stolen time

Ch117 dr

"I'm surprised to see you so cautious after pulling a stunt like that when you saved me a year or two ago"

"Ahaha Aya chan is right, it's just I'm not very used to this sensation"

"Is that so"

Ayame held up her palm towards Douma, waiting for him to place his against her own. Once he finally placed his much bigger hand against hers, ayame slid her fingers down between his, grasping his hand tightly she lead him out the shade and into the light with one back hop.

They flew back off the railing and hovered in the air, ayame watched his sparkling eyes widen with a sentimental smile and that moment time felt a hundred times slower. Their feet landed on the ground denting the new snow.

"See? It's not as bad as you thought right"

Ayame said smiling alluringly under the bright sky, acting as a stage light highlighting her features in a natural light as she seemed to be more stunning than ever before to Douma. He tugged against their intertwined hands, pulling ayame in close as she yelped in surprise with his free hand winding around her waist.

Their position seemed like a marbled statue of a couple dancing a noble waltz, except instead the sings of instruments as their music, it was the sound of their voices and breath. Their bodies against each other with ayame's cheek nearly hitting against his chest, and unlike before she no longer noticed the rancid smell of blood on him, instead it was replaced with the comforting scent of Sweet blooming flowers in winter.

Ayame lifted her head up to have a clearer look at douma's face after hearing a devilish and attractive chuckle.

"My being out during the day doesn't feel half bad, how should I put it...nostalgic? I wouldn't mind doing this more often with Aya chan"

Ayame's rounded eyes narrowed down from her slowly growing smile.

"I'm glad to hear that"

Just then the hallow sound of crunching snow alerted Douma as ayame noticed both his gaze and chin turn up towards the direction behind her, being equally as curious to the commotion she turned her head over her shoulder covering the number in her eyes to see two woman in their mid 20s around the corner.

"A follower?"

Whispered ayame, and in response Douma giggled giving her the answer she needed.

"Oh dear! We apologize for interrupting great!"

One woman said bowing before scurrying away with the other dragged behind.

"Ne ne! That was the founder and his priestess friend right! The one from that day!"

"She is! Don't they look great together?"

The chatters of the woman in a whispering voice still managed to make its way to their ears, not even a few seconds after their head quickly peeked over the side of a wall giving a thumbs up to Douma before leaving for good with excited chuckles.

Ayame quickly realized the reason for their peculiar behaviour, rooted from the fact she is still being held in douma's arms.

"Ah"

With a quiet chirp of embarrassment, Ayame turned her gaze away from douma's eyes to see, walking a considerable distance away from him.

"N-now then! Why don't we do what we came here for?"

She exclaimed with her hands clapped together beside her rose shaded cheeks, whether it was from the cold or shyness was a mystery.

*********

The pair crouched down in the pillow of snow side by side, enough for the tips of the fabric on their clothes to touch. With each a hill of snow in front of themselves, if not for their grown bodies anyone could've mistaken them for two kids.

"It's been a long time since I did this myself"

Ayame chuckled, showing Douma how to make a snow bunny with each carefully pat of her palm against the snow. While ayame focused on the feeling of small sharp tingles against her hand, she could feel Douma heavily focused at watching her do so despite his own hands to be moving much slower.

Though it seemed like he was an attentive student trying to learn, his attention wasn't directed towards the right thing. With unblinking eyes, his sights were focused on ayame's hands noticing how small and fragile they looked, but in reality those same hands had the ability to bring him to his knees with brute force alone due to the fact he knew he couldn't retaliate against her no matter  what she did to him.

This peaceful time felt eerily too calm to believe, working as a wake up call reminding Douma of his troubled thoughts.

"Douma?"

"DOUMA!"

Douma's eyes were startled wide open from a sudden shout, tracing his eyes up with fluttering blinks he saw ayame's tilted head staring at him worryingly.

"Is something the matter? I could feel your stares burning through my hands"

"Ah it's nothing Aya chan, I just realized how small your hands are~"

He hummed in a flirtatious way, reaching out his hand towards her as if he were waving.

"Isn't that normal? You are unnecessarily tall"

Matching her hand up against his they could barely feel each others touch through their numb skin and the slowly melting particles of snow.

"True~"

Douma hummed with a closed eye smile.

"But I do have to say, I'm surprised you even have an interest in doing something like this"

Ayame said, pulling her hand away from douma's as a slightly disappointed pout faded in on his face.

"Well well, I guess it's my inner child deciding to come out and play. Besides, I'm doing it with Aya chan I wouldn't do this with just anyone you know~"

Peering down at his poorly made sculpture full of defects compared to the flawless one ayame had made. With a small grumble, Douma repeatedly poked at it making nearly invisible slits from his deadly nails.

Gaining ayame's attention from his meaningless disappointment she sighed with a blissful smile, scooping up the small snow bunny she made with her hands and snuggingly placed it besides his.