrk had kissed me. I loved how gently he held me and how I could feel his longing pour into me through the tender contact of our lips.
I smiled softly, lowering my other hand from his shoulder and running my fingers through his hair. I looked over his hair, setting it in place before looking into his eyes again. Oh how I loved the color of his eyes....I could just drown in them. His eyes softened and he let me go, pulling his hand away from around my waist. I too let go of his face and looked at his hollow mask and hollow hole while tracing them with my fingers.
"Who was that person who came to see you earlier?" I looked up when Starrk spoke.
I blinked, realizing that I had completely forgotten about Hirohito san visiting me just before Starrk turned up. Also, in the middle of kissing and being in my la-la land, I had dropped the photograph that he had given to me. I moved away from Starrk and looked all around me.
The photograph had fallen a little away from us and I shook my head at my silliness before going to up the picture. I looked over it and stepped back to Starrk who was now down on one knee ruffling Tomo's head.
Wow, he looked so calm after the kiss! I was calm too but my heart and mind were yet to cool down from their wooziness.
Then again, it is Starrk. He was the type who didn't make a big deal out of anything. From the emotions I could feel when he kissed me, I'm sure that he had a strong affection towards me just as I had for him. But he took everything coolly. He was lazy and getting flustered over a kiss would probably be too 'bothersome' to him. Thinking about it in his perspective made me laugh softly.
I walked back to where he was and he stood up. I held out the photograph to him so he could have a look at the tea set in it. He looked over it silently for a moment before meeting my gaze with curiosity.
"The person who had visited earlier is Hirohito san. He's a world famous artist and also a good friend to me and my friend Erika. He's helped us a lot in the field of arts – giving us good advice and tips on how we can get better at what we do and get more people interested in our works. His wife and daughter are really nice people too. Hirohito san came in because he wants me to make a replica of the tea set in the picture. It's difficult because of the intricate painting designs and the uncommon shape of the kettle. But he thinks that I have the skill to make it so he came to ask me." I explained to Starrk. "It's really a beautiful piece, isn't it?"
"Hmm....it looks delicate." He mumbled, looking back at the picture.
I shook my head with a smile and took the photograph from him. I placed it on the cash counter and placed a small round clay paperweight on it so that it wouldn't get blown away by the wind.
"Where's Lilynette? Off scaring some humans?" I asked, walking back to my unfinished piece on the wheel.
"Yeah....she finds it boring to come to see you when you're in your shop because she can't play around as she wants." He said nonchalantly.
I finished the piece I was working on in a few minutes and left it to dry in the store room. Now that Starrk was here, I wanted to spend time with him instead of keeping myself busy with painting or pottery.
I joined him at the table next to the cash counter with two glasses of hot chocolate. Whenever he visited, he refused to have tea. He asked for hot chocolate most of the time. I guess he had come to like it quite a bit so after the first few times of asking him what he wanted when he visited, I just got us some hot chocolate. And it was the same this time too.
He took a hold of the cup in his hand and took a sip out of it. I hadn't begun to drink mine and I looked over his face silently. I watched the way he drank his beverage, his lips that had just kissed me moments ago, the way his Adam's Apple moved when he swallowed, his strong hands, his sleek fingers. He was so handsome that I could stare at him endlessly. Despite how strong he was, his gestures towards me were always so gentle. I loved the way he cared for me.
But when I observed his eyes, I tilted my head a bit in curiosity. The creases between his brows were more than usual and he looked sort of tired. He looked bothered by something and not like himself.
"Starrk? Is something the matter? You look tired." I asked and he met my gaze. I felt warmth spread in my chest at the softness of his gaze.
He watched me silently for a few moments. I didn't break eye contact and neither of us drank our beverage. We were trying to communicate through our eyes. While I was asking out of curiosity and the desire for him to be happy and relaxed, Starrk looked like he was reaching out to me for silent support. The emotions I saw in his eyes told me that there was something big going on but he couldn't tell me. I wonder what it was....I didn't want to ask though. Being a hollow, there were probably things that he couldn't tell me.
He sighed, closing his eyes and slumping in his seat. "Things are getting troublesome...."
"Troublesome?" I wondered out loud.
"Troublesome and complicated.....it's going to happen soon and....." He looked out of the glass doors of the shop, his eyes getting distant.
I was really curious to know what he was talking about. He obviously looked like he wasn't enthusiastic about what was going to happen in the near future. I couldn't even try to guess what he was talking about because he never told me anything about what happened in Hueco Mundo.
When he had first come to my shop and taken ceramics, he said he was taking them for someone else. Someone who was living with him in Hueco Mundo. The way he spoke about that person, I assumed it was his leader. But I couldn't be sure and I didn't know if it was alright for me to ask him details.
"I'm sure everything will be fine." I smiled when he looked at me. "You just have to believe and trust in your friends, right? Besides, you have me."
His eyes softened and for some reason, it made my eyes sting. I blinked rapidly to push the meaningless tears back. I also swallowed the slight lump that had formed in my throat.
"I guess so...." He mumbled.
He looked at his cup of hot chocolate and went ahead to drink it. I drank mine as well but it wasn't as hot anymore. It's chocolate so it obviously tasted good even if it was just warm. But for this cold weather, a steaming beverage would have been best, right?
"I should be heading back." He put the cup down.
"You're leaving so soon?" I asked, not really satisfied with his short visit.
"Yeah....there's something I need to take care of. I'll come again though." He said and stood up.
I stood up as well and walked with him till the entrance of the shop. When we stopped just before Starrk exited the shop doors, I reached up and smoothened out his clothes. I placed my hands on his chest and looked up at him with an affectionate smile. Tomo too jumped up, standing on his hind legs with his front legs on Starrk's thigh. He was wagging his tail vigorously waiting for a goodbye ruffle from Starrk.
"Too bad we didn't get to see Lilynette today." I said.
"Don't worry....even if I tell her not to come see you, she'll be the one dragging me here pretty soon." Starrk muttered.
I gave a short laugh before glancing over his face. "Hey Starrk? Can I um....can I have another kiss before you leave?"
I felt flutters in my stomach but I wasn't really embarrassed about my request. After the first and second kiss we shared today, I had nothing I needed to hide from Starrk. He might not be able to tell me everything that he has to go through but I had nothing I needed to keep as a secret from Starrk. He was my everything now.
He didn't ask me why and he didn't show even the slightest dislike. He cupped my face with one hand, closed his eyes and leaned down to let his lips touch mine in a gentle and loving kiss.
I too closed my eyes and tilted my head a bit so I could press my lips more against his. It was a blissful moment and I smiled wide when he pulled away. He caressed my cheek with his gloved hand before pulling away completely.
He turned to Tomo who was now whining for his attention. He got down on one knee and gave Tomo a much needed ruffle with both hands.
"You're such pain, you know that?" Starrk said making me chuckle.
He stood up and Tomo ran back to his rug and his chew bone satisfied with Starrk's goodbye. Starrk shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up slightly in the front. I didn't bother helping him set it right because he looked adorable with his hair ruffled up.
"Well, see you. And....take care." He walked out of the shop doors and disappeared in a flash.
This was the first time he had said anything besides 'see you' whenever he left from my shop or from my home. This time he said 'take care' and it really made me happy to hear that. I shook my head with a smile, elated that our relationship was progressing smoothly.
Giving my body a stretch and cracking a few knuckles, I headed to the store room to get myself some lunch.
~~~~~~~~~~~
*throwing rainbow fluff everywhere* They kissed! Starrk and Saki finally kissed!! and Starrk was the one who initiated it!! *making goo-goo eyes*
I'm so happy today!! I can feel flutters in my tummy just thinking about how well things are progressing between our two lovebirds. They're more and more in love with each passing day! *v* And aren't they just adorable together??
Published this chapter on Christmas so hope it makes all you readers happy!! :D
SO! Tell me what you guys felt when they kissed! Were you jumping for joy and squealing like a mad fangirl like me? XD Or were you steaming up and getting overwhelmed by the fluffy moment?
Vote!
COMMENT PLEASE!
:D