Archive of Our Own

It was a hot summer day, the kind where it was tiring just to think there was still school on. Not that the weather had much of an effect on him, since he was a ghost, but it had affected his foolish assistant.

“So here's where you were, Yashiro…” Hanako said as he entered the infirmary, sighing a bit in relief when finally seeing her.

She had been late to her bathroom cleaning duties that day, and he had immediately gotten worried. Given her incredibly bad luck when it came to randomly encountering supernaturals or getting kidnapped he tended to get a bit paranoid whenever she was out of his sight really, so he had set out to look for her pretty fast.

It didn't take him long to encounter the kid, who had promptly informed him that Yashiro was at the infirmary, though thankfully for nothing too extravagant. She just had gotten a heat stroke while working at the gardening club during such a heated day.

“Hanako-kun… I’m sorry…” she mumbled when she noticed him, clearly still a bit out of it.

“You should be! I was worried, you know?” he floated over to her, chuckling softly seeing her cute dazed face “I will make a special exception today and give you the day off, but try not to work so hard when it's this hot out okay…?”

“Okay… sorry I worried you, I didn’t think gardening would tire me that much, but with this heat… I will try not to do it again...” she tried to explain as he nodded.

“Good, good, you should be more careful…” he patted her head to comfort her, but was completely taken off guard when she grabbed his hand and put it on her forehead instead “Y-Yashiro? What are you doing…?” he managed to ask, in shock.

“You are cold, it’s nice…” she mumbled, holding his hand in place and sighing contently. It was so adorable he was concerned he would have died from it if he wasn’t already a ghost.

“O-oh? Is that so?” he tried to muster up his usual bravado, not wanting to let just her holding his hand in place affect him that much but internally failing “Do you want me to touch you so badly? How naughty~”

“Hanakooooo-kuuuuuun” she complained, glaring weakly at him. It wasn't very effective with the way she was still leaning into his hand.

“I mean, what kind of perverted daikon would actually like the touch of a ghost? You are always complaining I get into your space too much, but it seems you actually enjoy it~” he laughed.

“Don't tease me right now, I’m too tired to actually get mad… and your hand feels so nice...”

It was probably just because she was so tired that she didn't realise how indecent that sounded. Combined with the way she was actually relishing his touch for once, it was making it even worse for him. She was just so cute, still a bit flushed from all the heat, with her hair a mess from being in the nurse's office bed, and seemed so needy when she leaned into his hand and held it in place...

He tried not to let his perverted mind wander when seeing her like that. It was really, REALLY difficult.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm down, as he put his other hand on her cheek and rubbed it softly while trying to ignore the way Yashiro sighed at that “Well, if you like it so much… I don’t mind cooling you off…” Even though internally he wished he could do just the opposite. No, bad perverted mind, BAD. He shouldn't think of that when she was just tired and vulnerable… even though that made her much more tempting…

“Thank you…” his indecent thoughts were thankfully interrupted by Yashiro speaking up again, apparently getting a bit better thanks to his ministrations “You are so nice sometimes, you know…? I wish you were like that more often…”

“Me? Nice?” he couldn't help but laugh at that notion “I don’t know where you get that idea from, I’m just helping out my assistant since she's in such dire need, that's all”

“Umm… but you do nice things for me a lot, even when I'm not in such bad shape…” she mumbled, after being thoughtful for a second. Well, that may be true, since he was so weak to Yashiro he would do anything she asked of him. But she didn’t need to realize that.

“What? Falling for me now that I’m being nice like all those princely types you like so much?” he asked, hoping the teasing would distract her from that previous tough, and smiling triumphant when that finally made her react as usual.

“What? No!” she immediately replied, with a frown that made her look even more adorable “You are nothing like my type, even like this!”

He couldn't hold his sigh. He might have just baited her into this kind of reaction, but he truly hated her obsession with her type of man sometimes. He honestly didn't see what the hell she thought was so great about them, especially when looking for a nice prince she had somehow only found guys that treated her like garbage. He wasn't her type, clearly, but he knew if she had even come to him he would have treated her much better, he may have said that to her jokingly but honestly he would have.

“How did you even come to like those princely types so much? Was it Disney movies? They didn't seem that amazing or anything there...” he tried to argue, unable to hold the slight bitterness off his tone.

“What are you talking about, most of them are great…” she protested.

He tried to remember those movie princes, but try as he might he couldn't come up with anything that amazing about them “I mean the guy in Cinderella didn't even have a name, what's so good about him?”

“Well he may have been a bit bland before, but in the third movie he's really great you know?” she sighed dreamily, and was probably about to go on a small speech about the princes virtues or something before his utter confusion interrupted her.

“There's a third movie??” he asked, completely baffled by this revelation.

“Well of course there is, yeah… oh! Right, you wouldn't know…” she answered as she took a pause, probably realizing that being a ghost didn't tend to let you watch many new movies “We should watch it! It's really good… you'll see that that prince is great… he may not have a name but he's still good”

“Sure, why not…” he conceded, not seeing the harm in it. If she wanted to try to make him see the virtues of her great princes he would humour her, a bit vindictively he thought maybe he could make her realise they weren’t that great.

“Was Cinderella the last Disney movie you watched?” she asked, clearly curious now about where his cutoff point from knowing movies was.

“Uh? Yeah, it was… I thought it was nice, though a bit idealistic, maybe…”

He had liked the movie back when he saw it. Well, he had been a kid, of course he liked seeing Cinderella get out of her horrible home situation and be happy with the person she loved. It was a wonderful ending. But well... his pessimistic nature didn't let him fully enjoy it, now. The idea that despite all the suffering Cinderella had to endure, despite all the abuse she had taken, despite everything she was still a good person and so she had magically gotten her dreams to come true and went to the ball where she met the prince and they fell in love… it was a very hopeful story.

And he had lost hope somewhere along the way, when he decided he wouldn't be going to the moon after all. That he wouldn't be going anywhere. Because unlike Cinderella, he wasn't a good person.

But Yashiro was probably the most optimistic and hopeful person he knew, so it made sense that she liked it way more than him. She was just nodding about his confirmation that Cinderella had been the last Disney movie he saw, starting to talk excitedly.

“There have been so many more films since that one… and a lot of the princess movies are really really good after that too! The prince's have much more going for them in the more recent ones too… oh! And obviously there are other movies that aren’t especially about princesses too that are great, I should show you those too… I just really want to show you those so you can see the prince’s are so much better now...” Yashiro rambled, seemingly delighted to be sharing this interest of hers with him. It was really endearing somehow, if he was honest. Maybe this was what watching himself talk about stars was like, she certainly seemed just as passionate about this as he was about them.

“So what's your favorite prince then?” he asked, knowing there had to be one, surely.

“Umm…” she closed her eyes as she thought about it for a moment “Maybe prince Eric from The little mermaid..?”

“The little mermaid?” he couldn't help but laugh at that “Thats a funny coincidence there”

“You haven't seen that one either right? I can bring it” she said, clearly ignoring that last comment.

“So what's so great about him, uh? Besides actually having a name I mean”

“He's very nice! He has a dog, he goes on a fun date through the human world with Ariel where they dance, and go on a carriage ride... and then brings her on this romantic boat ride where he almost kisses her, and he was so dedicated to her! At the end of the movie he gets a boat and rides into a storm with the villain right in it just because he doesn't want to lose her again!” she sighed dramatically “Aaah, it's so romantic, it was incredible…”

As Yashiro continued to ramble about the virtues of prince Eric and many other Disney princes from the other movies they were apparently going to watch, Hanako tried not to feel jealous towards fictional characters. He really did. But still failed spectacularly.

Not that he had any right to actually be jealous of who Yashiro liked. They weren’t in a real relationship, as much as he longed for it.

It was pathetic how much he wished for it. But he knew he shouldn't. He was a murderer. He was dead. Bound to a school in a probably hopeless mission to redeem himself. He knew he was a monster, and he knew nothing good could come from being associated with him. And he shouldn't get so attached to a girl who would die if he didn't find any way to save her, or if he did manage to find it would grow up and move on, leaving him behind.

There were so many reasons why he shouldn't wish to be with Yashiro. Many reasons why he knew it was not wise, that it was not something he should even consider.

But god did he want her.

He wanted her so desperately, so savagely, so completely. He had never wanted something this bad before, not even to go to the moon.

He didn't understand how Yashiro could make him feel all those feelings he thought had died along with him, all the happy and warm feelings he didn't even get to have that often back when he was alive. All the feelings that the deep black void in him should have erased forever, and yet came back the instant he looked at her. Along with an overpowering need to protect her, and a shameful desire her to keep her all to himself if he could.

Hanako tried to keep those feelings under control, but he was so weak when it came to anything that regarded her. He had gotten carried away already when in his desire to keep her safe to the point of trying to keep her in that fake world he hated so much, that had been bad. He hated the insincerity of that world, hated that it could just pretend he wasn't a murderer who deserved his due punishment, but if it kept Yashiro safe he could endure it. And he had been so desperate to find any way to keep her alive and well that he had been willing to trap her there against her will, and if she hadn't gotten through to him he probably would have.

He knew he would be willing to do much, much worse things if only it would keep Yashiro safe, so nothing bad would ever happen to her again. He would do anything. It probably should concern him more, but he couldn't do much about it besides try to keep himself in check.

And try not to think of how much he wanted Yashiro to be his to love and protect, his forever, only his.

Those dark and possessive thoughts were something he knew probably wasn't entirely right. Perhaps he was more alike to his brother than he'd like to admit, because those kinds of behaviours reminded him too much of him. Reminded him of continuous whispers of his name until he would look his way and satisfied smiles when he did so, of hugs that were too tight and clingy hands that demanded attention at all times. Tsukasa had never been the type to hold back in anything, while Amane had practically been suffocating for all his life.

Hanako may be clingy already, as Yashiro had often protested whenever he hugged her out of the blue, and he really couldn't hold back on that, but he didn’t want to be like that. He probably wouldn't be as bad as his brother when it came to demanding affection, but he really didn't trust himself to be that much better. He didn't want Yashiro to be terrified of him if he ever let himself give into those impulses, he wouldn't be able to bear it if she hated him and he would hate himself even more for all eternity if he ever hurt her in any way shape or form.

Really it all came down to the fact that his filthy hands didn't deserve to hold her. And if he had her once he would never let go, so he couldn’t let himself give in.

So he had decided that he would just continue to desperately wish for her, knowing he couldn't ever have her. It was fine. He was used to that, his previous dream had been to go to the moon after all, and Yashiro was just as out of reach for a condemned soul like his.

The next day when Nene arrived at her bathroom cleaning duties she had brought The little mermaid on a laptop, along with some blankets and pillows so they could be more comfortable while they watched it together.

She was a bit nervous about bringing it up now that she was there. Maybe he had been joking about wanting to actually watch these movies with her, and would just laugh and tell her not to try to skip her duties with silly things like that. But when she actually said she brought the little mermaid for them to watch Hanako had just been surprised that she had followed through with that plan, but quickly agreed to watch it without making too much of a fuss.

Maybe he just agreed to be able to cuddle up to her the entire movie's run time, because the moment she had set her the mantles and pillows she had brought he had done just that. She had sighed internally at how immediately he had jumped at the chance to get this close to her, but she secretly enjoyed how Hanako was so affectionate, and with how hot it was during these days the fact that he was cold was more bearable in the long run so she did not complain.

It had been a while since she had seen The little mermaid, so she found herself enjoying it a lot. Prince Eric was just as dreamy as she remembered him being, making her sigh and admire him along with Ariel during those early scenes.

Hanako meanwhile had started watching the movie being a bit snarky, making fun of things he said were silly and getting quickly shushed by Nene, only for him to giggle at making her so annoyed. However she quickly noted that Hanako had actually become interested in the movie, since he had gotten quieter and now only commented on things he liked sometimes, clearly more invested than he let on.

He held her hand a bit tighter at the part where Triton destroyed Ariel's grotto. Nene wondered if maybe this was bringing up bad memories, as she remembered those torn astronomy books that were by Amane’s side in that brief glimpse she had gotten of him back when she had gotten lost through time. If she actually asked about it he would probably try to pretend nothing was wrong, so she just held his hand back tighter in a silent message to tell him she was there by his side, and hoped that would be enough.

Later on there was a scene that affected her more than she thought it might. It was the scene where Eric was playing his flute in the middle of the night while wearing a cape, and Grimmsby came up to him to try to convince him to look at Ariel instead of looking for the woman who saved him.

“Eric, if I may say, far better than any dream girl is one of flesh and blood. One warm, and caring, and right before your eyes”

She had always liked that scene, when Eric throws his flute into the sea and is about to go to Ariel when he's placed under a charm. But… somehow that phrase hit her a bit different now.

She looked over at Hanako, who seemed to be engaged with the movie to the point of frowning at Ursula tricking Eric like that. He wasn’t of flesh and blood, he wasn't even warm, but… he was caring. And he was right before her eyes. And he was better than any dream prince she had fantasies about before.

When she had been in the fake world she had told him she liked him. She had tried not to think about it too hard since then, not to ponder about the implications of her spontaneous and unintended confession, and he thankfully hadn't really brought it up so she had managed to do so. She never thought she would like someone like him, he was so unlike her type and so hard to deal with sometimes. He was way too secretive, so touchy and quite a pervert, and teased her way too much just for his own amusement.

And yet she liked him just like that. She really didn't think she would miss his ghostly side, but when seeing him as a regular human she had realized she actually liked Hanako just as he was, perverted and cold to the touch and all. Not that she disliked his more human part, the more vulnerable side of him that was hard to draw out but made her want to protect him, made her want to give him all the love he clearly had lacked all his life. Usually he was always the one protecting her, which made sense since there wasn't much she could do against the supernaturals they usually went up against, but she wanted to take care of him too in her own way.

Nene was a dreamer, she had always been. She had always wanted to love someone and be loved back, but she had always set her target on men who didn't even know who she was. On fantasies, on dream prince’s who she could never really get to know. Hanako was different. She actually knew him, or at least as far and he would let her know him since he put up barriers quite a lot. But all the time she had spent with him, all the shared experiences, all the glimpses of his past she had seen... this was not wasted time. All the time they spent together made her realize that he was someone she actually liked to be around, someone she wanted to know more about, someone who made her happy just by being by her side.

She liked Hanako, she could admit that to herself at least. She had maybe admitted it outloud to him, but he probably thought she meant as a friend. But it was more than that, he was way more than that to her. She was… in love with him…

She had thought she was in love before, with all her crushes on unattainable men, but this was completely different. It was real. Which made the possibility of getting rejected as she always did before when confessing much scarier. It would wreck her to be rejected by him if she ever managed to properly try to confess, she didn't know if she could take it.

Maybe she was also special to him, now that she thought about it. When she remembered the way he looked at her when they were in the clouds on the fake world, the way he desperately had said he wanted her to live, that he cared about her… that had clearly been something he meant sincerely, from the bottom of his heart. Not the typical fake flirting he usually directed her way, that was a real and sincere sentiment that seemed to almost break him to admit.

But maybe she was overthinking things, if he actually liked her for real he would have surely said something more by now. Maybe she was letting her dreamy mind imagine things that weren't there, and she usually did when she had a crush before. But wait, actually... hadn't he invited her to a movie date in the fake world too? Did that mean he actually wanted to go out with her romantically…?

Did watching a movie together now count as a date...?

That thought kept bugging her the rest of the movie, but thankfully she could ignore it for now and managed to get back into it just as the final act began.

“So did you like the movie?” she curiously asked Hanako as the credits began to roll, genuinely wanting to know his opinion to her favorite Disney movie.

“Yeah! I did” he confirmed “And prince Eric was surprisingly capable, I mean he actually killed the villain by impaling her with a ship at the end! That was really cool!!”

“Of course you'd like a big monster fight…” she rolled her eyes a bit, she had noticed he seemed to like kaiju stuff a lot, typical “But I am glad you can see how good he is! Some people seem to think he's a bit generic, and I don’t appreciate that much”

“Wow, so defensive…” he chuckled a bit “It’s kinda cute to see you get so protective over someone, even if it's a fictional character...”

“Well! He can't very well defend himself can he?” she protested, pouting and making Hanako outright laugh this time.

“Aah, so cute!! Reminds me of how you got all in the kids face when defending me the first time he attacked me” he said nostalgically. She blushed slightly, that had been because he was in danger and she had to do something, but she had defended him a lot in that moment hadn’t she? Uh… maybe she had started to like him for a longer time than she'd realized.

“Anyway, since you seemed to enjoy this so much, how about we continue watching more of the Disney movies you haven't seen yet then? I can bring another one tomorrow” she offered, wanting to change the topic.

“Yeah lets do it!! I would like this cuddle and watch something together thing to become a routine~” he eagerly agreed, as he circled his arms around her again.

“Hanako-kun!” she protested, laughing a bit. Though she had actually really enjoyed the cuddling, but she wasn't about to admit that to him. Somehow she was starting to become as clingy as him with how much she enjoyed his cold touch, maybe his clinginess was contagious. When she got home she had to decide which Disney movie to bring for the next day. She thought about bringing another princess movie, since those were her favorites and all, but then while looking through her collection her fingers stopped at another film almost unconsciously.

Treasure planet.

Hanako liked space. That was something he had never directly told her, but something she knew to be an absolute truth. He loved stars and everything to do with them, as she had clearly witnessed when she saw him in the fake world endlessly rambling about then when given the chance. Surely he would like a movie taking place in space…

But maybe it would be too personal to choose a movie based on what he liked? Was she doing what she usually did with past crushes and just taking some interest of his and investing too much time into thinking of things he would like based on that...? There was clear precedence of her doing that before with many of her crushes. She certainly didn’t want him to think she was being creepy or anything….

And also, if he had gotten so affected by that scene of the grotto, maybe this movie would just be worse... considering the whole movie was about a troubled teen and could hit him harder…

But she thought he would like this movie. Even if he got sad at some points it ended really well! Surely it wouldn't make him too sad. But... well, last time she had seen him sad and didn't know what to do she had kissed his cheek to try to cheer him up, and she guessed it kinda worked since they had both gotten so flustered sadness was completely forgotten about. But it was so embarrassing looking back…

She had kissed his cheek and he had blushed so hard it had gotten up to his ears, that must mean he likes her for real, at least a bit, right? But she had thought that the confession trees fake confession was real for a moment, and it hadn't been. After that she just couldn't let herself believe any of his fake flirting was that serious, not that she did much before, but she didn't want to get her hopes up again and get them dashed against the floor.

Ugh, it was so confusing. She flopped on her bed, holding the box for Treasure planet up and still thinking about this silly ghost she had somehow fallen in love with. She didn’t know when she started to like him as more than a friend, but at some point it had happened, and now that she realized it had, it was hard to pretend otherwise. She had tried to! She really had tried to deny it to herself for a while at first, taking refuge in her usual excuses of him not being her type and all that, but it didn’t really work. She always ended up thinking of his amber eyes looking at her fondly whenever she tried having a romantic fantasy to distract herself from him, somehow she always ended up thinking how nice it would be if he took his usual affectionate gestures up a notch and maybe actually kissed her, or did much more... indecent things, and inevitably got flustered.

This would all be much easier if he wasn't so hard to understand, it was just so hard to discern what he really felt! He did flirt with her a lot, and he did touch her any chance he got basically, always getting too close and personal unnecessarily, but he was mostly just teasing her so she didn't take it that seriously. It was just... the way he held her sometimes… like she was the most precious thing in the world… it always made her feel so… treasured, so cherished. It made her feel so safe to be in his arms, like he would shield her from all of the world's horrors.

He wanted to protect her, he wanted her to live, so much so it seemed to hurt him to admit. It was like he wanted to be with her, maybe, but was too insecure or somehow… didn't think he should be. Almost like... he didn't think he deserved it.

Somehow that reminded her of how in the fake world he didn’t want to look at the stars through the telescope, because they were so beautiful he might want to actually go there if he did, and he wasn’t going anywhere. She hadn’t really understood what he exactly meant by that back then, beyond realizing that had to be the real Hanako right there, but now that she thought about it with more attention... it was like he felt he needed to deny himself things he truly wanted.

Could that be the problem? But… she found it difficult to imagine he would like her to that degree. He didn’t seem to really try to put that much distance between them, except for emotional distance perhaps.

He was a mystery, and she didn’t just mean a school mystery. One moment he was teasing her for her ankles or her romantic fantasies, the next he was saying it made him feel happy to hear her say that she liked him or some other sincere little confession like that. He always flirted and teased constantly, but the moment she actually responded in any way he blushed and turned shy. She didn’t know how to take it, didn’t know if she could trust herself to know if his feelings were real or she was just imagining them.

She had met him as a child briefly, during the Tanabata festival. He had been quite cute as a kid and seeing him so carefree was something she still hadn't quite gotten over. She had seen him back when he was just Amane Yugi both by herself when she was lost through time and trough Tsuchinomori’s eyes, he had even been crying when she had been there. So she knew, she KNEW that he was way more soft and vulnerable that he let on, that his real self under all the bravado was a more quiet and caring boy. A boy that probably didn't think anyone would be interested in seeing him instead of the mischievous school mystery, but she had seen glimpses of him from time to time, and those had been the moments that had made her much more interested. The moments that had made her think of him as a real person that she actually wanted to know about, that she wanted to stay with until she knew him.

She wished he was able to feel safe with her, the way she did with him. If he did and was actually honest for once, then maybe she could actually know if he felt something for her. And maybe then she wouldn't feel too scared to confess her own feelings for him....

In the end despite all the internal debate she had had with herself, she had brought Treasure planet. She panicked a bit when he was surprised by her choice of movie as she tried to explain it as best she could so he wouldn't dismiss it “W-well it's more of a fantasy space than actual space, with nautical ships in space and stuff, so maybe you won't actually like it, but it's very pretty! And the story is really good, so…”

She was nervous. What if he hated it? What if he teased her about taking into account his interest for space when choosing a movie for that day? What if his more scientific mind didn't let him enjoy a fantastical view of space? All the arguments she had made against bringing it last night came back into her mind full force as she babbled about the argument of the movie to try to justify her choice.

“I… I like sci-fi stuff too, Yashiro, don't worry” he reassured her, probably noticing her struggle “I'm sure I'll enjoy it, let's watch it”

Hanako had been fascinated from the second the movie started in space. He had an awe for the entire design of the film it seemed, his eyes seemed to almost sparkle with excitement every time there was an establishing shot of space and of the ships cruising through it. He was really enjoying the story too, since he was quietly invested for most of it, making Nene have to glance at him to see what he was feeling for a lot of it.

She just couldn’t ignore the way he squeezed her tighter during the I'm still here musical number. She had predicted some parts of the film might be very hard hitting for him, and when Hanako was looking really vulnerable it really made her want to reassure and protect him. So she decided to circle her arm around him to side hug him back, making him look at her with shock for a second. She blushed profusely, as she did not usually initiate physical contact as much as he did, but she really wanted him to know she was there for him. After staring at her for a second like he had to take a moment to process this was really happening, he smiled softly and rested his head on her shoulder, tightening his hug around her. They both continued to watch the movie with fascination, but neither let go of the other the entire time.

When the movie finished Hanako took a deep breath, and she watched him with interest to see what his reaction would be. Apparently noticing he was being watched, he opened his eyes and smiled at her, a somehow quiet but very honest smile that she rarely saw in him.

“You don't have to be worried, Yashiro, I loved it” he quickly said, answering her unasked question “Even if it wasn't very scientifically accurate, all the space and the stars were wonderful… and I really liked the story… thank you, for thinking of me when choosing the movie…” he blushed slightly at that, averting his eyes.

He was so... subdued in that moment. Not the overly animated Hanako of the toilet who she was used to dealing with by now, the one who would tease her endlessly for making such a movie choice based on his interests. No, the timid way he had thanked her for actually thinking of him when choosing the movie… the way he was still holding unto her but his hand kept nervously bunching up the fabric of her uniform, like he was unsure he was allowed to lay his hand there.... In that moment he reminded her more of Amane, the quiet boy who liked the stars whom she had seen brief glimpses of. The more human and vulnerable side of Hanako that he liked to hide as much as possible was there on the surface, and she was fascinated by the sight once more.

Obviously she knew Hanako put up a bit of a persona when he was his more ghostly self, as she had reflected upon the previous night thinking about seeing him in the past and how different he acted back then compared to now. Sincerity clearly didn't come easy for him, and everytime he opened up about himself he seemed embarrassed or genuinely surprised, and somewhat concerned, that she would be interested in any way in him.

Hanako had promised her to tell her everything someday, and she was patiently waiting for that day to come. But until then she had to treasure every show of the real him she saw. She always loved seeing him without any mask on, but it was so rare for it to happen it usually didn’t give her time to react.

She didn't think the movie would have this much of an effect on him, getting to see him like this. Maybe it just had been so long since he actually watched full movies like this he got absorbed easily, but she wasn’t complaining at all.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it…” she answered finally, trying not to stare too obviously at him despite her fascination “I was a bit worried, since you like the more sciency stuff of space…”

“I do, but they tried putting some of that stuff there too…” he conceded, nodding “I appreciated the effort they put into it. And I really do appreciate your effort in choosing this movie because you thought I'd like it, seriously...”

He smiled at her, and again she felt she could melt just from the sheer sincerity of it.

“Aaah, w-well, last time we watched one I liked so I thought I should bring one youd like, that's all…” she mumbled nervously, hoping he didn’t notice it wasn't just the general praise that had made her stutter.

“Didn't think a Disney movie would be about such a delinquent of a protagonist though…” he commented, apparently lost in thought.

“He's way more than that tough, he was really cool under all that! He was just conflicted, he managed to pull through and be as wonderful as only Silver saw he could be!” she immediately replied, making Hanako arc an eyebrow.

“Oh? Are you defending him too? He’s not even a prince, Yashiro!” he giggled at her embarrassment at that remark “Next time you can bring another one you like, like that third Cinderella movie you said was so good, apparently”

“Sure, I can do that…” she answered. Judging by that slight teasing Hanako was trying to put up his walls again, but she hadn't had enough of this more personable side of him yet, what could she do to make him stay like that bit…? “Ah, why don't you tell me about the parts that were accurate about the stars and such? Now I’m curious...”

“You are?” he asked, sounding pretty excited about the prospect of talking about stars. It was adorable. She nodded enthusiastically, happy that her question had worked as she hoped it would “Well, in that case! Some of the constellations they mentioned were real ones. They mentioned the cygnus cross, and that's the cygnus constellation, which is also called the northern cross since it kinda looks like one! Is a very old constellation, like from back in the second century! That's probably why its brightest star is called Deneb and not a numbered name like a lot of them are! It's the one that sits at the top of the cross, see?”

He started to gesticulate to make the shapes of the constellation and show her where each star was, very excitedly telling her all about it. Nene found that even when she had to ask questions quite often because she got a bit lost in all of his rambling, she really enjoyed seeing this side of him. It was just so... earnest.

If watching movies could get him to lower his guard like this maybe she should really keep bringing them while thinking of what he'd like, after Cinderella 3 she would have to bring a good one. Something that hopefully might make him react like this too, but maybe more romantically…? Could she even pull that off…? She would have to think about it carefully, think about what other Disney movies could possibly make him react like this….

Well, Hanako hated to admit that Yashiro's dreamy illusions about princes had some merit sometimes, but the third Cinderella movie had indeed given the prince a lot more personality than he remembered him having from the original.

He was a bit of an idiot who ran headfirst into love without a second thought, but despite how silly that could come across honestly he couldn't hate someone like that. Obviously, if you looked at who he himself had fallen in love with, who was right now trying to clean her tears before they made her face all scaly with his help.

As he listened to Yashiro babble about how romantic it was to see the prince just run to find Cinderella despite everyone thinking he must have gone insane and every other highlight of the movie for her, he couldn't help but think back on something that did stick with him. There was a line that repeated in the movie that struck with him, something the prince said about the moment he met Cinderella and danced with her, how he felt after meeting with her again.

“All the stars are shining brighter.”

It was ridiculous to relate so hard to something said by a Disney prince in a sequel most people had no idea existed, probably. And yet he understood so well.

The second he had seen Yashiro knock on his stall he had somehow known she was special. He had a strange feeling of having seen her before somehow, as if he had been searching or waiting for her his whole life.

He hadn't known how to explain it, and he probably never would. But the more time he spent with her the more he knew she was the only one for him. As cheesy as it did sound… somehow it did seem as if the stars shone brighter when he was with her. That’s exactly how it felt.

“So do you have a movie planned for the next time?” he asked once Yashiro was done praising the movie, curious about what the next one would be.

“I do, I think we will watch Beauty and the beast”

“Um? But isn't the prince a beast in that one...?” he mumbled, trying to remember the general idea of that story. As far as he knew it was about a prince turned into a beast by some kind of spell or curse who fell in love with a beautiful girl and that made the curse break, or something like that. His fairytale knowledge was pretty basic “Doesn’t seen much like your princely type then”

“W-well, he is a bit harsh, at the start” she admitted “But you know... it's a really good movie… I actually really like it, I… I think you will too...”

“I see…” he nodded “It will be interesting, that's for sure”

He was enjoying these watchalongs too much. He was enjoying these movies too much, frankly. At the start he had accepted mostly because the possibility of cuddling with Yashiro while they watched something she liked seemed fun, and he hadn't really watched a movie in forever so why not, but now he was actually looking forward to them. He had even warned the kid not to come to their little movie watching sessions since he didn’t want them to be interrupted, and he wasn't even pretending that he wanted Yashiro to come to the bathroom to clean and not just spend time with him! It was the truth really, but he usually wasn’t this obvious about it! At least he hoped he wasn’t….

He had even gotten so invested with the Treasure planet he had gotten a bit emotional. It wasn't his fault that the beautiful space setting, the fun adventure, and the touching story about a boy thinking he was doomed to failure in everything he tried actually succeeding and changing his life for the better had affected him.

He ended up talking about the stars for way too long after the movie ended. He was a bit embarrassed when he realized he had gotten carried away like that, but Yashiro hadn't seemed to mind. In fact she actually seemed… happy, for some reason. He didn't understand what seeing him talk about his love for the stars for so long made her so happy….

Beauty and the beast was, again, surprisingly good.

He hadn't thought he would like it that much, since it was another princess movie, but it definitely was resonating with him. Probably because he understood the beast a bit too well, it probably wasn’t too strange for him that he was identifying with a cursed man, but he could have ignored that if it wasn’t for how the beast had fallen for such a nice and idealistic woman as Belle.

The moment the beast had started to like Belle and having never felt that kind of emotion before wanted to do something for her he understood exactly where he was coming from. And from then on he was way too invested in the story.

The clumsy attempts at behaving himself after just being a beast for so long, and how Belle met him halfway sometimes. How they both found something in each other without meaning to, how they made each other happy and complemented each other so well. That whole musical number of them doing cute things and having romantic revelations when looking at each other... it was all getting to him.

Which was why after the dance scene, that scene where the Beast let Belle go hit him like a sledgehammer. The struggle the beast went through in that moment, of having to let her go because he loved her… god did he understand that. The way he touched her hair as he begged her to think of him sometimes almost wrecked him, reminding him of all those items he had wistfully ran his hands through Yashiro hair and rearranged it just to have an excuse to do so, wishing that seeing her hair in a different style would remind her of him wherever she was the rest fo the day.

When he saw the beast roar and lose himself in rage again after she rode out, leaving him as a sad wreck who didn't care the castle was being attacked since she wasn't there anymore… he thought it couldn't get worse than that, but then Gaston came and made it worse by actually attacking the beast just as he had reunited with Belle.

The scene where the beast was dying, just happy to be able to see Belle one last time before he passed as Belle begged him not to leave her as she confessed her love was the final straw, as he tried really hard but couldn't help but sniff, trying to contain his tears with mild success. It was still pretty noticeable since Yashiro, who had been crying openly for the whole scene and was just trying to dry her tears quickly, looked over at him with a little gasp of surprise. She thankfully didn't say anything, just rubbed his shoulder with a reassuring smile as she gestured back to the movie.

After Belles' love confession the spell broke and the beast turned back into a man, as they both kissed and made the castle return to its former glory. He knew the movie would have a happy ending, it was a Disney movie after all, but he couldn't help but feel immense relief seeing it after all that. And seeing how genuinely happy both the beast and Belle were during the finale, kissing spontaneously in the middle of a dance as if it were the most natural thing in the world…. He actually sighed with relief and happiness when the credits began to roll, and could almost feel Yashiro's intense stare the moment they did.

“So, I take it you liked the movie?” she asked, smiling with a bit of pride despite her struggling to clean her tears.

“W-well, yeah… I really did…” he mumbled. He couldn't believe he had actually cried during a Disney movie, was he really getting this soft? Oh who was he kidding, he was always way too emotionally soft when he was with Yashiro.

“I'm glad, I really enjoy that movie…”

“Well, the beast isn't exactly your princely type though” he remarked. In fact the beast seemed like the opposite of her type, he was quite rude sometimes and seemed to think of himself as a monster… which ok, was probably why he liked the guy, but why would Yashiro? “How come you enjoy it so much...?”

“Just because he isn't exactly my type doesn't mean I can't enjoy the love story between those two, you know?” she complained “Besides, it's really sweet to see how they match so well… and how she saw him for what a wonderful person he really was under his beastly form, and he put so much effort to be a better person for her and... it's really beautiful...”

He had related to that too, actually. Not that he would admit to that. But ever since he was around Yashiro he had been trying to be better as a person, even if he knew deep down he was a hopeless case, he could at least try for her. She inspired him to try to be better, even if he knew she would never look his way and he would never be worthy, he wished he could be someone that made her happy, and that was enough for him to try his best.

Which was why he had instantly understood the beast wanting to do something for Belle when he started to feel something for her, and everything after that. Actually that was giving him an idea… do something that sparks her interest, uh….

“Say… Yashiro…” he began saying as he got up “Would you… like to dance?” he put a hand over his heart and bowed a bit, feeling a bit ridiculous as he did so. But if she liked it he would do much more embarrassing things, and she had seemed to be very interested in the dance scenes in this movie and the other two princess movies they had watched, so....

“Aaah…. Really?” she asked, looking at him with a dreamy expression that he had often seen her have when thinking about her dumb princely crushes, but he didn't think would ever be directed to him “You're serious? You want to dance with me…? It's not a prank or something, right?”

“I'm serious, i-if you want, of course…” he had just stuttered, he couldn't believe it, he was trying to come off as smooth, but was horribly failing. Yet somehow Yashiro just seemed elated.

“Alright, give me a second...” she took out her phone, confusing Hanako for a second before music started playing from it “We can't very well dance without some music, right?” she left the phone on the windowsill and approached him, offering her hand with a bright smile.

A bit nervously, Hanako took Yashiro's hand on one hand and placed his other arm around her waist, frowning slightly “I've never danced before… this is ok, right…?”

“I've never properly danced before either Hanako-kun, I think this is fine” she laughed a bit, which thankfully made him a bit less nervous since she was apparently just genuinely enjoying this.

They slowly dance to the music, and the more he relaxed into it, the more he saw why this was such a popular romantic gesture in all these movies. Yashiro was looking at him with absolute adoration, probably too excited by the fact she was finally slow dancing with someone like she had always dreamed of doing to realise she was doing it with him, of all people.

Or maybe… she actually did want to dance specifically with him…?

No. It couldn't be. He shouldn't get his hopes up like that, couldn't do it. But he could enjoy this moment and fantasize about it later, like he shamefully did with lots of the close moments they shared.

“You are not a bad dancer, even if we are basically just swinging in place” Yashiro commented, taking him out of his thoughts.

“It’s not that impressive when that's all we are doing, really…” he frowned, trying to think of a way he could make this more exciting that he could manage with his utter lack of dancing experience “Oh! how about I try this…” he held her waist tighter, making her yelp in surprise as he dipped her easily. He was internally thankful for his strength since that made it easy to hold her in place and not tremble or anything that could have resulted in this not coming off as cool as he had hoped it would be. It seemed to have worked since she was blushing madly, making him unable to hold his laugh “Did I sweep you off your feet, Yashiro…? You're all red”

“I-I was just surprised is all!” she protested, but held onto him as he held their posture, finding it kinda cute to see her like that. Finally he let her back up, rejoicing in the way she hugged him close to regain her balance. “T-that was very, um…”

“What? Dashing? Romantic?” he said, a bit self mockingly. Like she would think of him as a romantic possibility... but he could dream.

“Actually… yeah…” she whispered, and if he hadn't been so close to her at that moment he would have thought he'd have misheard it for sure.

“W-what? Yashiro, you can't just say that kind of thing…” he immediately protested “I might get the wrong idea, you know..?”

“...what if it wasn't the wrong idea…?” she timidly asked, looking at him insecurely.

Oh no. No, she couldn't possibly be saying... he had to be imagining things, this couldn't be happening.

But she was still looking at him as she bit her lip, holding unto the sleeves of his uniform nervously while she whispered “I've been thinking about it for a while, actually… Hanako-kun I… I think I… I love you…” she finally said, and he was sure if he was alive his hearth would have skipped a beat.

He never thought he'd hear those words from her. He wished he could bask in them as they deserved, respond properly as he held her close and never let go as he always dreamed of. But he cared too much for her to let her do this.

“You shouldn't!” he immediately protested, holding her shoulders and tearing her away from him, as much as it pained him to see her hurt expression when he did so.

“W-why not...?” she asked, confused.

“Yashiro, I'm a murderer, I'm a ghost, and I’m… I just…” he responded, realising he was listing the many reasons he couldn’t be with her he had repeated to himself many times outloud “I'm not a good person, alright? I don't want to hurt you, I don’t want you to end up hating me… I can't bear the thought of it…”

“You would never hurt me…” she shook her head, looking at him with a trust he didn't deserve.

“You always see the best in me, Yashiro…” he felt a slight smile grace his lips at that “But I’ve already hurt you, haven't I? Didn’t me trying to trap you in that fake world hurt you? I was trying to protect you, sure, but I was only really trapping you wasn't I? A gilded cage is still a cage...”

“Well, yes, but…” she began, but he interrupted her before she could retort again.

“Yashiro I… I don't deserve you” he admitted “You are wonderful... a bit naive, but so kind that you would even consider loving a monster like me, but I can't let you do that. I don't even know what you would even see in me, but I can't give you what you deserve... you deserve to have a long and fulfilling relationship with someone who can grow old with you, who can be with you everywhere and not just in this school, who can give you all those romantic cliche dates you wanted. You deserve someone better than me, who isn't dead and cold to the touch, a good person who can love you without feeling like they would corrupt you when they touched you. You deserve everything you've dreamed of, you deserve everything. And I can’t give you that... I can’t…”

How he wished he could give it all to her, that he could be the one for her forever and always. But he couldn't. He had to make her realise that, just as he had, she needed to know that she deserved better than him.

Yashiro took a moment to let him breathe after he had said all that, as somehow he was panting, as if he actually needed to breathe at all. Maybe all the emotions that were being let out in this moment were making him do strange things, feeling more human than he usually did.

“Hanako-kun…” she began, making him look at her again with a bit of desperation, did she understand? Was she about to tell him she had reconsidered? Obviously he wanted her to stay away, he wouldn't have given all this speech if he didn’t want to protect her from himself, but another part of him that he tried to ignore was timidly hoping she would still stay with him regardless “This is something I've thought for a while too, but… you really don't think you deserve to be loved, do you?”

He flinched, surprised by how accurate that was. He had never thought of it in those exact terms, but... it was the truth, wasn't it? He didn't deserve to be loved. Not when he had murdered his own brother, when he had been a violent supernatural for so long and his soul was forever marked by his sins, when he selfishly wanted to have Yashiro all to himself despite knowing how wrong it was to think of someone so possessively.

“...well, I… obviously don't…” he managed to whisper. What else could he say to that...?

“Hanako-kun” Yashiro said, making him raise his eyes from the floor to look at her again “I truly love you... I wish you loved yourself too, but I can love you for the both of us until you do, because I am not giving up on this”

“Yashiro…” he sighed, feeling somehow both happy and frustrated at hearing that “I told you you shouldn't, I will only bring you pain…”

“But you've already given me so much joy in my life, Hanako-kun!” she replied, holding his hands and smiling brightly, making him look at her as if she was crazy, but also something amazing “You were always there for me when I needed you, always helped me, and made me realize that I didn't need to change to get people to like me, since I could just be myself with you…”

“You are wonderful just as you are…” he reaffirmed, holding her hands tighter and getting closer “I think I loved you from the moment you knocked on my stall”

She blushed profusely, smiling nervously as she looked at him with a bit of shock and awe. He didn't understand why she was so affected for a moment until it suddenly hit him. That was the first time he said that he loved her out loud for real, since that fake confession at the tree didn't count. He blushed profoundly as well at the realization, fidgeting in place as he tried to concentrate on brushing her hands with his own to calm himself. He always did like her hands… her fingers were beautiful...

“Y-you didn't even know me back then tough, right…?” Yashiro asked, recovering much quicker than him, but still quite dazed judging by her stuttering.

“No, but… somehow I knew it was you, I felt like you were the one I had been waiting for...” he tried to explain, frowning with frustration. It was hard to explain something he didn't understand himself. He didn't understand what it was about her that had made her feel familiar when he first saw her. A very vague memory of a summer festival came to mind, somehow, but he didn't see what kind of connection could there be there. “And the more time I spent with you the more convinced I was you were the only one I would love like this…. I didn't think I could feel so much after I was dead, you're the only one that could make me care about anything after so long of just being a stagnant spirit…”

He disentangled one of their hands so he could run it through her hair, sighing softly. He had been static for so long, had been convinced he would be in this school forever trying to redeem for a crime that couldn't be forgiven. He was resigned to his fate, he had accepted it, it was fine. He had given up his dreams of going to the moon and of wanting to explore the vastness of space, he had given up on wanting anything, really. But the second he met her that all had changed.

“You made me want again…” he confessed, looking deep into her ruby eyes to try to convey how serious he was about his next words “But that is very dangerous, Yashiro”

“Again with the danger… what do you mean by that…?” she asked him, confused.

“I mean that if I get to have you, I don't think I can let you go” he warned, wanting to make this as clear as he could, if this managed to scare her off that would probably be for the best anyway “You might think I've been clingy and possessive up till now, but I've been holding back, I wanted much more. If you actually were to be with me in any manner… I wouldn’t be able to hold back anymore. I probably would be much more jealous too, since I've always wanted all your attention all the time whenever you talked to the kid or anyone else. I wanted to make everyone else see you should only be with me, that you belong to me. I wanted to touch you and kiss all over, to hug you and hold you in my arms for hours, to do so many things with you that I can’t even list them all. I just… I want you, Yashiro. So. Much” he remarked, watching her blush even more with every word he said.

He couldn't blame her for being flustered at that, since he was probably blushing up to the ears too. It was one thing to be jealous and possessive and play it off as sorta of a joke, to actually admit that those feelings had been 100% real and toned down from what he actually felt was different. And to admit that he wanted her so fervently….

“That… that's a lot” she managed to say when she recovered from his little speech “You are more… intense than I thought…”

“That's a light way to put it…” he laughed humorlessly “It’s a bit creepy, I know, but I guess I am a ghost so I can't help being like that...”

Internally he thought he might have been like that all along, even before he was a supernatural. Back when he was Amane he had only been on the receiving end of such attention when it came to his brother, but he knew they were similar in more things than he'd like to admit, and the level of devotion he felt towards Yashiro was way too intense and reminded him too much of his brothers level of attachment towards him to be a coincidence. Maybe he had been so deprived of real love for so long he got intoxicated in it once he got it, like someone tasting alcohol for the first time and getting immediately drunk or something, but he knew it was concerning.

“I don't find it creepy, it's not that” she reassured him, making him frown with doubt, how the hell could she not find that creepy? Were her self preservation instincts really that bad? Actually, she was kinda easy to trick, maybe he should talk to her about that “It's just… I wasn't expecting you to feel this much about me, I've never… thought anyone could…”

Oh. That wouldn't do. He could have dealt with Yashiro thinking he was a creep, he would certainly deserve that, but not with her thinking she couldn't possibly spark this much interest in someone.

“You say I don't think I deserve love, but I think you got a similar problem, Yashiro” he pointed out, as he held her face in his hands to look her in the eyes and make her look back at him “I meant every word I just said. I love you, I want you. And honestly I think you are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen”

“B-but… I mean, my ankles are so ugly and…” she began to argue, but he shook his head to make her stop.

“No, they are not” he countered, as she looked at him with utter confusion. He should have seen this coming, that her insecurities would get the better of her and make her somehow think her ankles would stop him from loving her “I think they are very cute, actually”

“But you've always teased me about them!” she protested.

“That's because I wanted to make it seem like I didn't like them...” he blushed slightly at the admission “I really do tough, I like all of you, actually…”

“Ah… really?” she blushed again, more bashful than angry or embarrassed this time at least. He relaxed a bit as he softly caressed her face, it seemed he got through to her at least.

“I know most guys you confessed to turned you down, so you must be feeling a bit nervous now I guess…” he sighed, realising the situation was somewhat similar so it must have brought bad memories back to her “But Yashiro, I assure you, I would never reject you because of some silly thing like your ankles…. I don't want to reject you at all, I would keep you all to myself if I could...” he shouldn't want to be with her like that, he should have tried to reject her to keep her safe and away from him, but he was beginning to feel his will falter “I mean… are you really... okay with me…? It’s a bad idea, I’m trying to warn you now before anything happens...” he still tried to argue, and even his arguments sounded just exhausted at this point. He had wanted her for so long, that the mere idea that she could want him back… it was an offer too tempting for his weak heart, and he was starting giving in.

“You worry so much...” she smiled softly, “I've listened to all you have said... believe me, I've thought about many of those things too really, it's hard not to remember that you are dead…” she looked at their still linked hands, probably thinking of how cold he was to the touch compared to her “I know you had a hard life that led to it ending in tragedy, I know you must have been a bad apparition for some time at least since you got sealed, I know all this. Now I even know you're even more possessive than I thought, but that still doesn't bother me. Because I also know that you are always there for me when I need you, that you care for me and want me to be happy, and I want that for you too! I want you to stop denying yourself things you want just because you think you don't deserve to be happy…”

He cast his eyes down, but Yashiro forced him to look back at her by caressing his cheek. She cleaned some tears that escaped his eyes “I… did something unforgivable… I shouldn't be allowed what you offer me…” he tried to explain with a weak voice “I am a horrifying monster who killed his own flesh and blood… someone like me doesn’t deserve…”

“I know I don't know all the circumstances yet, but Hanako-kun…” she interrupted him, looking him in the eye “I think you deserve happiness, I think you deserve to be loved... and I love you. Despite everything, I love you... ”

He could almost cry again at hearing all that, he felt his lips quiver, but managed to control himself this time. He didn’t particularly enjoy feeling this vulnerable, in fact usually he would have hated it, but somehow… he felt it was fine for Yashiro to see him like this. She was the only one that he trusted wouldn't hurt him even when seeing how fragile he truly was.

“... you are so stubborn…” he said when he finally considered his voice wouldn't crack when talking again “I can’t stop you, can I?”

“Persistence is one of my best qualities” she bragged without missing a beat, and he actually laughed at that. She was ridiculous, this was ridiculous. It was unbelievable. Yet it was happening. Was he actually in one of those Disney movies they had been watching? Maybe he had fallen asleep after watching them and this was a wishtfull dream…

“That is true…” he took a deep breath, even though he didn't really need it “If you are truly sure… if nothing of what you know has really stopped you, and you really are okay with someone like me being with you then… I guess it’s… official now? That we are… a thing?”

This was awkward, he didn’t know how to proceed at this point. He never thought this would get this far honestly, and his fantasies usually skipped this kind of steps to get to more interesting stuff when he was feeling really self indulgent, but he never really thought he'd get to be any sort of actual anything with Yashiro.

“Like… boyfriend and girlfriend you mean…?” Yashiro asked, as she actually bounced with excitement at the notion. She was so cute, he was not going to be able to handle this if she was going to be this adorable.

“I-if you want…” he stuttered, and she screamed excitedly as she hugged him with way too much force. If he wasn’t used to dealing with being suddenly hugged out of nowhere they would have probably fallen to the floor with the force of it, but luckily he was so he managed to keep them on their feet.

“I can't believe it! We are actually together now!” she was ecstatic, and he couldn't help smiling just looking at her. Her obvious joy at having her feelings reciprocated was contagious, even if he himself was still trying to get over his disbelief.

“I didn’t think it would actually happen either…” he agreed, hugging her tightly with a content sigh. He didn't get to hug her so freely often, since she usually put up a bit of a fight when he got too clingy, but now she was just hugging him back and just as touchy as he usually was, actually laughing when he nuzzled her shoulder and petting his hair. Now that they were official he could do this anytime, couldn’t he? And it seemed like she actually liked being fussed over like this... oh, how he would enjoy this….

“Hey, um… if we are together now, there's something I want to try but… I don't know if you'll like it...” Yashiro softly said, almost like she was embarrassed of asking.

“Um...?” he distractedly replied, hearing her but still a bit distracted by being able to actually indulge in her warm embrace like this.

“... can I call you by your real name?” she requested, making him give his full attention to the conversation once again.

“...I thought YOU didn't like it. In the fake world you kept calling me Hanako, despite my insistence...” he frowned as he recalled that. It had hurt a little to be ignored like that back there, like he was being looked through instead of being looked at….

“It's not because I don't like it! I'm just not used to it… and somehow… it felt a bit... personal to call you that…” she admitted, blushing.

Well, he guessed it was quite a step to call him by his actual name, he hadn't thought about it too hard at first since being a twin he had gotten called his name more often than most. Hearing that name brought back many memories…. Many of those memories were unpleasant, like of Tsukasa screaming it and demanding his attention, or of Tsuchigomori disappointedly calling it to try to get him to confess who was hurting him. But on the other hand…

“... I want to hear you say it…” he whispered, blushing as well at the admission. He didn’t think it would be such a big deal to hear his given name from her, but the way she had shily asked to call him that… made it feel more intimate somehow.

“Amane…” she finally whispered, as if she was telling him some kind of secret. It sorta felt like it, with the way it made him almost gasp just hearing it. It was said almost with reverence, with so much endearment behind it. It was a way to say his name that he had never heard before.

“...I think I love hearing it from you…” he confirmed, trying to buster up his courage to say the next words “... then I think… I should also call you... Nene…”

She blushed as well at hearing her given name from him, making him laugh softly. It was so silly, really, that they got this affected just by calling each other by their given names. Very slowly, giving her every chance to back away, he got closer as he tilted his head to kiss her.

She was a bit surprised by his gesture, but didn’t back off, and actually met him halfway and quickly responded to his movements. At first shily raising her arms to hold onto his uniform, then more firmly wrapping them around his neck. The way she responded made him unable to hold back anymore, as he held her as close as he could so he could kiss her deeply.

He had wanted for so long to be able to act upon his feelings like this, to be able to show her how much she meant to him, and now he was kissing her with his all. He kissed her desperately, moving his hands all over her back since he felt he was unable to get enough of her, he needed to somehow make her be closer, make her stay with him forever as he had longed for. He only stopped kissing her when he realized he had to let her breathe, and she was panting when they briefly parted.

“You okay…? Sorry, I got carried away…” he asked her with genuine concern, as he rested his wandering hands on her waist.

“I-I’m fine, that was….” she murmured, completely flushed “T-that was amazing…”

“Oh? It was?” he couldn't help feeling slightly smug hearing that.

“Y-yes…” she confirmed, still holding onto his neck as she got him closer once more “Can we… do it again…?”

“You're going to spoil me, letting me do things like this…” he laughed softly, but did not hesitate anymore as he kissed her again. And again. And again. He could kiss her forever if she let him, and she was letting him repeat, responding to his desperate kisses with her own slightly clumsy enthusiasm. It was still hard for him to believe, but it seemed like she really did love him back, and wanted this as much as he did.

He started to kiss her neck after he had to stop to let her breathe again, and was rewarded with such wonderful needy noises he had to hold back a growl. His degenerate mind was working at full time at the moment, but he couldn't let himself get too ahead of himself, because he might be a pervert but even he knew a bathroom wasn't the best place to do anything beyond making out. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't make sure this little makeout session left Nene with something to remember him by.

He kissed her neck harder, unsure how much pressure it would take to get what he wanted, and slightly afraid he would hurt her or she would dislike this and push him away. However when she just held unto his hair when he bit her he at least was sure she was enjoying this as much as he was, and the noises she kept making were going to drive him insane. When he finally moved away to make sure his work was done he smiled with satisfaction, looking at the marks he managed to leave in Nene’s neck with pride.

“Look at that, a protection charm everyone can see this time…” he said, and Nene looked at him confused before glancing at herself in the mirror and seeing the marks.

“W-what?! Oh no, everyone will be able to see this!” she scrambled to the mirror, looking at them while he laughed.

“That was the point, yes~”

“You did this on purpose then…” she pouted at him while he just casually floated around her, way too happy about this.

“You didn't seem to mind while I was making them~” he replied cheerfully.

“I… don't mind them, I… kinda liked that you wanted to mark me like this… it's just… aaaaah this is gonna be so embarrassing!” she hid her face with her hands, mortified by the future embarrassment she would have to face “How the hell am I gonna explain this?”

“You could always hide them, but I would be sad” he said, as he nuzzled his face on her shoulder as he hugged her from the side “Don't you want everyone to know that you are mine…?”

“W-well..” she blushed, looking back at him with a sigh “...Amane…” he looked up when he heard her use his name again, still so unused to hearing it being said with such fondness “Of course I would like everyone to know we are together, I’m not embarrassed of you or anything, but… don't you think that would be troublesome?”

“Probably…” he admitted. There were so many problems in the way of them being together: that she was alive and he was a ghost, that she would die soon if he didn't find any way to save her, that if Tsukasa or any other supernatural for that matter found out about them it would probably be chaos, that he still had to tell her all about his past and hope she didn't find him monstrous after that… and yet. He couldn't help it. He had tasted the forbidden fruit, he had given into his biggest desire and now he couldn't go back, now he just craved for more “But I want us to do much more than this, so…”

“Hanako!” she blushed profusely, hitting his head. Though not as hard as she usually did, it was more of a tap really.

“Ouch, so I’m back to Hanako when I make you mad, uh...?” he noted, chuckling softly. Maybe that was for the best, it probably would be better if she didn’t call him by his name when they were around other people, and he did tend to make her mad a lot when they were not alone.

“Don't say things like that so casually!” Nene complained, still a blushy mess from that simple comment.

“Oh? But my little perverted daikon also wants more, doesn't she~?” he teased, unable to help himself as he whispered in her ear seductively “I heard the little noises you made when I was kissing you all over… you enjoyed it, you naughty girl~”

“D-don’t try to turn this around! Y-you're much more perverted than me!” she weakly tried to protest.

“And yet you still love me” he laughed as he hugged her, deciding to stop teasing her, as fun as that was. He took a deep breath as he held her tightly, noticing that she perceived his change in mood as she just hugged him back “You still love me, despite everything… thank you, Nene…”