Ch 10: Akeno's Affinity

"Hmm? Oh, Suzaku ... what are you doing here?" Sharon asked as Suzaku felt something was wrong.

The gaze coming from Sharon as well as his voice were both cold as if he had lost his emotions.

"S-Sharon?" Suzaku said as she felt uncomfortable, especially after being used to his cheerful and friendly tone.

"Something wrong?" Sharon asked in the same tone.

"No, but why do you sound so cold?" She asks as Sharon deadpans for a moment.

"Shuri-san nearly got killed by the Himejima clan's men, and at the order of Suou, the head of the clan, and now ... you're the next clan leader. Should I trust you and possibly lose the people who gave me another chance? Or should I end you and your clan to prevent that from even happening?" Sharon said quietly as he observed Suzaku's expressions.

'You know anything about this, and I'll end you here.' Sharon thought as he couldn't bear to go through losing his family again. However, conflicting thoughts appeared as somewhere in his heart he couldn't bear to hurt the girl before him.

"Wh-what?? Bu-but Grandpa Suou promised he would let Shuri-san go!" Suzaku said as her eyebrows scrunched up while her mouth was slightly ajar.

Sharon, seeing how unaware she was, determined the root of the problem was Suou and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll end that bastard one day or another," Sharon muttered quietly.

"What happened to Shuri-san? Is she okay? What about Akeno!" Suzaku asked with panic as Sharon just sighed.

"It seems you had no idea ..." Sharon said as he decided to choose the first option.

'I'll trust you, but the others ... no way in hell.' Sharon thought as he led her inside after getting a towel that was hanging nearby to dry off the sweat on his body.

"Akeno and Shuri-san are fine, Baraqiel was not there, but they weren't injured ... too badly," Sharon said, as his voice was barely audible for the last bit.

Sharon entered the house and saw a black-haired girl speeding towards him like a bullet. The girl crashed into him and took him to the floor as she was giggling while sitting on Sharon's lap.

"Ah, Akeno!" Sharon exclaimed as he noticed Akeno wearing a different hairstyle than usual. Rather than letting her hair loose, she put a ribbon on it and tied it back into a long ponytail.

"You've changed your hairstyle." Sharon noticed and said as Akeno nodded.

"Mommy said it wouldn't get in the way when practicing my magic if I tied my hair back," Akeno said as she showed off her hair.

"Ah, Suzaku-nee!" Akeno yelled as she noticed who had come in with Sharon and ran to her.

"It's been so long since you visited, Suzaku-nee!" Akeno said as she dragged Suzaku around the house.

Sharon watched with a warm smile as the two ran off into the house before making his way to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

*Time Skip*

After having showered and put on new clothes, Sharon made his way to the kitchen to help Shuri with the cooking.

"You know you don't have to help, right? The kitchen is my battlefield, after all." Shuri said as Sharon laughed a bit.

"I know, and your food is always so delicious. So, I figured I would steal some ideas to make my food taste better. Unless I'm cooking for the old man." Sharon said with a smirk as Shuri just chuckled.

"You know Baraqiel is trying his best, and besides, you'll protect us, won't you?" Shuri said as she looked into Sharon's eyes.

"Of course, I will! But ... what if I can't be there? If I was even a minute later that day, I don't even know what I would have done." Sharon said as a pained expression took over.

"I can't lose you guys, too." He said as the memories he had of his family and clan resurfaced.

Shuri, having heard of his past, kneeled down and pulled him into her embrace.

"We'll all be here for each other. Isn't that what a family is?" Shuri said as a few tears fell from Sharon's eyes.

"Did you know, Akeno has a lot of talent with lightning magic? Seems Baraqiel influenced her more than she lets on." Shuri said as she remembered Baraqiel's expression when he found out about Akeno's elemental affinity being Lightning.

*Flashback*

Having returned from the spar between Sharon and Baraqiel, Akeno was excited to learn magic from her mother.

"First off, we'll check your affinities and then, you can learn to fight," Shuri said as she had Akeno hold onto a small translucent sphere that she had dug out from the pile of stuff in the attic.

Moments passed as nothing happened, and just as Akeno was about to complain, lightning bolts appeared within the ball, and the intensity of the light shocked both Akeno and Shuri.

"Whoa, it's so bright. Wait, it's lightning? I wanted fire!" Akeno complained as Shuri was shocked at the intensity of the light the lightning emitted.

'Her potential is insane. She might even be able to evolve her lightning by mixing other elements!' Shuri thought as she observed the lightning.

Baraqiel, who was nearby, was intrigued by the conversation and peeked over when he saw the lightning from the sphere.

Every bit of sadness of 'losing' to Sharon was gone as the fact that he and his daughter had the same elements, meaning he could teach her.

Then ... in Baraqiel's head,

"Wow, Daddy, you're so strong and cool!" Akeno would say as Baraqiel would stand proudly with a smile with a kneeling Sharon.

...

Baraqiel cleared his throat as he walked in when he redirected the attention to him.

"Oh my, a lightning affinity, that'll be really strong." Baraqiel said as Akeno was fantasizing while Shuri had a knowing smile on her face.

Seeing her smile, Baraqiel shushed her and focused on Akeno.

"Would you like to train with me, Akeno?" Baraqiel asked as he heard Akeno say, "Why couldn't I have a fire affinity, I could train with Sharon-nii."

"Ahem, Akeno, would you like to train with me?" Baraqiel asked as he decided he wouldn't hold back as much next time he sparred with Sharon.

"Will I get strong really fast? Like Sharon-nii?" Akeno asked as Baraqiel could only nod helplessly.

'They're both still kids. How is all she talks about been him?' Baraqiel wondered as he began to train Akeno to learn how to utilize the lightning element.

*Flashback Ends*

Sharon, who was hearing this for the first time, was having the time of his life as he was laughing uncontrollably at Baraqiel's expense.

"I'm starting to feel bad for the old man." Sharon says, bringing his laughter to a stop as he looks at the warm smile Shuri had on her face.

The two continued to make lunch, while Akeno was talking to Suzaku about the heroic actions of Sharon when he saved three two of them.

Unknowingly to Akeno, this would only make Suzaku's affection for Sharon grow.

A while later, lunch time arrived as they all got together and ate.

"Wow, this tastes amazing, Shuri-san!" Suzaku exclaims as Shuri smiles and points at Sharon.

"That was made by Sharon." Shuri says as Suzaku glances at Sharon before quickly turning away with a blush.

'Well, he is pretty cute, and he's good at cooking. He's also really strong and also uses fire.' Suzaku thought before shaking her head and continuing to eat.

The day eventually ended as the time came for Suzaku to leave.

"You can visit whenever you want, okay?" Shuri says to Suzaku as Akeno gives her a hug.

Suzaku glanced at Sharon again before quickly turning away. However, before she could leave, Sharon walked over and patted her head.

"I'm sorry for taking to you harshly earlier, and congratulations, you're the future clan head of the Himejima's." Sharon said as Suzaku smiled.

The two looked at each other tenderly while Akeno ran in and hugged Sharon's right arm while starting at the two.

Suzaku chuckled a bit before coming closer to Sharon, planting her lips on his cheeks.

"My family means a lot to me. Thank you for protecting them." Suzaku said before turning and walking away.

Akeno saw Suzaku kiss Sharon on the cheek and pouted, at least until Shuri suggested she do the same.

As the day ended, Sharon went to bed, having received two kisses on his cheeks.

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