Title: By Your Side, Always
Fandom: Harukanaru Toki no Naka de (Takamichi/Akane)
Rating: G to Rish (though nothing explicit)
Disclaimer: The series is owned by Mizuno-sensei, Koei, Ruby Party, and others.
Notes: Written for a claim on 1sentence using their alpha theme set. This story is a group of 50 sentences based on one word prompts that I have rearranged into somewhat chronological order. Multiple sentences that go together have been separated into their own small group. After a point it splits into two different endings, one based on Akane staying in Kyou and the other on Takamichi going with her when she returns to her world.
Warnings: Spoilers for the video games (serious ones from throughout Hachiyoushou to the ending, and also from the early events on Takamichi's path in Maihitoyo). Includes unabashed use of Japanese terms that people who have played the games shouldn't need a translation for, though if anyone needs the English equivalent please let me know.



Courtship
40. Innocence - Takamichi's first chance to speak with the new Miko late in the evening after her arrival in Kyou intoduced him to a lovely and pure young woman who held the fate of the capital in her hands, and as he answered her questions to the best of his ability he vowed silently with all the strength he possessed to keep her safe from harm.

04. Pain - After they found Takamichi's first kokoro no kakera Akane worked up the courage to ask him if it hurt when the pieces had been taken from him, and in response he gazed at her gently and assured her that even after suffering the loss of a few memories - which Akane vowed to return to him as soon as possible - he felt proud to be one of her Hachiyou and would accept any hardship that the role might bring his way.

19. Wind - While he could understand that she came from a different world Akane's clothes made Takamichi - to whom it was expected that ladies would cover themselves in layers of full-length robes - slightly uncomfortable, especially on days when strong breezes had a tendency to flip at the hem of her already short skirt.

09. Telephone - Though the battery had long since died Akane liked to look at her cell phone from time to time and remember her home world, but the instance when Takamichi arrived while she was lost in thought turned into an afternoon of struggling to answer his eager and interested questions.

38. Gift - Rather than let anyone else do the job for him, Takamichi painstakingly arranged the ornate fan just so before he wrapped it and sent it out with one of his father's messengers - selected personally by Takamichi - to be delivered to Akane at the Dairi.

35. Bonds - Their mysterious connection, that of Miko and Hachiyou, pained him at times to the point that he couldn't breathe with the knowledge that she could never be anything more in his life - yet Takamichi could not keep from selfishly wishing for a special place by her side.


16. Weakness - While she had never played Go before it only took one quick round sitting across from Takamichi before Akane knew she would likely never be able to poke any holes in his defenses.

30. Star - Takamichi's first few attempts at teaching Akane the rules of Go hadn't yielded as much of a result as he wished, but her triumphant grin when she remembered the name of the nine major points on the board gave him hope.

32. Confusion - Try as she might Akane couldn't seem to grasp a solid strategy of the game until Takamichi took her to a hill overlooking Kyou and explained Go again using the rivers and mountains as examples, after which she managed to make moves that surprised even him from time to time.


05. Potatoes - A rather bewildered Takamichi ended his search for the wayward Miko when he found her in a field with Inori and several farmers tending the crops, her cheeks flushed endearingly from the physical work and her knees smudged with dirt.

17. Tears - After she had returned to the Nashitsubo Akane couldn't help but cry as she thought about the young woman whose letter had been scorned and the haunting that happened as a result, knowing that if the same thing happened to her one day - and she carefully kept an image of golden eyes framed by wire rims and deep green hair from forming in her mind as she knew he wasn't capable of cruelty - that her emotions might tempt her down that cursed path as well.

25. Devotion - Akane's ability to save the citizens of Kyou from the terror caused by the Oni, the one thing he strove for as a Hachiyou, earned her Takamichi's respect and gratitude, and somewhere along the way his heart as well.

11. Name - Akane felt her face warm considerably and a pleasant tightness constrict her heart the first time she heard Takamichi call her by name rather than title, even if he did apologize profusely immediately afterward for speaking in such a casual manner.

23. Hands - Once the adrenaline rush brought on by helping Akane dispel the kegare had faded the detail he remembered most clearly was how much smaller her fingers seemed when his own wrapped around them.


43. Sky - Perhaps if Takamichi had not let his thoughts run freely as he enjoyed time alone with Akane while they traveled to a village on the outskirts of Kyou in their quest to seal onryou then he might have noticed how the farmers in the fields kept turning their eyes upward as they worked, a sure sign of bad weather.

42. Clouds - Akane wasn't entirely sure which direction they had come from, since she had been listening carefully to Takamichi as he told her of his childhood, only that they blocked the sun in a thick layer of dark gray that threatened to open up on them at any moment.

06. Rain - Despite Takamichi's belated good intentions in covering her head with one of his wide sleeves Akane wound up soaked from the sudden downpour, but her concern was for the young man who walked with her and would need to return to the capital in three layers of drenched, heavy robes.

28. Sickness - It came as no surprise to Akane that Takamichi fell ill with a severe cold after their arrival back home, but what amazed her was that he actually tried to go to work the next day and made it to the front entrance of his estate before the fever caused him to collapse.

21. Life - While she knew he was in no danger of death his high temperature worried her to the point that Akane refused to leave his side until he woke, and she kept one hand wrapped tightly around his the entire time so she could feel his pulse beat reassuringly.

39. Smile - The first thing Takamichi's eyes focused on when he opened them was a brilliant and relieved grin accompanied by tears Akane wasn't aware of shedding, and in that moment he knew that he loved her more than anyone else in the world.


22. Jealousy - He couldn't help but feel the sting of envy whenever he caught sight of Akane chatting animatedly with Tenma - the redhead was her friend and possibly knew more about her than anyone else in Kyou, but Takamichi doubted that their Chi no Seiryuu's feelings for Akane could be stronger than his own.

27. Blood - The proficiency with which Takamichi wielded a dagger made Akane's breath catch, but the moments when she saw his skills overcome by an attacking onryou brought her heart to stop for a second, especially when it caused bright crimson to stain his robes.

47. Moon - He had promised to bring her information on the western sector of Kyou, and even though by the time Takamichi was able to leave his duties at the Jibushou for the day the sun had long since set the light of the waning crescent above him led Takamichi to where Akane waited for him with a sweet smile on the veranda outside her room.

15. Touch - Strange to think that once he had pushed her hand away when she reached for him, Takamichi mused as Akane's fingers brushed against his while they walked, since the contact had become his greatest comfort.

46. Sun - Though the spells he used in battle invoked the blinding brightness of midday Takamichi knew the real source of light and warmth came from the young woman who fought beside him.

13. Death - Akane had no idea what would really happen if she summoned the Ryuujin, but since she was positive that the god would be able to save Kyou and its people - and thus make Takamichi happy - she did her best to prepare for the possible worst-case scenario.

33. Fear - If asked at that point Takamichi would have answered that of course he had been afraid before in his life, but all previous events paled drastically in comparison to the heart-stopping seconds in which the Ryuujin descended and lifted Akane from the ground.

45. Hell - His distraught and terrified cry to Akane pleading with her not to leave went unheeded as both Miko and Ryuujin disappeared into the clouds.

10. Ears - When Akane regained consciousness once more it was with the distinct feeling that she had heard a voice call out to her and it brought her back from somewhere far away, and once her eyes opened and she looked into the worried but happy expression on Takamichi's face she knew just who had cried out so fervently for her return.

20. Freedom - With the end of the battle against the Oni also came the end of Akane's duties as Miko, and though she mourned that the ties to her former Hachiyou would weaken it comforted her to know as she smiled up into Takamichi's joyful golden eyes that a new and stronger relationship awaited her.

Kyou
01. Comfort - From time to time Akane felt regret at her inability to return to her world after the choices she made, but the way Takamichi seemed to understand before she said a single word and took her into his arms always firmly reminded her of why she wanted to stay.

49. Hair - One day Takamichi went to call on Akane, and when he found her once again dressed up in flowing robes at Fuji-hime's request he couldn't help but smile appreciatively at the beautiful picture she made as his fingers reached out boldly to stroke the pink extensions done up in an elaborate knot.

07. Chocolate - One particularly cold day in February Akane arrived midday at the Jibushou with a brightly wrapped package of sweets in her hands, blushed as she held it out to him, and rushed off once he had accepted it - all before he could formulate the words to thank her.

02. Kiss - Akane had actually been the first to press her lips to his in a tentative gesture of affection, but Takamichi was nothing if not a quick learner.

12. Sensual - Knowing how much she enjoyed it when Fuji-hime's servants combed out her hair before they added the longer locks, Akane convinced a reluctant Takamichi to unpin his hair so she could spend time slowly running both her fingers and a soft brush through the fine strands.

36. Market - Akane assumed he liked their frequent visits to the shopping streets because he could make sure that the townsfolk continued to prosper, so he kept the truth - how he enjoyed watching her bright smiles as she moved from one seller to the next and delighted even more in the moments when she would return to his side and casually take his arm to lead him further along the road - very carefully to himself.

26. Forever - Absolutes made Akane nervous, but on the day Takamichi took her hand and pledged to stay by her side for the rest of his life she found herself able to believe him as she blinked back happy tears.

14. Sex - Tomomasa had teasingly offered advice from behind his fan, but Takamichi refused with an embarrassed stammer; the whole point of it being he and Akane's first time was that it would be theirs alone.

48. Waves - Akane felt like the layers of cloth around her formed an ocean - there had to have been at least ten robes but she had lost count as one by one servants wrapped them around her petite frame - but it was the look in Takamichi's eyes as he slowly peeled each one away and left it to pool on the floor at her feet that made Akane feel as if she were drowning.

41. Completion - Often when she was nowhere to be found Takamichi would come across Akane near the renri no sakaki - the one time he had asked her why she chose that particular place she responded that she wanted to share with the tree her own experience as one half of a whole.

Gendai
08. Happiness - The fresh perspective Takamichi gave her world as his insatiable curiosity explored this facet and that filled each day after their arrival with a giddy kind of joy that Akane had never imagined before her journey across time.

18. Speed - He thought that perhaps she would think giving her a spare key to his apartment would move their relationship too fast, but the way Akane grasped it in one hand as if holding a great treasure before wrapping her arms around him tightly proved Takamichi wrong.

37. Technology - A rare power outage one night during a particularly blustery summer storm left Takamichi with no choice but to insist that she stay in his apartment to wait out the weather.

34. Lightning - The bright flashes made Akane nervous, but after each time one came and she flinched against his chest she could almost swear that Takamichi smiled.

31. Home - Few things in his new world made Takamichi as happy as the days he opened the door of his apartment and called out the customary "tadaima" only to be greeted with a bright "okaeri" in return.

29. Melody - Though his love of books far outweighed his understanding of music Takamichi found himself able to comprehend how a person could grow fond of a song - his mood brightened immediately whenever the familiar notes that signaled a call from Akane played on his cell phone.

24. Taste - Asking Shimon for help when preparing dinner for her and Takamichi's anniversary proved to be a smart idea - Takamichi didn't even bat an eye after a forkful of Shimon's dishes as opposed to the way he had needed to disguise a flinch as a cough after sampling hers one year before.

03. Soft - After their first kiss Takamichi had touched his fingers to her mouth and confessed that he hadn't thought a woman's lips would feel so smooth and lush, though he later had to amend his thoughts to include other areas of her body as well.

50. Supernova - It never failed to amaze Akane how a simple and innocent touch from Takamichi could spark a fire within her that refused to die down until it had burned its way to a white-bright finale.

44. Heaven - True peace for Takamichi came not with the knowledge he constantly sought in books but in the sublime moments just before drifting off to sleep as he and Akane lay in each other's arms.