Standard disclaimers apply.

NOTHING IF NOT

By Cassandra’s Destiny

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Nothing if not… conceding

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“Say it, Kurama.”

With the view of a thunderstorm from the window as her background, Botan stood tall in the middle of Kurama’s bedroom. “Just say it. You know you want to.”

Kurama gave her a half smile as he shrugged his shoulders. It was funny how drastically their plans had to change for the day, from eating ice cream in the park that afternoon, to running back to his house completely soaked by the heavy rains. “Have you tried calling Keiko today?”

She clicked her tongue in disapproval. “Don’t even try to change the subject, Kurama. It’s not going to work.”

When he didn’t say anything, she huffed. Kurama watched her as she put her hands on her hips in a display of a playful fit. With her soaked sundress in the laundry room downstairs, he let her borrow one of his button down shirts from his closet. Although his clothes were much larger on her, she looked absolutely feminine with her tiny frame encased in his shirt, with her sleeves rolled up midway to her elbows.

She just had to choose the red one, because she knew it was his favorite. “You look very feminine, Botan.”

She raised a brow and replied, “thank you?”

“It was a compliment.”

“Really? Or was that your way of telling me I don’t look like a girl in my own clothes?”

He let out a small laugh. “Of course not. It was my way of trying to end this part of the conversation.”

“It’s not going to end unless you say it, Kurama.” Tugging on the hem of the shirt, she tried to look disinterested. “Just say I look better in your clothes so you can lose already.”

That was the problem. Despite growing up with such a loving and selfless mother, part of him still was very much like his Youko self, and Youko Kurama does not like to lose. “I’m going downstairs to check on our clothes.”

“You’re such a sore loser,” she teased, sticking her tongue out.

“I haven’t lost yet, Botan.”

“So what are you—” She was cut off by Kurama, who, with such speed, lifted her off her feet. She was too surprised by his actions to protest, so when he laid her on his bed, all she could do was stare at the man towering over her.

“Stay still and close your eyes,” even in whisper, his voice carried such a commanding tone she could not ignore.

Slowly, she closed her eyes, even if her heart was pounding loudly, and she can feel herself getting lightheaded. “Kurama…”

“Shh, don’t say anything.” She shivered as she felt his hot breath on her skin. They have been in such close proximity like this before, but never had she felt so uneasy.

In a twinkling, she felt something on her forehead, but it wasn’t a peck for sure.

“Kurama, I don’t…” She muttered under her breath, heart still racing.

“I’d lose to you anytime,” she heard him say from a distance, then the sound of the door creaking rang in her ear.

For a couple of seconds, she did not move, did not open her eyes. With a hand on her chest, she steadied her breathing. Although the rain outside drowned snatches of conversations from what seemed to be 10-year olds playing in the rain, Kurama’s voice was crystal clear, playing over and over in her head.

“I’d lose to you anytime…”

As she opened her eyes, her thoughts of him having left the room were confirmed. In an attempt to wipe the sweat off her brow, she discovered something on her forehead: a yellow post-it note.

Brows furrowed, she sighed. It was the most unromantic thing in the world, to be alone on someone else’s bed with a note on your forehead.

Finding out what was on the note, however, was a different story altogether.

You look beautiful in anything, even in my clothes.