"Promise me you will return to tell me your decision," Luka said.
"I promise," said Miku, for there was nothing else for her to say.
"Yes," said Luka, and she smiled, humorlessly. "Miku always keeps her promises, doesn't she?"
Miku was surprised that Luka even remembered she said that, and she smiled and nodded. "I always keep my promises."
Luka was silent, and she looked away and extended her hand to Miku. Miku took it, and Luka led her to her room.
Miku was once more in the world of the above. She could hear human activity thrumming all around her - feet stamping on boards, actors and actresses rehearsing, the helter-skelter of theater life that yet had a peculiar sort of order under it all. Miku breathed in and out, closed her eyes, and took in the world.
She had to think about this...Miku stifled the cowardly urge to run, the urge to hide, her exhaustion. She had put off making a choice long enough. Miku somehow knew that if she were to run away and lie, no good would come out of it.
Luka had been truthful when she said that she did not have long to live. Miku noticed something weaker in her demeanor, something in her eyes that spoke of her terrible knowledge of her death.
Miku still did not know what she felt about her - was it fear? Fear was certainly in there after Luka told her of her killings and past...pity? Miku did feel terrible for Luka's life. But love?
That was something Miku did not know - something that Miku did not want to know. It was far simpler to think of Luka as a fearful, pitiable figure, although Miku felt more than that, much more. It was frightening to feel so, however, and Miku turned her thoughts to Len. Dear, sweet Len. They had grown up together and he had always been there for her.
But Luka...Miku closed her eyes. She could see already Luka's death. She would die, cold and alone, in the basement. All Miku could hear was the voice of the father of the chapel in her hometown speak of her mother's death.
"She died in the best way God allows us to pass...she did not die unloved, or without friends."
Miku knew what she had to do then.
-o-o-o-
When Len went into Miku's room, the first thing he did was pull her into her arms. Miku immediately tensed and pulled back. Len looked down at her, confused, like a hurt puppy.
"Miku?" he asked. "What's wrong?"
Miku glanced at the mirror. By this time, she could sense Luka's presence...and Luka was, thankfully, not there.
"I cannot marry you," said Miku.
Len's eyes widened. "What? But, but why? Miku, I-"
"Someday, perhaps," said Miku, softly. "But not now."
"Is Luka forcing you into something again?" Len demanded, his eyes flashing. "Is that little freak making you do something you don't want to do? You don't have to do this. You can run away with me, run away from her! I will protect you!"
Miku hesitated. It was so tempting to run away and forget everything. Miku envisioned herself taking Len's hand, and running away from it all.
But Miku held herself back. She could not run away. She had to do the right thing.
"No, Len," said Miku. "It won't be for long...she's dying, she has so little life left to live, and...and I can make her happy."
"You are not a martyr, Miku," said Len, and he pulled her into a hug. Miku almost relaxed into it, but she grabbed a hold of herself and pulled back.
"Stop it," Miku said.
Len, taken aback by Miku's tone, stared at her for a long while before an expression flickered over his face, too fast for Miku to see, and he sighed and turned away.
"I won't give you up to that monster, Miku," he said in the most determined voice Miku ever heard him use, and left.
-o-o-o-
The performance went well. Miku sang for Luka, as she always did, but this time, not once did she look at Len's box. Her mind was occupied with pleasing her tutor, the tutor she once believed to be an angel, one last time before she accepted her proposal.
When Miku returned to her dressing room, she felt Luka's presence behind the mirror, and she turned. The mirror swung open, and Luka stood there, her face unreadable. Miku took her hand, and Luka took her back down to the basement.
The basement was now intimately familiar to Miku, so she really did not even need Luka guiding her down, but she liked having Luka guide her. She liked the protective warmth of Luka's hand. But then Miku caught herself, and reminded herself that she was in the presence of a dangerous killer, and her mind cleared once more.
Luka sat on the couch, and smiled at Miku. "Thank you for keeping your promise. I trust you have made your decision." Her voice sounded faintly amazed, and Miku could see Luka brace herself for the impact of rejection.
Miku stood up. Her heart was pounding loud in her ears. She walked over and placed her hand on Luka's shoulder, and looked down at her.
"I will marry you," said Miku.
Luka stared at her, disbelieving, shocked. There was a touch of wonder in her face, and Miku knew that Luka was holding back her feelings, trying not to get her hopes up too high in case she would become hurt. A rush of sadness went through Miku, then. Poor Luka...so used to rejection in her life, she expected it.
"Do you know what you're...what you're agreeing to?" Luka asked, her voice little more than a whisper.
"Yes, Luka," said Miku, but she did not know if she meant it. How could she understand Luka, in all her dark depths? However, Miku had sworn to herself to bring Luka happiness while she yet lives. It was the very least Miku could do for her, and it should not be hard...
Miku bit her lip as her mind turned to Len, and she immediately purged the thought from her mind. She would not think of what she lost now. She would not. She would be a good wife to Luka, the best she could possibly be.
Luka stood up then, and she stared at Miku with her one blue eye. Miku knew that she was testing her, trying to see if her intentions were real. Miku stared back, firmly, and Luka exhaled. She drew, from within her cloak, a tiny box, and within that box was a ring - a golden band with a diamond on it. A wedding ring.
Miku took baby steps forward, and, trembling, slid the ring on her finger. Luka sighed, and closed her eyes.
"It is done, then. We are married," she said. "I will do whatever I can to please you."
Funny the ceremony was over so quickly, though perhaps it shouldn't be too big a surprise, considering how outcast Luka is from society. It would be quite a difficult feat to find a priest marry the two of them officially. Miku stared at the band on her finger, wonderingly. There it was, the symbol of her marriage to Luka. How odd, that. It was not a legal marriage - Miku didn't even know if it was legal in the first place - but in here, in the basement, where there were no rules, a very simple ceremony like this was a marriage.
Luka stared at Miku, penetratingly. She gently took Miku's hands and began to kiss them.
Miku could not yet bring herself to offer something so intimate as her lips to Luka, and Luka had understood that, had read it in Miku's eyes. Miku felt saddened - she knew that as Luka's wife, the least she could do was allow her to kiss her wherever she wanted, but Miku wasn't brave enough for that yet. Luka had calmed, until she was only holding Miku's hands to her mouth with those graceful, yet skeletal, fingers of hers.
"I love you," whispered Luka, and Miku felt her warm breath brush against her fingers. "You have no idea how much I love you."
Miku couldn't repeat those words back to Luka, but she nodded and pulled her lips up in a smile. Luka sighed and dropped Miku's hands. She was pale and looked very tired, a dark eyebag under her visible eye. She did not seem to have slept well in the time it took for Miku to make her decision.
Miku might not have been able to offer Luka her lips, but surely, Luka could not only kiss her hands. Miku took a step forward and lowered her head. Luka understood, and she brushed her lips over Miku's forehead, so lightly Miku thought she imagined it, before Luka straightened herself up.
"Thank you...um, I will play a piece on the piano for you," Luka offered. "Will that be...will you like that?"
"Yes," said Miku, softly. "I would like that." She was ready to agree to everything, so miserably guilty she was.
Luka nodded and smiled, and she went over to the piano. All of her hesitance and fear vanished the moment she laid her fingers on the keyboard, and after a beat, Luka began to play, the lightest tune she could have thought of, completely in the major key.
The music was happy, and so sweet, Miku almost wished Luka played a dirge instead. Miku knew that Luka was playing this song for her, because she knew she liked it, because she wanted to make her happy. It made Miku want to cry. Luka played beautifully, but she always played beautifully.
When Luka finished, she seemed to shrink and grow older than her years. She turned towards Miku. "It is late. You should go to bed."
Miku noticed that Luka was not looking at her, so she obstinately stayed. With a sigh, Luka looked at Miku, and closed her eyes. She was being dismissed.
There were no goodbyes, no hugs, no kisses, and the wedding was over.
-o-o-o-
Miku awoke to emptiness in the house. Luka was not there, but there was a note left on Miku's pillow. Rubbing her eyes, Miku sat up and picked up the note. It made a loud crinkling noise as she held it in her fingers.
My dear Miku,
I have heard that it is bad luck for the married peoples to see each other the day after the wedding. As I do not wish to play with fate, I will return at one to see you. Till then, I remain
Respectfully yours,
Luka
Miku sighed and let the note slip from her fingers. She hated being alone in the basement. Without Luka there, things would become frightening to her once again. The coffin, the hostile, silent cat, the darkness and flickering candles. Miku got up from the bed, and her eyes caught a glimpse of a glimmer on her bedside table. She looked at it, and immediately paled.
The crucifix...and Len's ring.
Luka had to have seen it, Miku realized. She was testing Miku, wasn't she? Miku took the ring in her fingers, the metal cool against her fingers. She could not have it with her, not if she wished to remain faithful to Luka – the ring brought up too many memories, too many fears. She could not be Luka's wife if her thoughts were occupied with thoughts of a man. Miku rushed out of her room, opened the sewers gate with her key, and threw the ring into the dark, rushing waters.
There...it was gone. Miku breathed out a shaky breath, and she looked at Luka's ring on her finger.
-o-o-o-
Luka returned home in a good mood. Miku greeted her, as a good wife should, and had prepared tea. She would have cooked too, but there was no food. Luka, however, did bring groceries with her...how she obtained the food was something Miku didn't know. Perhaps she asked her assassin friends to get the food for her. Now that would be a sight, trained killers walking around the market, purchasing food for their masked friend.
"I think with these I can cook for you," said Luka, excitedly. "I got some leeks, too. I remember you told me that you loved them."
Miku did love leeks, but...she told Luka that thirteen years ago. She found herself immeasurably touched by Luka's kindness. Even in normal circumstances, Miku did not deserve her. Miku was nothing more than a dressed-up liar. Luka looked up, her face for once bright and cheery, to see Miku's face, but her expression changed into shock once she saw her.
"Miku!" Luka immediately put the food on the table and rushed over to Miku. "What's...what's wrong? Why are you crying? Did I do something wrong?" An aghast expression made its way over Luka's face before she asked, quietly, "Do you not like leeks anymore?"
"No, no," said Miku. "I...love leeks. I don't know why I'm crying." She tried to smile.
"Is...is that so? Well," Luka turned back towards the table. "I hopefully have enough food here, for a while..." She fidgeted absentmindedly with the edge of the tablecloth. Stuck in a new situation such as this, Luka looked lost, unsure. "I'll…go cook."
After the solemn dinner that Luka made (Miku should not have been surprised to see that the food was also exquisitely cooked. Was there nothing Luka couldn't do?), Luka got up to take Miku to her room. When she opened the door, however, her expression changed into one so dark that Miku couldn't help but to ask, "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" Luka echoed, sarcastically, staring at the bedside table, before she turned, so fast Miku took a step back. "Where's the ring?"
"The…ring?" Miku echoed.
"The ring!" Luka yelled, and Miku hurriedly checked her ring finger. Luka's ring was still there, what other ring could there be - Miku paled. Len's ring. Of course. Luka meant Len's ring. "Where is it!? Did you hide it from me? Where?" Luka's voice was harsh and angry. "This marriage means nothing to you, isn't it? It's just a fake one, a farce, made out of pity!"
"Luka, please, stop," Miku stammered, trying to explain herself, but Luka cut her off. She grabbed Miku by the arm, so hard Miku flinched from the pain.
Luka, however, mistook that flinch as disgust, and, in horror, she backed off and put her hand to her head. "I thought you loved me," she said weakly. "I thought this would be a real marriage. Why did you hide that boy's ring? I thought that maybe you changed your mind and he meant nothing to you anymore, but if you still feel the need to hide his ring from me, then..." Luka shook her head, and without another word, she left the room and slammed the door behind her.
Shaking, Miku slowly dressed herself in her nightgown and slid into her bed. It was cold and Miku felt miserable. She had provoked Luka's anger, betrayed her again, tried to cling to a world she could not have. She had not been good.
Miku had no sleep that night.
-o-o-o-
It was morning. Miku's internal clock recognized this, and she opened her eyes. She really didn't sleep at all, and she felt terribly tired. She had to apologize to Luka, she knew. Miku stumbled out of her bed into the bathroom, and she emerged from it later, having changed into day clothes. She walked out of her room, dreading facing Luka. She had seemed so sad and angry that Miku wasn't entirely sure what to do or say to assuage her anger.
Luka was not in the house, however. Miku checked first the coffin, then the piano, then the kitchen. There was no one. Feeling a small, odd sense of relief, Miku walked over to the breakfast table. At the sight of it, her spirits sank.
It was immaculately laid out. There were strawberries and other fruits on little china plates with cream, and an assortment of bread and pastries and jam. A single jug of water stood on the table, and in the middle of the table was a vase with a rose, and attached to the rose was a small note. Miku hesitated a little before walking over and picking up the note.
My dear Miku,
I am sorry for frightening you last night. My anger was wrongly placed. I let you set the boundaries of our relationship, and I must have overstepped them.
I will be away today until night, and the house is yours. Please eat and be comfortable here - nothing will hurt you, and this is your house now as much as mine. I apologize for the hurt I have caused you, and I am forever in your debt.
Respectfully yours,
Luka
Miku once again sighed and let the note drop from her fingers. She could just imagine Luka staying up to prepare all of this for her. She didn't deserve this. Luka apologized, when instead it should be Miku who apologized.
Why did Miku agree to marry Luka in the first place? It really was a farce marriage. Miku felt disgusted with herself. She knew that if she wanted these six months to be good for Luka, she had to grow up, and stop being so childish. She was twenty one and she should stand up for herself now instead of cowering and hiding like a child. Miku sipped at her water and bit into her croissant, and nodded firmly to herself.
She would do her best to make this marriage work.
-o-o-o-
Luka returned to the house, and Miku leapt up to meet her. The moment she saw Luka's face, however, she shrank back.
Defeat read clearly in Luka's expression, and she trudged over to an armchair, and sat down heavily. She looked so broken, Miku knew she had to do something quick. She knelt by Luka's feet, and grabbed her hand. Luka pulled back, surprise evident in her face.
"What are you doing, Miku?" she asked, in a guarded voice.
Luka pulling back had hurt Miku, and Miku realized that this must be what Luka felt each time Miku pulled back from her...perhaps even worse due to how long she spent pining for her.
"I made you tea," said Miku softly, and she poured a cup for Luka and offered it to her.
"Thank you," said Luka, and she reached for the tea. Their fingers brushed together, and Miku felt a tingle run through her spine, although why, she didn't know. Luka delicately brought the teacup up to her lips and drank.
There was a long silence, broken only by the soft sound of the teacup being placed on its platter. Luka looked at Miku, her masked face unreadable.
"I hope you enjoyed your breakfast," said Luka.
"Yes, thank you," said Miku, and her eyes flickered to the floor for a bit as she gathered herself.
"Miku, I-" Luka began, but Miku cut her off. Luka's face registered surprise - Miku had never interrupted her before.
"No, Luka," said Miku hastily. "I'm the one who's sorry. You have done nothing wrong, nothing at all! It's me. I'm sorry, Luka!"
"Mi-Miku?" Luka stammered, and there was true, confused innocence in her eyes, and Miku realized that in some respects, Luka was just as much as a child as Miku was. They were the same age...it was so easy to forget that sometimes.
Miku took Luka's hand and brought it to her face, and Luka did not pull away. Miku leaned into Luka's hand and closed her eyes.
They sat in silence, and at that moment the future seemed a little brighter.
When I said 'longer', I meant LONGER...this is going to be a multichapter happy end XD Hope that's fine with y'all.