Mikau: Well. Here we are: the final chapter. Thank you so much for accompanying me thus far on this journey. It really has been so much fun. Thank you especially to everyone who took the time to review last chapter: Kiri Kaitou Clover, Ern Estine 13624, Eve Of The Stars, DaLantis, Liz-Blizz, GeekyGenius, neonquincy1217 (times three), Lady Rosencrantz, Kimmiko T, and MissingJigsaw. Also today we have updates to The Healing Process, A Metamorphosis, Mausoleum, Just Passing Through, and a new one called Sacrifices. It's a HakuSeraKai piece. And now…enjoy.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, there would be an Alice in Wonderland episode. Dream sequences are a little overused, so maybe an Alice-themed murder?

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Chapter Forty-Three: Cinderella Part Four

(Midnight)

With Kaito and Shinichi secured of their own happy ending…or at least seeming to be…for now…Masumi was starting to wonder what her own future had in store.

She pursed her lips as she searched the ballroom for Saguru. He was probably dancing with some pretty heiress or another like his father had wanted…like she had encouraged him to.

Even still, it made Masumi jealous. She could acknowledge it for what it was now. She loved him. She wanted to marry him. And the thought of some other girl with her hands on him…their eyes staring deeply into one another's…her smiling coquettishly at him… It made Masumi mad with envy.

She stopped looking for him, afraid that it might get ugly if she saw him dancing with someone else. It would be bad if she punched out some politician's daughter.

With a sigh she wandered back to the refreshments, grabbing a glass of calpico to sip at out of sheer restlessness.

According to the clock on the wall behind the drink table, it was about fifteen minutes, give or take, until midnight, so Saguru should be coming to find her again soon, right? …Unless he got held up talking to some busty, rich brunette.

Her nose crinkled up in jealousy.

No. He would come. He'd said he'd come back, hadn't he? He'd keep his promise, especially since it was to her, and they'd count down into the New Year together.

She shook her head, trying to get all of the pessimistic, envious thoughts out.

"Something the matter? You look like you're having an intense internal conflict."

Sera jumped. "Geez, Saguru! You scared me. When did you manage to sneak up on me like that? I usually have such great hearing, but I'm totally striking out tonight."

Saguru chuckled good-naturedly "I believe it was during your intense internal struggle."

She smiled sheepishly, joining in the laugh. "Guess so. Hey, wanna go out on the balcony? Kaito said there were balconies where you could see the fireworks really well."

"That sounds like a fine idea to me," Saguru replied with a smile, offering her his arm.

She laughed as she took it, and he guided her through the crowd to the door leading out to one of the many balconies.

"Speaking of Kaito, I happened to see him in the company of Kudo Shinichi. They looked rather…intimate. Do you know anything about that?" he inquired as they leisurely walked.

Sera smiled softly, halfway between pleasure and unease. "Kudo-kun owned up to being a wishy-washy idiot who doesn't deserve Kaito, but he confessed that he does have what he termed 'feelings', so…Kaito said that was good enough, and apparently they're dating now."

Saguru nodded solemnly. "Yes. Kudo has spoken to me numerous times over these past few weeks about his struggle to accept his feelings for another man. Kaito has a way of bending people to his will, though. If Kudo has decided to take a leap and go for it, we shouldn't have anything to worry about besides the usual lovers' quarrels. If Kudo has decided to give a relationship with Kaito an honest chance, Kaito should have no problem turning the beginnings of a crush into genuine affection and eventually proceeding to a deep love."

"I'm glad one of us is so sure that this is a good idea," she sighed as he opened the door out onto the balcony for her. "I'm just worried that he's going to backpedal and break Kai-chan's heart…. Do you love me enough to help me get away with murder?"

"Absolutely," Saguru chuckled, half serious and half joking as she was herself. "Particularly if it's Kudo's murder we're talking about…but I honestly do believe that it won't come to that. He's been absolutely distraught over what he's been doing to Kaito since he discovered Kaito's true feelings on the night of our karaoke trip."

"I hope so." She gave another sigh for good measure as she walked over to the railing and leaned on it.

The wind picked up, and she shivered.

Before she could laugh at herself about what a dope she was, coming out on a balcony this high up in a skimpy dress in the dead of December, Saguru had already draped his suit jacket over her bare shoulders.

"Thank you." She smiled bashfully, cheeks turning a soft peach. "Just let me know it you get cold, though, and I'll give it right back."

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly at her offer. "I'm wearing a three piece suit. You in your little piece of thin cloth need the jacket more than I do."

"Thanks," she chuckled, appreciating his attentions as well as his sense of humor.

"Not a problem," he assured, happy to assist. "It's the least I can do what with Kaito setting us up like this. You do realize that he had something like this in mind when he sent you out here wearing that?"

"Oh." She mentally made a reminder to thank Kaito later.

"Actually, when he talked about, quote, unquote, 'the plan' with me earlier, he suggested that I wrap my arm around you, offering to share body heat." Saguru rolled his eyes at his scheming best friend.

Sera bit her lip, sensing a chance. "…Actually…" It felt like her cheeks were blistering, they were so hot. The heat generated by her own embarrassment was warmth enough, but… "I'm still pretty cold," she lied. "So…if you would…I mean, if you don't mind, could you…?" She tried not to squirm. "I'm sorry. I just really want to see the fireworks."

"O-Oh." He gulped, loosening his collar with a finger. "No. Of course."

He hesitantly stretched out his arm, resting his hand on her waist and stepping in so that they were hip to hip. "Is that any better?"

"Y-Yeah." She was feeling quite warm at the moment, thank you.

They stayed like that for several minutes, staring up at the sky in embarrassed silence rather than daring to look at one another. It was quiet and peaceful and much too warm as they stood there like a couple.

But they weren't yet a couple, and both of them were highly aware of the disconnect between what they had told each other their feelings were and what they were actually feeling on the inside. The awkward tension was almost tangible.

Because even though Saguru was pretty sure he knew how she felt about him, his suspicions hadn't been confirmed by her own lips. Until she said those three magic words, he could only hope interspersed with agonizing about the possibility of him being mistaken. He was stuck in limbo until she said otherwise. And while he'd said that he was okay so long as she was by his side, even if it were only as a friend… Well, many gallant heroes said that, but not a one of them actually meant it any more than he himself had, of that he was sure. And yet, for her sake, he had to pretend to be okay while he patiently waited for her to warm up to him, change her mind about only wanting to be friends. It was draining and maddening at the same time.

On Masumi's side of things, she just wished she could tell him how she felt already, but…something inside of her kept holding her back. It was never the right time or place, or she could never find the right words. She felt like an absolute moron because she knew that he loved her too, but…still she was too scared, too nervous.

Part of her feared that he might not believe her. What if he challenged her? What if he asked her when and how she had fallen in love with him, how she had changed her mind so fast? What if he doubted her love?

"You know, I wanted to thank you," Saguru remarked softly, breaking through her thoughts. "Mostly for putting up with me, humoring me the way you do. You're always so considerate of my feelings for you, and I really appreciate that. A lot of girls would have pushed someone like me away or freaked out or completely cut ties, so…thank you for giving me a chance."

And now she felt guilty. "If you'll remember, at first I laughed at you because I thought you were joking. I don't really think I deserve much thanks for the way that I've treated you. I mean, I've really just caused you problems and a whole lot of heartache. You're the one who should be thanked, Saguru. You're a terrific guy for putting up with me and wanting to hang around me even though I hurt you so bad at first. How you can keep liking me is really beyond me, you know?"

"Well," he chuckled quietly. "I appreciate your thanks, but I have to say that, once again, we see each other very differently. I look at you and see the very picture of compassion, grace, and femininity while in myself I see only a wretched, low creature that I'm predisposed to loathe."

Sera shook her head. "You need to get your eyes checked…and maybe your head too if you think I'm feminine. And you're a perfect gentleman, Saguru, as well as a truly good man. There's nothing about that to loathe."

"Like I said, we each have our own ways of looking at it, but…I wonder…what does the word 'feminine' mean to you?" he posed. "Do you think of long silky hair, high heels, and pink frilly dresses? Because to me, all of that is vain and superficial; true femininity is strength and inner beauty, and you have it in spades."

"Thank you." She stressed the words, trying to get across how earnestly she felt them. She couldn't express how hearing him say that really made her feel. She wanted to cry she was so happy. She was just so lucky to have a man like him in love with her, and she wished she could tell him how she felt already.

She took a breath, mentally steeling herself to get those feelings across when the old clock tower started to toll midnight and the sky lit up with a barrage of fireworks.

It was so beautiful, and everything was perfect…and she really just wished that he could read her mind. That would make this so much easier.

"Kaito was right. This is an excellent view," Saguru hummed, looking up at the sky in admiration.

She made a little noise of agreement, turning her gaze heavenward as well.

They watched the show in relative silence interspersed with ohs and ahs and "Look at that one!"s.

Masumi felt the tension melting as she got caught up in the display, just as she always had when she'd gone to see fireworks with her brothers when she was little. Her face lit up, and she laughed and clapped in glee as vintage golds, vibrant blues, lush greens, and royal purples bloomed like a field of wild flowers across the sky.

Some of the fireworks soared high like majestic birds, whizzing through the air and going out in a poof. Others spiraled like snakes while still more sizzled like hot grease exploding in the pan. They crackled and they popped, shimmering like fairy dust as the dying embers rained down softly like snow.

The finale was spectacular with nine or ten explosions of light, color, and shapes all going off one after the other, illuminating the night and shaming the stars with their brilliance.

As the last of the lights faded away, leaving only trails of smoke, an idea struck Masumi.

She shyly glanced at Saguru, still a hair's breadth away with his arm around her. She cleared her throat and remarked (in what she hoped was an offhanded tone), "You know, in America they have this crazy New Year's custom where at midnight you're supposed to kiss. First kiss of the year or something…. Isn't that interesting?" She shifted uncomfortably, waiting anxiously for his reply.

"Quite," he responded promptly, but then didn't show any sign of being inspired to adopt the custom.

Masumi was a little put out about his lack of ambition as a prospective lover.

"…What are you thinking?" she asked, trying to pull something whimsical and fairy tale-like from him.

He shrugged. "Nothing in particular. It's a nice night. I'm glad I came. I owe Kaito some designer chocolates from Belgium."

She blinked, his honesty throwing her. There wasn't anything romantic in that. How was she supposed to make her confession at this rate?

With a sigh of frustration, she demanded, "You're not gonna kiss me, are you?"

Saguru looked a little taken aback. "Not…from any lack of desire, I assure you…but I think it would be rather inappropriate of me to steal the first kiss of a woman who has told me that she regards me only as a friend…regardless of my feelings for her…don't you think so?"

She looked down at the city streets far below them. "Oh," she whispered, face coloring in her frustration. "Yeah, it would, wouldn't it?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You sound disappointed?"

She fidgeted as she tried to put her thoughts in order. "It's just…you're always such a martyr, such a gentleman. You never take advantage of me. You're never going to take advantage of me."

"…You say it like that's a bad thing." He frowned as he studied the troubled, flustered expression she was making. "Now I'm wondering what you're thinking."

She stiffened and mumbled, "Are you seriously gonna make me say it?"

"No, but I wish you would," he replied gently and then waited, content to give her as much time as she needed, even if that kept them standing out there until dawn.

She was silent for at least six minutes, trying to gather the courage. She turned to him, looking like she was about to start crying any second, and still her lips refused to move to form the words that filled her thoughts. Why the hell did this have to be so hard?!

Saguru leaned in and placed an affectionate kiss on her forehead. "Why don't we go back inside, Masumi?" he kindly suggested, seeing how much she was struggling, seeing how it pained her.

He could wait. He didn't have to hear it now. He knew.

"No!" she adamantly insisted. "I've been trying and trying to tell you this, but I'm never able to. We always get interrupted or it's not the right place, there are too many other people around, or the timing's just wrong! Well, right here and right now is perfect, so we're gonna stay out here until my legs freeze off or I'm finally able to say 'I love you'—whichever comes first, so just shut up and sit tight, okay?!"

Saguru blinked. "I'm sorry. Until you're able to say…what was that?"

Sera bit her lip and squirmed. She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye with an expression of pure determination on her face. "I love you, Hakuba Saguru, so will you marry me? I swear I'll get a ring when I can afford it and take you out to eat and get down on one knee and propose properly later, but… Saguru, these past few months, you've made me fall in love with you, so I want to be with you and take care of you. I want to be there to remind you how great you are and to make sure you never even think of cutting yourself again. I want to stand up to your parents for you and make sure they treat you right, and I want to be the one to protect you and make you smile, so…"

And before she could lose her nerve, she took his face in her hands and pulled him to her, kissing him with all of her might.

It was artless and utterly amateur, but it was full of all of the intense feelings she had for him, and those feelings got across just fine.

"I love you," she whispered as she pulled back.

He smiled deliriously at her, tears coming to his eyes as joy overpowered him. "I know," he chuckled, nuzzling her cheek. "But I'm really glad that you finally said so."

That threw a bit of a wrench in the works for Masumi. She pulled back and looked at him with a measured stare. "What do you mean 'I know'?"

Saguru smiled sheepishly. "I mean that I've known how you felt, but it's good to finally have my suspicions confirmed. It's good to finally hear you say it."

"How long have you known?" Her stare turned into a glare rather quickly.

"I've had my suspicions for a while, but I've been fairly certain since Christmas when you told me that you loved…the necklace I'd gotten for you, but…" he chuckled.

"You jerk!" Sera exclaimed, thwacking him on the shoulder. "You knew this whole time and you didn't say anything?! Why would you let me agonize like that if you already knew how I felt?!"

His bashful grin widened. "I was honestly afraid that I was mistaken. As you were so kind to remind me this evening, I was once traumatically rejected by you. I was simply terrified that I was misunderstanding your intentions. It was too good to be true, so I didn't presume to know how you really felt until you told me outright."

She sighed heavily, letting her forehead rest on his shoulder. "Well…I love you. Okay?"

"Okay," he whispered.

"So will you marry me when I get the chance to propose to you the right way?" she asked again.

He could only chuckle. "Aren't I supposed to be the one to propose to you?"

She shrugged, looking up at him with a grin. "I don't know. I've always wanted to act like a gallant prince and propose to a delicate maiden."

"Be serious," he chided with a laugh.

"I am serious," she insisted. "Tonight I'm gonna head back to Sonoko's house and take all this make up and the dress off. I'm not gonna be this girly Cinderella version of me forever. Tomorrow I'll be back to my regular gender neutral self, and you're still gonna love me anyway. I'm not a princess, Saguru, and I don't expect you to keep being this perfect Prince Charming forever. I wanna be part of a couple that respects each other and works together to get through the rough times. I'm not gonna be a demure little housewife. I wanna be out there in the field fighting next to you, so…don't expect that we're gonna follow traditional gender roles. We can take turns proposing, I guess, but keep in mind that I have a stronger, more domineering personality, so you shouldn't be surprised when I turn out to be the prince and you get to be the darling princess that I protect and love and treasure."

"My hero," Saguru laughed outright. "I wouldn't have you any other way."

"I know, right?" she chuckled with a brilliant smile, and leaned in to kiss him once again.

The

End

…

Mikau: Wow. Almost a year exactly I've been working on this. I published the first chapter on December fifth last year, and now it's finally over. It really doesn't feel like that long ago, though. Before we go, I really want to thank dogfish44 for inspiring me to write this pairing and all the awesome people of the Poirot Café forum who supported me and helped me brainstorm karaoke songs. Thanks as well to all of you for sticking with me and reading to the end. Special thanks go to neonquincy1217 for all the artwork and enthusiasm and plunnies. Seriously. I wouldn't have kept going without Quincy, so you should all thank her.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this fic as much as I did. I really will miss it. Even though I still have A Light in the Darkness to work on, it just won't be the same. I really loved developing Sera's character and her relationships with Hakuba and Kaito in particular. I'm actually thinking of developing this into an original novel of my own since, in all honesty, my interpretations of the DCMK crew are so far divorced from canon that they might as well be original characters. ^.^; I wonder if people would read it. Anyway, I hope you'll look forward to my future works. Take care everyone, and thanks again!