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Chapter Text

 His thoughts drifted as lazily and freely as the waves that rocked the boat.

He could feel the subtle vibrations, the gentle ups and downs, could hear the faint hiss of the sea-spray. The trickling spatters of water on the window were whisked away as the boat flew across the sea.

He spent much of his time like this, sequestered in his room with the lights dim. He found it meditative, calming. The warm rays of the sun provided enough light during the day for the room to be comfortably lit, but still not bright (and he could adjust the curtains as he felt necessary), and at night, the light of a lamp and a spare candle would suffice. He didn't care much. As long as it wouldn't distract him... He had much to mull over.

The Neo World Program...

The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event In Human History...

The Ultimate Despairs...

Chiaki's death...

A lot could happen in a few years.

He kicked his feet up, resting them on the edges of the small table. His chair leaned back as he slumped over in his seat, his arms folding in his lap. He let his head dangle over the back of the chair, so he stared straight into the pasty white ceiling above him.

He could hear the movements of the other students above; most days they'd be found doing any number of things aboard the ship as they waited to reach the shores of Jabberwock. Honestly, the onset of boredom and cabin fever was only equaled by the heavy reality that now surrounded them. Nothing could distract them from either for long, except the other. Somehow this back and forth cycle lasted them a few days, but like everything else on the ship at this point, it was losing its distractive sway. Sure, things were better now, by almost all accounts—they were free from the Neo World Program, from their despair, and now had the chance to start over, to live the normal life stolen from them when they first entered Hope's Peak's walls and atone for their sins. But that didn't strip away the guilt, the shock, the horror, the sorrow...

Well, being stuck on this ship for a few days did give them plenty of time to let these kinds of thoughts permeate. And permeate they did.

He heard another set of footsteps, one much closer than the echoes of the upper floor. It was a soft shuffling, just outside his door. Back and forth it went, and for hours on end he could observe it, almost as long as he would be in here. Only rarely were there long pauses, and never once did they completely leave. He wondered if any of the other students noticed it, too.

I thought I told her to hang with the others for a while...

She was contemplating peeking in. He could practically feel the budding tension in the air. Every pause was contemplation, and sometimes, that contemplating almost acted. Once or twice he'd heard her hand on the knob accompanied with a hastily-choked twist.

Every time he'd open the door, she'd be faithfully standing there. In the mornings when he got up, late at night if he'd been kept awake and went out of the room for something before bed, and any time in between. She was never far from him. The only regular instance she'd be further than a few feet from him was at night, when everyone was asleep, her in the bedroom just next door to his. (The students had been given free rein to pick their rooms on the ship, and she had made utmost certain that she picked a room right next to his.)

And speaking of nighttime, it was getting rather late... Perhaps he ought to go see what was happening upstairs. Currently, it was past the usual suppertime, and because no one had come to retrieve him (and Peko) he figured it was taking a bit longer to get everything prepared tonight. Maybe they'd need another set of hands, even with having fifteen (fourteen if you discounted Teruteru, who naturally spent as much time as possible in the kitchen anyway) already at their disposal, most likely more than ready to help with whatever possible.

He shifted his feet off the table's edge and stood up, moving the chair back to its place. As he approached the bedroom door, the pacing outside stopped. He opened the door and saw her staring in anticipation.

"D'they call for dinner yet?" He asked.

"No. Not that I am aware."

"Then let's go see what the holdup is." He swung the door closed behind him and walked down the corridor, her close behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Was he too late?? He couldn't see...

His face was wet, his heart pounded.

He searched the sea of attackers, shoved his way through. He saw her, tearing through the ranks, fighting back... winning. He ran to help her.

And then the pain.

Searing pain... a splash of red. Her shocked face...

First red, and then black...

His limp body in her arms. Protectively. Lovingly.

Another splash of red. And another... The attackers piled upon them like animals on their kill.

All around him was red.

Even in death, she shielded him. Her battered body was ripped away from him in the onslaught, Fuyuhiko nothing more than a meaningless, hapless receiver of the wayward strikes. The hellish sounds resonated, consuming everything...

   A shout into darkness, an innocent blanket sent hurtling into the nearest wall from adrenaline, and a sigh. Reality caught up with him in an instant.

Ahh, this was growing so very old so very fast.
This tired routine was almost a nightly occurrence, and each time it hit fresh and harder. He went to bed expecting it... His subconscious was particularly fond of tainting his dreams with these memories.

He laid back against the wall, sliding down it as his head hung, his chin dropping to almost touch his chest. His arms dangled carelessly onto the bed, his legs off the side of the bed, and one hand sluggishly reached up to instinctively rub his eye, to force the sleepiness back.
Yeah, he'd most likely be staying awake a while...

Right on cue, footsteps, and a flickering spot of white near the outside handle of the door.

A creak... shambling.
A startled face, glasses-less, scouring the room for him.

"Go back to bed..."

His form was just barely visible. She could make out his outline, slumped against the wall on the bed, from her position.

"Young master?" She queried, her voice crackly. Probably from being jolted awake in the middle of a very sound sleep.

"I'm fine." He grumbled, embarrassed. This was what annoyed him the most: the fact that every time this happened, like clockwork, she'd show up. Admittedly, seeing her appear before him- in the flesh, healthy, whole, and not dead and torn to bloody pieces- was a massive comfort. He just hated that his comfort came at her expense, as it always did.

She hesitated, the flickering flame from the candle sending skewed shadows across her face and spastic light across the door.

"I'm fine." He repeated pointedly, not intending to sound hostile, but nonetheless it slipped in.

She blinked slowly. She nodded.

"Wake me if you need me, young master."

She left the room without a sound. The only indicator she had actually left beyond just lingering outside the door was the retreating luminance her lantern had provided. He was left staring at the door long after she left. Just how long, he didn't notice or care. At length, he decided to make a quick trip to the bathroom for a drink, simply out of a lack of any other ideas on what to do. He didn't bring any light with him as he left the room, as that would draw attention to him and possibly wake up the other students since some of them left their doors open at night, and the doors did not insulate very well against a bright light at this kind of dimness anyway. Plus, he figured he knew the layout of this hallway well enough to navigate it without relying too heavily on his sight.

He fumbled his way to the bathroom, snatched up a disposable cup and cranked the faucet for a brief second to fill the cup just about midway. With one quick swig he emptied the cup, tossing it lightly over his shoulder at the trash can right next to the sink (without noticing he ended up missing his shot) and left. He wandered back to his room, but ended up stopping before stepping in.

Her door was slightly ajar, and he could see a faint flickering of light. Had she left her light on? Or was she still awake??

He crept up to the door and peered in with his left eye. The candle was left on the table in her room (all the rooms had the same layout—a narrow doorway led to a wider room with a bed along the west wall, parallel to the wall, a small table with a folding chair in the center of the room, and on the north wall, a large window with a built-in window seat, furnished with a few small cushions) and with the scattered light, he made out her form reclined on the window seat, staring out the window.

He frowned at this. She hadn't gone back to sleep? Why was she still up?? Had she been up this entire time??

The last thought hit him like a smack to the face... What if she had?
Is that why every night he'd had a nightmare she would show up so quickly? But she hadn't appeared tired lately... Surely if she'd been staying awake at night, she would appear much more tired...

He rebuked that thought with a bitter sentiment of comprehension. Of course not. She'd hide it. He himself had mastered the art of masking—pain, emotions, just about anything. He knew how she thought of herself: a tool for him to use. A tool doesn't get to have feelings... A tool doesn't get to be tired... A tool only exists to serve. No thoughts, no feelings, no will... Just the will of its master.

And he hated it with every fiber of his being.

His angry tirade of thought slowed drastically, however, when he saw her face.

Her vibrant crimson eyes captured in the moonlight also glittered with mist. He could see her trembling with every breath, as if trying to calm down after being gravely upset. He saw her stiffened expression contorted with unease, misery.

He felt he shouldn't have been surprised... but he was.

She looked miserable. The only time she'd ever looked like this in her life...

"Please Peko... Don't go!!"

"I need you!!! Don't leave me!!"

"Young... master!..."

"...Young master!"

How long had she been like this?

How long had he not noticed?

He merely stood there, hand on the wall for stability and guidance. She seemed completely unaware of his presence. He was always so sensitive to her presence... yet she was oblivious to his. She was always so driven to never leave his side, she didn't notice when he came to hers.

Because he'd never done that.

He could feel his heart aching. What if she was going through the same thing he was? What if she, too, was haunted by these flashes of memories, the repetition of their worst days endlessly in their minds, just as terrible as when it actually happened? He was sure they all were...

And yet she took it all without ever saying or showing anything to anyone.

Their relationship had stagnated since then, since their time in the New World Program. It had been unwitting, unnoticed, and inevitable. They'd fallen back into their old places as master and mastered.

And he wanted to change that once and for all.

He had never been the best at conveying his feelings, at handling his sensitive side... It certainly showed with the two of them.

But no more beating around the bush.
No more hesitation. No more trying to say the same tired thing over and over again in the hopes it got the right message across.

It was time to be direct. Serious.

Their final moments together in the Neo World Program flashed in his mind. In those precious moments, he'd finally managed to break through his awkwardness, his hesitation, his uncertainty, and let his heart speak.

If he had to, he'd treat this like that. As if these were their last moments together.

He pushed the door open and stepped in. The door groaned softly upon being opened, and that caused her to suddenly snap awake. She was surprised to see him standing there, staring at her.

"Young master!!" She jumped up immediately, her eyes wide. She reached for her glasses and sword, probably out of instinct.

"Sid'down." He said abruptly. Ugh, there he goes again, ordering her around... But, he figured it'd be the only way she'd listen.

She sat back down quickly, clearly very confused. She watched as he proceeded to close the door and walk up to her bed. On the back of her bed was a simple, fluffy white blanket that he snatched up in one arm. He approached the window seat and unfolded the blanket while she stared in surprise. His expression softened from hard-set and deadpan to a looser frown of remorse. He sat down on the window seat next to her, gently draping the blanket over her shoulders and wrapping it around her.

Needless to say, this shocked her quite a bit. Why was he doing this?...

"Young master... I-Is something wrong?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah. Something is very wrong." He said surprisingly steadily. She couldn't read much of his expression, as he had his head turned away. He hadn't quite mustered the courage to look at her yet... As it stood his heart was pounding, though he tried to force it to settle.

"Are you alright??" She asked after a moment.

"I'm just fine."  Damn, how'm I supposed to say this?... He inhaled deeply, almost adding onto that statement but stopping himself at the last second as the words knotted up in his mind. For a minute, the only disruptions in the silence were their soft, gentle breaths.

Fuyuhiko closed his eye, his expression twisting further.

He knew exactly how he wanted to say it, how he needed to say it. But still he couldn't.
What was holding him back?

He could feel her shifting beside him, prompting his notice. She had an awkward look on her face as she shrugged the blanket from her shoulders, staring at one of the bottom corners of the window. She wasn't sure what to do, he could feel it.

He grabbed the blanket again and wrapped it around her once again, but this time, with noticeable more... tenderness. She stared at him expectantly.

"Young master... what is bothering you?"

His hands clenched as they fell to his sides.

"There's something I need to say. Something I've needed to say for a while..."

He felt something warm and soft surround him. Peko had one arm around his waist, and had grabbed the corner of the blanket from her shoulder and wrapped it around him, almost as if she were surrounding him in a barrier of warmth.

He leaned into her side, his arms around her waist with his face in her upper arm. Peko could feel the shuddering in his breaths. They tightened their grip around each other as he tried to hold back his tears... Both of them were shaking now.

He could feel the soft tremors in her grasp. She was staring down at him, eyes half-lidded and damp. He could see the tiredness in her glassy eyes clearly now... but it wasn't physical exhaustion.

Fuyuhiko leaned up and rested his cheek on her shoulder. His eye closed... He sighed.

"Peko... I... " He swallowed hard. "... I didn't know what to do. When you... died..." He flinched mentally, pausing once again. That thought was still too much for him. "... when you died, I was lost. I was so lonely. All I wanted was to have you back..."

Her hand slowly stroked his back. The trembling was gone...

"When we woke up... and you didn't..." His voice grew strained. "... I thought you were never coming back."

Chapter Text

No one else should have been up right now, but he was. Ever since his transformation, everything had become much harder... sleeping especially.

He didn't know what else to do.

He extended his hand and his fingers pressed against the door. As it was already ajar, all it needed was a little push from his fingers to open it. But he didn't step inside.

"Fuyuhiko...."

The yakuza was dead asleep nearby, collapsed against Peko's pod. It appeared to be a troubled sleep, as his breathing was heavy and his face contorted with grief. It was 2 in the freaking morning. No wonder he hadn't seen him when they'd all turned in for the night.

Hajime sighed and approached, his hand lacing the gleaming glass. No signs of her waking... He blinked slowly, his head tilting back as he carefully analyzed her. Those wounds were certainly going to need tending, they'd already bled through their bandages again. The fatal wound that had done her in in the Neo Word Program, which Hajime had suspected to be the large gash slitting the back of her neck, was the most bothersome of all. Keeping up with all the injuries of their many comatose friends and making sure their conditions were appropriately tended to was a task that kept him on his feet almost all-hours. All of them had grievous injuries, some with more of them than others, but Hajime was thankful that at the very least Nekomaru was in one piece.

Ah, he was stirring.

"What the he--?!" Fuyuhiko's sudden shout echoed through the empty room as he sprang to his feet. In his cloudy-minded state (and due to the fact it was so dark in the room that he couldn't even tell who was before him) he lunged for Hajime, suspecting him to be a threat.

"SHUT UP!" Hajime hissed, pushing Fuyuhiko back. His sharp red eye glinted vehemently. Izuru appeared to be just as tired as he was.

"Oh, H-Hajime..." He murmured listlessly.

"Why are you here?? Shouldn't you be asleep in your cabin? I already told you I would come get you if she woke up."

"Tch, same to you." He sounded salty. "Am I not allowed to be here or something?"

"You know why. Now move." Hajime held his arm out with the intention of pushing Fuyuhiko aside, but the yakuza simply sidestepped his reach. Since he was here, he may as well start with her.

The glass lid slid open with a hiss. Fuyuhiko shuffled closer. The ghostly green light from within the capsule spilled out, illuminating the two standing by it. With focused hands, he began work. Fuyuhiko stared over his shoulder the whole time, as if some part of him didn't trust Hajime to not hurt her somehow.

"Since you're here, make yourself useful. Go tell me how Gundham is looking, and Komaeda as well." Hajime said coolly. Those two, along with Peko, were the closest to Death's door. They were hanging by a fraying thread, all three.

"Fine..." Fuyuhiko turned and started following the line of capsules towards the closest of the two—Gundham.

He still winced every time he looked at him. Not because he felt afraid or squeamish or what have you, but because he pitied the man for enduring what he had... and he felt bad for him because of what would surely be an excruciating awakening.

"Not lookin' much better." He reported. He then checked Komaeda. Those self-inflicted wounds of his, though most were not fatal on their own, were still just as much of a pain to keep track of. No doubt Hajime would be giving him a talking-to.

"Yep, he's lookin' pretty—," Fuyuhiko cut himself off suddenly. His heart suddenly stuttered.
Had Komaeda flinched just now?
He stared hard.

"Fuyuhiko??"

"He's fine, I think." Fuyuhiko said. Nope, he hadn't moved.

"Good." Hajime responded. Fuyuhiko heard the glass lid on Peko's pod closing again. Hajime walked over to Gundham's pod and started helping him. Fuyuhiko wandered back to Peko's pod, smiling just slightly. He and the others were doing everything they could to get the others back, but... nobody had woken up yet. It had been days since they'd left the Neo World Program. They were starting to believe they simply wouldn't wake. The survivors had busied themselves with whatever they could manage, specifically cleaning up the buildings on the various islands and helping Hajime when he needed it, but it felt like time was crawling at a miserably slow pace.

"C'mon, Peko..." He mused, tapping the lid as if he hoped to inspire a response.

"Fuyuhiko? Do me a favor and run out and get me some more bandages." Hajime called. He was still in the middle of treating Gundham.

"Sure... Gimme a minute." Fuyuhiko left the lab, his footsteps fading with him.

He returned soon, holding an entire bag full of rolls of bandages. Hajime was staring expectantly at the door and almost looked annoyed. He'd expected Fuyuhiko would've been back sooner.

"Here." Fuyuhiko tossed the bag at Hajime, and the contents emptied themselves on the floor beside him.

"Thanks." Hajime responded, picking up a fresh roll and unwinding some of it.

"Do you.... want any help?" Fuyuhiko asked, not knowing what else to do.

"I'm fine. You should go to sleep... in your own cabin."

"Tch, I'll worry about myself. I want to be here when she wakes up."

"I said I'd come get you..."

"But what if you're not here?!" An absurd comeback, since Hajime was spending a vast majority of his time here tending to everyone, with the occasional company of one of the other survivors.

Hajime didn't even respond, himself aware of the absurdity. "Please, Fuyuhiko... What are you going to do when she wakes up and you're too tired to help her?"

Well, that got him thinking. He looked off to the side, hands on his hips. "... Are you sure you won't need any help? Even if it's just running out for--,"

WHAM!!!

Hajime and Fuyuhiko both jumped.

"PEKO!!!" He shouted immediately after, rushing over to her pod and slamming his hands on the glass. His face fell.

She hadn't moved.

"... W-Wh..." Fuyuhiko breathed, his eyes wide.

"Nagito!!!!"

"What!?!" Fuyuhiko's voice ebbed disappointment.
Again, pulsing through the empty room-

WHAM!!!!

Hajime shot to his feet, sprinting over to Nagito's capsule in what seemed like a single bound. Now that Fuyuhiko was looking, Komaeda was indeed moving inside the capsule.

The lid slid off, and the discombobulated figure inside swayed as he tried to brace himself.

"Where...?" Nagito croaked.

"Nagito... it's me, Hajime..." Hajime said, gripping the cloudy-haired boy by the upper arm to help him up. Nagito was like liquid in his grasp, too weak to support himself. His eyes were glassy and empty. He must have temporarily panicked when he woke up.

"Crap... he's awake, but really out of it... Fuyuhiko, can you get me a glass of water for him?" Hajime was currently trying to get Nagito to stand up (or even just acknowledge he was there), but he was still very spacey. Fuyuhiko nodded and took off. This time, the trip took just about a minute, either because the yakuza was sprinting this time, or he just went to the bathroom right next-door. Either way, he returned with a glass of water, but it was almost completely empty, as in his rush most of it had sloshed over the sides. Hajime had managed to pull Nagito out of the capsule, but he was now entirely supporting him. 

"Thanks..." He hauled Nagito over to the nearest wall and leaned him back against it. Fuyuhiko walked over with the cup, and Hajime took it and set it on the floor beside him. He got up just momentarily to retrieve a roll of bandages. Fuyuhiko was almost scared looking at Nagito as he was now... He was completely, totally listless. Like a zombie. Like he was only half-alive. It made him even creepier than he already was. Would everyone else wake up like this..???

"W-Will he wake up soon?" Fuyuhiko asked. "Like... not be a zombie?"

"Yeah, I think so. He's probably in a bit of shock and suffering from a lot of weakness because of blood loss... His sickness probably isn't doing him any favors either."

"Heh, so much for "lucky"."

"Actually, he's quite lucky. He's the first to wake up, and after being so close to kicking the bucket too." Hajime remarked. Hajime worked quickly to change Nagito's bandages.

"He's gonna be in a lot of pain..." Fuyuhiko mused.

"They all will be."

"... True."

Hajime stood up, walking back to Gundham's pod to finish what he'd started. Fuyuhiko stared at Nagito.

His eyes were droopy, as though he were trying not to fall asleep. His mouth hung open slightly, and he was breathing rather heavily.

"Hey, ass, wake up." Fuyuhiko slapped his arm with the backside of his hand a couple times in hopes of eliciting a reaction.

"Fuyuhiko!" Hajime called reproachingly from his position.

"I'm not doing anything!" He snapped.

So the minutes passed.
Hajime made his rounds and made sure everyone was OK, Fuyuhiko lingered at Peko's side, and Nagito sat like a dejected doll against the wall.

"Still nothing?" Hajime inquired.

"Nope. What d'we do with him?"

"I'm going to take him to one of the cabins for now."

"Ok... Want me to help you?"

"Sure."

And thus the two boys trudged out of the room carrying an inert zombie, one at each side, to his new cabin.

After Hajime had gotten Nagito situated, Fuyuhiko left to return to the lab.

Now that Nagito was awake... Would this be the signal for the others to wake up as well? How soon?? And who would be next??

"Go to sleep, Fuyuhiko." Hajime said as he re-entered the room.

"I told you, don't–,"

"Please. I am, too."

"Well, if you're going to bed then someone needs to be here in case someone else wakes up!"

"Everything will be fine. I don't think anyone else will be waking up tonight."

Silently, Fuyuhiko reluctantly agreed... but he still didn't want to leave. Nagito's awakening had renewed his hope.

Like he'd ever say that to his face.

"Ok... I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early." Fuyuhiko relented, sighing. Hajime smiled.

"Yeah. Sleep well."

The next to awaken was Ibuki, a mere day later. Miraculously, she was up and running the second she emerged. Then, in gradual succession, the others emerged.

Mahiru, Nekomaru, Gundham, Hiyoko, Twogami, Teruteru, Mikan...

But Peko never woke up.

It was now over a week since everyone else had woken up. They were all well and happy.

But not her.

Fuyuhiko was losing hope.

His ear was pressed against the glass, his eye squeezed shut. He was desperate... He would do anything if only she would wake up.

Mikan and Hajime had been dedicating all they could to helping her, but somehow she remained in this deathly limbo. Neither of them could explain why, but both of them were starting to expect the worst...

She may not make it.

She might die.

But he'll be damned if he lets them give up on her.
Just hours ago Hiyoko had snidely suggested in passing they pull the plug on her and let her die "peacefully". The fight that ensued was anything but peaceful.
Fuyuhiko, screaming vulgarities, attacked Hiyoko heedlessly. The encounter ended with the yakuza storming from the room, leaving Hiyoko with a few "memorials" and probably some traumatization as well. Akane, Nekomaru and Sonia intervened before any serious harm could be done, though.

Now here he was, all that anger replaced with devastation. Why would they even consider it?? Were they even considering it?? She was fighting... She was clearly fighting, right?? She hadn't given up on life so why should they, when she needed them most??

He wouldn't give up. He wouldn’t abandon her.

And if he was the only one who wouldn't, so be it.

"Come on Peko... you're strong. I know you can do this. And I'll be right here when you wake up..."

"Fuyuhiko?" A soft voice called. Sonia was peering into the room. Gundham was visible behind her.

"Hey..." He rasped.

"Fuyuhiko... when was the last time you have eaten?" She asked, frowning.

"S'fine. I ate just this morning." He murmured. This was a lie, and the angry pit in his stomach seemed especially ravenous as he said that.

"I did not see you in the dining room."

"I got up earlier."

"Oh. I see..." The princess turned away sadly. "Please come out... spend time with us. I know you are worried for Peko, but—"

"You'll have plenty of time to see me once she wakes up." He remarked with an air of finality.

Sonia looked ready to protest, but Gundham dissuaded her with a hand on her shoulder and a shake of his head.

"... Take care of yourself, Fuyuhiko." She exited the room. He watched as she left, her long hair flowing behind her.

He had once again sunk into the silence until he felt... a disturbance.

A rough hand gripped his shoulder.

"So you are still determined to see her revived... You care so little for the notion that your prayers are in vain."

"Shut up!!!" He snapped, slapping his hand away.

His lip curled. "You misinterpret me, mortal." He rumbled. "I mean only that you wait by Lazarus' tomb with your soul ever fixated on seeing the fruition of your weeping. Fight on. Let nothing waver your devotion. Perhaps she shall awaken with your prayers to sustain her."

"What?..." Fuyuhiko croaked.

"Gundham! Are you coming?" Sonia called from outside.

"Hmph. Farewell. Remember these words." The breeder spun around on his heels, his scarf flying behind him. He soon vanished from sight.

"Perhaps she shall awaken with your prayers to sustain her."...

Damn right. I won't let her go.

The following morning, Fuyuhiko was on his way to the lab just before sunrise. He stared up into the sky, lost in his thoughts...

His eye closed. He could feel his heart slowing, as if he were losing himself to a dream...

His soft steps began to echo. His head tilted up... The echoes became clearer, as if they were becoming their own set of steps...

He opened his eyes to a brilliant sunrise splitting the clouds and shattering the sky into brilliant orange and pink hues. He looked slowly towards the ground.

The two walked in perfect sync, her matching his every step. His gaze trailed up.

The sun illuminated her face. She almost seemed to glow. The wind rustled the free strands of her silver hair, blowing her braids gently. She carried herself proudly, as she always had. She turned to him; her bright ruby eyes gleamed like stars. She was smiling, too. Smiling at him...

He reached his hand out, fingers clasping hers as he took hold of her hand. Her smile grew.

"P-Peko... I... I..." He grinned. He grinned—she was here... She was here, beside him, just like she always had been. He squeezed her hand. "You're really here??" His voice was quiet, almost ghostly.

The sun broke from the clouds, shining directly into his eyes. He flinched back, and just like that...

The dream faded.

He didn't move right away. He held his stance, his arms covering his face to protect from the intrusive rays.

As he let his arms drop, some of the moisture in his eye slipped out. He looked at his empty palms. He looked off into the distance despairingly. He didn't know how much more of this he could take...

How much had he pleaded, cried and wailed for her to return? Was he just crying into empty sky, his voice lost amidst a hapless cosmos? Was he shedding tears of futility, of denial? Was his heart broken just to never be mended again?

Whatever the answer to any of those questions may be...

He would keep hoping. He would keep crying... He would nurse his broken heart.

However long it took.

The door to the lab creaked open.

All the pods were left open so they could be repaired and cleaned. All except one...

Fuyuhiko made his way to hers... The sight tugged at his heartstrings. She laid there like a delicate doll, hands over her chest and sword tucked beside her. At the very least, her wounds were healing well.

He knelt down by the capsule slowly, his hands pressed against the glass. He leaned his forehead on the glass in between his hands, his eye closing. No sounds shook the silence. Small droplets occasionally fell onto the glass, rushing down the sleek, curved surface.

When he rose up again, just before standing up completely, he leaned down and softly kissed the glass. It was a soft brushing, brief but no less loving. He stared at the floor as he left, watching his feet shuffle him along.

He headed to the hotel next. He had to finally do something to sate his hunger.

He stepped into the dining room, pulling himself up the stairs half-heartedly. The sun through the windows lit the room with an orangey tint, giving a soothing and warm feel. Fuyuhiko took from the fridge a bottle of chilled water and a simple piece of fruit. He didn't feel like eating a big meal right now... He just needed something small to sustain him.

With these in hand he left the hotel, stepping out into the sun once again. The silence was peaceful... but it was lonely.

He ate in silence. He was much hungrier than he'd thought... Honestly, after almost starving to death in the Killing Game he was surprised he willingly went over a day without eating. He threw away his trash and started walking aimlessly down the path. He didn't know where he was going, but he decided to just let his feet guide him...

   Perhaps the only place on the island the radiant island sunrise couldn't reach was this room. No light could.

For years, this room had been the focal point and culmination of good intentions gone wrong—the road to a despairing Hell, after it had already invaded, had been paved with hope.

It was doomed to huddle its secrets in the darkness, where no light could ever reveal them. The students were plunged into their despair, only to be fished out and forcibly enclosed in this lightless Purgatory to be cleansed of their sin.

The air whistled through the cracks in the door. It was faint and rhythmic... or, was that something else?

Shadows were cast along the walls, the reflections of the pods from the light bouncing around within the enclosed and otherwise lightless chamber... or, was that something else?

Darkness swallowed everything... This room was shrouded in the darkness of death, of despair.

Yet, life was blooming again. The light of life had not left this room yet.

Something was stirring.

It was time to wake up.

   Fuyuhiko sighed as he walked along the shoreline, the waves lapping at his shoes. The sun was up now, the last remnants of the sunrise fading. It was as bright and cheerful-looking as ever. Every new day gave him the feeling of a new chance, a new hope... It was old but new at the same time. It happened every day, but the same day never happened twice.

Well, even if that's true, it sure felt like the days were repeating themselves here.

The other students had been enjoying themselves. They were reconciling, helping each other recuperate and becoming friends anew again. He was the only one who hadn't been. The only student he'd really talked to, to their face, outside of Hajime was Mahiru... and it was to apologize.

He recalled her smile. It looked uneasy, but willing... like a person who wants to forgive, but feels wary of doing so. He apologized profusely—for his actions, and Peko's...

Mahiru forgave him, but she would not accept Fuyuhiko's apology in Peko's place. She did not say that intending to be rude, but because she wanted to hear the apology from her. She didn't want Fuyuhiko covering for her actions.

He understood that. Peko was her own person, not under his jurisdiction, and he was sure she would want to apologize personally anyway. Mahiru also apologized for her actions prior to her death, for being stubborn and insensitive towards him. Fuyuhiko was hesitant to accept her apology, merely because he figured—nay, knew—she really didn't have anything to apologize for, but at her persistent requests he acknowledged it. He felt better, at least.

"Morning, Fuyuhiko!" Someone called to him. He glanced over his shoulder as Hajime walked by, Ibuki with him, chattering excitedly as she danced around.

"Yo." He returned with a single wave. He watched as the two headed down the walkway in the direction of the second island. Probably heading to the diner to get breakfast. Maybe he'd follow, if for no other reason than to just have something to do and someone to talk to...

But before he did... he felt a little nudge. A little prodding in his conscience, like a soft thought...

I guess I can check on her again... He mused in his mind. Something was making his heart accelerate. The little nudge in his mind kept prodding. It seemed like, as he went, every step made his heart quicken. Why? What for? What did he think was going to happen?

The lab was unchanged. The deathly silence still blanketed the area.

He didn't even need to enter the room to know Peko hadn't moved.
He spun around to leave, feeling oddly let down. He knew she wasn't awake. If she was, he would've seen or heard something.

And hear something he did.

WHAM!!!!

He gasped loudly, almost tripping over in shock. His heart pounded once, like a gong being struck, and then only weak ripples sent tremors throughout his body...

Please tell me I'm not freaking hallucinating...

Not five seconds later, every bit as loud and clear as before,

WHAM!!!

"PEKO!!!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, sprinting into the room. He flung the door open and it crashed against the wall with a terrible screech.

Tears flowed freely from his eye as he opened the capsule. The capsule hissed as the glass lid receded.

She stared into his eyes. Neither of them were believing what they were seeing.

"Y-Young master?..." She whispered. The sound of her voice, so raspy but so soft and familiar and soothing, ignited an inferno in his heart within the same second the solace of her presence put it out.

"PEKO!!!!" He leaned down and wrapped his arms around her tightly, burying his head in her shoulder. Peko flinched in surprise, still taking in what was happening. Had she not reflexively flung her hands out and latched onto the capsule's sides, she would have fallen back from the surge of vertigo that overtook her.

"She's awake... You're awake!!!" He cried joyfully as he pulled back, setting his hands atop hers. He heard someone rushing over from outside.

In stepped Mikan, having heard Fuyuhiko's joyous outcry. She saw Peko sitting up and staring at her, confused with glasses askew and looking just slightly overwhelmed. "Oh my—Peko!!!"

"Mikan, go!! Find the others and tell them she's awake!!!" Fuyuhiko, tears still streaming down his face, commanded the nurse. She nodded and bolted from sight. Fuyuhiko turned back to Peko, feeling happier than he ever had before.

But, seeing the distress on her face, his heart sunk.

"Y-Young master!! What happened to your eye?!?" She asked as she shakily pulled herself up.

"Don't worry about it. It's fine... How do you feel?"

"... Fine." She responded coolly. She fixed her glasses carefully. She carefully climbed out, with his help, and grabbed her sword, looping the bag around her shoulders. He steadied her, one arm tightly around her waist as he came up under her arm, letting it fall over his shoulders.

"Come on, you should get some rest for a while..." He started walking with her out of the room, going nice and slowly so she wouldn't have to rush. She hadn't stopped staring at his eye. With his gaze focused up ahead, he didn't even notice until he looked back at her.

"I said don't worry about it, ok?? It's not a big deal." He told her again. "What matters now is that you're OK... and you're finally awake."

"Finally... awake?" She repeated. Everything was hazy for her...

"Yeah... Everyone else has already been awake for a while now. You're the last one."

"I am?..."

"Yeah. Come on, we'll head back to the cabins and--,"

"No, it's fine."

"What?"

"I will be fine. I just need a few minutes to recompose myself..."

"Peko, you need to rest!"

"I have been. You just said I was the last to wake up." Was she... teasing???

"... Heh, granted. Just don't push yourself, ok?" He smiled a little. She could feel her heart warming as she stared at his handsome smile. "Would you rather we went to the diner or something?"

"Wherever you wish to go is fine by me. It would be nice to... to feel the sun again..."

"... Ok. Then let's go."

Chapter Text

He reopened his eyes, returning to the world of the living.

His heart felt heavy after such deep reminiscing. He sucked in a steady breath and let out a loud sigh, letting go with it a troubling buildup of tension. He was still huddled up next to her. Neither of them had really moved in the few minutes of quiet following Fuyuhiko's last sentence.

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I'm sorry.... I'm sorry it's taken me so long to finally speak up... and that's it's taken me so long to apologize." He bowed his head. He removed one arm from around her waist and set that hand on her hand resting on his shoulder. He slid his fingers between the gaps and held on gently. He lifted his head and looked her straight in the eyes.

"I love you, Peko."

Her expression twisted, grief overcoming it. For just a moment, her eyes closed, and she bit her tongue as the response formulated...

"... I love you too... Fuyuhiko."

She had used his name.

He smiled.

"I don't want a tool. I just want you.... only you." He said, squeezing her hand. "I never meant that I hated you or that I didn't want you. I wanted us to be partners—equals. I should've said so clearly much earlier, but... I didn't know how." He admitted quietly. "I wanted to be able to rely on myself so I could prove to myself that I'm not weak... that I'm a worthy yakuza... Relying on you all the time made me feel powerless... useless."

She remained completely quiet.

"I never meant to push you away. I never meant to make you think I hated you. I... I'm sorry..." He concluded miserably. Ahh, how his heart bled... It felt painful, yet strangely wonderful. It felt good to finally be able to articulate the confusing mess of emotions he'd tried to keep under wraps for so, so long.

His other hand moved up from around her waist to her shoulder. His fingers pushed aside some of her hair and felt around the back of her neck, tentative and slow... until he traced the beginnings of a long, thin scar.

She didn't move, freezing the moment he brushed over it.
Her eyes closed as he traced the scar, her eyebrows creasing as a squint of pain came upon her. His hand trailed down her opposite shoulder, his tender touch electrifying. Down the blanch grey sleeves of her nightshirt he felt, till he had reached her other hand. He pulled up the sleeve, revealing another set of scars along her upper arm. They ranged in length and position, some stretching diagonally down her arm, and some horizontally across. Many of them crisscrossed each other.

It was because of him she had these scars.

It was because of him she'd endured what he had.

It was because of him her and Mahiru both died.

She released her grip around his waist, bringing her hand up to his cheek. His eye fluttered closed as he sank into her delicate touch. He felt her run her fingers along the scar that blinded his right eye.

It was because of her he had this scar. She had wounded, in more ways than one, the one person she was supposed to protect with her life. The one person she loved.

They had been through Hell and back together. As far back as he could remember, he had her. She had always been there to protect him, and was ready and willing to give her life defending him in a moment's notice. She denied so much of herself for him that she forgot she was her own person.

"... but no more." He breathed. Her eyes opened, her expression straightening out slightly.

"No more, Peko. I'm putting a stop to this once and for all, for both of us." He looked up at her, determination firing his gaze. "You're not a tool. You are you. You've always been at my side to protect me and I've been so blind and selfish... Now listen good." He sat up and pulled back, sitting down again directly in front of her. He set his hands on hers.
"I love you, Peko. Not as a tool, but as a person. As you. Never in my life would I ever dream of sacrificing you to save myself. I don't want to be your master. If our time in the Killing Game taught me anything... It's that I've been a fool. I was too much of a coward to say what I needed to and say it clearly. I've been trying to get stronger without relying on you and all I did was push you away and hurt you..." Here, the yakuza paused. His shoulders sagged. He bowed his head.

"... can you ever forgive me?" It was nearly inaudible. His voice was seeping with emotion, with bottled-up and muddled feelings.

The response was immediate; he was pulled into a tight hug. He could feel her sobbing.

"I love you..." She whispered in his ear. He clenched his teeth. His forehead came to rest on her shoulder.

They let themselves cry. Safe in each other's arms, they wept—for the other, for themselves, for unity, for healing, for love. For the love lost on ignorance and the heartbreak finally mending. For peace from the shadows of the past that still haunted them.

The pain slowly eased.... the tears dried.

In unison they raised their heads to look at the other. Both of them were smiling. The remnants of their vented emotions were still drying. Fuyuhiko ran his hand through her hair. Her hair was currently unbraided, and it draped over her shoulders and down her back. Due to being kept in braids for so long, it was also gorgeously curled. She looked stunning as she was right now.

"You look really pretty with your hair down... you know that?" He asked with a small laugh. Her smile grew as she looked away bashfully.

"Thank you."

He drew his hand back, his heart suddenly pounding. His hands felt clammy. He looked down at the floor under the window seat and he heard her shifting as well.

They were on the same wavelength, and they were both unsure. Timid glances flew back and forth from each other. Both of them felt like it was a silent dare to the other to make the first move.

He began by reaching for her hands. She grasped his hands as tightly as he did hers. She pulled him closer. He shuffled even closer. She was blushing faintly. Both of them froze. Until...

He leaned in shyly. His soft breaths just brushed her cheek, sending her heart aflutter. Looking her in the eyes, he closed the distance.

Their eyes fell closed as their lips met. All at once it was as though everything stopped. They sank into the other's arms freely. It was the most wonderful feeling either of them had ever experienced. They held the kiss as long as they could before she finally pulled back, panting softly for a breath or two. They smiled at each other once again. What words could express what they felt? Well, none. But none were necessary anyway. Both of them felt fulfilled, whole, equal for the first time in their lives. They were satisfied.

He kissed her cheek, already missing and craving that affection. "We should probably get back to sleep..."

"Yes... Sleep well."

"You too." He hung his legs over the edge of the window seat and stood up, stepping back a few paces. She got up as well, taking the white blanket and folding it back up neatly before placing it on the back of her bed. As she sat down near the front, Fuyuhiko came up and pulled back the sheets. She looked up at him and he just nodded. She laid down, and once she was comfortable Fuyuhiko pulled the covers up around her lovingly. She smiled shyly. The two exchanged kisses on their cheeks before Fuyuhiko left, snuffing out the candle lantern as he did so she could sleep. He returned to his own room, but just as he nearly closed the door, he hesitated.

He'd leave his door open.

He laid down and was asleep within minutes. No nightmares tainted his sleep.

            The next morning he awoke feeling the best he had in weeks. His eye opened to seeing the wall across the bed, stripes of sunlight lighting up patches of it.

He sat up slowly, arching his back and stretching his arms out with a content groan. He opened his eye once again, and he was greeted by a happy sight.

Peko was seated at the small table in his room, already up and fully dressed, hands folded neatly in her lap. She smiled at him.

"Hey, Peko... Sleep well?" He asked as he climbed out of bed.

"Yes. And you?"

"Oh yeah." He smirked playfully. "Oh... what've you got there?" He noticed she had brought something with her.

"Just some tea. I hope you don't mind." Peko said as she glanced at the plain, white porcelain teapot in front of her on the table.

"Nah, go ahead. Would you mind pouring me some?" He grabbed a new uniform from his dresser.

"Of course. Sweet?"

"Yeah." He waved as he stepped out of the room, uniform in hand, and headed to the bathroom to get dressed and ready for the day.

Before long he rejoined Peko in his room and the two conversed over their tea. Fuyuhiko couldn't believe it—they were actually speaking to each other like normal people, like normal friends. They talked about whatever came to their minds—their dreams, their plans, their feelings and thoughts—normal things. Not what the clan was doing, not the next person Fuyuhiko had on his list for Peko to get rid of... He wasn't bossing her around or pushing her away.

It felt amazing.

They didn’t know how long they'd sat there, enjoying their conversing, but something caught their attention.

It was a loud shout, relayed throughout the ship via the intercoms.

"LAND HO!!!"

The two shot up from their seats, eyes wide. They bolted out of his room and to the upper deck. All the other students were already gathered around the railings, crowded together as they attempted to get the best view of the island.

Sure enough, Jabberwock was within view.

The students cheered. Fuyuhiko smiled up at Peko, who smiled back.

By that evening, the boat had reached its destination. The students burst out, eager to be free from the ship. There was much excited chatter as they began wandering the familiar shores of their new home.

Peko and Fuyuhiko were the last to leave, as they were pushed back by the others and didn't want to try shoving their way through. They stepped out onto the sandy shores, feeling a rush of nostalgia. By now most of the other students had already vanished. A couple had headed towards the hotel, probably so they could claim their cabins again and start getting settled in. A couple other had wandered in whatever direction they felt like, just wanting to stretch their legs and enjoy the freedom from being cramped inside the boat.

Peko came to his side, staring in the direction of the hotel. "This is our home now..."

"Yeah.... Feels so strange." He remarked with a hiss. After all, the Killing Game had taken place in a virtual recreation of this very island. He was sure some of the students had backlogged in their minds an expectation for a psychotic white-and-black bear to pop up and tell them to start killing. Needless to say, some areas of the island were very likely to be very avoided due to what took place and what people were involved. Perhaps "unnerving" would have been a better word, but at the same time, it was somewhat silly to say as the students were safe now, and the horrors they endured in the simulation were now completely gone, having never even existed outside that fabricated reality.

"C'mon, let's go find our cabins." He suggested, inviting her to follow with a wave. She obliged immediately, walking beside him the entire way.

They found their cabins, two on the very end of one of the rows that were right next to each other. They were fairly clean overall. Most of the students had been living here already while they waited for those who had not yet woken up to come out of their comas, but some of the cabins- those of the students who were the latest to wake up- were less tidy and needed some extra work. Fuyuhiko's was in pleasing shape, so he offered to help Peko get hers fixed up. With the two of them working together, it was cleaned and ready in just a few hours. Peko thanked him shyly for his help, with what Fuyuhiko thought was the cutest smile he'd ever seen from her.

"Hey, Fuyu, PekoPeko!! We're gonna be eating soon, so move your butts!" Ibuki poked her head into Peko's cabin through the open door, grinning from ear to ear, before she zipped off. At the time Peko had been sweeping and Fuyuhiko was fiddling with one of the windows. It had gotten stuck, and Peko wanted to air out her cabin a little. She insisted it was fine if it wouldn't open, but Fuyuhiko had stubbornly insisted she let him handle it. After Ibuki's announcement, Peko managed to persuade him to take a break and join her and the rest of the class for dinner.

The sun was dipping low into the horizon, giving the island a final shower of brilliant light before it disappeared for the night. All around, the sky was a pastel mix of pink, orange and red, with wisps of blue laced in. It was a soothing sight to be sure.
Fuyuhiko walked slowly. He stared up into the sky, lost in his thoughts...

His eye slowly closed... He could feel his heart slowing, as if he were losing himself to a dream.

His steps began to echo. He tilted his head up.
No, they weren't his... He slowly looked towards the ground.

The two walked in perfect sync, her matching his every step. His gaze trailed up.

The sun illuminated her face. She almost seemed to glow. The wind rustled the free strands of her silver hair, blowing her braids gently. She carried herself proudly, as she always had.

No... it was prouder.

She turned to him; her bright ruby eyes gleamed like a thousand stars. She was smiling at him.

Their arms swung slowly at their sides, their hands clasped and fingers intertwined. Her smile grew.

"P-Peko... I... I..." He smiled. He grinned—she was here. She was here, beside him...

Just like she always had been.

He squeezed her hand. "You're really here??" His voice was quiet, almost ghostly.

She gripped his hand tighter.

"I'm here, Fuyuhiko. I will never leave you again." Her words were laced with an underlying finality, a fierce determination.

He stopped after a few more steps. She paused right beside him. With a smirk, he yanked her close.

"Damn right you won't. I won't let you." He stated authoritatively. He leaned up, she leaned in...

And with the sun on their backs, they kissed.