#i have gotten four for anankos and three for the kanas

[iturbide]

From the writing prompt meme, how about number 1? Is it okay if I say writers choice on the pairing? Romantic or platonic, either are great, but have fun with it. :)

oh wow I’ve never gotten a writer’s choice before

1. Holding their hands when they are shaking.

Sakura did not make a habit of leaving the castle alone.  The way people looked at her made her uneasy, and she swore that when she passed their whispers were about her.  It was a little better when Ryoma or Hinoka went with her: she could hide in their shadows and hold her breath, willing herself to be invisible whenever they passed someone on the street, and whether it was the ritual itself or simply how hard she focused on doing it, it seemed to work.  But with Takumi…it was worse.  Not because she couldn’t hide next to him, but because she didn’t need to: she felt their stares slide past her and latch onto him, heard them whispering his name in hushed voices all around her, and saw his shoulders tense and square out of the corner of her eye.

She wasn’t sure how he found the courage to go out as much as he did.  She stayed in the palace as often as she could, venturing out only when necessary or by request – and even then, she always tried to send Hana or Subaki in her place when she could, or asked one of her siblings to accompany her if she couldn’t.  She never, ever, ever went out by herself if she could help it.

…and yet, here she was, skittering alone through the city square as the sun slipped below the rooftops.  She’d been looking for Takumi all afternoon, and everyone she talked to – including both Oboro and Hinata – had insisted that he was out training…but she hadn’t been able to find him in any of the usual places: not at the sparring ground, not at the archery range, not even down by the lake. 

He’d told her, once, about a place past the edge of the city that he sometimes went when he needed to think.  A place where their mother’s barrier still held strong, though even the guardsmen never went so far out for fear of Faceless attacks.

So she steeled her nerve, and she went, keeping to the shadows when she could and trying to avoid notice when she couldn’t.  It was a long way to the edge of the city, and further still to the woods…but even before she reached the trees, she could see Fujin Yumi’s soft light and hear the hum of its power over the buzz of cicadas.  With every step through the undergrowth, the glow brightened, until at last she came to the heart of the grove where her brother stood, bow in hand and string drawn taut, his gaze trained on the glowing arrow lodged in the tree on the opposite side of the clearing.  She didn’t see him fire – she only saw the swirl of light as the new arrow cut through the old to strike the same point. 

“Takumi?” she called.  If he heard her, he gave no indication, nocking Fujin Yumi again and aiming toward the distant point of light.  “Big Brother?” she tried again, creeping along the edge of the glade toward where he stood.  Still, no response; he let the arrow fly instead, drawing it back again well before the bright mist could entirely fade.  Even when she reached his side, he paid her no mind at all, simply firing over and over again until she felt sure that the arrows would pierce the tree clean through if he didn’t stop…

“Unworthy.”

Her head came up as the next shot arced across the clearing.  Watching him draw back the next one, she held her breath, hearing only the hum of Fujin Yumi’s power, his quiet breath close beside her…

His lips moved, the word barely more than a whisper.  “Inadequate.” But the arrow flew along with it, carving a bright arc through the looming shadows.

“Takumi?”

His gaze flicked down toward her as he prepared to draw the next arrow.  “…what are you doing out here?”

“Looking for you,” she insisted.  “You missed the tea ceremony, I was worried something t-t-terrible might have happened to you!”

“…I forgot,” he mumbled, his grip going slack and the bowstring dissolving into so many firefly motes.  “I’m really sorry, Sakura, I didn’t mean…”

Even with Fujin Yumi quiet, it still glowed silver, soft as the moon that had yet to crest the trees – but rather than the steady light she was used to, it seemed to shiver as he put the bow away.  “Did something happen?” she asked, fumbling for his hand in the dark.

“Nothing,” he mumbled…but when she finally found his fingers, she felt them shaking, and tightened her grip as she searched for his other hand.  “I just forgot, I promise I’ll make it up to you–”

“Will you tell me what happened?” she pressed.

“…I don’t want to talk about it right now,” he whispered, and as she caught his other hand she felt it trembling, too.

She shook her head, squeezing his fingers gently.  “That’s alright.  But…but you know you can tell me anything, d-don’t you?”

Through the shadows, she swore she saw him smile.  “Yeah.  I know.  …hey, uh, you know we’re late for dinner, right?”

She squeaked, whirling toward the city lights just barely visible through the trees.  She’d gotten so caught up worrying about her brother that night had fallen without her noticing.  Shuffling through the brush toward the distant glow of lanterns, she flailed one hand out to search for obstacles…but the other kept a tight hold on Takumi’s hand.  As they emerged from the woods, she broke into a run, pulling him along with her – and heard his laughter join her own as they made their way toward home together.

50 Wordless Ways to Say ‘I Love You’