Grasping at Roses [Closed]

[Rina]

"Something has upset you?"

Upon rummaging through the cabinet, he allowed a soft huff to escape from parted lips. Was he that easy to figure out? Then again, he tried to keep his vulgar language to a minimal. He found cursing to be a very barbaric thing to do considering he was raised to have the mouth of a gentleman, not a sailor. Katanai had probably just picked up on his tendency to keep a clean mouth unless stirred up by something and took it into account.

He assumed her question was probably answered once he obtained the tube of ointment. Perhaps he should’ve warned her before he went on a cursing rampage. But then again, he never really developed proper communication skills that would allow him to describe just what was exactly running through his head.

“I suppose that scissors would be too convenient for a genius?”

Tamaki blinked at his patient’s comment. Although he knew she was just being playful, he hadn’t actually noticed the fault in his technique. Perhaps it was just the fact that he was accustomed to using his teeth out on missions, where supplies had to be as light and vague as manageable. After all, carrying a pair of scissors in his back pocket would’ve just proved too troublesome for him.

“Rummaging for scissors would be too troublesome,” he admitted truthfully. Tamaki had a bad habit of being lazy when it came to searching for objects, especially when he already had a task at hand. You could say he had a bit of a one-track mind.

Downing the tea was a difficult, yet somewhat soothing task. The overall heat radiating from the cup and tea itself turned him off. He was never a fan of warm things; the slightest bit of heat would often irk him to irritability. Yet he had difficulty refusing things other people had prepared for him, especially Katanai’s tea.

The initial sip was bitter, yet a welcoming taste. Tamaki never had an overly-sweet tooth, so he didn’t mind the sharpness, yet considering from the past medley of tea he shared with Katanai—it was beginning to become quite common for them to share a kettle of tea every now and then—he would’ve guessed that she rather sweet tastes than bitter. That was, unless, her choice of tea changed with her moods?

Drawing the cup away from his lips, he stared briefly into the dark liquid. If that was the case, then was she feeling irritable? Upset? Perhaps that was why she had spent nearly all day outside training. She wasn’t looking to simply improve her technique—she didn’t need it—she must’ve been looking to rid her frustration.

“I will try…Though, I do hope you will continue to take care of me.”

Her voice grabbed his attention away from his cup, earning a slight smirk from him. It was almost ironic how he was beginning to be the caretaker of her. It seemed just like yesterday that they met for the first time in the organization’s meeting room. It was wasn’t necessarily odd for pairs to be called in on a frequent basis, but it was just odd for Tamaki knowing that he had performed solo missions for so long and was about to be paired up with someone he most likely never conversed with before. He wasn’t the type who openly took part in conversations around the base.

He arrived after her, having just woken up from one of his afternoon naps. It was a quiet day at base, so he found no need to rush. After all, the leader didn’t seem too urgent about calling him in. She was already standing by the mahogany meeting table, staring intently at the back of the leader’s chair. Tamaki strode beside his assumed partner, a feeling of bitterness already brewing within him.

He had seen her before at base, she was relatively new, quiet, didn’t socialize with the other assassins that much. Quite frankly, he could’ve have cared less, but he knew that he was going to have to begin to show at least a little concern for his new partner. Although she was petite and didn’t appear to have much experience being an assassin, she harnessed remarkable swordsman ship. Up until her arrival, Tamaki was considered top-dog with his level of sword-wielding technique. But as soon as she came into the picture, he paled in comparison.

Tamaki was considered one of the most skilled assassins with his technique. Despite swordsmanship being a similarly easy feat to master to those dedicated, Tamaki had to master his technique twice—once with his right hand, and then with his left. He originally wielded his katana in his right, his right hand being his dominant hand, however, after an injury immobilized his dominant arm for quite some time, he had to resort to training with his left. It took months to master the use of his left hand, but he had eventually become accustomed to it and gradually transitioned into being left-handed. However, despite his ability to do certain tasks with both hands, he was still upstaged by his new partner who was able to duel-wield her swords with ease. He resented her ability to always surpass him, which caused tension upon learning that he was going to be paired with her for what seemed to be almost every mission he would be assigned to.

After the meeting was adjourned, he happened to make a snide remark to his new mission partner asking her to “Please take care of him.”. However, after their first mission, she had appeared to take his sarcastic plea to heart and genuinely ended up saving his life.

Setting his cup down on the counter thoughtfully, he raised his hand. “I didn’t think you needed me to take care of you,” he retorted lightly, patting her hair. “But if you request it, your wish is my command,” he muttered smoothly, a playful smile pulling on his lips as he withdrew his hand. Yes, her wish was indeed his command.

[Kitty]

“I didn’t think you needed me to take care of you.”

A light smile of reminisce slid over her lips. Back when they had first met, she would have agreed wholeheartedly to this comment. She was used to living alone, doing things for herself at all times. Independence was something that came naturally to her, even before her parents' passing. In her early years, she spent great deals of time alone. Her mother and father both believed her to be some kind of curse, unfit to hold the Misarashi name. As she grew older without them, she had promised herself that she would never come to rely on another person.

Relying on others was something she always found unnecessary. That was the main reason she had tried to build so much strength. Wielding one sword was not enough; she had to be capable of using two blades effortlessly together. Being physically sound was not enough for someone of her natural build; she had to be able to move quickly and silently. Truthfully, she was no stranger to the feeling of raw palms. Swordsmanship was something she took very seriously.

Perhaps that was one of the reasons it took so long to warm up to her partner. He, too, specialized in the way of the sword. Though she would never admit such a thing aloud, having been raised to put on the front of a respectable woman, her true nature was rather competitive. Once again: one sword was not enough--she had to be fluid with two.

She remembered setting her eyes on this "partner" of hers for the first time. At the time, she was disgruntled that she would be given a partner at all. Since her arrival at Sasayaita Namida, she had taken on a number of solo missions, coming back victorious from each. Leader-sama assured her that she was only to be paired up with someone of equal skill. Such a comment was meant to be reassuring, but to her, it was irritating in a nearly disrespectful way. She did not like thinking of herself on equal terms with anyone. No one treated her the same as anyone else, so why should she believe herself comparable to any average human?

The other assassin had walked in later than her. This in itself irked her. Punctuality was something she figured should be taken seriously when in a part of an organization like this. Through the meeting, she tried her best to keep her focus on the words of the leader, but her mind was churning. The curiosity within her was overwhelming to the point that it took all of her self-control to not look at the man beside her.

Upon being dismissed and walking out of the room with this new partner, she was finally able to put her mind at ease, slaking the fire of curiosity that had troubled her the entire meeting. She looked over at him before discovering that she would have to look up to make eye contact. She grit her teeth. Small stature was something that was very useful to her as a spy, but as an assassin, it could be taken mistakenly as a sign of natural weakness. Her partner would never have to worry about anyone misjudging him in such a way. Everything about this man seemed powerful--his physique, her walking, and even his eyes. Meeting his gaze for the first time was nearly frightening.

"Please take care of me." She would never forget that seemingly meaningless, but backhandedly powerful plea of his. Although it was just subtle, she could taste the malice behind his words. It was bitter and made her clench her jaw before politely responding. Although she did not remember exactly what she had said, she would never forget his exact wording.

On their first mission together, he made him take a taste of his word choice, literally thrusting herself in front of an enemy's strike when he was preoccupied with another opponent. This was her way of wordlessly proving that she was not to be taken lightly. No matter how unenthusiastic she was about working with a partner, she would defend him just as well--if not better--than she would defend herself. Her arm took some serious damage, but when it came to the way of the sword, that did not matter to her. Katanai was a strange case in more ways than the obvious cat-like features. For example, her right hand was definitely the dominant in day-to-day tasks. If she injured her right hand, she could not bandage it as carefully as she would be able to if her left hand were the one injured. But when on the training grounds or battle field, she was seemingly ambidextrous.

Feeling his hand come down to pat her hair, she was gently nudged out chain of memory. Having been in the slightest daze, she blinked before looking back up at him, seeing the playful smile that lit his lips. Somehow, for unknown reasons, it made her heart pound ever so slightly.

“But if you request it, your wish is my command.”

At that, her own smile took on a more playful tone. Tamaki had a way of changing her without either of them realizing it. She had come to the kitchen to be alone, planning to get a drink and try to calm down. By just short, seemingly meaningless banter, he managed to brush the worries off of her. She would have never expected such comfort from the flaxen-haired man when she had first met him, but now, she was beginning to slowly come to realize that when it was him, she was able to accept help or comfort or whatever that indescribable warmth that he emanated truly was.

"Is that so," she mused, gingerly picking up her cup and taking another sip of her tea. It was still bitter and earthy, but now, she was not as appreciative of the flavor. Katanai tended to try and hide her preference for sweeter things, thinking her fondness of sweets was childish and uncharacteristic. However, overly-bitter tastes were something she only welcomed when her mood was dark and bitter to match.

Opening one of the cabinets, she pulled out a bottle of honey that she had become all too familiar with. Gently, she removed the cap and squeezed some of the sweet nectar into the bottom of her cup. Securely replacing the cap, she returned the honey to it's former place, closing the cabinet door. Picking up the teapot, she carefully poured the still-warm tea into her honey-bottomed cup. This way, she would not have to trouble herself with mixing. Bringing the cup to her lips, she took a contemplative taste. Pleased in the refreshing sweetness the honey brought to the dark tea, she set the cup back down on the counter before turning to face Tamaki once again.

"I shall have to keep that in mind," she cooed, playful smile returning to light her features. "Of course, I suppose I shall still take care of you as well," she added thoughtfully. "After all," she added, including a brief pause, "I suppose you still need me."

[Rina]

“Is that so,”

Tamaki watched as she set her cup down and made her way over to the cabinet. With curious eyes, he watched as she obtained a bottle of honey to add to her tea. So his assumption was right, she did acquire a taste for sweet things. He knew it was only time before she needed her sweet fix.


“I shall have to keep that in mind,”

Perhaps “Your wish is my command” was a poor choice of words. She could’ve possibly been waiting for him to say something along the lines of that. For all he knew, she could’ve been planning his demise for quite some time now. After all, they were enemies for a long time. Perhaps he was the only one who moved past that stage.

Glancing down at her playful smile, he couldn’t help a soft chuckle from escaping his lips. No, they weren’t enemies anymore. They had come a long way since their first encounter. A few months prior, he probably wouldn’t even want to be caught up in a conversation with her, let alone be in the same room as her, but lately, it was as if everywhere she went, he somehow happened to subconsciously follow. As much as he wanted to admit they became “friends”, he couldn’t help but feel as if their relationship was more ‘target’ and ‘stalker’.

“Of course, I suppose I shall still take care of you as well.”

Without knowing her, the only way she’d seem to be able to take care of someone would be performing motherly duties for them. However, after their very first mission together, Tamaki realized how strong she truly was. Taking a bullet to the arm was no easy feat, especially when they still had opponents to take down. And despite her injury, she was still able to fight on as fluently she had when they first appeared at the scene.

For as long as he could remember them as partners, she always seemed to be the one taking care of him. It came in the form of covering his back during a mission, or simply moving branches aside for him during their trek through the woods. He wasn’t an outdoorsy type, so maneuvering his way through foliage was a difficult task for him, but more recently, she had begun helping him along the way; even though he had his fair share of branches catapulted to his face when they were first starting off together.

“After all, I suppose you still need me.”

Despite him being more accustomed to taking care of others than anything, he had to inwardly admit she was right. After growing up taking care of himself and his sister, it was a nice change to be able to rely on someone other than himself. But of course, he didn’t entrust himself to just anyone. Despite him being in the organization for a decent amount of time, he still had trouble trusting the other members. He was overly cautious of others, yet somehow Katanai got past his caution lines.
“I suppose you could say that,” He replied casually. He was still reluctant to admit that he did need her. He couldn’t imagine going on a mission without her subtly racing ahead and telling him to catch up in one of her sarcastic tones that he had begun to know so well. Her playful jabs were something he was beginning to become accustomed to, and because of that, he couldn’t imagine not having her around to tease him.

Taking a step closer, he lowered his lips to her ear. “Although I suppose you need me more,” he murmured before passing her shoulder. All the same, he couldn’t imagine not taunting her back. She was a tough shell to crack, so when he happened to silence her for a moment or two, he couldn’t help but feel satisfied. It was like they were constantly competing with each other to see who could come up with a wittier comment to fluster the other.

Striding over to the counter, he picked up his water bottle he had previously left before he was handed tea. Although he tolerated her tea, he needed some cool water before his body overheated. Hot substances took quite a toll on his body if he wasn’t careful, and considering he had spent most of the day outside in the baking sun, he figured some water would do his body good. Taking a prolonged sip and nearly finishing half the bottle, he sat it back down on the counter, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

After his drink, he hoisted himself up onto the counter beside his beverage. He found standing for too long bothersome, yet he didn’t want to draw himself away from the kitchen. Perhaps it was pure laziness, or just the fact that she was there, but he was reluctant to leave.

Glancing across the kitchen, he realized he had rudely left his tea a couple feet away. The tea was propped on the counter parallel to him, mocking him. Letting his laziness get the best of him, he indolently outstretched his arm to allow his fingers to gently grasp at the ends of Katanai’s hair.

“Ne,” he muttered, raking his fingers through her tresses in order to get her attention, “Be a good housewife and retrieve my tea for me?” His tone was casual with a hint of a playful jab. He didn’t mean to sound too demanding, but he did want to be taken seriously. However, he half anticipated her retorting with a smart-witted comment that would result in him having to stand up and get it himself. Setting his hands on the counter, he awaited his cue to go retrieve his tea.

[Kitty]

“I suppose you could say that,”

Tucking a fallen piece of hair back into place, she simply shrugged at his comment. Perhaps he didn't realize how much the two had grown to rely on each other. She had certainly noticed this extreme change. Due to having a younger sister to support, perhaps he was less likely than her to notice such a growing closeness. Through her life, the only individual she took care of was Aurora, her beloved feline companion. The two had an unconditional love and respect for one another. Wherever Katanai was, her precious cat was sure to be close behind.

The two had aged together. When she first was given Aurora as a birthday gift, the jet black feline was a mere kitten and she was a child who had just entered her fifth year of life. The sixteen years they spent together brought the two close. As much as she tried not to think about it, it was hard not to notice how time had taken it's toll on Aurora. Her bones had become rigid and it was harder for her to move as nimbly as her master. It was strange for Katanai to leave for a mission without Aurora by her side, but she knew deep down that the cat had reached her old age.

Thinking of life without Aurora was one thing Katanai could not bring herself to do. Losing her parents after thirteen years was hard. Aurora provided sixteen years worth of a sort of love that her parents had never thought to give. The idea that she may lose this dear companion of hers due to factors she would never be able to control made her fists clench in defiance every time.

Then, there was him. He barged into her life without any warning. At first, she had resisted him entirely, resenting him for the malice and disrespect he had managed to hide in the center of such kind words during their first conversation. They certainly had come a long way. The feeling of him wrapping his arms comfortingly around her just moments ago still lingered on her body. Was this really her destiny? Was Aurora leaving her with him as her caretaker? Snapped back to the present by the feeling of closeness at her ear, she felt Tamaki's breath slide gently with his words.

“Although I suppose you need me more,”

A small smirk turned up the corner of her mouth as her eyes shot up to meet his. Turning over his ever-bold statement in her mind, she gave short shrug before responding with a cool tone. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

The comment was truly only half-joking. The other half of her was unsure. In her partnership with Tamaki, it was hard to tell who needed the other more, considering they constantly seemed to be in one another's debts. The stubborn side of her would say that he needed her more, remembering all the hits she had taken for him in the course of their time as partners. Her softer, more concealed side, however, insisted that she would spend an eternity trying to repay him for all he's helped her with. Unfortunately, she didn't even understand how he managed to help her. He came into her life, giving her assistance at times she had never thought she needed assistance in the first place.

Taking her teacup back into her hands, she leaned against the counter and closed her eyes. The cup felt just warm enough to be soothing in her hands. Of course, if it had not been for his skillfully done bandaging, it would have been excruciatingly painful to keep a decent grasp on the cup. Taking another drawn out sip, the honey had nicely complimented the dark taste of the tea. This very moment, she felt entirely content. She did not bother to open her eyes as he ran his fingers through her hair. Instead, she muttered a soft, interrogative "Hn?"

“Ne, be a good housewife and retrieve my tea for me?”

"Hmm...And you claim that I need you more?" Her voice had taken on a tone that would only be familiar to anyone (such as Tamaki) who was familiar with her dry sense of humor. Her eyes opened lazily as she handed Tamaki the cup that had previously been in her hands. "Hold this," she commanded softly as she made her way across the kitchen to where his cup sat.

Seizing his cup in her one hand, walked back toward him. Standing in front of where he sat on the counter, she clicked her tongue once at him in a soft, scolding manner. Finger tracing around the rim of his cup, she considered for a moment on whether or not to add more tea to it, heating it up. In the end, she decided against it. He seemed like he preferred his tea to cool before drinking it down. However, she would not hand his tea over to him just yet. "Is this what you wanted?"

[Rina]

For a short moment, their eyes met. No matter how many times their gaze had locked, he still respected her bold eyes. It seemed as if the pair of crimson eyes were the only eyes that dared to look him straight-on for longer than what accidental eye contact allowed.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,"

Knowing Katanai almost always had a comeback or some smart reply, he wasn’t thrown off by her comment. Instead, a short chuckle slid past his lips. Knowing that she needed him more would probably make him less peaceful at night more than anything. Although he would never openly express it, deep down inside, he was a worrywart who couldn’t help worrying about people he considered close to him; and to him, Katanai was beginning to slink her way further and further into his concern.

But to be truthful, he was probably mistaken. It seemed that Katanai was always the caretaker of him, rarely the other way around. While she was often shouldering the burden of having Tamaki as a partner, he was practically having a free ride. The truth was, if it weren’t for her, he would’ve probably been killed long ago. So in turn, he did as much little tasks as he could to repay her. However, he knew no matter how much he attempted to help, he would always be indebted to her.

“Hmm…And you claim I need you more?”

A slight smirk pulled at his lips. It was almost as if she was reading his mind. He had been tossing the thought over in his head for a few moments now; deciding if what he jokingly said was true. It didn’t seem as if she needed him at all. She was rather well-off and was able to stand unfaltering on her own two feet no matter what the circumstances. Normally, he found it troublesome if others wished to rely on him, yet with her, he didn’t mind. Perhaps he saw her as a younger sister of some sort, but he couldn’t help but wish for Katanai to need him at least a little.

“Hold this.”

Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “Demanding,” he commented facetiously, taking her cup out of her hands. He watched as she obtained his cup and brought it back to him. He was about to switch the cups until she clicked her tongue at him disapprovingly. Mockingly, he did the same with a slight smirk. He could make the same noises as well.
She then proceeded to trace her finger along the rim of the cup thoughtfully. Either she was thinking about refilling it, or she was waiting for a condition to come to mind before handing it over. “Is this what you wanted?”

A soft laugh almost escaped him until he bit down on his lip ever-so-slightly. He had begun to know her quite well. Months ago, he wouldn’t have known what she was thinking, but with each passing moment they shared together, he learned more and more of her nature. In some ways, she was highly unpredictable, yet in others, she was quiet easy to figure out. Each side of her kept Tamaki on his toes, which was probably why he was able to tolerate her for longer than a few weeks. He had a bad habit of becoming bored with easily predictable individuals.

“No,” he muttered casually, shrugging his shoulders. He was going to keep her on her toes as well. “I have this,” he continued, gesturing to the cup in his hand. Bringing her cup to his lips, he took a small, mocking sip. He couldn’t help but toy with her. Their taunting seemed to connect them better than casual words did. In a way, toying with her helped him learn more about her personality.

Drawing another sip, he noted the sweetness in her tea. She had added honey to her cup previously, as he recalled. If his assumptions were correct, her taste in tea depended on what mood she was in. “Did I put you in a better mood?” he asked smugly, balancing the cup on his leg as he leaned closer to her. “I’m “your type” aren’t I?” He questioned daringly with a smirk.

He was half joking, yet half curious. Just exactly what did she think of him? Perhaps he was over-stepping his boundaries, yet he couldn’t help but wonder. Did she only see him as a partner, or something more? Or was he simply over-thinking things? Either way, he knew that her reply was most likely going to be unexpected.

[Kitty]

“Demanding,”

Shrugging off the comment, she gave him a small smirk. When he mockingly clicked his tongue back at her, that smirk grew just slightly enough to indicate that this game was amusing to her. With him sitting on top of the counter, he was much higher up than her. She had to tilt her head almost entirely back in order to catch his gaze.

“No. I have this.”

She watched as he gestured to her cup, which she had foolishly told him to hold a few moments ago. Now, her tea was his hostage. Rather than asking for his own cup back, he lowered his lips to the rim of her cup, taking a sip. Rolling her eyes, she simply watched him, smirk still dancing on her lips. From observation, she could tell that Tamaki preferred tea that had cooled off for a while. His tea was probably a very drinkable temperature for his tastes. She had just added more than that hearty squeeze of honey to her cup. When she put the honey in, she had added fresh tea, serving the duel purpose of mixing the honey without a spoon and warming her beverage. It would be satisfying if his face faltered even the slightest due to the temperature of the tea.

As she waited for Tamaki's face to change to a frown of disapproval or something of the sort, she had a slight realization. She was well aware of her fondness for mind games and the like. She felt like verbal banter helped keep her mind sharp. That was the only reason she had not simply shoved Arata out of her room last night. He seemed to be a worthy challenger. Considering he was entirely unfamiliar to her, the challenge seemed all the better.

True, she managed to win their battle in the garden, thanks to the trump card of self-awareness she constantly hid up her sleeve. His words, however, held a poison that was entirely formidable. In a game of mental chess, she was used to playing in a way that the wounds would only hurt for a short amount of time before clearing. Arata had a cunning trick up his sleeve; his words did not truly hurt until she had been away from the situation for a substantial amount of time.

In came Tamaki. First, he held her as to conceal her frustrated tears. Then, after a few moments of tenderly bandaging her wounds and tending to her in general, he began to play games as well. Although she had trained all day and come into the kitchen seeking solitude and time to contemplate, she was entirely receptive of his banter, slinging her own comments back at him with equal zeal. Rather than causing her to put on a solid mask while stirring her to the point of inner frustration, her games with Tamaki allowed her to relax. In a strange sense, they were "fun." She dropped her cold facade piece by piece in order to come up with the next best response and conquer her opponent.

“Did I put you in a better mood?”

Her smirk faltered ever-so-slightly. Had he figured out that her tea preferences coincided with her feelings at the time? She, personally, had just realized it not all that long ago, though she most likely had done since developing a taste for tea. Thinking back, she had been sharing tea with him quite often lately. Perhaps he had begun to notice over the past few times that the taste of her tea reflected her mood, the level of sweetness indicating feelings of happiness or a state of being entirely content. He began to lean closer to her; she supposed that this was due to him noticing the falter in her smirk. It was his turn to make a comment.

“I’m “your type” aren’t I?”

This question was so unexpected, a faint blush pricked at her cheeks. For a moment, she thought about it. His tone had been smug, but not entirely joking. In order to hide the embarrassing pinkness in her cheeks, she looked down at the cup in her hands, running her finger along the rim once again. It was a known fact that he liked to keep her on her toes, but this kind of thing? It was enough to make her heart skip a beat, then pound even harder upon restarting.

This kind of answer would take a lot of thinking. After all, she did not know entirely what "her type" was. Was she allowed to even have a "type"? As far as she was concerned, there would be no person interested in having romantic relations with her, so she had no right to think of other people in such a light. It would only be futile and render her broken. For a moment, her gaze flickered upward, taking in the sight of him through her bangs. He wasn't...interested in her, was he?

No, no. It was foolish to think of such possibilities. Once again, she reminded herself that she was a freak of nature and he was practically an Adonis. He was tall, strong, and intelligent. Due to the natural inclinations of people looking to mate, he was the ideal choice. Thus, he could practically have anyone he wanted. She took a slightly tighter grip on the teacup in her hands, thinking of the very probable possibility that he would eventually find someone that he would select as his romantic companion, sharing his soul with them.

It would be ideal to think that her relationship with him as a partner and ally would be unaffected, but as she easily observed throughout the years, women tend to be creatures of jealousy. Even if she was entirely unsuitable for the "dating" scene, perhaps Tamaki's "significant other" would see their constant togetherness as a threat, taking offense to Katanai's inadvertent theft of their time together. There would be a simple solution to that, of course: he would go to Kain-sama and request to be sent on missions with other assassins.

Clenching the cup even tighter, she began to feel frustrated once again. "Why does that thought hurt so much?" she asked herself in a tone of frustrated inner desperation. Without even thinking, she took a sip out of the teacup in her hands. The cool, bitterness of his tea sank into her tongue, slapping her back into the present situation.

The attempt to chase the blush from her cheeks was futile, considering she had only managed to switch from embarrassed to confused. However, she was still in the midst of a game. "It would be foolish," she murmured, "To reveal something to an opponent which the opponent has yet to reveal himself."

[Rina]

Katanai seemed to be thrown off by his question and turned her face downward to stare at the cup of tea she held in her hands. Once again, she traced her finger along the rim of the cup, yet this time he assumed she wasn’t contemplating whether or not to refill it. She seemed to take refuge in the cup, tossing over thoughts in her head.

He waited for a witty reply from her, but she remained silent. Had he overstepped the lines? Or was she just buying time to be able to counter with a well-thought comeback? He peered down at her, anticipating her reply. Was she really taking his question to heart?

Then again, he didn’t know if he was. He hadn’t entirely thought out the question before it bubbled from his throat and at last minute died at his lips, but not before the sound resonated in the air. To be completely honest, she wasn’t the only one who was caught off-guard by his question. He didn’t know why he asked it so daringly. Was he just playing games or did he truly want to know the answer? Did he simply wish to be “her type”?

His eyes flickered down at the cup in her hands, then to her hands themselves. Her knuckles were slowly turning white with her grasp of the cup. Had his question offended her in some way? It seemed with each passing moment, her grip grew tighter and tighter. Afraid she would end up hurting her already injured hand, he reached out, gently placing his hand over hers, urging her to relax her grip. At first, he was slightly surprised by his actions. But he shook it off by telling himself that his protectiveness as a doctor and caretaker prompted him to do so.

Allowing his hand to linger over hers for a few moments, he noted the warmth of her hands. Then again, it seemed as if everyone’s hands were higher in temperature than his. Yet, hers weren’t overly hot as he found some people’s hands to be. They held a welcoming warmth that gave off just the right amount of heat that wasn’t too overbearing to him. In a strange way, her hands were a comfortable place for his to be.

Tamaki withdrew his hand and watched as Katanai absentmindedly drank from his cup. Had he put her back into a bitter mood or had she simply been wrapped up in her own thoughts to be able to notice she held his tea in her hands? Whatever the reason, she seemed to be snapped out of her thoughts by the bitterness of the tea without the honey. At last, she spoke up.

“It would be foolish,”

For some strange reason, her comment stung faintly. He hadn’t known what possessed him to ask such a question, but he should’ve been prepared for a rejection. They were mission partners, allies who finally became able to stand each other’s company. Yet why did he expect something more?

Glancing down at her, he wondered why exactly he questioned her. Had it become the other way around? Was she ‘his type’ instead of him being hers? Had he begun to see her as something more than a just a partner? Since when did he start looking at women romantically? For the longest time he practically ignored the advances of females, yet when did he begin to make advances himself?

Setting the tea he had previously propped on his leg on the counter, he allowed his thoughts to turn over in his mind. He was still wondering when he had begun to think of Katanai in such a way when her voice chimed, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“To reveal something to an opponent which the opponent has to reveal himself,”

“If that’s the case, then you win this round,” he muttered, sliding off of the counter and landing before her. Normally, he wouldn’t have admitted his lose, but this time, a whole different prize was at stake. He knew he was going to most likely be rejected, but realizing his feelings, he felt as if he owed it to himself to chase after something for once. After all, his one dream of being a doctor fell through the cracks; he wasn’t going to allow her to do the same.

Gently pulling the cup of tea out of her hands, he set it down on the counter next to her previous cup before striding toward her. He continued to advance, urging her to back up with every step he took forward. Placing his palms on the counter behind her once it was in reach, he corralled her in-between his arms and peered down at her.

He felt that if he was overbearing, then once she rejected him, he would be able to give himself the excuse that she just couldn’t handle his oppressive actions instead of seeing it as she rejected him fully. For reasons he couldn’t put into words, the thought of being rejected by her made his chest constrict. But if he had an excuse, he might be able to reanalyze the situation and in turn be able to come up with a better suited plan in the future.

Leaning down closer to her, he allowed a soft whisper to brush past his lips and tickle her ear. “It seems as if you’re ‘my type’.” Although it was hard admitting it aloud, he knew it was now or never. He knew in the near-future, she’d have more men confessing to her and he wasn’t going to stand idly. If he moved the first pawn, perhaps the game would look more in his favor.

[Kitty]

“If that’s the case, then you win this round,”

Confused, she tilted her head ever so slightly to the side. He was that quick to let her win? There was something wrong with this picture. Tamaki was the type who liked to have his point made. Him claiming defeat this early on was uncharacteristic of him. Had she said something to offend him? With attentive eyes, she watched him slide off the counter, setting her captive cup down. She would have made a remark on how he eventually got up and could have very well retrieved his own tea, but there was a certain sense of urgency about his movements.

Before she knew what he was doing, he had slipped his teacup out of her hands and placed it down on the counter. Was this conversation no longer a petty banter about tea? He took a step toward her. On instinct, she backed away. His eyes were glowing with some sort of strange revelation. She did not understand. It seemed as if having her step back with each step he progressed was his plan, considering he did not stop. Then again, each stride seemed to be taken with some kind of feverish purpose.

Her eyes flitted away from his eyes just long enough to watch him place his arms on the counter behind her. In a sense, she was trapped. Strangely enough, it was comforting to be pinned between him and the counter. There was no sense of danger, but she was beginning to feel the urgency pour from him into her. Her gaze met back up with his, his icy gems staring right into her soul. It was mesmerizing to the point that she could not look away.

As he leaned closer, she remained still. It was as if those crystal blue eyes had frozen her in place, the fluid in her body falling victim to his signature freezing power. Her ears twitched as they were tickled by his honey-scented breath.

“It seems as if you’re ‘my type’.”

The warmth of his breath seemed to flow from her ears and straight into her cheeks. The light pinkness that had already been spreading across her face turned into a full-fledged blush. Although he had placed them directly in her ear, it took a moment for them to settle into her. They echoed a few times before she realized their meaning. Her lips parted to let words out, but her mind could not think of what would be suitable to say. Perhaps she could say something along the lines of how he really is a fool, then. But no... The games were over for the moment. He was being entirely serious.

Her first instinct was to protest, tell him how she didn't like when people played with her in such deliberate ways. She didn't believe that it was possible for her to be anyone's "type," let alone "his type." However, another part of her did not want to protest in the slightest. That part of her seemed to be located in her chest, making her heart have to strain to pump the blood through her body.

Romance seemed like such a foreign, unidentified concept. Seeing a monster each time she looked in the mirror, she figured that everyone else would stay away as well. If she was able to do so, she would stay away from that creature in her reflection. It seemed almost dream-like that he would look at her in a different light. But why did it matter so much that it was him? Perhaps she did see him as more than a partner, after all.

Closing her lips as to perhaps look less dumbfounded, she figured that she needed another moment to carefully piece together a response. This was much more difficult than thinking of a sharp-edged comeback. There was more at risk here than losing a silly battle of wit. Her eyes were still locked with his, as if she would somehow think of something to say simply by staring into the intense blue pools.

Somewhere, deep inside herself, she wanted to accept his verbal token as suddenly as he had offered it forth to her. Her cautious side combated this impulse. Through this moment of intensity, she began to realize her own affections for him. Why else would the thought of someone else having him make her knuckles turn white, pressing her fingers into that teacup? This building awareness constricted her chest, making it harder for her to contain her thoughts.

Confessing her heart to someone gave a similar feeling to reaching forward to pick a rose. The appearance of the rose was beautiful. Everything about it enticed her--it's fragrance, elegance, etc. However, picking a rose held the high probability of pricking one's fingers on the thorns. Drawing in a careful breath, she gently reached her hand out and rested it gently on his cheek. In the end, it was better to risk the potential pain held in grasping at roses.

"Then I'll confess." she said, voice so soft it was bordering a whisper. "Though, it must be obvious by now," she mused carefully, thinking of how red her face probably was. "In case it is not yet clear, I will say it outright." If he was going to be so abrupt, she would counter it. No matter the context, she always wanted to keep him on his toes. Rising as high on her toes as she could manage, she propped herself as close to his ear as she could. Imitating his earlier action, she murmured into his ear, "You are 'my type.'"

[Rina]

Her gaze met his as he pinned her between himself and the counter. She was so intent with her stare, he was sure if he looked close enough, he’d be able to see to see his reflection within her crimson hues. As he leaned in, she refused to budge; keeping herself planted where she was, refusing to shrink back at all. Upon his confession, a blush crept across her cheeks, her lips separating to allow words to form—mostly likely a smart reply—but none seemed to pass from her brain to her lips. She was silent.

After a short moment, she reached out a hand. Tamaki braced himself to be pushed away, but instead, her hand come to rest gently on his cheek. Although her touch was soft, he could specifically feel the curvature of her palm and each extension of her slim fingers, as if he suddenly became over aware of her touch. In return, he raised a hand and lightly laid it on top of hers, hesitantly nudging his fingers in-between hers.

He kept his hand intertwined with hers for a moment or two before withdrawing it. He wasn’t necessarily sure what her gesture meant, and taking it the wrong way would most likely result in implications later on. For all he knew, it was a nice way to help cushion the blow of her rejection.

“Then I’ll confess.”

For a brief moment, he held his breath. Although the confession he announced was admitting his affection toward her, he couldn’t safely assume her confession was going to entail the same. Perhaps she just saw him as a mission partner and nothing more. After all, having a romantic relationship with a partner would simply complicate the succession of their missions, right?

“Though, it must be obvious by now,”

As much as Tamaki wanted to admit it was, he hadn’t the slightest clue of what she was thinking. He would normally be able to figure it out, but this time, his head was fogged with unimportant and troubled thoughts that just seemed to confuse him more than he already was. Keeping his eyes locked with hers, he hesitantly waited for her to continue.

“In case it is not yet clear, I will say it outright.”

Her movement broke his gaze as she rose to her toes. Even with her managing to reach her highest potential on her toes, she was still a few inches short of his height, yet she still managed to prop herself near his ear. He stood planted where he was, at the whim of his partner before him. For all he knew, she could’ve simply been playing with him, and was finally going in for the kill.

“You are ‘my type’.”

Time seemed to freeze for a brief moment until her words sunk into recognition. At first, her words were no more than a feminine echo of his, toying with him to give him false hope; yet once they settled down, his mind tossed them over and over again, combing the words for an underlined morsel of a false provocation. After a fruitless search for taunts, he finally let her words sink in.

It was hard to believe that she had a ‘type’, let alone the classification he would fit into. For the longest time, he hadn’t thought he’d ever wish to be considered her ‘type’. In all actuality, a couple months prior, he wanted to be the furthest thing from someone she even considered an acquaintance. He never wanted to be acknowledged as anything close to her in any aspect. Yet, it all seemed to change rather quickly.

It seemed like just yesterday, he was sentenced to work as her partner. Kain had assured him that he was going to be paired with someone of his skill level, someone who wouldn’t repress his pace. After setting his gaze on Katanai, he automatically resented her. He found her obnoxious, mocking, and more of a soloist than someone worthy of a partner. But recently, he found that the characteristics he thought he hated most were the ones that got him hooked. Although he initially hated her as a partner, he currently couldn’t imagine going on any more solo missions without her.

Allowing a soft “Hn,” to escape from his lips, he glanced down at her. “It’s about time,” he muttered facetiously as a soft smirk crept onto his features. “I thought you’d never admit it.” For some reason, he couldn’t help but become playful around her, even after such a serious moment. It was as if someone beside his sister finally managed to break down his walls and get him to escape from his apathetic shell.

Raising his hand, he continued to gently lift her chin upward. As he did so, he leaned closer into her, allowing his lips to lightly graze the corner of her mouth, just short of her lips. Lightly dropping her chin and pulling away, he turned away from her, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he did so. “It’ll give you something to think about,” he muttered smoothly, glancing over his shoulder at her. With a faint taunting smirk, he casually strode out of the kitchen to retire back to his bedroom for an evening nap.

[Kitty]

Hearing him mutter a soft "hn," she lowered her feet carefully down, standing firmly once more. Even though he had just confessed, she somehow felt like she had just been brushed off. Was her confession not enough for him? Was he truly playing some kind of game with her after all? She was under the impression that he had dropped his games and was being entirely sincere at the moment.

“It’s about time,”

Lips sinking into a small frown, she tilted her head to the side. What did he mean by that? She watched as his lips curled into a smirk that nearly devastated her. Perhaps he had really been toying with her this entire time. Was the sincerity she had sensed from him just moments ago just a temporary facade he put on to confuse her?

“I thought you’d never admit it.”

Her initial reaction was to continue to feel the sting of having been instantly pricked by the thorns of this rose. But then, after studying his face for another moment, her rigid composure softened, her face lighting back up with a smirk of her own. Yes, he was toying with her. But at the same time, he was being entirely serious. This was the true Tamaki--the one that he had initially tried so hard to hide from her.

Of course, she could never blame him for hiding behind a mask of stone. She did something similar when they had first encountered one another, figuring that he thought her to be insufficient as a partner. Upon their initial meeting, she would have never imagined revealing things such as weakness or desires to him, let alone discovering such deep-rooted emotions that she had somehow managed to hide from even herself.

Having 'a type' was something she had never imagined for herself. She was a demon. Her 'type' would be someone of an equally grotesque nature. However, her heart had decided it wanted to put itself on the line, lending itself to an easily-breakable situation. Instead of landing among other weeds, she had set her sights on the most brilliant rose in the garden.

Finally feeling confident enough to speak up, she tilted her head to the side ever so slightly. "I figured that I owed you as much, considering you decided to 'finally admit it' in the first place," she reminded him plainly.

In a moment's time, she felt his fingers on her chin, leaning in closer to her. Noticing the sudden melting of her composure, her confused heart began to try all the harder to pump blood to the rest of her body. Not knowing what to expect, she decided that for the moment--no, for the rest of their time together as partners or whatever else this encounter would lead to--she would trust him. At that thought, her eyelids fluttered gently closed. The next thing she knew, she felt his lips at the corner of her mouth.

She could feel the heat in her cheeks and the pounding of her heart. Although the moment had only lasted a few seconds, it felt to her as if time had momentarily decided to come to a halt. The only thing left was this feeling of closeness and complete trusting. Feeling the gentle kiss back away from her, she re-opened her eyes, blinking once to focus them and make sure he was still there and this had not just all been some strange sort of dream. Just like that, he had let go of her chin, stuffed his hands back into his pockets, and begun his departure.

Although she wanted more of an explanation from him, she decided that he had left the moment be for a specific reason. Her eyes followed him closely as he walked toward the exit of the kitchen, still trying to make sure that this was not an illusion. Still frozen in place, she felt like she was still stuck in the moment where time had stopped, and he had already decided to move forward. Did he discover that she was really not to his liking?

“It’ll give you something to think about,”

That was his only explanation before leaving her with a final smirk and disappearing for the night. As soon as he was out of sight, she became aware of her thirst. Somewhere between drinking her tea and having her heart exposed, her throat had become dry once more. It took another moment to unfreeze herself. Her body wanted to stay frozen in that moment. She couldn't blame it. After prying herself away, she walked toward her teacups. They had become cold with the passing moments. They, too, seemed to have fallen victim to Tamaki's cool presence.

Deciding that her mind and body were in desperate need of rest, she carefully washed the two cups out in the sink, leaving the tea on the stove for any other member who may want a drink. She felt generous for one reason or another. After drying the teacups and returning them to their original place in the cupboard, she gingerly picked up the bottle of water that he had given to her earlier, then taken from her grasp and set on the counter. Carefully, she unscrewed the cap. Bringing her lips to the bottle's opening, she spilled some of the still cool liquid into her mouth, swallowing hard.

Mindlessly, she finished off the bottle's contents before dropping the plastic shell into the trash can. In the chrome of the trash can's lid, she caught her reflection. Her cheeks were still flushed and her eyes still held flecks of disbelief. With a sigh, she turned on her heel to retire to her room for the evening. She had certainly revealed her weakness to him.