Whispers of the South Wind

Chapter 12

"ANTHONY TUCKER!" She yelled out angrily as the Ferris wheel suddenly started moving. Keigo swallowed nervously, his eyes wide with anxiety as Anthony gave him a smile in return. What the hell was he doing? "You slippery little snake! You just wait til I get my hands on you!"

"Have fun you two!" He called back, giving Keigo one last wink, his shoulders shaking as he laughed before quickly ducking back into the fair crowd. He watched as she grimaced, her fist clenching as she turned to look at him. His stomach was uneasy as he watched her, unsure of what to say. Was she really that upset about having to spend time alone with him?

"Sorry 'bout that. It seems like Anthony thinks he's fuckin' funny," she said with a forced smile. He gave her a small smile in return, shrugging slightly.

"It is alright. I do not mind," he replied, his golden eyes meeting hers before he turned towards the view with a soft sigh. It was nice, but there wasn't enough wind on his face to make it feel like flying. As sad as that made him feel, he couldn't help but appreciate the view regardless. He couldn't recall the last time he'd been up so high.

"I thought you would be able to feel the wind, but we are too enclosed for it, I think. The view is beautiful. Anthony was right."

She let out a strangled hum in response, causing him to frown slightly. What was he doing wrong that she seemed so miserable? What the hell was Anthony thinking trapping the two of them together like this? She was obviously uninterested in him, despite Anthony saying otherwise, so trying to push them together seemed fairly pointless.

He sighed quietly as the car slowly came to stop right at the very top of the wheel. It was beyond beautiful, unable to stop his smile as he surveyed the land below them.

Then suddenly the cart lurched, swaying in a sudden breeze, and she made a strangled sounding noise, scrambling herself across the car and right into Keigo's arms before he could even register what was happening.

Her perfume flooded his senses, his heart hammering as his body stiffened at the sudden contact. He squeezed his eyes shut, praying to every god possible that he could keep himself from popping a boner as she pushed away from him slightly, her expression embarrassed as they looked at each other. Why the hell did she have to be so beautiful?

"Sorry, I just—heights," she stammered, avoiding eye contact as relief flooded through him at her words. "Not really my thing."

Well at least she hadn't looked so miserable because she was with him alone, she was just afraid of heights. He almost wanted to laugh at himself, he'd been so spun up over absolutely nothing. But why the hell would she allow Anthony to drag her on something that she would be afraid of? He was just about to open his mouth and tell her that heights was a common fear when another breeze blew through the cart, the sudden chill causing her to shiver as it rocked again.

He was quick to react, wrapping her against him without another second's hesitation and holding her against his chest tightly. Her hands quickly grasped his shirt, her face pressing into the unscarred side of his neck as he struggled to control his breathing. When was the last time a woman was this close to him, especially one he was actually interested in? He could feel his pants getting tighter and he really needed to say something to break the tension and distract himself otherwise he was afraid he'd suffocate in it.

"So this is what he meant by facing our fears? I thought he meant me and the fire," he said with a small chuckle, hoping some humor would help the situation. He wanted to help her through her fear, just like she had helped him after the bonfire. "You helped me, so I help you. Yeah?"

She nodded against his neck and he sighed, enjoy her warmth against him as he turned to look out at the view the Ferris wheel offered. It was beautiful, people below them pushing through the crowds, the sounds of the various rides and conversations floating through the air. He wished he was higher up, soaring so far that the people looked like ants. He wanted to fly through clouds and laugh as the water held within smacked against his face. It was times like this where he realized how much he missed his quirk.