Forever Yours (Kamisato Ayato)

20

Morning came to pass, and it was already afternoon. Ayato has been long done with the paperworks and the rest of his task for the day. It was rare to him to clear off his schedule early, but for a time alone with his wife, he made sure he had enough time to clean up and make himself look his best. After all, he did not want to lose to his wife's previous lover. Not in any aspect, including appearance.

"I am faced with a great predicament, Thoma.." Ayato calls out to his most trusted servant.

"What is it, My Lord?"

"For once in my life, I do not seem to know what to wear." The young Lord replied, pressing his finger on his chin as if in deep thought.

"Perhaps a different color? Something cool enough to fix the Lady's gaze unto you all night?"

"Does this attire look ravishing enough?"

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Akina's hand was clasped on her chest. Ayato had sent a message through Thoma to wait for him near the gates of Inazuma city.  To say that she was not at all feeling the slightest bit nervous would be a complete lie.  Who wouldn't if you're going on a date with possibly the most handsome young man in Inazuma? She made sure she wore the most beautiful kimono she possessed. It was pure white with hues of pastel pink and blue in the bottom of the sleeves and the hem of of the dress with patterns of discarded sakura all over.

Under the Sakura tree, she waited for her husband.

"Did you wait long?"

She turned around, and there he was. Robed in Icy kimono that almost exposed the entirety of his toned chest. It was less formal that what he usually wore, but definitely as attractive in Akina's eyes.

"You look wonderful..." Both of them said at once, followed by a solemn series of laughter.

"I tried my best to dress so that I could bewitch you with good looks, I hope it's effective." Ayato shyly muttered. A blush spread across his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"You need not bewitch me, My Lord...For I am already yours." She assured her husband, holding both of his hands as she leaned forward to give him a quick peck on his lips.

Ayato, who was flustered by her sudden display of affection had been in a trance. His cheeks and ears a blushing mess as he watched his wife gracefully skip around a few steps away from him.

"So where to?" She asked with a smile. The most beautiful smile the young Lord has ever seen.

"It's a surprise, but before that.." instead of another word, Ayato walked towards her, refusing to break his aftectionate gaze as he drew near.

With a smile on his lips, he brushed his fingers to the side of her cheeks and carefully tucked her hair behind her ear. "I noticed how much you liked wearing kanzashis. I made this one myself and was supposed to give it to you the night of our wedding."

Akina quickly pulled out a compressed mirror she kept in her obi and looked at her reflection. Pastel pink sakura hairpin adorned the side of her head. At the center of each flower were pearls that shine upon the touch of light. "Ayato! You made this for me? It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" She breathed.

"Not as beautiful as you." He replied. "Never as beautiful as you."

A smile formed on his wife's lips. And Ayato was just thankful to the gods that he was no longer deprived of her captivating smile.

"Will you take my hand, Akina?" Ayato asked, reaching his hand out to her.

With no hesitation, she took his hand. Akina has made up her mind. She would no longer allow herself to be drowned by the wounds of her past. She would no longer deprive herself of the love she thought was impossible to have. For there he was, wholeheartedly willing to hold her hand for the rest of their lives.

"Lead the way, my Lord."

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Akina was beyond bewildered. "My Lord... You didn't have to hold an entire festival just for me!"

Lights overwhelmed the lady's eyes. They were all over the place, adorning the entire city. Colorful booths and stalls spread around, and Ayato could tell by the look of her wife's face that she couldn't wait to try all the stalls that caught her eye.

"How were you able to arrange this in such a short notice?"

"I..like working hard." Her husband replied with a calm smile.

"I haven't been to any Inazuman festivals. I tried sneaking out like I would when I used to train in the forest, but I am always caught by my responsibilities." She told him as she recalled the memories of her youth.

"So when everyone's out checking what the festivals have to offer, I am inside the Iyashi Estate, dressed in suffocating garments that's meant to make me look pretty, playing the harp to please vistors."

"This is also my first time truly attending a festival." Ayato spoke the moment he noticed a frown forming on his wife's face. "Usually I would be watchung from a distance, dealing with either the fatui, or the assasins sent to me take me down." He told her, gazing at her beautiful round eyes. "And I am glad that I get to spend this first time with you."

Akina glanced at her husband's eyes, lips parted and a rush of heat forming on her cheeks.

As she stared at his mesmerizing figure under the moonlight, she realized that there are a lot of things she didn't know about him. The fact that he was a lot more hardworking than she thought he was, the fact that he was a lot more amazing than she thought he was, and the fact that they were indeed so different from one another, yet similar in more ways than one.

She really did admire him.