stolen time

Ch91 home at last rr

"Hmm? What are you reading?"

"Oh this? It isn't a book, but a map and travel guide!"

Ayame released an arm from him to see a page within the book he held beside her, she ran her fingers across the page and it indeed was a map of a place called Kyoto. A place that hadn't existed in her memory, for all she knew it could've been a place she had known, but with an entirely different name from what she knew.

"Are you planning on going somewhere?"

He chuckled with his eyes closed, leaning close with a smile he whispered.

"I'm taking you on a date! But the location Is a surprise so you'll have to wait until we get there, but we can only move during the day, muzan has been more active lately so when night falls we need to return"

"Alright, I'll make sure to re-mark the estate before we go just in case, by the way how long have I been out for?"

Tilting her head up to meet his gaze she patiently waited for a response.

"You were asleep for two whole days!"

"Ara, that's shorter than I expected"

"How long are they usually then?"

"Hmm, from what Douma told me it ranges from 2 days to 3 months, depending on how much strength I need to rejuvenate"

Kyojuro hummed laying his head on her chest with his arms comfortably wrapped around her waist.

"I guess I have to make sure you don't go into a coma again, it was only two days but it felt like years since you were awake, I can't imagine what it's like if you were asleep for months!"

Ayame chuckled placing her chin on the top of his head while slowly patting him on the back for comfort.

"I guess I'll have to be more careful then"

******

Kyojuro decided to take her the morning after in case he was suddenly dispatched on a mission. he felt both excited and nervous, the place he had planned was a place deeply tied to her, and kyojuro didn't know if it was a good idea or not.

After tightening the sash that cozily sat on his hips he walked down the halls towards ayame's room, wearing his usual enthusiastic smile his Knuckles headed towards the wooden frame of the fusama, millimetres before impact the fusama slid open and instead of the frame, kyojuro knocked the forehead of ayame.

"Gah!"

Her eyes squinted as her head slightly flicked backwards with her hand following up towards her forehead, she gently tapped it with the tips of her fingers while her eyes opened. Her vision cleared to see kyojuro standing before her with a shooken smile,

"Oh! Sorry Aya! I was about to knock on the fusama, but instead I accidentally knocked on you"

His hands firmly cupped around her cheeks he leaned in to plant a kiss upon her forehead.

"Haha, it alright I don't mind, instead do you mind waiting for me outside? I need to make a quick trip to the kitchen to grab your lunch, I'll be out in a bit"

Waving her hand in the air she skipped towards the opposite direction from the front gate, kyojuro watched as the ends of her hair follow her from behind like a tail, disappearing at the turn of a corner. Giggling he took a turn and headed towards the front as ayame wished.

He patiently stood outside with his ears perked up expecting the sound of ayame's footsteps to appear any second, despite it being cloudy he still chose to wait under the wagasa, a choice ayame deemed as unnecessary each time. Soon enough she came out of the front door holding a large baggage in her hands, skipping up close to kyojuro she met him with a smile.

"Lets go!"

Kyojuro exclaimed intertwining his fingers with ayame, he led her towards their destination.

******

By the time they arrived at the outskirts of the mountain where the place was, it was already late in the afternoon. Before proceeding upwards they decided to take a short lunch break since ayame could hear the rumbling sounds of Kyojuro's stomach.

"It seems we made it here faster than anticipated!"

Kyojuro said before leaning over towards ayame with his mouth open as ayame fed him his lunch.

"Is this the place you were planning?"

"Yes! Well to be precise it's at the top of the mountain, above those stairs"

He pointed to his side where the said stairs layed within the barrage of trees that looked unusually familiar besides it, she tilted her head with a sweet toned hum.

"Let's be on our way! Before it gets to late"

Ayame nodded, packing up the bento back within the cloth bag they got up from their seats and began to climb the vast stone stairs.

"Where does this lead to exactly?"

Ayame asked with her head turned to the side towards kyojuro as she continued to step upwards, she watched as the corners of his mouth turn up into a grin, and with a single side glance they came to a stop at the flat surface before another grand flight of stir as.

"You'll see right about...now"

Ayame raised a brow tilting her head to face the front, her eyes slowly began to widen. She cupped her gawking mouth with her chilly hands, she couldn't believe the view before her a scene she had only saw in her memories and 1000 years ago, except the only difference was the red tori gates have became a little run down.

"Kyojuro this is! How?"

She asked, ayame has never taken the initiative to look for this place herself before, because of the fact it had been so long she expected it to be abolished or completely gone after being abandoned. Kyojuro took a few steps up the stairs with on leg higher than the other, he turned and offered his hand with a gentle smile.

"Let's go shall we? Back to the place of your childhood, your home"