The Floral Courtyard (Aether x Ayaka)

The Floral Courtyard

Short little one-shot I made while listening to the Bugsnax theme song. Please Enjoy!

Ayaka had always been fond of Aether, very fond in fact. He was always so kind and chivalrous towards her, and the time she spent with him was always a treasure. Most people either treated her as too distant, or too familiar, but Aether struck a perfect balance between the two. He mostly treated her as he would a friend, but still managed to treat her with the utmost respect when need be. Simple gestures such as pulling out a chair for her to sit in or offering her some napkins were a great example of this. He was also very charming and charismatic, making conversations she had with him very pleasant and enjoyable.

The combination of all these elements quickly made her develop a tiny crush on him, only growing in size every day she spent with him. He would read books with her, cook her meals, take her out on walks, he seemed to be doing everything in his power to win her over, and it worked. Soon enough, Aether was all she could think about. His soft soothing voice, his curly and luscious locks, his heart warming smile, it all lived rent free in her mind for many days. She wanted him, more than anything.

So you can just imagine the look on her face the day Aether asked her to be his girlfriend, the night of the Amakane Island Festival, the night they shared their first kiss, the day she experienced true love. She still remembered it as if it were yesterday, the electrifying feeling when their lips met, the warm and comforting sensation of his strong arms wrapping around her waist, the sheer joy she felt that day was unlike anything she had ever experienced.

As great as it was, it still came with its downsides. Ayaka knew if word got out that the eldest daughter of the Kamisato Clan was in a relationship, with the almighty Traveler no less, then that would generate a bunch of unnecessary PR that would definitely hurt their image. This meant that they would have to date in secret, which is a lot harder than it seems. Not only was Ayaka extremely busy with all the work she had to do for the Yashiro Commision around this time of year, but even when she did get free time she was most often than not accompanied by one of her guards.

Bottom line is, they rarely get any alone time together. Luckily for her though, the Irodori festival was in full swing, meaning the Kamisato Estate was completely empty. Not wanting to squander the opportunity, the two lovebirds quickly made plans to meet up, dismissing their absence by claiming they felt sick. Which was not necessarily wrong, Ayaka was sick, she was sick of having to put up a front whenever she saw him in public. All she wanted to do was spend time with the man she loved, and yet her status was still holding her back. She knew that complaining wouldn't lead to much though, so she figured that she would just enjoy the time she did get with him.

The two were currently cuddled up on her couch, watching some random tv show they found. Aether couldn't tell you the name of it or what it was about, he was more focused on something, or rather someone else, namely the cryo goddess that rested in his arms. He would do this a lot, just idly stare at her, completely captivated by her beauty. Ayaka would reprimand him a lot for doing so, as it could possibly give them away if anybody in public noticed. He couldn't help it though, she was just so pretty.

Ayaka felt his gaze drill a hole into the side of her head, turning to face him. He was a lot closer than expected, although that was far from a bad thing. She didn't know why, but he smelled extra good today. He even appeared to be...more handsome, than usual.

Aether simply smiled as her gaze met his, prompting her to do the same. Archons she was beautiful. her eyes especially, always changing in color depending on where she was. Her hair wasn't anything to scoff at either, her long icey light blue hair coiled with the black and gold headpiece Aether had bought her, joined together to create a magnificent display. He knew it took a long time to get right, since he was the one that often did her hair in the mornings. It was a loophole that let the two spend time together and not get caught, as people thought he was simply doing a commission.