Work Text:
„Thank you for agreeing to help out. It's been really busy lately.“ Tenko entered the room as Nanoka looked in the mirror.
„No problem! I'm happy to help.“ Nanoka turned away from the mirror when she made sure to look presentable. One of the women who works at the Milk hall couldn't come to work as she wasn't feeling well so Tenko asked Nanoka to step in as a substitute. The short haired girl couldn't refuse, after all it was only for a few hours and Tenko has helped them in the past.
'The kimono with the apron is so cute.' Tenko had given her the same clothes and makeup as her. 'It's not what I would usually wear but it's really cute, makes me feel like I'm in some kind of old timey movie.' Nanoka does like wearing cute clothes, but they would get dirty, drenched or even a bit torn from all her adventures with Mao and Otoya so she sticks to her school uniform most of the time.
„You'll only need to greet customers when they come in and take their orders, okay?“ Tenko explained while leading her to the front.
„Yeah, sounds easy enough.“ Nanoka replied as she followed after her.
The Milk hall was swarming with people. Tenko did a quick once over of the place and once again was thankful for Nanoka going along with her request. She knew that the brown eyed girl could be reliable and was ready to help without thinking, much to Mao's dismay, but this was not the typical ayakashi trouble she was used to helping with... Though customers can be their own set of demons.
„I need to get back to work but if anything happens call me over!“ the female ayakashi added as she went back to work.
'Okay, you can do this. You've faced much scarier things.' Nanoka was hyping herself up as the bell connected to the door rang and someone walked through the door.
„Welcome to t-“
„Nanoka?...“ Mao looked at her with a surprised look on his face, probably the most surprised he's ever looked. He came here to meet with Kamon, but as he stepped through the door all his thoughts disappeared when he laid his eyes on Nanoka. She always looks beautiful, Mao always thinks that, but seeing her with the makeup, the eyeshadow highlighting her cinnamon coloured eyes and the pink lipstick making her lips shine just a little bit more, left him speechless.
„Mao! Otoya!“ Nanoka waved at them as she got closer.
„What brings you here?“ questioned the brown haired girl.
„...“
„We're here to meet with mister Kamon.“ The little shikigami answered instead of his master when he saw that Mao was a little dazed, and he could swear his cheeks were a more pinkish shade.
„And why is miss Nanoka dressed like Tenko?“
„Oh this! Tenko asked me to help around the Milk hall. It was so last minute I didn't get the chance to tell you.“ Nanoka replied. She turned a bit this way and that to show off the kimono. The white apron swayed with her movement.
„She even let me borrow her makeup.“ the girl mentioned with a light in her eyes while looking at Mao.
„It suits you very much.“ Otoya commented. Nanoka turned to Otoya, still smiling but not as brightly.
„Thanks.“ She turned as she led them to a table.
„Follow me.“
_________________
The bell to the door rang as a man came in. Nanoka turned to greet him as he was taking his hat off when she immediately recognized him as the immortal plant spell wielder.
„Oh! Kamon.“
„Nanoka?“ The man looked at her with a puzzled look.
„When did you start working here?“ questioned the man. He didn't expect Nanoka to be greeting him in the Milk hall uniform when he came.
„I didn't, this is just a favor I'm doing for Tenko.“
„I almost didn't recognize you in that kimono and apron, it looks great on you!“ he complimented. It was easy for him to give compliments. I mean he does come here to treat pretty girls so it's only natural he'd also compliment Nanoka.
„Eh? Really?“ Nanoka blushed. Sure Otoya complimented her but that's Otoya! He always compliments her so hearing it from someone else caught her off guard.
„What's with that face? Is Mao not here yet?“ said the man, a bit surprised.
„He's here, he arrived a few minutes before you actually. Over there.“
„Really? Weird...“ Kamon muttered to himself.
Kamon went over to the table Mao and Otoya were sitting at.
„Nanoka looks very cute today.“ Kamon said instead of a greeting when he sat down next to Mao.
„Yes, she does.“ answered Mao honestly, a bit startled as he was lost in his mind when Kamon arrived.
„You should say it to miss Nanoka.“ The shikigami couldn't help himself.
„I did, didn't I?“ at least he was thinking it. He was met with the most disappointed blank look he's seen the boy make and he could swear Kamon looked almost dumbfounded.
„... Master Mao you didn't say anything.“ Otoya nearly sighed.
Silence fell over them when something caught Kamon's eye.
„Looks like Nanoka is starting to get popular.“ Kamon noted while looking at the table next to them.
„What do you mean?“ Mao followed his gaze and noticed three men at one of the tables looking at Nanoka as she was running from one table to the next taking orders with a smile on her face, unbeknownst to the busy girl. The two men on the side were smiling and whispering to the one in the middle while he was blushing and tugging on his collar nervously. Even if they were farther away Mao could make up them saying something about “asking out the cute girl after her shift” which neither Kamon nor Otoya seemed to hear. Hearing that made him tense up.
The short haired girl walked up to that table at that moment and took their order as the two men were lightly goading the middle man to speak, but he stayed silent and Mao couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief which shocked him.
He should be happy for Nanoka. He was happy for Daigo and lady Sana when he found out about them so why can't he bring himself to be happy for Nanoka? Instead he feels a more ugly, foreign feeling deep inside him that's bubbling to surface the more he thinks about Nanoka being with someone.
„If I didn't know you any better I would say you look jealous right now.“ Kamon pondered aloud after silently observing him.
„Huh?“ Mao was taken aback.
„You have nothing to worry about though.“ Kamon assured him with a knowing look.
„I doubt she would want any of them.“
„What do you mean?“ The man with the ponytail queried.
Kamon winked „Trust me, I have experience with these things.“
_________________
„I'm beat!“ Nanoka declared as she put on her school uniform. Nanoka was relieved to be done. Those few hours were quite enough for her thank you very much. 'I think I'm fine getting back to purifying and exorcising.' She tiredly came to a conclusion. Nanoka said her goodbyes to Tenko after she got dressed, but kept the makeup on and went outside. She was about to head home when she came to halt as the brown haired girl saw someone heading her way. She recalled serving him and two other men around her age, they were very polite, though he seemed more shy than the other two. The man was nervous and blushing furiously as he approached her.
She didn't know why but she felt nervous all of sudden. This reminded her a bit of Shiraha and his crush on her.
The man startled to a stop. That's when She noticed he wasn't looking at Nanoka anymore but behind her.
„Nanoka!“
She wiped her head around at the sound of the voice calling her name.
And there he was standing, his chest rising up and down just enough to be noticed and a relieved expression on his face.
The relieved girl was about to ask him how he knew she would be done with work but he beat her to it.
„Are you done with work?“
„Uh, yeah.“ Not even a second later she said that Mao took a hold of her hand and started walking in the direction of the clinic. He firmly held her hand like he was afraid that she would disappear if he let go. Her heart wouldn't stop beating when she was thinking that this must look like a husband coming to pick up his wife from work. And from the look on the man's face that's exactly what he was thinking as well. He was left there mouth agape.
They walked in silence for a while until Nanoka finally calmed down her heart.
„Are you oka-“
„You look pretty.“ Mao finally put into words what he's been thinking.
„H-huh?“
„I wanted to tell you earlier today but didn't have the chance to.“ Between being left stunned and Nanoka being busy there really wasn't a chance for it.
„Really?“
Mao responded a bit more sternly and without thinking
„Yes, but you seemed to be getting a lot of compliments anyway...“ Which surprised not only Nanoka but Mao too.
He didn’t mean to actually voice his annoyance, but Nanoka always makes him let his guard down and speak his mind, which he didn't mind most of the time, but he wanted to keep this to himself. He wasn't even annoyed at Nanoka but himself for feeling jealous. Nanoka wasn't his. He didn't want her to get more involved with him than she already was. Not when he might live to see the end of their adventure. Mao wanted Nanoka to live a normal peaceful life. But the selfish side of him wanted to live and for her to stay by his side. For once in his life he wanted to be selfish. To keep his light for himself. His eyes softened as he looked at Nanoka
Nanoka couldn't wrap her head around the man’s actions. First he compliments and then he seems annoyed?! It almost seemed like he was jealous but that can't be right.
„And if I was?“ Mao countered. He was already honest so why stop now.
Nanoka didn’t realise she said that out loud.
It seems they’ve been walking longer than she realised as they came to a stop in front of the clinic.
Mao turned towards her still holding her hand and looked in her eyes.
„Stay with me.“ Nanoka recognized he had said this same sentence in what was a distant past of first meetings, first adventures and first budding feelings. She’s blushing the same too while expecting more words to follow and burst the bubble like back then. But it doesn't. Instead Mao lightly takes her cheek with his free hand and slightly tilts her head a bit upwards while he moves his downward. Closing his eyes, his lips slowly inching towards hers, she takes a hold of one of his suspenders and pulls him towards her. Mao makes a surprised sound as their lips finally touch in an albeit awkward but sweet kiss.
„Finally.“
„Ah!“ Nanoka yells beat red as she pulls away from Mao.
„Otoya! How long have you been standing there?“ But the shikigami only points to his lips, turns around, walks back inside and leaves the door open for them, leaving them alone once again.
Nanoka, puzzled by what the shikigami meant, looks back at Mao, her whole face turns red when she sees the pink lipstick on his lips, matching the color of the blush on his cheeks, but he doesn't notice. He looks back at her, takes her hand, lifts it to his face and kisses her knuckles.
„Let’s go home.“ he says with a smile that Nanoka returns with softness in her eyes.
„Yeah, let’s.“