Rendezvous at Seacoast Resort

Izar took in a deep breath as he stared into his bathroom mirror, having spent nearly an hour already trying to figure out how he would ask Akumu to go with him to the resort. He splashed a bit of water on his face. "Why is this so much harder than the last time I asked her out? the worst she can say is no." he thought out loud, the idea of her doing so seemed to hurt him much more than that of her previous rejections. He shook it off, wiping the water from his face and putting on his white shirt and black jacket. He down looked at the tickets in his hand, ''Confidence Izar. Women like confident men...right?'' he thought before heading out the door toward the guild hall, knowing that she would most likely be there. He stopped at the entrance, taking one last deep breath before entering the hall. He scanned the area of the guild hall, finding her in her favorite spot. Izar's lips curled into a loving smile as he began to walk toward her.

As per usual, Akumu was seated in her normal chair, her legs bent and curled up beneath her, made possible by the dark jeans she wore, accompanied by a forest green t-shirt. Her gaze was fixed intently on a book, green eyes trailing each word with fervor, making her almost completely unaware of anything around her. Her hair was not up in its usual ponytail, instead, the dark locks were tucked neatly behind her ears, keeping them out of the way as she read. As Izar approached, he cast a shadow over her book, which didn't affect her in the slightest thanks to her superior sight, but still alerted her to a new presence. She looked up slowly from her book, carefully saving her place with a bookmark before setting it aside. "Hello," She said curtly, carefully searching his person for any indications that he was asking her on another date. There were no roses or chocolates visible, so she relaxed the slightest bit. "What brings you here?" She asks, bringing her dark gaze up to his violet one, not harsh or demeaning, but certainly not warm and welcoming.

Izar let his smile fade into a friendly one. "I was just stopping by, this is the guild hall after all. I saw my good friend sitting all by her lonesome so I thought I should stop by and say hello." Izar said as he took the seat beside her, before noticing her book. "Sorry, I hadn't meant to bother you." He said as his eyes moved back over to meet hers. "Well, actually. If I am to be honest, there is another reason I came today."Izar said a little hesitation noticeable in his voice. "You see, I went on a job recently and one of the rewards were tickets to this fancy resort not too far away from Sea village." Izar said knowing she probably knew where he was going at this point. "And I'd be honored if you would be willing to go with me next weekend?" Izar asked in a hushed tone as he pulled the tickets from his pocket, being sure not to let anyone else see them.

Akumu waited impatiently for him to get to the point, feeling peeved because of his lengthy response, his apology, and then continuing to talk afterward. She didn't interrupt him for fear he would give her a lengthy apology and did her best to keep it off of her features as well. As he came to a close, Akumu addressed him with a look that clearly displayed her idea on going anywhere near the water in front of a guy who was heavily infatuated with her. She switched her gaze to the tickets, briefly remembering Itari telling her about helping Izar get them, and she reminded herself to question everything involving Izar after this. "I think I'm quite comfortable in my chair at the guild with a book," She says curtly, reaching over to get said book and cracking open the spine again. "And why would you want to bring me anyway? Does it look like I enjoy lengthy days in the sun?" She adds, referencing her pale skin.

Izars eyes averted from hers for only a moment as he quickly brought them back. The pain in his chest was definitely as bad as he feared it would be. "I suppose I understand. I've never really been the type for things like this either. It's just that, during our last date you said you wondered why we couldn't be a normal couple having a normal date. I thought that it would be a good chance for us to get away from everyone here and do that. Just a normal couple out on a date, no nosy people or judgmental eyes to worry about. I mean, we are a couple right?" Izar asked masking his own concern.

Curse past Akumu for saying things that Izar picked up on. Curse Izar for being able to remember things. Curse Akumu for seeing at the hurt in his lavender gaze and feeling guilty. What did she have to feel guilty for anyways? She was just stating facts, it wasn't her fault Izar picked the wrong date plans. Still, her heart reached out for him, if for nothing else than understanding what it felt like to be forgotten or ditched. She grit her teeth, thinking hard over her next statement. The word couple made her cringe inwardly. She didn't want to label the feelings she felt for Izar, especially because after she identified them, she'd have to share them explicitly, with Izar, and then later people she trusted with such information, said people being Itari. Dammit, why were relationships so difficult? "Considering we've gone on one date, I suppose the word couple defines us, at least, a little bit. And I suppose if given the opportunity to share a date with you without having to worry about others prying into it... then I suppose that would be okay. Good, even, but I'm just hesitant to agree to a date by the beach, or even going somewhere expensive. Not that I question your intentions, but not all men are as honorable as you are," She says, staring hard at him. The slightest slip by the man and it was over, that much was certain to Akumu.

A soft smile appeared on Izar's face at Akumu's words, happy that it wasn't just that she didn't want to go out with him. He nodded, "I understand. We don't even have to go near the water if you want. I'm sure there are plenty of things we could do on land. If you don't want to go to the resort at all I can give someone else the tickets and we could go somewhere different. It's not about where or even what we're doing Akumu, as long as it's with you I'd be happy anywhere."

Akumu nodded, thinking over possible places they could go. However, nothing came to mind, as she never went on dates, nor had a particular interest in imagining going on them. Of course, the standard movie came to mind, however, the prospect of sitting still doing absolutely nothing but watching a screen for hours wasn't appealing in the slightest. "There's no sense in wasting tickets you worked hard to get. You said we leave next weekend then? That gives me enough to mentally prepare for a day by the beach at least," She says, sinking farther into her seat and fixing her gaze onto her book. "Now, please allow me to finish my book in peace."

Izar stood up, nodding. He knew telling her she didn't have to or suggesting anywhere else would only seek to annoy her. She had made up her mind and was willing to go to the beach with him despite her dislike of such things. "Of course, and thank you. I promise you won't regret it. If we don't see each other again before then let's meet up at the station Saturday morning." He said with a wide smile as he backed away, letting her go back to reading.

Saturday morning rolled around quickly&mdash;much quicker than Akumu thought it would, at least&mdash;and she was shifting through her bag to make sure she had everything she needed for her oceanside get-a-way. Once she was certain she did, she slung the duffle bag up onto her shoulder, quickly exiting her dormitory and heading towards the station. The sun had just crept over the skyline, casting hues of pink, purple, and orange into the sky. She wasn't quite sure what Izar classified as morning, and she had been too stubborn to talk to him just for a simple question like that, so she figured a little past dawn would have to work. If not, she brought a book with her, so she could always read until he showed up. This was as early as she dared leave, otherwise, she would run into Itari, and the last thing she wanted to do was explain why she had packed a bag and was headed to the train station. Even with that crisis averted, she walked briskly in case he happened to be around. When she reached the train station, she found an empty bench and sat down, placing her bag in her lap and lacing her hands together on top of it. She would wait to read until she was sure Izar found that morning came much later than the break of dawn. If Izar was already there, she wouldn't have seen him either, as she kept her gaze directed towards the train tracks.

Izar checked the bag he had packed the night before just to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything important. He picked up the small, rectangle shaped gift box, examining it despite already knowing it's contents. He snapped out his trance and placed the box into his pack along with everything else before storing it all away in his pocket dimension. He had woken up much earlier than normal, knowing he had been stupid in not giving her a time, being far too afraid to give her one at any point during the week as to not make her feel like he was pestering her. He ran down to the train station just as the sun was cracking over the horizon. He got there to see that she too was just arriving, he watched as she sat down and began reading before making his way over to her. "Good morning Akumu. I hope you haven't been waiting too long, I was just about to go get our tickets. The train should be arriving shortly."

Akumu glanced up at Izar as he began speaking, shaking her head. "I haven't been waiting long at all," She says, shifting her bag up onto her shoulder. "Let's not waste time, I'd rather have to wait for the train than have the train wait for me," She says, standing up and walking over to the man selling the tickets. She pulled a wallet out of a small pocket on the side of her bag, pulling out a few bills in exchange for their tickets, handing one over to Izar. "Don't worry about paying me back," She says abruptly, slipping her wallet back into her bag. "Just make sure I am not wasting my time at the resort."

Izar nodded. "Don't worry, you won't be." He said confidently just before the train whistle could be heard not too far away. "That's our ride." He said with a smile as he turned toward the tracks. "Thanks again for coming with me, I know you don't like the beach but it really means a lot that you came anyways." He said glancing back to her. A few moments later it came to a screeching halt at the station. Only a few people came off as the doors open, not many being up so early. Izar motioned for Akumu to follow him. Remembering the spot she had chosen during the last time they had rode the train together he chose a seat near the exit, saving the window seat for her as he knew she got restless and that being able to look out the window might help.

Akumu remained silent, following him onto the train and sitting by the window. Her dark gaze immediately went to the window, watching the world outside. It was surprisingly calm, something she never really realized until she wasn't actually living in it, instead watching from behind a glass. It was surreal in a way, though once the train began moving this feeling quickly went away. As the scenery whipped by, she lost interest, no longer seeing the gentle details, only blurs of green and brown. Her gaze trailed over to Izar then, and she shifted in her seat so that she could lean against the window, her feet rising onto the chair, her shoes having easily slipped off. "May I borrow your journal?"

"Yeah of course." Izar said requipping one of his many journals before handing it to her. As she began reading Izar requipped his most recent journal and began to write in it. It wasn't long before he had finished writing about the mornings events and put his journal away. Shifting in his seat he looked over to Akumu who was completely absorbed in reading. He smiled before turning back to stare at the empty seat across from him.It was then that he began to let his mind wander. It wasn't too long later that they arrived at Sea village, the train screeching to a halt as they arrived. "A lot shorter than our ride to Bosco right?" he asked before standing up and stretching a bit. "The resort shouldn't be much more than a half hours walk from the station, what do you say we check in and then hit the town?"

Akumu mirrored Izar's movements as the train came to a halt, her fingertips gently grazing the top of the ceiling of the train car as she did. She slipped her bag onto her shoulder, and quickly exited the train, being mindful to listen to what Izar was saying. She nods to his suggestion, allowing him to lead the way to the resort. They arrived a short time later and were given the keys to their rooms, and Akumu headed over to the elevator, heading up to their designated floor. A short upwards trip and down the left corridor later, she was inside her room. She set her bag near the bed, pulling out a pair of sunglasses and setting her regular red frames on the nightstand. She took the liberty to explore the room a bit, making careful note of what she had in the room. She noticed a door on the wall adjacent to the one she had walked in through and headed over to it. She knocked softly, assuming that it was either a closet or a door to Izar's room. She would either look like an idiot trying to find Narnia in her hotel room, or find an easy way to get into Izar's room though the former wouldn't affect anything other than her own pride, so she didn't mind.

Izar made his way up to his room which happened to be right next to Akumu's. He had began to unpack some of his things, placing some of the things he may need while out back in the backpack, this included the small gift box that he stuffed into a small pocket within the pack as to not have it tumbling around as he walked. Izar looked around the room, giving it little more than a glance before making his way over to the window, throwing open the curtains to view the beach as well as the town not to far away from there. Izar was enjoying the view when he heard a knock. "Crap, I hope I didn't keep her waiting." he thought turning toward the door before realizing that the knock hadn't come from the entrance at all. He scanned the room, finding that the source of the knocking coming from behind another door which sat near the other. He walked over to it, opening it hesitantly. He was indeed surprised to see Akumu on the other side. This surprise was soon replaced by laughter as he found the idea of the door amusing. "Hello there neighbor, I wasn't aware I'd be living next to such a lovely young woman. Did you need to borrow some flour?" he asked jokingly.

Akumu hadn't found the situation at all humorous, her face remaining blank as Izar began to speak as though he'd never seen her before, let alone be on a date with her. Nonetheless, his hearty laugh caused something to stir within Akumu, so she decided to play along, at least somewhat. "This lovely young woman doesn't bake, she fights, so I suggest you keep your cooking materials away from me," She deadpans. "Please meet me down in the lobby," She says, promptly shutting the door on Izar and then heading back towards her duffle bag. She grabbed a small backpack from within, slipping her wallet and glasses inside. She placed her sunglasses on top of her head, then slung the backpack onto her back, kicking her duffle bag beneath the bed and then exiting her room. She headed back downstairs again and asked the receptionist for a map of the city they were in. He happily obliged, even telling her about cafes, restaurants, and small attractions all within walking distance of the hotel. He also told her about various things that could be done within the resort, telling her where to find various beach items and stuff like that. Akumu nodded along to what he said, making note of anything that she found an interest in.

Izar's smile remained even as she shut the door on him, feeling jubilant at their shared joke even if he had been the only one laughing. He quickly grabbed his backpack along with a few other things, changing into a white T-shirt and black shorts before making his way down to the lobby to meet Akumu, spotting her near the receptionist desk. He made his way over to her his smile still present on his face. "Well that was definitely a surprise wasn't it?" Izar asked before noticing the map in her hand. "That'll be helpful, so what do you think we should do first?" he asked.

Akumu peers over at Izar as he approaches, shifting the map so he can look it over as well. "I heard it was quite common nowadays actually. It makes family vacations much easier," She states plainly. She points toward a small red dot on the map, the key indicating that it was a cafe. "Eat," She says in response to his question, her stomach rumbling as if on cue. "I didn't get anything before because avoiding Itari in the morning is hard enough without having to worry about anything else. This guy says they sell amazing coffee and muffins, and I figured those were two things nobody could dislike, and it's close by, so it'd probably be our best bet," She says, looking up at Izar for confirmation.

Izar nodded, "I like that idea, I haven't eaten anything either so coffee and muffins sound really good right now." He said turning toward the direction the map stated the cafe to be in. He motioned for her to follow. They made their way to the cafe, their walk only taking a few minutes. Once they got there and were seated they ordered. It wasn't long before the waitress came back with their coffee and muffins. Izar was the first to sip his coffee, having taken his black there wasn't much of a difference of flavor compared to his normal brew but what difference was there was easily recognizable. He then turned to Akumu who was in the midst of taking her first sip. "So how does it taste?" he asked.

Akumu had requested her coffee black as well and had paired her drink with a cherry muffin. As she took the first sip, the steaming liquid immediately caused warmth to spread throughout her body. "Bitter," She says in response to his question though judging by the satisfied smile on her face she wouldn't have it any other way. "Definitely has a richer flavor from what I normally get," She adds, taking another sip. After setting the cup down, she peels the paper off of the muffin, tearing a piece off and popping it into her mouth. The muffin was much sweeter than the coffee, however, the cherry added a tartness that balanced it out. "How are your coffee and muffin?" She asks after swallowing the small bite, tearing off another piece as she does.

"Bitter of course but also quite refreshing, definitely what I needed." He said as he pealed the paper from his muffin. Biting into it, he chewed it several times as he savored the flavor. This being the first meal he has shared with Akumu that wasn't made by his own hands made it feel all the more special as he allowed the banana flavor to fill his mouth before washing it down with his coffee. "Quite toothsome actually, not dry in the least. The receptionist was right, this place is really good." Izar said pulling off another piece and eating it. Izar continued eating and enjoying his coffee as well as his company. He looked outside to see that the sun had risen quiet a bit since they had met at the station that morning. "It looks like it'll be a nice day outside. I saw a nice walking trail that runs along the beach and up the cliffs while we were looking at the map, what do you say we walk it once we're done here. I can run back to town and grab some things if you want to have a picnic out there."

Akumu nodded along to his description, finishing off the remainder of her muffin, then slowly sipping her coffee, watching the shadows become fainter and shorter as the sun rose higher, pouring through the cafe's windows and pooling on the ground, keeping the room pleasantly warm. With a soft sigh, she set her empty cup down, wiping off her hands, wiping the crumbs onto a napkin, and then setting it carefully in the center so as not to upset them. "A walk sounds pleasant," She says, wiping off her shorts and then standing up, heading towards the exit. "I would like to go with you to get the things for the picnic," she says, slipping the bag from her shoulders and pulling out the map and handing it over to Izar. "I've already memorized the entire thing, so it's no use to me anymore," She says, pulling her cinch bag back on. "Though I imagine you've done your research or have already been here, so you can just throw it away," She adds, looking around for a moment, pairing the actual locations with what she'd seen in the crude map. "Where is it that we need to go?" She asks after a moment, looking over to Izar.

Izar's face lite up a bit as she agreed to the walk. As she got up, Izar followed; throwing his trash in a nearby trashcan. Izar listened to her speak before she handed him the map, "Of course, no problem. Having you there would help a lot in figuring out what to pick." He said with a bright smile before looking down at the map in his hand. He did know his way around town, having helped rebuild most of it alongside Itari. He wondered just how much Itari had told her of their trip. He decided against asking, having been spared any scorn or wrath so far. Izar opened the map despite not needing it, "The Noribaru shop is here, it's a local food market so i'm sure they'll have a good selection of things to choose from." Izar said pointing at a spot on the map despite knowing she couldn't see the map. If she had indeed memorized the map she would know what he was talking about. The two made the walk back to town, finding the shop fairly quickly. Izar admired the shop for a moment as he remembered how it had looked before he and Itari rebuilt it. He motioned for Akumu to follow as he entered, grabbing a basket from the front of the store. "So, what are you in the mood for?"

Akumu waited for Izar to figure out where they were headed, nodding when he suggested Noribaru shop. She walked alongside Izar, making note of specific buildings she could match up with the map in order to get a better understanding of how distant things were from each other. As they stopped, Akumu peered at Izar questionably, wondering why he'd stop when they were this close. If he were to change his mind after getting this close, there was little Akumu could do to prevent herself from maiming him, or at the very least, giving him a lasting bruise he didn't want from his girlfriend. Or whatever it was that Akumu was to Izar. Fortunately, he walked into the store, allowing Akumu to follow after. At his question, she glanced through the front of the store, allowing herself a few moments of silence to think over his questions. "Fruits and vegetables would be fine. Carrots if we can get them," She says, walking towards the produce section to get the aforementioned goods.

As he followed her he made note that she had chosen to mention wanting carrots, knowing she could have named any number of fruits or vegetables. Izar, being the chef he was, immediately began thinking of recipes involving carrots. He pushed the thoughts to the back of his head but making a mental note to go back to them later as he knew he wouldn't be able to make any of them for the picnic but had hopes for dinner, wondering if the hotel would mind letting him use their kitchen. Izar looked over the iced produce section, picking out some apples as well as a pack of strawberries, and two limes. Grabbing a some lettuce, tomatoes, and of course carrots. He also grabbed a few bottles of water as well as some tea bags just in case they wanted something with more flavor; knowing he had a pot on standby for requip if he so needed it. He then turned to Akumu for approval of his choices. "Should we grab any meats, ham or turkey perhaps? we could make sandwiches alongside a salad with some fruit."

Akumu watched as Izar began picking out various fruits and vegetables, trying to predict what was going through his head as he did. Something this mundane wasn't entertaining in the slightest, and there was nothing wrong being interested in Izar's thoughts, was there? This thought sent Akumu reeling, and she choked on her own spit, falling into a short coughing fit. She waved off Izar's concern, taking a long breath to regain her composure. "I'm fine," She says. "Lunch meat sounds fine, let's just make haste, it's stuffy in here," She says, trying to play off her earlier behavior. Internally, Akumu was screaming, arguing with herself on why she would be interested in Izar at all, and why it so bad to think about him. She decided to push it to the back of her mind for now, since she didn't have an immediate answer to either side, avoiding looking at the male beside her.

Izar just nodded and continued on, knowing bothering her about it would only make her angry. He decided to give her the benefit of the doubt as she blamed her coughing fit on stuffy air. If she fell into another one however, he would have to choice but to push the matter. He quickly picked up the lunch meat along with some bread and cheese, grabbing a nice looking woven basket to place their things in before paying an exiting the store. It wasn't long before he noticed Akumu's eyes avoiding meeting his as they found their way onto the walk path. The sounds of waves splashing against the shore and the birds among the rocks filled their ears as Izar searched for a topic to start a conversation with her. His mind raced over several topics as he had a hard time trying to think of something that wouldn't immediately make her mad. "It's truly a lovely day, wouldn't you agree?" he asked, trying to buy more time to think while also breaking the awkward silence between them.

Akumu walked alongside Izar, and despite her pushing the thoughts away, they came crawling back, and stubbornly, Akumu avoided Izar's gaze, hoping that if he was out of sight, he would be out of mind as well. Of course, this did not work, as she could practically feel the tension rolling off of Izar. She couldn't ask him to tell her what was on his mind in fear that he would know her thoughts, which was pure paranoia, but any sane part of her had gone with the wind the moment she thought that she was interested in Izar. When he asked how the day was, Akumu wanted nothing more than to scream, however, kept herself composed, knowing deep down it would only make her look more suspicious. "It's nice," She says instead, hesitantly looking over to Izar. "I imagine that it doesn't take you so long to come up with a question like that, though," She says, taking a breath, steeling her nerves before continuing. "What's on your mind?" She asks, a tight smile on her face. This was normal, just a friendly question, nothing more, she reminded herself, repeating it over and over to convince herself.

Izar felt his heart skip a beat, his question hadn't bought him any time at all; in fact, it had completely run down his clock. A nervous smile appeared in Izar's face as he decided to tell her the truth. "Well... considering we're on a date, I'm thinking about you." He said as a slight blush appeared on his face. This blush quickly faded as he continued speaking, "I'm worried that you're not having fun, that you're mad about something since you were avoiding looking at me." Izar said as he turned to face her. "What about you? what's on your mind?" he asked hesitantly.

Akumu bit her tongue at Izar's words, feeling her ears get hot, hoping beyond hope it didn't spread any farther. She didn't speak in case it came out wrong or she stuttered or something else, allowing Izar to explain himself fully. At his question, however, she could no longer remain silent. There was no way she would ever say Izar was on her mind, but she couldn't come up with any other plausible lie, though. "You?" She offers, mentally slapping herself for such a lame response. "Well, more my feeling for you, but still you," She explains, her gaze trailing off of Izar and ending up on the ocean. The push and pull of the tide was a short distraction of her previous thoughts, though they still pressed insistently at the back of her mind, especially when she'd just admitted them to Izar.

Izar was taken aback by Akumu's response, if his heart weren't beating fast before it was now. Izar couldn't think of anything for a moment as the sounds of the waves did little to clear his now racing mind. His face was blazing hot, he knew he was blushing like an idiot but that was the least of his concerns at the moment. Izar opened his mouth to speak but hesitated, wondering if he should say what he wanted to say. He pulled up all the courage he had in himself as he decided that if he didn't ask now he would probably never get the chance to do so again. "an-and those feelings... wh-what are they?" he asked deciding that he wanted to know, regardless of what they might be.

Akumu continued to watch the waves, anything to keep from looking at Izar. The hesitation in his voice was enough to keep her silent for several moments, and if she had to think of a response to that question, she'd need quite a bit of time. "I don't know," She starts, nervously picking at the skin next her fingernail. It was a dangerous habit, one that often led her fingers to bleed if she pressed too hard. Luckily she didn't get nervous very often. "They're not inherently bad, but it's very confusing. I don't think I should love you, probably because I don't want to have to protect you. I realize you probably don't need protecting, but I suppose that's the only type of love I truly know and understand. I also don't want to have to depend on you, but being that I don't understand how this love works, that's all I can do until I can do it on my own. There's also the fact that you are an immortal, which is something new and different, and while most changes in my life, especially the most recent ones, have been good, I can't expect my luck to continue indefinitely," She says, sighing heavily, turning to face Izar. "But, even with my precautions, I cannot push my feelings away, and I cannot replace them with hatred or even indifference because your efforts and kindness have impacted me more than I let on. And truthfully I don't want to forget, or 'not remember' what happened on our first date, but I am afraid that if I admit to what I did then I will be left bare, unable to return to what I was before I met you."

Izar listened to her words, carefully absorbing each and every line as she spoke. When she finished, Izar wasn't sure how to feel. He wasn't happy or sad, nor was he angry. He looked at Akumu, the woman he loved and saw someone who was truly confused and scared of not understanding her own feelings. He noticed her scratching at her own hands nervously and stepped forward to intervene, taking her hands into his slowly as to not frighten or alarm her. Izar looked into her deep green eyes, taking a equally deep breath before speaking. " The truth is... I don't know either. Before I met you love was the furthest thing from my mind. I spent all those years wandering around this God-forsaken place wanting nothing more than to find a way to end this wretched curse. I was so scared of making friends, of opening my heart up to another human being because I knew that no matter what I did one day they would be gone and I would be left alone again. It wasn't until I came to Koma Inu, until I met you that I even considered the thought of becoming close to someone, of loving someone. Before I met you I wanted to do nothing more than die. What happened that night... whatever it was that happened while darkness invaded my eyes, it was the most wonderful thing I had ever experienced. Whatever happened between us that night, it gave me new life. Now every time I'm around you all those bad feelings just go away and i'm not scared about the future anymore because I'm living each and every moment with you, treasuring doing so. I understand that you're scared and confused and i'm sorry for asking you to share something you weren't ready to. I want you to understand that I do truly love you Akumu and that i'm okay with waiting for you to understand your own feelings because God knows how long it took me to understand mine. I'm here for you."

Izar's eyes widened as he remembered the gift box in his backpack. He took one hand away from Akumu's as he slipped his backpack off, opening it slightly so that he could begin digging through it. He found the box in the pocket where he had left it. Pulling it out, he turned back to Akumu and held out the small box. "It's a Lacrima Phone, the guy at the store said they were the hottest thing in Ishgar right now. It's supposed to let you talk to someone from hundreds of miles away. I got one for me too, that way no matter how far away we are from each other, we're only a few button presses away." Izar said with a loving smile.

Akumu watched Izar gently take her hands in his, feeling her throat close up, anxiously waiting for his next words. She can't remember a time when she had listened so intently, had been so engrossed in something as simple as talking though there wasn't a single doubt in her mind that what Izar said next was important. And as she listened, she couldn't help but squeeze Izar's hands the smallest bit, to remind herself that she was here, and he was here, and he was truly going to wait for her. She swallowed hard, keeping her eyes on his despite the urge to look away, to hide from the words he had wholeheartedly spoken. She couldn't formulate words to respond to him, to say something to assure him that she would work on her feelings. He had laid his heart bare, and all Akumu could do was stare at him, trying desperately to convey what she thought though her gaze alone. Luckily, Izar had begun rooting through his bag, saving her from having to speak. As he pulled out the Lacrima Phone, her eyes widened, and she carefully took the device in her hand. "Thank you," She murmured, "I don't really know what else to say. I know these things aren't cheap, why would you spen&mdash;" Akumu stops speaking when she sees the patient, warm smile on Izar's face, too shocked to say anything beyond that. She slowly put away the phone, slipping it carefully into her bag so as not to damage it. Slowly, she stepped up to Izar's side, turning her hand so that she could lace her fingers between his. "Do you mind if I do this?" She asks hesitantly, looking down at their hands.

Izar watched as she placed the phone into her bag before moving to his side. It was only a moment later that he felt her fingers lace with his own as they began holding hands. At her question Izar began to gently squeeze her hand. He glanced down at their hands before looking back up to her eyes If she is a nightmare then I have no desire to wake up. He thought in reference to her name. In this moment his heart wasn't racing at all, he didn't feel nervous in the least, no. Izar was calm, his breathing steady. He knew that if asked he wouldn't be able to describe what it was that he was feeling, all Izar would be able to say is that, to him, it felt right. "Of course" Izar says, his smile still present on his face, getting brighter if anything. After they stood there for a few moments Izar turned to look down the walk path before again returning his gaze to her. "Shall we continue walking?"

Akumu gently squeezes his hand in return, looking towards him with a small but sincere smile. She nodded her head to his question and began to walk along the path, feeling at ease now that her thoughts had been conveyed, no longer wildly racing in her head. She felt the constant weight of Izar's hand in hers, but it didn't feel like a burden. It was reassuring for her hand to held so fondly in his, and Akumu couldn't help but feel particularly warm and content with it. "Izar, I don't really get you," She says, staring blankly at the trail ahead of them. "I don't think I would be able to feel anything but hurt if I had lived as long as you have. There would be no way I could open myself up to somebody else, and still, you did. You reached out; and not for some sugar, spice, and everything nice girl, who would probably be a lot better than I am at this, but you reached out for me. And I don't know whether to think of you as an idiot or a savior for that. I’ve never felt so protected and secure before with someone since it was my job to defend against the harsh realities. I feel so grateful that you stick with me despite how ridiculous and painful it must be for you to constantly reassure me that you aren’t leaving and that you love me. All the while you’ve never gotten anything in return, in fact, I believe I have been stepping all over you. I can sense your uneasiness whenever I say something you doubt, especially when you want to press the matter. I know exactly when you regret saying something, even when it’s true because you tense up and wait for me to explode on you. You always anticipate the very worst when it comes to dealing with me, but you somehow never give up,” Akumu sighs heavily, looking over at Izar. “I don’t really understand you at all Izar Tasya, because out of all the woman you could love, you chose the most incapable one.”

Izar glanced over to her, still making sure to watch where he was going as he did so. " I reached out for the right one." Izar started. "If anything, I should be the one being grateful. You had no obligation to give me the time of day, no reason to put up with all my screw ups but you did and you do. I'm always so nervous when I talk to you because i'm just so scared that one day i'll say something stupid and you'll realize that no one would blame you for walking away. That's why I feel you've been testing me to see if I was worth your time, your respect, and your heart because you know just how much you're worth and that you shouldn't waste your time with someone who isn't everything you deserve. That's why I try so hard to make you laugh and smile because I want to be that person. I want to be the person who makes you as happy as you make me. I knew going into this relationship that it wouldn't be easy, but no matter how rocky the road is, no matter how long it takes. I know you're worth it. I've never met someone who makes me feel the way you make me feel, not even once in all four hundred years I've wandered this world and I don't want to lose that. You've already given me more than you realize. The fact that you're here right now, that you're willing to share these feelings with me is more than enough."

Akumu's fingers moved slowly and smoothly across Izar's as he spoke, enjoying the gentle stimulation, evident by the appeased look on her face. "There  certainly  is no reason why I should give you the time of day." She asserts though her voice is soft enough to show she wasn't meaning to insult him. "There's no reason I should be doing anything, really. But I don't like explaining everything I do anyways, so it works in your favor." She adds, still keeping her voice fairly low. "Holding your hand feels right but I could never explain to you why. The sincerity in every word you speak stirs something within me, and even though this feeling makes me want to say things even I don't understand, I don't hate it. There are three words that people say to those close to them, especially in a relationship such as ours, though I cannot bring myself to say them. So, I will compromise with 'I am here' and hope that is enough to keep you around." As the pair get farther along the trail, it becomes slightly more rugged, the cliffsides providing a higher degree of fissured earth and stones in their path. Still, the ocean was clearly visible, the water glimmering under the sun. "Think we should stop to eat here?" She asks, glancing around the area for a flat place to set up and eat at.