Kazuki hadn't questioned the younger girl. He wanted to ask so much, learn so much, from the elusive elf that hid from him in plain sight. Right in front of her though she was, it was like she was out of touch. It was as if he was suddenly blind, unable to move without her assistance which he so craved. His love was sudden, abrupt, and out of nowhere like the flash of lightning on the surface of the horizon.

And though his heart pounded at her proximity, his confusion for the spontaneity of his feelings for her prevented him from fully committing to the realization. Yet, with the blind soul he was, he all but clutched onto her frail hand that could have slipped away at any minute. And, if ever it happened where she could not lead him through the newly discovered path beyond the garden's moss, he would be lost. The world he knew would mean nothing anymore.

It frightened him how sudden it inflicted him. It frightened him how strongly he felt. It frightened him how inconvenient it all was. And yet, he had experienced it before, unknowing of how truly powerful the drug of affection was. Perhaps that was why his grip on (Y/n)'s precious hand was so tight. Truthfully, he had no idea if he would survive being abandoned again. If another one he loved so dear slipped from his grasp, he would have gone along with them.

And although the blonde tried so desperately to hide his true feelings on the matter, the (h/c) haired girl showed him such kindness. Her leading hand never left his despite the patheticness he exhibited. She looked back at him, giving a comforting smile, and led him through the darkness that surrounded him. His heart would not stop trying to push him next to her; to walk alongside her instead of behind her like a stray sheep.

The younger girl was fully aware of the confusion that the male was bathing in. As such, she wanted nothing more than to cheer him up and show him some more fun. He held the goldfish he had won in his free hand, no doubt intending on gifting it to his younger brother. Nonetheless, he needed something for himself that he didn't have to share with someone else in the way he was so used to.

Thus, she wanted to give him his lesson in cooking. She didn't know how he would survive without proper nutrition, and she knew for a fact that eating burnt and indeterminate pieces of food was poor for his health. Well, eating a cake wasn't any better, but at least it looked edible. The point would be baking and decorating it for fun, not to make up for the male's lack of a balanced and well-cooked diet.

As they walked into a nearby grocery store, the younger girl took a shopping cart, taking note of the way Kazuki quickened his pace to walk closer to her. She wasn't able to hold his hand, but he didn't mind it. He was close enough to her to be at ease, or somewhat of it anyway. His mind was spinning, and the only thing that was still and right was the sight of the younger girl before him.

(Y/n) took some groceries they needed from the shelf, noting that they were low on flour, sugar, and milk. It also wouldn't have hurt to pick up some more apples for Kazuki. He seemed to be fond of them even though they weren't the sweetest of fruits. The trip itself was short, and before lunch, the two had returned back to the empty penthouse. It was presumably so because Ichiro had gone out for another photoshoot or to look after his shop.

Nonetheless, when the blonde's stomach rumbled and his face turned red again, the younger girl decided on cooking an actual meal first. It was a simple grilled cheese and tomato soup, but Kazuki was grateful for it. He was being spoiled on the taste of his homeland; a place he both couldn't live with and couldn't live without. However, as he ate, he didn't say a word. He hadn't said a word since she had ended their last conversation, just regressed into his own mind as he often preferred to do.

The male didn't make a move to show affection nor made a move towards being shown affection. As such, when the younger girl sat next to him, there was no reaction. The same was true for when she grabbed onto his arm playfully. Again, nothing. He, himself, was surprised when he made a bit of a squeak as she moved under his arm and laid her head down on his lap. His cheeks turned the slightest shade darker unnoticeable by the human eye, but he felt it nonetheless.

"You have a pretty big build," she pointed out, drawing circles on his thighs.

The girl could have sworn that he twitched just slightly when she began touching him, but she heard no protests nor saw any signs of it. Thus, she continued as he munched on his food. Somewhere along the line, the male placed his other half of the sandwich in front of the younger girl. He offered it to her, but she shook her head, and he returned to eating, attempting to ignore the way her fingertips set his nerves aflame.

It was as if all of the suffocating water had been dried up by her presence, taking the weight off his shoulders. He was subject to the fire of passion, but he was not at all ready for it as he previously thought. His mind was askew, his thoughts jumbled, and yet he was thrilled at the change. The world flipped on its side and emptied the ocean, making way for a beautiful flame spirit that entranced him to the point of uncertainty.

The blonde was snapped out of his thoughts by the younger girl letting out a sigh. The younger girl snuggled into his stomach and curled her knees into her chest. It was an overly affectionate gesture that made Kazuki stop breathing for a moment, his eyebrow twitching just slightly. He had little idea of how to progress. It wasn't as if he'd been physically touched so often as to find it a normal thing. The most he received were daily hugs from Ichiro.

"Do you mind this?" the (h/c) haired girl asked, her voice a melody of ancient times.

The blonde shook his head dismissively. It wasn't something he wanted to speak on. Speaking in her presence was almost disgraceful at that point in time. Some kind of muse, she was, to deter a siren from speaking. The question of who had been the most beautiful in all of the unnatural world was a question between the two, but in all variations of stories and legends, it had been the muse to come out victorious over the pitiful siren.

The younger girl didn't mind that the male wasn't speaking. Although his voice was stunningly gorgeous and sung not only to her ears but her heart as well, it was his to do what he wanted with it. She could recognize the uncertainty in his mind, and she only wanted to soothe it even when she had little idea of why that was. The younger girl had little idea on how to help, only that he needed a little fun.

Thus, she pulled the male along when he had finished with his lunch. When he stood at the counter, she made her way to the pantry, pulling out a heavy mixing machine. And though she hadn't given him any inkling of a clue about what she had been doing, he was standing there at the doorway of the pantry. He gave a guilty look before stepping forward to carry the device for her, taking it to the kitchen counter.

Even when he showed minimal expressions, attempting to conceal his true feelings, she could see the lost sheep look in his eyes. He didn't want to stray too far from her, keeping as close by as possible without appearing too conspicuous. Of course, his true intentions didn't get away from her so easily. She found it so utterly precious of him. In fact, it reminded her of Ichiro, so desperate for attention even if there was a clear difference in how chose to go after it.

"Ready to make a cake?" (Y/n) asked cheerfully, watching as the blonde's eyes darted to the side.

He nodded once or twice but held no semblance of joy in his face nor sadness or agony. It was simply a look that was unable to be described for how bland it was. However, it was a handsome face that most would pause to look at, rumoring to their friends about what kind of young man he was. Yet, to the (h/c) haired girl, he was trying to discover that himself. He was no more perfect than anyone else on the planet even if he drew a few heads.

The younger girl did the more complex things such as cracking the eggs and whisking them, but she directed the male in the measurement of their ingredients. He seemed to enjoy the activity mildly though there were no signs he was giddy or excited for the prospect of baking. Rather, it seemed he dreaded the activity, wondering when he was going to mess up or burn something to the point of the outbreak of a fire.

However, as the younger girl complimented him on his job well done, he found himself more positive about the experience. A small smile etched onto his lips, and he began to enjoy himself a bit more, the slightest hint of a spring in his step. That being said, there was little to say for how enthused someone could be over stirring a bowl of flour and sugar. They both wished for the best though.

As they poured the batter into three separate layers and pushed the cooking batter into the oven, they moved onto the icing. (Y/n) was the one that took care of it, knowing full well that he would spill the easily airborne white dust all over the counters and his own body. However, he watched with curiosity as she poured in the strawberries she'd pureed. He enjoyed the act of observing greatly.

Letting the freshly baked cake layers cool off, the younger girl placed icing into two bags, cutting the tips off of them both. She handed one of them to Kazuki and handed him the smaller of the layers to work on as it had cooled off first. In the beginning, he struggled immensely. He made an audible huff when he couldn't do it as nicely as he wanted. Looking over at (Y/n)'s work only made him furrow his eyebrows.

The younger girl had vividly remembered when Rei had been teaching her to cook. She was only average in the hobby because she had to be when she was poor, but he insisted on furthering her knowledge of the subject. He would often stand behind her and place his hands over her smaller ones, guiding her to cut, stir, or do whatever else needed to be done. Often, he would get sidetracked, however, and end up kissing her neck, holding her tightly against his chest.

Since it appeared that the older male had trouble doing what she since found so simple, she decided to help him out. Her hand was hardly bigger than Kazuki's, but she made the effort to guide him despite that. At the first touch she made on his skin, he jumped a tad with unawareness, but he didn't refuse her assistance. Watching carefully as she demonstrated for him and held his hands correctly, he found that the action of icing was a lot easier than he originally deemed. A soft smile was brought to his face.

Sooner or later, he was doing it all on his own, biting down on his lip in an attempt to hide his grin of enthusiasm. It had been so long since he'd done anything remarkably free. Perhaps the act of baking, in and of itself, was not a widely foreign concept to others, but to him, it was like when he and Rei were children. It was a hobby to pass the time and eat sweets together, something neither wanted to give up.

(Y/n) found that the blonde looked much better with a smile than a distant or faked expression. He was much different than what he attempted to be, and she relished that in a way. Both sides of the coin were precious, but the one in its rarity was the most appealing sight to see. Thus, her amazement at his fascination with his baby brother's hobby was a true treat in more ways than one.

And for some twisted reason or another, the younger girl couldn't help but want to ruin the revelation he was soaking in. Nothing too serious, of course, just a bit of harmless shock and enjoyment. So, what was the (h/c) haired girl to do except for fling a bit of icing onto the male's nose and cheek. She found it amusing how the blonde froze with confusion, his eyebrows furrowing before he looked over and saw the icing on her hands. His eyebrows then lifted in understanding, and his golden eyes darted down to the icing bag he had, wondering if he should do the same.

Ultimately, he decided against it, wanting to spare her a trip to the shower. He hesitantly resumed his task of icing the second layer while leaving the younger girl to do hers. It was no surprise that she snickered and thought of everything she could do to distract him from the activity of logic. Icing should go on a cake, shouldn't it? After being with Rei for so long, (Y/n) couldn't help thinking the opposite.

The blonde was like a mad hatter, asking questions to himself about everything he could do to ruin the perfect atmosphere without any semblance of sanity. He found sheer delight in the things he could do to mess with everyone's head, including his own. If he was looking at himself in the mirror, he questioned which side was which or if it was truly upside down. Thus, he always turned his mirror upside down, instructing the maids and servants not to tamper with it. So it stood to un-reason that icing should not go on a cake for it belongs on the baker, himself.

The younger girl grabbed onto Kazuki's cheeks lightly and tugged him so that he faced her. His face was perplexed and utterly confused, but she only continued to move forward in her strange agenda. Upon twisting the icing bag, she piped it along his cheeks. They were simply three horizontal lines on each of his cheeks, but along with the pink, it appeared as though he were blushing in perpetuity. Such a thing suited him.

Kazuki laughed with delight softly, only for the younger girl to continue decorating his face. She added a kitty nose, little ears on his forehead, and a bell collar around his neck. When she was done, he was laughing hysterically, his voice shining through and dazzling her. It was so much so that she could not stop smiling. She tried to hide it as he had done, biting down on her lip.

However, the blonde was not under the impression that he should be the only one reveling in joy. He picked up the younger girl by her waist and threw her playfully on the couch. It was unlike him to be so childish, but it appeared as though she had changed his mood significantly. It was because of her that he began to subtly change, engaging in playful wrestling with her.

Somewhere along the line, she cried uncle, and he used her face as a canvas. He drew a monocle, bushy mustache, placed an overabundant frosting beard, and signed his name on her forehead as if completing the artwork. The blonde then chuckled, and offered her a napkin, drawing a warm shower for her to use. In the meantime, he frosted the rest of the cake, blushing just slightly.

He didn't bother wiping the frosting from his own face, finding it endearing in some shape or form that she deemed him fun enough to play with him like a child. At the same time, he didn't anticipate Ichiro coming home to his brother with icing all over him as if something had exploded in an unbelievable artistic manner. The bluenette had an almost disappointed gaze, however, one that the blonde would have never expected. There was no welcome home hug that day. The younger male went directly to his room without a peep.

(Y/n) came out from the shower with some loose pajamas, combing her hair out before setting the brush down on the living room table. The male motioned to the cake, wondering if he had done a good enough joy. However, the younger girl giggled and wiped off the frosting from his face, prompting his cheeks to become more red as he looked down almost expressionlessly at her. They both knew he appreciated it.

After piecing together the cake, the blonde ordered a fast food dinner. He hadn't wanted to burden the younger girl with cooking yet another meal for him and his brother. Well, that was the excuse he made it seem like anyway. Truthfully, he knew he wasn't any good in the kitchen and hardly wanted to be away from her. Thus, he put up with the taste of the takeout without much issue.

Sooner or later, it came for bed. The blonde showered and made his way to the living room, watching as (Y/n) read over some magazine that had been laying around. He gave a surprised look and had his eyes dart over to the balcony. The male couldn't help but think about what she had said. A music box?

The blonde found some kind of strange confidence stir within him, and he moved forward without the wherewithal to regulate his actions. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he watched her look up at him. It prompted his heart to stir once more, but he took her hand softly and had her follow him to his room on the second floor. He was uncertain of why he did it, but his soul knew what it was doing.

"Are you lonely?" she asked, "I don't mind staying here with you."

The male smiled somberly and nodded in appreciation. He placed the younger girl down on his bed, and laid down next to her, curling up next to her. The blonde had believed he had done his actions to fill the strange pit caving in his heart, but it was still there. Even when she let him hug her as he used to do with Moriko, he still felt some kind of hurt lingering inside. He hadn't the faintest idea how to remove it from himself.

It was then that Kazuki found himself lost in his thoughts. The bluenette hadn't attended dinner with them. He knew exactly why. He was stealing what he wanted, taking away the younger girl's time from being with him. From what it seemed, the blonde was romancing her, too. The blonde couldn't bear the thought of taking away something from his beloved brothers. It wouldn't just be the bluenette, it would be Rei, too. The most selfish thing that the male had ever done was fall in love; something he had no control over. It had been so sudden, after all.

The blonde was a terrible person; he came to the conclusion that it must have been so. For all of his talk of loving his brothers and putting them above himself, he was no more resistant to his urges than the next greedy pig. His brothers would surely despise him and shun him. He would be left with only one person in the world, if at all the male even acquired (Y/n)'s heart. And what was to say she wouldn't leave him or cheat on him or die as suddenly as he fell for her? Was it even worth it?

However, before his heart crumpled up even further, the younger girl suddenly pulled him so that his head rested on her chest. One of her hands stroked his back comfortingly while her lips were pressed to his head. She played with his hair like a child would to its mother, curling it around her fingers without any rhyme or reason nor any sort of pattern he could detect. It was soothing.

The male felt his tears freely leave his golden eyes, accompanied by his sobs and weeping. He grabbed almost desperately onto her and let himself enjoy the sheer ecstasy he was in the presence of. The male pressed a kiss to her heart between her chest, thanking Ezdia for sending him such an innocent and kind being. Then he cursed himself and apologized to his brothers. He might not be able to let her go, after all.