A sigh escaped Chizuru's lips as her eyes slowly fluttered open. There was a strange yet familiar warmth surrounding her, causing a smile to spread across her face. Peaceful sleep had become a rarity due to the pressures of travel and her nightmares worsening.

She blinked several times and stretched her arms. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and took a moment to fully awaken. As she looked around, she realized she was alone in bed, but that Sanan's longcoat from his western uniform had been placed over her like an extra blanket. Her cheeks flushed, her smile widened, and she clutched the coat tighter around her body. He must have gone to wash up in the other room and left this with her in case she needed immediate consolation from a nightmare.

With a contended sigh, she slipped out of bed with the coat around her shoulders. They had decided to take a break in their travels for a few days to rest and go over their findings so far. So they got a room at an inn in a town they had come across. There was also the possibility of finding rumors/stories from the locals that could later be used as a basis for discovering real information for their research.

Finding the water spring Kodo had mentioned in his final moments had helped lessen the bloodlust and discomfort under the sun, though not by much, as Sanan had been a Fury for longer than most. That meant they could move easier during the day, but night was still the preferable, stealthier time for movement.

She approached the desk where several papers, pens, and books were scattered all over the desk; he must have gone through his notes after waking up, assuming he did not spend most of, or the entire, night reading and writing. She found him asleep at his desk a decent amount of times. The times when she found him awake and working prompted her to sit next him and embrace him until he decided to go to bed, or she would spend the whole night assisting him.

Taking a seat at the desk, she decided to examine the information herself until he came back. While she was reaching for the notes, however, she spotted something else: his glasses. She blinked, unsure why the spectacles caught her attention, perhaps because in all the years she had known him she rarely saw him without them on. Not that she minded, as she found it quite attractive, especially when his lenses flashed or when he adjusted them...

"Oh!" She gasped, bringing her hands to her face, just knowing that her cheeks were turning scarlet. Even when he wasn't interacting with her, he could make her blush. Part of his charm, unfortunately, she sarcastically sighed to herself, feeling as amused as she did annoyed over the fact that his snarkiness was beginning to rub off on her.

Chizuru sighed very deeply."I certainly know how to pick them," she muttered, placing her elbow on the desk and resting her cheek on her palm. She had forgotten her interest in the notes, instead finding herself unable to look away from his glasses. She bit her lip and cocked her head. Was she really considering...putting on his glasses?

Her vision had always been fine, so she never needed them, but she always wondered what was like. It was probably nothing special, merely a childish curiosity she could not outgrow. But would it really be a big deal if she did try them on? Just a moment to satisfy her curiosity, giggle at her own childishness, and move on. He did not have know, lest he tease her or be very confused if not both.

Letting out an even deeper sigh, she gave an exaggerated shrug and giggled before slowly reaching for the spectacles. Carefully, she put them on and blinked thrice to ensure she was indeed seeing through them. It was a bit blurry, but she could make out most of the things in the room; she did not require glasses and they were not made for her use, so that was unsurprising. Still, it was an amusing and interesting experience that made her feel like a little girl again.

She truly ought to stop this now, but she was so strangely thrilled by the experience that she kept stalling. Maybe she could take a quick look in the mirror before taking them off. Nodding to herself, she started to stand and turn. Just as she was halfway though the movement, she was stopped and greeted by...a pair of eyes staring back at her right through the lenses of the glasses.

Oh, no. Please, for the love of the gods, no! Had she really been so interested in the glasses that she did not hear the door opening and approaching footsteps?

The eyes blinked, then their owner chuckled before a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer. The eyes moves closer, with the glasses being the only thing between their faces, and even then it was not really much of a shield.

Chizuru could feel every part of her face and head turning redder than a tomato."K-Keisuke-san!" She squeaked.

"Hmm." Sanan hummed, somehow both ignoring and enjoying her embarrassment. The hands on her waist ascended to her shoulders where he took hold of both ends of his longcoat's collar and lightly tugged to bring her closer to him and tighten the coat around her. She squeaked again. His lips were just an inch from hers.

"Was my coat insufficient for you?" He murmured. Her third squeak was muffled by his mouth covering hers, becoming a moan as she struggled not to forget her embarrassment and melt in his arms.

Why did everything he did have to be such a perfect mixture of flustering, embarrassing, and enticing?

He pulled back after a very, very long moment, grinning from ear to ear. He tilted his head as he studied her.

"S-Sorry! I'm sorry!" She tried to reach for the glasses but he caught her wrists and shook his head. He gave a thoughtful hum, then turned and started to walk somewhere with one of her wrists still in his grip. They soon stopped...in front of the mirror, just like she had initially intended. He made her stand right in front of the mirror while he stood to the side.

"I think they suit you," he said, sounding like he was examining a test subject. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then gave a nod. And then he finally burst into laughter.

She groaned as loud as she possibly could, taking the glasses off and forcefully handing them to him."Are you done?" She pouted and crossed her arms.

"With this particular incident, yes." He spoke between snickers."In general, oh no, gods forbid it! How else will I amuse myself?"

"Gah!" She threw her hands up in frustration."You're a child trapped in an adult's body!"

He moved quickly, suddenly in front of her and smirking at her with both of his eyebrows raised."Says the woman who just tried on my glasses," he said dryly with a snort. She whimpered, hating that she had delivered that comeback right into his hands.

After two minutes of an awkward staring match, Chizuru groaned and turned away, letting herself fall onto the bed and burying her face in the crook of her arm.

Sanan chuckled and sat next to her, removing his longcoat from her and placing his hand on her back. She relaxed at the feeling of him rubbing circles into her back.

"You seem well-rested," he noted, genuinely pleased.

Feeling slightly less humilated, Chizuru rolled onto her back."Thankfully, yes."

"No nightmares then?"

She shook her head."You would have heard it if there were," she reluctantly added.

His smile faltered. There was no argument for that statement. Her nightmares ended with her whimpering or crying out his name while trembling and kicking until his gentle embraces and soothing whispers of consolation helped her wake up and relax.

She noticed he was glancing at his left arm, which by now was starting to show some of the scars, cracks, and lines that originated on his left shoulder. It had also spread to most of his chest and abdomen. His right arm was for now undamaged. He had become increasingly self-conscious, only showing/discussing it when necessary.

Chizuru sat up and leaned against him. He wrapped an arm around her and pressed his lips to her forehead. He whispered,"I'll never leave you behind, Chizuru." A simple phrase, yet enough to ease her troubled heart as well as his own troubled mind whenever these fears struck them.

They stayed like that for a little awhile until Chizuru decided to get up."I'm going to go clean up." He kissed her forehead again afore releasing her.

As she was halfway to the washroom, she paused and spun on her heel to point at him."And don't even think of pouncing on me when I come out again!"

He widened his eyes innocently."Oh?" He hummed and stroked his chin in that faux-thoughtful manner she hated to admit was as charming as it was irritating."I do not recall any complaints the previous time I did that. If anything, your squeals and laughters hinted that you were quite amused. There is also, of course, the sweet little sounds you made when I-"

With a groan of vexation and a scarlet face, she ran into the washroom and slammed the door shut. She grumbled to herself as she listened to his laughter from the other side of the door.

He was never going to let her hear the end of anything, especially today.