The Jian

Chapter 35: She only Smiled

'...I– uhhh...'

'Come on, darling~' she said, teasingly, 'I'm curious~'

'I mean...' he sighed and sat facing towards her. 'Yes. I think it is safe to say that we are...'

She watched his cheeks get uncomfortable red.

'"Are" what, darling?' she asked again. 'Don't make me ask again~'

'... I guess... we're a couple...? I never really thoug–'

She jumped, squeezing him in a great big hug.

Hiro almost expected something a lot different. Knowing her and all.

He just sat there for a good minute or so, enjoying the hug for as long as it lasted until she spoke.

'Thank you...' she whispered, 'You have no idea how much it means to me, for you to say that...'

Hiro pulled back away from the hug to get a look at her.

Her eyes – big and enchanting – looked like they were on the verge of tearing up.

But she smiled.

No tear fell, no sound escaped her mouth. She only smiled.

Some more time passed and the big question eventually made its way across Hiro's mind.

'So... since we're a– uhhh... thing? Does that mean... I get to kiss you? On the lips...' his voice was quiet and timid, shy and nervous as to what she might say.

God, did he feel stupid.

God, did she love him.

'Yes,' she answered back, 'it does... We can finally keep that little promise we made, all those years ago...'

Hiro remembered that moment fondly; the time when they were in the woods, and through some strange interpretation, Zero two had decided that Hiro would be her... darling.

Hiro was brought out of his flashback as he noticed Zero two's face getting closer.

Her lips were puckered in a kiss.

Nervous, and still a little flustered – he went in...

And they kissed.

'That's strange...' Hiro thought to himself. 'I don't remember Zero two saying that she had hard lips?'

He opened his eyes to see that she wasn't in fact kissing him, instead she held a finger to his lips and was smirking.

'You don't get that kiss until you do something for me~' she giggled.

'Oh... ok...' he said.

'Awwww, you sound so saaad...' she teased.

'What is it that you want me to do?' he asked, a little hopeful.

She smiled at his hidden eagerness.

'I don't know... I'll have to figure that out~'

'Zero two, you're no fair!' he pouted.

She laughed and teased him for all of his funny little antics, all through the time they had left together that night... and the night slept on until morning...

≈ θ ≈

The sun shone, and the trees swayed in all of their fluorescent glory.

The cherry blossoms bloomed their lustrous plumes of exploding pink, dying the morning with their leaves and petals.

Zero two and Hiro had woken up early to meet each other in the gardens.