I just... thought of a Romeo and Juliet AU?? whoops
They were absolutely going to get caught.
Eli could tell Umi that they were fine all she wanted but there was absolutely no way they weren’t going to get caught.
“Eli, please rethink this,” Umi pleaded as Eli tied her horse to a post. She was humming and smiling without a single care in the world. Umi really wished she’d have some sort of sense of urgency—they were on enemy territory after all. If the Toujou family found two Ayase horses in their yard, they’d be dead meat.
“Umi, don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” Eli said, placing her hands on her hips. “Besides, isn’t this exciting? Sneaking around at night, venturing into the territory of a rival house…” Eli gave her a cheeky grin. “Have some fun, Umi.”
Umi gulped as she dismounted her horse. She was getting to old for this. She was sixteen, but she was too old for this.
“We’re going to die,” she said.
“No slacking—let’s go,” Eli said, keeping her head low as she started to move past the trees towards the Toujou family’s big manor.
Every voice in Umi’s head told her to get out of there, but she couldn’t just leave Eli alone. She followed Eli’s path, cursing her own loyalty with every step. Eli led the way, hopping over hedges and squeezing herself through openings in the fence with little difficulty, knowing exactly where the guards were posted. Umi began to wonder just how long she had been doing this and whether or not she had been keeping a close enough eye on her.
They skirted along the wall around the back of the manor and Umi was feeling more and more anxious by the minute. They stopped at a part of the manor that had a beautiful view of the Toujou family private gardens, leaning against a piece of elegant fencing covered in vines that ran up the length of the wall.
“Eli, we really should—“
Eli threw her hand over Umi’s mouth and put a finger over her lips with her other hand before pointing up at the manor. With Eli’s hand still on her mouth, Umi’s eyes darted up to the balcony that hung over the yard. Up on the balcony, Umi could make out the figure of a girl in a nightgown, her long dark hair pulled into two low ponytails. She was speaking to someone, laughing and seeming to wave them off. The girl turned around to face the gardens, leaning her elbows on the balcony. Then she looks down and Umi’s blood freezes.
It is at that moment that Umi recognizes the daughter of the Toujou patriarch—Nozomi Toujou herself, and she saw them. They had to run—
“I knew you were coming by,” she called down at them, just loud enough for them to hear. “I was just wondering when.”
Umi watched as Eli’s lips curled into a smile that reached her eyes. Eli finally moved her hand away from Umi’s and stepped away from the wall. Umi resisted the urge to pull her back and stood there, totally stunned.
“Did you now?” Eli called up with her hands on her hips.
“Of course I did,” Nozomi said, smiling in kind, the corner of her eyes pinching in such pure happiness that Umi was almost calmed by it. “The cards never lie, Elicchi.”
Eli took a moment, color flooding to her cheeks as she held a hand over her heart dramatically.
“What?” Umi whispered at her urgently.
Eli tore her eyes away from Nozomi to look at Umi. “Umi, will you keep watch for me?”
Umi was confused for a long moment. “Watch for what? What are you—“ Suddenly, everything seemed to hit her at once. Nozomi Toujou’s words. The smile that they shared. Eli’s late night escapades. Umi felt her cheeks burn with the realization. “Oh,” she said quietly.
Eli gave her a small smirk. “You are welcome to join us if you’d like,” she teased.
Umi burned a bright red that could have probably been bright enough to warn the Toujou family of their presence on this dark night. “Th-that won’t be necessary!” she squeaked.
Eli chuckled quietly. “Then you’ll keep watch won’t you? I promise—we’ll be fine if you’re here.”
Umi stammered for something to say, her words caught in her throat in her state of mixed flusteredness and the forewarning of precaution. She finally sighed, looking away, aware of her obvious embarrassment. “You have twenty minutes,” she said.
Eli beamed at her. “You’re the best, Umi,” she said. Eli started climbing the fencing along the wall, not even seeming concerned at the possibility it would crack and collapse under her weight. She stopped for a moment before looking back down at Umi, with a cheeky grin. “The offer still stands, you know,” she said.
Umi felt hot from the base of her neck to the tips of her ears. “J-just go! You’re losing time!” she said.
Eli laughed before continuing her ascent up her makeshift ladder. Umi watched as Eli reached the top and Nozomi extended a graceful hand towards her. Eli took her hand and leaped for the balcony, landing with practiced grace. They both share a smile before they lean into each other for a kiss that Umi has to cover her eyes for. That was a little too scandalous for her.
They disappear behind closed doors and Umi sighed, her cheeks still burning as she kept an eye out for guards. The thought of Eli’s offer still made her embarrassed, but it didn’t seem like too bad of an idea.
FILL: Team Kominato Ryousuke/Kuramochi Youichi, G
I just... thought of a Romeo and Juliet AU?? whoops
They were absolutely going to get caught.
Eli could tell Umi that they were fine all she wanted but there was absolutely no way they weren’t going to get caught.
“Eli, please rethink this,” Umi pleaded as Eli tied her horse to a post. She was humming and smiling without a single care in the world. Umi really wished she’d have some sort of sense of urgency—they were on enemy territory after all. If the Toujou family found two Ayase horses in their yard, they’d be dead meat.
“Umi, don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” Eli said, placing her hands on her hips.
“Besides, isn’t this exciting? Sneaking around at night, venturing into the territory of a rival house…” Eli gave her a cheeky grin. “Have some fun, Umi.”
Umi gulped as she dismounted her horse. She was getting to old for this. She was sixteen, but she was too old for this.
“We’re going to die,” she said.
“No slacking—let’s go,” Eli said, keeping her head low as she started to move past the trees towards the Toujou family’s big manor.
Every voice in Umi’s head told her to get out of there, but she couldn’t just leave Eli alone. She followed Eli’s path, cursing her own loyalty with every step. Eli led the way, hopping over hedges and squeezing herself through openings in the fence with little difficulty, knowing exactly where the guards were posted. Umi began to wonder just how long she had been doing this and whether or not she had been keeping a close enough eye on her.
They skirted along the wall around the back of the manor and Umi was feeling more and more anxious by the minute. They stopped at a part of the manor that had a beautiful view of the Toujou family private gardens, leaning against a piece of elegant fencing covered in vines that ran up the length of the wall.
“Eli, we really should—“
Eli threw her hand over Umi’s mouth and put a finger over her lips with her other hand before pointing up at the manor. With Eli’s hand still on her mouth, Umi’s eyes darted up to the balcony that hung over the yard. Up on the balcony, Umi could make out the figure of a girl in a nightgown, her long dark hair pulled into two low ponytails. She was speaking to someone, laughing and seeming to wave them off. The girl turned around to face the gardens, leaning her elbows on the balcony. Then she looks down and Umi’s blood freezes.
It is at that moment that Umi recognizes the daughter of the Toujou patriarch—Nozomi Toujou herself, and she saw them. They had to run—
“I knew you were coming by,” she called down at them, just loud enough for them to hear. “I was just wondering when.”
Umi watched as Eli’s lips curled into a smile that reached her eyes. Eli finally moved her hand away from Umi’s and stepped away from the wall. Umi resisted the urge to pull her back and stood there, totally stunned.
“Did you now?” Eli called up with her hands on her hips.
“Of course I did,” Nozomi said, smiling in kind, the corner of her eyes pinching in such pure happiness that Umi was almost calmed by it. “The cards never lie, Elicchi.”
Eli took a moment, color flooding to her cheeks as she held a hand over her heart dramatically.
“What?” Umi whispered at her urgently.
Eli tore her eyes away from Nozomi to look at Umi. “Umi, will you keep watch for me?”
Umi was confused for a long moment. “Watch for what? What are you—“ Suddenly, everything seemed to hit her at once. Nozomi Toujou’s words. The smile that they shared. Eli’s late night escapades. Umi felt her cheeks burn with the realization. “Oh,” she said quietly.
Eli gave her a small smirk. “You are welcome to join us if you’d like,” she teased.
Umi burned a bright red that could have probably been bright enough to warn the Toujou family of their presence on this dark night. “Th-that won’t be necessary!” she squeaked.
Eli chuckled quietly. “Then you’ll keep watch won’t you? I promise—we’ll be fine if you’re here.”
Umi stammered for something to say, her words caught in her throat in her state of mixed flusteredness and the forewarning of precaution. She finally sighed, looking away, aware of her obvious embarrassment. “You have twenty minutes,” she said.
Eli beamed at her. “You’re the best, Umi,” she said. Eli started climbing the fencing along the wall, not even seeming concerned at the possibility it would crack and collapse under her weight. She stopped for a moment before looking back down at Umi, with a cheeky grin. “The offer still stands, you know,” she said.
Umi felt hot from the base of her neck to the tips of her ears. “J-just go! You’re losing time!” she said.
Eli laughed before continuing her ascent up her makeshift ladder. Umi watched as Eli reached the top and Nozomi extended a graceful hand towards her. Eli took her hand and leaped for the balcony, landing with practiced grace. They both share a smile before they lean into each other for a kiss that Umi has to cover her eyes for. That was a little too scandalous for her.
They disappear behind closed doors and Umi sighed, her cheeks still burning as she kept an eye out for guards. The thought of Eli’s offer still made her embarrassed, but it didn’t seem like too bad of an idea.
Perhaps, next time.