Page 56 of Kimiko and the Accidental Proposal
And he was surrounded, and everyone was talking at once. Akira was sort of relieved when Suuzu—very politely—extricated him from the excitable group.
Kimi had warned them, and she was pretty close on how everything would shake down. Except for the part about her mom and the contract. Her grandma was the one waving paperwork under his nose. And he was almost positive it was the younger sister who pressed a pen into his hand.
Akira dropped onto Kimiko’s bed and stared at the ceiling. “That was intense.”
She groaned. “I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it.” There were more important things to consider. Like Suuzu, who stood staring out the window, stiff and straight. Akira asked, “Okay if we let in some air?”
“Please.” She hurried to Suuzu’s side and quietly urged, “Make yourselves comfortable.”
He flicked the latch, slid the glass panel aside, and breathed deeply. Akira sat up and ruffled his hair. “Not that I’m complaining or anything, because it makes things a lot easier for us, but … wouldn’t a mother normally discourage her daughter from spending the night with a couple of guys?”
“She’s not a very clever schemer. I’m trying not to be insulted by her mercenary streak.” Kimi’s hands fluttered through a cycle of frustration and apology.
“Reavers are a little strange. No offense.”
Suuzu murmured, “Her plan is ill-wrought. Even if an effort were made, Kimiko could not conceive.”
She burst out laughing, and Akira covered his face with his hands. “Too much information.”
Crossing to his side, Suuzu sat and began fiddling with Akira’s hair. The calming effect was both immediate and mutual. Akira beckoned insistently until Kimi came to sit on the floor in front of them so Suuzu could reach her hair, too.
Long minutes passed, and the mood mellowed. And into the safe haven they’d created for themselves, Suuzu brought his first question. “Are you ready to confide in us?”
TWENTY-SIX
Long into the Night
She probably should have been more organized, explaining things from the beginning, but Kimiko skipped to the matter weighing most urgently on her mind. “Suuzu, do you know anything about courtship?”
“A little.” He searched her face, as if divining her reason for asking. “Enough to understand that each clan upholds its own traditions.”
“What do phoenixes do?” She was only putting off the inevitable, but she really needed to work her way up to this particular secret.
“Hmm.” Suuzu left off preening, his hands resting lightly on their heads. “In the old tradition, phoenixes make their hopes known through the singing of songs, the bringing of gifts, and the building of a nest.”
“And how do you choose a nestmate?” Kimiko pressed. “I mean, do you just pick someone on impulse and hope it works out? Or do you flirt a little because you already like them and you want them to like you back?”
“Reasons would vary.” Suuzu went back to stroking her hair. “What is it you really want to know?”
“You wouldn’t trust to chance, would you?”
“I wonder.” A faraway look entered his eyes, and there was a thoughtful mellowness to his voice. “A whole life can turn on the whim of a moment. And for all our years, even an Amaranthine cannot guess where the next moment might take him.”
Kimiko nodded, then shook her head. Did it matterwhyshe was betrothed? Or should she be focusing on fulfilling her responsibility to Eloquence? They were past explanations, yet she’d need a good one for her parents. Tomorrow.
Suuzu continued in soft tones. “I did not know Akira until the moment we met. I tremble to think what would be lost if that moment had slipped away.”
Akira had been watching her with a solemn expression, but his gaze swung to Suuzu—dumbstruck, distressed.
With a trill that was more vibration than music, Suuzu pulled them all to seats on the floor, arranging everyone into close comfort. One under each wing, figuratively speaking. Leaning against the bed’s side, Suuzu encouraged Akira to lay his head against his shoulder. Kimiko was similarly tucked, and snug quarters and hushed tones made it easier to believe her secrets would be safe.
Akira blurted, “Is Quen in love with you?”
“I don’t think that’s the right word,” said Kimiko. “But he’s relying on me to keep an accidental promise.”
“What did you promise?” Suuzu prompted.
