Oneshots/Incorrect Quotes/Headcanons

K(night) in Shining Armor

Kagaya sucks in a breath, holding a small bouquet of her favourite flowers in his hand, his back screaming in pain with every step he takes. He had already drank his medicine, but that was hours ago. It was starting to wear off, just as when he’s walking up to her home filled with lush plants and trees. While Kagaya has promised he won’t do anything reckless, he doesn’t consider this as an act of recklessness. He’s offering his love and nothing else.

Her doors open, revealing a frazzled woman with eyes he came to dream of every night. She was worried of him, still is, always have been. He doesn’t let her speak another word, handing over the bouquet that she looks over in awe.  The flowers were her colours, delicately held together by a string and the scent being carried by the cold air. It was then she noticed he was trembling. And for that she took the bundle of flowers and ushered him in, not minding what the watchful neighbours might say.

Kagaya walks around the house, having been removed his slippers, she eyes him. He fits right in, she thinks. He could be here permanently, coming home to her, she doesn’t indulge in the thought. She places the bouquet onto her favourite vase, one of the many heirlooms from her mother and those before her.

“You should take care of yourself more, visit a doctor before it gets worse.” Amane wraps a blanket around his shoulders, hoping it could provide some warmth to him. “Oh you poor man, I’ll get the fireplace ready.”

He follows her around her home, watching her lit the fireplace, feeding logs into it, lest it becomes starved and dies out. It provides them with warmth, Amane extends her hand to invite him, Come closer, she doesn’t say. Kagaya happily accepts it, settling next to her. They watch the flickering embers as she fans them back to life, appeasing it with more wood and waste paper. Then the windows were opened by the howling winds.

“It’s not winter yet, but even summer nights can be awfully chilly, especially with strong winds. They can worsen your condition.” She closes the windows and puts the locks on, she lights her lanterns and candles with the fire, positioning them around. “Are you listening? You should start doing so, I’m never wrong.”

Kagaya nods. “I’d hate to prove you wrong, but being with you has already made me feel better. It makes this whole trip worth it.” His eyes follow her, even when she returns to his side.

“Dear I doubt my presence means anything when you still cough blood. Your mother told me when I saw her in the market this morning,” She turns to him, her hand reaches out, gently touching his scarred scar surrounding his left eye. Amane wishes she could simply will it out of existence. In these kind of moments, she dreams she was an angel he would always describe her as. At least that way, she could help him. “Speaking of which, she looked distraught, you need to stop making her worry by sneaking out just to see me. This could always wait the next morning.”

He leans to her touch, closing his eyes. “And deprive myself of the few times I’m happy? Truly happy? Even I won’t do that to myself.” Kagaya places a hand on his heart, showing he tells nothing but the truth. “Your smile has continued to spur me on, giving me enough strength to see you for another day.”

Amane pulls her hand away and he almost chases after it. Her expression becomes pained and he wants to wipe it off, pain never suited her. “I cannot smile knowing that you are always on the verge of death just to make it happen.”

“You speak as if I’m already dying. I’m not. I’m still here, I can’t bear the thought of ever leaving you.” Kagaya insists.

She recoils back, as if he had spoken something that offended her. Her eyebrows furrow, “But you are. You heard the doctors, they don’t know what's ailing you, how could they provide a cure for an illness they don’t understand?”

He lowers his hand on top of hers, squeezing it. “Have faith in me, I am far from being claimed by Death and leaving you.”

“I do have faith in you, I had. I had faith that you’d rest and stay put when you found out you were sick. Recuperation would’ve helped you tremendously but you chose to spend your waking hours scouring fields for different flowers to give me.” Her eyes don’t meet his, worried, it shows him. His other hand slowly took off her hair pin, he noticed she had opted for it, instead for her more comfortable hair tie.

Her hair slowly cascades down, he smiles without a care, he pulls out a flower and secures it by her ear. “Dear, I would’ve died right there and then had I not been allowed to hear you, let alone see you.”

Amane finally returns his gaze, Kagaya drinks in the sight and smiles. The flower fits her, of course it would, he had picked this with her in mind. He tilts his head, committing this to memory, one he would never forget.

She awaits his next words, but they never came, he becomes too enamoured with her, fixated on something she couldn’t see. But something in her heart blooms, like flowers during spring. Having his attention makes her feel wonders, emotions she can’t understand yet. Surely she shouldn’t be addicted with his eyes seeing her and her only.

She kisses him. It was short and sweet, a little peck on the lips. Amane couldn’t trust her words anymore, not when all she had done was chastise him for endangering his health when Kagaya had been nothing but happy to even be talking to her, let alone be let in her home.

His face explodes with surprise, when his bewilderment turn into fascination, he smiles so wide like his wishes had come true. she kisses him for a second, third and fourth time. Sloppy at best, but she put her whole heart on it. Amane speaks before he does, lest she won’t be able to anymore after.

“Let’s compromise, I’ll come (home) to you instead, bring you gifts like you would to me, tell you stories until we both fall asleep underneath the stars. So that you would...still be able to see me,” She fixes the loosened flower on her hair. “Without putting yourself at risk.”

“And kisses, you’ll give me kisses right?” Kagaya asks, breathless, he can’t find it in himself to care for anything that isn’t her.

Amane nods, pulling him closer until he’s buried in her arms, surrounded by her warmth. “Of course, I would give you all, even myself.”

From that fateful night and onwards, she’d always come by when their quaint town was sleeping. When she arrives in the morning, she stays till noon. When she arrives in the evening, she stays till the town opens their eyes and ears. And with every day she sleeps by his side, the more he finds himself wanting to stay cradled by her, like a cocoon refusing to bloom into a colourful butterfly.

Kagaya buries his nose through her hair, his hold around her waist tightens, she hums and keeps their blanket in place. He keeps his eye on the clock, watching with bated breath that as soon as the hour hand lands on a number, she is to wake from her slumber and leave his arms. Then she would tell him to wait until she comes again to bless him with her presence. Leaving him to be suffocated by his doctors drowning him with medicine.

As seconds go by, he supposes he should make the most of this blissful peace they have and closes his eyes for sleep to reclaim him once again. Who knows, perhaps he’ll dream of her, like he always does, he’ll dream of her inheriting their family business, he’ll dream of her in a wedding attire, he’ll dream of her carrying a new born child in her arms. He can think about later when she wakes.

Later comes and he is roused by the rooster that his neighbour has been raising, if he listens long enough, he could hear their expensive music box playing. But he doesn’t pay any mind to it nor sing with them, instead he turns his undivided attention at the woman of his life sleeping soundly in his arms. A glance at the clock tells him that they’ve slept in, he can already feel the sun settling in the sky. Was she going to stay longer?

A thought that threatens to burst his heart. He wasn’t dreaming. Not anymore.

Amane turns and faces him, her groggy eyes settle on him. “Good morning...it would do you more good if you sleep longer...than five hours...”

Kagaya snorts, voice equally hoarse, “You keep count?” She nods. “Hmm...good morning to you too...you’re staying?”

“What’s wrong with that? We’re in a relationship, damned with what the neighbours would say,” She tugs harder on the blanket they share, he lets her have it, as soon as she’s finished turning herself into a cocoon, he hugs her. “Are you ashamed of me?”

He shakes his head with a sigh, “I would never be ashamed of you, I would show you off to the world if you’d let me, in fact I can do it right now, by the window.”

“Don’t you even dare. Let them figure it out, they already know you court me and I don’t deny it when they ask.” His heart swells whenever someone would say his name along with hers, when he would see her in public and she would acknowledge him, a smile and a wave would have sufficed but she comes to him. She holds his hand and sings to his ears. Anyone would be a fool if they thought they were nothing more than friends.

Her cold hands cups his cheeks. “What are you thinking deeply of?”

He won’t tell her any, for now, perhaps when he writes his wedding vows in the future.

“About how you keep count of my hours of sleep. Who keeps count of yours?”

“Its called sleeping before you then looking at the clock when you wake up, it’s called arithmetic, you should try it.”

Kagaya closes his eyes, finding no need to watch her, he knows she’d still be there. “Does that mean you have less sleep than me? I sleep pretty late myself.”

“Mmhm, I don’t recommend that, but at least I have a reason to sleep in more, you exhaust me.” She closes the gap between them with a kiss he happily returns, his hand finding its way underneath the blanket, resting upon her thigh.

“You don’t need an excuse, I know a way to exhaust you further.”

Amane parts with her eyebrow raised. Her lips pressed to a thin line, then she smiles, a laugh escapes her and he drinks in the music. He decides right there and then that he’ll find ways to make her laugh like that, genuine and raw. Not masked and forced. “When we get married, sure I’ll let you test your ideas on me but let’s think of breakfast later, let me sleep my back off.”

She turns and faces the ceiling, sleep easily comes to her to bring her to the realm of dreams, perhaps she’d dream of him this time. Her laugh replays in his mind, like an unforgettable lullaby that might lull him back to slumber. Then a thought comes to him.

She didn’t say if, like it’s a possibility to be considered, she said when, like it’s a future to look forward to.