Chapter 38 – The Calm Before the Storm

"Alright, that's enough," I said, clapping my hands together. The sound echoed in the quiet room. "Being serious is good, but everyone looks like they're about to face a firing squad. I don't like it." In one smooth motion, I hoisted Aoi up and threw her over my shoulder. "I'm kidnapping your leader for a date." I announced with a wink. "Your turns will come later." The sudden move shattered the heavy mood. Aoi let out a startled, very undignified squawk. "M-Master! What are you doing?! Put me down! This is highly inappropriate! We have a battle to plan!" The other girls just stared for a second, their jaws slack. Then the absurdity of it all hit them. Akane was the first to crack, letting out a loud, barking laugh. "Hah! Kidnapped by the boss! Serves you right for being so stuffy all the time, Aoi!" "Have fun on your date, you two!" Miki giggled. "Don't stay out too late, Aoi!" "You're impossible, Master," Chiyoko said, shaking her head. But she was smiling, a fond, exasperated look on her face. Homura just watched us go, a tiny, confused smile playing on her lips as I walked off with their flustered, struggling commander. "I am the team's strategist!" Aoi protested, her voice muffled against my back. "My input is vital for tactical planning! This is a waste of resources!" She was complaining, but she wasn't really fighting me. I could feel the heat of a blush creeping down her neck and the frantic hammering of her heart against my shoulder. I carried her out of the aquarium, leaving the rest of my team laughing. "I'll decide what's a waste of your time, Miss Aoi," I grinned, marching her through the shopping mall with her on my shoulder. Aoi kept up a steady stream of muffled protests. People were staring, some were even laughing, and others looked scandalized. "Master, this is a public place! Please think of the media and reputation as an artist!" "You've been carrying way too much on your shoulders. Time to relax." I pulled her over to the ticket counter at the cinema theatre. "Pick a movie and buy two tickets. You're paying. The royalties from your latest album should cover it, right?" I finally Aoi down in the lobby. Her hair was a mess, her cheeks were bright red, and her expression was a stormy mix of anger and something much, much deeper. She tried to smooth out her clothes, to regain some dignity, but my order to buy tickets made her freeze. She was completely out of her element. With a frustrated sigh, she stalked to the counter. She didn't even look at the posters, just pointed at the first one she saw. "Two tickets for that one," she said to the cashier, her voice clipped and formal. It was some cheesy romance movie, the one with the tagline, "Their love was written in the stars." She paid with a tap of her phone and marched back, thrusting a ticket into my hand. "The tickets are purchased," she said through gritted teeth. "I hope you're satisfied, Master. You've successfully derailed our training schedule for... this." "Let's go, then," I grinned as we walked into the theater. "It's been a while since I went on a date with a beautiful girl." We found our seats in the mostly empty theater. I sank into the plush chair, but Aoi sat beside me, her back ramrod straight. "You sure you want to sit there? My lap is available." Aoi's eye twitched. "I am perfectly capable of sitting in my own seat, Master," she shot back. "And this is not a date. It's an... unscheduled morale boosting exercise." The lights dimmed. For the first twenty minutes, she kept up her rigid, analytical posture, probably trying to deconstruct the plot. But slowly, the movie started to get to her. A touching scene made her flinch. A shot of a happy family made her look away, her jaw tight. Halfway through, during a tearjerker reunion scene in the rain, she finally broke. A soft, choked sniffle escaped her. I glanced over. In the dim light of the screen, I could see tears tracing paths down her cheeks. She noticed me looking and quickly tried to wipe them away. "It's just... allergies," she whispered, mortified. "The air conditioning in here is terrible." "Yeah, these old cinemas," I murmured. "I know a trick for allergies, though." I leaned in and kissed her. It started soft, but then I deepened it, a hungry, greedy kiss that was all teeth and tongue. A small, broken moan escaped her, swallowed by my mouth. The emotional dam had shattered, and now a tidal wave of pure sensation was flooding in. She couldn't think, but only feel. Her hands, which had been clenched in her lap, slowly came up to grip my shoulders. She started kissing me back, clumsy at first, then more confident, more desperate. She forgot where we were. There was only the darkness and the feel of my mouth on hers. I pulled back, realizing the credits were rolling. "Wow, looks like we missed the ending," I whispered. "What a waste of resources, huh, Miss Aoi?" Aoi blinked, her eyes slowly coming back into focus. Her lips were red and swollen, her breath coming in short gasps. A deep, mortified blush spread across her face. "I... You distracted me!" she whispered indignantly. "This was your plan all along, wasn't it?! To compromise my focus!" There was no real heat to her words. She was flustered and embarrassed, but also lighter. The heavy burden she'd been carrying seemed to have vanished. "We should go," she said, quickly standing and walking towards the exit. "Don't worry, Chiyoko can handle the babysitting of the rest," I said, following her out. "We're not done yet." I glanced towards the row of love hotels nearby. "So, do you want to walk, or should I carry you again?" Aoi stopped dead at the top of the aisle. She turned her head slowly, her eyes wide with shock. "A love hotel? Master, we have a life-or-death battle in less than three days! We should be training, not... not..." She couldn't even finish the sentence. Her logical brain was screaming, but her body was humming with a traitorous anticipation. A flicker of her old jealousy, the one that fueled her dark power, flashed in her eyes. "Fine! If Chiyoko's services are required for the battle, then so are mine," she whispered, her voice a defiant, possessive hiss. She turned to face me fully, her chin held high. "You will carry me. I am your precious strategist. I shouldn't be expected to walk." "Oh ho, you chose the more embarrassing option," I laughed, sweeping her up in a princess carry this time. "Better cover your face if you're shy then."