Written as a drop-fic surprise for the Notice Me Senpai Discord chat in 2016. Warning for character death.

Viktor was happy to drop that last box into the house – it meant that it was all over. She was moved in, was now going to be living with him. They would be together from here on out… and they would be happy together. Walking back out to the front door, he watched his girlfriend smile and chat with the moving helpers, offering them tea and cookies for all the work they had done.

She's always so thoughtful like that. Viktor mused as he watched the helpers laugh and accept her offers. That's just who she is – kind, pure, and an absolute joy in my life.

When the truck drove away, she came back into the house and located Viktor, who had moved to the living room to look at all the boxes. She gave him her widest smile and pulled him into an excited hug.

"Can you believe it? I thought this day would never come… and now it's finally here!"

"I've been waiting for so long," he murmured, hugging her back and pressing a kiss into her forehead. "Are you excited?"

"I am!" Her voice was bright and cheery, and instantly, she moved to go start unpacking boxes. "Let's get right to work. You said you had empty shelves just for me?"

"Correction, dear; I bought bookshelves just for you. I'm afraid all my shelves are taken up by musty old history texts and anthologies."

She pulled the first books out and ran around to the little library that Viktor had made up out of a spare bedroom, and she paused when she saw all the new empty bookcases amongst those overflowing with novels and textbooks, and a new reading chair that she didn't remember being there before.

"Do you like it?" He came up behind her with one of the boxes of books in his arms and smiled. "I hope we can fill these shelves. It will be much less lonely around here now, especially when I'm reading to myself."

"It's amazing, Viktor," she said, staring in awe for a moment longer before going over to the first bookshelf and placing the first books on, before running to grab another box and help Viktor carry boxes to respective rooms for ease of unpacking.

The rest of the day was spent opening boxes of books and personal items she had brought back from university or from her parent's house, and finding a place for everything. They knew they couldn't do it all over the weekend, and had to stop when it was time for dinner, before going to sleep and promising that they would finish everything the next day.

Viktor rolled over in bed, slowly opening his eyes when his arm stretched out and he didn't feel anybody there. He sat up instantly, trying to register why he thought someone should be there in the first place. As his body woke up, he began to look around and see boxes, the pillow next to him mushed together as if someone had slept on it, and the shutters, usually closed, were open. Blinking against the sunlight and reminding himself that he would have to remind her about keeping them down, he got out of bed and found her wide awake in the kitchen, humming to herself as she crushed tea leaves and made his substitute tea… like she had been doing it every morning and not like she had just been working hard all day yesterday.

"Good morning to you too," he mumbled, voice slightly slurred from sleep. She turned and laughed, wiping her hands on a towel and moving to comb his messy hair out with her fingers. "Good morning. I thought you might like tea in the morning. I wasn't sure if you got any over the weekends, since the new barista doesn't open the café on weekends. Or so I heard."

"They also don't make the tea quite as good as you and your grandmother did," he said with a sigh, watching her continue to make it with a smile on his face.

What had he done to deserve someone as kind as her? Someone who understood his condition and worked with it, not against it. Who continued on making the tea each morning like clockwork, just for him, because she knew it would help him during the tougher times of his vampirism. She worked around wearing silver jewelry, and cooking with garlic for their first meals – if a recipe called for it, she either substituted or changed the entire menu. They avoided anything like that while they were out and about, and she had been kind enough to go out at night with him on dates when she was on break from university.

Whatever I did, I'm glad it happened.

Their first week together in the same house was a little hectic, with both of them learning new work schedules and getting around the mornings of two people needing to get ready for their days. But they managed well enough, with laughter and cheer at the fact they were just happy to finally be living together. She often felt so lucky that Viktor had waited for her, too; and that he would often hug her at random points during the evenings when they were in the house, muttering something or another about how happy he was to have her there, or how lucky he was for having someone like her. Nights were sometimes sleepless as Viktor lay there, unable to get some rest in the late hours, but still stayed close to her, letting her hug him at night as they lay in each other's embrace.

Life was good.

"Is shopping for two people really this complex?" Viktor grumbled as she dragged him along into the supermarket, and she nodded. "Of course. You might be an immortal being, but you should still be eating healthy. And since I'm human, I need to eat healthy so I live."

"I've survived worse things than bad eating habits, dear, trust me."

"Yes, and you should still be eating healthy, because I can't imagine your body would appreciate having to find a way around curing your clogged arteries." With a smile, she pulled him through and began to figure out what he meant by the fact he ate mostly premade things – he was an expert at identifying those brands and their best products, but when it came to picking out vegetables or fruits, or even some dairy products, his knowledge was minimal, at best. But she was determined and patient, willing to let him make mistakes and try to teach him the proper way of picking out ingredients, and when they finally got to the checkout aisle, he bothered to ask what they were making. "You've got meats, carrots, a few green stalks—"

"Tonight, I'm just making a simple soup. Everything in the cart is for the next couple of weeks. And each night, you're helping me cook."

Viktor groaned at the very thought, but obliged when he saw how simple the recipe was. A chicken soup couldn't be too hard. Or so he thought before she began showing him how to chop onions, and celery, and carrots… they all required different techniques. But standing in the kitchen with her and learning was all he needed in life. He was happy to watch and carefully copy, and he finally settled into a good pattern of chopping while she began to add ingredients to a pot.

"Viktor," she asked quietly, to the point where he almost missed her voice, "when exactly did you… um… I mean, you never told me, but…"

"When did I become a vampire?" he said with a small smile, and she quickly waved her hands in denial. "No, I mean, you don't have to answer that, I've been curious, yeah, but it's okay—"

"It happened while I was in Europe." No time is better. She should know. He put the knife down as he remembered the occasion, where he had gone to explore a castle. It was his last castle search before he was to go back and teach at Ikemen, where he had been accepted as the World History teacher.

"I don't remember much. I just remember that I was going down the dark hallway, totally alone, and was jumped. I think they meant to leave me for dead, but I managed to be able to fight back." He sighed, and his face scrunched up as a hand went to his neck, as if he could still feel where the teeth had gone into his skin.

"I really did think I was dead… but then I woke up and tried to find a mirror, one that showed my reflection, at least… I felt the new teeth, and cut my lips and tongue plenty of times those first few days… but it's not all bad! I mean, having your body miraculously recover after being hit by a car is a little awkward to explain to doctors, and then when your friends find out because they catch you taking blood samples from the infirmary…"

He stopped when a hand gently touched his arm, and he looked to her and saw her face, tear streaks down either cheek.

"Hey, don't cry!" His hands cupped her cheeks, thumbs wiping away the tears. "I'm all good now, I don't mind it so much… and I got to meet you. It's why I went to Europe far more often back when you were in school. I wanted to find them. But now, I've got you here. Someone who hasn't run away after being told the full, honest truth. Someone who loves me despite all that."

"I love you for you, Viktor," she said, taking his hands in hers and squeezing them gently. "Now come, on! I'm hungry, let's finish this."

"Anything for you, darling."

They continued through with making and eating the meal, and Viktor was actually impressed with the result, and hated to ask if they could do it again sometime, knowing the result that would come with it – a teasing smirk from his adorable girlfriend as she asked if it was better than premade pizzas and getting the occasional fast food, to which he had to admit it was. She knowingly bopped his nose and promised that they could do it again.

Later that night, Viktor came into the living room while she was reading, eating shortbread cookies directly from the tin. She stared at him with an even eye as he sat on the sofa next to her, laying down with his head on her lap.

"Don't you say a thing," he muttered with his mouth full. "I always have cookies after dinner; you know that."

"Yeah, but then just eat more soup!"

"We're saving it for leftovers for lunches. So I'm eating cookies."

"But—!" She was silenced by Viktor holding a cookie up to her lips, and she paused, glaring at him again, but he only pressed it closer. With a sigh, she took it and ate it slowly, while Viktor closed the tin and put it on the floor next to him, shifting his head to get comfortable on her lap. She went back to her book, and the two rested in a quiet silence, enjoying the moments before they would have to go to bed for work the next morning. One of her hands found a way to Viktor's hair, gently smoothing it out and tucking it behind his ears, and he gave a contented hum, just enjoying the sound of turning pages and the feeling of her fingers running through his hair, neither of them moving until the book closed and she began to move, Viktor pulling himself out of his relaxed, dozing state to get ready for bed.

They both loved those quiet, comfortable nights, where time just seemed to slow and nothing mattered – just each other.

The phone didn't often ring on days off, and if it ever did, it was either Viktor, or a telemarketer. The latter was often ignored, and the former was just if he was bored in the staff room and he wanted conversation until Kyouya came in and told him to get to his classes.

So when it rang in the middle of a Friday afternoon, she recognized the number as Ikemen Academy's infirmary, and abandoned her vacuuming to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hello!" Doctor Haruka's voice rang through, and she could practically hear the smile in it. "Sorry to bother you; I wasn't sure if you were going to be home."

"I'm on my day off," she replied. "What do you need?"

"Well…" Haruka trailed off to silence, and in the background, she heard two muffled voices.

"He's not at the sports complex," a light voice said, and she recognized the other voice as it replied, "Even in that back back closet behind the volleyball rack?" "Yes, even there, Kyouya."

"If you couldn't tell, we're having trouble finding Viktor… he wouldn't happen to be home, would he?"

"No, he's not." She gave a sigh. "What do you need him for?"

"Kyouya's poor TA is up to her ears in paperwork that only Viktor can process. And he's been dodging all their meetings and refusing to meet."

"Do you just want me to come in and help with the search?"

"…If you wouldn't mind?"

They agreed to meet at the library before hanging up, and in under twenty minutes she arrived at the school, finding the trio of teachers standing outside the library waiting for her.

"We already checked the library," Kyouya said as she approached, but in response she shook her finger at him, saying, "That's because you weren't looking right." With a flourish, she opened the library door and motioned for them to follow. When everyone was in, she spoke to Kyouya and his assistant in a hushed tone. "I'll need you two to go find him. Put a bit of effort into it. Then, I'll catch him."

Haruka settled by the front desk with a smile. "This should be amusing to watch."

Kyouya rolled his eyes, but moved down the aisle, his assistant close behind. After they were out of sight, the former student began to go down another row of books, the familiar set-up coming back to her as she weaved between shelves, quiet and listening for…

"Shoot, I was hoping they wouldn't be back again… I can totally dodge them this time…" Viktor was leaning around a shelf, peeking around the corner to make sure he wasn't being followed.

"You won't this time!" she said cheerfully, hugging him from behind.

He gave a small yell that was quickly muffled by his hand. "What the heck are you doing here?"

"She's helping me find you." Kyouya rounded the corner, crossing his arms and giving Viktor a look. "I can't believe you're finally able to dodge me in the library. Took you long enough."

"…Dammit. You double-crosser," he muttered, turning to his girlfriend. His words were mean-spirited, but the smile on his face said otherwise. "Can't believe you sided with him."

"Hehe. Now, you need to be nice to your substitute! I thought you learned after Hideki-senpai did all that work for you."

Viktor almost debated saying he really would rather not, but the glare from Kyouya scared him into saying otherwise.

"Fine, fine, all right, I'll sit down and do all the paperwork, just to please you."

She tightened her hug in approval. "Thank you very much!"

"Anything to make you happy, dear."

"Now," the TA piped up with a mischievous smile, "We have a lot to get through."

Viktor briefly debated trying to run, but held his head high. "All right, whatever. Just keep Kyouya's glare off me, will you?"

After the "Viktor Hunt", as Haruka had so kindly dubbed it, life had been a little less exciting, but still blissful and happy. She had begun to check up on his work, making sure that he was attending meetings and processing documents. In return, he was more helpful with chores and was settling into managing his vampirism well enough. Life with each other had settled into a happy routine, peppered with nights out and trips over school breaks to Europe.

One of those Friday nights out was a surprise. Viktor wasn't dropping any details, no matter how many times she asked. The hour was growing late as they drove into a rural area, going by graveyards and sloping hills and fields.

"This is going to be one of our late night dates, isn't it," she said with a smile.

"You know them so well. I'm a creature of the night, dear, and you've never forgotten it." He reached a hand down to quickly pat her leg as the car came to a stop. "We're here."

She looked out the window before opening the door, just seeing that he had pulled up to the edge of a field. Turning to ask him if this was the right place, she saw him reach to the backseat and grab a blanket. "Come on, I've been looking forward to this."

She followed him out onto the field, where he picked a spot and laid the blanket out, before sitting down and patting the space next to him. She kneeled on the blanket, watching him as he laid down and looked up at the sky.

"It's hard to see the stars in the city. But if you lay here for a while, you'll start to see an entire cluster of them, and more will appear as your eyes adjust."

She cast her eyes upward as well, and didn't see too many at first. She saw all the big ones that she could often see on the city horizons, but the longer she looked, more twinkling lights began to appear. She could only stare and drink in the new sights, amazed that so many could exist in the sky at once.

"You'll hurt your neck like that," Viktor said quietly, reaching up to slide an arm around her waist. "Lay down."

She listened, her neck instantly feeling the relief and resting against Viktor's arm, which he had slid under her head as they laid next to each other, nestled in and enjoying the other's company and warmth. The night sky became something larger, as each light in the sky became a little brighter, and Viktor began to point out constellations. Before long, it grew into a casual conversation, about anything that came to mind and flowing naturally as the night grew later and later.

They laid there for an hour until the night air caused shivers, and they both went back to the car, Viktor wrapping the blanket around her shoulders and getting in the driver's seat. Within five minutes, she was asleep, having pulled the blanket around her snug and tight. Viktor couldn't help but smile and give a soft laugh when he saw her, and drove them both home. When he stopped the car and got out, he opened her door as well and gently lifted her up into his arms to carry her inside. She only stirred slightly when he laid her down on the bed, unwrapping her from the blanket to add it to the laundry pile, before getting in next to her and kissing her forehead.

"Good night, dear."

One night, the two of them were watching a movie together, but about three quarters of the way through, she had begun to fall asleep. Viktor had been doing his best to keep her awake with kisses, but her grogginess was too much. Finally, Viktor shifted next to her, pausing the movie and mumbling, "You know, dear, I could wake you up."

"Hm?" Her small, sleepy voice was adorable, and Viktor did all he could to keep his heart from racing. He had been hoping for her to be more awake for this moment, but it would have to do. "Yeah. I can surprise you."

"Cold hands won't surprise me anymore, Viktor…"

"Not that." He moved off the sofa to kneel in front of her, and her eyes widened.

"Viktor, what—"

"Hear me out." He reached up and took her hands, taking a deep breath. "I shouldn't be this nervous. But… this is something big that I wanted to ask you. I love you, so much. I was so relieved all those years ago when you didn't stop loving me. And when you were willing to wait until graduation, and through all your university years, our first trip to Europe together… It's been a wonderful time.

And now, I want to ask you to do something else with me. Will…" Viktor felt a lump form in his throat, and the silence was hanging in the air by a thread. She was fully awake now, and she was leaning forward in her seat with anticipation. Her excitement sparked something, and he summoned his courage.

"Will you marry me?"

The silence lasted only a moment before she cried out, "Yes!" and fell forwards, hugging him before almost falling off the sofa with a laugh. They held onto each other tight, Viktor going quiet and hugging her just the slightest bit tighter as she slid off the sofa onto the floor and sat in front of him. They were quiet, resting their foreheads against each other's, until Viktor's hand found hers and gripped it tight.

"With that… I wanted to ask." His voice was more serious, and she turned her eyes upward to look at him.

"What?"

"There's something that's been on my mind lately. And it's got to do with what you want. I don't want to force you into it, not if you don't want it." His voice trailed off into silence, and she moved a hand to his cheek, caressing it gently.

"You can ask me. Don't be afraid."

"I just… I just wanted to ask if you would be comfortable turning. With me. So we could be together. I've never thought I could be so happy with anybody before, but here you are… and I didn't want to do anything without your permission, of course. It's your choice."

She was quiet for a moment, and Viktor picked up the conversation once more. "You don't have to answer now. If you'd like to, let me know. I would want the day to be special, and… that way you don't feel pressured into making a choice right now. Sleep on it."

"…Right now, I'd say yes. But I'll let you know in a few days, if that's what you want."

"Of course. Take your time." He hugged her close again, burying his face into her should and inhaling deeply, letting out a relieved sigh.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

They hugged a few moments longer, before her shoulders sagged. "…I think I'm too excited to sleep now."

Viktor gave a breathless laugh, standing up slowly and holding out his hands to pull her up too. "Come on, you. I'll help you sleep again tonight. Which title do you want?"

"Something a little dull, but one of those books that you always read excitedly and well. Maybe something fictional?"

"All right, dear. Go to bed. I'll be there in a second." Viktor gave her a small push as they finished going up the stairs, urging her to go down the hall and fall asleep, while he went to pick out a couple books from the library.

"Did you get one you think I'd like?" she asked, settling under the covers as he walked in and sat cross-legged on his side of the bed.

"Of course." He opened it, cleared his throat, and began.

" The term Ancient, or Archaic, Greece refers to the time three centuries before the classical age, between 800 B.C. and 500 B.C.—a relatively sophisticated period –"

"When I asked for dull, I didn't mean a history book!"

Viktor laughed, causing her to smile and giggle too. When they settled down, Viktor pulled out the book he actually wanted to start reading, and began.

She loved the sound of his voice as he spoke, a quiet, formal tone that he rarely used. The only other occasion she could remember him using it was in history class her third year, when he asked if the class wanted to read a myth aloud or have him read it. The class all agreed that he should, thinking it would be a laugh.

But when Viktor got going, when his voice reached that perfect pitch, everything seemed to quiet down and all who listened were spellbound. She remembered looking around the classroom at that time and seeing her classmates, enraptured by the story of ancient times until the bell rang and broke the moment – causing many a groan and complaint.

He hadn't done it until now, and she was always happy to hear the voice again. It was soothing, and calm, and almost… made her want to fall…

Her eyes had closed long ago, and Viktor only knew when she was really asleep as her breathing changed and her body stopped being so tense. When he glanced up and saw her sleeping form, he closed the book quietly, watching her with a soft look in his eyes. She was so peaceful when she slept, her fingers curled up in a relaxed position, and her body sinking into the bed, totally relaxed. He reached a hand out, smoothing her hair back and feeling it between his fingers.

"What choice are you going to make, darling?" Viktor's smile faded into a frown, but he refused to let the thoughts worry him. "I'll accept whatever choice you make, I promise. But… I do hope you'll continue to say yes." He leaned down and kissed her, lightly. "Just don't feel pressured into making a choice, okay? I love you."

But I hope that when I hear your final answer, it's the one I would like it to be.

A few days later, Viktor was laying on the sofa, scrolling through the internet on his phone. The clock on the screen and the one on the bookshelf both read 5:23 PM.

Weird. She's not home yet. Viktor shrugged it off, knowing that she sometimes came home late from work. He looked at the date – Tuesday. No holidays, nothing scheduled. There was no reason to be worried. But something stirred at the back of his mind when the electronic chime rang six times.

Where is she? Viktor was about to consider calling her when the phone rang in his hands, causing him to nearly drop it. The number wasn't one he recognized, but he answered it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Is your name Viktor? You were her emergency contact on her work papers."

"Yes!" He stood up instantly from the sofa, voice rising. "Yes, this is Viktor, what's the matter? Is she okay? Please tell me—"

"If… if you could please calm down and let me talk…" The female voice sounded ragged, and he could hear the sounds of shouting voices in the background. He could barely make them out, but…

"What's the matter. Where is she."

"She's… she's at the hospital… but… a truck…" The voice choked up, and Viktor dropped the phone. The sound of it hitting the rug was the last thing he clearly remembered – everything afterwards had been a blur, as if his brain had shut down and run solely on autopilot. The lady had been barely able to spell out the name through her sobs, and when he arrived, there was nobody willing to take him in right away. He practically shoved the two staff members who came to escort him out into a wall, trying to say that he needed to see her… he needed to get to her now, please…

When they finally brought him to a darkened room and turned a single light on, Viktor looked away instantly, feeling the tears come to his eyes once again. He couldn't look at that face. But the doctor moved away and shut the door behind him, leaving him alone for a few moments.

Viktor approached the bed slowly. Maybe she's just sleeping. That they're all lying. The lights are off for a reason. She might still be conscious. There's still a chance, one small chance…

His knees gave out as he looked at her again, falling by the bed in a heap of sobs and screams, taking her broken hands in his. They were limp, cold, and he could feel the awkward bends and edges of bones. Bitter denial was replaced with furious anger; his tears felt hot on his cheeks.

"Why… why did you have to let this happen? Why didn't we do anything right away? This could have been prevented, I could have saved you, we could be… we could be happy together."

He listened, panting heavily. His ears strained as he waited for her voice to tell him everything was going to be okay. To hear her suck in a breath of life and for her heart to beat.

But it never came. Even when he looked up to her collapsed chest, ribs all shattered, and her face, covered in blood. They had tried to save her… but there was nothing they could have done. His hand moved up to her cheek, holding it as all the colors blurred through his tears, unable to think about anything but how she was never coming back.

This could have been prevented – it could have been stopped. They could have changed it all with a single moment… everything could have been so very different.

But nothing can be done now.