He throws open the door, and he's relieved to see her. He's so very glad she's okay, but he has to warn her. Has to let her know that danger--
Danger is lurking right behind her, and there's nothing he can do, because he barely had time to react before it's all too late. And suddenly, he finds himself bathed in thick, metallic blood. He can feel it covering him, taste it, smell it...
Kurogane jerks awake with a loud gasp. There's blood in his mouth. His. It takes a moment to realize that he'd bitten the inside of his cheek while struggling to wake up from his nightmare. The dull pain is actually a welcomed feeling, bringing him back to reality.
He casts a few glances beside him to make sure his male companions are all asleep; this isn't something he wants to talk about, especially not with particularly nosy members of his party. He pushes himself up quietly and tiptoes out of the room. He needs some fresh air, somewhere to breathe.
His feet seem to have a mind of their own, leading him down corridors of the large mansion until finally stopping at the courtyard. The cool night air is refreshing, and just what he needs. For a minute, Kurogane focuses on his breathing; tries to will it back to a normal pacing again. He's so caught up in avoiding his own thoughts that it takes a moment for him to register the shadow sitting by the fountain.
"Hello...?" A cautious move forward.
"Ah?" Even before the shadow shifts closer to the light, he recognizes her. "Kurogane-san..." At first, he's annoyed, because all he'd wanted was some fresh air, to be alone. But the annoyance evaporates as he catches sight of her smile. It's infectious, and he can't help but feel comforted by it.
"What are you doing up so late?" He hadn't meant to sound so gruff and disgruntled, but she doesn't seem to mind.
"I couldn't sleep." If she notices at all how disheveled he is, or how he's drenched in sweat, Sakura doesn't comment. Instead, she turns her gaze upward, toward the sky. "I was looking at the patterns the stars make." He lets her continue talking as he takes a seat next to her. "Like, see that clump up there?" His gaze follows her tiny finger as she makes a small circle up at the sky. "It looks just like an archer. See? There's his bow and arrow."
Kurogane takes a moment to consider her words. At first, it just looks like a clump of small, bright dots in the sky. Nothing spectacular, and certainly not an archer. But as she continues to trace the pattern back and forth, he starts to see a small outline. This isn't something he'd normally care about, but her excitement is endearing, and the sound of her voice is soothing. "What else do you see?"
"That one looks a little like a cat, don't you think?" He doesn't really think so, but he lets her continue pointing out pictures in the sky regardless. "And that one, if you tilt your head to one side" -- and despite the fact that he's really not seeing any of them, he does actually tilt his head at the same time she does -- "looks like Mokona!"
"What about you, Kurogane-san?" He turns to look at her in surprise. "Do you see anything?"
"Hnn..." He could just shut down the question with a quick, no, no I don't, or even make something up, but for some reason, he feels as though it's his duty to try. So he turns his stare back up at the sky again. And focuses.
It feels like it's been hours before he finally points up at a small cluster in the North. "That one. A sword." He'd expected to feel silly. Childish, even. But as he continues to stare up at the sky, he feels comforted instead. A hint of a smile slips through as Sakura agrees with him, excitedly adding to the picture he'd just discovered in the sky.
Thank you, he thinks as he looks down at her brightly smiling face.
Sakura + Kurogane | stargazing
He throws open the door, and he's relieved to see her. He's so very glad she's okay, but he has to warn her. Has to let her know that danger--
Danger is lurking right behind her, and there's nothing he can do, because he barely had time to react before it's all too late. And suddenly, he finds himself bathed in thick, metallic blood. He can feel it covering him, taste it, smell it...
Kurogane jerks awake with a loud gasp. There's blood in his mouth. His. It takes a moment to realize that he'd bitten the inside of his cheek while struggling to wake up from his nightmare. The dull pain is actually a welcomed feeling, bringing him back to reality.
He casts a few glances beside him to make sure his male companions are all asleep; this isn't something he wants to talk about, especially not with particularly nosy members of his party. He pushes himself up quietly and tiptoes out of the room. He needs some fresh air, somewhere to breathe.
His feet seem to have a mind of their own, leading him down corridors of the large mansion until finally stopping at the courtyard. The cool night air is refreshing, and just what he needs. For a minute, Kurogane focuses on his breathing; tries to will it back to a normal pacing again. He's so caught up in avoiding his own thoughts that it takes a moment for him to register the shadow sitting by the fountain.
"Hello...?" A cautious move forward.
"Ah?" Even before the shadow shifts closer to the light, he recognizes her. "Kurogane-san..." At first, he's annoyed, because all he'd wanted was some fresh air, to be alone. But the annoyance evaporates as he catches sight of her smile. It's infectious, and he can't help but feel comforted by it.
"What are you doing up so late?" He hadn't meant to sound so gruff and disgruntled, but she doesn't seem to mind.
"I couldn't sleep." If she notices at all how disheveled he is, or how he's drenched in sweat, Sakura doesn't comment. Instead, she turns her gaze upward, toward the sky. "I was looking at the patterns the stars make." He lets her continue talking as he takes a seat next to her. "Like, see that clump up there?" His gaze follows her tiny finger as she makes a small circle up at the sky. "It looks just like an archer. See? There's his bow and arrow."
Kurogane takes a moment to consider her words. At first, it just looks like a clump of small, bright dots in the sky. Nothing spectacular, and certainly not an archer. But as she continues to trace the pattern back and forth, he starts to see a small outline. This isn't something he'd normally care about, but her excitement is endearing, and the sound of her voice is soothing. "What else do you see?"
"That one looks a little like a cat, don't you think?" He doesn't really think so, but he lets her continue pointing out pictures in the sky regardless. "And that one, if you tilt your head to one side" -- and despite the fact that he's really not seeing any of them, he does actually tilt his head at the same time she does -- "looks like Mokona!"
"What about you, Kurogane-san?" He turns to look at her in surprise. "Do you see anything?"
"Hnn..." He could just shut down the question with a quick, no, no I don't, or even make something up, but for some reason, he feels as though it's his duty to try. So he turns his stare back up at the sky again. And focuses.
It feels like it's been hours before he finally points up at a small cluster in the North. "That one. A sword." He'd expected to feel silly. Childish, even. But as he continues to stare up at the sky, he feels comforted instead. A hint of a smile slips through as Sakura agrees with him, excitedly adding to the picture he'd just discovered in the sky.
Thank you, he thinks as he looks down at her brightly smiling face.