'What happened to you two again...' Azure crossed arms on chest, brows furrowed as she was staring at Scarlet and Midnight, with a mixture of disappointment and worry, seeing boys all beat up- probably as a result of their yet another fight.
'I won!' Scarlet made a triumphal gesture and seemed all happy, despite all the cuts and bruises on his face and arms.
'In your dreams.' Midnight growled, sending other boy a killing gaze. There was a large hole burned out in his cape, hair all messed up with a single leaf sticking out of it. He was pressing hand on right forearm, trying to stop bleeding from a rather deep cut on it.
Azure sighed loudly. 'I swear you are like two 5 year old boys. Can't you just stop fighting over everything, please...'
'As soon as Tsundere Princess will admit that I am better.' Scarlet smirked at other boy, who's hand sparkled with lightning chakra in response.
Azure jumped in between, separating them before the hassle would start again.
'Enough already!' she cried. 'Scarlet, you go to Crimson, he can patch you up too.'
'I can do this on my own, pffft. Not like this kiddo.' he laughed and walked away, waving at angry Midnight.
Girl took a deep breath and looked at boy standing next to her.
'Sit down and let me see this, ok?'
Midnight hesitated for a moment, looking away from her.
'It's fine. I can take care of it on my own.'
'Oh, come on... you're bleeding... let me do it, it won't take long.' she locked eyes on his face, reading kind of irritation from it. 'It's my job after all. Beside that- and first of all- I care a lot for all of you, so let me just-'
'FINE!' he interrupted her, with sharp tone of voice, making her flinch.
'Sorry.' Midnight added after a moment, still not looking at her. 'It's ok, I just...'
'You're angry because of Scarlet, I know.' she sighed. 'You know how he is- he doesn't take it seriously, he just like to trigger you for fun and such. Although, it's not so all fine from his side... but just try to ignore him or something? Maybe he will get bored of it and stop then. he's not a bad guy, after all.'
Midnight rose eyes on her with hard to read expression. 'You like him, don't you.' he finally said, then realized that it wasn't just in his thoughts and turned face away, cussing in mind.
'Whaaaa... no! I mean... gosh!' Azure stared at him with eyes round like plates. 'What you mean I like? He's like a... uhm, brother to me. And yeah, he's cool and all... Beside, he's not really into girls so...' she covered mouth with hand. 'Ooops... I shouldn't say it, I think... Please don't tell him that I did...'
'Don't worry.' Midnight looked at her again, this time with lighted up face and little smirk in corner of his lips.
'Ok... ok! Gosh... show me that arm now.' Azure was hoping to change topic as she was fighting with urge to stab herself for spilling out info about Scarlet and being thankful that what she spoke out wasn't about who she liked... and that was the boy sitting next to her now.
With slight blush still on her cheeks , she carefully cleaned and bandaged deep cut on his arm. Midnight was silent whole time and fact that he was observing her every move, suddenly became an uncomfortable feeling.
'It should be ok now.' Azure smiled a bit, tucking hair behind her ear and avoiding eyes contact.
'Thank you.' Midnight looked at her for a moment, then got up. 'I will be going, see you.'
'Take good care, Nighty-kun.' she smiled again but just after he left room, she fell on knees, sighting loudly. 'What should I do with this...' she cried internally, feeling her heart still bumping wild from being so close to the boy she had such a hopeless crush on.
What she decided to do was to visit Breeze. her best friend had way more experience when it comes to such things, so Azure hoped for some good advice.
'Sweetheart, just go and tell him that you like him. Then use the moment of impact, grab his shirt and kiss the soul out of him.' said Breeze, while carefully painting her nail pink.
Azure gasped- that wasn't the advice she expected.
'Trust me' continued blonde, focused on another nail. 'Boys don't get subtle signals and can't read between lines. You need to be open about it.'
'B-but i can't just... ugh, that's not like me, you know me, Breeze.' Azure blushed.
Breeze pinched her cheek and smiled warmly. 'You're the bravest girl- that's what I know about you.' and she bopped her nose, making other girl smile.
'Okay.' Azure sighed. 'I guess I can try. Wish me luck!'
~~~~
And as she decided, Azure spend next few hours looking for Midnight all around Konoha. It wasn't the easiest task, as he wasn't at home and he surely mastered the art of hiding when didn't want to be bothered.
Girl stopped at one of house roof and looked around once again, under sky starting to get the late evening colors. She groaned loudly. 'What are you doing, you silly girl...' she said aloud to herself. 'This is not going to work this way...' she sighed and then suddenly heard a familiar voice next to her.
'Something wrong, Azure?'
She turned rapidly in place, to Midnight, who soundlessly appeared right there, so close to her.
'Oh!!' she did a step back, stumbled on tiles on roof and lost balance- together with any memory of actions that could save her from the fall. Sensation of losing connection to solid surface under feet, made her heart stop and eyes close.
And in next second she found herself in a firm embrace, saving her from unwanted fly lesson.
'Hey! Are you ok?'
She blinked and realized she is staring into beautiful blue eyes. Then blushed like a blossoming flower, feeling his arm wrapped around her waist, holding her tight, close to his body, as Midnight was balancing effortlessly on the edge of the roof, with concerned face locked on her.
'Azure?'
'Oh..' she blushed more. 'Y-yes... oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I'm so clumsy...'
Boy stared at her, tilting head a little.
'Are you sure that you are ok?'
Girl nodded slowly. 'Uhm... a bit dizzy. But all fine anyway, haha.' she laughed, a bit nervously.
'Want me to take you home?'
Why his voice has to be so soft and worried... I'm going to melt here...
'Y-yes.' she finally spoke out. 'I want you. I MEAN... to go home. Ugh...' Azure could swear that her brain need a forced restart. 'I mean, yes- I will go home.'
Midnight was still staring at her with worried face, trying to figure out what's up with her out of sudden. Then just picked her up bridal style, making her lose breath and pulse.
'I want to be sure that you get there safe. Hold on tight.' he said and jumped to other roof, with girl in his arms screaming internally.
Azure was sure that he can just hear that loud, fast beating of her heart. She managed to wrap arms around his neck before the next jump, being now as close as possible to him and almost completely paralyzed by that feeling and blows of evening air on her skin, when they were passing above buildings.
'Nighty, please stop.' she said out of sudden, making boy stand still on one of roofs.
'Something wrong?' he asked, putting her down.
'N-no, just...' Azure fixed her ponytail, trying to regain the bravery she was feeling earlier, when still looking for this boy today. 'Eeeh, you know...it's just somehow not like you to go and carry girls around like this, haha.' she laughed, trying to cover the nervousness.
Midnight placed short gaze at her. Then messed his hair, showing bandages on his forearm.
'I guess I own you something.'
Azure opened and closed mouth. 'But it's what I do- you don't own me anything for this. Nobody does.' she finally said.
'It's not just a work when you do it. because you actually do care for me... for us all.' Midnight smiled a little. 'I think that's what makes you a great person.'
That forced shutdown of her brain, that she needed, happened in that moment. But it went back to full functionality surprisingly fast.
'Oh, that's so cute, Nighty-kun!' she hugged him tightly, forgetting all the stress and embarrassment from before and making him froze still- as his usual reaction to sudden contact of this kind. 'And of course I care for all of you!' she pulled back a bit, blushing furiously again. 'Especially for you.'
This time also boy's cheeks gained a cute pink shade, when he was staring down at Azure, not sure what to say.
Their moment of awkward silence got disturbed by a voice nearby.
'Oh, for Kage's sake, get a room, you two- everyone can see you up here.' Scarlet showed next to them, with a scroll in one hand, some unidentified snacks in other and rolling eyes on them. 'just not for long- you have mission tomorrow morning.' he add, tossing scroll at Midnight, who was killing him with a stare of ice-cold eyes.
Scarlet waved them bye while they were checking details of mission and headed home.
Midnight frowned after finishing reading. 'It's getting late. I will go home, so see you tomorrow, Azure.'
'Y-yes... I'm going home too.' she smiled. 'take good care, Nighty-kun.'
...to be continued...