But there's no bite to his words, and somehow, that makes them even better.
Yukari falls asleep quickly, nestled against the warmth of Hinote's feathers. But Hinote remains awake, staring up at the entrance of the cave. The night is quiet, save for the occasional rustling of leaves outside, and the soft crackle of his own flames.
He sighs quietly. This kid... what a handful.
For someone so small, she had a lot of fight in her. But as much as she annoyed him with her stubbornness, he couldn't help but feel a little... protective? Ugh, the thought alone made him grimace.
Then, from beside him, Yukari stirs. At first, it's just a small twitch, but then her tiny fists clench, and she begins to whimper. Her face scrunches up, and her breathing becomes shallow, like she's fighting something in her sleep.
Hinote's sharp eyes narrow. A nightmare. He rolls his eyes, preparing himself for the inevitable whining. Great. Now I've got to deal with this too.
Yukari's body jerks again, and this time, she lets out a small, pitiful sound. Her hand grabs at the air, as if reaching for something someone who isn't there.
Hinote's feathers flare for a moment, his natural instinct to just... ignore her kicking in. But then he sees the look on her face, a look that's all too familiar. He knows that kind of fear. He knows that feeling of being utterly alone.
With a low grumble, he shifts his massive wing, carefully draping it over her small body. The soft glow of his fire dims slightly, just enough to create a cocoon of warmth and safety around her.
"Stupid kid," he mutters under his breath, but there's no heat behind it. He watches her for a moment, and slowly, Yukari's tense body begins to relax. Her breathing evens out, and the pained expression on her face softens.
Hinote lets out a huff, satisfied that the nightmare has passed. I'm not doing this again, he tells himself, though even he doesn't believe it.
With Yukari now settled, Hinote closes his eyes, resting his head on his talons. Why did I ever get involved with humans again?
Morning comes too soon for Yukari. She stirs, groggy and disoriented, and for a moment, she forgets where she is. Her eyes blink open to the sight of a cave ceiling, the light of dawn filtering through the entrance.
Then, she remembers. The black mage. The village burning. Hinote.
With a yawn, she sits up, stretching her arms. She's still warm, despite the morning chill, and when she glances down, she realizes why Hinote's massive wing is draped protectively over her.
Huh, he's not such a jerk after all, she thinks, a small smile tugging at her lips.
But that's when she spots something else. Beside her, neatly arranged on a flat rock, are a handful of fruits apples, berries, and something that looks like a weird, spiky orange thing she's never seen before.
She blinks at the sight of it. "Did... did he do this?"
Hinote, who is now awake and watching her with half-lidded eyes, grumbles, "What, you think they just fell from the sky?"
Yukari stares at him, surprised. "You got these for me?"
He rolls his eyes. "Don't get all sentimental. I just didn't want to listen to your stomach growling all morning."
Yukari laughs, a bright, happy sound that echoes in the cave. "Wow, you're so thoughtful, Hinote! So kind! So generous!" She bites into one of the apples with a loud crunch. "It's almost like you're trying to win me over."
Hinote scowls, puffing his feathers in irritation. "Please, I'd rather roast myself."
She grins, her mouth full of apple. "Mmm, roasted phoenix. Bet that would taste pretty good."
He glares at her. "I'll fry you if you even think about it."
Yukari just snickers and takes another bite, clearly enjoying getting under his skin. For a kid, she's remarkably unfazed by the giant, fiery bird threatening to fry her alive.
They eat in comfortable silence, Yukari happily devouring the fruits Hinote brought. Despite everything her village being destroyed, the nightmare, the uncertainty of what comes next this moment feels oddly... normal. Peaceful, even.
Once they've finished eating, Yukari wipes her mouth on her sleeve (earning a disgusted look from Hinote) and leans back against the cave wall, patting her now-full belly.
"That was good. You should do this more often."
Hinote narrows his eyes. "I'm not your personal chef, brat."
She grins at him, unbothered. "Could've fooled me."
Hinote lets out a long, suffering sigh. How did I get stuck with this?
But Yukari isn't done. She hops to her feet, a spark of energy returning now that she's eaten. "Alright, now that we're fed and rested, let's get to the fun part—training!" She bounces on the balls of her feet, clearly eager. "You're gonna teach me how to use my magic, right? Let's do it! I'm ready to set stuff on fire!"
Hinote groans, his eyes closing like he's suddenly aged a thousand years. "Already with the training? I just saved your life yesterday, and now you want me to teach you how to burn down the world?"
"Well, not the whole world," Yukari says with a thoughtful look. "Just, like, parts of it. The fun parts. Maybe some trees... a few houses... oh! And bullies! Definitely bullies."
Hinote opens one eye and glares at her. "You're a menace."
"I'm efficient," she corrects him with a proud smirk.
He sighs again. "You can't even control the magic you've got, and you're already thinking about destruction? Typical human."
Yukari plops back down in front of him, her eyes shining with determination. "That's why you're here, right? To teach me how to control it. Come on, you have to! You're, like, a giant flaming bird of wisdom or something!"
"I'm a giant flaming bird of leave me alone," Hinote snaps. "And I'm not in the mood to train an over-enthusiastic fire hazard."
Yukari crosses her arms, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout. "You said you'd help me."
"I said I wouldn't fry you," Hinote corrects. "Helping you is still up for debate."
"Oh, come on!" she groans dramatically, throwing herself onto the ground in front of him like a toddler throwing a tantrum. "I'll be the best student ever! I promise! You won't even have to do much just show me a few things, and I'll handle the rest!