The following morning, everyone save for Takashi and Saeko was out and about in the bedding isle. Just as Komuro an Saeko had taken a bed for themselves, Rei had woken beside Shizuka, and Hirano beside Saya. Hirano was the first to wake up, and as such was quick to switch on the grille and begin cooking. He laid several strips of bacon out on a sheet pan, nearly getting a nosebleed from the sensational smell. From his and Saya's bed, Takagi called out, "Don't burn them, Hirano!"

He looked up to her and offered a smile, "I'm making half your way, and half my way."

Saya looked displeased as usual as she quietly asked, "I don't know how you can like it burnt the way you do."

Beside Hirano, Kage appeared, startling the young otaku as he spoke, "He's not burning it, he's making sure it's crisp."

Hirano smiled, grateful that someone else understood. He turned back to Saya and called, "See, Busujima-san gets it!"

Saya rolled back onto her side and replied, "Whatever, don't make mine crispy."

Hirano turned back to the grille, his happiness written on his face as he calmly spoke, "Yes ma'am."

On the carpeting a few feet away, Shizuka knelt with Rei behind her, braiding her long blonde locks into pigtails. Behind Rei, Alice stood atop a stool braiding her hair as well. "You don't think it will make me look too young, do you Rei-chan?"

"You'll always be beautiful, Shizuka-sensei. This will just be a new look," Rei sweetly commented as she leaned forward to place a kiss on Shizuka's neck.

"Stop moving, Rei-chan!" Alice scolded.

Rei quickly leaned her head back, and apologized, "Gomen nasai."

On the second grille, Hirano cracked two eggs into a pan and asked, "Rei, Shizuka-sensei; how do you like your eggs?"

"Scrambled," they replied in unison, again bringing them to giggle at each other.

Ayane stepped over to the grille and placed a pot of water on one of the side burners. Hirano turned to her and she offered him a smile as she greeted him, "Ohayou, Hirano-kun."

Hirano couldn't help but smile at the polite greeting. It had been rare for someone to be genuinely nice to him in his life, so it still caught him a little off guard, "Ohayou, Ayane-chan."

She placed a few tea leaves into the pot and looked back over the group. She turned back to Hirano and asked, "Have you seen Takashi?"

From her bed, Saya loudly cleared her throat, just loud enough to gather Ayane's attention. She turned to Takagi who placed a finger to her lips, and looked to the roof. When Ayane looked back to her, Saya offered her a wink, and finally, Ayane understood what had happened. She and Saya shared a brief smile before they went about their business for the morning.

Beside Hirano, Kage placed a hand on his shoulder and commented, "I'm to understand that much of the fortifications here were a result of your planning, is that right?"

Hirano smiled proudly, "Hai. I have a few things in mind as well to further fortify the front entrance."

"If you'd like some help, I'd be happy to offer assistance," Kage graciously offered.

"Of course," Hirano replied.

"Miyamoto-chan?" Saya called from her bed.

Rei's eyes didn't deviate from her partner's hair as she replied, "Yes?"

"What are you doing today?"

"Shizuka-sensei and I were going to sort out more of the food supplies today," Rei replied.

Saya smiled to herself, knowing that in sorting out the food supplies, meant working in the back rooms, and therefore offered the two newest love birds a bit of privacy. Saya leaned over the side of her bed and called, "Alice-chan, do you want to help me on the roof this morning?"

"Okay, Saya-chan!" Alice happily replied.

"I'd be happy to join you as well," Ayane replied.

They'd been in the Super Viva Home store for but a few days, and already, they had all found their places and routines. They all had someone to take comfort with, and in time, they'd all find the things they needed to pass their days. Takashi was right; this really was a place in which they could live.

On the rooftop, Takashi Komuro's eyes fluttered slightly as a light breeze blew about the structures on the roof top. As soon as he was awake, he shivered slightly, and finally realized he didn't have a blanket on him, or a woman beside him. He pushed himself upright and looked around for a moment before finding Saeko. His purple-haired lover stood at the edge of the roof, wrapped in the blanket that had covered them during the night. She had covered herself almost completely, save for her shoulders, sure to give Komuro something to smile about when he awoke.

Indeed he did grin at the sight of her exposed flesh. Immediately he thought of their time together the night before. The sound of Saeko's voice, the warmth of her body beneath his; he couldn't help but smile wider still. He got to his feet and slowly walked behind her, delicately slipping his arms around her. While she moved her arms atop his, Saeko didn't alter her gaze or her expression as she somberly spoke, "Good morning, Komuro-kun."

Taking note of her morose tone, Takashi looked out to the parking lot to find a lone zombie staggering about, its flesh littered with blood and signs of decomposition. They could faintly here the cracking of its bones and joints as it stumbled about, as well as the subtle groan all of Them seemed to produce on a near constant basis.

"Do you think it will ever end, Komuro-kun?"

"I don't know, Saeko-chan. Everything that has a beginning, has to have an end, right?"

Saeko finally smiled slightly and turned to face her lover. She held the blanket in place with one hand to keep herself covered and placed the other on Takashi's chest. He could feel how cold she was and he delicately pulled the blanket over her shoulders. Not needing to hold onto the blanket any longer, she placed the other hand on Takashi's chest as well. Looking into her deep blue eyes, his heart melted as she spoke, "Does that mean that we have an end too, Komuro-kun?"

Takashi simply placed a kiss on her lips, giving her his answer. He pulled away from her, still smiling as he spoke, "Almost everything, Saeko-chan."

Saeko turned back to the zombie in the lot, this time not worrying about the blanket as it rested on her shoulders. A thin line of her flesh was just barely visible through the crack in the sheet, till she pulled Takashi's arms around her. Looking out to that lone monster, Saeko let out a sigh, "Do you want to hear something funny, Komuro-kun?"

"Sure," Takashi happily replied.

"It's only now, standing here that I'm thinking of the things I'll never do in this world. I'll never drive a car, I'll never go to college, I'll never spend a night in a hotel with my lover; there is so much to life that we'll never know. It's silly to think about isn't it?"

"I don't think its silly, especially the part about spending a night in a hotel with your lover," Takashi replied as he gently dug his fingers into Saeko's ribs, bringing her to chuckle slightly. He quickly stopped his light bout of tickling and continued, "There are so many things in this world that we all could have done. Places we could have gone, people we could have met. I'd like to say that I've thought of these things as well, but honestly, that wouldn't be the truth."

"What do you mean?"

"The truth is you are all I've been able to think about, ever since I met you. I don't know why it took me so long to tell you how I felt all, Saeko-chan."

"Boys can be so delicate when it comes to matters of the heart," Saeko lightly commented.

Komuro placed a kiss at the base of her neck, and finally rested his chin on her shoulder, once again looking out to the lone zombie in the lot. Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, the creature's movement ceased, and fell face-first onto the pavement. Saeko and Komuro both gasped as they watched. The creature's movements became slower and more drawn out as it clawed at the pavement. Finally, the creature's arms fell flat against the ground, its legs stopped moving, and its subtle groan vanished completely.

It was dead…again.

Wide smiles immediately overtook both Saeko and Komuro's lips. Saeko quickly turned, and as a result dropped the blanket that covered her naked body as she jumped into Komuro's arms. Takashi quickly wrapped his hands around her bare body to hold her, and they both laughed out loud in celebration; the creatures had a lifespan.

Saeko's feet met the surface of the roof once more, and Takashi leaned down to once again place a kiss on her lips. As she pulled away from him, still completely uncovered, Takashi smiled at the sight of her and commented, "There just might be hope for us to do those things you want, Saeko-chan."

"You'll stay with me, even if They're gone, Komuro-kun?" Saeko asked, her smile telling that she already knew the answer before she spoke.

"Always, Saeko-chan."

And that's that. If you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed it :)

I had a bunch of ideas for this fic, but for some reason it kicked my ass every step of the way. But, because I chopped up my outline as I was writing it, I still have some ideas floating around in my head, so I might follow this up one day.

Thanks very much for reading,
-jm