Chapter Text
Rio didn’t know what love was, but he was coming to terms with that. Right now, in his male form, he was sitting on Anzu’s bed tying his shoes, preparing to get some hands on experience. Sure he could have spawned with the blue laces already tied, but in an attempt to create traditional pre-date jitters, he had gone through a wardrobe, recreating the pre-date dressing routine. He’d cycled through three different shirts for fun before settling on this starry button down.
He thought Anzu might mind that half of her closet was taken up with his clothes for the experience, but their fights were becoming a fun tradition for him.
With a flourish, he stood and spun in front of her mirror, looking at his reflection with a grin. He smelled wonderful (it was one of his wizarding-perks) and he had a wallet full of “human currency.”
“Riri- I mean, Rio!” Anzu yelled. Her eyebrows were twitching.
“Anzuuuu!” Rio yelled back with a smile, launching himself toward her cat-print-clad body. She cartwheeled her arms eyes wide as he wrapped himself around her. A glint came into her eyes and her arms went from thrusting him away to wrapping around him in a powerful headlock. She cackled while he squirmed.
“Wait! That’s not a nice way to treat me before our date.”
“Date?” she paused her squeezing. “Oh, you were…serious about a second date?”
“Of course,” he said, springing free of her grip and winking at her. “I’ve gotta stay in the lead if I’m going to have a chance. Besides, I clearly need to learn more about love so I can bring you,” he touched the tip of her nose gently, making her eyes cross and go wide, “eternal happiness!”
Anzu shook her head, a confused then frustrated expression crossing her face. “You’re setting another trap for me. Last time we were out we ran into not one, but two of your chosen love interests.”
“Hey, I didn’t have anything to do with-“
“Promise me, or no date!”
Rio shrugged coyly, then raised his right hand when Anzu brandished her fist in his face. “I swear I will not intentionally run us into any of the men who want to date you.”
“Rio…” Anzu crushed her hand into her face. He laughed.
“You’re cute when you’re embarrassed,” he teased, and she, not unexpectedly, punched his lights out. Or she would have if he wasn’t sooo great at dodging her.
Rio disappeared and reappeared out in front of her house. He’d spent so long observing couples that he was confident this evening would be perfect.
He was curious to see what Anzu would be wearing. When she texted him that she was ready, Rio bounced on his feet in anticipation before knocking on the front door. The door opened, and Anzu did not disappoint, but when did she ever? She was beautiful, her blue dress hugged her frame, and red hair tumbled down her back, the top half pinned back with a ribbon. She smiled at him a bit awkwardly.
“My lady. You are beautiful.”
“R-Rio, don’t say that,” she said, looking at him with a scowl, but her lips quirked up. He smiled, and before she took the step off the threshold, he took her hand in his. She paused, but then relaxed with a sigh. She smiled at him.
“Alright, let’s get going,” she said. It was his turn to pause, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. He thought she’d fight him on the hand hold.
Funny that. His heart was jogging a bit faster than was usual. He cleared his throat.
“So,” she looked at him curiously, “what’s the plan?”
He smiled. “Today I thought we’d grab lunch then go to the beach. Perfect date material.”
“Oo I love the beach!” she said. Rio tugged her hand and they started down the road. “But wait don’t I need my swimsuit and stuff?”
He waved a bag over his head. “Got it all right here!” She yelled something about grabbing her stuff without asking, and bonked him, but she didn’t let go of his hand.
It was strange how nice it felt for him, a non-human who didn’t usually have hands bigger than twigs, to so enjoy her slightly smaller fingers wrapped around his.
Love. He’d seen the signs and experienced the second hand giddiness of clients, but hands-on romantic experience had never seemed necessary to him. The only love on his radar was in the service of clients.
Which is still the case here, he reminded himself.
They reached the train station and hopped on a track heading for the coast. Anzu and he sat side by side, their arms brushing as the landscape rolled past. The whole point of these dates was for him to get experience to help Anzu. There were also signs to look for, flushed cheeks, brushing hands, tripping folks to catch, and things he was just beginning to realize only happened in movies. Making out on a date at the movies was 100% necessary in his mind, until he and Anzu had gone and not one person in the theater had been making out.
“Hey,” Anzu said, interrupting his thoughts. She nudged his arm. “I’ve been meaning to say thank you. Again.”
“Anzu, you don’t have to thank me. You already thanked me,” he said with a small smile. There was a vulnerability in his chest that had appeared as if from nowhere.
“Of course I do. You’re the whole reason I feel safe right now. You’re the reason Tsukasa has been able to smile and open up in public again, you’ve saved us pain…” He didn’t know what to say to that. “I’ve been thinking about it,” she said, swinging her legs back and forth. “What happens when I have to choose at the end of my senior year?”
He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “When a woman loves a man…”
“Ew, no!” she pushed his shoulder while he laughed, and he became suddenly hyper-aware of the contact. “I don’t mean that… I mean, to you. If I don’t come to a decision.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Of course you will be, because we’re going to make sure you’re fine,” she said with a confident smile. “What I mean is, will your bosses try and send you back to the dungeon?”
He scratched his chin then shrugged with a grin.
“Rio…” Anzu didn’t pout, but she did scowl adorably.
“Probably,” he said, shifting uncomfortably and looking away from her large eyes. He tried to sound nonchalant. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now,” he took her hand with a grin, “I’m planning to enjoy our time.”
She squeezed his hand in hers. He found it reassuring, which was crazy because he was the being with magical powers, but Anzu was definitely a force of nature all her own. She reminded him of fire, for more than just her bright red locks.
“Rio look!” she said suddenly, yanking him half into her seat and pressing her nose to the glass of the train window. “Hot air balloons!”
Rio leaned forward, looking over her shoulder to see giant, colorful balloons with different designs rising up over the rolling hills. He looked down at Anzu’s face, her smile was bright, cheeks pink, and her smell was washing over him like fresh rain.
“Hm, flying in a balloon, very romantic,” he said with a sage nod. “Have you been before?”
“No, I don’t even know how you’d get on one of those,” she pressed her nose back against the glass. He stared at their hands, she had interlocked their fingers. “Do you think they sell tickets, like a plane?”
Rio grinned, “I’ve changed my mind,” he said, and Anzu turned toward him with arched brows. He pointed at the balloons. “That’s what we’re doing today.”
~~~~~~~~~~
They ran through the festival, Anzu’s face bright with an inner light that had Rio’s attention. He made notes of the things that brightened and changed that light.
“Are you ready?” he asked. They’d had food and walked between balloons, chatting with the people about to take off or there to watch friends or family. They’d even run into the prince, though Anzu had glared at Rio and pulled them far away as soon as she could.
“Ready?” she asked, spinning toward him.
He smiled wickedly and pulled her behind him, breaking out into a jog.
“Rio!”
He looked at her over his shoulder, but the light was still burning brightly behind her eyes, so he laughed, letting his head fall back. When he opened his eyes her cheeks looked a little flushed from the run.
He pulled to a stop beside a giant navy ballon with stars all over it.
She stood stock still beside him, staring up, holding his hand limply. Her eyes jumped between the balloon and him several times before she sputtered.
“It matches your shirt?” Then, seeming to collect herself she said, “This is so cool.”
“After you, beautiful,” and he held out his hand to help her up.
“Just Anzu is fine,” she said with her hand on her hip.
“Stubborn as ever, Anzu,” he said gently, stepping close to her. Her red hair was tugging a little in the breeze, and he slowly raised his hand. She watched him as his fingers hovered just inches from her face. Funny, she was holding her breath. “After you… Anzu.” He didn’t mean for her name to sound so tender in his voice, but her name was an exposed nerve. He let his hand fall and gestured for her to step into the basket.
She took in a sudden shuddering gasp, the gears in her head slowly coming back online.
“Thanks.” She blinked. She stepped into the basket and he hopped in after her, launching the balloon with a wave of his wand. Anzu squealed and fell back against him.
“Are you okay?” he asked. She was light for someone so strong. His cheeks felt a little warm, and her face was so very close to his.
“D-did you orchestrate this?” she asked, jerking back.
“No,” he said. “I think you’re just clumsy.”
“Why you-!” she turned to pummel him but managed to tangle their legs and tip him backward.
They both let out a small yelp and then her arms were on either side of his face, her thigh between his legs. Her eyes were wide with surprise, her plush lips pursed. He stared up at her with a grin.
“It’s amazing you needed me at all. Who knew you had a natural talent all along?”
That contorted her face with rage and then they were wrestling, her evil cackles echoing over the landscape while he alternated between cries and laughter.
Eventually they settled down and both leaned over the lip of the basket, staring at the view shoulder to shoulder.
“You really do have a natural talent for making boys fall for you,” he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He rushed to continue before she could begin shouting that her expression clearly preceded. “I mean, you clearly need my help getting out there, but once you are out there…” he bumped her shoulder with his, “you’re kind and loyal and fierce. The boys fall for you, not for my tricks.”
She looked a bit dumbfounded, and a blush started creeping up her neck. She turned back to the view, and just when Rio was regretting his words, she leaned her arm against him.
“I hope you know that I see you as a friend,” she said quietly. “I can rely on you, you’re selfless and kind. The fact that you went out of your way to… Just… know that you’re one of my close friends now. Okay?”
While they watched the sun creep toward the horizon, Rio felt his heart opening and falling. The sky was a beautiful blue and pink, streaked with gold. Beside him, Anzu’s hair caught the light and glowed in waves down her back.
Before he could think about it, he’d tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked up at him. He smiled.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go.”
They landed, and he magicked away the balloon. Her stomach rumbled and she looked so aghast that he laughed.
“Ouch! Ouch! Don’t worry we’ll get food!” he said, laughing and running from her. He took her hand and they began back toward the station. She shifted her hand so her fingers laced with his. He didn’t comment on it but he had trouble breathing. They walked between deflating balloons, a colorful bizarre dream with the cotton candy sky above.
They paused to look as the sun began to tip past the tops of the surrounding hills.
“A sunset is the sun’s fiery kiss to the night,” Anzu said. “It’s a famous quote,” she supplied when he looked at her with raised eyebrows. His eyes dropped to her mouth involuntarily and when he raised them back to hers, her cheeks matched her hair.
“So you’re into poetry?”
“A little,” she choked. “Come on, I want food.”
“I think I saw a stand at the station.” She nodded.
Soon they were on the train heading back. Anzu leaned against him, asking if he minded before nodding off. He didn’t. Her gentle press soon grew more insistent, and then she was cuddling his arm intently.
He knew more now about love than he had in the morning. But he had to admit, his knowledge had been growing for longer than that. She… she was worth losing his job. She was worth exile. She was one of the kindest, bravest people he knew, and he wanted her to be happy.
“Rio…” she mumbled, stirring against him. Her forehead creased and he guessed they were fighting in her dream. He gently pressed a finger to the crease and it smoothed. She hummed contentedly, nuzzling her face into his shoulder which was dangerously close to his neck. “mmstay…” she breathed, and goosebumps broke out up and down his arms.