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Frankly, if he didn’t have you, he’d really be lost.
“Come on, let me buy some apples for you!”
“Oh and I can get you a drink with that!”
The man with blue hair quietly cleared his throat, though unable to actually catch the attention of the crowd surrounding him. Instead, the women kept on rambling, excited smiles on their faces.
“I want to get you something special even though Valentine’s Day is already over!”
“Oh, please, that would be way too much to ask…” He replied, his soft voice drowning in the sea of fans.
From a distance, you weakly smiled with raised eyebrows, slightly tilting your head. Even after all this time, he had not gotten any better at escaping his popularity, huh? Taking a deep breath, you shook your head, your feet already moving again, approaching the group of people. Carefully, you weaved your way through the masses, though missing the foot of some stranger, practically falling forwards, gasping loudly. The blue-haired man immediately caught onto your little mistake, shortly widening his eyes, before reaching out with his right hand, prepared to catch you in an instant. However, as smooth as you were, you managed to merely stumble a few steps towards him, before promptly stopping, back as straight as one would’ve wanted it from someone of the royal family. The crowd went quiet at your unexpected entry, all eyes focused on you. Meanwhile, your line of sight was focused on the person in front of you, an instant smile making its way to your lips, as you gazed into his warm gray eyes. He still had his arm outstretched half the way, blinking a few times before gently chuckling. You simply were too adorable.
“Ahem, that was definitely planned.” You confidently grinned, placing your hands on your hips, while a girl from the crowd recognized you.
“Oh, (Y/N)! What are you doing here?”
You faced her, replying, “Well, I was just going to borrow Ais for something – if you all don’t mind.”
Out of the corner of your eye, you witnessed your blue-haired friend smiling to himself, knowing he could fully trust you and your plan – no matter what it was.
The chattering crowd was quick to respectfully agree, aware of how close you were to the magician.
“Alright then, we’ll see you two another time!”
Soon, the people had left and Ais quietly sighed, his smile continuously gracing his lips. You turned on your heel to face him, raising an eyebrow with a smirk, “Hey, what happened to your plan of just vanishing whenever this happens? I thought you were working on your ‘Nevermind, no thanks!’-exit, huh?”
He chuckled upon hearing you recite those words he had told you about once, before briefly shaking his head, “It seems that in the end, I am still in dire need of your assistance. Which is why it is a good thing I can always put my faith in you.”
His words ignited this wonderful warmth inside your chest, the fire shooting all the way up to your cheeks and slightly dusting them pink, however, you didn’t mind. It felt good to be in his presence and talk to him, that was nothing to be embarrassed about.
“Well, I guess we need to practice that flamboyant exit again at some point.” You shrugged innocently.
“Since you help me with my magic shows sometimes anyway, I am sure it will fit somewhere in the schedule. Though…” Ais trailed off, his voice growing quieter, as he averted his gaze for a mere second.
Nevertheless, when it came to him you paid extra close attention, fully aware of how quick he was to hide his thoughts behind that practiced smile – not that you minded seeing such an expression, you did adore it, after all.
“What’s wrong?” you carefully inquired, fully facing him with a gentle expression, “Remember we promised each other to talk about whatever bothers us whenever. I’m here for you, you know.”
“Oh, my apologies, I didn’t mean to worry you. Don’t worry, it’s quite the opposite of bad news – in fact, I wanted to ask you to accompany me for a bit, if you don’t mind?”
Nodding, you gestured to the side with your head, “Sure, lead the way.”
Ais gratefully nodded, taking off but at a relatively slow pace so you two could enjoy the stroll through Viern without any rush. You walked down the busy street right next to him, occasionally inching closer as people on the side of the road were gathering around food stalls and other attractions. When you were with him, the crowds always seemed to dissipate fast, which he was eternally thankful for. He truly would be a lost cause without you.
Your hand accidentally brushed against his gloved one at some point, though neither of you raised any attention to it, just smiling to yourselves, reveling in this moment that was preserved for only the both of you. Warmth traveled through your body again and you imagined hearing the birds sing louder in this peaceful environment.
That was, until you noticed the chirping sounds seemed to be awfully close.
“Uhm, Ais you might want to check your magician hat, or are you not hearing that?”
Softly smiling at you, he shook off your concern with his calm demeanor, “No need to worry, we’re almost at our destination too.”
You two had reached the outskirts of the town, far away from the hustle and bustle, which you seemed to notice only now. Perhaps the company of the magician had an even greater effect on you than you had first imagined. It didn’t take long for you to realize now where you were headed, arriving at a small pavilion where beds of flowers awaited you, their petals elegantly dancing in the light breeze.
It was Ais favorite place – one he had not shared with anyone but you.
Your heart skipped a beat, as it always made you feel very honored whenever he decided to bring you here. Knowing this was his special spot, you made sure not to disturb it on your own, though you figured he would not even mind. Well, you wanted to respect his personal space so you didn’t plan on changing your ways any time soon.
“So, do you plan on telling me what we’re doing here?” You asked while stepping through the small circular arc, taking a deep breath of the fresh air out here. Even though it was technically still part of the town – though very deserted for some strange reason – it felt incredibly different. Maybe because of the emotional value it held and the wonderful memories you had shared with Ais here up until now.
“I was quite lucky today to have you rescue me from that crowd,” Ais started, facing you after having walked into the pavilion himself, “In a sense different from you saving me the awkwardness of evading everyone’s questions, that is.”
Both of you had to quietly laugh at that, your joined voices matching wonderfully to sing a song in perfect harmony with the sounds of the wind enveloping you. Ais’ eyes landed on you, genuine happiness within upon settling on your form. How fortunate he was to have you in his life in the first place was a whole different matter on top of all that. You were such a huge source of joy for him, words would not be able to convey the emotions his heart held for you.
“I was actually looking for you in town, I wanted to show you something.”
With that he had certainly piqued your interest, as you curiously tilted your head, urging for him to continue without needing any words.
“Magic-wise, I know there's nothing I can do to surprise you anymore. Despite knowing my tricks, you're always happy to see me perform...” He smiled to himself, overjoyed to think back to all the moments he had managed to put a smile on your face with his actions. It meant the world to him. He wanted to make everyone smile, it had always been his wish, seeing how his mother had taught him this honorable goal. However, he had to admit that perhaps he favored you a bit more, placing you on top of his list of priorities. Though obviously he would never neglect other people because of that, which was precisely why he still had troubles with escaping his crowd of fans.
“So,” he began, hooking you with his every word, your eyes still focused on his face for several reasons, “How about a private performance for White Day?”
Your heart danced in bliss hearing that, as you watched him elegantly bow, switching more to his magician persona again. Eagerly, you nodded, beaming at the man, “I always love watching your magic shows, so how could I ever say no?”
Ais was much more than pleased hearing you say that, before pulling out his top hat and holding it in the air, winking at you. “Now, my dear audience member, what would you like in return for your generous Valentine's gift? Ask for anything at all!”
You took a step back to give him some space for his performance, already pondering over what to wish for. His gentle gaze was directed at only you this entire time, thinking to himself how cute it was of you to make such a contemplative expression. Soon enough, you had gotten an idea, clasping your hands together in front of your body.
“How about some chocolate then? I’m starving anyways!”
Ais had to laugh to himself upon hearing you say that, shaking his head with a weak smile, “If you really are that hungry we should get a proper meal for you later…” he mumbled, the smile never leaving his face, “But for now, your wish is my command, my dear audience member.”
With a quick movement, he pulled a heart-shaped box of chocolates out of his hat, some confetti appearing alongside it. Grinning, you clapped while the blue-haired man approached you and held out the sweets to you, hence you gratefully accepted, your fingers brushing his in the process. That small touch alone sent sparks of electricity up your arm, as you glanced at him, contently smiling. He found himself with a very similar expression, fondly watching as you opened the box and shoved a piece of chocolate into your mouth, then offering him one as well.
“Do you want some?”
He merely shook his head, stepping back once more, “No, everything I conjure today is yours only. I want to see it make you happy.”
You gulped down the rest of the sweet that was in your mouth, before bashfully clearing your throat. When he said those honeyed words to you, you couldn’t help but feel your heart skip a beat. Quickly distracting yourself, you asked for flowers next, seeing how Ais expectantly looked at you. He pulled the trick off as elegantly as before, eventually handing you a small bouquet of your favorite flowers, a small flame ignited in his own heart at the sight. The way the flowers perfectly framed your face as you held them up to sniff them, how the colors matched you, enhancing your beauty even more… Ais was utterly fond of you and he hoped you were aware of that.
“Well then, what do you want now?”
Instantly, you thought of a new idea, already grinning to yourself, as the words slipped from your lips, “I want you next!”
That caught the magician off-guard, as he nearly dropped the top hat to the ground, blinking a few times, a faint blush now adorning his cheeks. It was barely visible though of course you wouldn’t miss it for the world. Unable to help it, you snickered to yourself, beaming at him, who continuously tried to regain his composure.
“Ahem, well… That…” He uttered underneath his breath, stumbling back once, the birds and gifts almost daring to escape his top hat.
When he raised his line of sight again and saw that expression of pure elation on your face, he found it rather easy to return to his usual demeanor. A laugh escaped his own lips while he shook his head, before stepping closer to you once more, his voice now a whisper.
“You already have me, don't you know?”
His answer was incredibly sincere, the warmth evident in his words, quickly taking a hold of you and sending a huge blush onto your face. Your body froze and you stared at him with wide eyes, the hair on your arms standing up at his honest confession from a moment before. It sent your heart skyrocketing, actually, and you could’ve sworn your knees almost buckled underneath you from the overwhelming feelings he had awoken within your heart.
Seeing how he had successfully turned the tables, he winked at you one more time, causing you to bury your face in your hands, despreate to hide the coloring of your cheeks, which he considered quite a shame, seeing how much more stunning it made you.
Despite your shyness in that moment, a big smile still graced your lips, sweet taste of the chocolates from before lingering on your tongue. Today, you two had created another wonderful memory in this special place and both of you knew it wouldn’t be the last time you would share laughs here.