Camping with your Crush (Ryu)

[kazue]

Kazue, though you wouldn't have been able to tell was actually quite scared of those words that Ryu kept repeating. I love you, It was scary for her if only because of the horror stories of her mother's past loves. Though Kazue was like any teenage girl who wanted a boyfriend and wanted to hear those words, a part of her worried about what her mother had told her. That teenage romances didn't always last. Still, looking at Ryu... Kazue had trouble believing that. Obviously Ryu was different then most boys. Kazue could tell that. She knew it from the moment they met. He was kind, but tough and most of the guys she had met didn't have the balance with that like he did. Either some were too nice, or too mean. With him... she felt actually safe.

She giggled as he remembered her mother's pasta and found herself lightly poking at it. Eating was tough when she felt those butterflies still there. She was looking down at the pasta as he began to talk again. Only a second past by before she would look up at him and blink.

"R-really?"

She asked the blush on her cheeks darkening. She thought back to the pool party and how it had been so nice to just walk around and talk with him. How sweet he had been to her then and how sweet he was being to her now. So much had happened since she bumped into him at the pool party. A soft smile crossed her lips again, one that was ever so sweet.

"I got a crush on you then too. Even though you were being sarcastic and everything... I thought it was cute."

She giggled thinking back to them talking about who almost knocked who over.

"I especially liked the way you smirked... it... it was really cute."

More of a blush covered her cheeks as she tried to focus on eating to help cool her face down.

[Ryu Hikari]

"Y-yeah..."

A faint blush touching his cheeks as he looked over and down at Kazue, the butterflies in his stomach continuing to flutter around, not to mention doing some pretty amazing back flips, he was pretty surprised he was even able to eat any of Silk's pasta in the first place, much less even able to keep his hand steady enough to pick the pasta up with his fork. It was hard to believe that it was only a month ago that the two of them met at the pool party and really hit it off well, poking fun and teasing each other with their witty sarcasm.

"... Kaori told me that you liked me... Our imouto-chan is really something, she told me that she was perfectly fine with the two of us liking each other, and she convinced dad that it was fine, and got him to accept it. She even said she'd convince your mom if she had to. She really should be a lawyer when she grows up... You... thought my smirk was really cute? T-thanks... I-I thought your smirk was really cute too, and now I know why it looked so familiar. It was just like dad's."

Kazuki blushing even more, to distract himself momentarily, he'd quickly grab a bottle of Ramune, passing one over to Kazue, and take a gulp of it, to help cool his face down, before finishing up the pasta, which was really good. After finishing the rest of their picnic lunch, he'd help gather and pack everything up, before continuing their walk through the woods for the rest of the afternoon, letting Kazue lead the way, and by the time they got back to their campsite, it was almost about evening.

"Hey Kazue, have you decided what you're going to make for dinner? Do you need any help?"

[kazue]

Kazue was actually able to eat the pasta Silk had sent. It did help to ease the butterflies in her stomach if only for a little while. The two of them talked a bit more and finished off their picnic. Though hearing her little sister had ratted her out she pouted slightly.

"Waiii... I told that to Imouto-chan in confidence. It was supposed to be a secret."

At the mention of convincing her mother Kazue shook her head softly.

"Mom will be okay with it so long as I'm happy."

She would blush a little more and sip at the ramune she was given. After their picnic was done and everything had been packed, she lead them back following the markers she had set up and once back at camp set about cleaning and getting ready to make dinner.

"Hmm? Uhhh..."

She thought a moment. She had the Panes (spanish flat bread) and she had the other things she needed to make the spanish dish her mother taught her so she should be good. She'd smile at Ryu.

"Well, you can get desert stuff ready while I make dinner. That way when we tell the scary stories tonight we can eat smores."

[Ryu Hikari]

"... Imouto-chan didn't tell it to me right to my face, Kazue. I overheard her talking to dad in the living room after you and your mom had left our house on the night of the family dinner when I came downstairs to get some water. As far as Kaori knows, it's still a secret. I know dad was fine with it, more so when Kaori explained it to him, he just wants me to be happy..."

Reaching the campsite after they had gathered and packed everything up, Kazue leading the way and using the trail markers she had set up, Kazuki would head into his tent and put the cooler away, though he still had quite a bit of drinks left over for the two of them for dinner, and to drink of the bus home if they needed some refreshments. Poking his head out of the flap of his tent, he'd smile back at Kazue and nod slightly, before disappearing back into his tent and getting the drinks for dinner, as well as the graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate bars, a long metal pan, and two long wooden skewers to roast the marshmallows on.

Heading out of his tent, he'd head over to the wooden picnic table and deposit everything on top of it, and taking the metal pan, would fill it with water, and let the wooden skewers soak in the water, so they would not burn more easily when they held them over the fire later tonight. With that done, moving over to their campfire, after gathering more kindling and setting it up nicely, activating his Qi, he'd make a flame appear on the tip of his index finger, and a couple moments later, had a nice, roaring fire going, all ready for Kazue to do her cooking on, deactivating his Qi and the flame on his finger going out immediately.

"... Hey Kazue, if you need any pots or anything, just let me know, I've got some collapsible ones in my tent."

[kazue]

Well, since Ryu put it that way... she couldn't really be upset with her little sister now could she? No, she couldn't.

"Well, so long as she didn't tell you out right..."

Though it was still a little upsetting that her secret had gotten out. Kazue could hear her mother though, in her head giving her words of wisdom once more. Something about secrets never lasting long because things weren't meant to be secrets. She'd just shake the thought from her mind and sigh. Once back at camp she would dive into her tent and come back with a grilling rack, some dough that looked like tortillas, a flat stone baking sheet and some thin slices of beef. She would smile at Ryu as he offered pots and pans to her and shook her head.

"Mom said it wasn't a camp out till something was grilled remember? So... I'm going to make us something good."

Kazue smiled before setting the rack down near the fire with the flat stoneware on top of it to get nice and hot. She vanished into her tent again only to emerge with a few spices, some tongs and some veggies. She had made sure the stoneware was off to one side of the rack and made a little tray out of tinfoil to put the veggies in to grill. She would bring the meat and thin tortilla like dough over and sit down in her chair. The sizzle came as she put the bread dough on the stoneware and she would hum a tune she always heard her mother hum when cooking spanish food.

"So, what kind of scary stories should we tell tonight Ryu?"

As the dough cooked she did the same thing her mother did, which was to reach over those dangerous flames and turn the bread so it would cook evenly. By the time she had finished all the bread she introduced a new sizzle when she set the meat on the stone to cook and covered it in spices. She wouldn't make it as spicy as what her mother made but it would be a pleasant taste at least. Soon everything was done, she used the tongs to place the meat into the tortilla shaped bread and then the grilled veggies on top of that. A smile crossed her lips.

"It's not traditional, considering mom would have put salsa and all this other stuff on top but I think it works don't you?"

She asked as she handed a plate full of two of these large almost taco like sandwiches to Ryu. At least he'd be full tonight when they went to bed. Silk and Kazue weren't good at cooking small dinners by any means.

[Ryu Hikari]

"She didn't tell me outright Kazue, don't worry..."

Back at their campsite, with his part of their meal pretty much completed until they were done dinner, would take a seat at the wooden picnic table, his back resting up against the wooden table, his arms casually folded across his chest, as he watched Kazue work on cooking up their dinner, soon enough, the smell of delicious food would waft over to him, as he occasionally checked that their drinks were still chilled, which, considering the temperature was gradually dropping lower and lower, wasn't hard to monitor.

"... It's up to you, just tell whatever scary story comes to mind first...."

Kazuki knew he already had a scary story in mind to tell, though how scary it was depended on a person's definition of scary, he supposed. What one person might consider frightening, another person might not. Though considering they were in the middle of the woods, which provided the perfect atmosphere for telling scary stories... Well, he'd see, he supposed.

"...? Yeah, it works. Maybe one day, if I'm feeling gutsy, I'll try your mom's salsa. For now, I'd like to keep my taste buds whole... So I can actually taste how good the food you made is."

Taking the plate piled high with food from Kazue gratefully, placing the plate down on the table, he'd swivel around on the wooden bench and hand over one of the two drinks that he had brought out with him from his tent to Kazue, cracking his own open and take a sip before folding or wrapping or however he was supposed to enclose the giant sandwich like tacos Kazue had cooked up for them to eat.

"... This is delicious Kazue..."

[kazue]

"Okay"

Kazue said trying to think of which story her mother had in her diary was scariest. They would sit down to dinner and Kazue would giggle at Ryu's comment about her mother's salsa. She'd show him how to wrap and hold the thing before eating it so he wouldn't make a mess of himself. At his compliment, Kazue would blush.

"I'm glad you think so."

Kazue didn't enjoy cooking as much as her mother did but hearing Ryu liked it made her think twice about maybe enjoying it a bit more. After dinner, Kazue and Ryu set about cleaning up everything and Kazue even went off to get ready for bed. She'd return in a long white shirt that stopped just mid thigh. A small blanket would wrap around her as she settled down in her chair by the fire and smiled at him. The temperature had dropped and the darkness of the forest made this a perfect time to tell the stories. Smiling Kazue would look at Ryu as she shifted trying to get comfortable under her little blanket.

"So who goes first Ryu-chan? I warn you though... if I actually get scared you might end up having me sneak into your tent tonight."

She giggled jokingly of course, but one never knew. Perhaps if the story scared her enough she just might.

[Ryu Hikari]

Grateful to Kazue for showing him how to wrap and hold the giant sandwich-like taco, taking a bite of it, he'd smile slightly seeing her blush, though it was true, it really was delicious. Kazuki had never cooked any Spanish food before, and while he wasn't sure about their dad, Kazuki had a feeling he had never cooked any Spanish food either. So suffice to say, any new food that he had never eaten, much less cooked, he'd compliment, and honestly, he really did think the food Kazue made was really good.

After they had finished eating and cleaning everything up, Kazuki headed off into his own tent while Kazue went to hers to get ready for bed. Emerging from his tent dressed in a plain white tank top and a pair of loose white boxer shorts, he'd have a hoodie zipped up on top, with the hood on over his head, mainly because it was a little cool tonight. Sitting in his chair already as Kazue returned, he was tending to the fire, and would look up hearing footsteps and smiled slightly at her as she took a seat in her own chair, shifting to get comfortable, while he returned to tending the fire.

"Hmm... You can go first if you'd like, it doesn't matter to me."

Let the scary stories begin...

[kazue]

He told her to go ahead and go first and so Kazue would think for a moment before nodding and sitting up. She scooted her chair a bit closer to the fire to keep a bit of that chill from getting to her. She thought about how to tell the story she read in her mother's diary before she chose to speak.

"Well... According to mom's diary she was our age when she went on her first ghost hunt in an abandoned warehouse. She took a group of her friends with her and they all brought flashlights and candles. Mom brought a camera and a little hand held recorder. The warehouse had been the place of a horrible murder a year or so before and everyone knows that any life that was abruptly pulled from our world often leaves behind some sort of trace."

Kazue's voice soft, almost eerie as she spoke. Her tongue sliding out past her full lips to slowly lick over them as she remembered the story.

"Mom lead her friends over the gate of the warehouse and to the door. They broke the chains that were used to keep the door closed and inside they went. Mom had a brought her cards and her stones with her though most of the friends thought she was just doing it to pull their leg. She had sworn to them that the day before, walking by the warehouse she saw someone behind the windows. A ghostly figure of a man in a black suit. His hair tousled and messed up, his right eye swollen and bruised. It looked as if he had been in a fight of some sort. The boys decided to prove her wrong and take her into the warehouse to prove there was nothing inside."

She would pick up a stick and lightly poke at the fire. Her gun metal grey eyes reflecting the flames just a bit.

"The boys decided to split up. Two going with mom down one half of the warehouse and three going down the other. They all kinda planned on scaring her because she was rarely ever scared of anything. She watched as dark shadows consumed the three that left the group and the two she was with giggled like idiots. A cold chill blew through the broken windows of the warehouse and mom found her self surrounded by old broken machines and empty pallets. As they walked towards the back of the ware house mom swore she heard breathing right in her ear. The boys she was with made jokes about her and her deck of cards.

'Quiet!' Mom told them sharply and when the boys finally silenced themselves the sound of one of their friends crying out for help came from the other side of the warehouse. Mom and the two boys raced over and found all three boys huddled on the floor sputtering and shaking. They wanted to leave but wouldn't say what they had seen. Mom knelt down to help one of them up when she was grabbed by her hair. The two coherent boys with her looked and saw nothing standing there. Her hair was being yanked straight out behind her, and nothing stood there."

Kazue pulled at her own hair to illustrate her point. Her gun metal grey eyes suddenly looking over to Ryu, a slight glaze to them as if she had drifted off into her own story.

"Mom swore she heard a man screaming at her. He yelled at her to leave. Told her that she wasn't supposed to be there and that he would take care of her friends. The voice even blamed the boys for being the reason it was dead. It claimed that they had killed him. When mom tried to reason with what ever held her hair she was thrown, like a rag doll towards the nearest wall. She didn't remember blacking out, but she had and when she came to... The boys looked battered and bruised. They all scrambled to help her up, to help her to run. They could hear something stomping behind them, pallets were kicked aside and machines scraped over the floor as if they were being shoved out of the way. The group ran for the doors, mom threw one of her crystals behind her and they heard a screech of pain as the crystal hit something.

Just as they managed to get out the doors, mom grabbed the chains to lock it up again and something hit the doors with such violence it sent her flying. The boys chained the door closed instead and they all ran home. Weeks later, the boys were still having nightmares about that night. Mom avoided the warehouse the best she could, but one day she had to walk past it. The crystal she had thrown... rested at the gate. She reached down to pick it up only to hear a screech of pain, the gates rattled and she ran off, leaving her crystal behind. Every now and then she would drive past, her crystal would still be sitting there at the gate, as if waiting for her to try and pick it up again."

As Kazue ended her story, her grey eyes returned to normal. She would lean back in her chair letting an eerie air hang over their head. She was actually pretty proud of herself for telling that so well.

[Ryu Hikari]

Keeping quiet during the entire time Kazue told her scary story, the flames of the fire illuminating the lower half of Kazuki's face, while the rest of his face was left in shadows from his hood still on his head, as it occasionally crackled and wavered, he would look over at Kazue as she lightly poked at the fire with a stick and then pulled on her own hair partway during her story to get her point across, he could see her eyes had glazed over slightly, like she was in a trance of sorts. Once she had finished, he could see her eyes return to normal, an air of spookiness hanging above and around them.

"Hmm... Not bad..."

Kazuki mused, one hand held lightly against his chin. Although he didn't look like it, part of him was impressed by the story, while the other part was kind of freaked out by it. Violent ghost indeed... Grabbing the two skewers from behind him, having taken them out of the metal pan after he had gotten ready for bed, he'd hand one over to Kazue, before opening up the bag of marshmallows, and moving his chair closer to the fire, would stick one on the sharpened end of his skewer and give a marshmallow to Kazue, holding his over the fire and roasting it.

"This happened when I was in elementary school, when I slept in the sick bay. I was having a horrible headache, so I laid down. Then someone spoke to me from the window. 'Hi, are you alright?' He seemed worried about me. I told him it was just a headache, and he said 'That's good.' Then, we chatted for awhile."

Checking to see if his marshmallow was roasting nicely, he'd hold it above the fire once more, for a couple minutes more, the flames continuing to illuminate the lower half of his face, but still left the rest of his face in shadows, almost eerie-like.

"I was rather unfamiliar with him. But since it was an elementary school... I thought that even if I didn't know him, he should've been a student... I didn't give it much thought. 'Farewell!' He waved to me after bidding me good-bye, and left. When I thought back on it, I realized the infirmary was actually on the third floor. There was no balcony, or any other place to stand on."

Seeing his marshmallow was roasted nicely, grabbing four graham crackers and a few pieces of chocolate, he'd hand some over to Kazue and assemble his s'more, waiting for it to cool down before taking a bite of it.

"It's impossible... For a human to stand where he stood! That's all..."

[kazue]

Kazue would take the wooden skewer from Ryu and then the marshmallow. She'd skewer the marshmallow and let it sit over the fire. A soft yet thoughtful look crossing over her features as Ryu told his story. She would glance over at him and blink as she saw how the hood hid part of his features. It was rather creepy though she couldn't tell if it was because she had spooked her self with her own story or if because, save for the fire they were surrounded by darkness.

"Wow... that is pretty cool Ryu..."

Kazue said softly sounding pretty interested in his story. She had never seen a ghost her self. Her mom on the other hand had seen plenty. She kind of envied Ryu for that.

"At least his was nice... Mom didn't meet many nice ghosts, at least not according to her Diary."

Kazue said as she checked on her marshmallow and took the graham cracker and chocolate from Ryu. She'd smile at him and lean over to kiss his cheek before she made her smore. The marshmallow being rather gooey got on her fingers and she'd lick it off with a bit of a giggle.

[Ryu Hikari]

"... Really? I know our adoptive grandfather had a experience with a ghost before, maybe I'll tell it to you one day. I don't know if dad ever had an experience with a ghost before, maybe we should ask him one day..."

Though that had been about the only experience he had with a ghost, though when you thought about it, considering the ghost he had met was a kid about his age, he could only wonder what tragedy befell the kid, to have taken his life away at such an early age...

"... That's true... Wait, your mom met more than one ghost? What did she do, go running around the entire city and find all the violent ghosts she could possible find?"

Looking at Kazue in mild disbelief, his expression immediately turned blank as she smiled at him and then leaned over and kissed his cheek, causing him to blink once at her, before blushing lightly. Good thing it was dark, and his hood was hiding most of his features, even with the campfire, or she'd see the blush touch upon his cheeks. Taking a bite of his own s'more, a bit of the marshmallow left on his fingers, he couldn't tell if his story had scared or impressed Kazue... or maybe both, who knows.

Seeing Kazue lick away at the marshmallow left on her fingers, smirking slightly to himself, reaching out with his free, non-marshmallow covered hand, he'd take hold of her hand and gently pull her hand towards him, making it appear as if he was going to kiss her hand... only to lick some of the marshmallow off her fingers. He was dying inside of laughter, you have no idea.

"... I don't know which one tastes better... The s'more, or the marshmallow."

Pretty sure it's the s'more dude...

[kazue]

Kazue had to wonder what could have happened to a child in elementary school that would cause his passing. She was a little like her mother though, wanting to know the whys about things. The thought didn't last long as she caught up with Ryu's question about her mother. She giggled at his question and smiled.

"I guess you could call my mom a ghost hunter of sorts. During her teen years she did what she could to help people being scared by ghosts or evil spirits. I'd love to hear what happened to your grandpa... er... is it our grandpa? I don't know. I'd still like to hear it though. My mom kinda got me interested in the paranormal stuff. Not to the extent she is... but I'd like to go on a ghost hunt of my own one day."

Kazue would blink when Ryu took her hand and pulled it over towards him. She thought he was going to kiss it which would have been sweet but also kind of odd to her. Instead he licked the marshmallow off her finger and she'd blush bright red. Had she been an anime character of some sort a sweat bead would have appeared on her head. Not exactly sure what to do, Kazue would smile shyly. Feeling slightly uncomfortable by Ryu's actions Kazue thought of a way to fix that. Oddly enough the only thing she could come up with was to do the same to him, but different some how. She'd smile a bit and looking at Ryu notice he had a bit of Marshmallow on his cheek, just near the corner of his lips.

She'd lean over to him and move up towards his cheek like she was going to kiss him again, only to let the tip of her tongue slide past her lips and lick that bit of marshmallow off. With a smirk she'd settle back in her chair and hmm a bit as if thinking on his question.

"The s'more has chocolate. You can never go wrong with chocolate."

She replied, a smirk still dancing on her lips.

[Ryu Hikari]

"It would be our grandfather... Well, adoptive grandfather for me, since you're directly related to him through dad. Your mom sounds like she's part of Ghost Busters or something, remind me to call her if I ever encounter a violent ghost or an evil spirit. I'll tell you the story one day, though if you ever go on a ghost hunt, I'll go with you, but let's hope we don't run into any malevolent spirits..."

Kazuki smirking even wider to himself seeing Kazue's reaction, he had only been doing it to tease her, though he knew it would've made her uncomfortable. Smiling slightly seeing her smile shyly, what he had not been expecting was to see her lean in and not kiss him, but feel the tip of her tongue lick a bit of marshmallow left on his cheek, near the corner of his lips, off.

A bit of a blank look appearing on his face, he'd raise one eyebrow seeing her smirk a little, though she would not be able to see his expression beneath his hood, but she would see a slight smirk slowly appearing on his face. Touche Ms. Velasquez, touche...

"Well played Ms. Velasquez... Well played..."

Lifting his other hand up, he'd lick the marshmallow off his hand before taking another bite of his s'more, and a couple minutes later, he'd finish it. After roasting up another marshmallow and making himself another s'more, giving Kazue another marshmallow and graham crackers and chocolate, if she wanted another one, he'd slowly finish his second s'more off, and before he knew it, it was time to head to bed. Pouring the water in the metal pan over the fire, to douse the flames, he'd then flick on the flashlight he had brought with him, illuminating the area in front of him.

"... I'm heading off to bed now, I'll see you in the morning Kazue. Good night."

And grabbing all the leftover s'more ingredients, he'd make his way to his tent, and after zipping up the flap and putting away all the ingredients, he'd unzip his hoodie and pull it and his tank top off, climb into his sleeping bag, and try to get some sleep.

[kazue]

Kazue would giggle at his comment about her mother being part of the ghost busters. She was sure at some point in her mother's life the woman had wanted to be such a thing. She smiled at the idea of being told the story about her grandfather. She still had yet to meet him. Perhaps during a holiday vacation her dad would let her meet him. Watching a smirk slowly develop on his lips after she had licked off the marshmallow, she giggled at his words. A smile parting her lips and she would wink at him. She couldn't really tell before that smirk but she was pretty sure she shocked him, at least a little.

"Thank you, thank you..."

She said as if she was thanking someone for congratulating her on a performance. Kazue would finish her s'more and when Ryu handed her the makings of another one she would. When that one was done she watched Ryu put out the fire and turn on the flashlight. He'd grab up the extra s'more things and tell her goodnight.

"Goodnight Ryu."

She smiled at him and stood up from her chair. She wrapped her self in her blanket and made her way to her tent. She'd climb in, zip it up and lay down. A smile on her lips just before her eyes closed and she drifted into sleep. Despite how scary her story might have been or even the idea of ghosts possibly roaming the woods, she wasn't scared. Sleep came rather easy. However, it didn't remain easy. At least not for Kazue. About two hours in, she began to have a horrid nightmare. That monster from the library was attacking her and Ryu again. Sticking her with another needle. She felt the pain as if it were real. That burning from the inside out feeling and she would sit straight up, eyes wide and a slight yell escaping her lips. Shaking she'd look around her.

She'd see she was in her tent, and slowly she'd calm her breathing. Still not feeling all that safe, she'd grab her pillow and a blanket and slip out of her tent then zip it closed. She'd quietly slip into Ryu's tent and close it behind her. She would put down her pillow and curl up in her blanket in the empty space in the middle of Ryu's tent. Her eyes would close and she'd listen to the sounds around her before she was finally able to drift asleep. She felt much safer in Ryu's tent anyway. In the morning he'd wake up to Kazue, splayed about on her blanket, sound asleep.