"Thank you for bringing those over, dears." The elderly woman said to you and Benimaru.
"It's no problem at all." You replied as you set the bag of groceries down on the counter.
"We'll be heading off now." Benimaru said and headed for the door.
You gave a polite bow before following suit.
The two of you walked along with a comfortable silence. The grey clouds above grew denser and darker. All at once— it began to rain.
You held your hand above your eyes and looked around for cover.
"Over there," Benimaru called to you. He pointed to a roofed pavilion by a park.
The two of you jogged over and splashed through small puddles that already began to form. You sat down onto the bench beside Benimaru.
"I didn't think it would rain today," you murmured. Your gaze remained on the rainfall. Heavy and steady.
The light hum of the rain settled with you two under the pavilion.
"What do you think of the rain?" You asked. You felt the urge to stick your hand out and catch some droplets.
"It makes me want to drink warm sake when we get back." Benimaru mused. "Will you join me?"
"Maybe." You smiled.
He cast a long look at you as if in thought. "We start to head back soon. Konro is probably wondering where we are."
You swung your feet back and forth. "How about we race each other? Without any pyrokinesis. Loser has to pay for sake."
His eyes took on a mischievous glint. "Sure, I'm game."
The two of you stood at the edge of the pavilion. The rain continued to pour outside of the roof's cover. The gravel beneath your shoes crunched as you poised yourself.
Benimaru began the countdown. His shout reverberated throughout the area. "3... 2... 1... Go!"
You launched yourself forward and took off running. The rain pelted you from above while you pushed against them. You spotted a flash of black hair at your peripheral vision and saw Benimaru overtake you. You forced yourself to move faster and suppressed the urge to laugh at the idea of a Fire Soldier and the leader of Asakusa racing like children through the rain.
Though, soon enough, a trail of laughs escaped your mouth.
"What's so funny?" Benimaru asked. He slightly turned his head to look at you with a small smile.
"I'm having fun!" Your voice took a bubbly turn.
The Special Fire Guardhouse came into view. Its lanterns illuminated brightly as if marking the finish line.
You inhaled sharply and summoned a burst of energy that helped you catch up to Benimaru. You were just a few steps behind him when you felt your footing slip. You expected to lose the race, land on the wet ground, and potentially embarrass yourself.
Instead, you found yourself looking into Benimaru's ruby eyes. You felt his arm around your shoulders.
His ragged breathing tickled your ear while he gazed into your eyes with a full on smile. "We can consider it a tie."
YOU ARE READING
Softly | Shinmon Benimaru x Reader
FanfictionA series of loosely connected one shots that tell the story of how you and Asakusa's King of Destruction became closer.
