Hidden Meanings

Circus Bathed In Ash [Jaxita]

See, at some point, since I really love Jaxson, I'm just gonna a Circus! AU for them. Nothing One-Piece. Maybe even that'll become their main story. Roles have changed a bit.

The circus was alit with the yells and cries of joy as children ran around with their families, eyes sparkling as each new booth was brought into view.

Smiling, I clasped my hands tonight. "Why, it's lovely, Kiyohisa!"

Kiyohisa smiled, the grin wide, next to me. "Well, it's not like yer gonna have fun just standin' here," he chuckled, the noise throaty.

"I could still have fun drinking in the view."

"True, but it ain't as fun as the actual thing, Ashita. C'mon, you haven't tried cotton candy, have you?"

I blinked, moving my hands to rest at my sides. "I don't believe so. I have only heard that it's pure sugar."

"It is, but let's go!"

Clamping around mine, Kiyohisa's hand led me around the group of people. I could see people look at us with eyes of 'oh, that's a cute couple', but they didn't understand.

They didn't understand that I could never see Kiyohisa in a romantic perspective- he had his sights set on someone else, -and we had merely been like brother and sister for ages to count.

He tugged me through the crowd, pulling us to a stop in front of what I assumed to be a cotton candy booth. There were already two bunches of cotton candy out for us to see.

The maker, who was a man who was dressed in a simple robe-like shirt and baggy pants, eyes crinkled with sun-kissed skin, nodded to us. "Hello, dears," he greeted happily, a deep purr to his voice. "Cotton candy for two, I assume?"

"Ah, yes, please! How much will that be?"

"Nothing, dearest," he clicked his tongue. "Go enjoy the fair, ye two. These things won't pull anything outta yer pocket."

He added a wink to the end, flicking one hand towards the two cotton candy piles on the table. The movement was playful, more father-like then anything else.

"Thanks!" Kiyohisa called back as we took the sweets off the table.

"Thank you, son!"

"What a sweet man," I said, nodding.

He turned to me, face lighting up with that crooked smile of his. "Where do you wanna go next?"

I took a small bite out of the sweet, savor in how it completely melted into a delicious substance on my tongue. Kiyohisa caught sight of my blissful expression, the corner of his eyes wrinkling like the cracks in leather.

"I don't know," I said after I took a second bite. "You've been here before, where would you like to go?"

"Me?" Kiyohisa brought his watch up to his face. "Well, the circus show starts in 'bout half an hour. Wanna go into the house of mirrors? Rather a fan of it meself- we can do the maze of mirrors later."

"Okay! Let's go!" I cheered, surging forward as I nibbled at the cotton candy.

From behind me, I can hear Kiyohisa let out a short laugh, then it cuts off.

"Kiyohisa?"

"Hm?" He murmured, eyes distant. I followed his gaze to where we obtained the cotton-candy, but it...