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“It has been quite an eventful day.”
Date smiled slightly at the voice in his head, letting out a tired but quiet sigh, not wanting to wake Mizuki. “You can say that again.”
He turned slowly and slumped down on the bench press, leaning his head against the wall in relief. It was late at night, the apartment near pitch-black, and he was the only one still up. In the dark, thanks to his newly regained AI-improved vision, he could just barely make out the figure of his daughter in the far bed, sleeping fitfully, with a smile on her face.
Despite his exhaustion, his eyes would not leave her.
“Are you not going to sleep yourself?”
“In a little bit. I just… have a lot on my mind.”
It was definitely an understatement. Iris being cured of her cancer for good had left him weak with relief, especially with everyone else around him feeling the same. It had been a whirlwind of a day, visiting them all again, and having the party, and then after all of that…
“Understood.”
The familiar, formal response widened Date’s smile, and something stirred in his chest. He hadn’t heard it in so long… what felt like forever. He could sense that his companion felt just as reassured by it as he was.
For the next few minutes, they were both silent.
“…Hey, Aiba?”
“Yes?”
“Did you, uh… Back then, on that… t-that day…”
His voice trailed off, threatening to crack. Aiba waited patiently, though he knew she realized what was coming.
“…what I said to you, at the end—”
“Did I believe it?”
She did cut him off then, however, and Date’s mouth clicked shut, taken aback, something in his heart shattering. It wasn’t what he had meant to say, no… yet of course, deep down, a part of him, for the last three months, had forever replayed that horrible moment, that horrible line, the final thing he had uttered to her, over and over and over again, despairing at the possibility, however stupidly small it was, that she had… that she had really thought—
(“I hate you, and I never want to see you again…!”)
It hadn’t been her fault she’d had to die. There was no other way to stop him, and save Hitomi. It hadn’t been her fault her backup data had been wiped, and this “death” that would normally mean nothing for an AI would be the end for her.
It had not been Aiba’s fault that the order to die had to come from his own lips, and none other.
None of it was. But in that moment, Date had wept, and screamed, and hated (because how could she make him do this, with such a gentle smile on her face, as if none of this at all was so wrong?), and the only thing he had managed to choke out to willingly force her to her doom was—
(but no, no; the only one he had
truly hated most of all was— )
“Of course not. The conditions we set together were for the second and final command to be a lie, after all.”
Suddenly, she was in his field of vision; her shimmering, red and white form glowing in the darkness. Her tone was matter-of-fact, as she did, but her expression was soft and reassuring, and Date felt his breath let out, a muffled laugh escaping him as his eyes burned, as he stared at her, transfixed, the most beautiful sight in the world.
Gods, how he had missed this.
“…But even if they were not, I would never believe such obviously untrue claims. We have been together for five years, Date… You and I are partners. Even if I frustrate you sometimes, as you frustrate me, you would be nothing without me, and you know this.”
She hesitated, her confident smirk fading away, as her face grew vulnerable, almost shy, her voice even softer than it already had been.
“This… is my home. You are my home, Date.”
Her smile was the same as before, when they had parted and then reunited; shining brightly with all of the trust (and love) in the world.
And Date broke.
“…I-I was nothing, A-Aiba; without you, I was nothing…!”
Whatever her reaction was, he did not notice it, as he leaned over onto his knees, burying his face in his hands and near-silently letting out what felt like endless grief, far more tears than he could ever remember crying, within the past six years and beyond. Even then, he had hardly wept much, at the end of the case, despite his life turning upside-down as he gained far too much and lost far too much than he had ever been prepared for (gained family and precious memories, yes, but also guilt, and bloodied hands, and a weary, aged soul, and had lost innocence, an identity, half his sight yet again, and the one person that he could ever truly call a best friend).
He had never truly grieved; had only been going through the motions, distracting himself with the others. But they noticed, Date knew. Could see how different he was, not just with new, harrowed memories and an aged body that was no longer his own, but without her.
Without his partner.
“Date… That is not true. You have so many people who care about you now… I saw it all today. You would have been fine, with them… and your own strength.”
“No…!” Aiba’s voice was equally touched and comforting, like a mother’s tone, as she praised him far more than he ever deserved, and it only made him sob harder. “Mizuki, and Iris… Hitomi… Boss…… I l-love them all, but they’re not… they’re n-not—!”
Date opened his eyes again, looking up, his tears blurring her soft, ethereal form, that only he could see.
(Barely, in the fleeting corners of his consciousness, he could faintly recall the hazy, faded memories of six years ago, of blundering along like a lost child in a confusing, endless fog, where Saito’s sickly mind had made everything eternally grey and cold, eternally out of reach, eternally loveless, until Pewter had given him her and it was as if a light had been turned on, as if he had been reawakened, and for the first time in this new life, could feel human)
(He could recall going home to an empty apartment, that was no more than he needed but was nonetheless lonely, or would have been, if he hadn’t had her voice there to keep him company, before Mizuki had arrived)
(Could recall all the times she had saved his life, either from making yet another foolish decision in some club or elsewhere, or literally, in the line of fire, with her flawless calculations and directions that never failed him, even if some of her methods were less than preferable)
Aiba… She had always been saving him, hadn’t she? And that was why…
“……I am nothing without you, Aiba, because w-without you… I would never have become who I am today.”
(would never have blossomed through Saito Sejima’s prison, carrying Hayato Yagyu’s soul, to become Kaname Date)
Breathlessly, tears still streaming down his face, and his body shivering with emotion, Date reached up, covering his left eye with his hand, the wetness pooling on his palm. Aiba’s projection disappeared from sight, and he cupped his face tightly, feeling slightly foolish, and yet desperate to hold on, with every ounce of his might.
“I’m so…. s-so sorry… Lie or not, it was the hardest, cruelest thing I have ever done… I never hated you, I… I-I…”
How could he have said such a thing? To her?
You were there, when no one else was. When the darkness was closing in, and threatened to drown me in nothingness, you brought me back to life.
Always there, medicating me, helping me, guiding me… heh, annoying me. Saving me. Letting me see.
Letting me live.
And to go on without that, for the rest of my life… Without you…
(if Aiba had somehow not killed Saito, Date sure as hell would have himself, for taking her away, for destroying everything they had built together, had made their own)
“Date…”
Aiba whispered his name, the single utterance speaking volumes. She had always had a level of humanity that transcended a simple mindless AI, required for her job at his side, but the height of her emotions had always been excitement, or irritation, and anger (almost always at him). Even when in danger, he had never heard her become very upset or stressed, but simply on high alert, to protect him.
Even that day, though unable to shed tears, she had seemed nothing but content.
(perhaps she did not want to look sad, in the face of his own pain. And she had certainly had no regrets, after all. Not when it was for his sake.
…But maybe, she had simply been unable to recognize them, until now)
A moment of silence passed, until a tiny “woah!” sprang from Date’s throat, as he felt a pressure in his face and against his hand. A beat later, and he was holding a familiar, translucent, and ever-so-small hamster-like figure on his open palm; a far cry from her human form, but one that he wouldn’t trade for the world.
“…It did not feel like much time to me at all, compared to you, but…”
Aiba walked the short distance to his cheek, pressing her little body and arms against him, in the most delicate hug there was.
“…I missed you too, Date.”
“A-Aiba…!”
Sobbing, practically bawling, he held her close, wishing to never let go, as the little creature tickled his face. “I have never seen you become this emotional… Are you sure you are alright?”
Because I never could before; never had reason to… until now. Until everyone.
Until you.
Date choked out a laugh, a watery smile, through his tears.
“…Haha, I am now, Aiba… I-I am now.”
He felt more than heard the quiet murmur of “this must be a good thing, then.” The tiny hug grew tighter, and Date stroked her gently with his finger, endless warmth filling his hand, filling his heart, and healing his soul.
Despite everything else, he finally had her back. His one, truest constant.
“Never… N-Never leave me again, Aiba.”
“I have no intention of doing so… Not anymore.”
(his partner, and closest, dearest friend)
“And… Date?”
“Mm?”
“……I love you, too.”
From across the room, lying awake in the darkness, Mizuki listened in, and smiled.