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herri-writes · 1 year

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Frozen in Time

Chapter 2: Under the Deep Blue Sea

Izumi Sena x Reader (F) (!!)

Synopsis: After a reunion in the office, fate kept making their paths crossed and connecting, much to the photographers' dismay that it ended up with her in a circle meeting with someone.

Note: I am far too gone at this point. My priorities is Antique Legends Mika and acads. This fic is next in line. Sht got delayed bc I felt sick due to red week.

Kaoru being bitchless is real. Bro is already maidenless while being a shy mf towards Anzu/Player *Evil cackling*. DW Kaoru, there's Rei for your coping mechanism in being bitchless.

It was hard for Izumi to admit but he had a crush on you back in his childhood. Even though he clinged at Makoto often, Arashi teased him for being too blushy when you're near Izumi. Since your attention is Arashi often, you didn't notice nor realize that Izumi is also there all along but you always did whenever you had photoshoots with him together.

Now that he knew that you're that modeling agency's little princess, he remembered how you acted towards someone you're close with. He knew how you made his attention turn to yours when he wanted to be with Makoto all the time. But since Makoto's attention is on you, it'll be Arashi's opportunity to pester and annoy Izumi once she gets the chance.

"(Name), face the camera." You smiled and faced the camera while you sat on the grass cutely just as the photographer, your uncle, called your name. As you smiled and faced the camera, a flash came out and captured the adorable moment in his eyes. "Heh, you look cute in this picture. I'll tell my wife about this."

"Uncle, you can't just brag to Auntie every time you take a picture of me~" You pouted and crossed your arms. He patted your head as he messed up with your hair and teased you. "Aw~ is the little princess pouting~?" "Quit it!"

Izumi gazed at you and the photographer from afar while sitting on the bench and drank his water. Arashi on the other hand sighed and leaned on the bench's backrest and groaned, "Boooooring~"

"Shut up, Naru. You're soooo~ annoying when you complain." He closed the bottle with the cap and put it beside him. Arashi rolled his eyes when she saw Izumi staring at you and smirked a little. "Seems like Izumi has a crush."

"I don't." He blankly replied and she quickly retorted, "You're denying. You're staring at her."

"I'm not staring at her and I'm not denying."

"You are denying it."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"I'm not." Arashi grinned and gave him a smug look at his answer.

"You aren't."

"I am." Izumi became surprised at the answer he blurted out and winced. "You played dirty!"

Arashi giggled and she let out a mischievous glint in her eyes. She jumped off from the bench and shouted out, "Big Brother Akiomi! Izumi has a crush!" Arashi called her senior and ran off to where he was. Izumi chased her and shouted, "I don't! Naru, how many times do I need to repeat that? You're so~ annoying!"

You turned your head to see Arashi laughing while running away from Izumi, who is chasing and yelling at her. You curiously blinked and blatantly ignored them while turning your attention back to the camera on your hand.

Makoto walked beside you and sat down and looked at the camera. The more you pressed the button, the more he saw pictures of you, Izumi, Arashi, and Makoto together.

The two young models began to feel tired after all of that running. Izumi sat beside Makoto while Arashi sat beside you, looking at the pictures on the camera with you.

"Makko, we look cute in this one. Don't you think so?" You showed the picture to Makoto and he nodded.

It's a picture of you, Arashi, Makoto, and Izumi sitting beside each other on the bench and Akiomi standing behind the four of you, behind the bench. In the picture, you held Arashi's arm and clinged on it while shyly facing the camera and she leaned closer to you and smirked at Izumi as she held your hand on her arm. Makoto only sat there, behaving while smiling as he faced the camera but Izumi clinged on him like a clingy child and pouted while looking at Arashi. Akiomi on the other hand leaned close as he rested his arms on the bench’s backrest and stood there, acting like a big brother to the four young child models.

Makoto chuckled nervously and scratched his cheek with his finger. "But Big Brother Izumi is clinging on me... while you..."

"I know, but it doesn't matter," You replied as his voice faltered. "It doesn't matter if you face the camera or not as long as it's a memory to remember once the camera took a photo in the memory that stays in your mind until you grow up."

"Even if it's blurry or a mess because you moved or something moved and made you not take a photo of that memory anymore, it's still a memory." You said and his eyes sparkled. "So this one is already a memory?"

You nodded as you hummed and answered, "Yeah!" You remembered something you wanted to do in the future and beamed, "I want to take pictures of different kinds of memories when I grow up someday while I'm modeling and posing for the camera. It's better to not waste a single second not making a memory to remember, you know?"

"Then we'll grow up together and make more memories with the others!" He lit up in agreement and you nodded. Your eyes began to sparkle and smiled brightly.

Izumi saw how your eyes shined and sparkled when you told him your resolve. He began to like the way your eyes shined and how you smiled that his lips curved to a smile, making Arashi snicker.

But that resolve didn't last when he heard that you'll leave the city the day after. It also means that you'll never be able to make more memories with them as you grow up. You did grow up but you couldn't see them anymore as you are far away from them.

Izumi woke up from his sleep at his dream, which is a nostalgic memory of his childhood. He sat up on his bed and was surprised that he woke up minutes before his alarm rings. He moved closer to the side of the bed and got up on his feet to prepare himself for the day.

Minutes later, your alarm clock beeps that you slammed your fist to turn it off and pushed it off your bedside cabinet. "Five more minutes..." You groaned and slept more.

Nyaitsu jumped off his cat basket and climbed onto your bed. He crawled on you until he walked on your back but fell on the bed as you shifted your body to lie down on your back. Nyaitsu jumped on your chest and sat on it and meows to wake you up. Since his meows weren't heard, he planted his paws on your face and kneaded your cheeks.

You stirred in your sleep and opened your eyes. The first thing your eyes saw after you opened it is Nyaitsu hovering above your face. You smiled at the kitten's actions and patted his head and his back. "Good morning to you too, you silly cat."

You sat up and stretched yourself awake. You left the bed and got up to your feet, preparing for your morning meeting with Knights as their photographer. You exited your room and prepared breakfast for you and your fellow apartment mates. You put the bread in the toaster and made coffee from the coffee machine, enough for three.

To avoid any sacreligious attempts in traditions, you scooped out a few cups of rice from its container and poured it on the pot, enough for three stomachs for the morning and washed it on the sink with running water. You turned off the faucet and poured the rice water slowly and never wasted a single grain of rice. You turned on the faucet once again and filled up the pot with the right amount of water and turned it off. You wiped the excess water on the outside part of the pot with a dry towel and put the pot on the rice cooker and closed the lid as it automatically cooked on its own.

You took a pan out of the counter cabinet and flipped it with your dominant hand and placed it carefully on the stove. You added oil and heated it up before it goes moderately hot, hot enough to cook three eggs and six strips of bacon.

You opened the fridge and took out three eggs from the egg tray and a pack of bacon from the freezer and opened it. You then gradually added the eggs on the pan after cracking the shell open, followed by the bacon on the sides and nudged them with a spatula. The bread jumped out of the toaster and landed safely on the plate as you caught it on time.

The scent of eggs and bacon filled up the air from the kitchen. The aroma seeped through the bedroom of your two other companions in their own bedroom, waking them up for the new, busy day.

You turned off the stove and scooped the eggs and bacon with the spatula and placed it on a plate. You took Nyaitsu's bowl on the counter and poured milk on his bowl and placed it on the counter. The kitten jumped on the counter and drank his milk for the day.

Just in time, the coffee finished blending and the pitcher was nearly full. You let out a carton of milk and pour milk in each cup on the desired amount for each coffee drinker in the apartment, followed by pouring hot coffee in the cup until it reaches the neck of each cup.

You took three bowls for the rice from the kitchen cabinet and opened the rice cooker as it finished cooking, ready to be eaten and give energy to its consumer. You fill the bowl with rice using a spoon to scoop it out and put it on the bowl on its desired amount for each person.

You prepared the table and placed a table mat on one side and two on the other, followed by a bowl of rice for each person and a hot cup of coffee as an energizer on the top right side and chopsticks on the right side of the bowl.

A yawn was heard in the living room and loud thud on the couch. "Mornin'..."

"Good morning." You greeted back and saw your cousin lying down on the couch. Your eyes shone a glint of mischief and you snickered.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the office at this hour?" You began to grin as you told her a lie that made your cousin shoot her eyes wide awake and rushed to the table and sat on her seat and thanked the food.

She quickly ate and nearly choked herself and drank water. After she's done with her breakfast, she left the table after thanking the food once again and rushed to the bathroom to clean herself and to her bedroom to change into her work clothes.

You heard her bedroom door slammed open and rushing footsteps heading its way to the front door. "I'm leaving!" She exclaimed as she opened the door and realized when she looked at her watch. A cackle escaped your throat all the way to your mouth when she realized that she's too early before her leaving hours. You snorted and snickered, "You seem so stupid when you're rushing."

"Shut up!" She closed the door and returned to the table, drinking her coffee, annoyed. You smirked, "That's what you get from what you did to me yesterday~" You sat on your chair at the table and thanked the food before eating.

At the same time, inside Starmony Dorm, Izumi ate the breakfast Niki made for everyone and ate alone in the dining area. He drank his miso soup from his cup and rice with his chopsticks. He seriously ate that his presence alone scared everyone.

All except one.

"Senaaaaa!" Leo exclaimed in the early hours of the morning that he nearly spat out the miso soup he just sipped from his bowl or choked on the rice that he just chewed.

"Leo, it's too early," Izumi reminded him after he gulped down his food and continued to eat. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"Not when I asked Ritsu to prepare your personal favorite~" Leo revealed a bento box with various kinds, including the shrimps as the main attraction for the silver-haired idol.

"I'll take it out for lunch." Izumi said and he completely finished his meal and took his tray and left the table. Leo sighed and pouted as he sat on the chair, propped his elbows on the table and leaned on both of his hands. He sighed out and looked at Izumi, worried.

Last night, whenever no one was looking, he caught Izumi glancing at something with a sad look. It wasn't shown on his face but his eyes said it all and how he constantly sighs by exhaling air out of his nose. Whenever the topic is about the junior photographer, (Name), he remained quiet and ignored everyone and it was different from how he acted back then in his Yumenosaki Academy days as a student.

Leo's brow twitched while he watched Izumi placed the bowls and utensils in the dishwasher and placed the tray on the stack with a sad look in his eyes. Izumi's lips are formed on a thin line and his brows furrowed. The composer sighed and never hesitate to ask him one question that could make the model's facade falter.

"Is this about (Name) again?" A glass shattering was heard in the kitchen and Leo's eyes let out a glint when he guessed it right. "Don't forget that we'll meet her at the meeting later."

An idol passed by and turned their head when they heard glass shattering as it fell. "Senior Sena? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Leo..." Izumi turned around to face Leo from the kitchen as he glared. "Don't you have other matters to attend to...?"

Leo answered, "I'll be at the meeting later, Sena."

Izumi stormed out of the kitchen and took the neatly wrapped bento box off the table and left the dorm, fuming in anger.

Tsukasa sighed as he took a broom and a dustpan to clean the glass off the floor to avoid any accidents. He sighed as he swept the glass and looked at Leo, "You know, it's really wrong to cross the line, Leo."

"I know but I didn't mean to trigger him..." Leo sighed and slumped on the table, stressed because he stepped on a landmine named Izumi Sena.

You arrived at Ensemble Square on time and gulped down, nervous for what's about to come. You didn't bring Nyaitsu with you because you know that he'll disturb and distract anyone for the whole meeting. You fumbled your pocket, not used to the feeling of Nyaitsu not sleeping in your coat pocket. You could only sigh and try to inhale and calm yourself down as you entered the main entrance and stood at the lobby.

You sat on one of the benches lined up at the center of the lobby and waited. You were messaged by Arashi that someone will pick you up at the lobby and escort you to New Dimension agency's office. You felt glad that you have connections within Ensemble Square, even if it's someone from your past that you haven't met for a long time.

You waited for that person to pick you up and listened to the music with your earphones and hummed.

Your phone buzzed and you saw Arashi's contact name and she sent you a message, a notification showing on your screen.

My Queen

(Name), is your escort there yet?

He's coming there in a few minutes. Stay there.

You unlocked your phone and replied to her message.

Little Princess: Why? Who's picking me up?

My Queen: Can't say until he comes to the lobby.

Little Princess: He? Who's the "He"?

After a few seconds, Arashi didn't reply back. You felt nervous that you don't know who's picking you up and taking you to the agency office in Ensemble Square. Your phone buzzed that you nearly jumped out of your seat and looked at the message she gave you.

My Queen: Probably ur crush;)

You narrowed your eyes as you tried to decode what she meant and typed back, not dealing with her humor today.

Little Princess: Where did your proper typing go? Out of the window?

My Queen: Just wait, princess. Your beloved knight will be there to get you and take you to our castle>;)

Little Princess: Haha very funny, Rashi.

You rolled your eyes at the classic joke. Well, that can't be helped because it's a Knights thing. Arashi once told you in the message that they used that as an endearment towards their fans by addressing them in the status they wanted them to call as their loyal knights. You smiled when she said that. Now you know that it's often used in their songs, touching their fans with their lyrics.

You hoped that Arashi would come here to pick you up soon. You continued to listen to the song playing in your earphones and waited patiently.

At that moment, someone entered the main entrance and stopped at the lobby. His phone buzzed as he reached the lobby and fished out his phone from his pocket and the first thing he saw was the Knights' group chat at Hold Hands popped up on his notification screen. He raised his brow when he saw Tsukasa messaging his seniors, followed by Arashi telling the others that they chatted at the wrong group chat.

Knights | Operation: Photographer

Tsukasa: Where's Senior Sena? Is he there yet?

Arashi: Tsukasa, wrong chat.

Ritsu: Naru, it's not like he'll see it. Is (Name) there yet?

Arashi: For goodness' sake, Ritsu.

He deadpanned as he saw his name and yours in one notification and sighed. He looked up from his phone and saw you at the seats, sitting there and waiting for someone. He wanted to walk closer but he couldn't. He wanted to leave but he stayed there, staring at you from afar.

You turn your head to see who's at the lobby and your eyes widen to see that Izumi is there looking at you from the entrance. You stood up and checked your phone and Arashi messaged you that Izumi will pick you up at the lobby, followed by a winking emoji.

You returned your gaze on him and you saw him looking at his phone and sighed before putting it back in his pocket and walked towards you. You stood there and froze on the spot as he walked closer. He stood there, a few steps away from you and said, "I'm here to pick you up."

Surprised, you blinked twice and nodded. You took off your earphones and put them in your coat pocket. Izumi saw you nod and walked ahead of you and you followed behind him as he escorted you to New Dimension's office.

Izumi stopped at the elevator and pressed a button, making you stop behind him. He waited for the elevator doors to open and crossed his arms, leaning his weight on one leg and the other tapped its foot while waiting. You fiddled your leather strap with your fingers and waited for the doors to open.

As the elevator let out a ring, the doors opened. Izumi turned to face you and said, "Ladies first." You nodded and entered the elevator first, followed by him and pressed a button to close the doors and pressed seven to go up to the seventh floor. You felt the lift carrying you and Izumi up towards the destination and waited.

The whole ride felt awkward as you stood beside Izumi while you looked down on the floor and waited for the lift to stop. You closed your eyes and held your breath, waiting for that one small ring once again.

Izumi glanced at you, looking at you with a blank expression. He saw how you held the camera like your life depends on it. Of course, a photographer is not a photographer without a camera and it's the most important item in their occupation. He wanted to say something or reach you but in the end, he still did nothing.

You close your eyes until the elevator stops. Your body shook and lost your balance. You held your camera tightly on your hands as you tripped on your feet and tumbled backwards. Izumi saw this and immediately caught you in his arms to prevent you from falling to the floor and held you closer to his chest. You slowly opened your eyes when you didn't feel your back hitting the floor and the first thing you saw was Izumi, whose face is close to yours.

To you, it felt like time stopped when your gaze met his and locked. Your face is close to his in proximity that you could feel his breath touching your lips. You gulped down at the way he held you in his strong embrace and held your breath.

The elevator bell rang and the doors opened. Outside of the elevator, Arashi and Ritsu are revealed and the two knights gasped at the sight in front of them. Ritsu fished out his phone out of his pocket and took a picture before running away from the scandalous crime scene. Meanwhile Arashi, whose arms were once crossed, her dominant hand moved to cover her smirking lips with her fingers and snickered.

Izumi held you back up and asked you, "Are you alright?" You nodded and backed away, exiting the elevator, followed by Izumi who stood there beside you and placed a hand on his hip. He asked another question and looked at you. "You better be careful next time. You're not used to elevators?"

You wanted to nod but you shook your head instead and stood behind Arashi and hid away from Izumi.

"(Name), are you being shy again?" Arashi chuckled and patted your head. Izumi looked at Arashi, dead in the eyes. What did he do to make you shy away from him?

"Rashi... w-we should head to the conference room..." You tugged her sleeve and she nodded. "Right, right..." She turned her head to face Izumi and said, "We should go. She has other things to do after the meeting." She said and walked away with you in tow.

As the three of you were close to the NewDi conference room, Arashi looked at you and saw how shy you seemed. A light bulb popped out of her head and lit up when she thought of something to make you less nervous since it's your first meeting with Knights as their photographer for the project.

"(Name), do you want me to carry you?" Arashi asked you and you blushed a little and waved your hands in front of her. "Rashi, you don't need to."

"Come on, it's been years since I last did that to you~" She made grabby hands to tease you. Out of instinct, you grabbed her wrists and raised it up in the air. You two stopped walking and the both of you stayed in that position. Due to your gap in strength, she escaped your grasp and attempted to grab you by your waist. As she successfully caught you, she hoisted you up in the air and spun around like a parent carrying their child to see them smile and put you down on the floor.

"Rashi..." You laughed and giggled as she put you down on the floor and she hugged you and gave you a small squeeze.

"I can't help it. I missed this." Arashi chuckled and nuzzled her cheek on yours.

From being timid to laughing like a child. Your smile can brighten one's day. It can also turn one's cold aura to warmth. Heat is more stronger when made contact with the cold and it quickly spreads.

Your smile affected Izumi so much that he let out a small smile. It melted his cold heart but he knows that your smile was made by someone who is close to your heart that he glanced away, avoiding your smile. Izumi entered the conference room, hiding away his softened yet sad gaze with his cold glare once more.

Before Izumi entered the conference room, three other members of the same unit saw how Izumi looked away when he saw you smiling at Arashi. Ritsu yawned and Tsukasa sighed. Meanwhile Leo puffed out his cheeks and scoffed.

"See?! That's what I meant when I said Sena seemed sad whenever (Name) is involved!" Leo groaned and exclaimed as he sat on the couch and threw his hands to show the entire scenario to Ritsu and Tsukasa.

"So our Frost Knight's getting colder or warmer?" Ritsu asked and Leo answered, "Probably both. He's cold whenever (Name) isn't around and becomes warm when (Name) is around."

"Probably because of the fact that she's Izumi's childhood crush." Ritsu chimed in and stood up and lied down on the other couch in front of them. "Naru once told that to me once back then at practice last time."

"He what?" Tsukasa looked at Ritsu, taken aback at what the vampire stated. "Naru's words. Not mine." Ritsu yawned and replied before napping for the day.

As Izumi entered the conference room, everyone minded their own business in their own way. Leo composed on the floor, Ritsu napping on the couch, and Tsukasa looking at the papers given to him from a folder. Izumi looked at everyone in the room and gave them a look that he thought that everything seemed suspicious but none of them mind it at all. Actually, they felt his gaze as their movements stuttered and continued to ignore him.

Everyone in the room heard laughter from the outside and turned their heads to look at where the laughter came from.

"You're mean..." You pouted at Arashi and she only chuckled. "I'm doing what I can to make my princess happy~" You rolled your eyes at her statement and walked ahead as she opened the door for you to enter the conference room. "After you, my lady."

You smiled at her and said, "I appreciate your kind gesture, my dear knight." You curtsied and entered the room, followed by Arashi who closed the door and took your hand as she escorted you to the seats and sat beside you.

Tsukasa cleared his throat and spoke, "Now that everyone is here," He then turned to face you and continued, "We'll begin the meeting with our photographer for this collaboration project, Picture Perfect, with (Name) of YMSK Modeling Agency."

"P-Please to meet you..." You stuttered as you replied and you felt Arashi's hand on yours. You look up to see her amethyst orbs staring back at you as she softly smiles and rubs her thumb on your hand, calming you down.

You cleared your throat and spoke up, "Please meet you everyone. I believe that we met two days ago with I, as a junior photographer, who is under my senior's guidance. Since Suou mentioned my name, then there is no need for more details to be stated after the introduction."

He then passed the papers given to him by the vice president of the agency to you and read it quietly. It's a list of schedules and general information of every Knights member in detail and your schedule being the first one in the sheets of paper given to you. You blinked your eyes twice to see if your mind was hallucinating and shook your head but your eyes never lied to you today.

"Are you sure I'm supposed to have this...?" You asked Tsukasa and he nodded and answered, "Well, according to the information of the collaboration project, you'll be with us for a year starting this spring so you need those and it's important."

"I see..." You murmured and read the general information profile of each Knights member before the schedule. Arashi patted your shoulder and reassured you. "It's okay, (Name). How about this? You'll hang out with us Knights once we have the time. And oh, I want to introduce you to my circle. We always have shopping dates~"

"Including mine, too." Ritsu yawned and lay down on his side, his head leaning on his hand on the couch. "I can introduce you to my circle too and have tea together at the garden. In exchange, you'll be my pillow."

You nervously chuckled at Ritsu's condition and looked back to reading the profiles. Your gaze fell on Izumi's profile and gulped. It includes his occupation, his height, age, what unit he is in, and his preferences in general, which is his likes and dislikes.

Your gaze shifted to the handwritten information as it caught your gaze and you thought that it is not a part of the profile. The handwriting is a little messy but rushed and you stared at it, deeply.

Likes: That one junior photographer

You look up to face Tsukasa and you see him waking Ritsu up. Arashi leaned close to read the information profile and she snickered. She knew that it's someone's handwriting which is oh so familiar to her. She glanced at the sleeping knight and smirked.

"Did someone write on Mr. Sena's profile...?" You asked as you looked around to everyone. There was no response until Izumi took his profile in your hand and returned it to you. He blankly looked at you and crossed his arms. "So? What about it?"

What about it?

What about it...?

You were about to ask him when he immediately replied, "That's not my handwriting so you can ignore that." Izumi continued and returned to his seat.

You blinked and nodded and returned your attention to your schedule on hand and read it. Your eye twitched when you saw Izumi's name being the first one to be seen on your schedule for this day, right after your free hour, which lasts until noon, after lunch break. He has time to meet with his friends at the circle he joined after your free time. You held your sigh, thinking that you'll be stuck with him for the rest of the day.

'Of all idols...' You held your sigh and hid your face behind the papers. "Looking forward to cooperating with you in this project, Mr. Sena..."

After the meeting, you sighed out, sipping tea on the couch while missing Nyaitsu's presence but you had to leave him behind because of work purposes. You're not working at the modeling agency right now and you're at a different workplace, where pets aren't allowed at all.

Out of habit, you kept touching your coat pocket where Nyaitsu slept often and you let out a weak groan as you held your camera and looked at the pictures of the sweet kitty being left behind in your aunt's office. You really missed him, that you wanted to touch and pet him all day, that it brought you to the verge of tears and sipped your tea in silence.

"What's got you sighing, rookie?"

You nearly spat your tea that you gulped it down and choked and coughed as a result. You felt a soft pat on your back and a voice calming you down. "Hey, calm down. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

You look up to see Izumi looking at you, worried. That same feeling where time stopped came back once again the moment your gaze locked with his.

The cold gaze you often saw shifted to soft, warm gaze out of worry. Those eyes, the ones that have the perfect color of the blue sea, could make you drown if you dived in— the very same eyes that looked at yours made you feel that you might sink, drown, and die. It's so deep that you could barely reach the surface and fade in the depths of the deep dark blue sea.

Though that frozen time was of a short moment, you held your breath and closed your lips shut. You gulped down that lingering nervous feeling inside you down to your throat. You immediately looked away and nodded.

"I-I'm fine. No need to worry." You didn't turn to face him and still look away, avoiding him.

He sat beside you on the couch and asked you a question. "I heard that you became a photographer after you left the modeling agency." You nodded at his question. "And I heard that you're also an alumnus of Yumenosaki Academy." You nodded again.

You turned to face him and asked a question, "I heard that you kidnapped Makko at DDD, am I right?" Izumi tilted his head and asked, "Who's Makko?"

"Makoto Yuuki." Izumi paled and he winced, "I thought those news only stayed at the Idol Course..."

"Well, darn, Broadcasting Committee has a lot of ways of obtaining information." You blankly answered and shifted your attention to the camera and looked at the recent pictures you took.

He asked you another question, "Do you hate me that you always run away whenever I'm near you?"

You nearly dropped your camera at his question and you fell silent. You breathed in and out and turned your head to face him. "It's not that I'm scared... It's just because I messed up something..."

Izumi raised his brow and looked at you. You showed him a picture of Izumi on your camera and it's the accidental picture you took when he passed by at the seaside.

"So you were scared to show up because of that?" Izumi asked and smirked, "You never changed at all, (Name). You always took accidental shots and it seemed good to the eye whenever you did that."

"What do you mean by that?" You tilted your head and he answered, "Remember when you adjusted the camera's lens and pointed it to me when we're kids? When I turned to face you, that was when the flash came out. But when I look at the picture you took, it seemed like it was frozen in time. The picture didn't seem blurry at all when I moved or when your hands shook due to the camera being heavy because you're just a kid back then."

Your mouth opened slightly agape when he reminded you of the past. A blush dusted on your cheeks as you saw him smiling at the memory.

"Zumi, don't move..." You said as you held the camera and adjusted the picture quality with the lens and slightly pressed the shutter to focus.

"Hah? Why are you facing that camera on me—" Just as Izumi turned his head to face you, the flash came out of the camera. You panicked when he retorted that you pressed the shutter and the camera was too heavy for you to hold. "Ah, sorry!"

Izumi walked closer to your side and looked at the picture you just took. His eyes widened in surprise and in curiosity. He grinned and said, "Whoa. I didn't expect that it'll be a good picture, (Name)."

"Heh, how could I forget that? It happens all the time whenever you hold your uncle's camera." He snickered, making you flush in embarrassment. You gripped the camera on hand firmly and didn't say a word while reminiscing about the past. "Mr. Sena..."

He only chuckled and smiled. He patted your head and grinned as he muttered, "Sorry, I can't help it when it's you, (Name)..."

You looked at him and you were amazed at his smile. The smile he showed you is different from the one he used on stage and on TV shows.

His cold gaze became soft like the spring breeze. His sharp brows softened, making his gaze seem gentle to one's eyes. His lips curved into a soft smile, a smile that one will use when they look at something they love and treasure wholeheartedly and unconditionally. Your heart palpitated at the sight of his smile right in front of you. You wanted to move but the feeling of his hand on your hand made you melt into his touch and close your eyes as you leaned on his touch.

"Mr. Sena... mind letting me go...?" You murmured. You felt like you're getting soft like a cat, like how Nyaitsu will be like when he was petted by you. If you are a cat, you would purr and lean on their touch while they pet you and gently scratch your chin, the back of your ear, on your head, or rub their hand on your back. Izumi could practically see you as one when you softened at his touch.

"You really never change at all, (Name)..." He muttered as he removed his hand off of you and smiled.

"Aww~" You hear someone cooing and you turn your head to see who it is. It's Arashi holding up her phone and taking a picture of you and Izumi for the whole time. You deadpanned at your childhood friend and you saw the composer composing a song with his music sheets and a pen on the table. Ritsu grinned as he rested his head on his arms on the table and snickered, "We saw everything, Secchan. Don't deny it, okay?"

Izumi deadpanned and scoffed and turned away from you. "Whatever..."

"Fufu, Izumi, you seemed like you wanted to hug her when you petted her. So cute~" Arashi squealed as she cooed at how adorable the sight is to her. She covered her lips with her fingers and chuckled while holding her laughter.

The blush grew on your face and you shied away as you drank your tea from the can. Ritsu snickered when he saw the blush crept up to your cheeks and teased, "Secchan, go comfort your princess. She's all flustered now."

"Your Princess?!" You were red at this point that you brought Tsukasa's hair to shame. Izumi glared at Ritsu and clicked his tongue. "Let her be."

But not for long, Arashi sat closer to you and looked at you with a glint of mischief in her eyes. Her amethyst orbs look at you with intent, in a sly way. She leaned closer and engulfed you to a hug, holding you captive in her embrace.

"Ra— Arashi— Ms. Narukami?!" You stuttered as you tried to say her name when you addressed her at work. She whispered into your ear and said, "Let me tease him indirectly with you, okay?" If you saw her winking, then there's probably a star popping out as she winked.

Then, she began to pepper your face with kisses as she squeezed you tight. Your eyes widen because from the public view, it'll seem as scandalous but who can deny Arashi's affection when she is the sweetest being known in the world, rotting you from the core as she gave you diabetes due to how sweet she is.

"M-Ms. Narukami...?!" You are melting at this point. She is turning you into a putty in her hands. You began to ask yourself what she was implying and who she was indirectly teasing with.

"Naru, you're being unprofessional right now," Izumi crossed his arms and looked at her, nearly annoyed as he kept his serious expression on his face. But Arashi is still doing it and she gave him a smug look as she looked up and began to rock her body with you in her embrace. "Aww~ Can't I give your princess affection? I'm sorry, I can't help it because she seemed like she needed it~"

"I'm sorry but whose princess…?!" You exclaimed and blushed at the nickname Arashi gave you. This is the second time they called you Izumi's princess. You heard her chuckle that it made you jolt.

She then leaned closer to your ear as she asked you, "Am I right, (Name)?" You know you're not looking at her but you can see her half-lidded eyes and her mischievous grin from the back of your mind and that scared you as she looked at you darkly. You blinked twice and your lip twitched at her expression right now. Her voice sounds like she's telling you not to say or answer anything other than "yes". You could only nod and she squeezed you tight in response while nuzzling her cheek on the back of your head.

Izumi and Tsukasa just sighed. Arashi smirked and asked, "Jealous? Why not try doing this to her?"

Tsukasa's cheeks were dusted with pink and Izumi scoffed, "I'd rather die." Izumi rolled his eyes and glanced at you for a moment. The way your face is covered by lipstick marks and how you blushed made it seem cute for one to see that Izumi nearly snapped. He begins to think of himself in Arashi's situation right now. He gritted his teeth and looked away.

"Suuchan, Naru's not talking to you, remember...?" Ritsu snickered at the blush on Tsukasa's face and grinned.

"I-I know that." The young leader cleared his throat and looked away. Ritsu's grin widened and asked him, "Don't tell me you have a crush on our photographer here?"

Tsukasa's pink blush turned red, matching his hair. "I don't—" "Yeah, yeah, you have a crush on Anzu, aren't you?" Just as Ritsu ignored Tsukasa's denial, unfortunately, his blush grew the more he thought of you and him together.

Tsukasa Suou, the young leader of Knights, began to blush as he put his own hair to shame as his blush grew more red because the photographer named (Name).

"Senior Ritsu!" Tsukasa shouted at Ritsu but the vampire knight just napped, ignoring the garnet's words of denial. He clenched his fists as he glared and grimaced at Ritsu but he didn't want to catch a certain ginger's attention and turn away.

"Ahahahahahaha! Sena, you're blushing!" Leo laughed and let out a music book. "Thanks for the inspiration, Sena. You and (Name)'s flushed faces give me inspiration." He then began to compose a song in silence while watching his favorite love triangle trio being chaotic in front of him.

The three other knights looked at the three of you. Arashi embraced you firmly in her embrace, looking smug as she looked at Izumi, who was glaring at Arashi and deep in her soul. His glare could bring a blizzard as gaze became colder and colder while you who seemed to be in a predicament in the midst of the borderline of warmth and coldness.

"Is a love triangle unfolding right in front of us?! Inspiration is overflowing!" Leo exclaimed as he laughed again and continued to write at another set of pages in his music book. "I'll name this... The Queen's Princess and The Icy Cold Knight!"

'Why am I being surrounded by them...?' You thought while you surrendered in Arashi's overwhelming affection and Izumi's cold stare. You glanced at the others, staring at you. Great, you've made yourself an audience. You grimaced and suffered internally in this war between Izumi and Arashi.

You've remembered that you always went to AOUMI back in your high school days after school or on summer vacation. You had no idea that this is one of the places that the circle Izumi is in has a meeting here— probably the 13th reason why your cousin always goes here even if she disliked going to places with aquariums.

A long, distressed groan left your throat as you walked your way towards AOUMI Aquarium's entrance. This time, you were scheduled to attend OCEANS' circle with someone at AOUMI Aquarium in the afternoon after 1. The task given to you is to take a photo of every circle meeting that every Knights member is in and you sighed.

Currently, you were being dragged with someone. Someone like...

"Stop falling behind. You'll be late for the circle photoshoot." An annoyed sigh left the model's lips as he pulled you by your wrist until the two of you arrived in front of AOUMI Aquarium's main entrance. "Aren't you supposed to get to know each unit member of Knights with this? So, please cooperate. You're so~ annoying, you know that?"

Yeah, now you know who it is.

Izumi dragged you all the way from Ensemble Square to AOUMI's entrance the moment he knew that you were fifteen minutes close to leave for Izumi and OCEANS photoshoot. All the way there, he huffed out a sigh whenever he mentioned that you're late on the schedule. The reason why you're late is because of Ritsu, who napped on your lap after Arashi left you alone with Ritsu and Izumi.

"Sakuma— I mean, Ritsu, can you let go of me...?" You called the sleeping vampire knight and poked his cheek to stir him awake. As expected of Ritsu, there is no response from him. You sighed and attempted to gently shake his shoulders but the next attempt was futile. He is still asleep.

"Ritsu, can you please wake up? I am running late for Mr. Sena's circle meeting..." You shook his shoulders once again but there was no response. You sighed out once again and gave up.

You gently pinched Ritsu's cheek and as a result, he stirred in his sleep and wrapped your waist with his arms and held you close in his nap. You deeply inhaled and held your breath, close to wake him up out loud.

You are so close to snapping when you tried to shake Ritsu awake but Izumi carried you away from Ritsu just as he tried to wake the sleeping vampire, pissed for making you and Izumi late. Izumi carried you out of the break room in his arms, carrying you like a princess being protected by a knight. Since he saw a damsel in absolute distress, he couldn't help but to do so.

The moment you stepped inside the main entrance with Izumi, you bit your lip when you nearly forgot to wear your facemask. You often did this to hide your identity out to the public eye and to avoid unwanted attention. Also, you felt glad that you were known as the junior photographer of YMSK Modeling Agency and not as (Name). A chill went up to your spine when you remembered a memory that you oh so not wanted to remember and shook it off.

Just as you and Izumi entered the main entrance, you fished out your face mask from your pants pocket and quickly put it on. Izumi glanced and looked behind him, seeing you wearing a face mask on. He wanted to question it but he just shrugged it off and looked for his fellow circle members, who were waiting for him at the front desk at the lobby.

"Isn't that...?" A familiar blonde looked at you and Izumi from the side of the counter and he grimaced when he recognized you. "Geh...! It's (Name)..." The corner of his lip twitched and he nervously laughed. "Apologies, I-I have to go to the restroom..."

"Kaoru? Where are you 'heading' to?" A slow, wave-like tone asked Kaoru, who was about to leave and the blonde jolted, not knowing that he'll get caught with his former club president of Marine Life Club and his fellow OCEANS circle member, Kanata Shinkai of RYUSETAI. Kanata then continued to ask him, "Izumi is already 'here', you know...?"

The four other OCEANS circle members turned their heads to see you and Izumi walking closer to them. While their attention is on the model and the photographer, Kaoru disappeared from thin air, taking UNDEAD's name quite far to literal context.

Just as Izumi looked to see if everyone in OCEANS was here, he raised his brow in confusion and asked them, "Where is Kao? I thought he's excited to meet (Name)."

"Lord Hakaze is..." Souma glanced to see if Kaoru is behind him but to his surprise, the blonde is no longer there. Kanata answered, "Kaoru went to the 'comfort room'. He seemed a bit 'suspicious' today." He paused for a moment and continued as he shifted his gaze on you, "I think it's because of this 'photographer' here~"

"P-Please to meet you all. I'm (Name), Knights' photographer for the Picture Perfect Collaboration." You bowed and introduced yourself as a greeting and Kanata sloppily smiled. "Nice to 'meet' you, (Name). Welcome to AOUMI Aquarium. Puka puka~" He greeted back and he began to slowly sway his body as he waved his arms, acting like a jellyfish swimming underwater.

A smile was formed on your lips but it was hidden behind the mask and yet your eyes showed that you like this kind of unique greeting given to you. Suddenly, an exclaimed question was heard from someone you knew in the past, that made your eye twitch.

"A-Anzu?! What brings you here...?" You turn your head to see Kaoru talking to Anzu and he seemed to be... nervous? You fell silent, confused at how the huge flirt and infamous playboy of Yumenosaki Academy suddenly became a nervous wreck. You blurted out a question, "What happened to that guy...?"

Izumi turned his attention to you and answered, "Kao tried to change himself after Repayment Fes but it seemed like he started to act like a total idiot when Anzu was in the same room as him. He's trying to change from his past self but his constant flirtings towards that certain person is making him look stupid while being a stuttering and flustered mess." You couldn't help but to blink thrice out of pure surprise, taken aback at the huge change of the Kaoru of the past and the Kaoru of the present. You wryly smiled and thanked Izumi for the answer and looked back to Anzu and Kaoru.

You thought their conversation would last until Anzu turned her gaze at you and waved her hand to say "hi". Meanwhile Kaoru, the moment he looked at where Anzu's attention went to, he paled when his gaze fell on to your shy figure. Out of instinct, probably a habit of yours, you hid behind Izumi's back.

Checking to see if he's still looking in your direction, you peeked from Izumi's back to see if Kaoru is still looking at you. Just as you saw that he's still looking at you, shocked because a person from the past, his fellow alumnus from his previous Alma Mater is right here in the same place he is in, you quickly hid behind Izumi and became more timid than you always were.

For the first time in Izumi's life ever since the day of the collaboration project, you came closer to him of all people. He knows that if you chose to hide behind someone, it's always someone you're close with but him seeing you like this made his heart squeeze and internally screamed at how cute you looked. But he could imagine Makoto as you in this situation but it went worse when he looked behind him, seeing you hide behind his back like a cornered mouse.

From the distance, at one of the passages to the lobby of the aquarium, three pairs of eyes were taken aback that their jaw dropped, also aghast at the sight before them.

Tsukasa's words remained stuck at the tip of his tongue and he gulped. "Whoa, did Ms. (Name) just...?" He hid his mouth behind his hand, stunned at the sight.

Ritsu, who is wide awake after his momentary nap and is more awake when he sees you hid behind Izumi. "W-Wow..." He couldn't help but to be speechless as his eyes widened in surprise and snicker.

"Well, it seems like we don't need to give Izumi a good push after this." Arashi on the other hand, recovered herself from shock and sipped the smoothie she bought at her date with Mika at Pretty 5's circle activity and recorded the whole scene with her phone.

"Where is Tsukippi when we need him? He really needs to see this..." Ritsu sighed. Meanwhile, the composer in question is absent due to his fountain of inspiration overflowing and he has to remain stuck inside his dorm room.

The garnet haired knight sighed, "We have no other choice but to have his status as M.I.A. because his INSPIRATIONS is actually overflowing out of him, thanks to Ms. (Name) and Senior Sena..." He then facepalmed and looked back at OCEANS, who stood there, also surprised.

"Senacchi," Kaoru called the silver-haired knight's attention and continued after the long pause. "She's Knights' photographer?"

"And also Izumi's future girlfriend." Arashi continued Izumi's words under her breath and snickered.

Izumi nodded in response and answered, "And she's here to take pictures of every Knights member in their circle meetings, which is her current task this week." The others in OCEANS nodded at his answer and looked at you, who is clinging behind Izumi with your hands on his coat.

"You know, Senior Sena, you two seem like you're dating." Adonis couldn't help but to point out a certain thing between you and Izumi.

You leaned closer to him to hide your blush and your grip on his coat tightened. Izumi's face is dusted with pink on his cheeks that he huffed out and rolled his eyes in response. "Now, all of you, aren't we too late on the schedule? Let's just go." He said and he turned around to face you and held your shoulders and gently pushed you as you both walked away from them, avoiding further comments to be given to you and Izumi.

"Okay, it seems like Senpai didn't score a (Name) point today and Izumi is winning." Arashi commented and sipped her smoothie, near empty. She smirked and said, "Looks like it's an aquarium date but there's multiple potential third wheels."

"Nah, make it a fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh." Ritsu then grinned as he laid his eyes on Kanata, Adonis, Souma, Kaoru, and Anzu, who came along with you for the project. Ritsu then grimaced as he laid his eyes on Anzu. "Can't she just stay away for a moment? I need to see Izumi and (Name) together."

Arashi chuckled and answered, "Probably later. Let's just wait until they reach the souvenir shop. It'll be cute. I'm pretty sure of it."

The day with OCEANS went smoothly as expected. You took a few shots of Izumi talking to circle members while the rest of them are all solo pictures of him. Every time your lens faced Izumi, you felt a gaze behind you that you became paranoid, making you frozen in place.

But, during all of that, you couldn't help but to admire how beautiful the aquarium is. Though it's one of the well-known entertainment spots, it felt like the water healed you while admiring the fishes and other sea creatures swimming in the blue waters. The ocean world is still full of mysteries but seeing it in person makes your heart at ease.

Before everything else, Anzu gave you a brochure about the contents of the whole aquarium, including a map. You fish out the old brochure you have with you since last year and check every detail on the map. You were not surprised that things have changed in the area so you accepted the new brochure and kept the old one in your bag. The more time passes by, the more things change all around you so it's not a surprise.

You visited this aquarium often back in the good old days as a Yumenosaki student and you haven't realized what made you feel attached to this place ever since the day you took a step inside the building for the very first time in your life. Your frequent visits once started at that one quiet summer, sometime around after Tanabata Festival.

"Come on! It'll be fun, I promise!" A person from the idol course tried to convince you to come to AOUMI Aquarium with him. You raised your brow and asked him, "Why are you so persistent on taking me there to the aquarium, Hakaze?"

"I don't know anyone else who to invite with. Kanata gave me these tickets to the aquarium and there's two of these so I can't just waste it because of his kindness." He answered, then he begged you as he folded his hands and bowed his head. "So please, go to the aquarium with me tomorrow morning. Just for once. Does nine in the morning seem good? Nine-thirty? Ten o'clock?" You sighed after he begged you to go out with him.

You massaged your forehead and inhaled deeply and answered, "Fine... Meet me at the entrance at nine-thirty."

Kaoru grinned in response and said, "Alright~ It's a date, then." You irked at the word "date" that you snapped and glared at him. "It is not a date, Hakaze."

The next day, you waited for Kaoru to show up while looking at your wristwatch. It's five minutes close to nine-thirty so you are pretty early from the agreed meeting time.

You grimaced when you thought about why you agreed to go out with Yumenosaki academy's infamous playboy. Somehow, you couldn't help but to let out a distressed sigh when he thought of coming to you and asked you to go out on a date with him.

'It's just a one-time date, self. It'll end once the sun sets...' You thought as you still waited for Kaoru. Speak of the devil, he's finally here, wearing casual clothes, fit for the autumn season. He wore a white cotton shirt and blue denim pants and black converse shoes. His name may translate into fresh breeze but the summer breeze blew his blonde, mullet hair gently, slowly waving from the wind.

"Did I make you wait, pretty?" Kaoru smiled as he looked at you. He looked at your outfit for the day, which is a white summer dress, paired with a blue denim tote bag. For your footwear, you wore brown slippers, fitting for the casual summer wear in the city.

You scoffed, "Isn't this the wrong time for an aquarium date in the summer, Hakaze?" You crossed your arms as you asked him. He chuckled and answered, "It's the right time for the date, (Name). There is a dolphin show at the grand pool at the outdoor area of the aquarium later. Of course, we have to stay close to each other so that you won't get lost in the area."

You narrowed your eyes at him and glared. Surely you know that he'll be sticking closer to you and wrap an arm on your shoulder or on your waist. You hissed, "I am not letting you lay a finger on me, Hakaze."

"Wow, that's some scary glare you got." He chuckled but you could see that he began to pale at the sight before him. Much deserved for the person who forced you to go on a date with him.

You rolled your eyes and turned away. "See you in never, Hakaze," And entered the aquarium as you waved your hand, holding your ticket and leaving him behind. You went to the front desk and gave your ticket in exchange for a brochure, containing a map and the contents of the aquarium's area. You let out a distressed sigh as you wandered around the aquarium alone, without Kaoru with you.

Distracting yourself from the memory, you shifted your gaze to look at the circle members but it only stayed at Izumi as his figure alone caught your attention. You couldn't help but to raise your camera to your head and face the lens on Izumi and click the shutter. You always take quick shots and this shot made your heart skip multiple beats.

The deep blue waters emitted from the aquariums' lights made his hair shine from the light, making stand out from your perspective. His icy blue eyes matched the color of the water, making you compare the hues of his irises to the waters of the blue sea. You shifted your gaze back to the actual scene in your point of view and back to the picture on your camera.

Somehow, it made you think you fell for him more but you shook your head when you focused on the task at hand. You know that he is beautiful in all angles and it makes you have a full-hearted crush on him but you always roll your eyes whenever you ignore it and shrug it off.

Stage one: Denial. Welcome to the denial stage, dearie. Congratulations on denying your crush on Izumi Sena. You have two options: Pine over him or open out your feelings to him. Pick your poison. The effects will be less lethal when consumed but the consequences will be dangerous.

"Are you done admiring?" Izumi asked you and he smirked. "I know I'm beautiful but don't stand there idly. Let's continue to go around." Izumi walked off and you followed behind him, sighing because he somehow read your mind. You hoped that he didn't read your expression about your tiny crush towards him that grew overtime.

Meanwhile, back at Starmony Dorm, Leo continued to compose a song about the cold knight and the shy princess. While composing, he pouted like a child and scoffed, "I felt jealous... I hope (Name) will trip if she's too clingy at Sena..."

You let out a small sneeze, almost like a kitten sneeze. Your sneeze caught someone's attention and he turned his head to face you. He noticed that you didn't wear your coat. It was left behind when Ritsu clinged on you like a cat that you had no other choice but to strip it off of you when you escaped from his clingy embrace.

The idol in question wore your coat and let out a smug smirk. "Sorry not sorry (Name)..."

"Are you cold?" Izumi asked you and you shook your head. It's rare for you to sneeze when you're healthy like a plant, getting enough water and sunlight. "I'm not. Let's keep walking." You sniffed and rubbed your nose and walked ahead.

A hand on your shoulder stopped you from walking when you froze. You turn around to see who stopped you but it's just Izumi, who took off his coat that hung on his shoulders and placed it on yours, making you wear it, partially. A blush dusted your cheeks and for the umpteenth time, you thanked your mask for covering the lower half of your face.

"When it's too cold for you, don't force yourself and tolerate it. You'll get sick if you do so." Izumi said as he patted your shoulders after he adjusted his coat on you. "You don't want to get sick while working, don't you?"

His cold gaze became warm but his face remained serious. In terms of proximity, he is nearly close but far enough to give you space. If you could recall your first "date" with Kaoru, this is way too different. You are frozen, not because of this side of him being all warm in presence and gaze alone but because your idol crush, Izumi Sena, nagged at you like a worried mother while being affectionate to you in the most comforting way possible.

His gentle touch on your shoulders made you feel warm and fuzzy all over while covering your body with his coat and adjusting it for you, keeping you warm from the cold temperature from the air conditioning in the building. Somehow, his coat did make you feel more warmer the more your blush grew from an innocent pink to a flustered red.

You remembered how his actions contrasts to his snarky, cold, and intimidating behavior which is actually gentle, warm, and protective. His soft touch, his firm yet gentle hold, his protective embrace contrasts to his cold gaze and intimidating aura. You felt like a cat, wanting more of that warmth as you craved for it. You realize your thoughts that you shook it off and shy away.

You're so shy to face him that you quickly turn away from Izumi to hide your blush, that was creeping up to your face all the way to your ear. Steam probably began to come out of your ears when you felt it hot from the blush. You held your fist close to your chest to calm your palpitating heart, that is beating fast and loud.

"L-Let's just go. We don't want to keep them hanging around in the same place..." You briskly walked away after you said that to Izumi. Honestly, you wanted to bury yourself alive for being too shy towards him right now. Since you're acting all flustered towards him, the urge to bury yourself increases.

A small, shaky sigh exited past your lips as you walked past the other OCEANS circle members. Question marks popped out of their head in confusion while Kaoru's jaw dropped open. To him, it seems like Izumi is getting maidens while the blonde remains maidenless until the day he dies. At this point, Kaoru already knew that your heart was stolen by Izumi at first glance.

Izumi on the other hand, is stunned when you suddenly walk away all flustered. There is probably something he never knew about you ever since you first met him at the seaside back then.

It is obvious that Izumi couldn't hold his feelings longer, now that his long time abandoned feelings towards you now resurfaced, making it obvious towards Arashi, who has known him since childhood. As dense as an oil in an heterogeneous demonstration experiment, you never realized any of these small changes of Izumi's behavior and actions towards you from the others. You, on the other hand, never noticed it. You wondered if it's just the same Izumi you once remembered in the past and let it slide.

Arashi's grin widened while she hid behind the pillar. "My, my, seems like Izumi is close to realizing Princess' feelings towards him," She snickered and covered her lips to hide her grin while letting out a dark, mischievous aura that seeped out of her. "This'll be fun if he knew about this. I wonder how he'd react if he did know about it."

"But you know that it'll affect their career if Izumi knew, remember?" Tsukasa pointed out a fact about something that'll result in a taboo known in the entertainment industry. Ritsu yawned and answered, "But Secchan will reject her feelings in the end, of course."

Tsukasa couldn't help but to facepalm and quietly groan out, "You know, that will affect our progress in this COLLABORATION once it happens, remember? Let's just... leave them alone. If one of them begins to pine for the other, then let's just tolerate them by listening to their confessions out while hearing their lovesick sighs."

Arashi and Ritsu nodded at Tsukasa's suggestion and grinned as they faced each other. Both are looking forward to yours and Izumi's pining.

Back to the OCEANS circle members (plus you and Anzu). The group passed through the jellyfish section, where various jellyfishes float in the water like small clouds as they formed as clusters. Since the room is slightly dim, they began to glow.

"Jellyfishes who live near the daylight zone and at the twilight zone are bioluminescent. Examples of these bioluminescent jellyfish are the Moon Jellyfish. Some species of moon jellyfish are capable of bioluminescence, producing light through a chemical reaction in their bodies. This light is used for a variety of purposes, including attracting mates, deterring predators, and attracting prey." You read the fact about the jellyfishes in the brochure and your eyes sparkled.

You shifted your gaze to the view of moon jellyfish swimming under the water, with the glass revealing the whole display. 'What a new discovery...!' You brought out your camera and made sure the flash was off. You pressed the shutter and took a picture of the beautiful sight in front of you.

You live your whole life by the land and at the city that you always went to the seaside to admire the blue crystallized waters, changing colors as the sun rises and falls to the horizon. You always love the sea but it pains you that you could only stay on land.

You wished that when you can live for yourself, you'll live by the sea, admiring the sea breeze, carrying the sea's salty scent, brush your feet by the brushing waves, listening to it crashing and susurrates to the sea and back to the land. It is your greatest dream and you will make it come true with your own hands to the most of your abilities.

But at the same time, the waves scared you that you feared going to the water. The ocean is vast and wide, also deep. You feared that you'd drown once the waves washed you away from the shore.

You always dreamed of yourself, under the surface, sinking down to the depths, desperate to call but the waters muffled your cries. Fear washed over you as you flail your arms and legs under the water, desperate to see the sky that was shown above the surface.

The you in your dream suffered from the cold water, making you suffocate from the water entering your system and from hypothermia. Your eyes are dull and skin paler than a paper. You lost your life as you sank deeper into the deep, dark depths of the ocean.

Then, the deep, blue waters in your dreams made you remember his eyes. The more you gaze deeply, the more you sink deeper. You were scared to look at him or face him. And yet, those arms that held you and embraced you made you feel like he dragged you out of your despair under the waters' surface. You were saved, by him and him alone.But those arms that hold you close to an embrace, the hands that gently touched you, treated you like a princess or a friend made you think otherwise. Those hands of his reached you from the depths and pulled you back to the surface, saving you from the suffering you've lasted.

"A-Anzu," You turned your head and called the producer. "Can you hold my camera for me?"

"Of course." She replied. You gave your camera to her. You placed it on her hands and put the strap around her neck, letting it hang loose. You smiled and thanked her, "Thank you, Anzu." You return to the tank where the jellyfishes are and admire them.

The sea is indeed full of wonders that you couldn't help but be amazed by the sight. You gently placed your hand on the glass tank as your eyes glinted in amazement and your mouth slightly agape. You took off your mask from your face and continued to admire the beauty of the sea jellies floating under the water. A soft smile forms on your lips as you exhale out, breathless at the sight.

Unknown to you, a click coming out of the camera was heard as you were in a trance, your mind in a fleeting reverie was broken when the click was heard. You blinked your eyes, sending you back to reality. You slowly turn your head to see Izumi with a camera on hand, the lens facing you as the camera hides his face. You could see the smile on his lips when he lowered the camera down to see you, now looking at him.

"I can finally see why you look more beautiful with a smile on your face, (Name)," He complimented you with a soft smile on his face. His cold gaze was no longer there. His gaze radiating with gentle warmth, matching his sincere smile.

You do know all too well that once your gaze is locked with his, the time stops. And for the first time, your heart palpitated at his smile alone. His compliments made your heart flutter. "What's making you shy away from that smile of yours when you tend to avoid one's gaze or hide behind the mask?"

"I love seeing you smile. So please, will you smile more often... for me?"

A blush grew on your cheeks as he complimented your smile and asked you to smile more often for him. You turn your head and shyly look away, while hiding your stutters inside your throat as you cover your mouth with your hand. For the first time in your life, you heard those words that are full of genuinity and kindness, not the ones you often heard in photoshoots when you're being taken a photo of.

And for the first time, Izumi is the first person to tell you those words out of pure kindness.

"Th-Thank you, Mr. Sena..."

After the whole photoshoot tour around the aquarium's indoor area, the group arrived at the souvenir shop, the last and final destination before ending the day. Kaoru felt so tired that he sat on the bench near the souvenir shop with Souma comforting him and Adonis gave the brunette a bottle of water to drink.

"It seems like Rei's stamina loss rubbed off on me..." Kaoru sighed, earning a sneeze from the self-proclaimed vampire in RhythLin office, concerning his glasses-clad companion.

Your eyes widen at the sight of the merchandise lined up on the shelves from the outside of the souvenir shop. Your eyes sparkled at the sight, almost beating the sparkling lives of Trickstar. You shake your head to remove the temptation and look around to see Izumi is nearby and see if he's still holding your camera. You paled when you didn't see him around and nearly panicked.

A tap was felt on your shoulder that you jolted. You immediately turn to face who tapped your shoulder and it's just Izumi, holding your camera in his hand.

"Something wrong?" He asked and your hand shakily pointed at the camera on his hand.

"Ah, right. Apologies," He placed it on your hands, ready to hold your camera and hang the strap on your neck. You thanked him and immediately zoomed away to take pictures quickly since Izumi is near his fellow companions in the circle, starting from the circle members resting by the bench to taking solo shots of them.

After taking pictures for a moment, you saw Izumi entering the souvenir shop. You tilted your head in confusion and discreetly trailed behind him.

Anzu caught a glimpse of you entering the souvenir shop and went to the entrance to check on you and see what you were doing. Just as she peeked from, her eyes stared and widened in surprise. The producer couldn't help but to blink at the sight and shook it off when Kanata leaned behind Anzu and peeked on what caught the producer's attention at the souvenir shop. A smile formed on his lips and watched at the sight before them.

At the plushies section, you secretly took a picture of Izumi looking at the plushies that took the form of marine creatures, mostly on cephalopods and marine mammals, especially dolphins and whales. While you're taking a picture of him, she couldn't help but to wonder what made Izumi so deep in thought while looking at the plushies he had on hand.

Izumi wandered by the shelves where the plushies are and pondered, 'I wonder what does (Name) like...?' He thought as he looked at the dolphin plush sitting on the shelf. He took it and held it in his hand and reminded him of something, 'Kao once mentioned that she went to the dolphin show here last year at summer constantly that time...'

'Wait. Why am I thinking of (Name)'s interest in sea creatures?! This is not you, Izumi!' He shook his head and looked back at the plush on his hand. 'Somehow, dolphins remind me of her back then... Playful, talented, obedient, and eye-catching. Right now...'

Izumi returned the dolphin plush to the shelf and glanced at the octopi plushies beside the whale plushies. He let out a small smile and whispered, "She's pretty and shy and aloof."

Somehow, while taking a picture and observing him quietly, you began thinking of giving him something, like a keychain or a phone charm but you know that he is not interested in such items. Until your mind thought of giving a plush that reminded you of him but you honestly don't know what kind or shape or form you would give to him as a gift or a mark of gratitude.

'Is a jellyfish plushie a good gift for him?' You thought as you subconsciously went to the other side of the plushie shelves' marine sea jellies section, opposite to where Izumi is. 'What about a whale...?'

You shook your head and moved on to the next plush near you. "What is shiny and silvery like...?" You muttered under your breath until you saw a gray dolphin plushie, with a pearl on its snout, showing like it's playing it.

'I think I found one...' You thought as you picked up the dolphin plush and hugged it and nuzzled your face on the soft plush. You let out a joyful hum when you feel how soft the plush is on your arms. It's so soft like a marshmallow or a fluffy pillow. A contented sigh leaves your system as you indulge yourself with the plush toy in your arms.

You felt someone looking at you and you turned your head where it came from. Your cheeks were dusted with a shy blush as you saw Izumi holding a phone on one hand while the other holding an octopus plush with the color coincidentally matching his eyes that is blue.

A blush crept up to your cheeks as you hid your face behind the plush. Flustered, you shy away and stutter out, "Y-You didn't see anything...!" You then turn away, avoiding his gaze. He replied, "I don't. Really." You prayed to Mother Earth to take you alive and become one with the soil.

Unknown to you, he took a picture of you with his phone. He couldn't help but to take a picture of you when you're hugging that plush. It's cute, he thought. He put his phone back in his pocket and followed you to the counter to purchase the octopus plush he had on hand.

'I felt like I wanted to perish...' You thought as you scurried away and went to the counter to pay for the plush. You placed the plush on the counter and purchased it just as you gave your money to the cashier on the exact price of the plush. You took the paper bag on the counter and exited the souvenir shop.

You walked your way towards Anzu's side and let out an anxious, shaky sigh. Your sigh startled the producer and asked you, "Are you alright? You seem to be in distress."

"I am not a damsel in distress..." You retorted and sighed out, "I'm just... in a rush..."

The producer saw how you have blue, red, and white on your face that it concerns her. If you're wearing your face mask, then she could only see blue and red. She shrugged it off and nodded as she hummed in confusion to your strange behavior.

She looked behind you and saw Izumi walking out of the shop with a paper bag in hand, carrying from the handle. Seeing that the time of the circle meeting is coming to a close, she asked out, "It seems like we're done for the day. Is there anything else you wanted to do before leaving the aquarium?"

You looked at Kaoru who nervously looked away from Anzu and shook her head, Souma holding a small turtle plush on hand, also shaking his head, Adonis holding a bottle of water for himself since he gave the rest of the bottles of water to the others and answered no, and Kanata shook his head and answered, "It seems like there is 'nothing' else we could do here since we're all done going 'around' inside the aquarium." Everyone nodded at Kanata's reply and all left the aquarium to return to Ensemble Square.

The moment everyone exited the aquarium's doors, they were greeted by the twilight sky. They all didn't realize that it's finally dark outside that they spent too much time together in the aquarium's indoor grounds. Everyone then chatted about their day and what happened the day before as various reactions were done by each person.

"Anzu, do you remember that time when Senior Hakaze—"

"Adonis, let's not talk about me right now..."

"Well I remember when Kao—"

"Senacchi, don't."

As you listened to their conversation, you couldn't help but to smile. Seeing that Izumi made friends with someone other than Knights and Makoto. You could remember that he always clinged on Makoto often and never forget the fact that Izumi kidnapped Makoto once on the day of DDD, making the whole unit disqualified in the event.

Shaking that aside, you can see that he changed from his personality but his cold demeanor became warm the longer he spent time with Knights. That thought alone made your smile widen and made you remember that you forgot to put your face mask on. You put your face mask out from your pants' pocket and wear it on your face.

Distracting yourself from your thoughts, your gaze shifted to the city lights as you walked on the path. The night life in the city is so bright, just like the lives that were often held at Ensemble Square. You couldn't help but to let out a quiet smile curved on your lips.

Your momental trance lasted short when an arm pulled you and dragged you beside him. "Don't get too close to the side street. You'll get hurt." You then realized that Izumi pulled you to the opposite side away from the street and close to him. His arm wrapped around your shoulder and held you protectively.

You were flushed due to the proximity between you and Izumi that your breath became visible as you breathe. You two kept walking, close to each other while Izumi kept you warm from the spring's cold weather. "I-Izumi, aren't you too close?" You stuttered and he turned his head to look at you. He warmly smiled, "So you finally said my name. I've been waiting for you to call me that."

"I— I mean..." Your voice faltered as you kept locked gazes with him. Izumi's arm on your shoulder is firm, firm enough for you to back away from him. And yet, you didn't. "You mean, what?" He let out a small smirk and you looked away.

"L-Let's just go..." You walk ahead, releasing yourself from his hold and he follows you behind. He put his free hand in his pocket while his other hand held his paper bag and smiled as he saw you walking ahead from everyone. You hugged your paper bag close to you and pressed the lower half of your face as you hid your pout behind it.

Kaoru gritted his teeth and shed tears as he clenched his fist, feeling proud for his best friend for making a move on the girl he met after a long time. Kanata can only think of two seahorses in love when he sees you two close to each other. Souma's eyes glinted in astonishment when Izumi pulled you closer to him, as if he's protecting you from harm. Adonis and Anzu only smiled.

You began to summarize the events that occurred today from the Ensemble Square to the aquarium and back. Firstly, you thought about what happened to Ensemble Square, starting from the part where he escorted you from the lobby all the way to the 7th floor of ES building and saved you from your lightweight fall when the elevator stopped. Next, he gave a pat on your head and his aura became warm, warm enough for you to feel as he put aside his cold demeanor towards you.

For the events that occurred between the two of you at the aquarium, it started when he offered you his coat against your will but he did that to keep you warm. Next, he took a picture of you when you smiled at the moon jellyfishes at the jellyfish exhibit. And lastly, he acted like the gentleman he is by pulling you away from getting close to the street. What's next? Walking you back to your home? You wouldn't know.

Too flustered and shy to let anyone close to you, you briskly walked away from the group. Seeing that you walked fast and a few steps away from everyone, Izumi followed you as he walked behind you including Anzu, making sure you won't fall or break anything on you.

"(Name), wait for us!"

"(Name), don't run off like that! You'll hurt yourself!"

The other three members of Knights gave up on spying on you and Izumi when all of you rested near the souvenir shop. All of them returned to Starmony Dorm and called the composer to form a meeting with him at the common room.

Serious in the face, they all formed a conclusion as they looked at each other, each holding a whiteboard in their hands.

Tsukasa looked at his seniors holding a small whiteboard in hand and uttered, "Everyone ready?" The rest of them nodded as they held their own whiteboards.

"Now!" At his signal, they all flipped their own whiteboards to reveal their answers.

"Let's watch over the two while their relationship progresses."

"More inspiration to write."

"New tea to spill to FLAVOR."

"Leave them alone."

At this point, one of them gave up as they let out an exasperated sigh.

W/N:

Bro is too gorgeous that I use Taylor Swift's gorgeous in every fic possible... (Including my Valentine's Day Hiiro fic). Might as well as use Enchanted next time... *sigh*

Taglist: @thelocal-idiot

#ensemble stars x reader #enstars x reader #izumi sena x reader #sena izumi x reader #written by herri

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poptod · 3 years

Text

The Breeding Kings, pt. 14, (Ahkmenrah x Reader)

Description: And the blame.

Notes: WC: 5.6k

Crimson painted his clothes as Batnoam fell to his knees, rushing to support his uncle's limp neck. Abdhamon's mouth gaped open as his head lolled to the side, the whites of his eyes rolling back to expose red veins, crawling up to his cloudy iris. A sharp gasp tore through you as you saw this. Batnoam cradled the corpse in his arms, calling his name again and again but never crying. No, he shook the weak shoulders, as though he were trying to wake the man up, not hug him.

Ahkmen grabbed you by the waist, pulling you close with the sudden realization that someone here killed Abdhamon. Someone stabbed him, someone was capable of murder, and he only knew five out of twenty-plus people, and even those relationships were no more than a scant introduction.

Others around him had the same idea––people grouped into each other, drawing closer to those they trusted and staring wide-eyed at anyone they distrusted. Murmurs ran through the crowd as Batnoam finally raised himself to his feet.

"How did this happen," he said, his voice trembling and low.

The mumbles disappeared into silence.

"Who did this?!" He barked louder, causing you to flinch back into Ahk's hold.

"Calm down, Batnoam," Ahk said softly.

"Don't tell me what to do!" He seethed, his hands curling into fists. "Someone here did this. We're four days' travel from any city."

Ahk's grip on your shoulders grew tighter.

"None of you are leaving till the murderer steps forward," said Batnoam as he met the eye of every listener.

"We don't have enough food to just stay here," Khawa said, stepping forward. "We need to keep moving."

"I'll starve all of you out," Batnoam growled. "I don't care how long it takes."

Frightened words poured from the mouths of onlookers, panicked by the sudden proclamation.

"My people need to be in Babylon within the week, we can't afford this kind of break," interrupted one of the women standing beside the Egyptian soldier Makko had warned Ahk about.

"You think I can afford the death of my uncle?" Batnoam responded bitterly.

"I don't –"

"No one is leaving. I want all of you inside this tent, now," Batnoam said as he drew out his sword, pointing everyone towards the white tent that the corpse of Abdhamon bled out under.

Awkward looks were followed by shuffling as Batnoam barked the order again, thrusting the curved blade towards the group. Ahk backed both of you away, rushing you into the tent and pulling you to the furthest corner, and sitting down quietly in hopes of avoiding suspicion.

Over time with you, Ahk slowly realized you only rarely initiated touch with him or anyone, but now you were pressing yourself against him, nearly sitting in his lap. You were wrapped around his arm, your legs half propped up on his own crossed legs.

"We'll do this organized," Batnoam said, watching carefully and counting those seated. "Clean. Fair. Unlike the coward who took Abdhamon in the night instead of facing his opponent like a man."

Ahk grimaced.

"I want you all to pick a representative," he said. "Someone you believe will protect your innocence, should you have it."

You and Ahk looked to each other.

"Do we.. both go up?" He asked softly.

"Do not ask me," you said, raising your hands defensively.

"Hey," someone whispered, tapping you on the shoulder.

You turned and Ahk followed as they tapped his shoulder, as well.

"You can go with us," Makko suggested, gesturing to his group.

"Who's speaking for you?" Ahk asked.

"Khawa."

"Absolutely," Ahk agreed without hesitation. He then turned to you and said in a much softer voice, "right? Is that alright?"

"Yes, that is good," you said quietly, your gaze darting between him, Makko, and Batnoam.

"Okay. Are you feeling alright?"

"Well..." you sucked in a breath as you looked up at him, "no. I do not see... the dead very much."

"Ah," he mumbled.

It was understandable––he was, in a way, desensitized to violence, and found himself more comfortable around it than many others were, but still less comfortable than people such as. He had never been sure whether or not you'd seen the actual death of your family members, and going by your current reaction he'd venture to guess you hadn't. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure what was worse; seeing your parents killed, or having them go missing without a single trace, like they'd never existed in the first place.

He began to wonder about Batnoam, about his parents, if he'd lost them and that was why he was with his uncle now. Batnoam was old enough to be on his own––a little over 20 years old––but that didn't mean he was self-sufficient.

Those thoughts, those questions, left his mind as you curled further into him, feeling your rapidly beating heart through his arm clutched to your chest. He shuffled to try and hold you.

"Don't worry," he murmured, his lips pressed to the top of your head. "I'll keep us safe."

How he would do that he had no idea, but he was assured he would sooner walk into the ocean than leave you defenseless.

Both of you fell asleep, leant against each other until someone knocked Ahk's supporting hand with their foot, collapsing your fragile tower. Ahk looked up in a blunder, recognizing Khawa above him holding a torch.

"What is –" you mumbled as you sat up, before being interrupted.

"I am to question all of you," she said, looking to each of her counterparts, and then to you.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Ahk sighed. "This is going to take forever. The desert isn't exactly a safe place to hold a murder investigation."

"I am fully aware of that, Aganu," she said sternly. "What would you do?"

He had no reply, which was in itself its' own answer. He shrunk into himself and crossed his arms, relenting to Khawa, who nodded her head curtly before beginning with Eshai.

Each interview took hours, leaving the whole of the caravan cooped up, cramped, and irritable. Rumors spread easily beneath the white tent, even into the next morning. Khawa only managed to get through three people by sunrise, leaving you and Ahk to scuff the dirt floor, Ahk braiding short, curled strands of your hair, and you petting your cat curled up after a long night of wandering. Almost all the mud from the dead sea was gone by now, but it still left traces of red in the locks.

Shirat had been plucking her lute for the past couple hours, though there was no melody or rhythm to the notes, and she played very quietly so as to not draw attention. Eshai didn't have that same aptitude, and paced for the hours following his interrogation. Similarly, Makko couldn't stop talking, spouting theories and worries without thought.

"Vhat do you think he will do to whoever did zis?" He asked in a quiet voice, broken by his relentlessly bouncing leg.

"I don't know, Makko," Ahk said, the same thing he said for the last six questions.

"Maybe.. he vill cast zem into the desert?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe he vill just kill zem," he shrugged.

"Well... where does he come from?" Ahk asked, his hands falling from your hair as he focused onto Makko.

"I don't think he ever said," Makko said, pulling at his lip with tense fingers. "He might have said zat he was on the Euphrates, but I do not know for surely."

"That's mostly Babylonian, isn't it?"

Makko shrugged, his eyes falling to the ground.

"They're eye for an eye types," Ahk said quietly.

"... I hope so," Makko mumbled, earning a surprised look from Ahk. He quickly explained himself with, "I do not trust those who can take a life."

"I don't blame you," he said as he returned to your hair, continuing with the small, half-done braid hanging near your ear.

Once his arms tired of holding up his hands, he dropped them into your lap, shifting to wrap himself around your torso from the back. He rested his chin on your shoulder, taking in your scent deeply till he leant on your cheek.

"Be needing something?" You asked with a halfhearted chuckle.

"No," he sighed, enjoying how wholly he could wrap around you, hiding you from sight. "Just a little tired."

"You did sleep," you said.

"A little," he said with a small nod. "Not going to sleep for a while after this."

"Oh. You will still help me to get sleep, yes?" You asked, twisting to try and face him, only to bump your nose with his and turn rapidly away in embarrassment.

"Yeah," he mumbled, slowly resting his chin back on your shoulder as you tried to breathe. "Of course."

Khawa returned with the last of her own people, her attention then turning to Ahk, who was still wrapped around you and dozing uneasily. You nudged him after noticing her look.

"Your turn, Egyptian," she said, turning to leave, leading him to a corner of the abandoned edges of camp, where no one could hear them speak.

He gulped through a tight throat as he sat down on a boulder, his knees pressed tight together and his hands intertwined neatly in his lap. Khawa spared him little mercy, sitting down across from him with a seething look, her glare burning through his consciousness. He hadn't done anything––at least not to his knowledge––but she already had him sweating bullets.

"How had you met this group?" She began with, never blinking even once while Ahk tried to stutter out an answer.

"Batnoam, um.. he and Yogi were talking in one of the shops at Jericho, and, uh... they found out we were going the same direction, so Batnoam introduced us to his uncle," he said, fidgeting with the growing tail end of his hair.

"And how did you meet Yogi?"

"In Egypt," he said with a nod. "My friend introduced us, they worked at the school I attended."

"Why are you travelling through the desert?"

"We're trying to find Yogi's home. They weren't... they aren't safe in Egypt. Yogi thinks Harappa will be better for them," he answered quietly.

"Why is it not safe in Egypt for them?"

"I'm... honestly.." he trailed off as he tried to recall what exactly had spurred the escape on, as there were several occurrences leading up to the decision. "Yogi kept trying to learn what the priests were teaching me and some of the other noble's children, and the soldiers didn't like that, so... I, um, I found them locked beneath the palace."

"Because they were trying to... learn?" She asked with an odd look.

"I know," he said, sighing. "I never claimed Egypt had great ideas when it comes to immigrants and the poor."

"No one really does," she said quietly.

A moment of silence passed before the questions resumed, continuing into the late morning when Khawa finally returned Ahk to the tent. The walk back was equally as silent, Ahk's hands curled into anxious fists even as he sat back down next to you, calming only with your touch on his thigh.

"Are you good?" You asked, your eyes flickering all over his body as though you were searching him for wounds.

"I'm fine," he mumbled, looking away.

"Yogi," a quiet voice said from above, nudging you on the leg. You neck craned up to Khawa. "I need to ask you questions, too."

"Oh," you said, glancing around before picking Sephys carefully off of your lap, and placing her in Ahk's.

Khawa offered you her hand, pulling you up when you took it. You cleared your breath, brushed your clothes of dust and hair, and followed Khawa out of the tent, glancing back to Ahk with a tented brow tight with anxiousness. He had to bite his cheek to avoid following after that look.

She asked you the same questions––why you were there, how you'd come across the troupe, and how you met your companion. You answered to the fullest extent till Khawa leaned in, her tone sobering further as distant conversation muttered in the wind.

"Have you met Aganu's family?" She asked.

"No," you said. "He has not seen my family, too."

She stared at you, seemingly gauging your expression.

"Is he... violent?"

"Not as I have seen," you said, shaking your head.

"And his friends? Have you met them?"

"Yes, they are... full of money, but good people," you said.

Another moment of silence passed before she relented with, "alright. We can go now."

When you returned, you sat back down next to Ahk, earning his attentive worry.

"Did she rattle you?" He asked, scanning you much like you'd scanned him when he came back.

"No, I am good," you chuckled, gently pushing away his tight-gripped hands.

"What did she ask you?"

"Please do not talk about your interviews with each other," Khawa said in a stern but low voice, looking up from the wooden pipe in her hands.

"Sorry," you said instinctively.

"What've you got there?" Ahk asked, squinting as he tried to make out the pipe's intricate details marking up and down the pipe.

"Azullu," she said, pinching more of an herb from an antelope-skin bag, and stuffing it into the bowl end of the pipe, where a crescent moon was carved.

"What is it?" You asked as Ahk shuffled forward on his knees.

He peeked into the small, drawstring bag, to where ground leaves had been dried and turned into a green herb. With a whiff, he easily recalled the scent.

"Hey, we've had this before," he said, nudging you without looking away from the bag.

"We have?"

"It does have many names," Khawa said, shrugging.

"Shemshemet, the, uh..."

"Ohh, the shemet!" You said with the biggest grin he'd seen all night and day.

"They say it is bhang, in Harappa," Makko informed you, glancing briefly away from his embroidery; a long, white sheet half in his lap and half in Eshai's, the both of them sewing tiny beads of faience to the silk fabric.

"You know about my home?" You asked, your excitement giving way for shock (albeit still excited shock). You were practically beaming, leaning closer to Makko who sat across from you in the small circle.

"A little," he said with a nod. "I learned about it while.. working in a library."

"You worked in a library?" Ahk asked.

"Well –"

"You can read, then?" You asked, your eyes growing wider as you expectantly awaited his answer.

"A little," he said again, this time more subdued.

"Alright, I would like some help starting a fire," Khawa stated suddenly as she stood, her pipe in hand.

"Why?" Caifas asked in almost a whine.

"It's already so hot," Eshai added quietly in the Akkadian language.

"Fine. You want to wait to have this?" She gestured to the pipe. "Then you can wait until the night."

She sat back down, her words bringing a dead stop to the conversation held in the circle of seven. In the middle of the silence Ahk's heart began to pound, overflowing with a sudden worry considering the sanity of Batnoam's methods. Food had been his main concern, but now that he thought of it, no one there had any access to water. At all. He dug his uncut nails into his palm, digging in deeper than he'd ever been able to with polished and clean nails.

"How long do you think Batnoam will keep us here?" He asked softly, staring at the ground and addressing no one in particular.

"I do not know," Khawa said in a strained voice.

"We are in a drought, aren't we? We probably aren't going to get more water until we reach Terqa," Ahk said with strained hands.

"I do not think Batnoam cares," you murmured, looking behind you.

Ahk followed your gaze to the distant form of Batnoam, towering over the tiny bushes growing in the somewhat moist area of the desert. He was searching through the tents and tarps, tearing apart beds and campfires in search of something, something which he could apparently not find.

"You are right," you said to him quietly. "We do need to travel alone."

"No, we just need to travel in smaller groups," he said, hoping his words would be of some comfort to you.

You didn't verbally respond, but you leant your head on his shoulder and sighed deeply. He revelled in that touch.

The morning passed into noon and into night, at which time Ahk realized he'd only taken two swallows of water throughout the whole day. His tongue could barely move from the roof of his mouth and he was rubbing his eyes incessantly, partially from the wind that blew burning sand into them, and partially because they were already dry to begin with. Batnoam made no progress, but the people who sat beneath his sword were growing antsy.

Perhaps the only good part of the day finally progressing into the evening was that the seven of them now had a good excuse to light a fire. One could not see the stars sitting beneath a tent, so with Batnoam's permission you went to gather bits of brush and sticks, bringing them back to Khawa's seat.

Once she was satisfied she began to light the fire, muttering incantations to herself in languages neither of you could understand. Instead of asking, you pulled Ahk back down to his own seat, and enjoyed the slow process of creating and taming fire. He moved to find Batnoam, but you pulled him down before he could stand and intertwined your hand with his. That kept him unbreakably near to you.

The fire easily burnt through bits of leaves and soft fibers, glowing just long enough to light the larger parts of wood on fire, as well. Soon the campfire was crackling away, lighting up the darkened tent and allowing Khawa to finally pull the packed pipe out from underneath her robes.

She stuck a thin stick in the fire, lighting the tip of it and bringing it into the bowl. By breathing in from the mouthpiece she inhaled the smoke, allowing it to pour out from her nose and mouth before she drew in again, assuring it would stay alight. Khawa then passed it to Eshai, who was sitting beside her.

Smoke from both the pipe and the campfire began to drift to the ceiling of the tent, pooling in the highest spot till a grey haze blurred out the more distant parties. The smell reached each corner, causing more than a few people to look their way, but none dared to say anything.

Shemshemet––or azullu, as Khawa called it––did wonders for relaxing the body in both physical and mental aspects. His grandfather had used it for the poisoning of the limbs, when his joints began to ache and creak with weary use. Now he called upon its' psychic properties, breathing in deep in hopes of an even deeper cleansing, ridding him of the less useful anxiety. You did the same, inhaling a massive cloud of smoke that billowed out from between your darkened lips.

"Wow," he said involuntarily after the last puffs of smoke left you. You giggled, your hand coming up to cover your mouth that remnants of the herb still left.

"Thank you," you said with a bow of your head in his direction that also left him laughing despite himself.

While desert days could roast an egg on a rock, the evenings were almost pleasant, chilled only by winds that called for yet more campfires to be started. Carpets, bags, and blankets were stuffed away in the corners of the open, white tent, making room for warmth that soon filled up the camp. Batnoam was still nowhere to be seen and had left Bahiti, a woman from Egypt, to survey the people.

No meat was cooked. No searing, no scents, only the burning bowl of shemshemet still drifting skyward. Everyone had unanimously, as well as silently, agreed that tonight would be a night of very little in hopes of preserving their food for the prolonged stay in the Shamiyah desert.

If Ahk stood, which apparently counted as 'suspicious' to Bahiti, he could find the edge of the land beyond the shallow dip in the dunes, towards distant mountains, still short but ragged with red rock. In the night it was little less than a silhouette, a darkened outline beneath the glowing horizon leading up into ink-black night. He had never been further from the Nile, and despite the less-than-suitable circumstances, he still enjoyed the mystery of a land he'd only ever heard about in his caretaker's stories as a child.

Since the bowl, and thus the herb, was shared, passed around by seven people, Ahkmen felt less of the effects than usual. No mind-blowing high or giddy behavior, but instead a vague calmness that helped compress the occurences of the last day and a half.

Abdhamon was dead. His nephew, Batnoam, had learned a fair amount from him, but Ahk correctly surmised he didn't know the desert quite as well as the elder did. That meant many of the stops along the way, many of the oasises, would be lost to the caravan, and water would be more scarce.

"Where do you zink he is?" Makko asked in a whisper, subtly looking out past Ahk's head.

"Batnoam?"

Makko nodded.

"I think he's searching our belongings," Ahk said, turning 180 to look as well before Makko reached panicked hands forward and pulled him back into place.

"Do not let him see you," he said with wide eyes.

"Calm down," Ahk chuckled. "He won't hurt us for no reason."

"He did threaten us with a sword," Khawa added quietly, a pointed argument that left both Ahkmen and Makko silent.

Ahk, who didn't have many hobbies outside studying astronomy and reading, managed to fit seventeen braids into your hair without you noticing. Tiny, woven strands now littered your head, a mark of someone who cares about you, though you wouldn't see them, at least not for a long while now.

You kept yourself busy for a while––helping Makko, Eshai, and Khawa embroider the silk cloth, or working on mending your own tattered clothes, but you soon tired of sewing. For the last hour you'd been doing nothing but playing with Sephys, and even she was growing sick of you.

"Yogasundari," he murmured, tapping your arm. You immediately turned to him. "Come lie down with me."

"You are going to sleep?" You asked, but still followed him as he lay on his back, trailing as though you were tied to him.

"No, I want to show you something."

As promised, Ahk couldn't quite get tired what with all the ruckus, and since the fires were going on their last embers, the sky would be clearer now than any other time.

Waiting.

A day and a half of waiting, and at last you were on your backs next to each other, staring up at the same stars. His shoulder brushed yours, but your hands remained folded neatly on your chest.

"Did you know the pyramids are the stars?" He asked, tilting his head to you.

".. how?" You asked in a soft, mystified voice.

"The entrance to Osiris' palace lies in the brightest star," he said as he raised his arm, pointing to Sirius. "Sirius, and then Orion."

"They are.. together?"

"Well the pyramids, the three large ones that I took you by, they are matching to the belt of Orion, and the great Sphynx of the city matches the great Lion of the sky," he said, shifting to point to the lion's constellation. "That is where the sun rises in the aftermath of creation."

"In the death?"

He nodded.

"And the belt of stars," he gestured to the ring of white stardust painting the middle of the sky, "is the Nile, on earth. With the living."

"So in death... the river is the stars," you said, turning from the stars to him.

"A little, yes," he chuckled, adoring the humored gleam in your eye.

"And the Pharaoh is the stars," you said.

"Yes, when Pharaohs die, they become the stars. Particularly over..." he scanned the sky for a moment, "there."

A cluster of bright stars remained hidden near the horizon.

"Ah," you whispered, nodding. "I am happy to see you are doing good with your... your promise."

"Which one?" He asked, recalling what you were talking about only after he'd asked.

"You will tell me what you know, remember?" You said as you met his eye expectantly. "I will give you all the beer you want."

"Don't worry about that," he said, sitting up with a tone of seriousness in his movements. "You don't need to make me anything or give me anything. I came with you willingly and I will share with you willingly."

You giggled, closing your eyes and turning away with reddened cheeks. Your knees propped up, hands coming to fall beside your head, even as you shook your head to yourself.

"What?" He asked with a grin.

"You will share with me?" You asked through your giggles.

"Everything," he answered.

"Everything?" You repeated, your brows quirking up.

You shot up, reaching a lightning-fast hand forward and snatching the scarf off his head. He let out a small, subdued shout from the suddenness of it.

"I do look good?" You asked, situating the scarf over your already existing hat, as well as over all the braids Ahk had managed to fit into your hair.

"Wonderful, as always," he chuckled.

"Then I will have your shirt too," you said, and before he could process what you said you were tugging at his shirt, undoing the tassels and buttons and practically ripping it off his body.

"Hey!" He said indignantly, his mouth falling open as he stared at you confused.

Somehow, you managed to fit his shirt over your clothes as well, now wearing double-hats and double-shirts while Ahk only had his pants and sandals left.

"Meanie," he said, plucking the scarf off your head and wrapping it around his bare waist.

"Here, you need this, for your head," you said, unable to stop giggles from pouring out of you as you set his shirt over his head. He laughed, his vision mostly blocked by the large piece of fabric.

"Mother Goddess," Makko interrupted, turning to both of you with a very strange look on his face. "How long have you two been married?"

"Honeymoon time," Caifas said quietly.

"Honey-what?" You asked, at the same time Ahk said –

"We're not married," said Ahkmen far too quickly. His eyes darted to you and back to the group at large.

Everyone fell silent as they gave him odd stares.

"What??" He asked again, and they dropped it.

"What is honeymoon?" You whispered, tugging at his arm.

"Nothing. Phase of moon," he mumbled.

Footsteps grinding against rock and brush interrupted the murmurs of conversation passing around the tent. Ahk turned to see Batnoam, black crescents beneath his eyes and a dagger in his hand as he approached the caravan. He pulled you into him, shielding you away as Batnoam passed by, headed towards the center to address those who stared at him.

"Nassor?" He called; the name of the Egyptian soldier.

Ahk could physically feel his will shrinking as Nassor stood, his tall, dark form sticking out amongst the light colored robes of his group. He stepped forward without flinching.

"You tossed this away," Batnoam said, practically growling the words as he pointed the bloodstained dagger directly at Nassor's neck. The man still didn't flinch. "I know you were carrying it while we were travelling. The hilt is quite recognizable."

"You have no proof," Nassor stated flatly, crossing his arms.

"We're a thousand spans from any government, Nassor," he spat. "I don't need evidence to do in with you."

"You w-"

Nassor's word stopped with the gushing of blood, his own dagger thrust into his throat. You gasped sharply, backing up into Ahk as you once more covered your mouth, wide eyes burning with fear.

With a harsh pull, Batnoam leased the blade from Nassor's neck, allowing the soon-to-be corpse to fall to his knees. Shouts and claims of insanity began to come from the crowd, something Ahk should've expected sooner than he did.

"Quiet! All of you," he barked above the noise, pointing the dagger covered in two men's blood to the crowd, causing drops of it to fall upon them. "Bahiti says there's another. Someone who told Nassor what to do."

Ahk glanced to those surrounding him both near and far, a sudden agitation building in his veins.

He's going insane, he thought, his eyes darkening.

"That person, or persons, is going to step forward," he met each listener's eye, "or I'm going to start killing till I find the right one."

You gave Ahk a look that screamed, 'what the fuck'.

"You can't do that!" Someone cried, but was quickly hushed by a hand over their mouth. Others voiced such things in wavering tones.

Batnoam reached into the crowd, dragging out one of the men from Cyprus by his hair. Ahkmen hadn't met the man before, but he had a short stature, long hair, and was clawing at Batnoam's hands in an attempt to release them. His woman companion leased a cry of his name; Aegeus. At the sight of this you dug into your bag, searching frantically for some sort of potion that would be of use in such a situation.

Before you could find anything befitting, Makko suddenly shot up from his spot beside Ahk, yelling something he couldn't process till the whole of the tent turned dead silent.

"It's me," he'd said, a proclamation both you and Ahk had a visceral reaction to.

"What?" Ahk said astounded.

"I'm –" his voice cracked, "I did not kill anyone, but I'm probably ze reason your uncle is dead."

Batnoam, who was still holding the man by his hair with a knife to his throat, paused to listen with dead eyes. Attention fell to Makko, who began to shake with the many eyes pointed towards him.

"My father's wife hired men to do away vith me. I had to leave my home, but I am sure those hunters would chase me even here," he said, growing quieter as he finished.

"Why has she done that?" You asked.

"Mostly to legitimize her son's claim to the throne," he mumbled.

"The throne?" Batnoam repeated, seemingly in the same state of disbelief and shock as everyone else. He released the man, who scrambled back to his wife.

Ahkmen, sensing an opportunity, decided to look out across the faces. Most had open mouths, others wide eyes, but all paying ardent attention, except two men sitting close to each other, who only looked up sparingly to glare at Makko.

"It's them," he said suddenly, interrupting Makko's next sentence as he pointed a finger to the two men. He stood and continued with, "they're the only ones not surprised by what you're saying."

All eyes turned to the two men, one of which began to look rather frightened, while the other turned to anger.

"Just because we're not paying attention doesn't mean we know what you're talking about," one of them said with a glare.

"It's hardly evidence," the other said.

"Haven't we been over this?" Ahk asked, empowered for the first time in days to tease. He tapped his chin as though he was thinking it over. "Oh, right. We're weeks away from civilization. No law requires proper evidence... it's only what we know."

One of the stranger's faces paled, while the other hardened, glaring at Ahkmen.

Batnoam motioned to Aegeus––the short, stocky man with the terrified wife––who steeled his expression, grabbed the two men, and threw them forward to land in front of Batnoam, their faces scratched and scuffed with dust. Stress still remained knotted into his features, shifty eyes switching between the members of his own group and Batnoam.

"How did you say you were from? How you got here?" Batnoam demanded, now pointing the blade to the men knelt before him.

"Theodore said he was from mainland Greece," Aegeus answered for him, his voice broken and cracking. "But Mopsus travelled recently from the Persian Gulf. Elam, I believe."

"Elam, they have made much grief with Assyrians," Batnoam said, eyes flickering between the two men. "Someone must've payed you off, and you killed my uncle to cover your tracks, just in case anyone knew who Makko is."

He leaned in, pressing the dagger up against Mopsus' neck, drawing a thin sliver of crimson blood.

"I live for killing filth like you," he spat.

With that, he shot the blade in a straight line, slicing open his throat. Mopsus let out garbled sounds as bubbling blood poured from him, filled his mouth so as to make him choke on his own lifeline. Ahk curled you into his chest, hiding your face from view as he fell from his knees, thumping onto the carpet floor. He could feel you flinch at each sound, and the panicked breathing that followed.

Another body thumped to the ground before Batnoam stood, straightening his back as he gazed down upon the mangled bodies still bleeding out onto the carpets.

"Alright," he breathed out, tossing the dagger to the side. "Let's get the hell out of this desert."

#ahkmenrah x reader #Ahkmenrah #Night at the Museum #rami malek #rami malek character #ahkmenrah x male reader #ahkmenrah x female reader

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