saudade; raiden ei

xxxᴠ. dango

"...You did what!?" exclaimed the outraged voice of Ayame. At once, tremors bounced along the secure walls of their home. Y/n released a short cry—the maid's previously careful strokes instantly matured into ones of aggression. She practically threw the brush aside; the soldier's hair was liberated from her distraught grasp.

Upon Y/n's vanity lay the bills for the previous night's date. The next minute, said bills were tightly clutched in Ayame's outstretched palm. She read them. She read them again. The soldier swallowed nervously as she read them and reread them for a final time; the maid's eyes looked as though they were about to escape her head.

Disbelief soon gave way to desperation. After rereading the small slips of paper a multitude of times, she reached a certain conclusion: she, to her dismay, was not dreaming. No, the reality she was living was very much a nightmare.

Still holding the bills, Ayame slumped to the ground in defeat. She continued to hold them even as the corners of her eyes formed anguished tears. It was evident that Ei's 'far-from-minute' budget belonged not only to her, but to every resident of Tenshukaku as well. Y/n was overcome with a sudden sensation of guilt.

"I'm so sorry, Ayame..." She mumbled earnestly. "I didn't know."

"It's okay." The maid responded in a higher tone. Her eyebrow twitched; her smile was false. She momentarily weighed Y/n's words in her mind and envisioned the extent of the hardships ahead. Only then did she unleash a resigned sigh. "I... somehow don't doubt that."

Having accepted her apology, the maid raised the brush to the soldier's hair once more. Soon, Y/n was well-styled and eager to prepare a meal. She made her way towards the kitchen, dressed in her usual uniform as to not dirty her new clothes. Today's morning seemed to be rather peculiar, however, as when she neared the particular room, there were already loud sounds of clanging pots stemming from within.

Hesitantly, she peeled open the door and laid eyes on the culprit. "...Ei," she addressed the struggling woman, "what are you doing?"

Her lover put the steaming pot aside, turning to look at her as she came closer instead. "Preparing the finest of meals."

Y/n opened her mouth and closed it again. She bit back her tongue, deciding that pointing out the Archon's lack of cooking expertise was far from the best course of action. Instead, she asked: "whatever for?"

"Mm. I wanted to do something for you... After all, you frequently prepare cuisine that's simply divine. Consider it my thanks."

Y/n raised an eyebrow. "I've recently been informed that you already did do something for me. Why did you hide the truth behind your budget? Poor Ayame was on the verge of a nervous breakdown."

Ei flushed, averting her gaze. She was silent for a moment, seemingly trying to decide on the most appropriate structure of response. "...Had I told you the truth, you would have refused my offers. I wished to treat you, and... to give you the happiness you deserve. Even if the budget isn't mine alone, I can assure you that our expenses were still well within-" she was cut off by the sudden roar of her pot setting aflame.

The Archon flinched, her eyes round as she let slip a startled yelp. Y/n wrapped her tightly in her arms; she moved her away from the fire and placed her behind her protective frame. With a short instinctive motion, a puff of icy mist immediately extinguished the flame.

"Are you okay!?"

Ei didn't respond. Her eyes travelled from Y/n's concerned gaze to the Vision at her waist. After such a long period of dormancy, the way it glittered almost painted an image of excitement. She realised that this was, in fact, the first time she had seen it in use, and the first time she herself had experienced Y/n's renowned reflexes. "Ah... uh, yes..." she eventually mumbled, still baffled by their sharpness and focused on her lover's defensive hold.