Work Text:
Natsumi thinks that the first moment she realizes things have changed after the Rider War is when Daiki stays the night. Goes upstairs with them and sleeps right on the edge of the bed, fully clothed, but he’s there. Or maybe it’s the fact that any of them, that all of them end up in her room and she walks up with Tsukasa unsurprised to see Daiki and Yuusuke already on her bed.
The fact that they all curl onto it together.
Yuusuke at her back, Tsukasa’s heart beating in her ear. The fact that Daiki is there .
They’re all there.
They’re all alive .
They’re all… they’re all here .
It’s been true the entire time, ever since Tsukasa was back right in front of her and smiling with a promise in his eyes, but she thinks that it’s now where joy becomes a deep-seated relief .
It would be debilitating if she wasn’t already squished onto her bed with the rest of them.
Them.
What they are she doesn’t know, not now and not with Daiki added, except that being without them had torn at her soul even though she fought to move on. They’re hers and they’re home .
Her conversation with Tsukasa hadn’t been enough, especially not when she’d kissed him, there’s so much unsaid and things can’t just immediately go back to how they were, and none of that matters .
There’s Yuusuke’s warm presence behind her, Tsukasa’s heartbeat in her ear, and Daiki’s presence on the other side.
For now, that’s enough.
She falls asleep secure in the knowledge that somehow, things will stay like this for some time.
This time, things have changed for the better.
She wakes up in the morning realizing that whatever comes next, she has to start the conversation. The reasons are simple.
Daiki had stayed the night, let himself be slightly open. But one thing she knows about him is how easily he spooks.
Yuusuke is too nice to start the conversation. He’s already forgiven. He’s just happy to be home. He likely doesn’t fully realize there’s a problem.
Tsukasa… is Tsukasa. Though maybe similar statements could summarize the other two, as well. He just. Goes with things.
And Daiki’s up, and Tsukasa is obviously awake from how he shifts as she does, but Yuusuke is still asleep, and she doesn’t really want to have this conversation yet.
“Good morning, Natsumikan,” he says. “Something on your mind?”
Natsumi laughs.
“Nothing important,” she says. “Not this time.”
She meets his gaze and he’s smiling. He has a nice smile. How many times has she really seen it, though?
No. Now isn’t the time for such thoughts.
Tsukasa stretches long.
“We should probably get up,” he says. “Kaitou is already downstairs, who knows what trouble he could cause.”
“Tsukasa…”
Tsukasa huffs, but doesn’t say any more.
It’s so quiet she almost misses it, but she thinks she hears Tsukasa murmur “it’s good to be home” as he gets up.
“You coming?” He asks, turning to her.
“I’ll wait for Yuusuke,” Natsumi replies. “See you in a bit.”
Tsukasa shrugs and exits the room.
Yuusuke wakes up maybe fifteen or twenty minutes later, groaning awake but smiling.
“Good morning, Natsumi,” he says, sleep still heavy in his voice. “The others awake?”
“Yeah,” she says, sitting up as he does. “You’re really warm.”
Why did she say that.
Yuusuke just laughs.
“I think it has something to do with the amadam,” he says. A yawn. “Anyways, I should get dressed. See you downstairs?”
Natsumi smiles.
“Yeah,” she says. “See you downstairs.”
Breakfast is a strange feeling of normalcy for something that has never actually happened before. Sitting all together eating and talking about nothing. But maybe it’s in part because none of them want to talk about the something .
Natsumi included, of course. She wants this to last, but she knows… things hanging eventually fall.
For now, though, she chooses to enjoy the moment.
“You know,” Yuusuke says. “We should probably go out and get a better look at this world.”
“Probably,” Tsukasa replies.
“An empty road isn’t much to go on,” Natsumi says. “I wonder what this world will be like.”
“Not another dystopian nightmare,” Daiki says. “Eventually, those get boring.”
“I wonder what role it’ll give Tsukasa,” Yuusuke adds.
“I can’t wait to explore,” Kivala says, excitedly. “I can go with Natsumi, of course.”
“I was thinking we should stay together, actually,” Natsumi says. “At least for today.”
“Sounds good to me,” Yuusuke replies.
Daiki and Tsukasa don’t dissent, which is close enough to a yes for them.
This second night, it’s Daiki who catches her alone downstairs.
“Didn’t I tell you to stop thinking about it all, Natsumelon?” He asks.
“About what?” Natsumi asks, calmly, and Daiki laughs. It’s a nervous thing, but it’s not full of malice. A little bit more open that it might have been, once.
“You know what,” Daiki says.
“Well if you do, too, then I guess we’re both thinking it,” she says. “It’s not like I can just forget that all of you left, and…”
And the other two had died.
“Well, we’re here now,” Daiki points out. “Tsukasa’s back where he belongs.”
“And Yuusuke.”
“Of course.”
“And you.”
Daiki lets out another nervous laugh.
“I guess I am,” he says. “I…”
And Natsumi has already given this promise to Tsukasa, accepted this choice from Yuusuke. It takes nothing to make this offer to the last of their… their them.
“You told Tsukasa this was our world too,” she says. “I’d be happy if you made it your home, as well.”
Daiki looks away.
“I’ll… I’ll think about it, Natsumelon,” he says. Natsumi smiles.
She thinks that’s enough serious conversation for the day.
She’s even less surprised to find the others in her bed, this night. She finds that she greatly enjoys that fact.
Everything else is secondary to the fact that all four of them are safe, all four of them are alive.
All four of them are together
All four of them are home.