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Kneeling before Ei, Sara calmly goes through each and every detail of what happened during the last patrol. There had been a few unexpected clashes along the way, but it was nothing that she and her men could not handle. And yet, she cannot help but feel as if she may have said something wrong at some point. There is no mistaking the frown on Ei’s face that has only grown more and more apparent as she has gone through the report. Her voice trails off and Sara swallows against the sudden lump in her throat as Ei’s gaze practically sparks.
The space between them disappears in the blink of an eye, Sara inhaling sharply as a hand suddenly cups her cheek without warning. The touch is far gentler than expected and Sara blinks in surprise as the stormy gaze turns tender, eyes growing wide as Ei’s thumb lightly strokes against her skin. “You are injured.”
Fingers softly probe her opposite cheek, along the line of a shallow cut. Sara’s gaze drops, recalling the miscalculation on the field that led to the unsightly mark. It was a shameful display and she will surely train even harder from now on to avoid something similar happening in the future. Her hand fists into the fabric of her uniform as frustration wells up within.
“Sara?”
The sound of her name pulls Sara from her thoughts and she freezes when she realizes that Ei is now kneeling before her. Her face heats, cheeks burning as Ei’s fingers continue to trace ticklish patterns along her jawline.
Ei leans in even more, eyes searching. “You are not injured elsewhere, are you?”
A shiver runs down Sara’s spine as she is met with the intense gaze and it takes her a moment to find her words. Somehow she manages to keep her voice steady as she responds, “Only the cut to my cheek, an unfortunate error on my part-”
A sudden pressure against her lips keeps her from continuing and Sara hardly dares to breathe as Ei shifts to press a feather light kiss to the edge of the cut. “All that matters is that you have returned to me in one piece.”
To me . The words echo in Sara’s head and she feels her heart begin to race at the very thought of Ei looking forward to the moment when she would return to Tenshukaku.
Ei’s mouth quirks as she pulls back slightly, no doubt noticing Sara’s momentary distraction. “A bit worse for wear, but still whole. Though I have half a mind to make certain there is nothing that you’ve managed to keep hidden from sight.”
“Oh…” Sara lets out a dazed sound as the words wash over her. She clears her throat. “I assure you-”
“Sara…” Amusement sparkles in Ei’s gaze as she leans in even closer. “I have full faith in your skills but there are times when one must be absolutely certain by taking in things with their own two eyes.”
In the next moment, their bodies are practically flush and Sara takes an unsteady breath as Ei’s earlier words suddenly dawn on her. All thoughts of failure and disappointment quickly disappear as she relaxes beneath the familiar warmth that surrounds her. A hand presses against her shoulder, guiding her back and Sara’s mind grows blissfully blank as Ei kisses her soundly.