Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"I can't believe this, my own daughter is now going on dates with men! Oooh I've failed as a father!" The howling and overly dramatic voice of Henry Maaka rang throughout the vampire family's household. "For God's sake Henry will you shut up you stupid oaf." Shouted Calera, his wife, followed by her slipper hitting him smack bang on the nose, making him fall to the ground. "You've been going on about this nonstop for days, and I've told you every time that she's 17 now, and she's able to take care of herself." She said calmly. Henry, rubbing his now red face, sat up again. "I know our dear Karin is fine..." he said with a hint of sadness. "But that boy Kenta, he made a promise not to do anything with her." He scowled. "No, he didn't, he only promised to protect her, which he's done fine up to now. Stop acting so pathetic." Calera retorted. The two were interrupted by Karin walking in. "Look Mom, Dad, I appreciate that you worry about me, especially you Dad, but I'm asking you now to please, please, not interfere with us tomorrow?" The unvampire girl pleaded with her parents, they could often be strict but she knew they loved her, if not a little too much at times. Henry sighed, and Calera warned him with her slipper again. Flinching, he responded. "D-Don't worry sweetie, I'll stay out of the way. It'll be in the day right? How can I interrupt you hahaha...." he said nervously, getting looks of suspicion from his wife and daughter. "Sigh... All right I promise. Enjoy your....your..." Henry began to struggle with his words. "Papa? Are you ok?" Karin asked with a worried tone. "....d....da....IHOPEYOUENJOYYOURDATE." Henry finally managed to get out. Calera scowled at her incompetent husband, but also gave her blessings to Karin. "All right well thank you guys, I'm going to bed now! Good night!" Karin left the room dashing upstairs, hearing her mother giving her father the slipper treatment once she had left. "I can't wait for tomorrow! Kenta, I'll make sure you have a good day!" Karin thought to herself as she lay on her bed, and began to drift off to sleep.

Sunlight broke through the vampires' mansion. Normally, a sight for them to cower from, Karin, the one outlier to this, was up and ready for her day out. Although nobody was awake she made sure to say her farewells to her family. Picking up the bento box she had prepared the night before for her and Kenta, she left the house and headed for Kenta's place. After a short run she made it to Kenta's house, knocking on the door without hesitation. She was greeted by Kenta's mother, Fumio, who told her Kenta would be out in a moment. She didn't have to wait long as she soon heard Kenta's soothing voice saying bye to his mother, and the door opening as he stepped outside. Kenta's blonde spiky hair swayed a little in the wind as he greeted Karin, who, despite her earlier confidence, was now hiding an obvious blush. "Hey Karin, so we're your parents really ok with this? I mean your dad is very protective of you so I'm kind of worried he might come and stop us!" Kenta said, mostly joking. Mostly. Karin nodded. "I made them promise not bother us so we should be totally fine Kenta." He was glad, but still a little skeptical. "Yeah but didn't you make them promise last time too?" He thought to himself. "Anyway I know just where to go for our date, follow me Karin!" He said starting to walk ahead. "Our...date!" Karin was flustered just at the mere thought of it but hurried along behind Kenta.

The two spent most of the day exploring the nearby park that facilitated the area near their school. Eventually the two became hungry and found a place to eat their food. "Thank you Karin, your food is always amazing!" Kenta said as he graciously accepted his half of the bento box, leaving the other other half for Karin. "You're too kind Kenta." Karin said, practically falling off the seat when swooning at Kenta's compliments. If she couldn't stay seated at that then she'd practically fall through the ground at the next thing Kenta said. "I hope we get to stay like this for the rest of our lives Karin. Well, I don't mean sitting in this park, obviously, but I hope we still get to be like this with each other. I know I'll still care about you 20, 30 or 100 years from now, it's no longer just a promise I made to protect you, it was admittedly hard to admit it at first but I really do love you Karin. Thanks for being here with me everyday. Thank you." Kenta turned to face Karin, who, to his utter shock, was on the ground in tears. "Huh!? Karin are you ok!? Oh no oh no oh no." He frantically went to her side. "N-no it's ok Kenta, it's just..." Karin slowly sat up wiping away her tears. "I feel the same way!" Kenta gave a relieved sigh only to immediately be cut off by Karin hugging him. "I love you too Kenta!" She said holding onto him tightly. Kenta's mind was at ease, and he was happy, finally he was happy. The two broke their hug to sit back on the bench, not letting the food go to waste, they continued and sat there for the rest of the day.

"And then they shared a kiss." Anju, Karin's younger, more stoic sister reported to their parents. "They did WHAT!?" Henry practically screamed. "I really have failed as a father!" As he went on his usual ramblings, Calera smiled. "Well good for her, it's about time." Anju quietly nodded in agreement.

THE END

Chapter Text

Neku jumped at the sound of his phone's notification sound. He reluctantly took it out to look for the message, half expecting to still be in the Game, and for another mission to be sent out.

Shiki (no subject)| Message Received: 1 min ago

Neku sighed. He still didn't completely believe that it had only been a week since him, Shiki and the others left the Reaper's Game. He brushed off the thought of it and quickly opened the message.

"Hi Neku! Don't 4get our meetup 2day. Hachiko Statue, don't leave a girl waiting! xoxo."

Neku rolled his eyes at Shiki's message formatting. "Guess she's trying to keep up with all the trends, even out here in the real world. Guess I'd better respond."

"Got it, stalker. See you there."

"And, send." A beep sound confirmed Neku's reply had been sent. Closing his phone, he looked in the mirror. He considered changing from his usual attire but instead thought it would be funny to show up in the same clothes again. "Seeya, gramps." Neku said to the old man who was in the other room, getting no response but snoring. "Figures."

Hachiko Statue, Shibuya

"C'mon...where are you." Neku was growing impatient. He was there for about 20 minutes already. "And she tells ME not to be late. I'm about to up and leave at this point, seriously." Neku sighed, and look over at the statue of the loyal dog. "Man who'd have thought I'd be waiting here for someone. A month ago I'd have never talked to this girl, but here I am. Waiting." He smiled, thinking about how uncanny that was. "Look at me, acting all sentimental." Neku shook his head, and turned to see nothing but a large box moving towards him. "Shit! Is that a Noise? I don't have my Pins with me, (even if I did they're useless...)" Neku immediately jumped up to back away from it, until he heard a familiar voice. "Heeeey! C'mon you're standing there, right, Neku? Help a girl out!" Neku shook his head and eased up, walking over to take the box from Shiki. "What're you carrying this around for? You stick out like a sore thumb you know?" Neku said, placing the box on the ground near where they would be seated. Shiki was having none of it. "Now listen here Neku, just because you're not gonna go and do stuff like this doesn't mean it's bad." "I didn't say it was." Neku smiled. Shiki lightly pushed him away, laughing. "So what is it? And why did you bring it out here?" Neku asked as the two of them sat down. "Open it up! It's for you." Shiki said excitedly. This only piqued Neku's interest even more. "For me? But I didn't ask for anything." Neku opened the large box and peered inside. Whatever it was, it was large. "Are you sure it's for me?" Neku asked only for Shiki to put on her grumpy face. "Ok, ok! I'll get it out." Neku sighed pulling the object out. To his utter surprise it was a large plushie of Mr. Mew. "What. The. Hell." Neku said in shock. "I wanted to... well give you something as a memento if our time together. Don't you like it?" Shiki cautiously asked. Neku was embarrassed. "No! It's not like that." He quickly stuffed it back into the box, unable to avoid a few curious looks from people passing by. "I, uh.... I appreciate it, sure..." "Yes! I'm so glad!" Shiki said with glee. "Pipe down, look I'm not gonna carry that around with me out here though." Neku continued. "Why not?" "Because it'll look stupid!" "No it won't! I carry my Mr. Mew around and nobody cares!" "Yeah because YOURS is about as big as a handbag." "Then yours is as big as a big handbag!" Neku and Shiki continued this ridiculous back and forth, but all in good humour as they were barely able to contain their laughter at the absurdity of the situation.

Eventually it was getting late and people were starting frequent the area less and less. "C'mon we should get going." Neku said, standing up and grabbing he giant plushy, now out of it's box. "Thank you for today, it was fun" Shiki said as she quickly followed suit. As they left Hachiko, and Neku made his way home, he turned to see Shiki still following him. "No, don't tell me you're still stalking me?" Shiki, flustered, retorted quickly. "No! I'm not! And... AND DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Neku rolled his eyes. "Then what do you wan't?" His answers arrived fairly quickly with Shiki, again thanking him. "Yeah ok, thank you too. We said this before, c'mon do you need me to walk you home or something?" Neku offered. "No, but before you go, can we...." Shiki sheepishly coverer face with Mr. Mew. Neku knew where this was going. "Sure. But close your eyes first, it'd be embarrassing otherwise." He said, much to her surprise. Shiki, blushing madly, simply nodded, closed her eyes leaning in for her kiss. Her first kiss would be with Neku. Her heart pounded wildly as her lips met with....something fuzzy. She opened her eyes to see her mouth planted on the Mr. Mew plushy she gave Neku, and him standing behind it laughing. "Oh my GOD! Neku why would you do that!? I can't believe you!" Shiki said I'm a mix of rage and confusion. Neku couldn't help but laugh at the idea, but leant in while she was turned away and kissed her cheek, before simply saying "Seeya." and leaving. Shiki was speechless, but happy.

Chapter Text

Morning light broke through the window of a small cottage, birds started singing, welcoming the new day. Subaru slowly rose from his bed and stood up, stretching his arms out. He left the bedroom, walked down a flight of stairs and entered the cottage's kitchen. "Hey! Rem, good morning!" he announced as he sat at the table on a chair adjacent to his wife, the blue haired girl, Rem. She looked up from a book she was reading, a smile quickly forming on her face as she greeted Subaru. "Good Morning! You slept well I take it?" A bowl of porridge was ready for Subaru when he came out, and he quickly got stuck into it. "Mmm- Yeah, I guess I slept pretty deeply huh?" he said with his mouth full. "Which I guess," he briefly paused as he swallowed the food. "is better than my, old, sleeping schedule." Rem nodded. "Yes, I'm glad that you're able to get up happier each day." she looked down as she continued. "I've been worried. You must have went through a lot back then. Sleep deprivation sent you crazy." she sighed. Sleep deprivation, of course it wasn't that, but Subaru couldn't tell her about Return by Death. The suffering was finally over, he stopped worrying about Emilia, he changed his mind about owing his life to her, it wasn't worth it. He loved Rem, not Emilia, and as such, ran away with her. "Rem. Don't worry, that's over now. Our lives are set here now, in a new kingdom, with new people, and," he left his seat and walked over to her, holding her hands as she looked up at him. "Most important of all, we have each other." he gave her his signature smile as he pulled her into a hug. "Subaru!" Rem said, startled, but genuinely happy. "I'll never let you go Subaru, never again! I...I promise!" She said, her grip tightening and tears forming. "I know. We're going to stay by each other's sides from now until death." Subaru nodded as he kissed her passionately. After a little bit, Rem and Subaru separated the hug, as Rem wiped away her tears. "I, I suppose I should clean up, h-huh?" she stated. Subaru was at the front door of the cottage. "Don't work too hard Rem, I'm off to train now. I'll see you this afternoon." he announced. "All right, be careful, Subaru" Subaru waved farewell as he left the cottage. Rem sighed. "I...love you... Subaru..."

Chapter Text

“These school clothes are tacky, why’d you make me do this again Sayaka?” The maroon haired girl physically looked uncomfortable in her new attire. Despite being around Mitakihara for a few months now Kyoko managed to still stay hidden in the background. Today that would all change. Sayaka took initiative and had Kyoko registered as a transfer for Mitakihara Middle School, while technically true, as Kyoko was from Kazamino, it’s unknown exactly what school she originally went to. “I don’t know Kyoko, they kinda look cute on you.” Kyoko growled at that, not that she could say she didn’t like it though. “Ha whatever, if you wanted me to model for ya’, you should’ve said so dummy.” Sayaka, embarrassed, grabbed Kyoko’s arm, practically dragging her from her house to the school all while putting up with Kyoko’s complaining. ‘Although, I guess it won’t be so bad with Sayaka there... maybe.’ Kyoko thought to herself, now walking beside Sayaka. “Hey c’mon you better not make a run for it and ditch me.” Sayaka said, mostly teasing, Kyoko rolling her eyes in response. “As if I’d do that!” To literally nobody’s surprise, Kyoko made a run for her current ‘home’ at the run down church.

Sayaka, our of breath, finally made her way back to Kyoko’s place, slightly angered as she figured was messing with her again. “Hey you’re not gonna skip on me Kyoko, just come out already.” the blue haired girl and her brightly coloured clothes stood out against the dreary backdrop of the forest in which Kyoko called her home. Wood and glass stained with ash and smoke made up the grounds of the church, while few naturally grown plants could be seen, save for the multitude of trees which towered over the area, making its very appearance a labyrinth in its own way. Sayaka finally found Kyoko, she was sat on the stairs of the ruined church, hiding her face from the rest of the world. “Hey! Kyoko c’mon don’t run off...on me... hey, what’s wrong?” Sayaka sat next to her friend, her arm making it’s way around Kyoko’s shoulder for comfort. She could see by the tear soaked wood of the steps below them that Kyoko had been crying. Sayaka just sat there, keeping her friend company for as long as she needed. Nothing much was said for quite a while, but Sayaka didn’t mind, she knew she’d get an earful from Ms. Saotome for her tardiness but right now, it couldn’t be helped. “I’m going back Sayaka.” Kyoko suddenly said, her crying had ceased for the time being, so it seemed she wanted to take this time to finally speak. “Back? To school? That’s good but we didn’t really go yet...” Sayaka was confused at the statement. “No, not the school. Back home.” Kyoko sighed, still looking down. “H...home?” Sayaka treaded the topic carefully, she wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from the normally lax Kyoko, this was a rare side of her. “You must be thinking ‘Kazamino’, right? Haha...that’d be great, I’d love papa to be there at Kazamino waitin’ for me.” Kyoko looked up for the first time in a while since Sayaka showed up, her crimson eyes were tear filled and glistened in the suns rays, weakened by the overpowering shadows of the trees. “Home... soon...”

Sayaka was no fool, she understood what Kyoko meant, but kept her cool. “You can’t blame yourself for what happened here Kyoko...” she said in a calm voice, but Kyoko shook her head. “No, I am to blame, you know that already Sayaka, I’m not angry at that fact anymore, I’ve just...come to accept it.” Sayaka looked at Kyoko’s Soul Gem, noticing it wasn’t any darker than it should be, and wave of relief came over her. “Kyoko, you taught me something important a while back. All my life is been chasing after something I thought I needed, and it turns out I was doing just fine, if not better, without it. In a way we’re similar like that.” Kyoko didn’t answer, but stared at Sayaka. “You’re seeking closure right? You must think your dad hates you still, but you know what I think? I think your dad would be proud, he can probably see you from up there.” Sayaka pauses. She was t exactly religious, and didn’t want to say anything to be rude to Kyoko. “Sayaka....” “He might have been angered at you before, but up in heaven he can probably see you’re doing no wrong, you’re still fighting for your beliefs, right? I’m sure he’s happy.” Kyoko began crying again, but no longer was she crying alone. Sayaka embraced her in what felt like a heartbeat. “It’s ok Kyoko, it’s ok.” Sayaka spoke with a softer tone than she would normally use. “I’m sorry...Sayaka... I cant even fight nowadays without screwin’ something up. I’m failing to do anything I once thought I’d be fine to do.” Kyoko said through her crying. “You don’t have to be perfect.” Sayaka closed her eyes as she rested her head on Kyoko’s, holding her close. “It’s fine.” Kyoko didn’t answer for some time, once again. But like before, Sayaka didn’t mind. “Sayaka...” Kyoko finally spoke up, her voice quiet and somewhat frail now. “Yes?” “Can you...stay here tonight?” Sayaka was taken aback by the sudden request, but agreed nonetheless. “I’ll just need to tell my mom I’m going to be out but...yeah, don’t worry I’ll be here.” Kyoko smiled. “Thank you...Sayaka.”

The next morning, Sayaka woke before Kyoko. She ended up staying all night as per her friend’s request, and seeing she was still asleep, Sayaka made sure to be quiet in her movements. “Rain huh?” Sayaka sighed. She decided to sit by a table sat near one of the few windows that were still intact, a table and a second chair on the opposite made for a more homelike feel to the otherwise barren world inside the church. Sayaka noticed a piece of paper was place neatly on the table, and although her instincts had told her not to check it out of respect of Kyoko’s privacy, she couldn’t contain her curiosity. ‘Sorry Kyoko’ She said to herself as she read the message. Her hands shook and her eyes filled with tears, as she dropped the paper. “Why....” Sayaka sat face down to the table in front of her, hiding her face as Kyoko did the day before, doing nothing but cry. “....why....”

‘To Sayaka.

You know, I’m not one to usually write but I guess I should write this one. Today? Yeah. Thanks for that. I needed that. I’m happy to know you care about someone like me, I really am. But, my mind had already been made up a long time ago. You’re young, don’t waste your wish. I know you’ll do good by it and the people you want to protect. In the morning you’ll see this and I hope you realise how great you are. You don’t need me, nobody really does anymore. I figured out the deal with these Soul Gems, so I know I don’t need to make a mess by trying to use blade or something. I’ll just shatter it, and stay here. Before you think of joining me, don’t. You’ve got your own fight here. When you complete that, and you’ve done everything you can, then come see me. I’ll be looking down on you from...up there in the meantime. I might not have a place here, but you do. So just...live. # #### ###, goodbye.

From, Kyoko.’

Chapter Text

He was tired of the Composer’s games. But he had nobody to turn to. He was tired of the stress. But couldn’t take a rest. He was tired of life. But couldn’t give up. He was never going to give up on Shibuya. Megumi, above all else, was proud to call Shibuya his home and wasn’t going to let the Composer destroy this wonderful district. He had faith in the Players that they would show the Composer that there’s still good in this world.

But his faith was running out. It was now three weeks in, nearing the seventh day. Despite everything, the Composer was still not satisfied. Shibuya’s destruction was inevitable at this rate. At the very least he had a couple of days to collect his thoughts. In the period between missions the Players are left in limbo while Reapers and the week’s Game Master work to prepare everything for the next day. Megumi couldn’t stand it in the Pad any longer and left for the time being. It was unlike him to wander Shibuya nowadays, especially these last three weeks, but he could make an exception for today.

There it was, the little coffee shop on the end of Cat Street. He wasn’t entirely sure what brought him to the place but maybe it was just the quiet corner of Shibuya that put his mind at ease. Sighing, he stepped foot into the cafe as the warm air and soothing aroma of coffee immediately filled his senses. He would be momentarily lost in his own thoughts as he remembered what it was like in Real Ground as a normal human, and how he longed for that again one day. His concentration broken as quickly as it had formed thanks to the calm and somewhat fruity voice of the owner, Sanae Hanekoma. “Of all the people I’d ever expect to show up in here at a time like this you were not at the top of my list Megs.” the man said with a lazy smile on his face. Megumi sat at the bar, removing his glasses and simply waving to Sanae. “Don’t fret, I got ya boss.” The self appointed hip barista began brewing Megumi’s own choice of coffee, paying close attention to his work as he carefully handled each instrument for brewing with the utmost care.

“But really though...isn’t this the time where you’d usually be ready for the last Player should the GM not take care of them? Why are you suddenly taking breaks?” Sanae asked with a hint of playfulness as he began preparing the coffee. Megumi somber sigh fought against the pleasant air of the cafe as he looked down, his head resting on his hand. “Do you remember what it was like in the Real Ground, Sanae?” The coffee began exuding it’s rich aroma as Megumi’s question loomed in the air. “I love this city Sanae. I can’t believe that the Composer would give up on it.” Megumi finally began to let it go, the stress that had plagued him for almost a month. Sanae didn’t respond, tending to the man’s coffee as he let him continue to talk, he knew better than to interrupt. “I’m not afraid to fight the Composer should there be a worst case scenario. I’m not letting Shibuya get destroyed Sanae.” Megumi wasn’t always outspoken, Sanae always noted him to be calm and collected whenever the Angels had to meet. Of course even the most quiet person can explode sometimes. “I don’t want to play hear games anymore Sanae. Why are we labelled as Angels if we’re not doing our best to protect this world?”

Sanae gave a quiet chuckle at thought of that. “Who ever came up with that name for us anyway, huh.” Sanae laughed at his comment, remarking at how ridiculous it was. “Why...no, how can you stand there like that and act so nonchalantly when your home is getting put on the line here Hanekoma?” Megumi snapped. Sanae, as calm as usual, began pouring the now finished brew of coffee into a black mug. “When you’ve been in this business for so long Megs you just know when things turn out perfectly.” Sanae carefully measured how much coffee he was pouring as he said this, adding just the smallest amount of cold yet slightly frothy milk. Of course he wasn’t talking about brewing. “That kid the Composer picked, there’s something special there, I can tell.” Sanae finished off the coffee with a precise sprinkling of sugar to mix in with the milk as he slid the mug over to Megumi. “You might be right Sanae. But what do we do if the Composer loses it?”

Sanae shrugged. “Look boss, I dunno why you’re asking me, or if your allowed to anymore.” He pointed to an unfinished painting that had the words ‘FALLEN ANGEL’ spray painted across the canvas. Megumi sighed as he took a sip of rich, dark coffee. His worries seemed to lift away and fly off into the heavens with Sanae’s masterfully crafted coffee. Now he remembered why he liked the place so much as a smile finally crept into the Angel’s solemn face, and a tear emerged from his tired eyes. “Even if the kid fails, I know you, you probably won’t give up until you’re dead, and if I’m honest I don’t even think death would stop you.” Sanae sat down as he rubbed the back of his neck. Megumi left half of the coffee behind as he stood up to leave. They didn’t need to exchange words, they knew they had each other’s backs, even if one of them was a so-called criminal. Megumi left with a wave, as he disappeared into busy cityscape, leaving Sanae as he longingly stared at Megumi’s mug with a somber smile.

He was tired of the Composer’s games, but now he had someone to turn to.

Chapter Text

“HUH!?” Collective exclamation rang through the small coffee shop as the former Phantom Thieves listened to Makoto and her announcement. The now college student had called her friends to meet over at Leblanc to discuss something on her mind, although she wasn’t able to stay in touch as often as she would have hoped, she was able to get a few days off to come over. Surprise filled her face as she struggled her words out. “It’s not that weird is it...” she asked looking across the room at her friends. Ren, ever quiet, simply shook his head. Ryuji was lost in his own ridiculous thoughts as Ann elbowed him, both her and Haru saying they were happy for Makoto. Futaba gave a simple thumbs up and Yusuke questioned what was so weird about it.

“It ain’t weird, it’s just that I never took you as one who would like girls Makoto, but hey that’s pretty h-OWW” Ryuji was cut off by another elbow strike from Ann. “Yeah that’s really awesome for you but I wasn’t expecting it at all Makoto.” she echoed Ryuji’s sentiment. “Thank you very much, I don’t know why I was so worried about telling you all really.” Makoto gave a sigh of relief as Futaba chimed in. “Ok so who is it?” Makoto, flustered, pretended to be confused. “Hah, who is...who, Futaba-chan?” Everyone else just rolled their eyes. “I believe your statement was ‘There’s a girl I like, but I don’t know what I should do, can you guys please meet up with me?’, was it not?” Yusuke said in response. “...yes...” Makoto meekly answered.

Shuffling around in her seat Makoto finally started speaking more. “It’s...it’s a little embarrassing really but...I have a crush on...Hifumi Togo...” she purposely said the name under her breath half hoping that her friends would drop the subject. Her attempts were fruitless of course as she was bombarded with the “speak up” order from her friends. “HIFUMI TOGO” she replied loudly, getting the attention of one of the last customers in the shop. “Hey, you kids keep it down you hear?” Sojiro exclaimed from behind the counter. “Isn’t Hifumi the shogi Player we met a while ago? We haven’t seen her in months.” Haru asked. “Ahaha... I’m in a book club now and I happened to meet her when I went into Jinbocho. We’ve actually kept in touch surprisingly often.” Makoto quietly responded, now feeling more comfortable with talking. “Our interests aligned surprisingly well, and after that we just kind of...hit it off as friends...” Yusuke nodded as he added his own comment. “But you are seeking more than mere friendship now, yes?” Makoto nodded. “And you don’t know if Hifumi rolls the same way you do, yeah?” Ryuji added in. Another nod from Makoto had the group thinking.

Futaba had gotten up to speak with Sojiro as the others discussed the best thing for Makoto to do in order to express her feelings to Hifumi. “Perhaps she likes classical Japanese art, in which case I may be of—“ Yusuke had started but was cut off by Ryuji. “Listen, it’s gotta be food right? Everyone can talk over food! Take her to a restaurant Makoto!” Makoto was flabbergasted at Ryuji’s suggestion. “How much money do you think I have Ryuji? I couldn’t possibly afford that...unless I asked Sis for help.” Ryuji scratched the back of his head. “Right, I knew that..” Ann shrugged. “Guys we’re not helping. Makoto, listen, you’re already friends right?” Makoto nodded. “All right good. Just meet up with her and tell her. No fancy restaurants or paintings, just be yourself, she must like how you act already so don’t change it.” Ann stood up to give Makoto a much needed hug. “You’ll be alright, I promise!” Makoto returned her friend’s hug. “You’re right, I’m overthinking this way too much. I’m just gonna do it.” Ann have her an endearing smile as she broke the hug and sat back down, the rest of the group agreeing with Ann’s words.

“All right, I’ll message you all tonight about how it went.” Makoto told everyone as she left for the train station, waving farewell to the group. “You know, I never thought she’d be interested in a relationship, let alone one with a girl, but that’s amazing for her.” Haru said as the group watched Makoto leave. “Yes, it is quite impressive how confident she was about it as well.” Yusuke added. “Well, whatever works for her, right Ren?” Ryuji asked as Ren gave a smile and nodded, waving to Makoto. Ann began tearing up over how Makoto had finally been able to grow into her own person, and although she didn’t admit it often, she always looked up to her since they had become friends. “Hey, you guys better not be getting all mushy out there.” Futaba’s sharp voice caught their attention. “Yeah, it brings the mood down, c’mon in, I’ve made curry, and if you let it go cold I’ll kick you all out.” Sojiro chimed in with his sarcastic tone, a smile on his face the entire time. “For real!? Count me in Coffee man!” Ryuji wasted no time bolting in to get his food, shortly followed by the others. As they had left to go back inside, Morgana, continuing to watch Makoto, gave a somewhat proud smile. “Heh...I knew it.”

“Good afternoon Nijima-san, so, why did you want to meet me?” Hifumi asked as she entered her house. She was going to be out for a while so Makoto decided to invite Hifumi over, rather than meeting somewhere public. “I just wanted to talk, and texting didn’t feel...right? Yeah. Um...Oh! Please, make yourself at home, I’ll bring drinks over right away.” Makoto said as she signalled to the dining area. Hifumi sat in the other room as Makoto poured out sofa for the two of them. She began breathing heavily, worried about what might happen, but remembering Ann’s words, she calmed herself down and brought the drinks into the dining room, and sat adjacent to Hifumi. Thanking her, Hifumi took the glass and placed it down for herself.

“All right, so what are we discussing today?” Makoto jumped when Hifumi asked her, but tried holding her composure to answer. “I uh...haha..” Hifumi gave a perplexed expression as she had never seen Makoto have trouble with her words before. “Is everything alright?” Makoto quickly nodded, snapping herself out of it to continue. “I actually wanted to tell you something really important. Uh...the truth is, after these past few months of talking I’ve um...” Makoto sighed. “I’m sorry I can’t do this.” Hifumi looked confused as Makoto stood up to leave the room. “Nijima-san?” Hifumi sat there wondering what was wrong as Makoto left into another room. “I hope I wasn’t being too pushy...” she sad as she looked down, the mood of the room had been completely killed by this point.

Makoto had closed herself away in her room, now crying. “I’m such an idiot, why can’t I just tell her? Am I not allowed to have my happiness, even if just for a moment?” She picked up a photo of her, her sister and their father from ages ago. “If you were here dad I’m sure...I’m sure you’d be able to help me...please, help me now...” she quietly said through sobbing words. A knock on her room’s door made her jump. “Nijima-san? Are you alright? Do...do you need me to leave?” Hifumi calmly asked from the other side. Makoto, tears staining her face, gave a slow sigh as she finally stood back up. “N-no! Please don’t go! I’m...I’m ok now.” Makoto wiped the tears from her eyes as she approached the door, opening it to meet Hifumi’s worried gaze. “Do you nee—“ “Hifumi.” Makoto quickly interrupted her as she spoke with a determined mind and tone. “I called you here today, because I wanted to tell you...” Hifumi nodded, “Go on.” Makoto closed her eyes briefly to collect her thoughts. “I uh...you know, I can’t exactly Form the words, h-how about I just show you instead?” Confused, Hifumi agreed. “O-ok the ...” Makoto began shaking as she fought her urges to run away again, and leant forward, planting a gentle, yet shaky, kiss on Hifumi’s lips.

The two stood there in silence for a few moments before Makoto finally spoke. “I’m really sorry.. that was completely uncalled for, I shouldn’t have done that at all, if you want to leave it’s fine. I understand.” Hifumi, still blushing, shook her head. “NO!” Uncharacteristically, she blurted our her response, which made Makoto jump a little. “N-no... I’m not upset or anything. So...” Hifumi and Makoto shared confused, but endearing looks. “...so...” Makoto responded sheepishly. “How...how long has it been since you...felt that way?” Hifumi asked, looking away. “Not really very long...maybe a week or two...” Makoto replies, also looking away. “I see.” Silence filled the air again as the two awkwardly stood adjacent to each other. “I guess this means we’re....dating then?” Hifumi suddenly asked, turning Makoto’s face as red as the calling cards she once helped send. “What!?” Hifumi gave a confused expression. “Did...did you not want to ask me..out?” she asked. Makoto quickly shook her head in response. “No that’s not it at all, I didn’t... are you saying...?” Hifumi nodded with a sincere smile on her face. “To be honest with you Nijima-san, I have formed feelings of my own for you as well, your determined attitude inspired me whenever we would talk...it was hard for me not to...fall for it.” Makoto sighed and smiled once again. “I’m...so glad you feel that way.” Hifumi quickly embraced her in a hug. “I’m so sorry about today, I was...scared to tell you.” Makoto admitted as she returned the hug. Hifumi shook her head. “No, it’s alright. Believe me, I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to tell you either. I’m not very outspoken, and my family is extremely strict, I doubt they’d be happy with my...orientation.” Makoto gave a somber expression as she thought about how her sister might react to this. As if fate itself would help answer this, the two were interrupted by Sae as she had managed to get in unnoticed, as she spoke with her stern tone. “So, care to explain what’s going on here?” Makoto and Hifumi broke their hug as Makoto quickly tried to make an explanation m, getting a soft laugh from Sae. “Don’t worry kiddo, this is Hifumi right?” Hifumi, slightly embarrassed, bowed to greet herself. “Pleased to finally meet you, Makoto here doesn’t stop talking about you whenever we meet, it’s great to see she’s got a good partner to be with.” Sae said as she passed the two to enter her own room down the hall. “You..you mean you’re ok with me being...?” Sae gave a confused look. “Why wouldn’t I be? You’re my sister.”

As Sae left the two, Makoto and Hifumi shared one more kiss, this time more passionate, as Hifumi had to leave for home. Seeing her new partner out, Makoto smiled as she felt truly happy once again, and went inside to tell her friends the good news.

Chapter Text

‘Ok ok ok... calm down Karin...’ the redhead unvampire girl was pacing back and forth in her room, unable to sleep. The moon’s soft glow lit up her room in an almost magical fashion, as Karin mulled over thoughts racing through her mind. “This is starting to piss me off, what’s going on?” Karin was suddenly stopped by a male’s voice, her brother Ren, standing in the doorway of her room. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE!?” Karin instinctively jumped from shock, but Ren ignored her and entered, speaking in a softer tone as he sat on her bed. “Shut up, what’s going on with you? You’ve been like this nonstop since your...date with the human.” ‘Straight to the point!’ Karin nervously looked away as Ren pressed further. “Not that I necessarily care, but the human didn’t hurt you did h—“ “OF COURSE NOT YOU DUMMY!” Karin didn’t even let him finish. “And he has a name you know.” Ren chuckled. “Right right, well what did Kenta do then?”

Once Karin had finally calmed down enough to talk, she say next to Ren, with a solemn look on her face. “Well the date was fine, in fact it was the most amazing thing ever Ren! We had lunch, we spoke, we walked, well I guess walking isn’t all that interesting but I loved it, we had all—“ “Yeah ok spare me the details, can we get onto why you’re moping like a wounded animal?” Karin sighed. The truth was, she hadn’t spoken much about the date to anyone, let alone Ren. “Look, I don’t care enough to tell anyone else, I’m only asking because you’re annoying me, so...come on, talk.” Karin nodded, smiling up at her older brother. “Well the thing is, the date was going well up until the end. See after we kissed-“ “You did WHAT!?” Ren was notably taken aback. “Oh come off it, you’ve kissed plenty of girls before.” Karin fired back. “...as I was saying, the problem emerged after that...”

Karin, her face as red as her hair, just stood there in the middle of the park, looking into Kenta’s eyes. “I uh...sorry, I don’t know what came over me there!” he quickly tried to fix the situation he had caused by kissing the unvampire girl, only to have her just as quickly interrupt him. “NO! No it’s ok! R-really!!! I-I-I-I don’t mind at all Kenta!” Kenta gave a noticeable sigh of relief as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. “Thank goodness...! I’ll uh...I’ll be less sudden next time, I promise!” Karin’s face went even more red at that comment. “N-next time!?” Swooning at the idea, Karin looked off in a daze. Kenta, in complete opposition to her, nodded calmly. “Well yeah, we’re actually dating now right? Obviously we can’t just do one date. UHH I MEAN IF THAT’S OK WITH YOU OF COURSE! HAHAHA!” At the last moment Kenta’s confident facade wore off and now both of them were acting embarrassed. After a few moments o just standing there, a cold breeze arose signal the night was coming fast, meaning both Kenta and Karin had to return home, and wasting no time Kenta gathered their belongings to lead them both back.

“So. You’re 18 next year huh?” Kenta suddenly asked as the two were about halfway home. “Yep! It’s certainly exciting for me, but I’m still a bit worried that too much might change.” Karin replied as Kenta silently looked at her. “Just this last year alone has been incredibly different than anything else I’ve done in my life, but if things could stay this way for a little while longer I’d be happy.” Kenta quickly put his arm on her shoulder as the two continued walking. “Well don’t you worry about that Karin, I’m not gonna go anywhere, so at least that’s gonna stay the same.” he said with a confident tone. Karin smiled, she enjoyed her time with Kenta, and as long as he was around with her, she felt like she xould do anything. “That said...” Kenta abruptly interrupted her swooning. “What DO you want to do when you turn 18?” Karin, still in a romanticised daze, swiftly answered. “Marry you of course!” Kenta froze. “M...m...marriage...!?” he was taken aback. Karin snapped out of her gaze realising what she just said, covering her mouth in embarrassment. “M...marriage huh? Hahaha....yes...” Kenta was on a completely different wavelength, he wasn’t exactly opposed to the idea, but this soon? “Oh no...” Karin nervously exclaimed as her blood slowly painted the pavement crimson. Kenta, now snapping out of his daze, could only look as Karin’s fangs launched a bloody stream into the air.

Ren couldn’t contain his laughter. “You really said that? Wow you’re dumber than I gave you credit for!” Karin hid her face in her pillow. “Hey come in I couldn’t help it...” Ren sighed. “So...what? Do you seriously intend on marrying when you’re 18?” Karin’s face slowly peered out from behind the pillow. “N-no, of course not...” Ren, taking the pillow away, sighed again. “...Good. Look I don’t exactly CARE, but at least you’re not wasting you’re life. Be happy you’ve got this choice to make for yourself.” Karin looked confused but before she could press further, Ren got up to leave. “Don’t nag me about this, but I’m uh...glad you spoke.” he said while looking away from her, unable to see her overjoyed expression. “Now get to bed, you’ll annoy everyone else if you’re awake.” he said, leaving shortly after. Karin, left to her own thoughts, smiled as she look out the window to the moonlit sky. ‘The truth is....’ her expression quickly changed to embarrassment again. ‘I REALLY DID MEAN IT...!’

Chapter Text

It had been 15 years since the land of Deltora had been saved, returned to the peaceful nation it once was before the Shadow Lord attacked and sent the land into a desolate state. Lief and Jasmine were King and Queen of Del, and about two years after their marriage, the twins, whom they named Jarred and Endon, were born along with their daughter, Anna. In the decade and a half since becoming King, Lief had become respected by everyone in the land, and respected by none more-so than his old, dear friend, Barda. It would be no surprise then, that it was him who Lief would turn to in his time of need.

"Your Majesty, King Lief, I am honoured that you would call me here to speak, of course I imagine it is something of great importance that you wish to discuss?" Barda walked up to the castle gates, dressed in an attire familiar to Lief, his orange robes. Although it had been a few years since Lief had seen Barda, he would never forget the sight of his oldest comrade.

"No need for such formalities my friend, come, we will talk at once." Lief announced, hand outstretched as he greeted Barda with a genuine, beaming smile.

The two friends discussed what had been happening for the both of them since last they met, and it was here Lief learned about the unfortunate news of Barda's wife, Lindal. The two had wed a few days after the Royal wedding, Lief and Jasmine and their many companions had attended the wedding, so to hear that his friend's own love had so tragically passed away, was immensely heartbreaking for Lief to say the least.

"I am sorry for not realising sooner, myself and Jasmine would have attended immediately had we known-" Lief was cut off by Barda simply raising a hand, signalling for him to stop.

"It's quite alright. I purposely didn't mention anything, I wasn't going to have you worry about me when you were so busy with your own, not just the kingdom but your children as well. Besides, I have been holding up well, the children have been good, so raising them on my own has been no hassle...for the most part, of course."

Lief solemnly nodded. It's true that he was busy with Royal duties, but he didn't want to let that cloud his friendships with everyone. He would arrive to be a good king, and a great person. His thoughts would be cut short as Jasmine has arrived to meet Barda herself.

"Queen Jasmine! It's great to see you in good health!" Barda heartily greeted her, as she too was genuinely happy to see her friend once again.

"Oh Captain Barda, I'm really pleased to see you around the castle grounds once more. I pray that life has treated you well?" Jasmine grew to care about Barda and Lief during their journeys, so much to the point that she'd put them before herself, so it would be no shock to Lief that her immediate reaction to Barda's arrival would be along these lines.

After explaining the news about Lindal to her, and a few shed tears on her behalf, Jasmine thanked Barda for visiting, and hoped he would come again, but she currently has to tend to their children, and without another second of time wasted, she left, disappearing into the castle.

"So." Barda finally got the reason for his arrival. "You summoned me here for a reason, Lief. Do you mind discussing the details with me?" Lief's brow furled, he had somewhat been avoiding the topic to begin with, but he knew Barda wouldn't let up now.

A shaky sigh left the king's mouth as he began to explain the problem. "You see, it's about the Queen." Lief paused for a moment, still not sure whether to continue, but a look of assurance from Barda would give him the answer. "...I am...having troubles. I usually can always tell When something is wrong, or what to do if the situation calls for it, but when it come a to Jasmine lately, I am growing unsure of myself." 

Barda nodded. "I think I understand now, but you two seem to be happy still, so I don't believe there is any ill-will between the two of you." Barda's observations were correct, Lief and Jasmine still cared deeply for each other, and their love was as strong as the day it fully blossomed, all those years ago. 

"You're correct, but it seems even the Belt is failing me if I cannot understand why I am so uncertain, am I not doing enough as King, no, as her husband?" Lief had never spoken so worried like this, not for a long time. This had been troubling him for some time, and now he was finally able to let it out.

"Your Majesty, if I may..." Barda's tone changed to be more serious, a tone Lief was all too familiar with. "I don't believe this is something the Belt can help you with. You must speak to the Queen yourself. If your love is still there, then surely you will be able to prove it to her." Barda stood up, readying himself to leave, followed swiftly after by Lief standing as well. "Lief, my king, my friend..." Barda placed a hand on Lief's shoulder. "I'm sure you'll be able to figure this out."

Barda's warm smile enough to put Lief's mind at ease. "Thank you old friend, you always did know what to say in times of need. I wish you safe travels, and let us hope our next meeting won't be so long." he saw Barda off, and once again the two were stood on opposite sides of the castle's gates. They shared one final farewell gesture, as Barda walked off and out of sight into the town, leaving the King to his thoughts once more.

Later that evening, once the children had been tucked into bed for the night, the King and Queen saw the Royal servants off for the night, and retired to their room. Lied shuffled around getting into bed, the freshly-placed sheets crumpling at the slightest of his movements, as Jasmine slipped out of the usual attire, and into her nightgown. 

"I'm surprised that Barda arrived so suddenly, I overheard that you had called for him to arrive, that's quite unlike you nowadays, is something happening I should know?" Jasmine's worried tone stung like a scorpion's tail, and Lief was sure she'd catch on eventually. Taking Barda's words into account he simply came out with the truth.

"Not entirely, the truth is I called Barda here not for something about Deltora's safety, but merely for advice from a friend." Lief's gaze was distant, he couldn't even look her in the eyes, but Jasmine wasn't having it.

"Out with it. Now." The demanding, but caring tone of his wife was more than enough to get Lief to turn to face her. For a moment, the two were locked in a gaze, Jasmine's figure was illuminated by the Moon's silver light, and in the moment of silence before his next words, Lief was taken back to the time before they were King and Queen, and remembering everything they had been through. Just knowing that Jasmine has been with him for all this time proved how strong their love for each other was.

A smile on his face, Lief pulled his wife into a hug. "At times, I have wondered if I may not be doing enough, not as King but as your husband. Of course, my love for you runs deeper than anything, but my own mind had been riddled with doubts for so long." Tears started forming in his eyes, him and Jasmine still gazing deep into each other.

"Lief... oh Lief..." Jasmine pulled Lief's head down to her chest as he began crying. "You do more than enough, for both this kingdom and our family." Jasmine rested her head on top of his, hugging him tighter than before. "I would never have married you if I even once thought I might have loved you any less than I did when I first realised our feelings were mutual." Lief's breaths became shaky, the tears soaked his face, but his mind was clear once more.

No words were spoken between the two for a while, now words needed to be said in all reality, just the two of them laying in silence was enough of a closure in it's own right. Lief looked over at Jasmine, her face still beaming, a sight which Lief was always grateful to see. 

"Sometimes I wish we weren't King and Queen." Lied suddenly said. "I'd like for us to retire to the countryside one day, something like my old childhood home. Perhaps when one of our children is ready to claim the throne, that is where we will move to once all is said and done."

"I'd very much so like that too, Lief." Jasmine said. "But, duties are duties, we need to keep the kingdom safe, for now." Lied nodded in agreement, it wasn't like he wanted to just ignore Del. "But when the time comes, yeah. We should get out of here."

Lief pulled her into an embrace once more, and after another shared gaze, their lips met as the two fell into a romantic kiss. As the pair's lips separated, Lief's soft words rang through the dead silence of the night. "I love you, Jasmine."

Returning the sentiment, Jasmine pulled him back into the kiss, a sure sign of their love, which would last for as many years as they had left.