Jaya Week 2022

Sakura

Cherry blossom petals swirl around her, the gentle breeze tangling in her hair, pulling on her heartstrings.

The air is warm, the lighting is soft, and the dull hum of the city blends into the background.

If she's not careful, she'll fall asleep.

She rolls over, mostly to stir herself and shake off the drowsiness. It seems as though Jay couldn't fight it off.

He's uncharacteristically quiet. It's kind of nice.

She watches him, curiously, as his chest rises and falls with each steady breath. He looks calm, and peaceful, like a summer sky dotted with clouds after a storm.

The sudden urge to boop him on the nose overtakes her. She snickers at her own immaturity, yet stretches her arm forward.

If it wakes him up, oh well, he was supposed to be awake for their impromptu picnic in the park anyway. Falling asleep under the Sakura trees on a peaceful spring day? How rude.

Her hand hovers over his face for a moment, before coming down gently and bopping him on the nose. A startled yelp accompanies a loud crack. Nya reels her hand back in surprise, instantly annoyed at her own bewilderment. She should have expected to get shocked, Jay being the Master of Lightning, aka human walking-talking zap-trap.

As she inspects her hand for damage, she notices Jay is turned on his side, spying at her through one open eye.

"Are you done being weird?" he yawns, clearly oblivious to the situation.

Nya scowls. "Taserface," she retorts, offering no other explanation.

"Rude," he fires back, not even sounding mildly offended as he rolls onto his back, raising his arms over his head, stretching and trembling his body. "Waking up your man and then insulting him? What kind of woman are you?"

To her credit, Nya doesn't take the bait.

Instead, she just stares at him, patiently waiting for an answer that will never come.

Jay gives up first. He lets out a long sigh, closes his eyes and buries his face in his hands.

He's going with the cute card instead of his signature over the top panic screaming. Nya can't help but blush.

"I don't know how I got roped into this," he groans.

Nya laughs, earning another glare from Jay. She ignores him, turning away to look at the Sakura trees behind them, a smile still plastered on her face.

"You didn't," she replies, nudging him lightly with her elbow as she scutches over to sit next to him.

He turns to her, quirking one eyebrow.

"It's not like I asked, or anything," she adds.

"That still doesn't make this any less annoying."
Nya rolls her eyes, but the smile remains on her face. She sits down beside him, leaning against his side.

He reaches out and touches her cheek, which earns another peal of laughter from her.

"Why do you find that so funny?" he asks, frowning as he runs his thumb along her jawline. She's in an unusually cheery mood.

She shrugs. "It just is."

Jay huffs, staring up at the sky. The sky has cleared completely, leaving only fluffy white clouds dotting the blue expanse. Whatever put her into such a good mood, he doesn't want to jinx it.

Nya grabs him by the shoulders, pulling him towards her until they're face to face.

"Jay," she whispers, resting her hand on the back of his neck, "you said we'd be together forever."

He smiles, wrapping his arms around her waist. Warm jitters up his spine as his heart trips down his ribs, one by one.

"Yeah?"

Nya nods. "So, what did you mean when you said 'forever'?"

He kisses her forehead, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Forever means always and ever, right? We'll be together forever," he says simply, nuzzling her ear.
His words sink deep inside her, making her feel warm and safe. She leans into him, letting him hold her close.

"Okay," she says, smiling.

He kisses her again, deeper this time, making her moan softly into his mouth.

They kiss for a while longer, before Nya pulls back.
"What now?" he asks, looking up at her with those big blue eyes, full of mischief.

Nya smiles, kissing him once more. "Now, let me get us some food."

They eat their picnic lunch and enjoy the blossoms. The cherry petals swirl around them like cotton candy, drifting down from the branches above.
Nya throws petals up in the air and catches them, giggling when they stick to her clothes. Jay joins her, tossing handfuls of them up and catching them between his fingers.

Their laughter echoes throughout the park, attracting attention from others who want to join in the fun.

"This feels like one of our date nights," Jay giggles, leaning his head on Nyan's shoulder, his eyes closing in contentment.

She smiles, turning to face him. They stare at each other for a few seconds, until Nya gets a sudden urge to tickle him.

"Jay," she yells, giving him a playful shove.
He loses his balance, toppling backwards, landing heavily on his bottom.

"Oof!" he whines, trying to get up.

"Don't move! I'm going to go all ninja on you!" she teases, holding her finger and thumb close together.

He grins, sitting up and propping himself on the grass. "Do it."

Nya does. She takes off running.

Jay stands, taking a few steps towards her. Before he can reach her, she jumps high in the air and lands on top of him, pinning him down.

"Ha ha!" she laughs as he struggles beneath her. "Gotcha!"

Jay kicks his legs, trying to push her off, but Nya holds on tight. She slides her hand up his stomach, tickling him playfully as he tries to squirm out from underneath her.

"Stop it, you've won!" he half-laughs and half-shouts, struggling to get up.

Nya shakes her head, pushing her hair out of her face. She continues to tickle him, enjoying his frustration.

"Nya, please stop, I'm going to lose control of my element and shock you!" he wheezes between giggles. She relents.

Jay takes a moment to catch his breath. "Fine, fine, I surrender," he grumbles, rolling onto his back. "But next time, I'll win."

Nya pouts, but she gives in. "Fine."

Jay wraps his arms around her and pulls her close, nuzzling his nose against hers as they watch the petals drift in the wind.

"What do you think happens if someone falls asleep during a Sakura ceremony?" Nya asks, breaking the silence.

Jay shrugs, his hands resting on his stomach. "Probably nothing. It's not like anyone could sleep through that."

Nya chuckles. "You almost did."

"Hey," he snaps back, "I'm a hard working ninja, I deserve to rest now and then."

Nya smiles again as she hugs him tighter. The wind picks up as more pink petals flitter around them. "I want to say like this forever," she whispers. Jay's heartbeat is steady and strong as his arms tighten around her.

"Me too."