Jump Then Fall

(A/N: Inspired by the latest official art of Ken Wakui and the song Jump Then Fall of Taylor Swift. I can't deny the cuteness overload of Hakkai and Senju together in that official art so here is a short, fluffy contribution of mine for them. Lastly, I don't own anything from the franchise. Respective ownership belongs to Ken Wakui for the wonderful manga and Taylor Swift for the beautiful song).

I like the way I can't keep my focus

I watch you talk, you didn't notice

I hear the words but all I can think is

We should be together

"Meeting dismissed!" Chifuyu announced after declaring their gangs organizational position and their intent to send a letter to Kanto Manji Gang with the declaration of war against them.

Their members started to dissipate from the shrine until the only ones left were the captains and the vice captains who seemed to be still talking with one another about the preparation for another war with another gang.

"I think someone hates me here." Senju sighed as she sat down on the stairs of the shrine and looked at the sky that was littered with glimmering stars in the middle of the night.

"Hm?" Takemichi blinked a few times as he looked at her. "You mean Hakkai?"

"Is that his name? Yeah, I think so. I mean I was trying to ask him a question and he was sort of ignoring me as if I didn't exist in front of him." Senju pouted.

Takemichi laughed slightly at her words. "Ah, you might've misinterpreted his actions. He doesn't hate you Senju. He tended to freeze around girls y'know?"

"Eh? What do you mean by he tended to freeze around girls?" Senju asked curiously.

"Err... what I mean is he's kinda shy around girls except for his sister. He has trouble talking to them and he's a little bit of awkward like that." Takemichi clarified to her.

Senju blinked a few times before an amused smile graced around her lips. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. So don't feel offended or anything. He doesn't mean to ignore you. He's shy like that." Takemichi replied.

The mere thought of him being shy and flustered around her made her heart flutter in joie de vivre before she could even stop herself.

Every time you smile, I smile

And every time you shine, I'll shine for you

"Good morning!" A familiar feminine and cheerful voice greeted his ears and Hakkai turned around only for his breath to get caught in his throat upon witnessing dazzling smile of Senju directed at his direction. He fought back the blush that threatened to bloom all over his face and maintain the stoic expression on his face.

He remembered the moronic blunder he made yesterday that made things awkward not only for him but to Senju as well since he treated her like an invisible object in front of him.

It was already worst when she could misinterpret his actions and deemed it as a disrespect to her presence what more if he repeated his mistakes again?

He swallowed thickly and mustered up the courage to wave back at her slowly and returned her cheerful smile of his own. Only problem was that it came out as awkward and comical. His jaws hurt from maintaining that expression alone.

Senju watched his face and a hint of an amused smile inched across his lips. She found his genuine awkwardness and shyness somewhat amusing yet adorable at the same time.

"Good morning..." He uttered and looked away as soon as he's done greeting her.

"Well, are you heading to the shrine too? I heard that Hanagaki wants to have a meeting once again." Senju asked smilingly.

"S-sort of." He inwardly cursed at himself for stammering like an idiot, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"So, you don't mind if I walk with you going there, right?"

"Ah, no. Of course not. Feel free to walk beside me if you want." He quickly replied.

"Cool! Now c'mon before we get there late." Senju shot him that tantalizing smile once again which made his heart skipped a beat once again.

And he couldn't stop the smile inching across his lips as he followed her that day.

Whoa, oh, I'm feeling you, baby

Don't be afraid to jump then fall

Jump then fall into me

Baby, I'm never gonna leave you

Say that you wanna be with me too

'Cause I'ma stay through it all

So jump then fall

"Hold on a sec." Senju stopped Hakkai midway, and he paused from his footsteps, looking at her in a puzzled manner.

"Just wait over there okay?" She added before she ran towards an ice cream machine from the side of the road and put some coins on the slot.

Hakkai watched her every movement with a quiet yet curious look on his face. She then came back holding two ice cones filled with at least 2 scoops of spearmint colored ice cream on it.

"An ice cream...?" Hakkai blinked owlishly at her.

"Yep. One for you. And one for me. Hanagaki told me that choco mint flavor is actually delicious so I wanted to share it to my newfound friend as well." She beamed illustriously at him and Hakkai was temporarily blinded by the brightness of her smile and dazzling features that never failed to make his heart sped up erratically inside his chest and his brain short circuit for a moment.

"A f-friend?" He accepted the ice cream cone from and licked the ice cream tentatively.

"Yeah. I mean that is if you want to of course!" She quickly placated. "Treat of this as sort of like my peace offering for misunderstanding you yesterday. I thought you hated me or anything since you don't talk to me when I tried to tell you something..." She trailed off with a rare but sheepish grin on her face.

Hakkai never thought that he couldn't be lovelier than this.

"That's... that's fine! Uhm, sorry it's just that I'm not used to talking with new people... I should be the one saying sorry to you. It must've been awkward for you yesterday talking to an inanimate object..."

Senju chuckled softly under her breath. "Nah. It's fine. At the very least we're good now. So, friends?"

She extended her hand to him.

Hakkai looked at it for a moment before he accepted it slowly, giving it a firm yet gentle shake. The warmth and softness of her hand sent a comforting sensation around his veins.

"Yes. Friends." Hakkai confirmed and shot her a small yet beatific smile at her direction.

For the first time ever since they've met, a delightful yet unnamed emotion surrounded her entire being and her heart soaring out in effervescence.

Maybe she had something to look forward to in waking up each day in the morning.

(A/N: Reviews are amusing so let me hear them from you).