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The hour was quite late when Ayato heard a gentle knock on the door of his private chamber. It was much too soft to be Thoma’s, and besides, it was an extremely rare occurrence for his faithful attendant to bother him this late in the night. Thus, there is only one candidate in mind - eliminating the rest of his household stuff and his people in general - and with this knowledge in mind, without answering, he softly opened the door.
“Good evening, Ayaka,” he said to the person standing behind the door, a gentle smile engraved upon his lips. “Is there something I am able to assist you with?”
“A- ah, good evening, Onii-sama,” his dearest sister responded, evidently a bit startled by his act of opening the door without first answering from inside the room, but she returned his smile with a warm one of her own. “I apologise for bothering you this late, and for disturbing your rest.”
“There is no need to apologise at all. I always enjoy your visit no matter the time,” he continued to smile gently at her, and he placed a gentle hand on her brow. “You do not appear to catch a fever again. But you seemed tired. Is something the matter, Ayaka?”
“I…” The younger Kamisato seemed to hesitate, especially under his scrutinising gaze. After he noticed just how tired her eyes were as well as the rest of her, he was looking at his younger sister closely, although not unkindly, even if his gentle smile did falter for a moment, since he was concerned about her. Ayaka had always been most eager to please, and most of all, she did have the tendency to overstretch herself. As her older brother, Ayato had always kept an eye on her, even if most of time it was from a distance or through Thoma as his trustworthy proxy, because his work in the Yashiro Commission, unfortunately, kept him very busy and occupied most of the time, but there are times when he managed to miss a thing or two, contrary to popular belief about him. He was only human, after all, and even with all the resources, power, and influence in his disposal, the people’s Shirasagi Himegimi and his beloved younger sister had her own convictions.
It reminded him of something that happened in the past, and a gentle smile once more was carved on his exquisite lips. Gently, he lifted his hand from her brow, and proceeded to place it gently on the crown of her head, giving her light pats there.
“We can talk inside. I’d brew you some hot tea, too,” the older Kamisato then added, giving her head a final, gentle pat before he extended the same hand to her for her to take, just like when they were much younger. It was his way of telling her that he would listen to her troubles if that was what she came here for, and if she didn’t want to tell him, then he would be here for her, regardless. “And you can, of course, stay for as long as you like. We can talk about your day, or not talk at all. It is up to you.”
“...If that’s really alright with you, Onii-sama,” Ayaka nodded, and to his brief surprise, she not only took his hand, but essentially clutched it. “I apologise for being a bother tonight. Though…I’d like that very much.”
It seems like she truly needed his company, although Ayato kept this realisation to himself, and, still smiling gently, he took her smaller hand and gave it a light squeeze before he led her inside. The lights have already been dimmed earlier by Thoma, and he was already appropriately dressed for bed, but just like what he had told her, he always welcomed his little sister’s visit, and his door is always open to her. After all, ever since both of their parents passed away back when he was young and Ayaka younger still, they only have one another. Thoma had become a part of their family, too, but it was still different.
“You were never a bother,” he told her, and he let her sit in the small sitting room adjacent to the space that he used to sleep - his futon were already spread out on the floor - before he let go of her hand, gently, and he gave Ayaka’s head another gentle pat. “I’ll be back in a moment. Just sit here and try to relax.”
“Okay, Onii-sama. I’ll be waiting for you to return,” she nodded, mustering a smile, and he thought that it was a much better look, although his brow was briefly - once again - knitted in worry. “Don’t take too long, okay?”
It’s not like the usual Ayaka to be as clingy as she was, although there are indeed a couple of times that she acted like this, and thus, it wasn’t exactly the first time, either. Even if she is an adult now and she had rightfully and fairly won her position in the household and by his side through that duel where she managed to best him for the first time, deep down inside, there is a part of her that was still a frightened little girl, clutching his hand. It was why he worked so hard, both in the Commission and as clan head.
Therefore Ayato nodded at this request, and he gave her one last smile before he turned back, leaving her in the sitting room by herself, although it wasn’t long before he returned with a tray in hand containing a pot of hot green tea and two cups. Carefully, he sets it down on the table before them, before he joins her on the tatami mat.
“Careful, it’s still hot,” he gently warned her, after he had poured her a cup and placed the steaming cup in front of her on the table. He had fend off Ayaka’s effort of trying to pour the tea for them instead, too, by pretending to not notice. Unlike the usual, she didn’t protest, and the older Kamisato thought that something must be truly bothering her. “Wait for a bit before you drink it.”
“Thank you, Onii-sama,” Ayaka murmured, mustering another small smile, holding the cup of tea in her hands. “You always took very good care of me. Uhm…truthfully…there is something I would like to ask of you…”
“What is it?”
“It’s…uhm. This is rather embarrassing, please don’t tease me for this…” she blushed, lightly, and the older one couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “...Don’t laugh, too. Um…do you remember that when I was younger, I used to sleep with you all the time when I couldn't sleep because I would sometimes have nightmares?”
“Oh, yes, I did. Very vividly, as a matter of fact. You were so adorable,” Ayato softly chuckled once again, observing his sister from above the rim of his teacup. “You used to hug me so tightly that when I woke up for my early morning sword practice, I felt that my bones ache. That was how tightly you clutched me in your sleep.”
“That’s…there is really no need to mention that, isn’t it…”
“Mm, but you did sleep so well and so peacefully indeed,” he chuckled again, and there was a playful gleam in his icy blue eyes, but his smile - that had broadened slightly - was both gentle and earnest. “I am truly glad that I can keep your nightmares at bay, even at the cost of my poor old bones. After you finish your tea, then, are you coming to bed, Ayaka?”
“You are not that old, Onii-sama, and gosh, you were truly terrible when you are teasing me like this,” Ayaka sighed, but a small smile was playing on her lips, and she seemed more like herself again, like the strong, wise, dignified, and elegant Shirasagi Himegimi. The older Kamisato hid his smile by taking a sip out of his tea. Truly, it must be due to the tea. “You are always one step ahead of me, too, even at my own game.”
“Hehe, I was merely joking, of course. I am happy to see that you are yourself again. Although you have not answered my question.”
“...Ah. So it had been your plan all along, too,” came the soft remark from the younger Kamisato, and Ayato, as always, merely smiled in return. “Uhm, well. Yes. I might or might not have a nightmare, and I do not want to bother Thoma at this hour. But more importantly…you have been extremely busy this week, Onii-sama, due to the Irodori Festival, and we've only spent so little time with each other, although I’m grateful that we get to go and enjoy the festival together.”
“Yes, you were right. I apologise about that,” Ayato placed down his cup in order to give his sister’s head another gentle pat, although it was followed by a light ruffle of her hair this time. “I am glad that we get to spend some time together in the festival, as well. It was marvellous, and I would not have exchanged it for anything else in the world. I…apologise, too, if I left you alone more often than not, Ayaka. But I am very proud of you. Father and Mother would be, too.”
“...They would be very proud of you, too, Onii-sama,” his sister said, after a moment, a wider smile on her lips, one that he had always enjoyed seeing - although he liked all her smiles - and the very manifestation of what he had sworn to protect. “Thank you. Um, can we go to sleep now…? It’s really rather late, and you needed your rest, too.”
“Of course, Ayaka. Just a moment,” he murmured, and then, gently, he pulled her into an equally gentle embrace. There were no words exchanged between them as Ayaka hugged him back, and they stayed like that for a little while. “Thoma will take away the teacups and the teapot tomorrow.”
Once again, Ayato gave his younger sister his hand, and he led him to his futon that had been laid out neatly. Swiftly, he produced an extra pillow and blanket - thankfully he knows where Thoma kept them in the drawer nearby - and after everything was done, he, once again, dimmed the lights.
“Are you comfortable enough, Ayaka?” He asked her, gently, after they had both laid down on the futon with the blanket pulled upwards to keep them both warm, and he had wrapped his arms around her, too, underneath it.
“More than comfortable, Onii-sama. Sleep well,” she answered, her voice a little bit muffled due to the proximity of her visage to his chest.
“Sleep well, too. I’ll scare your nightmare off if it tries to bother you again. Good night, Ayaka.”
“Good night, Onii-sama…I really like being held by you…” the younger Kamisato trailed off, her tone a soft, sleepy mumble, and she did fall asleep very soon after.
Ayato waited until she truly fell asleep, and before he went to sleep as well, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead, holding her just as tightly as she was holding him.
“Sweet dreams, Ayaka. I really like holding you, too. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he softly murmured, in the dark, before he, too, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
- END. -