"I'm...I'm sorry Alexis, but...I have to go."

"Jake...please. Think about what you're saying. What about our lives? What about our happiness?"

"Alexis, you know ever since your sister confessed her love to me..."

At hearing this line, Subaru had to take a deep breath to prevent himself from rolling his eyes. These daytime dramas would be the death of him, he was sure of it; as sure as he was that Akari would never give them up.

"Sweetheart" Subaru stated with a sugary sweet smile. "I know that being able to live in this nice big house, with this nice big TV with which we have permission to watch all day, is like a dream that we don't want to wake up from, but I think it's about time you came over here and helped me unpack. "

"You know, honey, I was just thinking the same thing." Akari turned her face away from the TV to cut her eyes at him. "Asshole!"

Subaru couldn't help but laugh at seeing his girlfriend throw a fit. People who met Akari were always shocked when they found out about her atrocious temper, and it never ceased to amuse Subaru. At 5'4, with short brown hair that went down to her chin, big chocolate eyes, and a cute round face, people would peg her for the perfect girl-next-door, and not the firecracker Subaru knew she was.

Just like Hokuto...

Subaru shook his head slightly, he hadn't thought about Hokuto in a long time. The more he thought about that, the more he realized how unhealthy it must be to...

"Alright, Alright!" Akari whined, interrupting his thoughts as she hopped off of the soft leather couch before heading into their room. She bent over to begin the laborious task of emptying their many boxes when she felt a pair of lean muscled arms wrap around her middle. Leaning back slightly, she felt her boyfriend begin to nuzzle her shoulder, before starting a trail of heated kisses up the fragile line of her neck. Akari could feel her heart thumping in her chest as Subaru licked her bottom lip slowly before his tongue slowly delved into her mouth for a heated kiss.

Akari's mind went blank as Subaru began to explore a little with his hands. She had just begun reaching for the belt of his jeans when he slowly pulled his mouth away from hers.

"You know..." he said with a smirk, "we actually should get a little more acquainted with our living space before we have to unpack everything."

A little over an hour later, Subaru emerged from his room, a little more tired but a lot more satisfied. He and Akari hadn't spent the whole time going at it, in fact Subaru was proud to announce that he and Akari were getting down to (non-sexual) business now and were tearing through boxes like crazy.

Feeling like they deserved a celebratory beer, he walked down the narrow hall headed for the kitchen, but as he turned left to make his way in, his jaw literally dropped.

There, sitting on the island in the middle of the kitchen, was an inconspicuous brown coffee mug. Oh God, Oh God. I hope he didn't hear anything...I'm pretty sure Akari shut the door when she came in, didn't she? Shit.

Subaru couldn't help but feel confused; he and Akari were only in the room for an hour, and the man had apparently come into the house for something and even made himself a coffee before dropping back off of the face of the Earth. Was their new roommate avoiding them? He couldn't stop the slight churn of his stomach when the thought crossed his mind; he hated being an inconvenience. Subaru went over to the staircase to peer up at the second floor, double checking for any movement around the house, aside from the noise Akari made unpacking their stuff.

His ears met with silence. Seishirou was gone.

One week earlier

"Babe!" Akari squealed to her boyfriend as the movers got their stuff into the house. "Can you believe our luck, look at this house!"

Subaru gave her a raised brow but couldn't hide the slight smile on his face. It was true, they were lucky. He and Akari had been together for two years, since they were 21 after meeting as undergrads, and after a whirlwind romance were expecting to build their lives in the sleepy little city where their college was located. That is, until two months ago when Akari got the letter of a lifetime. Her dream school in the big city said they had accepted her as a student...she could continue on for her Master's in social work. Coincidentally, the couple had only 8 weeks left on the lease for their apartment.

"Subaru", Akari said as she rested her head on his shoulder after an intense round of lovemaking. "I know it's only been a few weeks since I found out, and I know it's not right to ask this of you since so much of our lives is here but...I want you to come with me."

Subaru could only stare at her. It was true...having her move away from him would be hard, extremely hard, but did she realize what she was asking? Everything, from his friends to his job to his family was here, he couldn't just pack up and leave. Besides, where would they live?

Akari must have been able to read minds, because when next she spoke she seemed to have a response to fire at each question he posed to himself. "Listen, there are more ways then we can count for us to keep in touch with friends and family, and fortunately we have been saving up to try for a house within the next few years, so you don't have to worry about finding another job right away. There is also an old friend of mine who is looking for a roommate who lives there..." Akari's brows scrunched together before she continued. "I just know. I just know Subaru that this is the next step for us. It's written in the stars that this was meant to be."

Now here they were, months later in front of one of the nicest houses Subaru had ever seen.

"Come on, let's go meet the owner of our new abode" Akari said as she dragged Subaru by his sleeve into the house. "Where did he go? I'm sure I saw him som...ah!" She crowed with delight as they caught up to a tall man dressed in a suit. "Subaru, I'd like you to meet Seishirou Sakurazuka. Seishirou, my boyfriend, Subaru Sumeragi." Akari beamed up at them.

Subaru looked up at the sculpted face with the golden honey eyes and the soft smile, and felt himself relax. The man looked nice.

"Thank you, Mr. Sakurazuka for letting us stay in your gorgeous home on such short notice." He put his hand out for a handshake and shot the man a smile. Seishirou beamed as he gave Subaru's hand a swift, firm shake.

"It's no problem, no problem at all." Looking at his watch, Seishirou made a frown of distaste. "Akari, Subaru...I hate to be rude but I'm actually going to be late for a meeting at work, please forgive me."After shooting them an apologetic look, he handed a set of keys to Akari. "Here are the keys to the house, after the movers leave please feel free to come and go as much as you need to."

Subaru gave Seishirou a faintly disappointed look. "Don't feel bad, I understand work is important. I only wish we could have had more time to introduce ourselves properly."

Seishirou turned to look Subaru square in the face. "Don't worry Subaru, I'm sure we'll run into each other quite often seeing as we now live together." Subaru couldn't be sure but for a brief second it almost looked like the man's smile had turned into a faint smirk before he had made his exit.

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