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Amane stared at the restaurant sign confused beyond all belief as his younger brother looked on at him with a proud grin.
"A maid cafe?"
"Yup!"
"Really, Tsukasa?"
"Mm-hmm!"
"That's your surprise?"
Tsukasa's grin dropped a little. "No. The surprise is inside, dummy."
The older twin smacked his palm against his face in disapproval. As if that wasn't obvious. Nobody goes to a maid cafe to look at the architecture. Although he could never be sure with Tsukasa and his "surprises." But this definitely made the Top 10 list for most unexpected birthday plans.
Well, it wasn't really their birthday. But it was Amane's turn to celebrate their birthday. He and Tsukasa had a tradition of treating each other to their own special day sometime during the week of their actual shared birthday. A small celebration just between them as brothers so they could each surprise the other without having to worry about double-booking themselves. Because nothing was more exhausting than trying to spend the day at a limited time exhibit on recently obtained moon rocks while also fitting in a visit to see a travelling biological collection of various specimens of exotic animal organs all in one day. They could tell you this from experience.
And so it was Tsukasa's turn to treat his big brother to a birthday outing.
An outing to a maid cafe, apparently.
"Tsukasa, I appreciate the thought and planning you must have put into this, bu--" he was cut off by a hand covering his mouth as he spoke.
"Listen, I know it's different and not normally our thing, but you gotta trust me here." The grin he was wearing before reappeared in full force. "You're going to love this. I promise. Besides," Tsukasa pulled his hand away, releasing Amane's face, "I already made reservations!"
Defeated, Amane sighed. He didn't want to seem ungrateful, but this sort of thing… really wasn't his cup of tea. Still, Tsukasa knew him very well, so there must have been some kind of reason he'd chosen to bring him here of all places.
"Alright then." Amane gestured toward the door. "Lead the way."
Taking a step forward, Tsakasa pulled his brother's arm, dragging him into the building. "You'll see, Amane! This will be your best birthday yet!"
' We'll see, I guess, ' he thought to himself as he was pulled along into the lobby.
The inside of the building was just as garish as Amane had imagined a cheesy maid cafe to be. Bright pink stripes of differing values ran vertically along the walls, pure white lacy material served as curtains as well as matching table cloths, and there wasn't a flat surface in sight that wasn't home to some kind of kitschy decor item if not multiple. Around their table alone he counted at least twelve small plushies of that pink rabbit that had become so popular recently. What were they called again? Mokke? He made a mental note to ask Kou later. Maybe his younger sister was into this stuff.
He watched Tsukasa looking around the place excitedly, ooh-ing and aah-ing at the unorthodox interior design. It was almost like…
"Wait a minute. Tsukasa, is this your first time here?" asked Amane, almost afraid to know the answer.
"Hmm, no." His younger brother smiled. "Oh, but it is my first time inside!"
As he came to his realization, Amane furrowed his brow. "You mean you've only ever been outside the building."
"Yeah! I've never eaten here before! Oh, but don't worry, I looked up reviews and stuff and they all say really good things!"
Amane rested his arms on the table and dropped his head onto them, burying his face out of sight. What was his brother thinking?! Had he said something that would suggest he was into this kind of thing? What would that have even been though? Maybe the place just had really good food or something...
"Welcome!" He didn't bother looking up at the source of the bubbly greeting. He thought it safe to assume that it was a girl in a maid costume. "Can I start you two gentlemen off with some drinks?"
"Water please," Amane requested, voice muffled in his arms.
"Aw, you sure, Amane? It's my treat, y'know," Tsukasa offered from across the table.
"Just water." Anything to get this whole thing over with as quickly as possible.
There was a tinge of disappointment in his brother's voice as he turned to the hostess. "That's two waters then, I guess."
"Very well, Sir. Your requested server will be out with those shortly!"
Waiting until he heard the footsteps of the bubbly voice walking away, Amane lifted his head to look at Tsukasa. "Requested server?"
"Yup! Customers have the option to choose a specific waitress here if they want," he answered in a voice cheery enough to challenge even the most experienced staff members of the cafe they sat in.
Curious, Amane cocked his head to the side. "Who could you have possibly requested?"
Tsukasa's eyes flicked up to something behind Amane before an absolutely devilish grin spread across his face. "Happy birthday, big brother…"
"Welcome!"
Amane's eyes widened at the familiar voice as he shot straight up in his chair.
"I've brought two waters for you, Sirs!"
No. No way.
"I'm your (to be) beloved mistress for the evening, Nene Yashi--"
Amane's jaw dropped as Yashiro froze at the side of the table. She was dressed in a flouncy pink maid's dress adorned with ribbons and lace, perfectly matching high heel shoes, and a pair of just slightly too-tight thigh high socks.
The whole outfit was as gaudy and loud as the rest of the room. It was completely ridiculous. Totally absurd. And she looked absolutely adorable in it.
"Y-Y-Yashiro...?" he was finally able to manage, cheeks having turned as pink as the paint on the walls.
"A-Amane-kun...?! What are--"
Suddenly she was interrupted by the sound of a throat clearing from somewhere in the cafe, but Amane wasn't quite sure where.
"A-ah, I mean Honorable Number Seven! My si-sincerest apologies, Sir!" Flustered, Yashiro set two glasses of water in front of the boys. "Here are your drinks!"
"Honorable Number what…?"
As she placed a menu in front of Amane, Yashiro leaned down and whispered, "It’s your table number. You're sitting at the head of the table, so I have to call you that. That's the rule."
The smell of the perfume she was wearing lingered after she stood back up. Amane couldn't help but take note of the sweet aroma.
"Hiya, Nene-chan!" Tsukasa cheerfully greeted as she set his menu in front of him. "You look even cuter than your picture on the website!"
Amane recognized the smile on Yashiro's face as her "I have to play along for now but there will be hell to pay later" smile. Tsukasa was going to be lucky to see the light of tomorrow, let alone make it to their birthday later in the week.
"You are too kind, Sir…! I don't deserve such praise...!" The restraint in her voice was obvious to Amane, but it seemed that whoever had cleared their throat at her earlier didn't catch it. Or was ignoring it. She sucked in a quick breath to get her confidence back and returned to character. "Now that my gentlemen have their drinks and menus, I shall leave you for but a few moments. But please be assured that I will return to serve you very shortly."
Her skirt twirled as she pivoted to walk away, lifting just high enough to show a tantalizing view of her upper thigh while still leaving a tasteful amount to the imagination. Not that Amane was imagining anything , of course…
"Tsukasa!" he hissed quietly. "What's this all about?!"
A devious chuckle emanated from behind the menu the younger twin had picked up. "This is about me getting you the best present ever! A super adorable Nene-chan! Your favorite thing in the entire world!"
"She's not--! I mean, you can't--!"
As he tried to find his words, Amane felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Taking it out, he was less than surprised to find a text from Yashiro.
《What are you doing here?!?!》
<Tsukasa brought me here! I promise I had no idea, Yashiro!>
《I was requested! How did Tsukasa know?!》
<How does he know anything...>
《...Fair point. Okay. Listen. I'll get in trouble if I don't act in character with my customers. And tonight that's you.》
<What about Tsukasa?>
《I was requested specifically for the head of the table. So for tonight I'm yours.》
<...How scandalous>
《Now is NOT the time for your perverted jokes. Just let me do my job and we can all forget this ever happened, got it?》
<Yes ma'am>
Amane took a deep breath as he put his phone away. He was already exhausted and they hadn't even ordered yet. Tsukasa was happily sipping his water, still enthralled with the decorations surrounding them. If he wasn't already tall enough to reach the floor, Amane was sure he would have been swinging his feet back and forth joyfully like a little kid.
When a pair of gloved arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders, Amane yelped, completely taken by surprise.
"Did you miss me, Honorable Number Seven?" Yashiro, who was suddenly sitting next to him, whispered into his ear.
"I-I-I-I uhhh…" When did she get back? How had he not heard the clack of her footsteps in those tall heels? And most importantly, why was she so close?! If he wasn't careful, Yashiro would definitely hear his heart trying to beat out of his chest.
"I missed you. That's why I came back so quickly, y'know?" Amane caught the small twitch at the corner of her lips as she saw Tsukasa out of the corner of her eye, watching the two of them like a movie. "Now, have you decided what you want from me, Sir?"
Sweat started collecting on Amane's brow as he swallowed dryly. "Wh-wh-wha-what I w-want…?"
"You know…" Her voice trailed off softly. "I could give you something sweet? Or something warm? Or I could surprise you." She slid herself closer so that her lips were right next to his ear. She whispered, "I wanna give you anything your heart desires, Honorable Number Seven, Sir."
This was it. This was how he died. There was no doubt in his mind. Young Amane Yugi, not even halfway through his twenties, found dead at a local maid cafe.
"The menu, Amane-kun." He was snapped back to reality at the hissing in his ear. "I'm asking you what you want to order."
He blinked a few times as his mind caught up with what Yashiro was telling him, but it wasn't easy when she was still so close. And in that outfit…
"Um! Well!" He looked down at the menu in front of him, trying to skim it for something that seemed reasonable and fast. But it was no use. Words and letters had no meaning anymore, all reading ability escaping him. "Wh-what do you recommend, Miss?" he asked, shooting her a pleading side glance.
Another twitch pulled at the edge of her smile. "You don't have to be so formal with me, Sir. Please," she paused as she tried to shoo away the heat she felt rising in her face, "won't you call me Nene...?"
Turning his head to look at Yashiro directly, his honey eyes stuck on the red flush taking over her cheeks, Amane felt his heart skip a beat. Under normal circumstances it was difficult for him to deny a direct request from Yashiro. In the current situation, he had a feeling it would be next to impossible.
"Nene…" he corrected himself softly.
Just as the two of them thought they would keel over from the sound of her first name on his lips, they heard a tiny gasp from across the table followed by an equally tiny whisper. "He said it…!" Simultaneously they turned to see Tsukasa, still sipping away on his straw, completely enraptured by the scene in front of him.
After a moment of silence, a small giggle started to erupt from Yashiro. Soon enough it had spread into Amane's own throat, both of them eventually laughing at the younger twin's amazed expression for a good few moments. An expression that quickly evolved into confusion at the hilarious joke he had apparently missed.
Once they were able to collect themselves a bit, Yashiro stood up at the side of the table and plucked the menus from both of the boys.
"I think I have an idea what the gentlemen would enjoy tonight," she stated confidently. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be more than happy to put that order in for you, Sirs." And with a wink and a flourish, Yashiro began making her way toward the kitchen, but not before leaving a cheesy parting line. "Think of me while I'm gone, okay~?"
A simple task for Amane. After all, he was quite the expert at that already.
Telling the Yugi twins apart wasn't typically a difficult feat. Their personalities, almost constantly evident in their expressions, easily gave them away. But there were those rare moments when the brothers donned the exact same face, making differentiating one from the other much harder for those who didn't know them well. Moments such as when Yashiro rolled an ornate dining cart stacked with an impossibly tall pyramid of donuts to the side of their table, causing the boys to go wide-eyed and slack-jawed.
After carefully transferring the tower from the cart to the table, with the help of a couple of her co-workers, Yashiro took her seat next to Amane once again, proud smile adorning her face.
"Is this to my gentlemen's liking?" she asked, already knowing their thoughts full well thanks to the looks on their faces.
"I don't remember seeing this in the menu…" Tsukasa commented.
"Oh, you underestimate me, Sir." She wagged her finger at him from across the table. "This is a custom order," she rested the side of her head against Amane's shoulder, causing him to tense, "made special just for my Honorable Number Seven."
Yashiro reached for a pastry from the top of the pile as Amane finally spoke up. "There's so many, though. How much does all of this--"
"Cost?" she finished his question cheerfully. "You needn't worry about such a thing, Sir. After all," she paused as she shot a devil-may-care smile at the younger twin, "the hostess was gracious enough to inform me that tonight's festivities will be this gentleman's treat." Tsukasa's face paled at the demonic note in Yashiro’s chipper voice as she tilted her head innocently. "Right?"
' Rest in peace, little brother, ' Amane thought. ' This is only the beginning of her revenge. '
Suddenly, he was pulled from his thoughts as a donut appeared in front of his face. His gaze flicked over to Yashiro who was holding the sweet, her face dusted light pink.
"Yashi--" A pointed glare. Right. "I mean, Nene…?"
"...This was part of the special request from the reservation," she whispered shyly.
It was Amane's turn to shoot an evil eye at his brother, though it went unnoticed as Tsukasa sadly munched on a donut, mumbling something about the price being worth it to see Yashiro dressed up so cutely.
' I take it back. Burn in hell, Tsukasa, ' Amane thought, hoping that that twin telepathy thing would kick in to send his scornful message.
"H-honorable Number Seven, Sir..." The small voice prompted Amane to turn back to Yashiro who was still holding the donut out to him, other hand cupped below to catch any stray crumbs. Her face still tinted with a light flush, she looked adorably embarrassed, but Amane couldn't help but notice that she was leaning toward him despite any apparent reservations in her expression. "Say aah, okay?"
What other choice did he have? As he opened his mouth, quietly complying so as not to let other diners hear him, Amane felt the temperature of his face rapidly increase. The heat only continued to spread, taking over his ears and neck, as he took a bite, his golden eyes glued to Yashiro's face below him. She really was very cute. And while he did feel a little bad for putting her in this awkward situation, her bashfulness only made her seem that much cuter to him.
Yashiro continued to feed him, both of them too shy to say anything, but never looking away from the other's gaze. Amane recognized that being fed your favorite food by the girl you had a comically large crush on while she was scantily clad in a maid costume was supposed to be an erotic fantasy. And he readily admitted to himself that it was a fantasy he would have gladly indulged in should he have thought of it when he was alone. But somehow this moment felt surprisingly innocent.
Maybe it was because they were in a public establishment or because his brother was just across the table, the resulting lack of privacy seriously impeding his ability to register the situation's potential sensuality. Maybe it was the bright pink childish decor that discouraged him from his typical impure thoughts. Or maybe it was the fact that Amane had fallen so hard for the girl in front of him that he could no longer predict how he would react to her anymore. The only thing he could be sure of was that he was here with her, heart beating so fast that he was surprised he hadn't gotten sick, enjoying every second of her presence. Cherishing every moment that her deep ruby eyes were focused on him and nobody else. Wishing time would stop for a minute or two just so he could bask in this moment a little bit longer.
"Amane-kun." Yashiro set the current pastry she was holding down on a plate and removed one of her frilly gloves. "You've got something on your face," she said quietly as she reached up, gently removing some icing from the corner of his mouth with her thumb.
Perhaps it was his imagination, but Amane was fairly certain her hand had remained cupped around his cheek for a few moments longer than what was necessary for clearing crumbs from someone's face.
That was a short-lived thought, however, disappearing as he watched Yashiro bring her thumb to her own mouth, passing it between her lips to clean the icing that had just recently been sitting on his own. She stared up at him as she pulled her thumb from her mouth with a cute little inadvertent pop.
And just like that Amane was quickly reacquainted with his tendency toward the perverse.
He tensed up, becoming embarrassingly aware of himself as he managed to squeak out a high-pitched version of his voice. "Well, I think I'm full!"
"Aww! But it was just getting good!" Tsukasa whined from the other side of the table, clearly enjoying the show, hands and mouth full of donuts.
Amane glared at his brother for what felt like the hundredth time that evening. "Tsukasa," he growled, standing up. "We're going ."
Sighing disappointedly, the younger twin swallowed the pastry in his mouth and stood up. "Fine." Recovering quickly, Tsukasa grinned at Yashiro. "Tonight was really fun, Nene-chan! Do we pay our bill at the front?"
"Uhh…!" She was blushing as she stood up, brushing the imaginary dust off her dress. "Yes! The hostess will take care of you up at the pastry case!" Yashiro stepped aside to stand next to the table and bent her knees in an elegant curtsy. "Please have a lovely rest of your evening, my gentlemen!" she blurted out before rushing away.
Unable to blame her for taking a sudden leave, Amane watched as Yashiro rounded a corner, the ribbon of her apron being the last thing he saw of her.
The line to pay was longer than they had anticipated, but not so long as to be overwhelming. They took their place at the end of the queue as Tsukasa began chatting about anything that popped into his head. Amane didn't respond with much and Tsukasa didn't necessarily expect him to. That's just how some of their "conversations" went: The older twin listening as the younger skillfully filled any silence between them.
It gave Amane time to collect himself and after a couple minutes he realized how stuffed he really was. Thinking about it, he probably couldn't say how many donuts he'd actually eaten. He was busy thinking about other things at the time, paying no attention to his stomach.
Slowly, the line moved forward. Too slowly. The longer he stood there, the more his gut screamed at him, making it obvious that however many donuts he'd been fed had been too many.
Eventually Amane couldn't stand it anymore and gripped Tsukasa's sleeve to get him to pause his talking. "Gonna go find a bathroom," he mumbled, to which his brother nodded, chuckling knowingly a little at the green hue on Amane's face.
As he made his way through the maze of tables, he couldn't help but think about what a shame it would be if he really did get sick. The donuts really had been very tasty and he could only imagine what Tsukasa was about to pay for them.
He laughed to himself as he thought back to Yashiro's smile as she had revealed her plan for vengeance against his younger brother. Even at her most devious, Yashiro really was--
"Adorable! She's so cute!" an obnoxiously loud voice squealed. Loud enough to pull Amane out of his head. "Man, you always get so lucky at these places, getting the shy ones! Just look at how red her face is!"
' Gross, ' Amane thought. This was the kind of thing that really deterred him from places like this and the main reason he had been so averse to coming in here in the first place.
"Ooh! Lemme take a look at that face, little lady!"
' Ugh. I'm gonna get sick just listening to thi-- '
"Like this, Sir...?"
Oh no.
The absolute dread that overtook him as Amane heard Yashiro's voice made him feel like vomiting right then and there. Whipping his head back and forth, he scanned the dining room for her milky white locks.
"A little closer, actually."
Amane's stomach dropped when he heard Yashiro yelp as he spotted her table, just catching sight of a customer pulling her into his lap, large hands holding her waist firmly. The guest leaned down, whispering something into Yashiro's ear and the look of fear on her face made Amane see red.
Amane completely forgot where he was, where he had been going, or why he was there. He probably couldn't have even named the year if he had been asked at the moment. There was only one thing in his head as he rushed across the room.
"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!"
His voice boomed as he grabbed Yashiro's wrist, pulling her out of the surprised man's grasp and wrapping his arms around her protectively.
"Amane-kun?!" Yashiro was just as dumbfounded as her customer was.
"Hey! We're paying good money for the little lady!"
Glaring daggers at the man, Amane pulled Yashiro's face into his shoulder. "Well now you're paying good money for whatever garbage you ordered and that's it because you're not even gonna look at her anymore. Got it?"
The man held up his hands. "Sheesh, you really got attached to that one, huh, buddy?" Again, Amane wanted to throw up at the thought of being referred to as this guy's buddy. The feeling only became stronger as a wily grin crossed the creep's face. "We can share, y'know. How about we go somewhere we can all have a little fun?"
Before anybody knew what was happening, Amane was on the man, landing hooks left and right. At one point he was pretty sure he felt the crunch of the man's nose breaking against his fist. It only motivated him to hit harder. In his mind, they were the only two people in the world at that moment and Amane was dead set on reducing the population to one.
He might have done it, too, if he hadn't been yanked away by the cafe's manager. "What do you think you're doing, punk?!"
"Let me go!" he growled, struggling to escape the hold on the back of his jacket.
"Yashiro, you know this kid?!"
Still trying to keep up with everything happening, Yashiro took a moment before answering. "Oh, um, yes. He's a friend, Sir."
"Friend, huh? Y'know, I'm not sure I like the idea of having you here if your little punk friends are gonna come barging into my cafe and start smacking folks arou-- OW!"
As he fought against the hold on him, Amane had managed to kick back, landing a solid blow to one of the cafe manager's shins.
"That's it! You're gone, missy! Out!"
"But I--!"
"NOW!"
Amane caught her as Yashiro was gracelessly shoved out the front door of the cafe, her backpack shortly following her as it was tossed onto the ground next to the two of them. He had cooled down a bit between leaving the table and being thrown out of the building himself, no longer lost in his frenzied rage. After steadying her so she wouldn't fall, an easy foreseeability given the height of her heels, Amane picked up Yashiro's backpack, dusting it off before pulling his arm through one of the straps.
"Thanks," was all she managed in a quiet voice.
"Yeah…" He paused wondering where Tsukasa had gone off to, but decided it wasn't important. Despite his childish antics, Tsukasa was an adult and he could find his way back to campus on his own. Right now Amane needed to take care of Yashiro. He held out his hand to her. "Wanna go home?"
She took his hand and nodded without a word.
For awhile they walked in silence, the sun setting quickly on the horizon. Yashiro walked a bit behind Amane. Understandable considering the shoes she was wearing. He wondered if her feet were hurting as they walked and turned to look back at her, finding a crying sniffling Yashiro staring at the ground.
His eyes went wide and he stopped walking, turning to fully face her instead. It wasn't a moment before Yashiro bent down on her toes, hiding her face in her arms as they sat atop her knees.
"Y-Yashiro, I'm so so so sorry," Amane began as he knelt down to her level. "I didn't mean to get you fired. I just--"
He heard a sound from under her arms, but it was muffled and unrecognizable.
"What was that?"
Yashiro lifted her head up and a waterfall of tears burst from her eyes as she started sobbing loudly. "I was so scared, Amane-kun...!" she wailed before hiding her face again, none of her loud cries muffled this time.
Watching the scene before him broke Amane's heart. Of course she was shaken up. Who knew what kind of disgusting words were whispered into her ear to warrant that awful look of fear that had appeared on her face back at the cafe. He didn't want to even think about it.
But Yashiro didn't get to have that luxury.
She had no choice but to listen helplessly as the offending customer breathed into her ear. Whatever he had said was stuck with her now, the memory fixed in her mind to intrusively replay itself whenever it saw fit.
That did more than break his heart. It shattered it.
"Oh, Yashiro…" he called to her gently, resisting his urge to scoop her up into his arms. Suddenly grabbing her out of the blue didn't seem like a great idea right now. Instead he opted to gently place his fingertips at the edges of her own, letting her know he was there while giving her complete control over how she was touched.
Without looking up, Yashiro shakily laced her fingers between Amane's, the action a small relief to him. He lightly squeezed her hand once but otherwise kept his loose, doing his best to ensure that Yashiro felt comfortable. "Shh," he cooed. "Everything's okay. I'm right here. It's all over. You're safe now."
As if he'd said some magic words, Yashiro jumped into Amane's chest, clumsily grasping at his shirt as her sobs devolved into even more of a blubbering mess. He was just able to catch her without completely falling over, strategically tipping backward so that he was sitting on the ground now.
As lightly as possible, he put his arms around her, stroking her long smooth hair with one hand while the other gently rubbed her back.
"That's it. Let it all out. There's a good girl."
They stayed like that for some time, Amane ignoring the odd looks they were receiving from other walkers on the path. They didn't matter. Right now the only thing in the entire world that mattered to him was helping the girl in his arms feel okay, letting her yell and cry and sob as much as she needed.
And he'd be lying if he said a few of his own tears hadn't tumbled to the ground as well.
By the time Yashiro had calmed down enough to continue walking, the latter half of dusk had arrived. Hardly any people were around as Amane led her through some residential neighborhoods, an alternate route he'd offered to Yashiro with the promise of being seen by fewer passersby. She hadn't stopped crying, tears and sniffles just as prevalent though much quieter. But Amane hadn't expected her to completely stop crying. In fact he was glad she felt safe enough to let herself express her emotions in front of him like this. And as heart-wrenching as it was to listen to her choked and hiccupped sobs, he knew it was much better than the alternative of her holding back these strong feelings.
Turning a corner, Amane was able to see Yashiro out of the corner of his eye, just barely noticing the small limp she was walking with. He turned to look back at her and stopped walking. Fear and anger both started to bubble up from a pit in his stomach as he was able to fully see the ginger steps she was taking.
Remaining calm so as not to frighten her, he kept his voice low. "Yashiro, are you okay?"
She looked up from the ground. "What?"
"Did that bastard hurt you?" Despite his good intentions, Amane's calm and low voice now came across as sharp and seething, though Yashiro could tell she was not the target of his hatred.
For a few moments she blinked at him, confused. It wasn't until she saw his amber eyes flickering between her face and her legs that realization dawned on her.
"Oh! No, no! He didn't hurt me! It's just…" she trailed off as she looked down at her feet, pivoting her heels so Amane could see her shoes. "They're not exactly the greatest for walking, y'know?" She laughed, a little embarrassed.
Relieved, Amane sighed, feeling his anger subside. He set Yashiro's backpack on the ground as he knelt down, back facing toward her, and waited.
"Amane-kun?" Her head tilted to the side after a couple moments.
He looked over his shoulder at her. "Your feet hurt, right? It's a pretty long walk back still so I'll carry you."
Yashiro blushed as Amane explained himself, his voice natural as if this was the only reasonable solution. "No, that's okay! They hurt, but I've been through worse!" She started walking past Amane to show that she was fine. Her limp and small winces didn't help her case much. "Besides, beauty is pain, right?!"
Chuckling at Yashiro's failing attempt to convince him that her heels weren't bothering her, Amane placed his elbows on his knees as he rested his head in his hands. "Oh, I get it! You'd like me to carry you bridal style instead! Is that it?"
"Wh--?!" She whipped around as she felt her face flush, halting when she saw Amane's childishly roguish grin.
"You don't have to be shy!" he continued playfully. "C'mon, you can say it! Go ahe--"
Another wave of tears slid down Yashiro's face, abruptly ending Amane's joking. He rose to his feet and slowly walked toward her as he reached his hand out. "Yashiro...?"
Surprised expression still left on her face from seeing Amane's cheeky grin, Yashiro started blinking at the wetness in her eyes. "Oh… I…" She brought her wrists up to her face, but new tears quickly replaced the ones she wiped away. "I don't know why I'm…" The swiping motions of her arms became more desperate as she continued to cry. "I'm sorry, Amane-kun…I can't make it stop... but I'm fine, really…!"
"Don't apologize…" His voice was gentle, matching the softness with which he thumbed away the tears at the corner of her eye. "It's okay if you're not fine, Yashiro. I'll stay with you until you are."
Wide-eyed, she stared up at him as Amane continued to hold his hand against her face, smiling down at her with all the patience and care in the world.
"How about we take a break and rest, hm?"
Yashiro nodded slowly, unsure whether the thumping in her chest was caused by her sudden bout of crying or the warm smile of the boy standing in front of her.
The clanking sound of a bottle being dispensed from the vending machine was the loudest sound in the park as Amane started depositing the next set of coins. Yashiro was sitting on a swing nearby, gently kicking her legs back and forth as she watched him buying the drinks. Before leaving, he had made sure she was okay waiting for him and promised that he would stay in sight of her. It felt a bit silly since the vending machines weren't but a few yards away, but Yashiro appreciated it nonetheless.
"Here." He held a bottle out to her when he returned, and set another one in the sand next to her after she took the first one. "I got you some water too."
"Thanks," she said as he sat in the swing next to her. After taking a long gulp, Yashiro recapped her drink and set it beside her. She glanced over to see Amane pushing himself forward and backward just as she had been doing moments ago and when the silence had eventually become too heavy, Yashiro yelled, "Hi-yah!" as she kicked her shoes off into the air.
Amane jumped at the sudden outburst next to him, tightening his grip on the chains and snapping his head in her direction. He watched her for a bit as she pushed herself off the ground and started pumping her legs to bring herself higher into the air. Seeing her suddenly swinging back and forth like a kid again pulled a chuckle out of his throat as he started to push himself into the air with her. When she saw him joining her, Yashiro started to laugh along with him until eventually they were both giggling like they used to when they played together on the playground. And just as they had back then, they started pumping their legs harder, both pushing to win their unspoken competition of who could swing higher.
It wasn't long before they synchronized, lining up to swing at the same rate, laughing and grinning together.
"Hey, Yashiro~"
She held her laughter back to hear him better.
"Looks like we're married~" he teased, smiling slyly as he remembered the old playground ritual.
The goofy grin made her laugh all over again. "That's a pretty weak proposal, y'know! I only went out with the boys who could jump the farthest from the swings, remember?"
Actually, he did remember. He remembered the absurd amount of scrapes he sustained from his hours of practice. It was always in vain, though, since he was never able to beat Kou's older brother's record. That was the trouble of being one of the shorter kids. Constantly disadvantaged when it was most important.
But he was older now. Well, past his teenage growth spurt. And something in him was urging him to push harder than he ever had as a kid, swing higher than he'd ever swung, and jump farther than Yashiro had ever seen anyone jump before.
He had wanted it to look cool. Like a triumphant redemption for Little Amane. But all he could do was apologize to his past self as he landed on his back, knocking the wind out of his lungs and seriously injuring his pride.
"Amane-kun!" He heard the sound of sand being shoved aside as Yashiro skidded her swing to a stop, soon followed by the sound of her footsteps rushing toward him.
' Ah. Way to go, Amane. You made the girl you like run while her feet are in pain. Smooth. '
Yashiro's face appeared above him, her brow knit with worry. "Are you alright?"
"That depends," Amane responded, a little breathless. Shooting a cheesy grin up at her, he added, "Did I look cool?"
She stared down at him blinking a few times before bursting into another round of giggles, jumping on top of him to playfully beat him up. "You scared me sick, you jerk!"
Amane played along, blocking Yashiro's light punches. "Somebody help me! I'm being attacked by a wild maid!"
They both giggled as they continued to play-fight in the sand together. Every bad thing that had happened that day disappeared into the back of their minds, and for the time being they were able to be in the here and now as they allowed themselves to enjoy a feeling similar to the fun they had together as kids.
Somehow, Yashiro was able to grab Amane's wrists and finally pin him down in one swift motion. "Ha! Victory belongs to Nene Yashiro!"
"Oh no!" Amane cried dramatically. "The wild maid claims another vic--"
He stopped mid-sentence as he looked up at her. The only light in the park came from the moon, stars, and a couple streetlamps, but this giggling girl above him managed to outshine all of them. Once again Amane felt all of the air leave his lungs, but not in the same way it had during his harsh landing from earlier. Those sparkling ruby eyes, squinting as she laughed, swept his feet out from under him. Those adorably round cheeks, pink from the chill of the night air, shoved him to the ground. And that smile… God, that smile was the best kind of gut punch he'd ever felt.
It didn't take long for Yashiro to notice him staring at her, her laughter slowly coming to a halt. For several moments all they could do was gaze at each other silently, unsure where they were supposed to go from this point.
"Amane-kun," Yashiro finally whispered.
"Hm?"
She leaned down a little. "Are you cold...?"
"Just a little…"
Again, she leaned further down, bringing her face closer to him. "I am too…"
"Yeah…?"
Leaning down even closer, Yashiro let go of Amane's wrists, moving her hands to either side of his face. "Yeah… Can I try something? To keep us warm…?"
"Anything you need," he breathed.
And with his permission, Yashiro closed the last bit of distance between them, placing her lips against his in a gentle kiss. It lasted for just a few seconds, Yashiro pulling away to gauge his reaction. Amane opened his eyes to see her looking down at him, worriedly searching his face for any sign of disapproval.
"Warm yet?" he whispered.
All she could do was shake her head in response.
"Me neither," Amane replied, slowly wrapping his arms around her, gently pulling her down into another kiss.
This time they were much more sure of themselves, Yashiro pressing her lips down against him as Amane lifted his head up into hers. They made it last longer than the first one, breaking apart only when one of them needed to breathe.
Another pause took over, their labored breathing the only sound between them for a fair amount of time.
"Warmer now?" Yashiro asked.
"A bit," he admitted truthfully. "You?"
She shook her head again. "Not even close."
Amane couldn't stop the moan that escaped his throat as Yashiro pulled him up to her with both hands, her mouth moving against his as she parted her lips, inviting his tongue to dance with her own. Their arms wrapped around each other, pulling and grasping at whatever they could in order to feel more of the other. They didn't even stop to breathe this time, both of them sucking in small bursts of air when they found a spare chance.
Eventually, they broke apart, breathing heavily as they gazed at each other with half-lidded eyes.
As he caught his breath, Amane reached his hand up to cup the side of her face. Yashiro leaned into his palm and his heart skipped a beat at how cute she was.
Amane was feeling so much so intensely that he was positive his heart was about to burst if he didn't do something. So he gathered all the courage he had acquired over his lifetime and sat himself up, pulling Yashiro into an embrace against himself.
"Hurts…" he finally murmured.
"Hurts...?" she repeated.
"Love you so much it hurts…"
Her eyes widened. "Amane-kun…"
His grip around her tightened. "Yashiro, I've loved you for so long. So many years. I don't know what to do anymore. Every time I even so much as think about you there's this ache in my chest. It's so familiar to me now but still so strong. I know it's lame and melodramatic and cliched, but it feels like I'm going to die, I love you so much."
"Amane-kun… I--"
"You don't have to love me back. It's okay if you don't. I know I'm not your type. But I just really really needed you to know."
The following silence was painful. Even more painful than landing on your back after a failed swingset stunt jump. But something about holding her in his arms helped make it easier as he waited for his rejection.
He was almost about to say something again when he felt movement in his arms. Loosening his grip a bit, he looked down and blushed at seeing Yashiro pressing several small kisses against the front of his shirt.
"Uhh… Y-Yashiro? What are you--"
"You said your chest hurt, right?" she cut him off, embarrassment clear in her voice. "Don't they say that if you love someone you should kiss their pain away?"
Amane's eyes widened as Yashiro looked up at him, tears forming at the edges of her eyes and face beet red.
"Is it working…?" she asked shyly.
Yashiro squeaked in surprise as Amane pulled her into another hug. He could feel his own face heating up to match her complexion. "Actually, I'm pretty sure you just managed to kill me for good."
She wriggled against his arms as he pulled them down to the ground together. "Ah…! H-hey...! Amane-kun?!"
"Nope! Amane's dead! Murdered in cold blood by the love of his life!"
"L-love of--!"
In usual Amane fashion, he separated them so he could flash one of his smuggest smiles at her.
Yashiro couldn't help but laugh at him before sighing, feigning disappointment. "What a shame! And we just got married on the swings too! I really do have the worst luck with guys, huh?"
This time it was Amane's turn to laugh. "Maybe you do." Once his chuckling quieted, he reached a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling lovingly at her. " I, on the other hand, am the luckiest guy in the world," he whispered before kissing her cheek.
Slightly embarrassed, Yashiro giggled nervously as she pushed her way out of his grasp. "C'mon… stop..."
They both stood up, dusting off the ridiculous amount of sand they'd managed to trap in their clothes.
After a bit, Yashiro noticed Amane grinning at her. "What's that face for?"
"Oh… I was just thinking about whether or not we should keep the part about you being dressed as a super cute maid when we tell people how we got together."
The heat was quick to rise to her face and Amane started laughing as Yashiro began chasing him around the park, delaying their trip back home even longer.
Not that either of them minded.
They didn't care how long it took them to get anywhere, just as long as they were going there together.