Takes place at the end of chapter 60. : D Dedicated to me waifu, Ms. Notebook.

Warnings: COMMA ABUSE.

Fireworks

Because sometimes, Sakura Mamiya lets her curiosity get the better of her.

Sakura Mamiya was perplexed. That constricting feeling had come again, the one that made it hard to breathe and caused her heart to thud loudly in her ears, and it had disappeared just as quickly when it occurred to her that maybe, just maybe, Rinne Rokudou didn't smile that way for her.

It was probably the cheesiest expression she had ever seen; a wide smile and sparkling white teeth, half lidded eyes, and a cheery shrug of the shoulders that she now could see was so fake that she couldn't fathom why she hadn't figured it out at the time. But she had believed the act, believed that that happy smile was tried and true and directed at a pretty girl; a stranger to Tsubasa, Miho, Rika, herself. It had felt like a knife twisting in her gut.

And she didn't think that it was just because she had come to consider herself Rokudou's friend, someone he could talk to, that she felt a little betrayed when she saw him so jubilant and on a date with a girl he had never mentioned before. A cute girl in half-pigtails and a beautiful rose patterned yukata that made Sakura feel rather plain in her pale pink and cherry blossoms.

No, there was definitely something else in the works. She pondered herself as she watched him carefully, taking note that he hadn't smiled once since she'd invited him to tag along with them after Natsumi's grandfather passed on.

He spoke as if he had read her thoughts, "That's my salesman smile."

She swore she could hear an audible whooshing sound as a weight lifted from her shoulders, and she exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding. She was relieved, and the constricting feeling was replaced by something warm and fuzzy. She almost giggled as she responded, "I thought so. But you had me worried for a second."

His eyes shifted to meet hers, and her breath hitched. "Worried?"

She smiled, any signs of her inner confusion smoothed over, "Just a little."

He looked a little bewildered - though she didn't think anyone else could tell - but he remained silent, deciding not to push the matter. He never did with her.

She didn't leave his side, her occasional friendly chatter carefully masking her attempts to figure herself out. When they fell back into companionable silence as they did so often, she chanced a glance at him and swore she saw the faintest hint of a smile. It wasn't big or cheesy or forced, just enough for her to notice and she was terrified that if she blinked or talked, it'd disappear forever.

And it wasn't until he met her gaze questioningly, the sliver of a smile fading, that she realized that they had separated from the group. "What is it?" He asked, a hint of concern peppering his voice.

She turned away from him as a series of fireworks went off, feeling elated at a possibility, "Rokudou-kun, by any chance, are you having a good time right now?"

It was in his silence as he turned his gaze to the fireworks that she found her answer, and it made her feel warm all over, much like she felt before. It was a foreign feeling, like being weightless but not quite, and it puzzled her as she studied him. She considered the possibility of attraction.

Ever since she had met him, it was as if she were a magnet being pulled to steel. She couldn't escape him, because he was around every corner, in every nook and cranny, and they were brought together and sealed by her gift. With him, she was free and safe to be everything she was. She was comfortable, could remove her mask of normality at the end of the day without having to worry about who would see. He made her warm inside when she usually felt lost, dazed and maybe a little cold, because he was calm and honest and never judgemental and no one had ever made her feel that way before.

The low rumble of the crowd and the orange light cast by the lanterns lent themselves to a sudden burst of curiosity at the thought. She had no fear of the thing itself, so the possibility that she might just love him didn't scare her at all.

Her body moved on its own and she half thought that maybe this wasn't a good idea, but she had to know for sure. A second wave of fireworks went off as her lips pressed gently against his.

He went rigid for a moment, as if arguing internally how he should respond to her touch, and then his lips moved back against hers. He was soft and gentle and chaste, but something akin to electricity shot through her regardless. Slowly, her arms moved up around his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her towards him so their bodies pressed against each other. Slowly they kissed again, and again, and again, and she could tell there was love there.

She nudged his lips open with her own, and before she could fully comprehend what she was doing, she had deepened the kiss and their tongues were intermingling and she was exploring the landscape of his mouth. He tasted lightly of cinnamon and brown sugar, with a hint of sweet bean paste, probably resulting from the daifuku he'd eaten earlier with Natsumi. A quiet groan escaped him, and she felt her heart thud rapidly against her chest.

She separated from him only long enough to take a breath, before they closed the gap once more and it was him exploring her this time. Her grip on him tightened, causing her to make a fist in the fabric of his yukata. She could no longer tell if the fireworks were going off around her or inside her; she was flustered, excited, and craving all at once, and with every crackle, pop, touch and taste she wanted the world to go away so they would never have to break away. He left her lips to kiss a trail along her jaw and down her neck, and she did her best to stifle a moan, only halfway succeeding. He came back to plant a final kiss on her lips, slower and gentler than the others. Rokudou pulled away hesitantly and pressed his forehead to hers. Her grip on him loosened as they worked to catch their breath, and his hands lowered a little to rest on her hips.

When she chanced her eyes to flutter open and meet his gaze, she smiled. He looked about as dazed as she felt, but it wasn't a bad thing. She could feel the flush on her cheeks, her stomach doing flips, and she felt so gleeful she could burst; she had kissed Rinne Rokudou, and found not one answer, but two.

And as he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head, she thought that maybe she should let her curiosity get the better of her more often.

Wrote this awhile ago, forgot about it, and came across it again just now. And hey! I still like it. Hope you liked it, too! :3