| seven pieces of heaven |

author's babbling and a little bit warnings:
Hello my fellow yuunoa shippers! Long time no see~ I'm back with another yuunoa oneshot. Well, simply speaking, I'm pretty busy with live and also pretty busy plotting my demise right now. The idea to kill myself is quite tempting, but then again. my mother will drag my body from hell, bitch-slaps me, and kill me again if I dare to do such a thing, so please enjoy this one alright!

Like what I'd promised you, here's a oneshot 'cause I'm still working on semper memento (currently 3-4k+ maybe) and my schedule is pretty stuffed that I don't know when I can update but there's a lot of you who'd reviewed (in such a short amount of time no less I'm so happy thank you T^T) so please have this one to conquer your thirst~

This is my fourth oneshot about our favorite couple, in which they'd met at the very beginning. I mean, even Mika and Shinoa interacted when they were just kids (LN vol. 2 chapter 2, DeadFlash27-san, this is what I'm talking about owo), though Mika's still a normal, innocent baby and Shinoa's a witty princess but not angst-y like now (honestly for a moment there I almost shipped them together, bless my freaking soul). So I thought, why not? I also kinda love the childhood friend setting so here's the story! Please enjoy minna-san~

Oh, and sorry for grammar mistakes and such, English is not my mother language after all (T^T). And just saying, there's a year gap between their ages, so do the math! (By the way the age thingy is purely my own imagination, but Mika and Shinoa did meet when they were eight, and Shinoa's squad members are sixteen except Shinoa.)

disclaimer:
I do not own owari no seraph (I'm a girl and apparently sane, thank you very much).

seven pieces of heaven
in which we met at the beginning
there were seven times when we collided, kissed, and simply touched
( the boy, the girl, and their untold story )

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01
I was eight years and nine months old when I met her for the first time.
I was a problem child, and she was—well, I didn't know who she was, but I got this weird feeling that we were going to spend a lot of time in each other presence.
the first piece

"AHH! You're the girl from before!" Yuichiro snapped his head away at the sound of his (somewhat, give or take) family's loud voice. They were sitting on a bench at the town park, waiting for their caretaker to return from his errand when Mikaela suddenly jogged from his seat with hurried steps.

Yuichiro ran after him.

( he didn't know why he followed his wayward little friend, but he seriously would not sit by himself like a freaking lone wolf )

Apparently, Mikaela was heading to an unfamiliar lavender haired girl who was standing by the tree at the corner of the road. He'd never seen her around before. Maybe she was Mika's acquaintance he didn't know about?

"Are~?" the girl titled her head cutely, watching as both of them skidded to a halt in front of her. "Do I know you?" she smiled coyly, her big, bronze colored eyes widening in wonder.

"Yep!" Mikaela bobbed his head up and down, strangely excited. "You're the one with that mister pervert!" he pointed out cheerfully, too cheerful, Yuichiro thought sourly.

Wait a minute.

"Pervert?" he asked incredulously, blinking in confusion as the girl chocked back a laugh. "Pervert? Seriously? What does he mean?"

"Nah, it's nothing important~" she waved him off, amused, her eyes were twinkling as she giggled a little. "Don't mind him~"

"But he is a per—Ah, Satou-san!" Mikaela exclaimed loudly when he saw the said man walked out from a shady-looking store, "Wait here okay, Yuu-chan?" he patted the black haired boy's shoulder, before marching at full speed into the man's direction.

"Eh?" Yuichiro blinked his eyes when a blob of blond flashed across his sight, then disappeared within a matter of seconds. Everything was too fast for his mind to comprehend. "Oi Mika!" he shouted, his eyes unnaturally wide when he finally realized that; one, he left him alone and two; he left him alone with a complete stranger.

Waitwaitwait. Alone?

The green eyed boy gulped down a lump in his throat, taking a secret glance to his side, before he snapped his head back again.

The silence was deafening.

Yuichiro began to fidget uncomfortably when this cu—ehem, frail-looking (seriously, she was too short for his liking, wasn't she getting enough milk at home?) girl blatantly watching him with her doe-like eyes, an amused smile stretched widely on her face. He immediately shifted his head to the side, quite embarrassed, refusing to land his gaze on her as blood pumping through his cheeks.

To put it bluntly, it was awkward.

Why she was looking at him like that? He could literally feel her stabbing hole on his skin for god's sake.

She didn't stop though. Still staring at him, like, he was some kind of new specimen whatsoever, and it was hard to ignore her as seconds passed by.

Where was Mika when he needed him?

He stared again. She stared back. He looked away. Repeat.

Yuichiro wanted to pull his hair out from their roots in frustration. What the hell was wrong with this situation?

He was about to flee from his place, away from this weird, (weirdly cute) girl but then, he immediately pummeled the idea down. He knew that his mind was screaming for him to run away since forever, but the sad thing was; Yuichiro was raised with manners, and a boy with manners knew that it was impolite to ignore a person, especially a girl.

He needed to do something. Anything, to break the freaking awkwardness among them.

Okay, let's do this.

"So… um, your name?" okay, that was good start. He was feeling a tad proud at the moment, but when he saw the girl's smile widened even more... Yuichiro began to think twice if it was a smart choice to start a conversation at all.

"Shinoa." she titled her head, a big smile still etched on her face, and he blushed. She looked cute. "And you?"

"Yuichiro…." he trailed off as a frown formed on his face; somehow it sounded weird from his mouth. Then, after a second of contemplating he added, "You can call me Yuu, though." he grinned shyly, cheeks painted into a faint shade of red. Yep, it sounded better than before.

"Fine then, Yuu." she grinned, showing her teeth, "I guess you can call me Shinoa~" she said, returning the favor.

"Even without your consent I'm gonna call you that." he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "Right, Shi-no-a?" he smirked boyishly.

"Mou, you're such a tease." she pouted, a miniscule blush dusted her chubby cheeks. He thought it made her even cuter, like a doll.

( nope, she was definitely cuter and her eyes, he liked them. they're pretty, very pretty like diamonds, or roses, he thought they looked like roses, very very pretty and—um, did he make any sense? )

Yuichiro grinned in response, finally at ease with her presence. Settling his hands behind his head, he chimed, "So what about this pervert I'm hearing again?"

02
I was twelve years and a month old when she gave me another reason to keep on living.
I was broken and sad and suicidal and yet she smiled and held me in her arms and she was warm, really, really warm. And I was grateful. I truly was and I swore that I would live for her.
the second piece

"Ano...? Can you please step aside?" a soft murmur, probably a girl, shook him from his deep thoughts. The young boy scowled, feeling a tad annoyed by whoever it was who dared to bother him.

Yuichiro turned his head to give her a sharp glare, and barked, "Who are you to order me around—!" but stopped short the moment he saw a familiar face pasted in front of him.

It was her.

( the lavender haired girl that he met in the park several years ago. the girl with a very cute smile, and chubby cheeks, and pretty, pretty eyes. yes, he remembered her )

"Yuu…?" she whispered, shocked, her eyes widening into saucers just like his.

( she was slightly taller than before, he thought, and her hair was longer, but there was no mistaking that striking bronze orbs anywhere )

"Shinoa…." he breathed out, completely baffled.

"Yuu…" she said again; whether to convince him or herself that yes, it was not a dream and yes, it was real.

There was silence, they just stared at each other, probably still thinking that their counterparts was nothing but illusion. The stillness lasted for a long, long time, but it was getting uncomfortable so he took the first action—looking away.

"It's been a long time..., isn't it?" he heard the girl murmured softly, a rustled fabric echoed in his ears, and the next thing he knew she was sitting beside him. "How are you?"

"I'm…" what should he say? That he was fine? But he wasn't fine—far from it. He was—

( broken and bleeding and burning and hurt, and—and dead. without them he was— )

"Yuu..?" she asked, touching his shoulder gently when she noticed his hollowed eyes. "Hey, are you okay…?"

"I'm… ok—I'm not okay." he chuckled to himself, finding it's funny, that he couldn't lie to this young girl beside him.

"What happened…?" she asked softly. Yuichiro's face twisted into agony but she smiled, and took his hand in hers. "I'm here Yuu, please tell me what happened….?" she whispered against his ears.

"I—I'm…" he chocked back a sob, his eyes burning from the heat. "I—My family… they're…" he began hyperventilating and Shinoa frowned, clutching his hand in hers even tighter.

"I couldn't—" he inhaled sharply, filling his lungs with (more than) enough air, "They're… they—He killed t-them…! A-And I—I couldn't protect them and they're—" dead, the word hanging in the air. He sobbed, tears falling from his eyes like snowflakes, and Shinoa bit her lip until it drew blood. She embraced him, their skin touching. Pressing his face into her shoulder, he cried quietly, desperate to hide the tears.

"I've lost…" he began again; with another pained sobs, "I've lost them…." he muttered hoarsely, "…..my reason to live. I've lost them, they're—they're…"

"I'm sorry…" she cut him over, draping an arm around his shaking form. He didn't need to say it out loud, she'd already knew the answer.

"I—I don't…" he whimpered, "I miss them…. I miss them so much…" he croaked out desperately, "What should I do now? It hurts to keep on living when they're not here with me and I….."

"I know it's hard, but you need to keep fighting, struggling, living." she paused, "Don't make their sacrifices in vain."

The green eyed boy chocked again, "I know that—I know that but what should I do? I don't have any reason to live beside revenge and they wouldn't want me to avenge them. I feel so empty that I—that I don't know how to live again…."

"Ne Yuu," she pulled him closer to her small body and he stilled at her gentle touch, "What about me?"

"H-Huh..?" he blinked his blurry eyes, "W-What are you…?"

"If you've lost what it means to live, then," she paused, "Would you live for me instead?" she asked; so sincere and pure, and he broke down crying again, clutching into her like there's no tomorrow.

Between his messy sobs, her soft murmurs, and a tangible taste of salt between his lips, he swore that he would live for her from now on.

03
I was sixteen years old when we met again.
It was not like what I'd imagined, no fireworks, no butterflies, no waterworks, but I was there, and she was there, and we were together.
the third piece

"What the hell do you wa—Shinoa!" his hanged jaws and widening eyes were ungodly, but who could blame him? A person that he had spent years without, a person who'd been missing for more than two years suddenly appeared in front of him, flesh and all. "What are you—where have you be—the hell you're doing here?!"

"One question at a time, Yuu-san." she said, biting down a laugh; her lips twitched into a slight smile. Seeing this girl again made him happy but also bitter, to think that he met her again after all these years apart, and in such a circumstance no less. But at least she was—wait a minute, Yuu-san?

It was seconds after that when he noticed the weird honorific she put after his name, and he couldn't help but frown (he didn't like it one bit, even almost tempted to yell at her, but he pressed down the feeling under his consciousness).

"How—Why are you here?" Yuichiro stammered, his tone was that of a bittersweet one. "Where have you been?" he whispered quietly.

( why did you leave me? why did you go? why won't you stay? those questions echoed inside his mind; but he refused to acknowledge them )

"Around." Shinoa gave him a little grin, "You know the usual, doing errands for that grumpy Lieutenant Colonel and occasionally battled with mutant monsters." she leaned back into a more comfortable position.

"Oh." it was the only word he could manage as he stared into her clear bronze eyes, wondering, if he should feel at least a bit angry at her half-assed answer. He honestly didn't know what to say, because really, everything was nothing but a jumbled mess of emotions for his little mind to process. But she was—and maybe he's too, at some point—not someone who kiss and tell. He expected this kind of ignorance from her, he really did.

( but it didn't mean it did not hurt, because it did )

"You want to ask me where I've been?" he snapped out from his thoughts when Shinoa moved forward from her chair, pursing her lips on a tight line. Well, on second thought, he wanted to know the reason, but then again it would be better to forgive and forget, right? "Why I'd never—"

"No." he interjected quickly, averting his gaze into the sky outside. Maybe he was also a little bit afraid than he would like to admit. And slightly uncomfortable to breach the said topic, he hated serious talks. And besides, it's not really that important, was it? "You don't have to tell me anything."

The lavender haired girl paused for a moment, before she sighed softly, "I'm sorry."

"Stop it." Yuichiro chided from his place, "I'm not mad—" it was a total (blatant) lie, and he grumbled when she shot him a raised eyebrow. "Okay, maybe I am. Just a little. Just… a little." he muttered under his breath, eyes stubbornly refusing to meet her.

"I'm sorry." she repeated again, still using the same tone, but this time louder. "I'm—"

"Stop." he gritted his teeth, refusing her kind gesture. "I don't want to hear—"

"…home."

"…what?" he stopped altogether, frozen in time, meeting her eyes in a daze. What was that? "What are you…?"

"I'm home, Yuu." she smiled then, so sincere and soft, just like what he remembered, and he couldn't hold back the longing anymore so he pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face into her neck.

( there was no fireworks, no butterflies, no waterworks but there was her, and there was him, and it was enough )

"Welcome home." he whispered softly into her skin, gently taking in her scent of lavender that he'd missed so much.

04
I was sixteen and a half years old when she almost died.
I was at lost, she was trapped, and that creature almost killed her and I thought, I thought that she was going to leave me behind just like everyone did. But she fought and survived and I honestly had never felt so relieved when I saw her bruised, yet smiling face.
the fourth piece

"I'm not weak." Shinoa said sharply, a pair of fiery bronze eyes boring into his. "You don't have the right to—"

"Listen to me." he warned her, his grip on her hand tightened, and he croaked out, "Don't fight." The words tasted like flames on his tongue (hot and sizzling), and his eyes were burning, and scorching into heat, and it hurt, it hurt so much.

( why did it hurt so much? )

"Yuu-san please you have to understand—" Shinoa tried to beg him. Begging he thought, was the only thing she could do; because to him, to him it was her who didn't understand. "I—I Just want to—"

"I said, don't fight." he hissed, and saw the girl flinched back into the hard wall behind her, cowering from his harsh glare. She tried to avert her eyes, but he knew that no matter how much she wanted to look away, it was impossible. And no matter how much she wanted to escape, he was trapping her between his arms.

( she was just like a caged bird )

"Y-Yuu-san…." her face reddened, whether from their close proximity, or his cold eyes as she struggled to break free, "P-Please—let me go!" He didn't budge even an inch. Agitated from his unexpected strength on her, Shinoa began to hit his chest in attempt to push him away, her face already burned crimson. But instead of releasing her, the ebony haired boy snatched her wrists and pinned them up over her lavender head.

"W-Wha—" the chestnut eyed girl bit down a squeal when he leaned in to her face, "Y-Yuu-san! Le—let me go! You're too close!"

But he didn't do as he told, and rather loosening his grips on her, Yuichiro tightened his curled fingers over her smaller ones. "Listen—" he growled low when she struggled again, "Shinoa listen—listen to me. You almost died, dammit." he hissed through his teeth, the memory of earlier day swarmed down his head. "Do you know how it feels when I saw that bloodsucker rammed his sword through you? Do you?" he snapped angrily, desperate and frustrated and mad—yes, maybe he was a little bit mad.

Shinoa widened her eyes a bit, "No… I don't—I'm just…" she choked on her own words, "I just… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you…"

"My heart stopped, Shinoa. It actually stopped." he said desperately, "I thought—I thought you were…."

"I'm… I'm sorry…." she whispered, "I didn't mean to…. But I'm—"

( she said sorry, sorry for dying, sorry for fighting, but she couldn't stop and he couldn't, couldn't bear it anymore )

Blocking her voice from his ears (because he hated her cries, hated her lies, hated her excuses and yet he loved her), he dipped in low into her mouth, his vision began to blur into puzzles as his lips claimed hers desperately in one sweep of motion.

And then, his mind was blank.

He kissed her roughly, hungrily, so full of raw emotions while his hands abandoned hers, and took their claim on her waist. He felt her gasped, lips parted in between, and he didn't take his sweet time to sink his tongue inside her warm cavern. She tasted like blood, and tears, and cherry, and maybe also a little bit of vanilla cream she loved so much. Her skin was hot, and she was closing her caramel eyes, taking in every fleeting bites and brushes he brought onto her lips. And he thought, he thought was every kiss supposed to feel like a this?

He didn't know, and didn't want to know as he cradled her even closer, feeling her warmth as he pressed his body against her. The heat inside him began to building up again, and burning, and smoldering, but nothing of it mattered anymore, because the only thing that he could feel beside the heat was her; and only her. He didn't know how long had passed when he finally released her lips, and breathed harshly; face inches from hers while his hands draped around her petite body.

"I don't want to lose you." his voice was small, and unsure, just like a child. She made him weak, he'd never been one to plead. Yuichiro was blaze, a fire which couldn't be diminished. He had always, always put his heart on his sleeves and charged ahead with nothing but his own skin and bones. He was strong. He was a fighter. But this person in front of him, she made him looked fragile, looked delicate, just like a thin glass—because without her, he was nothing.

"You won't." she defended, knitting her eyebrows together and stared—just… stared. At him.

"No." Yuichiro insisted, staring back at her. "If I let you fight, you will be gone. I can't—I can't lose you."

"Yuu…" she breathed his given name, short and without honorific, staring sadly at the dimmed light of his opaque eyes. "I'm not going anywhere." she whispered between their warm breaths, "I'm not weak and I will never be. I know that you are worried, but it doesn't mean that I can't fight. It doesn't mean that you can tell me not to fight." she said, clenching the fabric of his uniform between her fingers.

"I don't—" he bit his lower lip, searching for words to convey, and yet found none. "I—I know that. I know that much."

"Then it's okay." Shinoa smiled at him, lips bruised and red. "If you know, then it's okay. I'm not going to leave, I promise."

He paused for a moment, before a small, sincere smile made its way into his face.

( he had always been a fighter, but she was his breaking point, maybe that's why she was important to him )

"Promise." he repeated quietly, resting their foreheads together.

05
I was sixteen years and seven months old when I tried to kill her.
I was in the dark for a very long time. I didn't know that I almost rammed my sword through her chest, I didn't know that I made her cry, I didn't know that she almost died but when I knew, I felt like the dirtiest scum that ever lived on earth.
the fifth piece

"I'm sorry." Yuichiro whispered, clenching his palm hard until his knuckles crinkled ashen. "I'm so sorry."

The girl in front of him sighed weakly, smiling, but not quite reached her eyes. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Yuu-san."

"You don't—" he bit his lower lip, "I just… I'm—I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." he said softly, but still didn't meet her gaze. Still bowing, pouring the earth with a plethora of raw emotions which he didn't know of. He was scared. He was ashamed. He was angry of himself, so, so angry of his action.

"I'm okay, you know?" she said, her tone begging, for him to see her, to look at her, to understand her. But he didn't. He didn't want to.

( he didn't want to, but why? )

Because—because he was at fault. He tried to kill her, wasn't that enough reason to hate himself? (yes, hate yourself hate hate hate, his mind hissed venomously). The guilt hit him like a bullet train as tears began to form at the corner of his eyes. "I didn't mean it." he choked, "I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it." and repeated it again, and again, and again, just like a broken record.

"Yuu-san…" Shinoa moved closer to him, talking his trembling palm, and grazed her fingers against his white knuckles. "You don't need to blame yourself like this, please." she sighed, "You've hurt me, yes. But not because of the reason you're thinking about. You hurt me because you hurt yourself. Not because..." she paused, then said softly, "Just... don't apologize. You don't have to apologize, is not your fault… not your fault…" she whispered, tenderly. And it bled, his heart, when she smiled, and forgave, and gave, and gave; but demanded nothing in return.

His eyes scorched even more, his tears broke out from their dam and fell across his face like pelting rain.

"Don't cry, Yuu-san." she brushed the tears away, but it kept falling and falling one after another. She sighed, noting the wetness of her own eyes, but she gave away her smile again. "What should I do to convince you? I'm here, aren't I? Alive and breathing and—and… we are, we are together. Isn't that enough?" she asked, "I think it's enough." and another smile.

Yuichiro raised his head, taking in her every features and repeated, "I almost killed you." and broke down again, and bleeding. Bleeding he did and yet she smiled even though he needed her scathing scorn instead.

"I know." she said, nonchalant and short, quite flat but at the same time not. "So?"

He made an annoyed sound behind his throat, "I almost kill—"

"I know." she said sharply, cutting him off. "But it's okay. Not okay okay, but I'm here and you were here and we… we are here, aren't we? So I do understand. And now it's your time to understand."

He broke the dam, sobbing in a way he only could, and pressed his searing skin upon hers. She pulled him closer, and touched him in a way she only could.

Shinoa kissed his tears away, one by one before she dipped her lips on him, savoring his mouth gently and felt the salt on her tongue. He didn't respond for a while, seemingly unfazed with her bold gesture; but when he did, he returned the kiss hungrily, desperately, devouring her mouth heatedly—as if he was telling himself that yes, she was alive, and yes she was here.

They broke apart, noses touching and breaths ragged, and she smiled to him; so soft and tender and he began to feel again.

( yes he thought, she was here and he was here and they were together. and happy. he liked to think that they were happy despite all the tragedies and sorrows )

"I'm here, Yuu..." she said, her eyes half-lidded and burning. "I'm here. And I will never leave you, I'll stay."

He spoke no word, leaned forward, and closed his eyes in bliss. She copied him.

They touched in the middle.

06
I was seventeen years and eight months old when we'd gone to war.
It was a grave morning. Scent of decaying corpse prickled our nostrils, countless of mangled bodies littered around, and everywhere we looked; it was red and red and crimson, but we kept going, kept fighting, even when we held each other hearts inside our palms.
the sixth piece

"Are you afraid?" he mumbled to her feverish skin, drawing red and crimson through her bleeding lips.

"No." she shook her head gently, "No, I'm not." she said, intertwining their fingers and gave him a peck on his cheek.

Yuichiro frowned, backing away and shot her an incredulous look. "Even after all this time?" he asked, searching for a slightest hint of fear inside her chestnut colored orbs, and yet found none.

"Even after all this time." Shinoa smiled, tugging him close and joined their foreheads together.

There were corpses near their feet, and blood, and crimson, and red beneath their boots but they paid it no mind; because they were at war and they must fight.

( must fight, must endure, must live )

"How's your leg?" he asked, leaning back from her.

"It's fine, I can manage. No need to worry Yuu-san…." Shinoa smiled and smiled but he couldn't smile back at her. Not when bloodcurdling screams and anguished cries echoed in the background. The war was brewing heatedly from afar, it was all blades and swords and bloods.

( and bloods and bones and skulls and brains, it was all the same )

He blanched from the sudden nausea inside his stomach.

"Hey—Hey look at me." she said, titling his face to meet hers. "It's okay. I'm okay. We're going to win this."

"I'm just…. Shinoa I wanted to tell you—" he paused when sounds of screeching metals assaulted his ears. It was so close, they were so close, and it would be a matter of time before this place turned into another battleground. "They're coming." he clicked his tongue, feeling the knot which formed behind his throat when he saw the colors of black and white blurred into one in the distance.

"It seems so…" Shinoa breathed out, watching as bloods and broken irons dancing in the air. "Prepare yourself Yuu-san." she said gravely, her trademark scythe already in place.

Yuichiro nodded his head, looking ahead but then, for a fleeting moment (even only for a fleeting moment) his eyes strayed from the raging war, into the broken girl beside him.

( it was now or never, they said )

"Shinoa?"

"Yes?"

He pulled her close, their nose touching as he planted a tender kiss on her lips. It was a promise, a sacred oath, the one which bound them with unbreakable vow.

"Don't die." he whispered breathlessly.

( i love you, please come back )

She smiled, squeezed his fingers for a split of second, before she drew back from him, "I would never dare to."

07
I was eighteen years and seven months old when everything was over.
There was no war to fight, no kill to make, no haunted smile to wear. It was over and we picked up the remains between our bloodied fingers.
This is where our tale ends.
Is it a happy ending? I'm not sure. What do you think?

"Yuu-san?" her voice fluttered softly against his earlobe, making him aware of his surroundings. Yuichiro opened his pair of viridian orbs, quite lazily, and found her standing a few feet beside him.

"Come here…" he motioned her to come closer, and the girl did as she told, settling her petite body beside his larger built. After that, silence pretty much fell between them, and Shinoa followed his gaze to find a beautiful sight of setting sun lied across her eyes.

"Sunset, Yuu-san?" she lifted an eyebrow, watching as the sun descended from its rightful throne. "Never pegged you as someone who enjoys nature~" she said, poking his cheek playfully.

"Hmm?" he hummed absentmindedly, tugging her closer into his side, but he didn't take his eyes off the honeyed landscape in front of him. "It's a good sight." he shrugged, curling an arm around her waist.

Shinoa stiffened from the sudden contact, but then relaxed into his body, wrapping herself within his warmth. "Well, it's a bit cliché but it is definitely a good sight." she echoed, resting her head below his chin.

Yuichiro didn't answer, but his grip around her tightened, and the lavender haired girl smiled wistfully as her eyes strayed into the wrecked earth and sanguine soil about them. "It's over, isn't it?" she whispered, pressing her head to his chest, her voice merely a breath on air.

"Yeah." he paused for a moment, drawing a tender smile, "Yeah, I guess it is."

There was silence again, no one dare to utter a word; but it was enough for them. Just a mere touch was strangely enough. The viridian eyed boy rested his head on hers, and sealed his eyelids shut, taking in the vanilla and lavender scent of her hair.

"Na, Shinoa…" he trailed off, titling his head slightly to meet her curious eyes. "What's the plan again?" he grinned sheepishly when the girl gave him an exasperated look.

"Really, Yuu-san…" she giggled faintly to his chest, "First, you skipped the celebration. Then, you skipped the party. And now you skipped the plan briefing?" she snorted, finding his tactless way of thinking a bit amusing. "At least stay a little bit longer, baka."

"I hate briefing." he scowled adorably, cutely, just like a toddler would. "And Guren's way too loud." he added after a second of deliberating.

"Meh, you just want to hide from your fangirls." Shinoa said cheekily without missing a beat, before laughing to her heart's content when the boy blushed (really, really red) from her impish accusation. Looked like she'd hit the target right in the center. "Really, how embarrassing of you~"

"Shut up." was his only response as another rush of embarrassment swept through him, his cheeks flaming red.

Shinoa broke into another round of laughter at his cute, blushing face and cooed, "You're so cute Yuu-san~" before she pinched his cheeks with both hands, making them reddened even more. "Don't worry, I've told Makoto-san to drive them away." she assured him, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

The black haired boy scowled again, but didn't swat her hands away. He wondered why she always managed to make him blu—wait a minute. "Makoto? Since when you call Narumi by his first name?" he frowned, feeling a little bit (just a little) uncomfortable with her new appellation for the maroon haired man.

"Since…. ever!" she chirped, noting his change of attitude. "Are?" she blinked her eyes at him flirtatiously, "Is that jealously I smell?" she smiled slyly, shortening the distance between them with her hands still cupping his face in place.

"W-What?!" Yuichiro sputtered, red and crimson appeared again. "N-No way. You're hallucinating." he puckered his lips unattractively, but it made him even cuter in her opinion.

"Is that so~?" Shinoa sang, and laughed, and grinned. "I don't think you're honest. Come on Yuu-san, just say it." she suggested, sending him one of her trademark grin.

"Say what?" he said awkwardly.

"That's you're jealous of course." she shot back, nodding to herself confidently.

Yuichiro pouted, feeling a bit scandalized. "I'm not jealous."

"Yes you are~" she insisted, "You are~ You are~"

"Are not."

"Are too~"

"Are not!"

"Are to—hmph!" her eyes widened in shock when he suddenly clamped his soft lips against her in a sloppy kiss. It lasted for what seemed hours, but in reality, it was just a few seconds before he pulled away, a satisfied smile stretched on his face when he saw her blushing red from head to toe by his unexpected (intimate) gesture.

"Y-Yuu-san!" Shinoa squeaked high, staggering back from their close proximity. "W-Wha—What was that for?" she mumbled quietly, cupping her burning cheeks in a pitiful attempt to cover her reddening face.

"You're getting annoying." he grinned, half-honest half-teasing. Yuichiro seriously loved it when the table was turned. It was time for him to snatch her long-time victory after all.

"Mou~" she pouted cutely, trying to calm her beating heart. "Don't be such a tease, Yuu-san."

Yuichiro shrugged his shoulders, "Can't help it. I need to shut you up somehow."

"Okay…" Shinoa sighed dramatically, feigning shock. "That's just cruel~"

"No, it's not." he snorted loudly, "Your jokes about me are the cruel one."

"My jokes are not cruel." she puffed her cheeks in annoyance, "It's not my fault that they called you—what the words again?" she put on a thinking mode, "Ahhh I remember now. How do you like your tea, my dearest savior of mankind?" she mocked.

"S-SHINOA!" the boy shrieked when the stupid name-calling rolled from her mouth like honey, totally mortified, that even she used that silly excuse of epithet against him. "D-Don't you ever, ever mention that thing again!" he shuddered, face paling into translucence, as if the mere fact of his current title had brought a plethora of bad memories down his head.

Shinoa snickered at the humiliated expression pasted on his face, "I'm just saying the truth, oh thou brave warrior." she mimicked his recently formed club of worshippers, her tone was that of poor imitation of a disturbingly screeching young girl. I didn't know she could do that, he mused, but then frowned when he noticed that she'd actually insulted him right under his nose.

"See?" Yuichiro shook his head, gesturing at her wide smirk, "So cruel."

"I'm not." she reeled him in, faked a pout, liking where the conversation was going. Maybe she would have her revenge this time.

"Are too." he flung back, totally unaware of her little plan.

"I'm not." on the outside, she was pouting but inside she was grinning like a maniac.

"Are too." the black haired boy grinned smugly when there was no response, but then the smile wiped off from his face when a pair of lips pecked his in a brief kiss. Now, it was his turn to stagger back from the intimate contact.

"S-Shinoa!" he protested, face flaming red. He knew that the little vixen was paying him off from the earlier tease.

"You're getting annoying." the chestnut eyed girl recited back his reason at him playfully, while managing to look innocent at the same time. "Like it Yuu-san?" she asked, titling her head in a cutesy manner. He blushed harder and grumbled 'girl' and 'tease' and 'should stop' under his breath, trying his best to ignore the laughing maiden beside him.

Seeing that there's no way he was going to win this petty war they were having, the green eyed boy immediately raised his hands into the air, admitting defeat with a wounded pride.

"Fine, fine." Yuichiro sighed tiredly, but there was a hint of amusement inside his eyes. "You win."

"Thought so." Shinoa grinned widely, offering her hand to him. And smiled. How she'd always smiled. "Now let's go."

He stilled for a moment, before he took her hand, a smile painted on his lips. "Yeah, let's go."

"To home?"

"Home."

They walked hand in hand, spring on their steps. The sun began to fade behind their backs, its golden speck bathing them with luminous gleam as darkness fell into their head.

The winds tickled, and they bid their goodbyes at the broken world behind them.

Well, how is it?
I think in the end, we finally had our happily ever after
We were together at last.
We were happy.
the last and the seventh piece

-x-
.and the tale ends.

.

.

author's note:

Ahaha, finally—FINALLY A HAPPY ENDING GOD BLEES MY SANITY. Wow, it's the first time I could actually write something sensible and happy and AU. I'd never, EVER wrote AU in my entire life. But I'm quite tempted to write a High School AU. But of course, it's still a plan. Meh, sorry for the half-assed kiss scenes. There's a lot of you who's begging for a kiss (yessss, I'm talking to all of you semper memento readers 0u0/) and since I can't make them kiss (at least, not that fast *smirk*) in semper memento I'm atoning for my sins in this onsehot! Sorry though, it's only my second time in writing kissing scenes so forgive me if it doesn't up with your standard, romance is not my thing I admit…. *crying shamelessly* And yeah, I'm totally abusing my commas and spaces, please forgive me... I hope you can understand what I'm writing... (TwT)

And also, college is a bitch, (Oh, for Wintersia-san, yep I passed it. I'm taking architecture in UNSRI, and good luck for your tests! Consider this as an early gift, would you? XD) it devours my time like a monster so I'm running away again from my responsibilities to write a story about our favorite pair. And don't forget the lastest chapter…. have you guys seen it? I'm bawling my eyes out (high five Charming-san! XD). I kinda shipped NarumixShinoa too and Shinya's bae seriously he tried to protect his lil sis and I'm like 'Shinyaaaaaaaaa my precious babyyyyyyy' for five minutes straight. Damn it, Kagami-san sure knows how to break our hearts to pieces. (T^T)

Oh well, this is purely my own imagination, so please excuse my far-fetched idea. What do you guys think? Is it good? Or bad? Reviews will be loved XD. I kinda sucked in romance department but I hope you get the feels. Well, I think that's all. I hope all of you enjoy this oneshot of mine, until we meet again~

-Hinoiri Lwin-