His vulnerability.
The Dragon and the man—both claiming me as his own.
My heart thundered against my ribs as if trying to break free and join with his.
When we finally broke apart, my entire body trembled, and my fingers were clutching his shirt as if I might dissolve without his touch anchoring me to this world.
Then suddenly, the soft sound of footsteps came and I turned that way.
A woman entered the room, bowing low. She carried a lacquered tray arranged with small bowls of ice cream—pale green matcha, creamy vanilla, and something pink that might have been Sakura.
Two delicate silver spoons rested beside the bowls, and a ceramic bottle of warm sake sat at the center with two small cups.
She set the tray on the table between us, bowed again, and disappeared.
“Did you enjoy your meal, Tora?” Kenji poured the sake and handed me a cup.
“Definitely. The food. The performance. And most important. . .the company.” I took a sip of the sake and warmth spread through my chest. “Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to. . .work on the fracture between us.”
“And do you think that fracture is still there?”
“No. I think it’s healed.”
“Good. I always want my Tiger happy.” He took a sip from his cup.
I reached for a spoon, then dipped it into the matcha ice cream, and tasted it.
Delicious.
The flavor was subtle and earthy, sweet but not too sweet. The rest of any tension of the day began easing from my shoulders.
This was good.
This was right.
This was us.
Kenji reached for his own spoon.
I looked up, and to my surprise the dragon-shadow was there. Usually, it would have left as our conversation calmed.
But there it still remained, hovering behind him, watching me.
While I'd seen this odd illusion enough times, right now it felt different.
More present.
More aware.
Stunned, I held up the spoon in mid-air.
"Tora?" Kenji watched me. "What is it?"
I couldn't look away from it. “Nothing.”
"What are you looking at?"
I shook my head and took a spoonful of ice cream.
