Sutures || Kakuzu

Ch. XX - Valentine's Day! (AU)

Kakuzu x Nozomi Valentine's Day AU One Shot

The moon was savoring its last moments in the sky as dawn was beginning to take over. Lights flicked on in a previously dark apartment as Kakuzu prepared himself to start the day. As he turned over on the bed, his eyes opened to see the empty space next to him. The untouched space was a bit forlorn. Pushing the thoughts away in his head, he got up and left his room. The apartment was still somewhat dark as there was illumination coming from the kitchen. As he turned the corner, he was nearly ambushed by sound.

"Good morning Kakuzu-san!" His bubbly blond greeted him, dressed in her usual attire and a pink apron. Her smile was brighter than the lights, but it was a pleasant sight to see. Stifling a yawn, he murmured a 'Good morning, Nozomi' and sauntered over to the counter to sit down at the barstool only to be reprimanded by the female. "Aht aht, there's no time to sit! We have to start training! I'm making breakfast so hurry up and get ready."

Kakuzu watched as she turned her back to him to continue what she was doing. The smell from the stove drifted over to him as she started cooking omelets. Claiming a seat regardless of what she said, he rested his head against his palm. As much as he liked to see her each day, it still felt as if she was at a distance from him - a boundary that he couldn't seem to remove. "Where did you sleep last night?"

"The couch." Nozomi answered easily. "At first it was kind of uncomfortable, but I've figured out the secrets to a good night's rest." She picked out a plate and set it in front of him before sliding the omelet onto it from the frying pan. "But why are you asking all of a sudden? I always sleep there."

"I'm not obligated to answer." Kakuzu dodged the question. There was no way he could ask her to fill the empty void next to him. His line of work didn't support such superficial ideals. And how would she even respond to that?

"That's not fair! You always ask me questions first but I can never ask you anything!" Nozomi huffed in annoyance as she turned back around to make breakfast for herself. "Just hurry up and eat. You always say time is money so let's get moving."

Kakuzu complied with her words, amused by her reaction. Once he was dressed and the kitchen was cleaned, the two headed out to their usual spot in the surrounding woodlands. Nozomi stretched her arms out as she breathed in the air and let out a long breath of satisfaction before beginning her warmup. This time, to her surprise, Kakuzu joined her, which only fueled her fire. Today was the day she was going to finally land a hit on him in their sparring practice. Of course, she had told herself this for the past two weeks now, but this time she could feel it.

"Is Hidan joining us today?" Nozomi asked once they finished warmup, placing her hands on her hips.

Kakuzu's eyebrow twitched at the sound of his partner's name. For some reason, he was noticing the little things and he realized that she always used honorifics when calling his name, but never when talking about the idiot. "He's on a sabbatical."

"Aw, that sucks..." Nozomi pouted. "I really wanted him to bear witness when I win our spar today!"

The male nearly laughed at the thought; was this why she was so enthusiastic this morning? Not wanting to hold her from her anticipation any longer, he lowered his stance and prepared for her attacks. The two sparred numerous times throughout the morning, taking breaks in between for Nozomi, before she finally conceded and laid back in the grass. The sun was fully awake in the sky, however the clouds offered some shade and a nice breeze. Tilting her head, Nozomi looked over in Kakuzu's direction. Here she was drenched in sweat yet he looked like he barely lifted a finger.

"Ugh, my plan has been foiled." Nozomi sighed in defeat as she closed her eyes. "I just can't beat you."

"Your plan?" Kakuzu asked as he opted to sit down for their break.