Big Book of Writing

Winter Garden (Utsukane, DRA)

Prompt: https://otpprompts.tumblr.com/post/174936675689/imagine-person-b-discovering-person-a-keeps-a/amp

"Imagine Person B discovering Person A keeps a locket with pictures of Person A and B."

This is an art trade for asersaren on twitter! Go check them out!

***

Utsuro didn't know why he kept Akane Taira by his side while wandering the world. Perhaps it was because he had been so alone for so long that having someone around would ease the feeling of loneliness a little, even if that person's action had been predictable over time.

But even if he could predict what Akane did next, she was always an eccentric character and would have startled him on at least one occasion. For example, the day where she suddenly jumped out of the bed he shared with her and looked out the window while he squinted against the light.

"Wow, the snow really did pile up yesterday! It looks so cool, really like a winter garden!" The maid exclaimed as she ran to find her clothes and change out of her pyjamas. Utsuro sat up and rubbed his eyes, yawning as he looked around and got his bearings. It was eight in the morning, the time that they usually woke up.

Utsuro forced himself to his feet, stretching as he slowly woke up. He usually fell asleep in his clothes, but his luck would force him to shower while Akane would often get him to change his clothes so that she could wash them. He never got why she would try and take care for him, but she once told him "That's what a maid does for their master, it's literally my job! N-Not that you can't take care of yourself, of course!"

But there were some upsides in letting her be with him. She never cared about being blessed again with his Divine Luck, she always insisted on making food for them whenever she could at set times, which he considered a step above having his Divine Luck suddenly drop something nearby when he was starving, and he at least made an effort to look decent when she was around. He didn't know why, maybe it was because someone chose to be around him not for his luck.

Luckily, his clothes were clean enough to not need them washed today, and Akane seemed too hyper to ask for them anyways. He could faintly hear the sound of the kettle whistling instead of the coffeemaker brewing their usual coffee. After one final stretch, Utsuro went into what Akane had designated as their 'living space.'

He was surprised when he saw her pouring melted chocolate from a pan on the stove into two cups, then pouring the hot water into them. He chose not to question what she was doing for now, and instead went to eat the light meal she had prepared for the two of them. If he was hungry later, he could always get more for them both.

He sat down at their table and began eating, not paying attention to Akane until she set two mugs of steaming hot chocolate in front of him. "U-Um, if it's okay..." The maid shyly began. "...Master Utsuro, do you want to walk with me in the snow? We can drink hot chocolate while we walk, we can see if people have put their Christmas decorations up yet, maybe stop by a bakery and grab some sugar cookies!" 

Akane gradually slipped into ramble about the things they could do while they were outside, more befitting of what a girl her age should act like than a maid, something Utsuro noted. He held up a hand, a signal for her to stop so that he could get a word in, and she fell silent immediately. "Eat your breakfast first, Akane Taira. You don't want to collapse from hunger and cold. I'll find my coat afterwards." He agreed, having nothing better to do.

Akane's eyes lit up with excitement and she immediately went to get her food. Utsuro sighed before taking another bite of his breakfast. Even if he could predict her actions eventually, dealing with her devotion mixed with her hyperactivity was another problem entirely. He considered temporarily hiding the coffee to have her calm down a little.

Fifteen minutes later, Utsuro had put on his winter clothes and took his hot chocolate outside of their 'house,' a small place they had rented out for the time being. Akane insisted that she be the one to pay for it, but Utsuro handled the money payments with his luck. Speaking of, the maid was right by his side, having donned her coat as well and holding her own mug of hot chocolate as she chatted happily about her work and experiences.

"And then - get this - the whole circuit breaker completely breaks down! And the whole house is stuck in a power outage in the middle of winter, of all times, until they could call an electrician." Akane retold as she laughed, and Utsuro payed attention to her. He liked hearing new stories and things he hadn't heard of before. "I guess they call it a 'breaker' for a reason, haha!"

"Things have gotten...more interesting since you began working for the Fujimori family. Didn't you say that there was a car accident when you were taking the stroller around the block?" Utsuro asked, then took another sip of his drink.

"Yeah, it's like that entire family's cursed with bad luck! At least the man is a politician, so he pays really well." The brunette remarked. "Maybe I should get you hired on as an assistant, Master Utsuro, and we can see how your lucks balance out!"

Utsuro tilted his head slightly, his way of showing his interest. "If our lucks cancel each other out, then that might be something to consider trying." As he said that, he noticed that there was something silver near Akane's neck. "A necklace...?" He wondered aloud.

"O-Oh! I, um, wanted to wear it...? It's a locket, actually..." Akane averted her eyes as her face started to become red with blush. 

"Don't lockets have things inside of them?" Utsuro asked, and Akane somehow seemed to get redder.

"Y-Yeah, they do..." The maid answered, and she took her locket off and opened it, knowing that Utsuro would next ask to see inside, no matter how embarrassing it was.

Utsuro looked inside and saw a small picture of him and Akane inside. In the photo, she had dragged him to an amusement part, and they both had snacks and prizes in their arms as the picture was taken in a photobooth.

"...Cute." Utsuro muttered. The maid felt like she was going to faint on the spot.

***

Art credit: houki04 on twitter