TFDC: Day Four -- Devotion

A and Matt’s Home
Tokyo, Japan
December 2014
Christmas Eve

Matt still couldn’t pin what exactly about her drew him to her. He knew that it was a mix of many contributing factors – her physical aesthetic, her complex personality, the depth of her and far her mind could go; but even after years of being with her, he couldn’t trace which part attracted him like a moth to an open flame.

And as amusing as it was, it frustrated him. Matt would spend minutes, nearly hours watching her as she did her thing and each quirk of hers always made him smile; whether it be the way she would let the corner of her lips perk up into a half-smirk when she reached a likely conclusion, or the way she would tap her pen against the paper when in deep thought. Even the simple sight of her scanning papers and analyzing data was enough to catch his attention.

People always said that when treating someone you love – a significant other – they should be treated like a temple; something incredibly holy. Something that was to be worshipped and treated carefully. After all, the soul in a body could be likened to something divine that was to be found in a beautiful temple.

But Matt thought of that as bullshit. A – his A – was definitely not a temple.

If anything, A hated to be treated like something fragile; like fine china in a display. She may have had nicks and bruises from growing up, wounds that didn’t quite heal or scars that were still there, but she gave them no second glance.

If he could liken her to something that wasn’t a temple, then she was a canvas of experience.

He liked to think that everyone was born pure – clean – a clean canvas. Throughout a person’s life, they’d get streaked and slashed with color, color that would represent either emotions or experiences. At the time of death, then they’d be what all people were destined to be: a masterpiece.

“You’re doing it again,” she teased. Matt snapped out of his reverie and looked up; A was standing in front of him, a smile tugging at her tips as she held cups of hot chocolate in her hands.

“Doing what again?” he asked, putting a look of innocence on his face.

“Watching me when you think I can’t see you.” Matt snorted, but even A could see how his ears reddened. “You can’t lie,” she chirped, sitting next to him and nudging one of the cups into his hands, “I can see your ears, you know. They turn as red as your hair when you’re embarrassed, lying or both.”

“Moving away from my gingerness. How long have you known, hm?”

“A few weeks, give or take. If it were anyone else, I’d be mildly crept out. But it’s you, so I’m mostly just amused and mildly flattered,” she admitted. “Unless I’ve got a stain somewhere.”

“No, no. It’s not a stain.” Matt took a sip from the beverage, warmth spreading all throughout as the chocolate went down his system. It was hot and sweet, but not too sweet. He liked it more that way rather than risk diabetes with a single gulp. “I like watching you in those moments. Your little concentrated moments,” he teased back, and her cheeks took on a light pink.

“I’m working. Of course I have to be concentrated,” she grumbled.

“And you look beautiful while working, messy hair and all.” Matt gave her cheek a kiss.

* * * * *

Loving came with being devoted.

Matt knew that he could have simply let her go a number of years ago; even when he had moved out of the Wammy’s, he knew that he could have let her move on and find someone else – and eventually, so would he. After all, what he had was a happy crush. He liked her, he saw her, he got butterflies in his stomach that would be hard to get rid off.

However, he realized otherwise when he saw her once again at the warehouse, where they eventually met once more after a few years.

His feelings only seemed to increase tenfold; getting together with her felt like seventh-heaven and euphoria in one. It was only when he had to leave her did he realize yet again that he truly had fallen – and that she simply wasn’t someone to move on from, unlike the other girls he had acquainted himself with when he had traveled the world with Kenichi.

Loving A came with being devoted to her, so he worked on that when he returned.  

* * * * *

“You really are amazing.”

A paused to smile up at him briefly, her fingers resting against the smooth keys of the piano. “You really think so?” Matt nodded and she hummed before continuing her playing, her fingers sliding over the keys. She played a light Christmas tune which filled the air; watching her filled him with a sense of adoration for the half-German.

Matt still couldn’t pinpoint a certain quality of hers so he resolved to watch instead. Seeing A in this state – calm and relaxed, within her element – was enough to somehow please him. She came first in his life. Having her contented as well as safe was something he was ready to fight tooth and nail for.

The melody flowed to a stop and A sighed in contentment, flexing her fingers. “You can play for Kenichi during his next party,” Matt noted.

“If he lets me, and if I don’t get overcome with nerves.” A stood up and Matt immediately took the woman into his arms, arms hooking around her waist. “Matt…?”

“I keep staring at you just so I can pinpoint what exactly draws me to you,” he muttered. “And bloody hell, it’s hard to determine what that certain thing is.”

She hummed. “Would you have a clue?”

“Not a single one,” Matt huffed. “And it’s driving me nuts.”

“Why’d you suddenly think of that, love?”

“It just came to mind one day.” The Englishman lifted her with ease and she held on, watching as he brought her from her piano to the bedroom. The couple ended up on the bed and she cuddled into his chest, Matt playing with a lock of her hair as he figured out what to say next. “It’s more of a curiosity issue than anything. I know that I’m in love with you. That you’re worth fighting for.” She blushed and he went on, “I just wonder what exactly pulled me to you.”

She thought of it for a moment. “Maybe you really can’t determine it, love.”

“Hm?”

“Well…” she shifted out of his arms and sat up. “You can’t exactly decide what it is that made you fall for me or vice-versa. It’s a combination of many things, really – your attraction to the person, the person’s attitude…you can say that it was because of the look in their eyes when you first met – but is that really love? Or is it just the onset of it – mere infatuation?” she questioned. Matt studied her quietly, letting her continue, “You can say why you love me. Give me a million reasons. But what exactly gravitated me towards you, you towards me…that’s the hardest part.”

The ginger’s face broke into an impressed grin. “That was amazing.”

“It wasn’t an answer,” she laughed sheepishly. “Just an introspection of mine.”

“A bloody amazing introspection,” he countered, and pulled her back down. A found herself with her lips against his and she kissed him eagerly, feeling the smile on his face not fade out yet. “You are so, so brilliant, A. Incredibly fantastic.”

“Showering me with compliments, are you?” She teased rather cheekily.

“Maybe.” He leaned his forehead against her own and closed his eyes, “Or showing how hopelessly devoted I am to you.”