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Blood licked the air within the palace of shadows. It split like a web before time seemed to speed up again and it splattered against the tile floor. Makoto winced as he looked up at the shadow they were facing, and his grip tightened on his sword until his knuckles turned white. They were almost to the end of this block… they had to be. The summit of Tartarus was fast approaching. But as SEES ascended, the shadows crawling around the macabre halls only scaled in their power.
He lifted a hand to his arm where he was struck, feeling the blood pool beneath his gloves. He could deal with it later. He steeled his nerves and looked on toward the Tartarus Gatekeeper. It seemed to have determined Makoto to no longer be a threat and turned its attention back to the other three within his group tonight. He heard Koromaru release a harsh growl from the back of his throat before leaping forward to slash the large shadow. Unfortunately, the canine made its descent back towards the ground by their leader as the Gatekeeper dodged with ease.
Mitsuru grunted, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. Ken stood beside her and held his long spear just that slightest bit closer. The two exchanged glances before charging forward. As they did, a voice came online in the back of their minds. “Are you guys okay!? I’m sending in backup, I think I can use my Theurgy now!” Fuuka scrambled back at the base of the sprawling tower, readying Juno so she could do her part in the fight. She held her evoker to her forehead and fired it, immediately being cloaked with an almost aquatic blue light as her persona surrounded her. The Priestess put her hands together as if she was about to utter a prayer and looked up, hoping her wish would reach her teammates.
Back on the battlefield, an aura surrounded the quartet, taking the place of a Heat Riser and bolstering their offense and defense. Makoto cursed quietly under his breath. Personally he could’ve done with a boost to his vitality. But he couldn’t really complain too much. Some help was better than no help. He would just have to tough the rest of this fight out. And whatever floors were next… and they’d probably have to fight more shadows on the way. The more he thought about what was potentially to come, his eyelids grew heavy. He just wanted to curl up in his bed and go to sleep. Sudden exhaustion wracked the Fool, weighing down his shoulders like a merciless weighted blanket. Even as the Justice and Empress duo struck the shadow with a combination of a flash of light and frigid cold, it did little to alleviate the feeling.
He yawned and his grip on his sword began to slip a little, his knuckles going back to their normal peachy white hue. Koromaru looked up at him and whined, his eyes flicking upward with worry. The shadow staggered backwards as some of the inky black goo seemed to slough off of it in disgusting splats. As if it was flesh being divorced from bone and hitting the pavement underfoot. In a way, it was. Such a thought made the leader’s head spin and his stomach churn. A haze suddenly began to drape over his mind, like it was beginning to fill with the static of a TV.
That same voice sounded in the back of his mind again. But this time, Fuuka seemed distant, like she was talking through a thick wall of water. As opposed to the echoed yet still clear hum of her or Mitsuru’s personas’ intercoms. “Leader! What’s happening!? That attack earlier… did it have another effect I couldn’t track!? Hold on… I’m- I’m scanning the situation now!” “Leader!” Mitsuru’s sharp voice cut through where their navigator’s trailed off. Her red eyes flickered in between the Gatekeeper they were facing and Makoto. She wanted to immediately run to his aid, but the shadow was still in between them.
“Ngh… I’m fine. Just keep attacking! We’re almost to the end of this block.” Makoto just barely managed to shoot back as his own body betrayed him. And while Mitsuru was still concerned, she could also recognize that this might be the shadow’s plan. Get their attention diverted before picking them off one by one. Speaking of, the Gatekeeper turned again, faster this time and held out a limb. Its form opened up in a frankly grotesque way. Its ribs almost seemed to pull back and more of that goo fell off onto the ground. All at once, it charged for both the Fool and the canine of Strength. Koromaru let out a harsh bark, trying to get Makoto back to his senses before running out of the way with his claws clacking against the tile in his wake.
Makoto blinked slowly, barely registering he was in danger before a second too late. He was… so tired. More so than he typically was, which is certainly saying something. He came back to some semblance of his senses a second before it was too late. It was only barely enough to raise his sword in self defense before he was slashed. The Gatekeeper seemed to be predicting this as it swiped the sword out of his weakened grasp and slashed him once more, right across the chest. The pain was only partially registered as more of his blood flew out into the heavy air. He cringed slightly as the force of the blow knocked him against the wall of the small floor.
Finally, Fuuka clicked back in. “Our leader is in distress! The enemy’s claws seem to inflict the status if it cuts through the skin. Please be more careful, and cover him!” “On it,” Mitsuru answered. She held up her rapier, angling it towards the Gatekeeper as it backed up and Makoto fell to his knees. If he was out of commission, then she’d simply step up and lead for the time being. Just like she used to… She thought back to when SEES was in its infancy. When it was just herself, Akihiko, and… Shinjiro. Her heart hurt when she thought of him. No! She couldn’t think about that now. It was hardly the time to reminisce.
The Kirijo heiress steadied her gaze. “Amada-kun, heal Yuki.” Ken nodded and ran out, summoning Kala-Nemi and dousing Makoto in a green healing light. The dazed leader could vaguely feel his skin sewing itself closed again through the fog. But Mitsuru wasn’t done. “Koromaru! It’s on its last legs. Eigaon!” Koromaru barked in confirmation and summoned Cerberus to unleash a devastating dark attack. The Gatekeeper roared and writhed as more of its form seemed to melt. It turned from Makoto and glared at Mitsuru with small glowing eyes filled with hate. She paid it no mind as she raised her own evoker to her temple.
Her fierce eyes gleamed as she was shrouded in that familiar blue aura. She channeled all of her fury into her finger and coldly pulled the trigger. “Artemisia!” Fragments of her unconscious coalesced where blood would be shed if the tool were a standard gun. They flickered in the moonlight filtering in and manifested into the icy heroine queen. She held out her own hand, much like the shadow did and the area was soon covered in a field of chilling ice, taking the form of a frigid palace of execution. Koromaru dug his claws in for support and Ken slipped slightly before stabbing his spear into the ground to achieve the same effect.
Then Mitsuru shot forward with her sword drawn, skating across the ice like she was made for such a purpose. She leaped and slashed her sword, filleting the monster in front of her with an assassin’s precision. Her heart pounded inside of her chest and her adrenaline rose to a height and Artemisia absorbed all of the ice in one quick motion then shot it out toward the Gatekeeper in one flash. It was frozen into a chilling statue and it almost seemed like the Empress had a pair of icy wings as she leapt on top of the dangerous structure. She scoffed and crossed her legs together. Her eyes gazed downward at the shadow below frozen in time and its fear. Even a beautiful rose had its thorns.”I’ll finish this, here and now.”
With a snap of her fingers, her icy throne crumbled and collapsed with a sound that sounded akin to broken glass. She landed elegantly on the ground and lashed her sword triumphantly, not even looking at the foe as it crumbled and retreated into the dark. As soon as it did, she immediately turned on her heel and ran over to Makoto. Her eyes ceased their terrifying glow and her expression softened while she helped him to his feet. “Yuki. Are you alright? You weren’t acting like yourself… The Dark Hour is getting to you, is it not? I know you were hit with a status effect, but you’ve been Distressed before and didn’t act like this.”
As if reading her mind, Fuuka piped up again. “I think we should call it a night here. Before we make a decision we can’t take back. But… I guess it’s ultimately your call, Leader.” Makoto shook his head and weaseled his way out of his senpai’s hold. “We’re almost to the end of this block. I think. We have to keep going.” At that, Mitsuru rolled her eyes, Koromaru whined and pinned back his ears again, and Ken’s brows furrowed with concern. “Senpai, why do you always insist on clearing Tartarus in one night? I know it’s scary. And unpredictable, but I don’t think it’s exactly going anywhere. And if you died we’d…” He trailed off, but Mitsuru finished for him while looking grim. “We’d be lost. Your ability is special. There’s not a chance we can face Nyx without you.”
The Fool simply nodded, already making his way towards the stairs. Fuuka interjected again. “Are you sure? I really think we should turn back now! The end is close but I don’t think it’s a good idea. It’s like Amada-kun said! Tartarus will still be here tomorrow. We’ll finish then. There’s another Gatekeeper on that floor” He waved a hand and continued up the steps, with the other three in the group begrudgingly in tow.
And they continued on like that, with the fog still thick in Makoto’s mind. Everything just felt numb. That shadow did something more than simple distress. It was like he lost all sense of survival instinct. It was eerily reminiscent of when he first met the ragtag team after being transferred into the Iwotodai dorm. When he first awakened to his otherworldly ability on that rooftop. He was fully willing to give his life in the name of… what was he even fighting for then? Was it just simply to help Yukari and the others? The way Orpheus’s flames licked at his fingertips will forever be burned into his soul. He was going to use his life force until he had no more left to give and collapsed dead amidst the flames. Maybe then, he hoped, he’d finally be reunited with his family, 10 years too late. It all felt so distant now, how Thanatos ripped Orpheus to shreds and bailed him out of dying sad and alone without purpose.
He now had a family, one that was no longer ironclad in blood, but one that he chose. Scraped together from the ashes of his life before, he found a place to belong. Now he’d give his life to fight. Fight for their struggle and their ideals. Even if they still had no chance against Nyx with him there, he would die trying. He couldn’t bring himself to kill Ryoji, try as he might to convince him amidst the winter of rebirth. They would keep pressing onward until the bitter end. They had no other choice.
Wait… what were they doing again? It felt like someone had stuffed cotton balls into his skull. What the hell was happening to him? A voice cut through the buzz of nothing.
“YUKI.”
“Huh…?” He blinked again slowly through his blurry vision. Mitsuru and the other two were looking back at him expectantly. “Why is this floor empty? Shouldn’t there be at least one Gatekeeper?” Koromaru blinked incredulously. “There was a Gatekeeper, Yuki,” Mitsuru introjected. “We took care of it while you spaced out,” Ken added. There was a Gatekeeper? Makoto lifted a hand to his head and shook it. Distress had never affected him like this before. Typically it just made him more prone to attack. But this was something completely different. Should he be scared of how little it scared him?
“Um… well I guess all’s well that ends well?” It was clear by Fuuka’s tone of voice, even over a magical intercom, she seemed unsure about what to say. “The summit should be on the next floor. It’s the highest point we can reach for now. Please… be careful, Leader.” “Don’t worry, Yamagishi. I’ll look after him. Then we’ll come right back.” Mitsuru’s voice was soothingly sweet as if she didn’t just brutalize several shadows in her path. She wraps an arm under Makoto’s to hold him up and nods towards the steps, signaling for Ken and Koromaru to follow them up.
Their stride was a little slower thanks to Makoto’s condition. But they otherwise made it to the peak of Tartarus for the time being without incident. They skipped the Monad Door. Those shadows tended to be much more threatening than the Gatekeepers. They could circle back later once they’ve recovered and are able to move onto the next block. Mitsuru let Ken handle the treasure chests as she looked after Makoto. She pressed one of her cold hands to his forehead, just in case he was coming down with something. She was almost certain he wasn’t, but it didn’t hurt to make sure. The Fool grumbled slightly in response and tried to tiredly turn his head away. “Sorry. I know it’s cold. Just bear with me a moment longer.” Once she was sure, she withdrew her hand and just let him rest on her shoulder.
“Amada. What have you recovered?” She looked up at him as the young boy turned back. “Just another document. And some healing items.” Mitsuru perked up a little at that before Ken quickly clarified. “I don’t think it’s anything that’ll help him. I think we should just get him to the dorm as quickly as possible.”
“Can I have the documents please?”
Ken nodded and approached the other two with Koromaru by his feet. He passed off the documents for their temporary leader to glance over. She then gave a nod and neatly folded them into her combat uniform. “Very good. We can assess those later. Yuki should be our priority for now. Let’s get to the teleporter.” Mitsuru shifted her weight slightly to properly accommodate Makoto again and walked towards the teleporter a couple yards away. The boy in question had his legs begin to shake slightly as he was led along. The Empress was internally grateful that she began to hold him up when she did. She doubted he could properly stand on his own two feet anymore. And it saved him the embarrassment of falling on his face.
“Just a little more, Yuki. We’re almost home then you can sleep as long as you’d like.” She paused as they all filed together onto the teleporter. “Granted you wake up in enough time to get to class on time.” A soft light began to surround him as Ken quite obviously cleared his throat. Mitsuru stiffened slightly and looked at him.
“What?”
“Don’t you think that’s a little bit harsh? He was beaten up by that one Gatekeeper pretty bad. If he’s still feeling crummy by tomorrow morning, it may be bad to force him to go.”
Mitsuru sighed as she considered the words of the young Justice. “Ah, I suppose you are right. I shall get up early tomorrow to check up.”
Ken just kind of deadpans her. Who did she think she was fooling?
“What??” Said with more emphasis this time.
“You’re going to bring him to your room aren’t you? You know that we all know you two are a thing at this point, right?” Koromaru looked up and barked in agreement.
Mitsuru’s face immediately turned a faint shade of red. “Right… sorry. I suppose it is just habit.”
Ken laughed and nudged her lightly in the arm and she followed suit. The two shared a sweet moment together as the warm light enveloped the group completely. In the blink of an eye, they were all back in the base floor of Tartarus. And immediately, the visage of Fuuka in the flesh invaded their vision. Her attention was immediately drawn towards Makoto. Gingerly, she cupped his chin and tried to lift his head slightly. “Makoto…? Can you hear me?” He didn’t respond. At least not verbally. His already rather dull eyes were glassy and looked almost dead. But he seemed to be breathing and functioning well enough. It was more like he hadn’t been to sleep in two weeks.
She stepped backwards on reflex. “I-I’m so sorry!” Her body immediately fell forward in an aggressive bow as the quartet stepped off of the teleporter. Ken and Koromaru peeled away to where the rest of SEES remained to give the newly formed group a little bit of space. “I should’ve been navigating better! It’s my fault he’s like this! I’ll- I—“ Before she sputter out more apologies, she straightened up upon feeling a large strong hand on her shoulder wrapped in a thin gauze.
“Yamagishi. That is quite enough.” The navigator looked up to see Akihiko smiling down at her with warm eyes. “I was listening from where I was standing. You did everything you could. Sometimes things just happen. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Okay?” Fuuka swallowed her fears and gave him a sheepish nod before falling back a little.
Akihiko stepped to the side and took a good look at Makoto, really gazing into his eyes. He ran a finger across his vision. “He’s about to pass out.” “What!? How could you possibly-“ Before Mitsuru could properly protest, Makoto’s knees buckled and his body ragdolled. The heiress was completely caught off guard by this and thus unable to properly catch him. He flopped over like a sack of potatoes headed right towards the floor, as if he was waiting for that cue this whole time. Thankfully, the Emperor was there to catch him in his strong arms. “Been knocked unconscious my fair share of times. Part of being a boxer, as I’m sure you know by now. I’ve also seen my fair share of tumbles myself. Got pretty good at picking up the signs. Here, let me help.”
From there, he took one of the Fool’s arms and Mitsuru took the other. And together, they helped walk him and everyone else back to the dorms to turn in for the night.
When Makoto came to, he was in a room he didn’t immediately recognize, propped up with pillows. He lifted an arm to rub his eyes, instantly noticing that it felt like his veins had been clogged with lead. How long had he been out? An hour? A day? Heaven forbid a week? When exactly did he even pass out? He couldn’t really remember. The last 30 or so minutes of his memory were a completely incoherent blur. He groaned quietly, stirring beneath the reddish covers of the bed he was in. As he did, he suddenly saw a flash of bright red come into his vision. He recognized it instantly as Mitsuru’s hair, a hypothesis that would be confirmed half a beat later when her head popped up to look at him. She had a bundle of medical gauze in her hands and seemed to be patching up his wounds. Ken did close them with Kala-Nemi’s Diarahan, it was best to air on the side of caution.
“You’re awake. Thank goodness.”
The smile she gave was unmistakably genuine. Ironically, it seemed to warm the ice in his heart. “How long have I-?”
“About an hour and a half. Aki and I brought you in. I think he and Ken are making you some tea together.”
Makoto sighed. That was good at least. He suddenly realized he was in her room instead of his own. No wonder it took a minute for his tired brain to put it together. That means he was in her bed… under the soft and likely quite expensive covers. It was odd having a girlfriend with absolutely no concept of money. Especially since he’s grown up… not exactly poor. But things were tight enough. He remembered a couple of foster homes where he’d sometimes have to dig in the cushions of the couch in order to afford a snack on the way to school. It was part of the reason he liked her so much. Not because she was filthy rich, though it didn’t exactly hurt. She could be flat broke and he’d love her all the same. No, it was those small mishaps and misconceptions about everyday things that she wasn’t exposed to within the Kirijo estate. They always put a smile on his face. He’d always treasure the day in particular when he went with her to eat ramen.
He was abruptly yanked out of his thoughts though when he felt her cold fingers glide across his chest. It sent chills running down his spine and he sucked in a sharp breath. He became all too aware that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Mitsuru must’ve noticed the sudden change in atmosphere because he pulled back. “Sorry. It was the only way to properly dress your wounds. I would have asked but… you know. I didn’t want to risk you getting hurt anymore.” Makoto just nodded and loosened up again. He just thanked whatever god, if anyone, was above that he was a boy. Or else this would’ve been a lot more awkward than it already was. “It’s okay. I was just surprised. That’s all. Thank you.” She nodded and just went back to work.
And several quiet minutes passed by just like that with Mitsuru diligently patching her partner up. Makoto even caught her humming into the silence every now and again under her breath. And he could swear that he heard the Tanaka’s Amazing Commodities jingle slip in there once or twice which made him giggle. He watched that shopping program almost every Sunday. And every now and again he called in to buy something from it. He supposed he watched it a few too many times while with the Empress to have it stick in her head like that.
Their comfortable silence was broken by a knock at the door. Mitsuru had just finished with the gauze and set the rest of it to the side. She looked towards her partner to make sure he was comfortable before nodding towards the door. “Come in.” With her invitation, the door opened to reveal Akihiko standing behind Ken who was holding a mug with steam slowly drifting off of it. The two approached the bedside, relishing in the relief that came from seeing their Wild Card awake and in his right mind again. The smaller of the two reached out and offered the mug of tea, which Makoto graciously took and began to slowly sip. “I found it in one of the cupboards. I hope it’s alright. The warmth should help you heal.” He was happy to see him take another sip. “It’s lemon ginger. Sounded like something you’d like.”
The lone girl in the room just laughed. And the other three looked at her, confused about what was so funny. “I’m shocked you managed to reign Aki in enough to have him not put protein powder in the drink.”
Both of the younger boys exchanged glances and joined in on the laughter. Akihiko put his hands on his hips defensively. “I most certainly did not! …. This time.”
“This time?” Makoto echoed his other senpai before taking another sip.
Ken wiped a tear from his eye, a result of the laughter he was still caught up in. “It’s part of what took us so long. I actually had to argue on why that would be a bad idea! Then the first mug I prepared, he sprinkled some in while I wasn’t looking and had me taste it to prove a point!”
“And…?” Mitsuru lifted an eyebrow quizzically, giving the boxer in question a playful glare.
“It was absolutely horrible! I’ve never tasted liquid concrete before. But that’s how I would imagine it would feel and taste like!”
“Feel!?” She shuddered. “Christ, Aki. How much did you put in?”
Akihiko felt his cheeks burn with a lick of embarrassment. “I wasn’t looking… I think it was like one whole scoop?”
“And then it turned into a tea making competition between the two of us. Long story short, I won and spared you from Sanada-senpai’s torture!” Ken puffed out his chest proudly. And the entire group erupted into more laughter. Akihiko even joined in this time. “But it seemed like it worked out, since you’re awake now. We got a good story and you got some warm tea.”
When the laughter died down, Akihiko put a hand on Ken’s shoulder, silently telling him they should probably take their leave so Makoto could rest. The smaller boy immediately took the hint and bowed towards the both of them. “Please be careful.” The Emperor offered a sympathetic smile upon turning back towards the door and disappearing beyond it once again. Once they were gone, Mitsuru crumpled into her partner’s lap. It looked like she was upset until she turned her head up towards him. She was smiling practically from ear to ear. Makoto cocked his head to the side curiously. “It’s up to you but… do you mind if we sleep together tonight? I really would feel nervous leaving your side. But if that’s what you wish, I’ll honor it and move to the couch.”
He quickly shook his head and moved again, sliding over on the bed so she could have room to sleep next to him. She took this as her sign and stood up to help him from his propped up position to lay down. Then she walked away to the closet. Immediately realizing what was happening, Makoto tilted his head the opposite way to look at the wall. He didn’t have to. Mitsuru was only changing into her pajamas. They were romantically involved. It’s not like he hasn’t seen her in her underwear before, even if said time was a complete accident. It still felt wrong to stare at her like that. And he had more self control than Junpei, if nothing else. But he didn’t really see women or really anyone in quite the same way he or the rest of his peers did. Thankfully, the woman who had claimed his heart seemed not to mind. And he was thankful for the dynamic they did have.
He only turned back when he heard the bedspread shuffling and Mitsuru dipping beneath him. And soon the Fool found her chilling touch wrapping around him and pulling him in close. He melted into the feeling with a soft hum. He turned his head slightly just so he could hear her gentle heartbeat in her chest. It was a sound that would always soothe him.
“So… Do you mind telling me about how that Gatekeeper’s attack affected you?”
“Huh?”
“The odd way distress manifested in you earlier. It could be good to mark it down for future reference. You can never be too prepared.”
Makoto chuckled. Leave it to Mitsuru to change the mood like that on a dime. But he couldn’t protest, as much as he was starting to get tired again, she did have a point. He sat up a little bit and retrieved the mug from the bedside table. He used what was left to soothe his vocal cords before he spoke. The heiress quickly pulled him back into her grasp the second the mug was set back down. “Well… my mind kind of just went foggy. And everything I heard was distant if I could even hear at all. It was like someone just put noise canceling headphones on me.” He sighed. “If only it had the courtesy to play some music as well.”
“Oh, that reminds me.” She held out a hand and retrieved Makoto’s MP3 player and headset from the table overhead the now empty mug sat upon. She returned it to its rightful owner. However, she kept one ear of the headset for herself. When he seemed confused by such an action, she elaborated. “I wanted to listen to your music with you while we slept. If you’ll allow me of course. I would be honored to share something you’re clearly so passionate about. But also if that makes you uncomfortable, I can just as easily drop it. I would never force you into something you don’t want to do.”
He just shook his head and took the earpiece, reaching over slightly to put it on her ear. He then smiled. “I would love that. Please stop backpedaling so much. I’m with you because you make me happy. I appreciate it, but you don’t have to ask for my consent with every single little thing. I like making you happy. I’d want nothing more than to share my music with you. Music is meant to be shared, I think.” He put his own earpiece on. “It’s like magic. It doesn’t matter what language you speak. It can still unite people under a common understanding. That’s part of what I like so much.” He thumbed through his songs on the player, trying to find the perfect song ro share with his lover. Until he found it, and his eyes lit up a little, even the one obscured by his now messied blue hair.
Makoto shut his eyes as the sweet tune began to flood the headset and he sat the player in between the both of them. Finally, he settled back into the Empress’s arms. And although it didn’t actually, it seemed like the room came alight with the music flowing between the two of them. All was gentle and peaceful. “Makoto… this is beautiful.” The boy in question blushed with the use of his given name, something she only did in the privacy of one another.
The two both shut their eyes to just enjoy the soft moment together. Unbeknownst to the two of them, the door softly cracked open. In it was a certain Aeon who learned what it means to be human, Aigis. She was passing by along with Yukari and happened to notice the light still on, even at this late hour. She gazed down at the two of them cuddled up together and just smiled. She didn’t want to disturb two of her closest friends. So she simply turned her attention to the light switch by the door. She quietly flicked it off before shutting the door in front of her and making her way back to her own room. But not before mumbling under her breath towards the door. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
‘Two hands meet at zenith
Nothing comes between us
Dancing like ballerinas
Under, the moonlight all night long
How these plain and simple scenes
Get painted so vividly by you
I just wanna stay with you…’
After a while, Mitsuru started humming along to the song as she began to pick up on the melody. Makoto started to feel exhaustion begin to claw at him again, this time not caused by any backwards status effect. He was home. With the love of his life. With her around, things never seemed quite as scary. He felt like he could face down Nyx with her at his back. Even if it was ridiculous. Hell, such a lofty idea may be downright suicidal. But he didn’t care. The Empress made him feel like a superhero, capable of anything. Who knew that when he first picked up Yukari’s evoker on that rooftop, that it would lead to this? It was comforting, finally having a purpose, as well as a place and people to call home. He never realized how much he missed that feeling before Junpei and Yukari came into his life. Even as he pushed them away, they kept trying to reach out, breaking down his nihilism and complacency.
Makoto’s thoughts trailed off as he was swept up in a wave of warm unconsciousness. He was just so exhausted. Mitsuru noticed his shift in breathing instantly thanks to their close proximity. She bowed her head slightly and placed a gentle kiss atop his forehead. She continued to hold him close as she let herself slowly drift off, letting the long night fall away like water off a duck’s back.
“I love you, Makoto. Goodnight. Please take care of yourself.” Her words were slightly slurred from the sudden onset of exhaustion. Just like that, she slipped away to join him in the sea of unconsciousness.
‘The hour hand turns high
So goodnight
Let me sing a lullaby, love
I’ll be seeing you, baby’