A/N: Warning: This is set between chapters 34 and 35 of At Fate's Hands. Unfortunately, I've had to cut out the more sexual parts, censoring them in proper BlazBlue fashion. You can contact me if you want a link to the full thing again.

The dark confines of Rachel's mansion sprawled around, the flickering flame in the old brick fireplace the only source of light. The firelight played along the thick carpet and illuminated medieval paintings. Ragna lay on the lone bed of the room, a small uncomfortable thing that was only just large enough for one person. He shifted and sighed. Okay, so it had only been an hour and a half since Tsubaki had gone to do whatever with Noel and Makoto. But still. Patience was not his strongest suit, not in the least, and he had reached the point of wanting to pace around the room, just to relieve this excess of energy building up within him.

Before he could rise, however, the door opened, and Tsubaki stepped through, wearing a bright smile. She all but skipped over to his bedside and grabbed him by the hand. "Hey!"

"Hey." Ragna laughed and sat up, a wide grin stretching across his face. At once, all of his frustration melted away at the joy his girlfriend wore. His other arm wrapped her waist and drew her into a hug. "Guessing your reunion with those two went well?"

"Yes, very. We didn't do much besides talk, but… well, we were all ecstatic to meet again." Tsubaki straddled his lap and squeezed him tight, resting her chin atop his head. "It's great to see everyone doing… well, mostly well."

"Yeah." Ragna nuzzled into her neck and hair, taking in the light aroma of her red mane. Smelled like… watermelon? Huh. "'Specially you, after these last couple weeks." He closed his eyes, his mind returning to her fall, the most terrifying moment of his life. "…I swear, I won't let anything happen to you again."

"Ragna… please, stop fixating on that. It's the past, and everything's worked out." Tsubaki shifted an arm up to wrap behind his head, and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. She pulled back to smile down at him, bright and serene. "We're standing on the brink of ushering in a new world—a wonderful one, bereft of the evil that lurks now. And I will see this world brought in with you, the man I love, at my side, so that we may share it."

"Tsubaki…" Ragna gaped up at her, a dumb smile on his open lips. "…Shit, you're really goddamn amazing, you know that? You know, before I met you, I really didn't have much I gave a damn about. Like, what would I do after I destroyed the Library? I never really even thought of it. Or actually, I didn't give a shit what would come next."

His arms tensed, bringing her in for a close embrace again. "But now I got a reason for continuing after all that's done. I owe you so damn much, Tsu."

"We're equal in such things. Without you, I would not have seen the truth as soon I did. I shudder to think what would have happened had I not…" With a laugh of self-deprecation, Tsubaki shook her head. "…I should take my own advice, I think. All that matters right now is that we're here together again."

Her hands fell against his chest, pressing into his shirt. She gently lowered him down to his back and flopped atop him, face tantalizing inches above his and her elbows on either side of his head. Her hair curtained around them, and she leaned down and met his lips with hers for a brief instant before pulling away from the tease. "So why don't we take the chance to just enjoy this moment?"

Ragna grinned back up her and raised his head to try and steal a kiss on her lips, only for her to draw back with a teasing giggle. He couldn't help but laugh a little himself. "Well, you've got me right where you want me, looks like. Sounds good to me."

"Does it?" Giggling some more, Tsubaki dipped her head down for another brief kiss to tease him for an instant before pulling back. "How good does it sound, hm~?"

A deep blush crossed Ragna's face; he had never seen Tsubaki like this before, and her teasing aroused him like nothing else ever had. "Damn, Tsu, when'd you get so sexy?"

With a laugh, Tsubaki lowered her head once more to rub her nose against his. "You're still rather lacking in tact, you know. Ah well, I suppose some things will never change."

Finally, she leaned down to claim his mouth in a deep, fiery kiss. She moaned as Ragna's arms came around her neck. Her tongue extended and met his lips, demanding entry. In a haze of bliss, Ragna acquiesced, opening his mouth to let her probe inside and dance her tongue around his. One of her hands ran down his chest, found the zipper of his black undershirt, and pulled it up in a single motion, freeing his chiseled body for her exploratory pleasure. Her fingers traced along his strong muscles, pressing as deep as they could. With another groan of pleasure, Tsubaki pulled back, fighting through the grip he had on the back of her head, and gave Ragna a coy smile as she tried to catch her breath. "You know… there's something… I never got recompense for…"

"Huh…?" After a light, disappointed grumble, Ragna blinked up at Tsubaki, trying to clear his mind enough to think. "What do you…?"

Tsubaki's smile took on a darker, almost sadistic edge as her fingers trailed down to his sides. "Here. Allow me to jog your memory of your transgression."

Ragna paled, bracing himself for the worst. And then came the storm; Tsubaki's fingers danced on his bare skin, sending him into a laughing convulsion with her tickling. As his guffaws echoed in the room, Tsubaki upped the ante, increasing the speed of her tickling assault until he balled up underneath her on the bed. Giggling madly herself, Tsubaki ceased the lighthearted torture and pulled him onto his belly. She straddled the small of his back, stroking his hair as his laughter trailed off. "Hmm… I believe that is about adequate recompense for your previous sin."

With another mirthful laugh, she dragged a hand down his back, down to his rear, and gave a sharp squeeze. At his grunt of surprise, she giggled and stroked her fingers through the tangles of his hair. "I've always wanted to do that, you know."

Red-faced and chuckling, Ragna turned his head to grin at her. "Which part, tickling me into submission or grabbing my ass? Shit, Tsubaki, you've gotten… I dunno, bold since we last saw each other."

"Hm… the latter." As she stretched out atop him, Tsubaki folded her arms over the back of his head and rested her chin on them, returning his smile with a faint, almost seductive smirk. "And I suppose I have. After all, a fair amount has happened since then."

"Yeah, true. Still…"

"You've had your face pressed into my bosom before. I dare say this is no worse than that." She closed her eyes, removing her arms from his head so her head could take their place. She rubbed her cheek into the spikes of his hair, purring as Ragna arched his head back to return the nuzzle. She pondered options in her head, weighing them against each other until she finally came to a decision. In a gentle motion, she edged forward to look into Ragna's eyes, a mysterious smile on her lips. Her arms came around and dug underneath his stomach to hold him in her grasp. "Ragna. Come to bed with me tonight."

Ragna's breath caught, and he swallowed down the sudden waves of nervousness that rippled through him. He nodded, eyes never leaving hers. "Yeah… yeah, sounds great."

A wide smile bloomed on Tsubaki's lips at his words, and she gave him a tight, breath-stopping squeeze before standing up and offering him her hand. "Let's go then. To my room."

The world surreal and distant, Ragna flipped onto his back and pulled the zipper of his shirt back up. He chuckled at her false groan of disappointment as he sat up. "Just in case we run into the rabbit or her pet wolf. It'll come right back off."

Tsubaki giggled as she pulled him up to his feet, and kept her hand interlocked with his as they headed for the door. "Right; somehow, I hardly think Rachel would approve of our plans. At the very least, we don't need her spoiling our mood with her barbs."

Besides a grunt of nervous assent from Ragna, they completed the short trip to Tsubaki's nearby bedroom without another word. As the door closed behind them, Tsubaki muttered a light chant, an Ars to seal it behind them and prevent disturbances. Both of her soft hands clasped Ragna's, and she backed her way to the edge of the bed. As she sat down, she pulled Ragna against her and delivered a searing kiss to his mouth. A hand trailed down to the zipper again, and Ragna's joined it in pulling the metal tab up. Ragna shed the shirt, trying not to separate from Tsubaki the best he could, and flung it off to the side.

His hands on her waist, Ragna pressed down against her and laid her flat on her back. As Tsubaki's legs came up to wrap his hips and pull his waist against hers, his hands trailed up to attempt to cup her breasts. He growled as they met the cold metal of Izayoi's breastplate, and he fumbled with the back of her bodysuit. Moaning as they ground against each other, Tsubaki broke the kiss and shook her head. "It… doesn't come off like that. Here…"

Tsubaki muttered something, and the tight collar of her bodysuit loosened and sagged around her body. With a look straight into his eyes, Tsubaki nodded, a silent signal for Ragna to remove it. Ragna returned the gesture and took hold of the loosened outfit. Slowly, as to reveal her creamy flesh inch by inch, he pulled the upper half of the suit up and over her head, leaving behind only her boots, stockings and panties.

Without hesitation, Tsubaki pulled him back into the kiss and flipped to the side to swap their positions, pinning him onto his back. She kissed him with more fervor than ever, her hands tracing along his bare chest as well. They drew across every chiseled contour, every stony muscle they could. His hands slipped away from her chest in short order; one traced over her sweat-slicked back, the other up and down her side. Ragna's lips left hers and instead buried a kiss into the crook of her neck, drawing a gasp and a giggle from Tsubaki. "Still have me memorized, I see…"

A chuckle rumbled against her neck, and muffled words followed. "The hell would I forget something about you for?" Something warm and wet lapped against the spot, tickling more laughter out of Tsubaki, along with a tightening of the vise her legs had on his waist. The hand tracing along her side rose up along her neck and flattened into a palm, cupping her cheek. The other ran down over her ass, found her lush thigh and squeezed into it.

"Hm… true, true..." Free for the moment to scan over Ragna's body at her leisure, Tsubaki fixated on his chest for a moment with a questioning cock of her head. Her finger circled his left nipple twice before giving the stiff nub a tentative poke. "Why's that there, anyways?"

Ragna shrugged, and something akin to "hell if I know" rumbled out of his throat. He looked up with a slight smirk and reciprocated the poke into her supple chest, drawing a surprised squeak and a giggle. He buried his face back against her neck, suckling on her throbbing artery, while the hand on her thigh rubbed downwards, pulling the translucent stocking down with it.

Giggling some more, Tsubaki anchored his head against her neck with an arm, the hand stroking through his hair. His tongue lapped against her throat again, and she gave him a quick peck on the top of the head. Humming, Ragna wrenched his head free of Tsubaki's arm bind and slid down along her body. Face level with her breasts, he looked up into her eyes, a silent request. With a light laugh, Tsubaki nodded. "It's fine, Ragna. You don't have to ask."

[DEAD SPIKE]

"Hmm… here, how's this?" Tsubaki wheeled around to sit beside him. She patted her lap, summoning him to lay his head there. Chuckling, Ragna righted himself, but rather than place himself in her lap, he instead dropped to the carpet and gripped one of her boots. Tsubaki blinked and cocked her head. "Hm?"

"Got a better idea." From where he kneeled, Ragna inched both boots off, and the stockings followed immediately afterward, leaving Tsubaki in nothing but a pair of white panties. And with a mischievous grin, Ragna wiggled his fingers against the underside of her foot, drawing a shriek of laughter. "Turnabout's fair play, right~?"

"H-hey! Ragna!" Despite the half-hearted protests, Tsubaki squirmed and laughed as Ragna tickled both of her feet. She flopped onto her back, trying to escape to no avail. "Y-you little…"

"Come on, you know you're enjoying it." Laughing a little himself, Ragna ceased the tickling and instead gripped one of her feet in both hands. He planted a single kiss on the top of the foot, and then trailed more up her leg. Tsubaki's giggling gave way to a gentle hum of pleasure as Ragna's hands kneaded her fleshy thigh and rubbed down her firm calf, all while he laved and kissed up to and past her knee. He scooted forward, so that he was right between her graceful legs, and took to kissing along her inner thigh. The purring of Tsubaki became a moan, and her other leg wrapped around behind Ragna's head. His kisses came to a stop at the hem of her underwear, and he hooked his fingers behind it. He turned his gaze up to her.

[DEAD SPIKE]

"So… how was that?"

Rather than gave a verbal answer, Tsubaki rolled over on top of him, looked him dead in the eye, and pulled him into a passionate kiss. She held it as long as she could, until she needed to pull back for air. Below her, Ragna panted as well, awestruck by the force and length of the kiss. "…I'm guessing good, then?"

"An understatement… if there ever was one…" Tsubaki sat up, straddling his stomach. Her hands rested on his chest, pressing hard against the firm muscle. She leaned forward, allowing her hair to curtain around Ragna so that she was all he could see. Her arms stretched out, her palms met his, and she interlocked their fingers together with a bright smile. "…I really hope I didn't wake anybody up there."

Ragna burst out into laughter and leaned up to peck her on the lips. "Pretty sure Kokopuffs and Tager are in the next room over. And they're kinda… yeah. Not awake."

"True, but Makoto isn't far away. And as a beastkin, her sense of hearing is a fair bit beyond ours." Tsubaki considered for a moment before paling. "…And I'll never hear the end of it if she overhead us here."

"Just ask her when's the last time she got laid." Ragna smirked for a moment, but it faded under the deadpan stare he received. "…Or not."

After holding the look a moment longer, Tsubaki broke into giggles. "Yeah, that wouldn't get me anywhere. She's awfully hard to get the upper hand on in such matters." She leaned in and pecked him on the nose. When she pulled back, a light blush crossed her face. "So, um. Would it be alright if I…"

She trailed off, before giving a harsh laugh at herself. "I really should just take my own advice I suppose. Please let me know if you want me to stop."

"Huh? What do you…?" Ragna blinked as her hands left his, trailed softly up his arms and paused for a moment to feel his muscles. They continued along, teasing his chest before drawing across his stomach. Once more, they paused in place, harshening Ragna's breathing with their light, sensual massage. Finally, Tsubaki smirked and drew one hand behind her, resting over the bulge of his pants. "…Oh."

[DEAD SPIKE]

After chucking the tissues in the general direction of the trash can, she leaned down and pecked him on the lips. Laughing, Ragna lifted a hand to her cheek and caressed it. "We're fucking, and you're still concerned about neatness and order and all that shit?"

Unable to hold in a laugh, Tsubaki grinned down at him and nuzzled against his cheek. "Well, yes. I am not so rude as to leave a mess of this nature for Valkenhayn to clean up. I believe that would be disgracing one of my heroes."

Ragna turned his head and gave her a joking lick up the side of her face, sending her into a frenzy of giggles as his arms came around to hold her close. "Nah. Just giving him shitty work."

"Yes, I imagine that would be quite… undesirable." Tsubaki laughed some more as Ragna repeated the lick. Her finger poked him in the navel and drew a grunt. "What are you, a dog now?"

Ragna reached up a hand to paw at her cheek. "If you want me to be, sure."

"…You can be so silly, you know that?" Tsubaki leaned forward and planted her elbows on either side of his head again. She gave him a brief grin, and lowered her lips to his for a deep kiss. Ragna gripped the back of her head with both hands to anchor it in place and return the kiss. Her tongue teased his lips, commanding him up to open up for her, and he acquiesced. As she probed his mouth and teased his tongue, Tsubaki pulled her arms back so she could massage his chiseled, sweat-slicked chest. In response, Ragna traced his hands down her smooth skin and tickled her sensitive sides with his fingertips. Giggling, she pulled back. "H-hey! Stop that!"

"Why? You seem to be enjoying it. Again." With a shark's grin, Ragna pulled himself up and nibbled her collarbone.

[DEAD SPIKE]

Eyes heavy-lidded, Ragna broke the kiss and stared at her. "…Wow."

"Wow." Tsubaki giggled and gave him a peck on the lips, before folding her arms atop his chest and resting her chin on them while grinning down at Ragna. "So… uh…" She paused for a giggle, trying to come up with anything to say. "How was it?"

"Shit, that was amazing." Caught in a post-sex high, Ragna grinned back, powerful arms coming around her waist to hold her close. "How about for you?"

"Exactly as you said." Giggling some more, Tsubaki rolled out of his arms and onto the bed, where she snuggled up against him. "Amazing."

Ragna turned and nuzzled her forehead. "Glad I could do that for you." Chuckling, Ragna enveloped her in his arms and cuddled her, eyes closing in contentment. Her lips found his, and he reciprocated the tender kiss.

Soon afterwards, Tsubaki pulled back from him with a smile. "Well, I think I should go shower here. Would you care to join me?"

"Of course."

"Alright, then." Tsubaki stood up and extended a hand to him. As she pulled him closer, she got a look at the bed, pockmarked with fluids, especially at the edge. She grimaced. "…I think I'll clean up afterwards; Rachel will not be happy about this at all."

Ragna barked a laugh. "I really don't care what the bunny-leech thinks. If she's got a problem, she can just piss right off."

Tsubaki chuckled back at him and nodded. "I am fully aware." She tugged on his hand with a smile. "Let's go."