(A/N: This one's kinda short but fun fact: I've been literally planning this since the beginning. It was maybe the third idea I've had for this collection and boy am I glad to have finally finished it. Hope you enjoy and I apologize if it seems rushed.
(B/W) : Black or White
(F/F) : Favorite Flavor lol)
A grin slipped onto my pale pink lips. My (B/W) gloved hands held tightly onto the small piece of paper in my hand. I took in a deep breath, relaxing my grip on it.
"Next," a gruff voice called out again, this time focused on my petite form. I smoothed my lips into a pleasant, inviting smile and took a step forward. I slipped the paper into the big man's awaiting palm.
He studied it for a bit, turning it over in calloused hands. After a more-than-thorough inspection, he shoved it onto the tray next to him, along with a pile of other identical papers. The bald man held out his hand again, this time for my purse. I blinked.
"Oh, would you mind if I moved some of my feminine products to a safer part of my bag?" I asked sheepishly. He rolled his eyes and nodded, his eyes never leaving me. I dug into my bag and slipped a couple of tools I had brought into my gloves.
I handed over the bag. After searching through it as well, though not as thoroughly this time, he handed it back, allowing me to slip them back inside.
"Welcome. Have a nice time," he grunted begrudgingly. Looks like someone was eager to catch me. Or anyone, for that matter.
"I will, thank you." I smiled again before walking confidently through the grand, open doors.
The shimmer of the room was astoundingly bright. My eyelids rapidly blinked to grow accustomed to it. The eye makeup I donned was already starting to itch. I resisted the urge to rub my eyes and continued walking into the chamber. Wading through masked people, my eyes darted around, searching for it. After a fruitless search, I felt my shoulders sag. Ugh, where'd she hide it?
"Oof!" I mumbled, having bumped into someone. I looked up, meeting the gaze of another guest. A white mask covered most of his features, leaving me to stare into grey eyes. I smiled apologetically. "Sorry about that, I'm ever so clumsy," I hurriedly excused myself and pushed past him.
Warm fingers wrapped around my wrist. "Completely fine, but must you leave so soon?" a soft voice asked.
I raised a brow, a smirk tugging at my lips as I turned to face him again. "My, I didn't expect to catch any eyes so soon. Sorry, but I need to meet someone," I came up with an excuse. He's cute but I've got work to do.
He chuckled, his eyes softening, "I know a "no" when I hear it." he lowered my arm, his hand travelling down to my own, "I won't push a lady." he bent his head down, lighting brushing his feathery lips across my knuckles. The comforting warmth that held my hand abruptly left when he dropped it and turned, disappearing into the crowd.
I giggled to myself. What a charmer. I shook my head, letting my hair tickle my body.
A staircase to the right of me snagged my attention. I hurriedly glanced around at the rest of the guests and nodded, answering my own silent question. Best to not get distracted again. In the far reaches of my mind, I heard a reproachful voice mutter, "I'm sure he'll find a nice girl by the end of the night." I hushed it and calmly climbed the stairs, my tight black dress following my movements.
Upon reaching the top, a loud ringing resounded throughout the room. I panicked, thinking it was an alarm, but a hush fell over the room, silencing those thoughts. My eyes were drawn to the movement of the bodies below turning to face the front. I too, turned, seeing the host standing at the front, a glass and fork in hand. I sighed, releasing the tension within me and silently laughing at how jumpy I was. The woman at the front smiled broadly at the guests below her. She set down the utensils and clasped her hands together across her front.
"Welcome, everyone to my annual masquerade ball! As you know, it isn't an ordinary ball. It's also to celebrate my granddaughter's sixteenth birthday! Later on, I will unveil the gift we have prepared for her. Please, until then, eat, drink, and be merry!" she unfolded her hands to gesture grandly at the palace around her. I narrowed my eyes. At least now I know what her heart is, kind of. Applause spread throughout the audience. I crept away, seeking the cover of the huge walls.
In reality, this palace was a convent. Koharu Nakajima was a nun, though not a very good one. She stole a lot of money using her position--using it only for personal gain. I guess the masquerade is supposed to represent something. Maybe the other nuns? Or the general public? I shrugged to myself and continued on.
On my way, I passed numerous shadows. As in, even more than the normal amount. Must be quite the "gift," if she has so many guards. I'm glad I match the dress code and am not wearing my fighting costume. This would still be difficult. Even with the element of surprise when I attack them, I'd be greatly outnumbered.
If I were a heart, where would I hide? I turned another corner.
Quiet conversation reached my ears and I ducked behind a thick white pillar.
"Where did she want us to bring it out?" a low voice asked.
"Front and center stage, man. Do you ever listen?" another man's voice responded in a much more annoyed tone.
"Uh, yeah. Right," the first voice spoke again and it got quiet once more.
I peered around from my hiding place, quickly spotting the two voices. Two large shadows guarded an important-looking door. I narrowed my eyes. How do I get in?
I frowned, retreating behind my pillar again to think. I could kill them--one probably has the key, presuming it's locked--but there are other guards down the hall and an attack would attract too much attention and too many shadows for me to handle.
I popped my head around the pillar again. My gaze wandered around the area. An umbrella stand? Nope. Carpet? What. Plant? How. Lamp? ... Brain, are you serious, it's attached to the wall. My frown deepened, studying it further.
It took longer than I care to admit to notice the vent to the left of them. Score!
I rummaged through my purse, pulling out a coin. I ducked behind a large vase on a pedestal behind the pillar for further protection. I flicked the coin into the hallway leading away from the door and myself. The coin ricocheted off another vase, creating a loud ringing noise, before falling and disappearing into the soft carpet below.
Murmurs came from the guards and they hurriedly ran past me. I sprang into action--a grin on my face. I crouched down and unscrewed the grate with a screwdriver I had in my purse. Thank God I had one of these. It undid only too slowly. C'mon, c'mon, open! Thumps came from where the guards had run off to. They were coming back. Already?! Shit, shit, shit, open!
The grate fell to the ground, the carpet muffling the impact. I darted inside, pulling it closed. Through the slits I could see the guards returning none the wiser. Their armor clinking together as they moved was loud enough to cover up the noise I made securing the grate back in place. I smiled softly, proud that I had succeeded at getting past them without getting caught. I turned and began my crawl through the vent.
It was dark and surprisingly cold. Goosebumps decorated my skin, making me shiver. I quickly grew claustrophobic but pushed myself to keep going and not panic.
Eventually, I made it to the other side. No shadows were on the inside, leaving me free to open the vent without distraction.
I dusted myself off and stared at the glittering, fist-sized jewel before me. It was encased in glass and sparkled a magnificent blue. A smile spread across my lips at the sight. I took a step forward but immediately stopped myself. She must have some sort of security in place, right? My eyes searched the room and, sure enough, found detectors to either side of me. I let out a sigh and stepped back.
With a running start, I flipped over the lasers and into the area surrounding the jewel. I easily found a button that was poorly disguised on the side. Pressing it, I watched with eager anticipation as the glass slowly lifted up into the air of its own accord, freeing the gem and powering off the lasers.
My fingers inched forward, almost touching the jewel, when it disappeared. "Huh?" I muttered smartly.
"Looking for this?" a familiar voice called out from behind me. I turned to see the same man from before. His grey eyes danced as he studied me amusedly, waiting patiently for my reaction, the gem safely held in his hand.
But I wasn't allowed to retort, for an alarm blared the second I opened my mouth. Flashing red lights filled the room, filling my vision. The alarm was loud enough to wake the entire street, or so it felt, as it scratched at my ear drums.
I felt a familiar warm hand grasp my own, making me shiver again at the contrast of temperatures. "Come with me," he said. It was more of a command than a question. I nodded, only too happy to comply. We ran through another door--one I hadn't seen before--and into an empty hallway. The sound of marching guards and shouts could be heard from where we stood. I panicked.
"What do we do?!" I practically shouted at him, clenching his hand in an iron grip and wondering how on Earth he could stay so calm throughout this whole ordeal. He turned and I was met with those grey eyes again.
"You have to trust me. Can you do that for me?" he asked gently, almost coaxingly. What else was I meant to do? In such a situation, I only nodded, before feeling his lips against my own.
I was alarmed but did nothing to stop him. I was frozen, not knowing what to do. I felt a light pinch at my side and gave a yelp. He pulled back, lifting his mask. His face was... too perfect for my currently emotionally-unstable self to handle. "You need to trust me. Play along, would you?" he stared into my eyes imploringly, squeezing my side. I screwed my eyes shut. The sound of the guards coming made my decision for me. I lifted up my own hot mask and smashed my lips onto his.
I melted into him almost instantly, surprising myself. My eyelids relaxed as I felt his gloved hands snake around my waist, securely holding me in his arms. The scent of coffee filled my nose. I tore off my own gloves, reaching up and tangling my fingers in his fluffy hair. I felt the fear in my chest slowly release its hold on my heart and giggled into the kiss. I felt him smile against me in return.
He slightly deepened the kiss, silently asking for more. I was so lost in him I immediately complied, forgetting about the gem. Hell, I didn't even know where it went, nor did I care at this point. I pushed into him, tasting (F/F).
He pulled me closer, if possible, and I squealed into his mouth, loving the feeling of being close to him. His lips moved against my own slowly and purposefully, his hands still on my waist, though, dare I say it, I wanted badly for them to move lower.
"Ahem," a voice called out next to us. The spell was broken. I wrenched my lips from his and whipped my head around to face them, my hair skimming across my partner's face. Did... Did I really just do that? Geez, (Y/N), get a grip. I felt the almost animalistic need to hide my face in embarrassment. A group of shadows had confronted us. "Did you see anyone with a gem--?" one started.
The man holding me cut him off. "What do you think, sir? If you don't mind, I was really enjoying myself up until you showed up. Be good dogs and run along now, would you?" he spoke coldly. I shivered, not looking at him. Talk about a mood change.
A gloved finger propped up my chin and I was forced to look up at him. I couldn't resist the blush that spread across my cheeks. I opened my mouth to say something but ended up closing them again and resembling a fish out of water. Normally, I'd be able to handle myself in any situation and yet today was just a rollercoaster of emotions. Especially with him and his teasing smiles in play.
Something in my chest twisted around just looking at him. He smiled reassuringly, staring deeply into my eyes. I felt the heat in my face start to spread and fidgeted in his hold, not comfortable with so much eye contact. Out of my peripheral, I saw the guards leave, grumbling under their breath.
"Now," he spoke sweetly, his voice tickling at my ears, "where were we?"
A/N: Now, where were you two? Best to leave what happens next to your own imagination. I had more planned for the ending but decided to just leave it at that. Comment!