* Author: Incomplete short story. Unsure if I should continue.

Just Tonight

"Minato...I love you."

The young man better known as holding the title of the silent protagonist stood completely still as the words that were spoken between them started to take effect. It had been a while since he began dating his fellow SEES member, Yukari Takeba.

Independent to a fault, this woman was much more than he would have ever thought from his first glance upon her that fateful night. He could recall, the way she trembled and faltered as the full moon filled the night sky. Pure fear rained over the atmosphere and it had been an instinctive moment for him to grab her evoker and use it on himself.

As his arms slowly began to move around her well-framed body, he pulled her closely against him. In this moment, she was not trembling. No fear was seen in her big, brown eyes as she stared up at him. Her cheeks flushed from the physical contact which had only happened once before during their vacation at the Kirijo residence. Feeling his own body relaxing so easily in her presence, he much preferred this Yukari to the one he first met that night.

She was showing her true side to him. The vibrant, strong, and overall loving side was being shown to only him. And as she requested to stay in her room the rest of the evening for some personal time together, a simple nod was given to her in return.

The blue hair that shaped across the young man's face shifted slightly as he tilted his head down to let his lips press onto hers in their first kiss. It was chaste yet sweet and didn't seem to quench the overwhelming desire that had been building for the past few weeks. And so he kissed her again.

In that moment, her hands moved to grasp at his jacket, keeping him as close to her as possible. It had been a while since she had kissed anyone, but as soon as the kissing began she had completely drifted away into a state of perfection. She didn't want it to end. She didn't want him to leave this room, or for them to go back to Tartarus again to risk their lives once more for the mistakes of others. She didn't want to risk losing this man whom she had fallen in love with, especially since, all they had was each other.

He could sense the way she was almost desperately kissing him now, and so he pulled back slowly. His pale hand moved to caress alongside her face just as he finally let those three, meaningful words slip past his own lips.

"I love you Yukari."

Those brown eyes matched the smile that formed on her delicate lips, just as those eyes became slightly watery. A soft kiss was placed on her lips once again and she reciprocated it lovingly. As he let his hands run down her back, he kept her warmth completely against him. It was a sweet embrace, but as he heard yet another whisper come from her, he could sense the emotions shifting gear.

"Minato, I-I..I want to start really living my life. I feel like I can with you by my side."

She clutched slightly at his jacket but he stayed still as she continued a few seconds later.

"And now...in this moment, I want to do something that makes both of us feel alive."

Those words had a hidden meaning to them, and any man would be a fool not to recognize it.