04 - On a date - Maya/Asahi

“You sure you’re not bored or anything?”   Maya wrapped her hands around the can of soda and glanced at the volleyball player sitting next to her on the bench.  “We could have done something else.  We still could if you want.”

Asahi just smiled at her reassuringly. “I’m not bored,” he said, and didn’t say anything about this being the third time she had asked him.  He looked around at the outdoor art show she had dragged him too. “I’ve never been to something like this before.  It’s really interesting.”

She relaxed a little, and leaned back against the bench. “I’m glad,” she said and leaned against him a little.  He stiffened, and made a noise in the back of his throat but didn’t move away.  “I mean, I know you said it was fine when I showed you the flyer, but it wouldn’t be much of a date if I was the only one enjoying myself.”

“It’s better than what I could come up with,” he said, still sounding a bit embarrassed. “All I could think of was cliche things like, the aquarium, or a movie or an amusement park.” He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled a bit ruefully. “I guess I’m not as creative as you are.”

She chuckled, “I wouldn’t say that,” she said. “Cliche or not, all those sound like fun. We should do them sometime.”

“….All of them?”

“Yep,” she said, and smiled at him as she straightened up.  There was a stunned, but very happy look on his face as she stood up, and tossed her empty soda can into a nearby trashcan.  “Well, I’ve rested enough.  Want to look around a little more?”

“Ah, sure!” Asahi scrambled to his feet. “Where do you want to go?”

“We haven’t been down that way yet,” she pointed, then took Asahi’s hand to tug him that direction.  He made a soft strangled noise, but moments later she felt his large hand curl comforting around hers, and their fingers tangled together as they exchanged a smile.

A while later, after wandering up and down looking at the various booths, Maya stopped in front of one selling jewelry. Asahi was jerked to a stop a second later by their joined hands.

“…Maya?” he said, looking back at her.

“Look at this,” she said, untangling their hands so she could pick up a necklace, a silver chain with a pair of black metallic feathered wings at the ends of it. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

“It is,” he agreed, peering over her shoulder.  “…Are you going to buy it?”

“I think I will,” she said thoughtfully. “I haven’t bought anything else yet, so I might as well.”

“Then let me do it,” Asashi said quickly, and reached out to take the necklace from her.  

She looked at him in surprise, “You don’t have to do that! I can…”

“Please?” he said, “I haven’t bought you a present at all yet…and I want too. You’ve done so much for me, so let me do this?”

He an intensely serious look on his face, as if this was one of the most important things in the world, and she found herself blushing a little. “…Okay,” she said quietly, and just watched as he bought it.

She wore the necklace to school the next day.