A beam of sunlight peeked through a divide in the sheets above you, and made your close your eyes tighter. You groaned a tired protest and rolled over, only to have a hand slap down on your face. You winced and were fully awake to realize that the hand belonged to Akito, who had only just turned towards you. You sat up instantly, instinctively holding the cheek he had hit. It was more of a shock than a pain, and you realized the heat around the area rose from your nerves.
This is the second time I've slept with him.. Jesus, I told him I love him and we haven't even been on one date. I do love him.. but perhaps I shouldn't have said anything. I should have waited. Perhaps it means less since it was in the heat of the moment.. Perhaps he's forgotten all about it.
You sighed softly staring down at the shifting boy.
Not bloody likely. I'm the one who forgets, remember (Y/n).
Before you could finish one of your infamous sessions of overthinking, Akito's eyes opened. He scrunched up his face a bit and looked you up and down.
In a tired voice that sent butterflies to your chest, he asked, "Did I push you away again?"
You felt nervous around him for the first time; a good kind of nervous. You chuckled and lowered your hand from your face. "Something like that.. It was an accident, don't worry about it." You sank down to lay beside him and he narrowed his brows.
"You know I would never mean to hurt you, right?"
You paused, but nodded nonetheless.
"Most people don't mean to hurt anyone... They just do." You shook your head a bit, dismissing your thoughts. "But that's not what happened here. It was an accident." You smiled and brought his hand to your cheek gently.
Akito raised an eyebrow and tried to resist smirking. "Maybe it was something subconscious. Like a payback for leaving last night, I tend not to be the most rational person y'know--"
"Hey, aren't I supposed to be the one playing therapist?"
"Does that make me the irresistible patient?" His sly smirk almost brought on your own, but you bit your lip.
"Irresistible?? Watch. See how I'm resisting you.?" You sat up, crossing your arms.
"Oh my God, you want me so bad-" he joked, cutting himself off with his own laughter.
"Look at you you're already about to break!"
"Uh, no." You argued, holding firm. "You're the sicko that fell in love with his shrink."
He scoffed, sitting up across from you. "Who said anything about love? Oh right, that was you."
You couldn't help the embarrassed smile. "You said it with your eyes plenty of times."
"That doesn't count."
"Alright so say it."
He smirked, looking from your eyes to your upturned mouth. "What, just like that? I think you'll at least have to buy me dinner first."
You bit your lip, happy that he brought up the perfect segway to what you were concerned about: what are we?
"How about brunch?" You said, dropping your arms from your chest, and searching his face for an answer. You saw his cocky smirk fall and a subtle pink rise to his cheeks. You had caught him off guard.
"What, outside?"
You giggled at his reaction and shrugged.
"With me?"
You nodded and blushed yourself.
"On a real date?" His eyes dropped down and he toyed with his fingers.
You nodded softly before guiding his chin up with your hand. "We don't have to, y'know... I just thought it might be nice."
He shook his head in your hand and shrugged his shoulders a bit. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you out?"
You rolled your eyes and dropped his chin before he scooped your hand up and to his chest. "Yeah well, I just can't resist you, remember?" And you threw in a wink for added effect.
Akito seemed to contemplate all that you were saying, and you felt through your hand as his heartbeat quickened. You hoped it was a positive thing.
"Get out." He said, patting your hand and dropping it.
"What??"
He snickered and crawled out of the opening in the blanket fort. "Get out, so I can get ready for our date."
You blushed and tried not to squeal, feeling like you'd just been asked to prom, despite never attending yours. You squirmed through the tent and when you rose up, Akito was standing right in front of you. His confidence, or the look of it at least, had returned.
He put a warm hand to brush against your cheek as he smiled. "Irresistible.." You blushed harder at his pause, and the closeness of the two of you. "Get out." He whispered again.
You scurried away from the room and released the childish screech you'd been holding in when you were finally outside. You began to walk back to your place, trying to remember every item of clothing in your closet, and which would be suitable for a first date with the love of your life.
"(Y/n)!" A feminine, booming voice called, and you whipped your head around to see Ayame Sohma talking to Hatori in front of the gates. Suddenly, he charged towards you and you were too struck by him to do anything but wait. He practically tackled you, sweeping you up in his arms and swinging you around. "(Y/n) my DARLING!!! When did you get to be so grown up?! And who gave you permission to be so adorable still!?! Certainly not me! It must have been your lovely sister, oh how is Hana--I've missed you both so much!!" He shouted in your ear, finally setting you down to the floor but not releasing you.
"Look, my blossom, you've done it, I can hold you like this as long as I don't think about th--" POOF, the albino snake landed before your feet. "Hmm, yes, well, it'll do for now, blossom!"
As with Ritsu, you couldn't help but be struck with the intense energy Ayame brought, and laughed a little as his form slithered up your bare leg. Still in Akito's robe, that doesn't look great.. well it does look great on me, but that's not the point
You captured the snake and it coiled it's way around your arm. Hatori gave a simple wave in the distance and you returned it, sighing to yourself.
"What could possibly be the matter, darling?"
"Oh, nothing I just--I.." you leaned closer to the snake, as if anyone else would care to hear you. "I'm going on a date today, and I don't really know how to do that. I mean, I don't even know what to wear."
The snake squeezed your arm tighter in excitement as he cried, "I can help with that!" He went on another rant about how it was his job, nay, his passion to dress beautiful people in beautiful things, and you led him back to your home, smiling at all of his ideas.
You emerged from your bedroom in the outfit he'd prepared for you, feeling delicate and pretty, and Ayame slapped his cheeks. "BLOSSOM!! You look incredible, a vision, I really am talented!"
He rushed over to you and gave you a twirl. "Now then, your hair." He sat you down on your bed and retreated behind you. The man ran a brush through your twisted ends and the action calmed you.
"Whoever they are, they're very lucky." He said, and you tried to agree in your mind. "Who is it, blossom?"
"Akito." You blurted out, without even a thought to how he might react. The brush stilled in your hair, and your fingers began to clench.
"Hmm." He offered before continuing. "I honestly don't know who it would have been other than Akito.. But still I'm surprised... After all this time, you still found each other. That little boy really does get everything he wants, doesn't he?"
You turned your head slightly to look at him, but he avoided your eyes. "He's not a little boy anymore. He's changed."
"Still defending him, I see." You saw a small smile curve on his lips. "He's changing, that I can believe... But you've loved him through every stage of his life, haven't you?... He's lucky, that's all I can say. To have a woman that will wait for him."
You turned your head back around as he finished pinning your (h/l) hair. He crawled around to sit in front of you and rooted through your small collection of makeup.
"How is Hana? She was.. dismissive on the phone. Like she didn't want to speak to me. I can't say that I blame her, of course, but still I..." He paused and motioned for you to close your eyes so he could apply shadow. "When I called last night, it was from a place of concern, of fear, of love.. I thought it was her who had been staying here, helping Hari, and Akito... I don't know why but it's like I'd forgotten all about you." He let the breath of a laugh slip through his nose as he moved on to your other eye.
"I suppose I always was more interested in your sister. Not to say that you both weren't lovely girls but it's... Hana always had this ability, this calming, knowing presence, that told me she could see through any defense I tried to put up. And believe me, there were a lot of defenses in my youth." He chuckled and you opened your eyes. "We had this connection, I always thought it was something in our souls reaching out for each other... But I suppose I overestimated it. I loved her so much more than she loved me, and when she left--... I suppose it was for the best. After all, that depression led me to Yuki.
"I ignored him for so long that when I tried to run back, meet the brother I never took the chance to get to know, he was the one who turned his back on me... Anyways, Hana and I have kept in contact.. over the years things have fizzled, of course, but I was there to meet Benjamin on her wedding day. She was a beautiful bride, in spite of the dreadfully normal dress- I always thought she'd looked her best in a blushing pink."
You pulled away from the lipstick he was applying and looked at him. He didn't appear sad, more reflective and peaceful. His love was lost, but he had used it to grow. You hoped it could be the same for Hatori.
"I think she did love you, Ayame.. She never said anything, mentioned you to me, but Benji was really the first-only- man she ever let into her life. Maybe she was waiting, for one of you to come back to the other."
Ayame smiled honestly and nodded. "Maybe. But the time for us has passed, and we must all continue to seek happiness for ourselves. I do hope you find happiness, (Y/n), even if it is with him."
Ayame guided you to your long mirror and you felt the pleasant shock of seeing the beautiful girl staring back at you. Ayame rested his chin on your shoulder from behind and you smiled brightly at the reflection. You were glad you hadn't waited to confess your love. Too much time had been wasted without each other. You could only hope Akito felt the same way.
A/N: thanks to everyone for the well wishes and comments. If you'd like to make any recommendations for their first real date, please don't hesitate. Hope you enjoyed!