Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of the plot of Kaze no Stigma. However, the idea of the plot of this story does belong to me. So there.

A/N: I know this is a horrendously late update, so I'll let you guys just read on ahead before listening to me blabbering.

Wings of Fire

"Alright, you can stop pouting now."

"I am NOT pouting, woman!"

A loud snort, followed by a sarcastic "Whatever you say, Kazuma."

I swear, that little girl was becoming more infuriating by the second.

A slight pause, before she spoke again, this time in a somewhat placating tone, "Come on, you need to get some food in you. Trust me, you'll need the energy."

Almost on instinct, I raised a sardonic eyebrow in response, fighting off a lecherous grin at her unintentionally suggestive remark.

Catching sight of my face, hers suddenly turned a brilliant shade of pink.

"That's not what I—I— you-," she spluttered, her blush slowly reaching up to the roots of her incarnadine hair.

My lips twitched upwards.

"For training!" She finally burst out. "For today's training! Get your mind out of the gutter, you pervert!"

She huffed indignantly, scrunching up her nose in a show of mock disgust.

"Really now, calling me a pervert? Last I checked, you were the one molesting people in their sleep."

The heir of the Kannagi clan blushed an alarming shade of puce and audibly snapped her mouth shut, studiously scrutinizing the bowl of half-eaten pasta before her.

Immediately, regret swamped me. We've been together for far too long for me to not recognize the insecurity that flashed through her lowered eyes, nearly hidden by those wayward fringes of red; her nervousness and uncertainty in the way she was worrying her lips with her teeth- lips that were freshly kissed and swollen.

After what felt like years of foreplay, of stumbling around in the dark and bumping harshly into the many obstacles strewn in our path, of carrying around the dead weight of guilt and fatigue, of rediscovering ourselves and each other, and- oh for Kami's sake!- of waiting for her to mature a little more so that I would feel a little less like some creepy pedophile, we've finally reached the cusp of a true, meaningful something, something that was yet to be defined but undeniably and irrevocably special.

And hell if I messed this up!

No matter how much it galled my (as Ayano had once so eloquently put it) antiquated caveman instincts, that despite my many attempts to do so, it was her who finally made the first move, I would not regret this. And I sure as hell will not let Ayano to regret it either.

Tease her, torment her, harass her about it till the ends of time, sure. But let her regret?

Never.

Scooting closer, I leaned down, making my face level with hers and peered up. I felt her go still, her obsessive motions with her fork coming to an abrupt halt.

Now what?

I grasped around for something to say, while trying not to squirm too much. The longer I hesitated, the thicker tension in the room became.

Damn, but I was never good at this kinda thing.

Swearing inaudibly, I forced my brain to work at warp speed to come to a solution. Usually, I would just make a perverted, egoistical comment and Ayano would fly into a fit of rage and we would chase each other until we forgot why in the seven hells we were arguing in the first place.

Somehow, I don't think that approach is going to work this time.

Oh, to hell with it.

Ayano was shocked out of her stoic demeanor by the sudden weight of a head on her lap, and the subsequent warm puffs of breath against her exposed navel.

Spine stiffening in shock, she slowly looked down and then resolutely prayed to the Kamis to not let her anger waver. She was mad at him, dammit! He had absolutely no business burrowing his face into her, his unruly hair sticking up in all directions, looking all warm and comfortable and- and- and- absolutely adorable, of all things!

The man was simply infuriating.

And irresistibly adorable, all curled up against her, slowly rubbing his face against her exposed skin in a way that clearly beseeched her for forgiveness for a thoughtless comment, while still forcing her to repress a wanton shiver…

I swear, he does these things on purpose.

Just as she decided to give him a hard poke with her much abused fork- he was totally asking for it!- he began in a low tone, voice halting but sure.

"I'm glad that you did, you know- make the first move. For this- for-for us. I know this makes me sound like a wuss and I'm going to say this just once, so listen well," – at that he pressed his lips briefly against her belly button. The fork in Ayano's hand shook slightly.

"I'm no good at this. It's probably a good thing that you did make the first move- Kami knows I couldn't take another foiled attempt." A deep sigh before he continued. "You know that I can play the Romeo to a t- but it's just that- a play. In the end, I'm just a messed up guy with enough issues to give my old man a run for his money and whose only experience with actual romance ended up with a dead girlfriend and sworn vendetta against a masked lunatic. Until recently, I had been an outcast to the clan you will one day lead, and even now, most people who had the misfortune of knowing me unanimously agree that I'm a world- class jerk, and that's probably not gonna change anytime soon."

He paused then, nuzzling at Ayano's navel before ploughing on.

"But I'm a persistent jerk and you really should've just left me well enough alone when I told you to. But of course you had to be your usual stubborn self and stick around and make me fall for you, and now, there's no fucking way I'll let you go. So you can take this as both a warning and a confession. I'm a possessive man, Ayano, and I take care of what I consider mine. And you, Princess, are most definitely mine."

He finished with a sharp nip at her belly button. As an almost breathless silence greeted his declaration, Kazuma repressed a feral grin at the feel of goosebumps spreading through the smooth skin of the flabbergasted girl. Instead he languidly stretched out in his position on her lap before letting his tongue slowly slip to soothe the sting of his bite.

"Now," he demanded, peering up at her face, his dark bangs falling oh so seductively on his heated eyes, "feed me."

Ayano could only stare.

In the end, I had been coerced into spoon feeding the wind mage who, in his own twisted way, had just declared his love for me.

I shifted at the thought, concentrating on the feel of the sand between my toes and studiously avoiding the fluttering in my stomach that the thought evoked.

Digest those butterflies, I told myself sternly, now is hardly the time or the place.

No, it was definitely not the right time for me to go all gooey-eyed and weak-kneed like a lovesick moron. For all I knew, Kazuma would just take that as another sign of my 'sure fatigue' and haul me off to the house to 'go over basic spell theories'. Just the thought of it had me breaking out in hives.

It had taken a frustratingly long time to convince my errant trainer that I was perfectly fine from yesterday's mind-meld and no- I wasn't just playing it up for him or my ego- and how dare he even suggest that?!

And really, I did feel fine. Healthy as a horse. In fact, after yesterday, I sported a heightened sense of my powers, could acutely feel the magic running through my veins. Obviously, focus would no longer be a problem.

Or it wouldn't be if Kazuma hadn't decided today to be the day to forgo wearing a shirt.

It seemed like confession or no, Kazuma Yagami would always be the bane of my existence.

Grimacing at the thought, and ordering myself to stop thinking of his physique as 'thoroughly lickable', I quickly took on my position as the wind mage in question started with his attack. My counters came faster, sharper, more controlled as I molded my flames into fine edges that cut through his walls like paper. Even from this distance, I could tell that Kazuma was impressed.

Not that he would tell me that, the jerk. Instead, he simply increased the frequency and variety of his attacks, simultaneously targeting me from several directions so that I was forced to create a dome to keep myself from turning into confetti.
Damn, but I hated being in the defensive. My fingers itched to wallop him a good one. But first, I needed to find a way to get out of the figurative corner he pushed me into.

As the heat currents billowed my hair around me, a sudden thought stuck my mind.

Heat rises.

It was a basic concept, something I learned a few grades back in. But it wasn't until now that I truly grasped its potential.

Heat rises.

I closed my eyes, concentrating with everything that I was worth.

Heat rises.

And when it seemed that my dome would no longer hold up against the oppressive wind pressing against it, I burst out, the two streaks of flames at my side slicing through anything that hindered my path.

Heat rises.

I rose higher, spreading the fire out, burning hotter and brighter than ever.

Heat rises.

I spiraled upwards, stretching the wings of fire at my side, truly flying for the first time. From down below, I heard an incredulous shout and I wondered whether Kazuma found the sight of my flight as awe-inspiring as I found his.

Heat rises.

I pushed on further, all thoughts of combat falling away from me like waxen feathers as I strove to reach the heavens. It was exhilarating and peaceful at the same time.

Heat rises.

I flew even higher, savoring the feel of the wind rushing against my face, tangling my hair, tickling my feet. The air in my tongue tasted like freedom.

Heat rises.

I couldn't remember closing my eyes, couldn't remember letting go, but now I could feel the wind rushing by me as I fell through the heavens. When did I stop flying?

Heat rises.

I was falling.

Heat rises.

I was too exhausted to do anything about it.

Heat rises.

The thought was spinning through my mind like a mantra.

Heat rises.

My body felt heavy, unresponsive.

Heat rises.

I heard him calling my name- such a demanding man, that Kazuma.

Heat rises.

With all my strength, I opened my eyes.

Heat rises.

And I saw the sky in his.

And somewhere far away, in a sterile hospital ward, surrounded by desperate, grieving faces of friends and family, a Kanagi warrior breathed his last.

Now for a proper Author's Note: Yes yes, I'm horridly late- as usual. I'm so very sorry to let down all my readers but like I said, quality over frequency is the motto for me. And I do realize it took more than a year for me to achieve my desired quality, but in that year, I've given both my SATS and SAT Subject tests, my IELTS, applied to seven universities, completed my A Levels, moved to the States and will start my freshman year in UTD in a week. So yeah. On to the review replies!

How You're Doing: Oh I've missed you Colonel. You won't hear a peep from me about Ren. I hope the suspense is still working after an entire year (that would really be something, wouldn't it?). Thanks for looking out for all the typos for me- I'll correct them in my saved files and then revamp the entire thing after I (someday) finish this story.

kazenostigmafan4ever: Thank you for the advice- and the praise. I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. And so sorry for the delay- especially seeing how excited you were about the next update. I really did try my best though.

Mgaa: I know- but he did torment Ayano quit a bit. But don't worry, I do have good things planned for our poor Kazuma.

7AugustBurnsRed7: No more pouting for you my friend. I know, I've kept you hanging for a year, especially after that amazing review, but I hope the extra-long chapter makes up for it? :3

Blackvelvet94: And now you have more. Enjoy!

Dakota: I'm still not saying anything about what happened to Ren- although feel free to draw conclusions from the conclusion of this chapter *evil laughter*

CLIFFY HATER: I know how you feel, trust me. Although god knows you guys are entitled to me pissed after an entire year of radio silence on my part. It's a wonder people still review. But you do, and I love you for it. So feel free to get impatient and make voodoo dolls in my name- and keep on enjoying the story! (Btw, how did you like the cliffhanger in this chapter? Yes, I love being evil).

Three Sisters One Account: Well, I never really considerd Ayano freaking out, bcaue the story is basically about them growing up and learning to express their affection in less lethal ways. But yeas, she is still the spitfire that we all know and love so there'd a lot more ass-kicking in Kazuma's future. And thank you- I really did work hard on the cover, although the scan kinda ruined it.

Sarah: You couldn't be more right- but as you saw- she didn't stay smug for long. And I did make it up to Kazuma in this chapter- enough pity for the lecher I say!

Elle: Just like you are- pouting I mean. I know- so unlikely- Kazuma being all manly and all that. But I always kinda saw him being a softy before he was forced to be all hard and well, a jerk. And I want Ayano to help him rediscover his more 'tender characteristics'.

The Leaf Dragon Slayer: Fist of all, cool name. I'm guessing it's a mix for Naruto and Fairy Tail? And secondly, THANK YOU!

Violet: What can I say, I was in the mood for humor. That and like I told Elle, I wanted to bring the more 'vulnerable parts' of Kazuma to light.

shinomori's woman: Well, I certainly hope you didn't choke. :P Thank you though- that review made me write two more pages to this chapter- I leave it upto you to decide whether that's a good or bad thing.

Agent19D: Thank you! My A levels results will be out on the 13th- so let's just cross our fingers and hop for the best. Until then, please enjoy my story.

To all my Guest reviewers, a huge thank you to everyone. Really, I know I said that I'd finish this story for sure, and I will, but you guys really do wonders for my motivation. Cheers!

PS. How's y'all like that double-cliffhanger. Review and let me know!

May the plot bunnies be ever in your favor.