Akemi slowed down and lowered her head:

"That's just utterly stupid Sho. There is literary no way that will happen and simply trying to push for that is a self-destructing idiocy."

She raised her head again, passion and despair mixed into her eyes:

"But.. From the Spider... I learned love."

And she went for that big damn kiss.

And he knew it too, and that's why the moment was much more sweet than anything he'd had in his life. He'd return that kiss a million times over if he could. He'd settle for what they had then, and after have no regrets.

Though he did his best to show how he felt in that moment, holding and kissing Akemi. Maybe he'd learned a little something himself.

The kiss went on for a painful amount of time as they refuse to let go.

Finally an out-of-breath Akemi just said:

"Let's sit down and hit that sake. I need a full cup right now. To slow down my heart before it actually explodes."

"Yeah, alcohol, perfect thing to keep your blood down", he chuckled and lead her to the bench and picked up the bottle, cracking he seal and poured into both cups. "Wow, I can smell that, this is going to be good."

He handed her one and held another himself. Shokomaru fixed her with a dark eyed stare, mouth quirked in a sly smile. "Akemi-chan, to whatever happens." he held the cup out to her in salute. "It won't change this moment."

"To the moment."

Akemi gulped half her cup without really tasting under the effect of the emotion becoming even redder, then took a few extra more delicate sips.

"Damn, that's the good stuff."

She brushed her dress.

"Went a bit overboard with the theatrics sorry. The closer we are to the end, the more I have the urge to craft 'perfect' moments."

Seemed as the booze struck him pretty hard too. He recovered with a grin though, and shook his head slightly, then he stood next to her, putting an arm around her waist.

"Crafting a perfect moment is good, they sometimes happen on their own too. Like teasing a girl who won't admit why she showed up to a bar you're at...or making an ass out of yourself thinking she was in trouble when she was just turned on..."

He sipped a little more.

"or when she knocks on your door in the middle of the night."

"For real I didn't expect to meet you at that bar that night. Just planned to pick a random cute Phoenix boy to unwind.

And then... Things happened."

She smirked:

"Pleading guilty of all other charges however. Not that you are innocent yourself commander cannot-keep-my-hands-to-myself. Remember the rain, the umbrella and the plushie? That time you made me pose? That breakfast we barely managed to eat in-between?"

"Believe in a life lived", he told her a booped her nose. "Without apology, regret, or pretense."

His expression turned a little serious. "At least when I can."

Akemi cocked an eyebrow.

"That last phrase was weirdly ominous Sho. As far as I know your life isn't going to turn into a pure hell as soon as I won't be there anymore.

Sure nothing happened to you today?"

"Nothing like that, just a high likelihood that my future doesn't include many more moments like this", he shrugged. "I'll be back to work and have a spouse who is more intetested in writing home than sharing moments with me."

Akemi breathed deeply, took a small sip of sake and answered:

"Hey, maybe you will get lucky twice and get a spouse on par with me but politically compatible. The galaxy is vast, the probability exists."

She extended one hand toward the stars way above them.

"If anything, our stay here has shown that sometimes destiny just throws you a bone."

"I can get behind that", he agreed, and hugged her a little closer again, threatening to heat things up a bit with a wandering hand. "Though speaking of throwing bones, it'd be shame to get mushrooms all over that amazing dress."

Akemi laughed heartily:

"I'll make my first real princess comment by saying this dress is way too nice and took way too long to adjust to my measurements for me to risk it that way. That will have to wait for when we return to your room."

She gave a look at her reflection in what was left of the sake at the bottom of her cup, then shifted its position to have the stars appear in it:

"If I knew anything about astronomy I would say that you can see the Cowherd and the Weaver hands are almost touching. But the truth is that I look at a calendar. It's the festival of the star-crossed lovers soon."

He gulped his sake down and picked up the bottle to refill the glass.

"That it is", he agreed. "Your thoughts? Or are you asking for mine?" He held the bottle out to top her off.

Akemi remained contemplative:

"Your thoughts interest me indeed. Mines are simply that there is quite the symbolic here."

"Well,I'm not about to go kanshi over not being able to marry you, you'd call me an idiot and just be angry about it", he said, giving her a knowing look. "Though...",he seemed reluctant. "I guess there's something romantic about it...sure. And I can't wait to see you dressed for a festival, I know you'll be cute."

He drank more, face twisting a bit, but he didn't cough.

"Woo...that's still really something."

"You know what they say. When you're in love, you see romance everywhere. In the stars, in flowers, in water, in the night, in the wind."

She made her gown's train flutter around.

"You will see me in – and out of – my yukata... eventually. But let's keep our distances for the mandatory public appearance that this celebration entails. Some things are doomed to remain in the shadows."

"And be talked about regardless", he shrugged and faced her. "So...what do you say we go somewhere warmer? We can even keep dancing, I'd like that."

Akemi nodded, finished that was left of her sake and stood.

Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the calm talk, but at the moment she was just happy, freed of dark thoughts about the future. Tomorrow was another day. The moment was now.

She tenderly smiled and offered him her arm.

"At this hour, in this place, and with so many rumors already going around, I think I'll take the risk of walking with you hand in hand even if a night owl Phoenix official is to have an apoplexy attack from that."

"Well if that's the case you just throw me over your shoulder and we can cave man our way out of here? I'm not against it", he gave her a cheeky grin and started collecting everything from the bench.