Muv Luv: Yuuko's Epilogue

Desolate landscape of rubble and dirt; scorched remains left solemn reminders of those lost. The air fell flat on the tongue; tasteless, without life.

Memories from a far off world were his only comfort.

School, an unknown drive for normalcy pushed him forward. Hakuryou, far gone from his expectations. Twisted; changed; innocence lost.

Soldiers and guns; iron bars and cold beds; new and old faces swarmed him. One stood out as sanctuary; a rock in the middle of a stream.

Sensei.

A flash of blue and white; the words 'ALTERNATIVE IV' ingrained into his mind. An eishi, pilot. It was his duty to ensure the project's completion.

Failure...

The frames that sped by his eyes began to slow as he played out what was to be the final scene. There was no fast forward for such an emotional night.

The air was hot; humid with the musky scent of sweat. It permeated the tight, cluttered space of what someone might have once called a bedroom. The only discerning feature that linked it as a place of rest was the queen-sized bed, which one could see only after looking past the mounds of documents and boxes scattered around the floor.

That particular night, it was not so hard to discern the private quarters; considering the lewd acts that were carried out inside. For the sanity of those living nearby, they could thank the thick steel doors that blocked off the excessive noise.

"Yuuko!"

A young man with tousled brown hair was on the top of the bed; white bed sheets struggled to latch onto him as his movements became erratic, wanting. For all his fervor, he was barely holding on. It was clear the one below was the one setting the pace as he moaned for her to stop.

"Shirogane!"

The lovers called out to one another in a haze of ecstasy. The cries came to a crescendo as their love making had reached its usual aggressive, primal end. For them, the source of their desire was an unquenchable thirst that was only explainable by those who had experienced a similar loss, a feeling of defeat.

Below him, amethyst eyes shared a familiar sense of lust as their bodies connected. Her pale arms wrapped around his neck, holding him close as they reached the end. Old scars opened on his growing back as nails tore into him for dear life. Both were so lost in each other they did not even realize how rough their actions had become.

There was nothing left to lose. Rules and regulations were for the weak, after all. What more harm could their relationship add to their already turbulent lives?

He felt her presence slip through his fingers, never to return. That was their last night, together. His vision began to blur with tears. Abandonment; frustration; hatred became permanent residents in his mind.

Surviving in that world would be hell, but he had thought that if he was with her, it would be fine.

Yuuko...

…

Ta...ru...

Hm...what the?

A cacophony of voices swam around in his head. Their cries refused to let him wake up; they called for him to return to the dream, to finish what he started.

Take..ru

His concentration wavered as he began to fall again, under their influence. A promise was a promise, he could not just run away from them. The voices tapered off as if the volume was dialed down. They were replaced by another tone, sharper than before. From his dream, he recognized its source clearly.

"Takeru...wake up."

She was calling out to him. He had no knowledge of where his body was or what state his mind was stuck in. It was like limbo; light and dark flashed across his eyes as he struggled to follow her orders. Whether it be dream or real, he could not resist her call.

Yuuko...sensei...

"Oi, get up already."

The voice grew impatient; there was a harsh edge to her tone that sent ice down his spine. That was a good sign. He could start to feel his body wake up with him. Something held his arm with a soft, but firm grip. A vibration would rumble through his nerves every few seconds and he realized she was shaking him.

"Hmph. Fine, I guess you aren't up for round three."

Finally, his eyes had the strength to open. The first rays of sun blasted his face as he realized it was later than he thought. One arm covered his eyes while the other grabbed the hand that had wrapped itself around him.

There was no concept of time while he was asleep; the room he had been in was dark, underground. Was he in the old world?

Wait..old world? That was just a dream, right?

The woman in front of him sighed and pulled away from his arm.

Takeru had a difficult time accepting that he had awoken; that he was really living in that world. In the dream, it felt like he had been separated from her for an eternity. Now, everything felt like it was back to normal; the puzzle pieces had fallen into place.

"Really? I shake you half to death and get no response, but sex makes you open your eyes? Shirogane, you really are hopeless."

It was clear from the tone of voice used that she was more than a bit irritated with him.

"Eh? What..are you talking about..." Takeru covered his mouth as he yawned, muffling his speech.

"Seriously, you can't keep sleeping in my bed. People are going to get the wrong idea, you know?"

After a moment, he felt like his eyes had adjusted to the copious amount of sunlight that had covered the room in an orange glow. He let his arm fall to the side and looked around to see that he was indeed in a bed that looked nothing like his own. The dark red sheets were smooth as silk and hugged his body well; from the intimate touch they gave him, he could tell he wore nothing to bed. The pillows were scattered all about behind his head and on the floor, and the sheets themselves were tangled up around his waist like a tornado had hit.

When his eyes finally locked with the other occupant of the room, he could not help but melt. Yuuko stood with her arms crossed and eyes narrowed in nothing but a frilly pink nightie. It was parted in the middle and showed off her delectable white, supple skin that he remembered worshiping the night before. Her beauty had not diminished since he last saw her in his dreams.

"I'm still annoyed." His lecherous gaze did not affect her in the least.

Though she would admit, to a very small group of people, that she had met Takeru Shirogane outside of school with something past his educational value in mind; she would never let him have his way when they were together. Yuuko had a reputation to keep, after all. What would the scientific community think if they found out she had relations with a student; more importantly, what would Marimo think?

Aside from being heartbroken over losing, the 'Mad Dog' would never let her live it down.

That was why she was more than willing to crack the whip that only a professor of her caliber was capable of. She had learned not to underestimate her student's ability to worm his way out of unfavorable situations; it was something she often observed him practice when he was around girls his age.

"It's the weekend. No one is going to find out," Takeru growled, voice still heavy from sleep.

More importantly, the emotions he had felt during his dream had not gone away. That feeling of loss when she told him she was leaving him, it still hurt. Even if it was a fantasy—no nightmare, he wanted confirmation. He had to know she was real, that she still felt the same way.

A pair of arms snaked around her waist and pulled her back into bed, eliciting a surprised shriek. The warmth intensified as they laid together; her on top of him with his boyish arms holding her tight to his chest. Together, their breathing sped up, pheromones released. A familiar itch from last night began to take a hold of the two, but Yuuko's experience made her ignore it.

A petite, manicured hand found its way between them as she pushed away. It was gentle, but left a solid warning in its wake. Her eyes could not hold back the devious assumptions that had leaped to mind. A knowing smirk began to wrap itself around her lips.

"Hmph, sorry. I've had my morning coffee and I'm just not in the mood." She loved to tease him; it made things exciting for the both of them.

Yuuko had not thought Takeru would try and take her again so soon, but her resistance was mostly for show. It was always more interesting when she was least expecting it.

Takeru knew that if he wanted to, he could ravage her there without worry. It was not something she liked to admit, but she preferred it when he took charge. He guessed it had something to do with her attraction to men closer to her age; that must have been a trait she did not expect to find in boys like him.

If it was to win her over though, he was willing to do anything.

When he did not say anything in response to her hook, Yuuko frowned. There was clearly something bothering him. It became abundantly clear his dreams had turned into something terrible when he began to move and groan in his sleep. Even now, after waking up, his skin was still a tinge paler than she had grown used to.

Yuuko cursed herself when she realized she was actually worrying about him. He was really turning her into a pitiful woman.

"You ok?" she finally asked, without any hint of playfulness. "As soon as you went to sleep, you were tossing and turning."

He could only remember snippets from his dreams. Something similar to Valgern-On, a cockpit of sorts, made him do so many maneuvers with his arms and legs that he wondered if they had translated to his sleeping body. It must have been like a dog moving its legs as it imagined running in the yard.

The silence was deafening, so she tried another approach. Yuuko had not come out of last night unscathed either, and she wanted to voice her grievance. After all, she was completely open about pointing out someone else's faults for them; especially whenever they negatively affected her. Whether he liked it or not, there was always something she could say about him if she needed an advantage in an argument.

"Idiot. You almost kicked me out of the bed last night, my bed. Seriously..." she pouted with a certain whine in her tone.

Despite himself, Takeru finally smiled and met her gaze. He knew she was trying to get a rise out of him. The truth was that he loved that signature whine of hers; she used it whenever things did not go her way. It had become somewhat of a victory marker for him, in the few times he ever won an argument or competition with his teacher. With their new perspective between one another, he could not call it anything but cute.

"Sorry, Yuuko-sensei. I had a really crazy dream last night."

"Clearly, anyone could have guessed that. I'm more concerned about the knot you almost tied in the sheets. Do you know how much those cost?"

That dream, he could have sworn he had really been living in it. It had only been a day since he last saw her, but it felt like years. That was why he could not will himself to let go of her.

Those mental quips and verbal scoldings she gave him were somehow, all of a sudden endearing. It was because they proved that in front of him was the real Kouzuki Yuuko.

Annoyed that he was being so spoiled, she pushed away and got off the bed again. By then, he would usually leave an apology dripping with sarcasm to show that her words had gotten through his thick skull; it acted as a small comfort whenever she would win an argument (which was often). That delusion must have really been horrible to make him act so strange.

Typically, he was much more responsive to her incessant ribbing.

"You can tell me about it after breakfast, and I might just listen. For now, I'm starving."

The thought of food made by Yuuko seemed to strike a familiar chord in Takeru. He unwound himself from the confines of the bedroom and found his missing boxers on the couch in the adjacent living room. They had really gotten wild yesterday; the "argument" quickly devolved after he smashed his lips against hers. Not that she minded; if anything, it had probably been her plan all along.

"I thought I had you up earlier, but you went right back to sleep," her voice carried from the kitchen to the living room well, considering the kind of space the house had for it to bounce around.

Yuuko was rich after all, and her dwelling was anything but modest. He still could not believe that he had gotten sleep there, let alone the other activities she had let him partake in. It was nothing like Meiya's mansion, but it was...cozy.

"What kind of idiot goes back to sleep after having a nightmare? Fufu...what would you do without me there to save you?"

If it raised his teacher's spirits, he would not make a retort. All the same, it was possible she really had saved him from returning to that place. If so, he would be sure to thank her all the more later.

"Sensei, couldn't you speak to me a bit nicer? We are going out now, right?" Takeru said with that same mischievous smile he had seen her wear so many times before.

Her playfulness had rubbed off on him after all that time spent together.

"Haa?" she moaned, turning to face him with a spatula in hand. "Boyfriend? You? I'm just having fun, Shirogane. Don't put words in my mouth."

That was her attempt to cut the conversation short, but she fell for it. When the violet haired vixen turned around to flip the pancake, she must have realized what she said and stopped mid-turn. Before she could fix her mistake, Takeru leaped on the golden chance.

"I didn't say anything about being your boyfriend, sensei."

Caught, she bit her lip.

"Tch. Whatever, you know what I mean."

"'Not attracted to men younger than me', right?"

"Yes, exactly that. This is all just fun and games, ok?"

Satisfied, Takeru sat down at the table obediently. He relished the few times he could get the upper hand in an argument with her, since it was rare to see Yuuko flustered. Only when she was off her game did he have a chance. Lest he go too far, he would always back off and let her have the last word. It was the safest way to ensure their relationship continued on its curved; twisted; yet smooth route.

After all, he was one of the few people that could understand her. That was why he was allowed to get away with things like that, despite his age. They were similar in the weirdest ways, as scary as it could be to say out loud.

His eyes wandered over her half naked figure, and he could not help but want to reach out and grab her. Those shapely hips that swayed as she cooked; the large breasts he could barely fit in his hands that bounced every step; they were his. He remembered when he was still in school, back when he really was Yuuko's student; how many other guys stared at her body with lust, how they pined for her. He had been right there with them, but his intimate knowledge of Yuuko's personality always kept him one step away; she was truly frightening for the unprepared, after all.

It had been a little more than a year since they had started to see each other outside of school, and graduation had only recently passed by. If someone were to ask him how he came to stand by such a dangerous person's side, and why he was so willing stay; Takeru was not sure if he would be able to come up with an answer. The days had gone by in a blur, much like his dream had.

What he knew for sure was that he loved Yuuko; not just her body, but her mind too. It was up for debate whether he would ever truly match her level of insanity, but he was willing to try. That was how he was still around after all; he never gave up after he set his mind to something.

Yuuko had just finished their plates when she felt his arms wrap around her again. Not that she would ever tell him, but he had become quite attractive since they first met. His muscles were nothing to be proud of, nor was his brain anywhere near her own in sheer intelligence; but he was improving, enough to the point where she could move up her expected date when she would tell Marimo about them dating.

By a few years, at least. The look on her old friend's face would be priceless.

But, he still was not perfect enough to get away with such cheekiness. She had no qualms about slapping his arms away, and so she gave him a light swat with the spatula.

"Did you not hear me when I said I wasn't in the mood?" she tried to sound irritated, but if anything her tone made it sound the opposite.

"That perfume..." she felt his lips tenderly kiss her along her neck; Yuuko fought back a contented sigh. "It smells nice."

Her devilish smirk returned as she rubbed her posterior against his groin. Of course, a boy like him would have gotten hard over that. So cute.

"Hmph. It's more than nice. I planned on wearing it to pick up a guy tonight, so it's supposed to be special."

His grip around her waist tightened as she let out a sinister giggle. The game of making him jealous was just too easy.

"Don't say that, Yuuko. You know that I-"

"Wait," a finger on his lips stopped him from going any farther, her body twisting around in his embrace. "Before you try to say something cool and fail, sit down for breakfast."

The pout on his lips was all the more fun for Yuuko to see, but she knew his feelings would not stay beaten down for long. He had already made his intentions clear with her from day one, even if he had not said the words. As a boy, his emotions were easy to read. Predictable was boring, but in Shirogane's case, charming at the same time.

As they sat down, Yuuko could not help but ask herself how she came to be in such a situation. There she was, a proud professor of Hakuryou, sitting half naked across from her previous student who shared her situation of lacking clothes. After all the times she had said she had no interest in someone younger than herself, somehow Shirogane Takeru had found a way to break her rule. A one time fling maybe, but a year?

Maybe his influence was starting to make her dull too. There was no logical explanation as to how she could look at that situation, wear a devilish smile, and call it "acceptable".

Well, I suppose this isn't all bad. It does prove my 'Love Nucleus' theory right about him, after all. How else would he seduce me. ME?

"Yuuko-sensei, this is delicious. You should really eat," Takeru said with a mouthful of bacon and pancakes.

Yuuko realized she had spaced out and quickly grabbed a fork to eat. It was not like her to have a moment of weakness like that. She would have to be careful to think about such things when she was alone and not with present company.

He would never let her live it down if he knew, after all.

After they settled into a comfortable silence at the table, her thoughts drifted to their plans for the day. Takeru had suggested they go to the mall and buy swimsuits after she complained they had been in Yokohama for too long. Whenever there was a break after graduation, she always went traveling somewhere. That year, she had said she wanted to go to an island resort and enjoy the beach.

For some reason, she allowed Shirogane to try and convince her to let him come along; last night's fun ended up being his very persuasive argument that he could be a lot of fun to have around.

Sorry, Marimo...but it looks like you'll be alone this time around.

Excitement seemed to bubble up into her chest from nowhere, and Yuuko could not help but smile. She watched Takeru eat the meal she had prepared with such vigor that it left her more than satisfied. Simple or no, he entertained her in the strangest ways. In an amorous daze, she could not help but blurt out what came to mind first.

"Shirogane, let's have fun on the trip together. Alright?"

Takeru's brow raised in suspicion before he realized she was being honest. His smile grew a little wider as he kept eating his meal, content to take his time and enjoy it. If that was her response to his unanswered question, then he would definitely take it.

After all, he was the only one who could translate the deceptive language of Yuuko Kouzuki.

Disclaimer: I do not own Muv Luv.