Disclaimer: Threads of Fate/Dewprism is a property of Square Enix. I own nothing except this AU idea.

A/N: I haven't written anything in half a year, so well ... this is probably kinda ugly. P.S. This was written in the middle of the night as well. Anyway, tell me if you enjoy it, or not.

Update: Seeing a review ReLiC AnGeL, I decided to add a clearer conclusion to this one-shot.

After Midnight

Mint crushed the short cigarette with the butt of her red heels. She despised the darn thing, the smell and smoke it produced. Contamination. Air pollution. Actually, though, she wanted to bury the thing into the jerk's throat. Luckily, the guy and Elena was out on the couch because of alcohol and she could safely extinguish the smoke, without casualty. Man, what had been on Elena's mind? The girl sure picked up some shitty guy for this double date—if this could be called a date, at all.

They were at some place. Elena and her date had booked a room for four. There were food, drinks—they were fine, Mint had thought briefly.

Her own date was fucking boring. Elena had set him up as well. And once again, she did a shitty job. He had this weird and white spiky hair—was it some sort of style? Mint did not bother asking. He did not talk much, did not drink, just ate a few. Honestly for these past two hours, she had been the one who initiated the whole goddamn conversation. And the guy just seemed uninterested. Okay, why bother coming here when all he would do is stay still like some cursed rock? Again, she did not bother asking.

Eventually, Mint was becoming a little tipsy. She had had her fair share of alcohol, alright, but she would not get shit faced like Elena and her stupid date. No, she would not. After all, someone had to be driving these peeps home and she did not give even an ounce of trust on Spiky. He was freaky. And she thought that the darkness of the room was more interesting that the white-haired guy.

The red-haired woman got up suddenly. She needed to pee.

When she was done, Spiky was in front of the girl's restroom. She was about to go back to their room when he held a hand on her wrist.

"Let's get out." He gestured to the boy's restroom. "After I'm done."

They agreed to go to Seven-Eleven. It was Mint's request. Well, they did go, after taking care of Elena and her date.

"What's your name again?" The question was spontaneous. Her wine-colored eyes were busy browsing a line of pantiliner products. A bag of potato chip was on her left hand.

"Rue." He was beside her, chuckling lightly. "You don't even remember?"

She snorted. "You didn't give much impression for me to remember." She walked to the cashier and was about to pay, but he did it for her instead. "Thanks," she mumbled later and went to the restroom to get a change of pantiliner.

A few minutes later, they were out, and she was standing beside his car, looking expectantly at the man bridged just by a few meters in front of her.

"I'm sorry." He looked at the woman clad in shorts and a hoodie, and he sighed. "Can I take you somewhere?"

It was almost midnight, and the wind was blowing as she let down the car window.

"I really want this date to work out." His eyes were on the empty road. "But I guess I don't really know how."

"Show some interest."

"I am—I mean, I'm interested. Honest." He licked his dry lip. "It's just ... hard since—well ..."

"You just broke up with your partner."

"Well, sort of."

She let a short laugh to graze her throat. "We're fucked. Elena, the dumb dude, and I actually came to this stupid date because of the same reason."

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

"Dang it, I thought that I would hit a one-night stand, but it just seems impossible now. I mean, with you and all."

"Was it that bad?"

At this question, she snapped her head to his direction. He meant the break up. She just knew. "Not really." She took out the potato chip he bought earlier and began eating noisily. "You know, it's uncharted. I mean, this one is probably the cleanest break up I've ever had. No shouting, no name-calling, no tears—we just didn't talk for like, I dunno, a week? He has made it clear that he doesn't want me anymore, and I need to move on, probably find a good swing just to get my mind off the dang dude."

He hummed in acknowledgement.

"So, HBU?"

"I'd rather not talk about it ... honestly."

"Dang, you're no fun."

"I'm sorry."

"Quit saying sorry, for fuck's sake."

He chuckled. "I'm sorry?"

She rolled her eyes.

"I need to pee," she said loudly.

And so they stopped at a 24/7 supermarket. She bought ten bottles of beer and drank three. And she sang in his car, with the window down, with the wind dancing through her red strands.

She sang about fucking with some hot guy in a jacuzzi, and he smiled.

They stopped at KFC, because she was hungry and he was, too. She ordered eight wings, a bowl of soup, spaghetti, and ice cream. This time, she paid for their meals.

"You're watching me like you wanna fuck me."

Oh, right. He actually forgot to eat his burger, alright. But it was just because she ate way too much. A petite, cute girl like her. She was a monster in that tiny skin. "You sure you can finish all of it?"

"Don't believe me just watch." Her lips pulled into a smirk.

And she did. She did eat all of those junks. And boy, was he impressed.

Back at his car, she offered him a bottle. He refused.

"You're fucking boring, always staying in your goddamn little box. Live up a little."

Well, she was right. He was fucking boring. He was the silent type of guy, who never done any wrong, not even smoking. Because smoking kills, right?

And she was wild.

She pulled the collar of his black shirt and brought their faces closer. "C'mon, loosen up." And then, just like that, she crashed their lips together. It was brief and tasted nothing. Well, she smirked in return.

Elena's date had told him about Mint, said that he needed this type of girl to rock his world.

She was wild.

"I know you think that I'm some kinda slut."

He was confused.

"I get over my break up by having random sex with some random stranger. Well, let me tell you that I don't fucking give a damn." She cried then. Her tears were silent. "I just wanna numb the pain ..."

He stopped his car and looked at her. He did not understand what she was talking about.

"I bet you never even have sex, and you probably think that a girl like me is trash. Dang it, why did Elena have to pick you?"

"You said that it was the cleanest break up."

"I don't know! I don't know, okay ... one time I feel fine, and then I just feel like I wanna call him and just ... speak to him."

And she echoed "I don't know", on, and on, and on.

They stopped at a beach. They were alone. He began drinking, helping her as she calmed down.

"How did you handle it?"

He was standing, braving the wave. And she was sitting by the shore, hugging her knees.

"I didn't." He was looking at the darkness ahead. "You ... you never had this kind of break down before, right? Not even in front of Elena."

She was silent, her eyes were swollen. But he knew that he was right.

"You're right. I never have sex, not even with the woman I love. I don't smoke, I don't drink—no drugs, no such things." He took a gulp. "I'm not like you. I think a lot before I speak—but I don't judge people."

"I'm drunk. So pardon me."

He ignored her. "And ... you're right. I'm fucking boring. I don't know how to have fun. Honestly, I kind of saw this world in black and white. I just think that most of the things people do to have fun are bad. It's funny, and I realize this. I just ... haven't really understood this black-white concept—until tonight."

"What the fuck did Elena think?"

He positioned himself beside her, and just ... kept penetrating the darkness with his own visions. "And I'm that guy who loves to read motivational book and quotes. I'm that kind of guy who will probably tell you to stay in some shitty relationship. I'm that kind of guy who is always in the box ..."

"I know. Dang, you think I'm some sort of dumb sheep? You're boring and like an open book."

"But you're wild, and unpredictable." He directed a simple smile at her.

"I don't like you," she hissed, loudly. "You're soooo not my type."

They were face to face, close, with the wind hissing aloud. Deafening.

"But I am—I mean I'm interested. Honest."

His eyes were burning.

"How many did you drink?"

"Five?"

"Five—"

And he silenced her, with a kiss. And this one did not taste like nothing.

"My girlfriend died in a car accident a year ago."

She broke the kiss and gasped. "I'm sorr—"

"Don't." And he kissed her again.

And for once, all he saw was two red orbs. No crashed cars, no dead body.

Her lungs took up as many oxygen as they could, and she breathed out. She looked at her own reflection in the mirror. Worry and anxiety painted her face.

They were at a hotel room now, and she was about to get what she came for. But she was not sure. Dang it, how could he have changed his mind completely, and in just what, a night?

That must be the alcohol. Yeah, damn alcohol and its stupid effect.

She bit her lower lip, eyes glued to her phone.

"Mint," his voice called from the other side of the door. "I hope you're not planning to call your ex, you know ... remember you said that you need to move on? I'm here ... for the same reason as well."

Fuck. He knew.

"Dang, you talk too much. Who is gonna call that bastard anyway?" She shoved her phone into the pocket of her hoodie and got out of the bathroom.

He stood in front of her, offering a half smile. He felt his head lighten just a little bit more at the sight of her.

She shoved past him, stopping beside a bed. Her hoodie now on the floor, exposing the mild skin which was wrapped in a cropped tank top. And, one by one, her top, her short, all fell.

He was just watching silently as she stole every breath he intended to inhale.

She turned around when she was done. She saw his steps shuffling closer to where her feet were.

"Can I?" He took her chin in his hand, his whisper soft.

She shut her eyes. Tightly.

He was drunk. And boy, this dawn, he was wild.

She never expected him to act like that. God, he was supposed to be some fucking boring guy, but that alcohol must have messed his system. And she had been afraid. She had enjoyed what had lasted, but she had been afraid as well. And she knew she had been wrong to do this, but to hell with that, she had done it. Walk of shame. Oh, she had left a note, saying "thank you" and shit while he had been asleep, but she thought that it probably didn't count.

Fortunately though, there was no more news from Spiky. Yeah, he probably thought that she was rude as hell and had decided that he had had enough of her.

She sighed, relieved at the thought. She was now at KFC, planning to meet up with Elena for some lunch and a little chit chat over her progress with her stupid date. She still could not understand that girl's taste.

"Is this seat occupied?" A voice broke her from her reverie.

Her eyes widened at the sight of a man now sitting in front of her.

"You know, Mint, when I said that I'm interested, I really am." Rue offered her her order: eight wings, a bowl of soup, spaghetti, and ice cream. "I will be delighted if only you give me the chance to know you better."

Damn that Elena. She had a death wish.

And, when she was about to open her lips to utter a word, it stopped.

"If you think that I'm some sort of creepy guy who stalks a girl because of a one-night stand, let me tell you that you're wrong." He shuffled a bit in his seat. "Hans has actually told me a lot about you. He has insisted so many times that I at least give that date a chance."

Oh, Elena's date?

"And it's not you, it's me. I have always been in the box, too afraid to even take this chance. I ... I still think of her—but last night was a milestone for me. And you were the milestone."

She started eating the meals he had brought, slower than usual this time, as her mind tried twice harder to digest each of his word.

"I knew from the start that I'm fucking boring. But last night, I truly understood. And I understand now that she's dead, and I need to move on, and so do you."

She let out a scoff in between her munch. "You're being ridiculous. Of course I'm a milestone for you, I'm your virginity killer after all. It was your first time, so it's only natural for you to feel all excited. Last night was nothing special."

His jaws tightened immediately. His stares stone hard. "But you moaned that last night was one of the best intercourse you've ever had."

This time, she choked. And then, her throat rumbled with a dry laugh. "Okay, Spiky, you got me there. So, whaddya want now?"

"I don't want to be in the box anymore. I want to move on."

She let out a sigh, her right hand reaching for her Pepsi. She took a large gulp as she landed an expectant glance at the man in front of her.

He took out a large, black plastic bag from the backpack he had been carrying. As it touched the table, the 'clank' sound it produced instantly reminded her of beers. And she knew that she was not wrong.

"Can I take you somewhere?" This time, he offered her his kindest smile.

Oh, she was melting alright. What was with that smile and those beers?

She bit her lower lip, her gazes were averted. "Fine. Just let me finish my meals."

Finis