In hindsight, Seiya probably should have done this a long time ago if he meant to say what he was going to say once he walked through the door.

In the melee that followed Seiya's return to Japan with the Pegasus Cloth in tow, he had little time to think about constructive solutions to the dilemma that weighed upon his heart since the battles began. Once it had become clear that his adoptive sister, Saori Kido, was the current incarnation of the goddess Athena, the Pope of the cult-like organization founded on Athena's behalf embarked on a violent campaign to subjugate Japan under the pretense that the Kido family were planning to use her as curry favor with her impressionable human shell. Seiya's sweetheart while training as a Saint in one of Sanctuary's training facilities, Ophiuchus Shaina, was entrusted by the Pope to lead the campaign as their chief strategist. Being Saints, their first instinct upon seeing each other again was to fight.

Seiya of course knew that Shaina wasn't so myopic as to carry out his and his fellow Bronze Saints' executions (who along with Aries Mu and Eagle Marin referred to their Athena loyalist faction as 'the Zodiac Knights') just because she was ordered to. He figured she was likely aware that the Pope was not the righteous man he claimed to be or was supposed to be if he qualified for the role, especially in the later weeks of the campaign where Sanctuary started hiring warriors from previously uninvolved Pantheons as mercenaries. Only the month before, a young foreigner Saori was dating was revealed to be the reincarnation of Sanctuary's centuries-lost enemy Poseidon, and the Pope's response was to forcefully draw out the latent soul of Hades from Seiya's teammate Shun with the idea that the two entities would kill each other and the other renegades Saints with him. Thankfully some quick thinking and teamwork prevented any casualties on their side, but Shaina still served the Pope even though she had made it abundantly clear in the aftermath this was not something she condoned as a Saint.

The Shaina he knew conducted her business with honor: she wanted to make sure if she was going to permanently kill someone, they could see their end coming, and certainly wouldn't ask for the help of factions not directly tied to Sanctuary. In reality, Seiya knew that Shaina just wanted the execute to rip Seiya's heart out for breaking her ceremonial iron mask in his first escape from Sanctuary. As a female Saint, she had no choice but to kill him for that or…

...well, that was why Seiya was here. To apologize for putting her in such a horrible situation time and time again. To apologize for meeting her anger with strikes instead of hugs. To apologize for making light of her predicament that forced her to choose between him and Sanctuary, instead of empathizing with her and trying to help her find a non-violent resolution. To apologize for taking Shaina's heartfelt "Amazon wedding" where she put her body and soul and the line against him, with the winner gaining custody of the heart of the loser, as some delusional date where Seiya could express his feelings for her through the combat ability he honed.

To apologize for being selfish, for thoroughly disgracing her reputation as a warrior thanks to his and his teammates' constant victories over the forces she led, even though she had the famed and terrifying Cancer Deathmask to use as she saw fit as a field general before the Pope deferred command of the campaign to Aquarius Camus and his team of alternate pantheon mercenaries. If he had asked the Graude Foundation to trace Shaina's steps to this penthouse, even if she masked her presence by hiding her Cosmo, they likely would have found something much sooner. Then Seiya could have asked her what he should have asked her when he shattered her mask and ensured their fates would be tied til death did they part.

While Shaina was not the type to care about the more traditional aspects of a relationship, preferring instead to get right to the heart of whatever matter she had to Seiya either as friends or as his arch-nemesis, Seiya still brought a bouquet of roses in case it would help his case...but his nervousness about his own well-being instantly vanished when he stepped off the elevator and felt some far more pressing emotions.

Horror, confusion, concern...for Shaina.

There were dead bodies strewn across the carpet, staining it with their blood. The furniture was in complete disarray, with couches and television sets broken or torn apart. The kitchen adjacent from the living room had drawers either left open, or torn out entirely with the kitchenware strewn about the floor. One corpse was lying slumped over a pot of water that still had steam coming out of it. And given that all of the assailants were wearing Cloths, it didn't take more than a second to realize why Shaina's penthouse was in such disarray.

Sanctuary had sent men to kill her.

Don't panic, Seiya...she might still be alive, he told himself with a slow inhale before leaning down to the nearest body. It was still warm, and the fatal wounds in his body were more indicative of a wild animal mauling him to death rather than being bludgeoned or slashed with a weapon. Shaina's animalistic ferocity was the bane of Seiya and his brothers for weeks upon weeks, and her fighting prowess was lauded as "once in a generation" by the Pope himself. Even Aries Mu, who as a Gold Saint held the highest ranking that could possibly be bestowed upon their ranks, told them that if Shaina wished it she could have qualified for that particular level of Saintdom if she was judged entirely on fighting ability.

But all of these men weren't just foot soldiers: there were Silver Saints among the dead. And it's entirely possible one of them got lucky. Seiya felt a flicker of unstable Cosmo as he stepped away from the body, expecting one of her assassins looking to eliminate any witnesses. But an instant later, the source of the Cosmo dropped from the ceiling next to the entrance, and as Seiya turned around a mix of relief brewed into his state of mind.

But it was only an instant, and Seiya leaned backward to deftly avoid Shaina clawing his face off. Using that momentum to flip backwards and enter a ready stance, Seiya looked at his estranged love. Not a single blemish on her face, fully exposed with all of the bewitching beauty Seiya remembered when he first escaped Sanctuary, wearing an open purple buttoned shirt and...nothing else. Seiya could see all of her naked glory, and his heart skipped a beat as he blushed.

"Shaina…"

"Are you making fun of me?"

Seiya's lovesick trance was broken by Shaina's eyes widening in maddened anxiety as tears flowed down her face. "ARE YOU MAKING FUN OF ME!?" With a maddened shriek, Shaina again lunged for Seiya, this time grabbing a hank of his red basketball jersey and tearing it off of him as Seiya jumped backwards. "YOU DID THIS! WHY!? WHY DO YOU TORMENT ME!?"

"Shaina, calm down," Seiya grabbed onto Shaina's wrist and used it as leverage to wrap her into an embrace. Ever since returning to Japan, Seiya had met Shaina's aggression with combat under the notion that because of her devotion to fighting it was the best way they could have a relationship despite being on opposite sides of the battlefield. Shaina's numerous attempts on his life drove Seiya to become stronger so that he could show her the immense respect he had for her, by being able to come at her, holding nothing back. He had hoped the refinement of his technique and the expansion of his Cosmo would be ample evidence that everything he did in combat was to impress her.

It was here, seeing the aftermath of Shaina brutally slaughtering multiple Saints in a single setting, both of Bronze and Silver rank, without a single blemish, that Seiya realized that meeting her violent tendencies with more violence was a cycle that only made the dire straits of their love worse. Shaina was in a frantic stress, in dire need of comfort that the thrill of battle could no longer provide. But as Seiya held her, Shaina's frenetic breathing slowed, and the tension in her body gradually loosened. "...what happened here?" Seiya said as calmly as he could, knowing full well the slightest error in wording could set her off again.

"My men turned against me, said that the Pope ordered my execution due to how poorly this Japan campaign has gone," Shaina grumbled. "But I know that's not why the Pope really wants me dead: there are too many dissenters in Sanctuary right now for him to afford executing someone he publicly lauded as a 'once in a generation talent.' He wants to kill me because he thinks my death will make you soft when you accept the trial of the 12 Houses."

"...then he's even crazier than I thought," Seiya replied with an uncommonly low melachony. "I wouldn't have the Sagitarrius Cloth right now if I didn't see you get struck down by Aiolia's death blow meant for me. All I could think about at that time was how I was going to avenge you, and how many pieces of Aiolia I could send to you in Heaven before he sent me there too."

"...we didn't finish the wedding," Shaina growled before lifting her head and making eye contact with Seiya once more. Shaina's eyes really were beautiful, and the way they sparkled for him loosened his grasp of her. Placing her freed hand on Seiya's shoulder, Shaina's nails dug into his flesh and drew blood. He only winced slightly, still lost in her gaze, like the victim of the cobra her Cloth was modeled from. "You have to make me submit if you want my heart, otherwise the 'love or kill' dilemma is present."

With a sharp breath and a firm glare, Seiya took Shaina's hand off his shoulder, gripping her wrist tightly to a point she cried out, and then shoved it into his chest. "Didn't I tell you the night before I was given the Pegasus Cloth that my heart was yours to do with as you please?" Seiya sternly said as Shaina's eyes wavered. "If you want to kill me, Shaina, this time I'm not going to stop you. But before you do, promise me that you'll live to see the end of this civil war between Athena and the Pope, and that you'll make a good life for yourself with the bounty you'll get from my heart."

When Seiya left his apartment to go to Shaina's recently discovered secret penthouse, Mu left him a text message as he suspected that was the piece of business Seiya claimed he needed to attend to before they flew to Sanctuary's stronghold in the outskirts of Athens. "Whatever business you have to settle with Shaina, make sure you come out of it alive. Your teammates need you to lead them, because will be ultimately be our final chance to stop this war. And if you have to kill her to stay alive, do not hesitate."

Seiya didn't respond to the text because he knew if this encounter was going to result in a life-or-death struggle, he wasn't going to be able to kill Shaina. He owed Shaina his life now, and he wasn't going to betray her for that gift. Her hand trembled and her eyes continued to waver. Perhaps she felt like it was a trap, because at this point she likely figured that Seiya came here it was to finish the feud between them. Doing his best to steady his heart rate and breathing, Seiya closed his eyes and completely broken his embrace. His arms were outstretched, completely exposed. "...do it, Shaina. If that's what you want, just go ahead and take my heart."

"There's...there's no honor in-"

"My guard is open, that's my fault, and you're just taking advantage. You're not sneaking up on me, you're not deceiving me, you're not drugging me. You're going to kill me face-to-face, because that's how you've always done things. And that forwardness, that sincerity is why I fell in love with you...why I still love you now." He opened his eyes once more, now clear of anxiety and doubt. This is what needed to be done, and the only way he could ensure Shaina's safety. "I'm tired of hurting you, Shaina. That duel where the winner gets the loser's heart...you win. Take your prize."

There was a tense moment as Shaina clenched her nails into his chest. Though he winced, he did not flinch: his arms remained outstretched as he awaited her judgment. She trembled mightily as she summoned that murderous instinct that allowed her to butcher her assailants earlier in the day...but she had none of that aggression left. The reptilian cold-bloodedness that her position demanded was slowly melted away by the massive rush of love and passion she felt for Seiya, that forced her to protect his life against Aiolia. Her nails retracted from his chest, and she instead placed her open palm on his chest to feel his heartbeat. That hearbeat...so soothing, so gentle, like his Cosmos. That's why the tension in her body melted when he held her moments ago: his Cosmos was too inviting for her to remain violent in his presence.

And she was going to stop pretending she hated Seiya, and didn't hate herself for not doing sooner was she was about to do.

Her touch became a light caress, and a grin formed on her soft lips before stepping into Seiya and pressing her mouth to his. With a gentle kiss that Seiya eagerly returned, Shaina felt Seiya wrap her arms around her again, this time far gentler as he reached under her open shirt and stroked her back. Seconds later, Seiya's lips parted from hers and moved down to her neck, where his kisses sent a shiver down her spine.

Even during their months-long feud where Shaina positioned herself as the supreme commander of Sanctuary's offensive force to retake Athena through the subjugation of Japan, Shaina had dreamed about this moment, where her heart tormented her sense of duty as she fantasized what it would be like to have Seiya fall around her not in death, but in warmth as his gorgeous face and chiseled body fell around her and he swore to her that he would devote himself to her for the rest of his life. That was no longer just a delusion: her madness had broke, and Shaina realized this was now reality.

Although this was the first time getting in this deep with a woman, Seiya instinctively knew what to do to give Shaina the warmth and pleasure she craved. With a moan escaping her mouth, Shaina lowered her head and dug her nails into his back. He pulled away with a wince, and he opened her eyes to see her once again grin. "Does it hurt, Seiya?" she hummed with a sparkle in her eye that bewitched Seiya further. Seiya still occasionally teased Jabu for an incident when they were younger where Saori rode young Jabu like a horse when they were still children, to a point where Jabu was left with welts and wounds from her riding crop, and how this did nothing to dissuade Jabu from his everlasting loyalty and infatuation with her. Now he looked like a hypocrite, because Shaina clawing at him as they restarted their kiss only made him desire her even more.

Breaking the kiss once more, Shaina leaned into his ear and whispered. "Bedroom, now. Hold nothing back."

Seiya didn't even need to see where he was being led: Shaina would dig her nails into his back whenever their bundle of passion led them to any direction other than her bedroom. He didn't even need to disrobe himself, Shaina's claws made very short work of his jeans so by the time they fell onto the mattress, there was nothing keeping their flesh from warming each other and their cosmos crossing over.

Before losing themselves to their love and lust completely, Seiya pushed Shaina off of hsi face and whispered in her ear. "I love you, Shaina...I'm sorry for hurting you so much."

"...and I love you, my wild horse," she responded with that seductive purr of hers she used to do towards the end of his tenure in Sanctuary's attendance. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long…"

There was one last moment of hesitance before their lips locked once more, and everything they were joined together in love and devotion….

Seiya was not immediately aware of how much time passed between when Shaina kissed him and the present, where his eyes focused and he noticed that Shaina was now sleeping peacefully on his chest, his heartbeat acting as the lullaby that soothed her soul. While she might have acted the part of violent seductress when their exploration began, in bed she revealed that what she felt for Seiya wasn't simple lust. It was a profound love, and by Seiya finally confessing his own love for her, the end result was a moment in eternity that they would hold dear to them for the rest of their days.

He was about to close his eyes once more, and let himself fall back asleep with Shaina in his arms when the flicker of cosmo that woke him flashed through his thoughts again. A cool breeze coming from the open window high above Shibuya's city lights blew through the room, and Seiya turned to the window to see a familiar figure perched on the window sill. "...Marin," Seiya whispered groggily before he realized he wasn't dreaming, and then his eyes opened completely. "Marin-san, what are you doing here?"

"...I was asked to check on you by Mu. He said you need to head to the Narita Airport...it's time."

But did it have to be today? Couldn't they have waited a few more days, so Seiya could wait for that moment where Shaina woke up, realize they didn't dream the night before, and start planning where to go from there? The stipend the Graude Foundation provided Seiya and his teammates was adequate enough where he could buy an engagement ring for her: at this point he doubted Shaina was going to say no. And then they could...cry as Seiya finished the business with Sanctuary. And that thought of breaking Shaina's heart, leading her along only to potentially die as she cried, is what made him carefully wriggle out of bed and take the extra pair of clothes and underwear Marin had ready for him.

"Seiya...you will survive this. The past few months have changed you, and you have everything you need for this challenge of the 12 Houses as long as you do not forget the lessons you've learned since coming back to Japan."

"I know, Marin-san...but that doesn't make walking out on her like this any easier," Seiya said quietly as he steeled his nerves further to walk away and start getting dressed. "You'll protect her, right...while I'm gone taking care of this?"

"I care for you, Seiya...and I've known Shaina for many years now. That's why I was comfortable with you sneaking into the segregated grounds when you were younger to mingle with her. I knew you weren't going to cause trouble, and I knew that she was going to warm up to you," Marin replied softly. "I have a secret lair I've been staying in since I followed you to Japan. I'll take her there and keep her safe until you get back with news of your victory."

A moment of anxiety came over Seiya, shattering his calm, and a tear formed in his eye. "...now I'm scared that I'm going to let you both down. These Gold Saints...it took all five of us just to hold off Deathmask and he's not even close to being the best among that group. Am I really going to be able to take out the entire faction AND the Pope? I can't bear the thought of walking out of here and then I don't come back…"

"You will, Seiya."

Another female voice filled the room, and Seiya felt the warm body of Shaina lean against his back, likely stirred by his absence. He made himself strong for her sake, not wanting to worry her, but before he could say anything, Shaina continued to speak. "Last night, when our cosmos crossed...I felt a Big Bang within me. There's a new star in my Cosmos...and it's stable now…"

Seiya paused as he pondered Shaina's words, and then realized she was referring to the first flicker of new life inside her...one that he was responsible for igniting. Like any other human, it would be weeks before Shaina would first begin showing physical signs of pregnancy, but for two Saints such as themselves who could detect even the slightest shifts in Cosmo, they could tell quickly when the seed of life had taken root. Now Seiya didn't just have to worry about leaving Shaina, but potentially dying and leaving their child to not know his father?

He opened his mouth to say something, apologize, but Shaina leaned her head against his back and moaned softly at his warmth. "I told you to hold nothing back, you didn't. I accept your love, Seiya...and that's why I am confident you are going to come back to me. I just ask you bring me a trophy of your victory. Maybe you could slice off Aiolia's nipple and have the Cygnus Saint freeze it for when you come home…?"

She might have pretended to revert back to the violent warrior that struck terror in the hearts of her enemies, but the warmth of her cosmos told another story. And that warmth, along with the flicker she spoke of that was ignited within her the night before, allowed Seiya to steel his nerves once more as he resumed getting dressed and prepared to folllow Marin to the Narita Airport, where he would fly to Greece with his teammates and conclude the civil war that kept them from embracing each other that fateful night he shattered her mask.

"I'll be back soon, Shaina...count on it!"