Self consciously, Ayano smoothed the skirt down over her legs. She was used to a skirt but not one this feminine. She had no idea where Yukari had acquired it, it seemed to be made from pieces of artistically arranged fabric that floated and fluttered about her legs. The shirt was equally as disorientating with a neckline that was lower than she was comfortable with. The colour disconcerted her; it was the colour of Kazuma's eyes when he invoked the contract with the wind spirits.

As she stepped onto the pavement in front of the apartment she cursed silently as the flimsy heels Yukari had thrust upon her threatened to incapacitate her ankles.

She quickly entered the lobby and moved towards the elevators, intending on taking them up to the fifteenth floor – she'd counted.

But she was foiled, residents needed a swipe card to activate the lift, or they could call down and tell the doorman to let their guest up.

Either way Ayano was never going to make it up to that room.

But giving up wasn't her style.

Tossing her hair over one shoulder and trying to act like a seductress – whilst trying not to remember Kazuma's comment that she held no sex appeal – she sauntered over to the front desk and smiled winningly.

"I'm sorry, I've forgotten my room key, could you please let me up?"

She held in her rage as the young perverted-looking guy glanced down her top and silently prayed this would work.

"Sorry," he replied, never taking his eyes off her cleavage, "I've never seen you before."

Of course he hadn't, he was staring at her breasts.

Resisting the urge to brain him with Enraiha she vacated the building and sought out the fire escape. She'd make it up there, mark her words.

Shoes in hand, Ayano applied a considerable force to the fire escape until it gave in and opened with a satisfying crashing sound.

Quickly vacating the hall in case someone came to investigate the sound, she peeled through the corridor until she reached the room she knew was Catherine's –she'd counted the number of rooms across – and paused. She didn't need to kick this door open, she discovered as she tried the handle; it was already unlocked. Incense

As she slipped into the main lounge she glimpsed the splurges of extravagance that simply screamed Catherine. The fur carpets, the antique western fireplace, the chandelier...

Sounds of muted laughter filtered through the white double doors and she quickly opened them to reveal a secondary living room.

Slipping inside, she nearly fried her brain as she watched Catherine fawn all over Kazuma who remained impassive in the face of her shameless flirting.

It incensed her that Catherine would touch Kazuma like that and it appalled her that Kazuma was letting her.

"Kazuma!" she growled, stalking out onto the balcony.

An eyebrow was crooked as Kazuma surveyed her, "Ayano?"

"Oh." Catherine smirked haughtily. "What are you doing here? I thought you were bedridden after Kazuma beat you in a duel?"

The arrogant blonde was really started to annoy her, Ayano's hands tightened into fists.

"I demand a rematch!" she declared, turning her attention on an amused looking Kazuma. His burgundy eyes glinted at the challenge in her golden ones.

"You demand a rematch?" he enquired as he tilted his head to one side.

"Yes!" she growled.

"You came to challenge him to a duel wearing that?" Catherine asked disbelievingly as she and Kazuma inspected the very feminine – and very unfitting – outfit Ayano had donned.

Abruptly, she flushed to the roots of her hair.

Kazuma watched as the two girls argued back and forth, he was counting down to the moment Ayano drew Enraiha and Catherine conjured her spirit beast; it was inevitable.

Her new outfit was intriguing. She had always been attractive but now it was more obvious. If she'd simply stop screaming at Catherine she'd look delectable. His eyes perused her exposed shoulders leisurely.

But then, he loved it when she got this riled up, even if she refused to admit why she got so angry when Catherine flirted with him.

"Kazuma!" Ayano growled, "what's with the grin?"

It was probably his 'smugly perverted' grin, he mused, as she advanced upon him.

Enraiha materialised in her hand as she brandished it at the irritatingly calm Fujitsu.

"Why are you getting angry at Kazuma-san?" Catherine asked haughtily, "You know, they say that envious people often turn their jealousy on the person they're jealous over."

Ayano glowered at her. "Keep quiet!"

"Angry, aren't we?" Kazuma taunted softly.

She spun to face him and lunged out sharply with Enraiha.

He dodged. She lost her footing due to flimsy shoes.

And she tumbled.

Over

And down...

Kazuma rolled his eyes as Ayano toppled from the balcony. "Sorry, Catherine, I have to catch an Enjitsu."

Catherine scowled as Kazuma threw himself off the balcony after Ayano, presumably to save the red-head.

All the breath was expelled from Ayano's lungs as Kazuma plucked her from mid air, instantly she began thrashing; trying to find a way out of his arms so he could beat the living crap out of him.

"Ayano, do you want me to drop you?" Kazuma enquired, his hot breath ghosted over her exposed neck and sent shivers down her spine.

At his words she yielded to his touch and allowed him to rescue her...again.

She was sulking, she knew she was sulking. He was sat next to her on a park bench, calm as anything, eating Taiyaki.

"You know, you glaring at me isn't exactly conducive to my eating," he mumbled.

Tossing her red hair she turned her back on him. "Like I care!"

He rolled his golden eyes and, with a brief application of pressure on her shoulder, turned her back around and wafted the remnants of his Taiyaki under her nose. "Want some?"

"No!" She pushed his arm away stubbornly.

"You know, I did just save your life," he rolled his eyes, "and pouting is childish."

"I'm not pouting!"

"No, now you're yelling," he intoned, smirking slightly.

"Shut up," she grumbled.

"Make me," he challenged smirking as she tried to punch him. She growled as he continually evaded her; he was tricky to catch off guard.

He caught her wrist tightly and she glared at him. "You know, jealousy doesn't suit you."

She tried to extricate herself from his grip. "I wasn't jealous," she muttered softly.

"Really?" he whispered, leaning his head down to brush his lips along the column of her throat.

She bit her lip and turned bright red. "Get off of me!" she protested, shoving him in the chest.

Unfortunately for Ayano, Kazuma didn't yield to her shove and she teetered backwards and fell off the bench into a crumpled heap at his feet.

Kazuma smirked down at the completely unhindered view of her panties; she really shouldn't wear a skirt. "White."

"Kazuma!" she roared, springing to her feet with and diving for him. He caught her deftly and kissed the surprised Enjitsu on the end of her nose.

"K-kazuma?"

"I win," he grinned as he dropped the bewildered girl onto the ground.

His game had yielded fruit...

"Kazuma!"

A/N: I don't own Kaze no Stigma, thank you for reading and please review!