fire drill | naruto

4. The Wishes that Accompany Love

"Do you believe in reincarnation, Shōnetsu?"

She turned to stare at Hansu judgingly, raising an eyebrow at his words. "Nah," she murmured, turning her gaze down to her lap.

The two of them sat on the roof of the school, two emptied bento boxes on the cold concrete in front of them. Beyond the small, yellowing forest just around their town, the desolate terrain of the Land of Earth went as far as one could see.

Hansu gazed longingly at her, wishing for a moment that she would look up at him with her misty colored eyes. What he would do for him to be the focus of her attention at all times, for him to be subject to all of her glares, smiles, scowls and laughs.

Warmth bubbled within his chest and his lips parted.

"I love you."

"Hey, do you think Nobu Sensei is gonna quiz us on those moon cycles today?"

"Who knows," he shrugged, eyes not leaving her for even a moment in time. Her hand was laid out on the table, and he wished he could muster the courage to tell her everything he had ever thought about her.

"Well, I thought you would," Shōnetsu sighed, turning to fully face him. He flushed lightly at her gaze, eyes piercing into her stormy irises with admiration.

She reached out her hands, and he held his breath.

Shōnetsu giggled, and Hansu felt hands in his hair.

Brushing through the blonde strands, pushing them into place, Shōnetsu couldn't help but bubble in pride of her boldness. She wished she could muster up such courage every day.

Finally, she paused, hands hovering in the soft waves. She had finalized all of her "neatening" of his hair, but found she didn't want to move her hands. Instead, she merely stood still.

"Shō?" Hansu hummed, ignoring the racing pace of his heart, thumping so loud in his ears he was sure she could hear it. "Is everything okay? Or are you just envying my blonde beauty?" he teased, reaching up to grab her hands with his own.

At the contact, Hansu felt like he was on fire.

How he wished to trace each freckle on her hands. They sparked with warmth, and he lowered them to take a look at Shōnetsu.

Her face was the brightest red he had ever seen. Hansu found himself flushing at the sight, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of fire that had burst beneath his chest at the sight. He grinned, placing the intertwined pair of hands down to rest on the table.

To his delight, she didn't pull away.

Shōnetsu felt as if she was on fire.

Each gaze she received from his eyes caused her palms to break into a sweat, made the hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention, each touch they shared felt like it caused sparks to fly. She wished to break the silence.

"What's your wish?" she breathed.

Hansu rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. "To kiss you."

Shōnetsu's face flared an eye straining red.

She pulled her hands away, retracting them to rest on her face in flustered shock.

"We- We can't."

He wished he had never spoken at all.

Sucked back from her memory, present day Shōnetsu nearly choked on her sobs.