Kazuki leaned against the doorway of Mars, his arms crossed casually as if staking his claim. Hime didn't seem to mind—a surprise even to herself. They had settled into an unspoken arrangement, one that defied her carefully maintained boundaries. He wouldn't leave, and she wouldn't ask him to.
"You smell like steel and blood," Hime said flatly, her gaze flickering toward him from her desk. "Take a shower."
Kazuki smirked. "Bossy, aren't we?"
"There are spare clothes on the chair. Use them," she retorted, ignoring his teasing tone.
Kazuki chuckled, his sharp eyes glinting with amusement. "Clothes in my size? Planning for me to stay, are we?"
Hime rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the faint curve of a smile. "Or maybe I have a habit of buying for strays."
"A stray, huh?" he mused, stepping closer. "You wound me, Hime."
"Where's your bathroom?" he asked, finally relenting.
Hime gestured toward the hallway. "Second door on the left." She had completely forgotten about the chaos within—her mindmap scattered across the bathroom walls.
Kazuki opened the door, stopping short as his gaze swept over the mess of notes, diagrams, and scrawled thoughts covering every surface. "What the hell is this?" he asked, his tone a mix of surprise and curiosity.
Hime froze. For the first time, she felt flustered, a foreign sensation washing over her like a tidal wave. She prided herself on control, on presenting an unshakable facade. Yet here she was, embarrassed by her own vulnerability.
"It's… my way of thinking," she admitted, her voice quieter than usual. "I soak while I think. It helps me process things."
Kazuki turned to her, his smirk widening. "So that's why you always have damp hair when you sneak around my mansion."
Hime's eyes widened slightly, her composure cracking. "You noticed that?"
"I've been watching you since the first day you snuck in," he said matter-of-factly, leaning against the doorframe.
Flustered and oddly flushed, Hime stepped forward and shoved him into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. "Shower!" she yelled, her voice echoing in the stillness of the abandoned temple.
She pressed her back against the closed door, her heart racing. What was this feeling? She was always cool and calculative, but with Kazuki, she felt like a mess. An adorable, infuriating mess.
When Kazuki emerged from the bathroom, a towel slung low around his hips, Hime was seated at the small dining table set up near the temple's central hearth. The faint scent of dinner lingered in the air as she studied her tablet, her focus entirely absorbed by the streams of data before her. Her hair fell in soft waves, framing her face, and the soft light made her look almost ethereal.
Kazuki paused, his gaze lingering. He was mesmerized, and it pissed him off. How had she not notice him standing here? He stepped forward, pulled the tablet from her hands, and tilted her chin upward to meet his gaze.
"Me," he said, his voice low and firm.
Hime flinched slightly, but her composure returned almost immediately. Her dark eyes flicked to the damp hair clinging to his forehead, droplets of water trailing down his toned chest. The sight was strangely… distracting.
"Your hair is wet," she said, her tone sharp to mask her unease. "That's your fault," Kazuki countered, smirking.
"Sit," she ordered, rising from her chair. She retrieved a hairdryer from a nearby cabinet and plugged it in. Without a word, she began drying his hair, her fingers brushing against his scalp as she worked. The intimacy of the act hung heavy in the air, unspoken but undeniable.
Kazuki's usual sharpness softened, replaced by something warmer. They didn't need to say anything. Their actions, their presence, spoke volumes. It wasn't a promise, but it felt like something close.
"Thank you," Kazuki murmured, his voice unusually gentle.
They sat down to eat, the silence between them comfortable. Kazuki began asking her questions—her age, her favorite foods, little things he realized he wanted to know. Hime answered honestly, her guarded nature slipping away in his presence.
When the meal was over, Kazuki leaned back in his chair, his expression shifting to something more serious. "I need to go to work," he said, though the reluctance in his voice was clear. "But I'll be back."
Hime's gaze met his. "Don't. I'm anticipating company tonight, so I'll be moving Mars before midnight."
Kazuki's eyes narrowed. "Company?"
"It's nothing I can't handle," she said firmly. "It's not my first time."
"Where will you go?" he asked, his tone laced with worry.
Hime shook her head. "Not yet. But I'll call you."
Kazuki frowned, clearly displeased, but he didn't push further. He stood, changing into the spare clothes she had left for him. As he prepared to leave, his hesitance was palpable. Something about him felt different—clingy, protective, almost needy.
Hime stepped closer, her voice softening. "Trust me," she said. "No matter what, I always survive. I'll call you."
Kazuki hesitated for a moment longer before nodding. "Fine. But if anything happens…"
"It won't," she interrupted, her confidence unwavering.
He left reluctantly, casting one last glance over his shoulder before disappearing into the quiet of the temple's surroundings.
The moment Kazuki was gone, Hime's expression shifted. The playful warmth in her eyes was replaced by sharp calculation. She moved to the window, watching the moonlight cast eerie patterns across the ancient wooden beams. A small, knowing smirk played on her lips, alluring and dangerous.
"This is bad," she murmured to herself, though her tone suggested otherwise. Her fingers trailed along the edge of the dining table as her mind began to spin its web. Everything was falling into place—exactly as she had anticipated.