mysteries | ic; let me hold it close and keep it here with me

[The rain hasn't come as a complete surprise. It was overcast, after all. He'd figured when they left on patrol that it would probably start to come down around the time they finished, or perhaps even a bit before, if anything held them up a bit.

The surprise, rather, is in the intensity of the downpour. He'd expected a light drizzle, maybe enough to leave them ducking back into the compound slightly damp if they weren't quick - not a violent downpour, not in the middle of their rounds, soaking them straight through to the skin while they're still halfway across town.

There's no way they're making it back in this, that's for certain.]

[ Chizuru knows Saitou as one of the most reasonable men among the Shinsengumi. It's probably why she wasn't too worried today as she followed him and his men out on patrol despite the skies obviously being colored a dark grey already - if Saitou went out to patrol all the same, then he probably thought it wouldn't be all that bad or that they'd be back before it got bad. So the girl follows without any second thoughts.

And honestly, even when the rain itself starts, she's not having second thoughts. Even though she might not exactly be really familiar with the streets of Kyoto, she's been out on patrol with them enough times to know that this isn't anywhere back near the headquarters yet, but the rain is coming down so heavily that it fairly immediately starts to soak straight through her clothes, making her feel a chill despite it not being entirely cold outside.

There's a moment or two where she waits, wraps her arms around herself to keep herself warm-- but then it hits her that even if Saitou is extremely reasonable, he's also very duty-oriented. And the thought that he might keep walking despite the weather doesn't seem all that strange to her, so maybe she should mention it, just in case.. she turns towards him. ]

Saitou-san, maybe we should seek shelter from the rain for a little bit and see if it gets less bad.. [ Especially considering the rain is already slowly starting to drip from her bangs and ponytail. ] You might catch a cold if you keep walking like this.

[ "You" since it's not like she's going to think of the fact she might catch a cold, are you crazy. ]

[He stops and turns to her, with that slightly confused look on his face that suggests the thought hasn't even occurred to him that he might catch a cold, and in fact that the idea might need a few minutes to marinate in his mind and be turned over and examined from every angle before he makes any decisions against his duty in favor of his health -

- and the way he's looking at her also suggests he's not really thinking too hard about that at the moment anyway.]

You look cold, Yukimura.

[But of course he's going to start worrying about her instead of himself. Of course.]

[ Two idiots standing there in the rain worrying about each other rather than themselves while they could just easily have found some place to stop themselves from getting half-drowned by the rain.. what a sight.

But with Chizuru being Chizuru, she tries to smile a little bit even though he's terribly spot on with his remark. It's not convincing at all - again, because it's Chizuru - since she trembles and the smile falters for a moment, but she's trying all the same. ]

Maybe a little bit.. [ Yes, only a little bit, that's totally why she's standing there hugging herself. ] Please don't worry. You should be thinking of everyone else instead.

[ And there's an undertone in that which heavily implies "and yourself" most of all. ]

[Undertone completely missed: Saitou is zeroing in on that thinking of everyone else and running with it. He should be thinking of everyone but himself, clearly. Which still includes her, and includes his entire unit, and his own needs, as usual, are a distant last.

He turns, waving his division off to split up and find shelter until the rain lets up a bit. An entire division invading the nearest shop might make people a bit uneasy, and they're hardly popular even at the best of times, so dispersal is the best solution - and as his men break off in twos and threes to duck into nearby shops, he turns to Chizuru again.]

Perhaps in -

[No, a few of the others have already gone into that shop.

And that one.

And that one...

After a moment, he spots an awning a bit further down the street, and reaches over to take Chizuru's wrist - gently but firmly - and start off at a quick trot towards it. He's fairly sure nobody else is heading there already, and if they are - well, if they get there first, then fair is fair.

She's under his protection, after all. He needs to pay special attention to keeping her safe and in good health.]

[ She - of course - doesn't protest again him grabbing her wrist, especially since it helps her keep up with him as they move towards the awning. Thankfully they're the first there, most of the others already having sought refuge in the shops around, and Chizuru lets out a small breath of relief to get out of the downpour.

Or, well, not that it helps a whole lot by now considering she's already thoroughly soaked. Her clothes cling to her body and water drips pitifully off her sleeves towards the ground. The girl even has to brush some of her wet hair out of her face and eyes, but despite all of that, she doesn't really seem too bothered by the circumstances. Even if the space underneath the awning is a little cramped (even for just two people, apparently) so they have to squeeze together a little since she's definitely not going to let him not fully stand under it. After looking worried for a small moment, she instead gives the man a grateful smile. ]

Thank you, Saitou-san. [ For helping her get to a dry place.. hey, it's the small things that matter, okay, and Chizuru likes to show gratitude where it's due. ] I hope it clears up soon so we can get back and all dry ourselves..

[ After all, Saitou has more wet hair problems than she does. ~~The woes of pretty dead Asian guys.~~ ]

[He is most definitely trying not to pay too much attention to the fact that they're squeezed in close to fit, but it's very hard not to notice, and the smile she gives him only succeeds in making him feel more self-conscious about it.

As cold and wet as he is, he can feel his cheeks getting a little hot, and that simply - won't do!

So he seizes on the very convenient excuse of looking up to the sky again, at those clouds overhead, and as he tries to simply roll with the conversation -]

I hope so, as well, but it looks as though this may last for a while...

[- he realizes with a start that wow, that's just making him think even more about the fact that they're standing scandalously close together and it's cold and wet and they might be stuck here for a while.

Oh, dear.]

[ At first Chizuru - obliviously, which isn't too strange by her standards - doesn't really notice anything of what he's thinking about. Instead she looks up at the sky, especially as he's doing so, and realises that he must be right with the sky looks completely gray as the rain keeps pouring down without end.

But then she's sure she could almost hear something (she thinks, at least, considering it's always terribly difficult to realise just exactly what Saitou of all people is thinking about with his expression never changing a lot - although she would just say that's what makes Saitou-san Saitou-san) in his voice, and the girl glances sideways at him, blinking slowly.

And the fact they're standing so closely together is completely lost on her for now since she's much more focused by the fact she's pretty sure she can almost see something faintly pink on his cheeks.. ]

Ah-- Saitou-san! Did you catch a cold already? Or is it a fever? [ Because of course that's the only reason he'd faintly blush, right, no way it's over her or anything. So instead Chizuru's Worry Mode just activates. ] Are you feeling alright?

[Oh, god, why didn't he see this coming.

(Because the idea of other people worrying about him is still a thing that makes Saitou pause and double-take at instead of expecting as a matter of course, obviously.)

Being called out on it - even on a completely wrong assumption as to the cause - is only enough to make him blush even more, and he keeps his gaze very firmly focused on the sky, because anywhere but looking at her is clearly the only way he's going to get out of this with his dignity intact.]

I am feeling fine.

[ Signs are so very easy to misinterpret, especially since she has already well and truly realised what the men of the Shinsengumi are like when it comes to talking about them not feeling 100% - or rather, not talking about that at all. And the way Saitou looks away from her reminds her a little of it, maybe he does feel sick but he just doesn't want to admit it..

Chizuru frets, trying to think of how to solve the situation. She can't exactly drag him back to the headquarters - that'd be fairly impossible even if it wasn't raining - and it's not like there's anything nearby to help. The girl takes a step forward, trying to look and see if there's a shop nearby that has anything that might help quickly against a cold, but--

-- then her foot hits one of the loose rocks on the streets since she's not paying attention to where she's putting her feet thanks to her worrying, and it manages to make her tumble right forward, threatening to land out in the rain and street which is slowly turning into mud. ]

Ah..!

[For all that Saitou is the thoughtful one, there are plenty of circumstances in which Saitou doesn't think - he simply reacts.

This is quite certainly one of them, and what's happening hardly even registers before he's lunging forward, arm snaking out to grab Chizuru around the waist and pull her back under cover, back upright -

- back right against him, even more closely than they were standing before.]

[ Chizuru hardly realises what is happening until it's already happened. One moment it feels like she's falling, then there's suddenly an arm around her waist and she's pulled in reverse again, and then there's--

Even without looking, she's at least absolutely sure that what's against her back right now is Saitou's body, and this time even Chizuru isn't oblivious enough to not get flustered at the very thought of him being so close to her that there's literally no way to get even closer whatsoever. So this time her cheeks light up as well at the realisation, and for a moment or two she's not entirely sure what to do. Does she move? Doesn't she? Which one of the two would be more rude? And what is it that she wants, anyway (although that's more of an afterthought, what's comfortable for Saitou is so much more impotant) since somehow it almost feels nice to be this close to him and she's not sure if it's because they're both wet and cold from the rain or for some other reason entirely.

She finally lets out a breath she didn't even realise she was holding. ]

A.. ah, thank you, Saitou-san..

[ She's not moving. ]

It...was nothing.

[Though from the way the words almost catch in his mouth, from the blush lighting up his own cheeks, from the way his gaze is back to the sky, off to the side, on anywhere but her, it certainly doesn't seem like nothing to him, no matter what he says.

...should he let go?

What if she falls again?

She doesn't seem to be trying to move -

His arm stays where it is.]

[ He's not letting go of her. Not that it's a bad thing, quite the opposite - although she can't fully put her finger on just exactly why, although she figures that maybe it really is that she likes being this close to him. But he's still not letting go of her, and with how practically minded Saitou is most of the time, it's still telling that he doesn't. (Should she bring it up? No, that'd probably be rude no matter what, and it's not like she wants him to let go, so..)

For a few moments she just stands there quietly. But the silence gets a little awkward to her after those silent moments, so Chizuru speaks up, hoping to fill that silence up again. ]

.. It's pretty warm like this.. [ A little shyly, though, since she is braving this topic in the end. ]

[Oh thank goodness, she's provided him with exactly the out he was worried about finding - because Saitou hardly has the presence of mind to trust his arms to do what he tells them to, when she's this close and the feeling of her body pressed against his is occupying damned near every corner of his thoughts.]

I would not wish to see you catch cold.

[ Oh.

So that's why Saitou isn't letting go of her? Since he's trying to protect her from getting a cold? Of course, she should have realised as much, Saitou is always someone who thinks practically and of others' well being like that, and..

.. it almost makes her feel a little stupid for feeling so flustered about this. With any common sense she should be realising that he must feel the same with his blush from earlier, but alas, sometimes Chizuru is painfully thick about this kind of stuff, like in this situation. But at least that thought reminds her of something else-- ]

How is your cold then, Saitou-san..? [ Yeah, because you were blsuhing earlier? She still hasn't forgotten about that, nope. ]

My...?

[Ah, right. She'd seemed to think he was getting one, hadn't she; how had he forgotten about that so quickly?

(Easily, when they're pressed up scandalously close together.)]

I am not ill.

Eh? [ The sound of surprise leaves her fairly instinctively since she really was so convinced he had a cold judging by the color of his cheeks.. but now he's saying it's nothing like that at all? She blinks to herself, wondering if she mistook the sight earlier and he really wasn't having red cheeks at all.

Chizuru's starting to doubt herself a little the longer she thinks about it, and she figures looking to make sure (because Saitou probably wouldn't be too likely to admit it if he had one, right?) might be the best thing to do here.

So the girl turns her head to look..

.. but with the two of them still being this close, their faces are awfully close when her head turns like that. Much more so than Chizuru imagined, and her face is definitely very red at the realisation of just how close they are. Her heart pounds so loudly that she's almost afraid he can even hear it. ]

[He can't hear her heartbeat - or if he does, he's assuming it's his own, because he's no better off than she is. In fact, he might be worse off, because as soon as he suddenly finds himself face to face with her, there's a rather audible sound from him, somewhere between a gasp and a small eep.

He's definitely not blushing any less, either.]

[ ~~Moe moe professional killer in action.~~

Chizuru's surprise from meeting his face this close is only doubled when she notices Saitou - Hajime Saitou, of all people - actually let out a gasp. And she's not sure how to interpret that sign at all, considering it's not something she's actually heard a lot from him. She doesn't move, per se, but her gaze at least lowers so they're not staring straight into each other's eyes while they're this close - she's trying to stop it from being too awkward, but..

.. well, she just has to know-- ] S-.. sorry. [ Because his face is still red too, so-- ] Saitou-san doesn't dislike being this close, right..?

[ Please don't let her have read into this the wrong way, please don't let her have been inconsiderate by saying something that forward.. she bites her lip, her heart still pounding. ]

It - is fine.

[He's bright red and his heart is going a hundred beats a minute but - somehow, it's not a lie, or an attempt to convince himself that there's no problem because he'd prefer to save face rather than admit to being nervous. It's not even an attempt to convince himself because he doesn't want to upset her (although he doesn't, either).

He doesn't know how to describe what he's feeling, but he doesn't dislike it at all.

His gaze moves to the side and stays there, awkwardly fixed on some random point on the street -

His arms don't loosen their grip on her.]

[ In the little silences where she considers his answers, the sound of the downpour fills the pause. Slowly Chizuru's gaze moves back up to stare at him, seeing how he looks away yet blushes, how tiny droplets of water drip down from his hair. If he's saying it's fine, then he doesn't mind, but.. if he's not completely like his usual calm, then maybe there's something a little more about it after all. Then maybe she's right, and maybe she doesn't have to feel selfish or like an idiot for the way her heart feels like it's stuck in her throat.

But maybe it's because being this close is making her self-conscious or maybe it's since.. well, it's Chizuru, but she can't help but apologize all the same. ]

I'm sorry if it's selfish [ even accepting the fact there's nothing else he can do right now since running back with his division to the headquarters right now will just give everyone a guaranteed cold or worse, there's maybe the fact that something about it bothers Saitou instead of him feeling the way she does-- ] but.. I really like it. It's really warm like this..

[ And not just from body heat or anything, but also from the doki doki shoujo feeling that's spreading in her chest like a true otome protagonist. ]

[He reaches up to rest one finger against her lips to quiet her - and then immediately turns a bit redder and tenses just a little bit before lowering it again.

Try again with words, Saitou, they'll probably do you at least marginally better.]

You have nothing to apologize for.

[Saitou, on the other hand, clearly might, with all these unexpected physical liberties he's taking, and he swallows hard and takes a deep breath before saying -]

I apologize for my questionable conduct.

[ Yeah, good job on that finger, because the touch of it against her lips only makes her cheeks more red from the close contact.. and it pretty much stays that way, even when he tries saying it with words instead. All she does is lightly - but quickly, as if she wants to make sure he absolutely doesn't do anything unnecessary like apologizing for this - shake her head after he speaks. ]

N-.. no, there's nothing questionable about it at all..! [ Or so she thinks, anyway, but-- ] I..

[ Is this too bold to say or not.. only the two of them combined can something as small as this sound like something super scandalous. ]

.. I-I suppose that means I like Saitou-san's questionable conduct, then.. [ It's probably a good thing no one can see or hear the two of them like this, huh. ]

[Dear god.

Here he is being downright shameful in the liberties he's taken, and she must surely think less of him than she ever has for behaving so improperly, and he can already picture the things anyone else would say if they overheard this or saw something, the disappointment from his superiors, the -

- wait, what?]

D-do you really?

[Surely he's misheard.]

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