This story takes place a year after Kirino's high school graduation, about 4 and a half years after the concurrent anime timeline. Thank you for tuning in and reading.

Kyousuke swallowed the bile, spit, the blood rising back into his throat as he padded out of the dark, defunct stone halls of his captors. Holding a flag, still furled inside his hands, he could hear the labored yelling of many soldiers that he had grown beside. They had finally ended the war and following it surely would be home.

Dust followed with the wind, true to its desert landscape regardless of the city they were in.

"Victory." The flag came unfurled, and his disheveled appearance was known to the world. From the many laden scars scattered about his body and his hair, long and unruly as it fell behind his back from years of ignorance, he smiled. His teeth glinted, and his soot covered face was filled with peace.

He could see a few fellow soldiers looking up at him, shielding their eyes from the harsh sun beating down on them above.

"I thought I told you… I will never give up!" Cheers erupted as many made way, some climbing the walls to him as he fall face first, letting exhaustion take over. It's… over…

Kirino bounced on the balls of her feet, excited beyond all belief. It had been years since her brother was conscripted, albeit forcefully, to finally put an end to the war. She saw him on TV, on the news, in magazines, everywhere. He's still there… and he was fighting for our sake.

She smiled a bit to herself, only snapping her head back up as the doors to the plane finally opened, and the stairs in place for his return.

"I guess you weren't lying, Kirino. He's alive and well… I'm sorry." Kirino smiled wide to her long-time friend, Ayase, nudging her shoulder with her own.

"Don't sweat it." She winked, and Ayase smiled in return, casting her gaze to the many battered men and women stepping down from the elevated stairs in awe. Some were missing limbs, others…

Kirino kept her eyes forward despite the array of grisly wounds on display, for the whole world to see. She held her breath as a familiar, though slightly scarred face came into her view. He was a lot bigger, and his hair was a lot longer than she was used to, but it was him.

"Son…" As Kyousuke Kousaka stepped down, her father… the last person she expected, was crying as he hugged him, a little shorter than the war-torn man that stood before him.

"I'm home." Such a cheeky reply from someone who was held for almost a year. An eyepatch was strapped about his face, and at the edges a jagged, bladed wound surely lied beneath. She wasn't expecting him to be in one piece. How horrible… he…

His smile left little room to doubt that he was okay. Mentally, he was still with them, with all of them.

"KYOUSUKE!" Daisuke, their father, stepped back as a few men, of the same age- old classmates, came up to him, bombarding him with questions. He simply waved them off or answered in kind laughter.

"One at a time, Akagi." The man shook his head, grinning from ear to ear.

"Dude, do you know how worried I was? I know it made you a badass and all, but still!" Kyousuke clapped his shoulder, making him stumble a bit with a small smile.

"Don't worry about me. I'm back, and I'm not going anywhere. This is my home." Many news reporters and authors were foaming at the mouth trying to get past the tape surrounding the area, some pushed back a little bit more roughly than he'd have liked. But it didn't matter. He was finally safe.

"Speaking of which, where's Kirino? I didn't see her." Akagi elbowed him lightly, pointing towards a silent, and stilled Kirino, her fist placed over her left breast with a smile. She was… different.

"Right there, buddy. Get going." He was slightly pushed, making him stumble as he held on to the bag slung over his shoulder. His heart sped up wildly as the first person he wanted to see stepped forward. Well, stepped is a bit of an understatement.

"K-Kirino? You- urk!" He wrapped his arms around her shoulders with a smile, rubbing her head lightly as yet another smile graced his lips.

"I was so worried… that you'd return in a body bag instead of-" He let her go, placing his hands on her shoulders with yet another confident smile. He winked for added effort.

"Leave it to me, Kirino."

Dishes clanked about in the strainer as Kyousuke finished cleaning, sighing as he dried his hands from the soapy water. He sat down at the table beside Kirino, nervously shuffling as his father looked downtrodden, hands clenching the table in an iron vice.

"Oyaji, it's not your fault." The gruff man shook his head firmly.

"No. It is. If I hadn't signed that damn paper… if I hadn't sent you to a war that you didn't belong in… you never would have had this happen to you. Your eye… I doubt that's all it took from you." Kyousuke leaned over. He clasped his father's fist in his hand, resting it at the table with closed eyes.

"Really, it isn't. I'm kind of glad that you did this, and I hated it for a while. But..." He angrily locked eyes with his only son, tears budding at his eyelids with a frown.

"This war forced you to kill people, Kyousuke! How can you not hate me?!" Sitting back down, he smiled wide despite the tensions hanging between them.

"That may be so, but I never once doubted your faith in me. What you did, what I did, it made us stronger, better people. As you said, nothing in Afghanistan was easy, but your words, Kirino's wishes, I kept them all right here." Sighing again, he took a sip of his water as he slid a small photo across the table. It was the last photo they'd taken as a family since he left.

"I won't let you blame yourself, because you were with me every step of the way." His father couldn't stop the tears as he sat abruptly and hugged his son tight. Kyousuke relished the father that he remembered many years ago, one that would always guide him. His mother gently patted his back, smiling at the open door that led to the bedrooms, where Kirino assuredly was standing, listening.

Kyousuke gulped, reaching into his bag, which had been sitting next to the table since he got back- he pulled an array of letters, most of them from Kirino and Mom, but he fished out a letter sealed with wax, smiling.

"This letter right here. It was the only one you sent, but that didn't matter. When I was captured by those… people… I hid it in my mouth. I read it every day to keep myself sane. Your words, right here." He patted the envelope lightly before tucking it back into his bag.

"All of you. I always remembered who I needed to return to… and what it meant. Don't ever forget that." He broke off, gathering his scattered bags with a small smile, leaving his father alone in the dining room. He didn't need to turn back to know that his old man was smiling. If it means that I can give him peace of mind, then it's okay.

He yawned, stepping into the hall. The padding of bare feet against wood caught his attention, he turned to see Kirino pushing off the wall. She smiled cheekily at him, her toothy grin making his own mouth curve at the corner of his lips.

"Life counseling?" Without skipping a beat, she led him up to his room, shutting the door behind them with a relieved sigh.

Kyousuke looked around, shocked at the state of cleanliness his room was in, as if everything had been frozen save for, surprisingly, his bed. The sheets were tousled a bit, as if it had been slept in recently.

"You… kept my room clean? You didn't have to… Kirino…" Kirino shook her head as she sat down on the mattress, patting the spot next to her. He immediately obliged, sitting a little further down with a grunt as he dropped his pack to the floor.

"No… I wanted to. While you were out fighting, and when we were still kids in school, chasing each other, going to the club, even when we promised to break it off, I never once wanted you to leave. And when you had to, well… it tore me apart. I can't help it… y'know? You never stopped helping me, giving me strength, pushing me forward. I… ah… god this is embarrassing…" Scooting close, Kyousuke rested his chin atop Kirino's head, rubbing her arm gently. I need this, Kirino.

"I told you this a long time ago, that I would never judge you. That won't change." She stroked his cheek gently, tracing a rather large scar on his chin, trailing down his arms as many others became more and more apparent.

"Yeah… and now you're all beat up, worn down… and these scars… how many were… you know?"

"Fatal? Kirino, besides this fake eye of mine, I can assure you that I'm perfectly healthy. There were a lot of times that I should have died… but for me, I think it's safe to say that a guardian angel, as my comrades used to joke about, was keeping me safe." He sighed, looking at the clock with squinted eyes. Eleven already, huh?

"Hah? What's up?" Kirino tugged at his shirt, pulling it over his head as she inspected him, head to toe. Each time she came across a particularly grisly scar…

"Kyousuke!" Her arms felt… nice. He cuddled closer to Kirino, eyes closed as he fell back to the soft cushion of the mattress, relishing the springy texture as it rose and fell under their weight. When did Kirino become so… different? I know I haven't seen her in four years, but this is…

Kyousuke held her palm at his cheek, nuzzling it affectionately. Kirino's vibrant curtain of blonde hair fell flush about his head. When he opened his eyes, her face was tear-stricken, in grief.

"I was so worried…" Kirino's breathing was heavy and shifting her legs on either side of his stomach didn't help with the butterflies swimming in the pit of her stomach.

"Kirino…" Kyousuke watched as she leaned close, lips parted. So close that he could feel her breath tickling his nose.

"Aniki… I love you…"

Kyousuke simply accepted what had been coming. He sat there, like broken glass, and let her heat seep into him. His skin tingled lightly as she hovered even closer, just centimeters away. He smirked as he pushed the back of her head into contact, and he kissed her. He relished her cute moan as he suckled the bottom of her lip.

"Kyousuke!" She fell into him, smiling brightly with her head pressed into Kyousuke's chest. Kyousuke gulped as the thoughts forming in his brain molded into words.

"Kirino… I love you too. I love you more than anyone, more than anything else." He took her bright-red cheeks into his hands and kissed her more fervently than he thought he'd be able. It came naturally, like the rain comes from the bated storm covering the skies.

"You're my whole world…" She nuzzled into him once more as he threw the covers atop them, giggling.

"Will that ever change?"

"No…"

"Will you love me forever, and only me?" He yawned his response behind his sleep-deprived eyes.

"Yes…"

The night passed him in a flash and for the first time in four years he truly felt at peace, where the world wasn't violently shifting around him, changing his course. No, this path was rigid, strong, and as long as the distance to the stars.

A loud growling- like that of an engine awoke him from his thoughts. It abrupted as quickly as it came, and he looked out his bedroom window to see the sun beating down on them. His eyes caught the clock, and he shook his head in disbelief. It only took me a day to get used to waking up past 5 in the morning… sheesh. It's nine-o-clock…

He noticed that Kirino was still snoring away, an almost half happy, half perverted smile stretched about her face. His eyes twitched when he realized she was drooling on him. You can't be… serious…

He shifted his weight up slowly, holding her close to his chest for a moment, not before untangling their legs from the covers with a sigh.

Loud knocks at his door put a spring in his step, and he opened the door to his room as Kirino woke from her slumber.

"Is it… ~yawn~ morning already?" He turned back to her, where she groggily rubbed her eyes in childish content. He had to shift his gaze as he noticed just how much more… full that she'd gotten over the years. And she's a model… it doesn't help.

"K-Kirino?" She put her chin on his shoulder, arms and legs gripped around his body.

"Carry me…" He smiled a bit at the thought. Well, the old man and mom already left for work at this time… so…

"Alright…" Kirino giggled a bit, her voice squeaking as he took off at a brisk pace. She was completely at his whims… and she loved it.

His feet shuffled, or more like pounded against the stairs, as he reached for the door. Gripping the handle, he yanked it open to reveal none other than Ayase, who despite his jumbled memory, was very dear to him.

She blushed near-instantly, eyebrows twitching as she looked away as he tilted his head in confusion.

"Hi." Kirino lifted her head with another yawn, raising her hand in a greeting.

"Can you put on a… sh-shirt?" In his haste, he'd forgotten that not wearing a shirt around his living space was not normal. No, he was not surrounded by a bunch of burly (and rowdy) men anymore, he was with normal people living a normal life.

"And why is Kirino's lipstick all over you? Don't tell me you two already… d-d-did it!" He blushed a bit at the thought, and that hesitation cost him his neck, if the squeezing around his throat was any indication.

"Pervert… you were imagining it, weren't you?"

"You got me. I was." He sighed, motioning for the nervously shifting woman to follow him inside. He was surprised, though, that Kirino wouldn't look him in the eye as he carried her to her room, even more so that she didn't instantly kick him out as she got down from his back.

Kyousuke reached for the door and halted as Kirino tapped his shoulder with her finger.

"Were you really?" He nodded, to which she pushed him out with her foot, leaving him to stumble out.

"Idiot…" He caught her smile red-handed as she shut the door, chuckling to himself as he walked into his own room. Opening the door, he threw on the nearest article of clothing he could find… only to see that nothing really fit him the same way. He fished out a spare from his bag and tossed it on, reveling in the loose material sliding back to form.

"Much better." He touched his eye-patch with a bit of hesitation. Removing it, he blinked, hissing as the light slightly burned against the newly implanted eyeball. It was supposed to come off today… I guess.

He cringed at the jagged scar that tore along his forehead and a good portion of his cheek. It's hard to look at and know what happened.

Shaking his head, he headed out to the living room, quickly moving to the refrigerator with a grunt. Opening, he fished out a bottle of barley tea- a drink he missed dearly. He poured a glass and looked expectantly at Ayase, who was busy staring at the ground with her hands folded into her lap.

"You want something to drink?" She nodded quickly, almost as if it were forced.

"Yeah… just some water will do." He quickly grabbed a second glass, and pressing it against the sensor for ice, he filled it with water. It clinked quietly as he placed it in front of her, sinking himself into the nearby recliner.

"So… what's the reason for the visit? Kirino I'm guessing?" Ayase nodded quickly, sipping at the glass with a relieved sigh.

"Yeah. I also came to see how you were holding up… if you were getting used to being back." He rubbed the back of his head with his free hand, leaning back into the cushion as if to sink into it completely.

"Last night was the first time in four years that I was able to get a full night's rest… and I feel better than ever, honestly." Ayase giggled a bit, leaning forward to catch her chin with the palm of her hand.

"I bet. Those bunk beds must have been pretty bad." He nodded, deadpan as he looked back to her.

"You have no idea. Trust me, when the guy below you goes apeshit because of a spider and keeps knocking over the bunk into one of others, fights were bound to break out." She fumbled with her hands, blushing a bit as she took notice that his arms were nothing like he used to be. Instead of the dainty, almost frail appendages from back then they were full and very obviously toned.

"Did you win any of them?" He laughed a bit, almost spitting out his tea onto his shirt as he forced it down.

"I mean, I got my ass handed to me until about a year in. Trust me, the training they had us do still has my arms sore." She laughed back in a series of chortles, smiling wide. She rose an eyebrow at the barely hidden physique at the collar of his shirt.

"I bet. What made you train that hard? Trying to impress someone, hmm?" He blushed quickly, shrinking into his seat with a defeated sigh. If she keeps being all suggestive, my head might explode.

"N-No… I wasn't." He grumbled to himself quietly, barely audible as he focused in at the opening door. Kirino walked through, and he found his breath caught in his throat, staring. He looked away quickly to avoid suspicion but found it impossible as she scooted into the spare space in the recliner. Well, now he was literally joined at the hip with her.

"Ayase, what brings the sudden visit? Is it work?" Ayase quickly shook her head, pink still dusting her cheeks as she coughed into her hand.

"Yeah. The manager told you to take as much time as you need. After all, it's been a while since you've last seen Kyousuke." Kirino nodded quietly, leaning into his side.

"I kinda want to take him with me for a day. Since it's the last day of that gig, and I'm needed, I don't want to skimp out if I can help it." Ayase nodded, quickly tapping away at her phone, sighing in relief.

"Thanks, Kirino. I wasn't sure how they were going to push it back, hehe. Y'know… you said you wanted to bring him with you, right?" She nodded quickly, a cheeky smile gracing her lips. Kirino scratched her cheek with a light chuckle.

"Well… I can help you. You know… put in a good word…" Kirino hugged the modest girl with a smile, giggling as they fell to the ground. Kyousuke scratched his head again with a sigh, wondering if the world was, in fact, spinning. I guess… it couldn't hurt.

All of it was over in a flash, well, as much of a flash as it could have been. They did spend almost six hours at Eternal Blue for god knows how many photos, and finally when they left, they had spent another seven or eight shopping. Well, at least she did.

"Y'know, I'll never understand how you can spend almost two hours in the same lingerie shop and hop around otaku commonplace like it's nothing." Growling, she kicked his shin, making him flinch at the mercy of the sharp end of her heel.

"No complaining, aniki!" Sighing, he followed her step by step on their way home, grumbling nearly the entire way. Little did they know, waiting at home was going to be the most unexpected of the most… unexpected.

"I'm home" both Kyousuke and Kirino chimed as they removed their shoes, and grunts accompanied by pants didn't help the fact that again, Kyousuke was carrying a few dozen bags about his body. Truth be told, he was exhausted. Maybe not completely, but… this is tiring.

Following up the stairs he entered Kirino's room. Dropping her bags (some more gently than others), he left and headed down stairs. Opening the door, he was met quickly by his father's hand grabbing him by the arm and settling him down on the couch opposite of him. Beside Kyousuke, Kirino was quivering, shaking lightly. He put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her close to offer some type of comfort for what was likely coming next.

Daisuke, his father and renown hardass, was struggling aside his wife, staring off deep in thought.

"How long were you two planning on going with this?" Kyousuke's eyes fell and remembering the letters they had as frequently as they could, sent each other he found himself a bit more nervous than he would have liked. Kyousuke turned his head, watching as tears fell from her eyes to stain her newly purchased blouse. He's not yelling… nor is he violent. Why?

"The letters… I paid them no mind. Kyousuke, I'm not angry, nor am I disappointed. I just want to know why." Picking up his glass, it wasn't hard for Kyousuke to tell that his father was drinking, and when he drank, well… problems seemed to go by a bit easier than when he was angry. He felt his mouth dry as words came spilling from his mouth.

"When you separated us and sent me off to the military, we started writing to each other. When I got a new phone from my allotments, I would try as often as I could to comfort her… leaving out the bad parts as often as I could. As long as Kirino is happy, I couldn't care less what happened to me." Kirino's arms tightened about his midsection, unable to face the unwavering gaze that her mother was giving the two. It was unlike her to be so stern, they were used to it from their father… but… it wasn't hard to see who ran things around the house. I was careless. I should have known this would happen, but this is… it's too soon.

"Then let me ask you this. We do find this relationship wrong, but not for the reasons you think. What we want to know is, how convicted are you to stay at each other's side?" Taking another sip, he gently placed the glass into the chair's cupholder, and tightened his knuckles til they nearly bled from the pressure. Kirino's too shaken to say anything, so…

Rubbing the top of her head affectionately, he stood abruptly. Peeling off the flannel he'd been wearing, he tugged at the black long-sleeved tee and pulled it over his head. He did it slowly, for each and every scar, every wound, everything would be seen. I won't back away this time… nor will I give up. I owe it to Kirino.

His mother, Yoshino, simply looked away, sobbing, as every wound he'd had laid bare before them. As parents, it was surely the last thing they wanted to see. It's the last thing I wanted to do, too.

A gash streaked across his body, from shoulder to hip and an equally discolored patch of skin, right beneath his heart, pointed in the shape of a star. Numerous others of less importance, a few on his arms, and a few just below his neck side by side, in repetition, everything. His father took in every detail, unflinching and determined.

"The three times I came close to death are here. I was ripped into by a piece of falling scrap metal. This, I received when I took the bullet meant for a comrade. And finally," He rubbed the circular patch with a bit of discomfort. Bad memories always seemed to follow it, whenever he thought of the slight embed in his shoulder.

"This is where they lodged a pole in me to keep me chained to the wall, where I was tortured in Al Baraq-de Asad. It scarred when I ripped it out and fought back. I got lucky in the fact they were soundly defeated by a small gathering of my company who went against orders to bring me back." Kyousuke shivered a bit at the stares. He quickly pulled his shirt back on, sighing in relief. He turned back to his father, who continued to tighten those same fists that pushed him out the door, they bled enough that it worried him.

"I look back, and there isn't a moment I didn't think about Kirino, and as well as all of your advice, dad. I know that you think I'm not the same, I don't care. Every night, I tossed and turned, wondering when I could finally come back to her. Even if it were ten, twenty, fifty, I would come back to Kirino. I love her more than anything, more than this useless, painful life of mine. I'm willing to cherish it for her sake." Daisuke Kousaka was still for a moment, still trapped in thought. Though, unbelievably, a small smile came across his lips, and he visibly relaxed back into the chair once again. What does this mean?

"When you hear something like that, it's hard to say anything. While you were gone… well… you might have read it or not heard of it since coming back." Yoshino, who had been quiet, looked between the two as a mixture of shock and fear wrenched her gut.

"What do you mean? What are you telling me?" Kyousuke gulped as he raised his voice, and as his father stood from his seat. Taking Kirino's hand, he hugged them both, and he could feel the raw emotions swirling beneath his head. He's… is he? Is it over? This…

"As of November 4th, 2014, marriage between two willing participants has become non-negotiable, regardless of status, affiliation, and relative cause. Son, what I'm saying, and if you're truly dead-set. You two can… you know…" He let them go with a smile and sighed as the passing storm blew over. In its wake, well, in Kyousuke's eyes that was the start of a new dawn. A new life. One without restrictions.