𝐈𝐋𝐒𝐄'𝐒 𝐉𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐋.ʜᴀɴᴊɪ ᴢᴏᴇ̈

『32』Starry Night

Sunday, June 30, 850 at 00:57

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"You're so slow!" Hanji teased as she smiled back at you, gently tugging your hand with her own as she led the way through the forest. Hanji was finally taking you on that date, and you and the girl had ridden on horseback just to get here, using the section commander's mare to traverse through the uneven terrain until the brush got too thick and dense for Bramble to continue. It was late into the night -about a good hour or so into the day- and while you did get occasional waves of sleepiness, you overall didn't mind it as the lack of sunlight breathtakingly falling upon the ground easily made up for it -its effect only being heightened in the chilled caress of a summer's night that gracefully danced on your (S/C) skin.

And even though the brunette and you weren't able to go out together until just now, you had been able to spend more time together working on said preparations, secret smiles shared and glances stolen as you felt much better about your situation with Hanji over the past two weeks. No longer did you have to hide your affections for her, and the burden that you didn't even realise you had been carrying was lifted from your shoulders.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." you drawled out as you rolled your eyes, making sure to tighten your grip on her hand a little as you unintentionally tugged it the smallest bit due to your lagging behind. That was something else that had changed between the both of you: physical contact. Neither of you had kissed again since that afternoon, but hugs and other friendly touches were much more plentiful, keeping that want to be close to the girl at bay while you needed to be away from her. Stepping over a bigger branch, your eyes zoned in on a clearing that was a good twenty metres or so away, the only way you were able to see the offshoot of oak being the gentle moonlight that casted itself sparsely through the leaves, swaying back and forth as a docile breeze swept through the foliage above your heads.

"Well come faster," she retorted with a jocular scoff, pulling your hand closer to her, "We're almost there!"

You let out a falsely annoyed huff, grinning as you pushed yourself a little more to keep up with the female through the slowly clearing trees, "Have you even been where you're taking me?" you asked, genuinely curious, 'After all, I don't really recall Hanji ever going anywhere for long periods of time in the three or so years that I've closely worked with her, but then again, it wasn't like I was with her 24/7 either.'

"Of course I have, do you really think I would just wander in a forest like this, hoping that we'd get somewhere, in the middle of the night?" The teasing tone was heavily integrated into her words, and was further brought out by the jovial beam she sent your way when she turned her head back to you partially.

"Knowing you, I wouldn't be that surprised."

"Oh please, I'm not that bad, am I?"

You held your breath as you wordlessly followed behind her, opting to let the silence speak for you instead of a verbal reply as the both of you just about reached the clearing, only now exiting the woods. It took her a second, but she seemed to understand what your lack of a response implied as a look of understanding and fake exasperatedness washed over her features while she glanced back at you, "Ouch (Y/N), that's mean..."

You broke out laughing, bending over slightly as you held your stomach, "You know I'm teasing you..." you wheezed out, standing up more straight as you let out a few, smaller giggles -Hanji letting out some amused chuckles at your reaction as well.

The expanse you had both entered was vast, a giant field open to you to do as you pleased under the moonbeams that spilt from the sky -a few spread out trees spotted across the mild hills on top the grass-coated ground. A simple turn of your head upwards told you that it was a clear night -something you could have inferred by the way you were able to see without a proper light- no fluffy cotton balls of a calming white to be found hanging above, instead being replaced by minute, stark white pinpoints among the blackened ceiling in the same organised pattern you had seen since you were a child. But the thing that stuck out to you the most was the full moon, it's blinding brightness causing you to squint your eyes a little as it partly burned your retinas -causing an imprint to remain and follow your vision as you soon after looked away.