▬▬ through the hourglass: reliving moments

". . . will you go out with me?"

IN THE QUIET SPACES BETWEEN HIM AND YOU, Nanami always perceived that your intangible image lived in metaphors. You, whose presence was comparable to the vast expanse of the sky, were drawing him in the privileges of your umbra. The scarlets in your eyes were like the births of universes, like the blazes of a thousand stars exploding that caused cosmic rays, and each gaze was a bridge to the infinity between you and him. You were the revelations of the gods, the verses of a poet's quill and ink, and the muse of the unfathomable—time and time and again.

On that rumination of unveiling your mystifying likeness in silent testimony of wonders and echoes, before he could drown from the rivers of your half-glimpsed eyelashes, he responded:

"No."

Your jaw dropped, almost sinking yourself on the floor.

Then he walked passed after you as if he was dodging your existence.

"Wha—?"

You were stunned to speak as you were just tracing your gaze at him who was a few meters away from you already.

"Nanami!" you whined loudly in the middle of the corridor after recovering from that delayed shock. "Whyyyyyyyyyy????"

He rejected you again.

And you had no idea why.

Then you chased him down, while he hurried his pace again. Really, he should have left you while his head was still placated with an understanding of what was happening, only departing away from you and your nonsensical invitation.

It was true that your visage was basked in ephemeral splendor, but who—in the first place—would ask someone to out while being bathed with blood? It was too bewildering, too suspicious, and it somehow left him an impression that you couldn't be trusted.

Nanami was quite thankful that you didn't pursue the matter further. Glancing back, you were just pouting forlornly as if an asteroid collided on your face.

He only sighed, subtly shaking his head after.

Relatively sooner, Nanami approached the teacher's lounge with you behind him—where Utahime instructed him to wait for her. Slipping in through the doorway, he settled down on the one end of the seat, while you were on the other side. None of you two did speak, it felt like they had been plunged into a completely different world. It was so quiet, the blonde sorcerer said in mind, that he could feel his ears ringing.

There came Utahime after a while, struck by the peculiarity inside the room; especially to you as though you had a personality change. For her, you had nearly irritating theatrics, and to be this childishly petulant, you were a different person to her.

"Did something happen between you two?" Utahime asked while cradling their clothes and hygienic necessities to her chest.

"I asked him to hang out with me," you said begrudgingly.

"And I said no because we still have work to do."

"Correction–" you pointed to him with your index finger– "our job ended minutes ago."

"Have you heard doing the reports?" he replied almost irritatingly as he pushed his eyewear up.

"Have you ever heard the word 'tomorrow', Nanami Kento-san?"

"Murphy Ryusei-san," Nanami stated your name as calmly as he could, "you should learn the phrase 'Never put off tomorrow what you can do today.'."

It came off like a shockwave, freeing words with an immense intensity.

"Guuuuuuuuhhhh . . ." You just fell on your back while grumbling in defeat. Have you ever heard the word 'fun'? You wanted to ask, but you couldn't just win against him, he was just too righteous.

Because Nanami, didn't have the luxury of time as you did, thus he couldn't afford to dawdle against the fleetingness of his existence.

You almost gave up on the thought, but Utahime spoke of something.

"Ain't that nice, Nanami-kun?" she said as she handed you the fresh clothes.

Instantaneously, your face brightened when she was on your side and your ears perked up like a feline would do.

"What is it?" Nanami replied politely.

"To have a breather once in a while," the scarred lady suggested, and the slight curve on her mouth made you suddenly delighted. "Not everyone had the opportunity to finish their mission that quickly, not to mention an out-of-town one. Stay here for tonight, because there will be a festival later, and I reckon you to two attend."

"But—"

Nanami still had something to retaliate for, yet Utahime possessed the better words to convince him.

"You've earned it." Utahime broke his hesitation drifted over to you and gave Nanami his change. "You can take it easy for now, and I'll be covering up for you two."

Without awaiting his reply, the priestess sorceress glanced at you before leaving.

You inadvertently tried to contain your glee, yet a spirited smile of satisfaction spread across your face.

"You heard the pretty lady," you mused and whistled a tune. Nanami only sighed. Then you lifted the clothes Utahime lent you. "Oh? A miko attire?"

"Right; we're quite traditional here, and we don't have extra clothes that suit your style."

"It is very much okay," you replied cordially, "but I'm afraid that I don't know how to wear it the right way."

"I can help you with that," she presented then she looked at Nanami next. "I assume you can wear yours just fine."

"Yes, Iori-san, I can manage."

Nanami was given a hitoe kimono and haori. Thinking about it, you were sort of looking forward to seeing him in traditional clothing. You slightly grinned at him; given his calm, very responsible, dutiful, personality, honest, and direct personality, it would suit him very well.

Your smile widened, smugly chuckling as though, perhaps, you were very pleased with the fact that you'd go to the festival with Nanami.

He only eyed you sideways, giving you a slight tart of wry. It wasn't that he was tired of you or tired of that day in general, but it was rather a masked curiosity to unravel more of your nature—it was as if you were the Pandora's box that his fingers itched to pry open. Indeed, you were that great treasure that was forbidden for humans to behold . . . The very same great treasure that would plague humanity's troubles and woes as long as you would live. Much more, you were his responsibility, and the fate of the innocents rested in his hands as well.

And by far, he was honestly a bit impressed by how conscientious you were on some occasions.

Assuming that, as usual, he wouldn't reply, you exited the room without waiting for it. Left with the sole objective of taking a bath, you looked for the bathroom Utahime instructed you where. By the time you made it outside, Nanami found himself breathing out as a sign of exasperation. The fact that he agreed to go out with you wasn't conscientious of him but by his softhearted foolishness.

______________________________________________

Where art I?

Relatively, where are you?

You wanted to ask Nanami that as you two were having an early evening walk in the aisle of cedar trees—they were towering so high as if they were trying to reach the sky. Kyoto had mountainous sceneries, greeted by the delightful colors of autumn leaves. It was even more enchanting and peaceful as the waning sunlight draped the experience.

Whenever you wanted to initiate conversation, you were struck by the crisp breeze and calm atmosphere. And thus somehow, you were at a loss for words. Events like those were never new; the sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. Although those repeating cycles were something to be seen every day, you almost felt appreciative; you had forgotten how good a feeling it was being in the forest in the eventide.

That sensation of looking up, the universe might just swallow you and Nanami whole.

Threading the hallways of trees, there was only you and him.

He was walking ahead of you while he roamed the surroundings with his impassive eyes.

"Nanami!" you called, fairly loudly.

He paused on walking, and you saw him turning around as if the world moved in front of your eyes.

You really had nothing to say; you just wanted to call him to gain his attention. Racing towards him, he let you stand beside him and continued strolling together.

He spoke less than usual every time you made a little comment about something. It did not make you feel awkward, only wondering what was he thinking. Although appearing so glazed, you were capturing the essence of his spirit, strength, and elegance—even gave you the impression that Nanami had somehow turned his back on the world.

In his case, who wouldn't?

Your mind then wandered about the concept of the north.

There were a lot of concepts that people made throughout centuries: architecture, social studies, psychology, mathematics, logic, and anything—the world is full of it.

One of the most riveting concepts for you was the absolute position. No one could tell where exactly you were right now or where you were heading.

Nanami had told you about turning north.

Where is north, by all means?

On a galactic scale, if removing everything—stars, stellar dust, planets, and anything in between—all that remained was the empty space. And in empty space, whatever orientation or position would be pointless and lose its very meaning, and navigating through cosmic voids was going to be impossible—not to be able to mark a specific point or stake something to spacetime as an anchor. In a basic sense, without everything, it was just a place where there was no position. No ups or downs, no lefts or rights, just nothingness.

And in this universe that was so cruelly wide and cold, apparently apathetic, all that was essential was to have a guide, someone who would walk along with you to give you direction.

"Is there a particular place you want to go?" you asked out of the blue.

He blinked upon hearing you, giving you a sideward glance before reverting his gaze to the vibrant gradients of yellow, red, and green.

"Hmn," he hummed at first, "anywhere you would like to go."

"Certainly, I have places I want to go," you mused and flew your eyes upward, "but I'd also like to go to the place you'd like to go."

"There's nothing I'd like to go."

"Hm? Why?"

Nanami had the expression of not wanting to reply, yet the question was too compelling not to, so he said, "Living in this country for long enough, it feels like I have already seen everything."

Again, his words came like a wind caressing you. You had intentions to make him speak more of himself to study or analyze him. In retrospect, you exuberantly treasured the response you received from Nanami.

Then, you enunciated, "The thing that hath been, which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done; there is no new under the sun."

Of course, you understood what he meant.

His eyes widened; the words that came out of your mind were the exact words he wanted to hear.

". . . Right," he only murmured.

As Nanami had gone slower on his pace, you carried on and went ahead of him.

The wind blew, billowing the autumn leaves over the near-ending sunlit pathwalk, it was as if you were letting the motion of the wind and the leaves carry you forward. And that realization, you had given Nanami a new perspective—rather than making him feel downcast, he warmed up to you in a very small and real way.

As the golden hues of the sunset had already drained on the horizon, the night came like a woven dark blue fabric cloaking everything. It was a very nice night, and the Thine Highness looked up with a likable smile. The sky was beautiful also; the brightest stars amongst all began inkling the sky, and your gaze never departed the heavens for the longest while.

"Such beauty, don't you think?"

Nanami's eyes never left you while you stared up. If he could confess right there, at that moment, he would be so conflicted to profess what he really felt about you. You, the great wonder, calling to him. He tried to resist, yet you were pulling him even greater to you like a kite in a snowstorm.

". . . Yes."

The only word he could muster.

You were like an ancient landscape that had not been seen by human eyes for centuries, and each step he took together with you was a step into the unknown.

You could see that he was brimming with questions and uncertainties, and then you told him out of the blue, "The answers you seek will definitely come to you in time. Would you still want to walk with me, Nanami?"

Entranced, he found himself shuffling his feet towards you . . . Like a bride waiting for her groom.

You grinned at him as you led the way. He only followed, though a few steps behind.

Nighttime in the forest was almost enchanting; the combination of the artificial lighting and the colors of the fall created a lasting experience for you two. From the distance, you could hear the beautiful murmur of the river, the gentle shrilling of the crickets, the rustling of the leaves and branches along with the wind, and the fireflies acting as if the stars had fallen amidst you.

At that moment, it was somehow reminiscent of the ancient time.

For you, most especially.

An evening walk.

Having your fellowship.

Graced by the fireflies.

It felt like you were reliving it.

"Where are we going?" Nanami questioned, cutting all of your thoughts and tripping down memory lane.

It had been a fair amount of time since you two started walking. He didn't complain about where you were taking him, just following you wholeheartedly, as the path became sloping for a few percent.

You chuckled when you came up with an answer.

"We're turning north."

Nanami hid his embarrassment with a small frown. Turning north—the concept he gave to you, now you were returning it to him.

Being oblivious for a second, it was kind of awkward, and you blindly stepped on a rock and almost tripped you up!

But Kento was prompt enough, attentively caught your back with his strong arm, while his other hand automatically grabbed a large branch to kill the momentum of your stumble. He helped you regain your balance and made you stand on your own.

"Are you okay?"

You heard him ask against your hair, feeling his warm, minty breath fanning on your ear.

"Yes–" you nodded dutifully– "thank you," and said in a clear appreciation.

After composing yourself, you two resumed walking. Along the way, they crossed through a large pine wood, and when a wind came up you could hear the needles whistling.

It delighted you. A little trip in the forest with a fellowship was your favorite to do.

"Where north are we exactly going?"

"Just place with an open sky," you said; it was a forest, and each tree had a great canopy. "I'd to show you a place you've never seen."

Nanamin felt skeptical. "If it's within this area, that's unlikely."

"You're not so sure~"

Off you went into the course of no specific point, following a narrow lane that would lead to the river. There, certainly, would be an open space.

Once Nanami looked back at you again, you raised your head.

"The air smells so sweet," you uttered, delicately sniffing the air, "just like wild berries."

And, yes, there was a sweetness wafting about then. Nanami barely noticed it.

"Wild mushrooms, green and fresh figs," you added while still inhaling the forest night. "Oh! Crisp apples, too!"

"Amber, orange blossoms, warm vanilla," Nanami also noted.

Autumn was a season for nostalgia; the body was constantly working—sending data to the brain—then the brain recreated scenes from the past, allowing Nanami to synthesize the unfathomable number of variables—smelling or perceiving something intangible.

"Oh, yes . . . you're quite right, Nanami. There's such a soft, citrusy, and woody smell," said you, carefully smelling the air again.

"We're nearing the river, I see."

"Yes again; perhaps, just ahead."

Before going there, you already envisioned the objectives you wanted to do with Nanami and prepared for it. You brought snacks, drinks, and a large and comfy mat; thus after that short hike, you and Nanami could take a break and relax.

"Say," Nanami prompted.

"Hmm?" you responded with a humming tune.

"About Mori-san's family . . ."

Of course, it was Nanami—he'd still think about work even though it was already over.

"Uh-huh . . ."

It was quite difficult for him to open that subject up, especially since you were deeply unsympathetic about it. Yet, given that you were in glee, he strove to convince you to help them.

"Are you certain to leave them just like that?"

At that moment, it dawned on you. The very reason why he didn't want to go out with you was because he didn't want to leave the family unsupervised.

He really cared that much, huh?

"Well, to tell you the truth, it's not my decision to make."

"By whom, then?"

"Satoru's."

"Gojo-san's?" he said, bewildered.

"Yep~"

"How come?"

"Oh, rigghtttt–" the last syllable prolonging on your voice box– "I forgot to tell you."

"The . . ?"

"You remember the Mirror Dimension user, yeah?"

"Yes." He trapped Nanami there, how could he forget?

"At first, I killed him, then Mahito turned him into a cursed spirit," you began to explain and Nanami was very attentive to you. "When things went back to normal, he was one of the people I recovered. I told Satoru about him, and he decided to keep the user under Kyoto's custody."

With that, Nanami already analyzed what you meant. The livable containment cube was the domain of the Mirror Dimension user himself.

"You're saying, they'd be contained inside the Mirror Dimension if Gojo-san allowed it?"

"Correct~"

There must be a few rules to enter the dimension, and the advantages favored them: once inside, it would be very impossible to escape through force, while on the outside world, the dimension was hard to detect even with enhanced sensing skills.

"I see," he exhaled. "Keeping the Mirror Dimension user was a smart move, I'd say."

"It is!" you agreed. "Not just killing civilians within my range is against my Vow, but he'll be vital to Jujutsu society. It was kinda hard, actually, and I have no idea how Satoru convinced him, but he's on our side now."

"That's a relief," he simply said, and you could see how he was beholden for.

And it was Gojo Satoru, he'd probably save the whole family because it was their creed to make.

They continued walking in relative silence. Only by then, later that evening, Nanami heard you vocalizing a melody—a piece he didn't know what it was called. While you, you got caught up in the moment, so oblivious that you didn't notice that you were humming a hymn—the ones you once sang for the gods before.

Nanami only listened, even not wanting to make a noise to interrupt you, because he found your voice so soft, very pleasant in the dimly lit night.

Your face, slowly turning to him now, was glittering like crystal with a soft and constant light in it—strangely comfortable dance of the light like a gentle flattering of a candle.

The path became slightly narrow and kind of rough. Nanami saw that you were about to step on a deep puddle, and so he did his best to steer you away by grabbing your arm—warning you of a hole of mud and water.

"Sorry," you quickly muttered.

He only hummed, signifying that it was okay.

You were a little bit clumsy on your own, and Nanami decided to lead you along the path instead. He would occasionally guide you by the shoulders to avoid any accidents or hang tightly on your arm as you two passed around a clump of decaying leaves and twigs.

And as you two walked, he couldn't help wondering where were you two really heading.

It was as if you heard his subconscious voice, and in a weak voice, you said, "We're almost there, just a little further north."

They were nearing the site, you could tell, as the landscapes were slowly changing. The trees were becoming fewer trees, and whenever they felt the gust of the wind, a subtle smell of the cooling fragrance of water was riding within.

Quite sometime later, all according to plan, they reached the valley, and on the lowlands between the mountains, a river was flowing through it.

You searched for a perfect spot to lay your mat where you and Nanami would stay for a while.

The night air had cooled even more, and it oddly felt pleasantly for a season of decreasing temperature. That time, now it was Nanami who looked up into the night sky, searching for something but unable to see it, to find it. What he only found were the memories of his youth—his youth he spent with everyone, even those who were dead and long lost gone. Long live the memories like autumnal leaves that the years carried away . . . Just like a tree that slowly grew—the higher it reached, the deeper it planted down. Those memories haunted, they evoked, they hissed, and they stung. He still lives for it, living for some things that will still be there once he becomes older, then heading to someplace a little further south on the road.

"NanaKen!"

Nanami's eyes flickered open, snapping him out of the daze. Eyes that were so bright and alive, it was as if he felt you had said something quite wonderful.

"NanaKen?"

"Yep, NanaKen."

He only shrugged loosely. "Suit yourself." Then, he settled next to you.

You urged him to look up.

He commented almost tauntingly, "Is this the place you want me to see?"

He was pertaining to the constellations that had always been there—just those fundamental constants of nature obeying the speed of light and gravitational constants.

"Oh, please, there's more here to everything than what existed right before one's eyes," you chuckled. "With your eyes, though, how much can you really see?"

"Tell me," he said, his face was visibly relaxed.

His eyes were locked on you, and those emerald orbs of his, it felt like you were about to get lost. Like a mirror, too. For how many people did you know that refracted their own light to you? You could only think of no one but him.

You smoothly cut the gaze and returned it to the space above, afraid that it would lead you to something you wouldn't expect.

"Do you know," you began, "billions of stars had died just to create you?" and asked him.

He stared at you first in the briefest moment, then blinking his eyes above again. He knew—of course—that sentient-old cosmological tradition that humans were made of stars . . . Yet he already found no romance in that.

"No matter what you say, whether you like it or not, you are a part of something bigger. Being a being is a terrible joke, I know, and I understand if you have become a mystery to yourself."

The pace of life was so slow for him, and he failed to notice he had turned into something he barely recognized. Perhaps, yes, he did become a mystery to himself.

"And have you ever thought that," you continued and he listened, "underneath the complex recursive narrative of our brains is biology, and beneath that is chemistry, and also beneath that is the unification of physics and deep time—always the same puzzle pieces. Despite the random arrangement of particles in a vibrating superposition, still, all is fluxed, all is changing, and all is impermanent. It would be very weird to yield in pessimism, saying that you have already seen everything. See the river for example. There's an old saying, 'You can't step in the same river twice.', but looking at how the entire universe is in a constant flow, you should also know that we can never step the same river once."

Nanami got overwhelmed with your observations on how the universe operated. Your face was now deeply engraved on his mind. A really quite ephemeral memory, astonishing even. The silvery tears of the moon were dripping down on your pale face, all the while glowing in white silence.

"Sorry," you mumbled sheepishly, "I let my idiot subconscious babble at times . . ." Yes, out of will, habit, and conscience.

He breathed out. "For an immortal like yourself, it's humorous and ironic at the same time to hear something philosophically encouraging from you."

You laughed softly, lying on the mat in the process. You were a pessimist, and not applying your very own words to yourself was also hypocritical of you.

"The fact that I'm immortal is the reason why I'm telling you." Nanami was a human after all, and he could die any moment if he wasn't vigilant enough. "Have you, really, already seen everything? Or you have filled yourself with nonsense and now you lost your ability to see?"

What had remained on Nanami was a stunning silence. He already abandoned his mortal self once he became a sorcerer, and thus, he never trifled himself again with the majestic concepts of philosophy and reality.

"Well then!" you enthusiastically exclaimed, "Let me show you some things you haven't seen."

Nanami quite anticipated your proposition, then you weaved a hand seal, and all of a sudden, his field of vision darkened.

Then there came a tangled field of dimension—your domain—a metaphysical space that reflects your mind and soul where time had a height and space had a width.

The first thing he saw was the constellations. Your domain's interior is as if had photoluminescence installed, like thousands resolution of wraparound LED lights. It was the most peaceful domain he had ever been through and seen.

The scenery started to change.

The sky became more alive, bursting with incomprehensive colors—millions of lights were scattered across the canvas in brilliant luminous strips across the sky.

Recording things you found beautiful through your cursed technique was your hobby. You had lived for over a thousand years, and you curated lots of scenarios and piled them up like a movie. Sometimes, you liked to reminisce and watch how the world changed every single day, and indeed, there was new every morning.

You never showed your domain to anyone, but Nanami was a special case.

You would like to show him the world you had seen, and the world he deserves to see.

Smiling to yourself, you watched how Nanami was awed at the new landscapes and perspectives you offered. It was as if you harnessed the heavens with your palms and laid it on his eyes.

Your eyes as the camera, he watched how you walked through the day, how the sun cast long shadows, then short ones, and saw more of the world he thought of so little. The further you walked up the mountain, the more he understood how you really lived in the surrounding wilderness. He saw flowers painted with inconceivable colors, and beautiful patterns which he did not know existed. The conquering trees reached into the heavens, taller than he ever thought possible. The oceans who would never get tired of flowing, whose blue was flashing under the amber light.

He saw a lot, almost all, opening the revelations in his mind. Even though it was a borderless, small world yet it was kaleidoscopic and freeing. Truly, the science behind those ethereal images was too vast and complex, and it was almost as if you created a new world for Nanami Kento.

He never saw the same visuals twice, because, as you said, the cosmos and its dynamics were constantly in motion. A burst of colors everywhere, then a shower of sunflowers. Thousands and thousands of starlights had brightened the whole domain mimicking the nature of the galaxy. He also appreciated how the ground looked like it was made out of mirrors. It was sort of terrifying because it felt like he was sitting in an empty space.

And below there, he had seen the whole world in a different way. He now knew the matter was either a point or wave, seeing the surface-level logic at the bottom of everything and the madness of the higher creations. And on that moment, he had a vision of himself in a true perspective: he was just another speck, just a smudge, a blot, a fleck, a blemish . . . Just another grain of galactic sand amid of a billion other beaches, the very same beaches made out of more grains of sand . . . And more grains of sand, and more grains of sand. It was infinite, couldn't be measured, couldn't be fathomed.

These were just illusions, he knew, but the sensations were real—almost too gorgeous, and somehow, he that he didn't want to go back to reality.

After some time, you said unto him, "It's easy to say that everything has already been seen or discovered, but you should sometimes put reality into perspective just even for a moment, Nanami Kento-san." Still looking at him, marveling at him with star-filled eyes. "Knowing the process of making a galaxy hasn't stopped yet. Our universe continues to evolve, and so is our reality, and it is forming something for us to see a new thing every day."

He could hardly say anything else but be astounded by the work of your fingers.

All the while, you were just holding gaze at him, and you had the eyes who could unravel any hidden paradoxes.

Nanami continued beholding the synopsis of the world but was unable to keep many of the images in his head.

It was your stares once again that were making his brain suffer with a massive short circuit; like a star beckoning to enter its final stage of an explosion, on how two light nuclei combine releasing vast amounts of energy, completely disrupting his sense of focus.

It was never the first, certainly not the last either—always catching himself on the verge of tachycardia.

Nanami decided to move to intersect his gaze into her line of sight. Your head was tilted upward as you remained your back on the ground. The muscles in your eyes contracted as you looked at Nanami in extreme focus, and made your pupils dilated.

"You really like to stare, don't you?" He moved closer to you as if he was being magnetized by your presence.

You chuckled, "You noticed?"

"Always."

Then he hovered over you, one arm trapping you. Obliviously, he slid the side of his thumb on your cheeks, eyes becoming more pensive in deep thoughts. Between the mesmerizing and breathtaking settings and your face, he wasn't sure which was more beautiful.

"It's rude," he added, although he didn't mean it.

"It's not?" you asserted, amused.

"It is."

"Why? It is wrong to admire you?"

He almost forgets to breathe upon hearing you, and his chest throws sparks to reckon a starburst.

Nanami Kento, being self-aware in art and morality, he never dreamed of possessing you. What would be the point? It would be tantamount to translate your god-likeness for the benefit of a plebeian like him.

"I'm recording."

"Recording?" he repeated in a low, calming voice.

"This moment, yes."

"Using your cursed technique?"

"Mm-hm." There was a moon-like curve on your lips as you hummed. "Because you're one of the most beautiful creations I have seen."

As he fixed his eyes on you, looking directly into your eyes, he observed how your pupils dilated, and the way your eyelashes touched her face as you closed your eyes, and it seemed to be almost magical to him.

"And beautiful creations must be kept for forever."

The way you conveyed your words struck up like magic, and he felt it in every bone and in every muscle he had.

Your presence was a flood, and he was caught in your wonder, taken him over, and he couldn't hold it any longer.

Ah, fuck it.

And the good amount of exhale he let out before he dipped down and captured your lips. Softly at first, very chaste, like a butterfly grazing the suppleness of your petals. With a swift spectrum of intensity, it made him pull his head back, and there's a vivid expression of restraint was painted on his face as if he was remorseful for being blinded by his own urges.

Whilst you, you clung to the arm that supported his weight. Your lips were slightly parting, still feeling his lips blossoming on yours—sending mild tremors in your nerves even if it was just the briefest moment.

There was a sense of tranquility in the way you looked at him. You reached a hand, tinkling his overgrown bangs, then gently brushing your fingertips on his cheeks before lacing it on his nape.

It didn't take too long before Nanami finally folded.

He bent over and planted his chin on your shoulder. You felt him nuzzling the crook on your neck, inhaling the undiluted fragrance on you.

He saw all of his impenetrable fortress crashing down in your eyes and heard the ruins of his heart learning to beat again. It felt like the first time, and suddenly, it sounded like a grace to him.

Seconds later he traced your neck with his lips, to your ear, and your temples.

You gingerly savored the comforting intimacy, angling your head to send butterfly kisses on his cheeks.

Nanami slowly and quietly inched closer, until he was close enough to tentatively claim your lips once again.

Let it be done, then.

You got carried away. And little did you know, you respond to him, matching his slow rhythmed kiss, gasping softly, and back arching at the sensation.

He was anointed by the taste of your mouth. It felt like a dream, almost letting his whole self be lost in you, especially when hearing those soft sounds of your breathing. The way his body was pressed over you, the weight of his body felt perfect. His warmth, his gentle hand simultaneously brushing your hair, and the way he made you forget about yourself—the sensation you were not in your own body anymore and now in another universe floating.

You closed the remaining gap between your face and his by wrapping your arms around his neck. Tiny electric shocks were invading your whole body, almost not wanting the moment to stop, even if you had no left air to breathe.

Lo, let their kiss be a prayer . . . Be his rosary which all his tediums would be his Our Fathers and all his uncertainties be his Hail Marys.

Fluttering your eyes open a moment later he gently pulled away from the kiss. He held your face and stared deep inside your soul once again. Nanami had journeyed through the hourglass, realizing that the universe was possible to probe in your eyes.  His mouth curved into a subtle, almost indiscernible, grin.

"Thank you."

The words escape his mouth. Quietly. A whisper. But not rushed. It was deliberate, and it was as though the first time he had said it. So genuine and appreciative . . . The simplicity of his sincere desire to share a moment of connection blessed your lifetime.

fufu :3 sneaky how do u like
the chapter so far??? pls leave
some reactions, bc im starving
for attention lmaooooo

but really, i would really love to
read/hear your thoughts bc
i sacrificed a lot just to finish this
i also poured my heart and soul and time
that's why pls validate me

bsjdjdsmskdnd sorry for being
annoying XD and it will happen again

btw have y'all seen my nanamin art???

pls go back to the previous chapter to
to see it. i love my man so much

and the ending part of this
chapter is another ass, ne???

i don't write romance as much as
i should have ... thus it sucks and bmhard

;; handtheirend ~ ✿