A/N: Future fic. Takes place about 3-4 years into the future of the current manga timeline. No spoilers! You may need to brush your teeth afterwards, though, cause it's pretty syrupy sweet.

Kuon looked up at the sign for the coffee shop and paused, his reflection catching his eye in the window. He'd stalked out of the apartment in such a blind rush that he hadn't brought a ballcap or sunglasses. If he went in, he was sure to be recognized. He didn't want to deal with fans or paparazzi right now, especially when he didn't have his contacts in.

The practicality of his situation made him grimace and do an about face on the sidewalk. This was stupid. He was hiding like a child. But…he and Kyoko had just had their first fight. A bad one. Strange how fights as a husband and wife were so much different than as sempai and kohai. It was the honesty that surprised him more than anything. Tsuruga Ren the trusted senpai could take the high road, always claiming seniority. But Hizuri Kuon, husband, couldn't do that. He couldn't hide behind a mask with Kyoko anymore, and it scared him sometimes, that level of vulnerability. Scared and thrilled him at the same time.

They'd never fought like that before... It had started over his wanting to do something as a couple next week. She had declined, responding with the only free time she had in her schedule, which didn't fit his free time in his schedule. Things had quickly devolved from there and soon words like poison darts had flown back and forth.

He shook his head as his long legs carried him past a convenience store that they routinely walked to. Strange how it was hard to remember the specifics of the argument even though it had only been a quarter of an hour ago. He did remember with awful clarity his own too-quick temper, rising and rising, and the fear that accompanied it. The fear of losing control, of losing himself. He'd walked out of their home, not trusting himself, and hadn't looked back. The walk down the block had cooled his temper and with the return of sanity was common sense and remorse.

He reached the apartment building and rode the elevator to their floor. Shame made him hesitate at the door. He really needed to apologize. Perhaps he should have bought flowers at the convenience store. Kyoko loved flowers—especially roses. He loved the way her eyes lit up at the reminder of his very first present to her.

Maybe they would go down together. They'd both had time to cool off… maybe they could take a walk and talk things through. He keyed the door and stepped through.

"Kyoko?"

No answer. He walked further into the apartment, glancing around, but didn't see his wife.

"Kyoko?" He walked back into their bedroom, checking the bathroom, and even the guest bedroom, but no sign of Kyoko.

Perplexed and a little worried, Kuon found his cell phone and dialed her number. Her phone rang from the side table next to the couch in the living room. Now really starting to worry, he scanned the kitchen counter. Sometimes when she went out, she would leave him a note with little doodles in the margins.

Nothing.

Running his hands through his hair, Kuon paced the floor, trying to imagine where she might have disappeared to. Ordinarily he wouldn't have worried, but this was their first fight, what if she was still angry at him? He couldn't bear the thought…

Quickly, he lifted his phone again and dialed.

"What?" came an irritated voice on the other end.

"Kanae-san," Kuon said, going over to stand by the window, staring out over the skyscrapers of downtown Tokyo. "Is Kyoko with you?"

"No. I'm on set all day today."

Kuon paused. "You would tell me if she was with you, right? I'm… I'm worried about her."

"No, she's not here," Kanae said. "I'll call you if she shows up though," she added grudgingly.

"Arigatou."

He tried a few more numbers: Maria, the Darumaya couple, Chiori… but none of them had seen his wife. The only other person she might have turned to was his father, but his parents were in Los Angeles… surely their fight hadn't been so bad that Kyoko would leave the country?

He leaned against the kitchen counter, head down, worry assaulting him on all sides. Where was she?

His eye caught sight of a leaf that had fallen out of his last batch of flowers. They were starting to wilt in their vase, but Kyoko liked to keep them as long as possible. She always said looking at living things revived her spirits.

Kuon lifted his head, remembering a different time, a different fight, a different place…

Reflected water from the little stream shines on her face, making her skin luminous in the morning light.

"Mogami-san, what are you doing out here so early?"

Her eyes, large and amber like dark honey, peep up at him shyly. "To recharge," she says, smiling in that way that makes him want to lean down and kiss her.

Kuon raised his head. He knew where she was.

#

He heard her before he saw her. The roof garden of their apartment building wasn't large, but knowing how much Kyoko enjoyed it—a bit of the country in the city—he'd encouraged the building managers to make improvements over the past couple of months. Now there were even a few trees along with numerous flowering bushes, grass, and a stone path walkway. He followed the path and found Kyoko at her favorite spot, next to the fountain that burbled water from the mouth of a mermaid and splashed down into a small pool. She was sitting on the bench in front of the fountain, her face in her hands, crying as if the world was ending.

He quickened his steps and sat down next to her, sliding his arm around her shoulders. She stiffened and uncovered her face, looking up at him in shock through bloodshot, watery eyes.

"You… you came… back?"

The surprise on her face broke his heart. He smoothed a trail of tears off her cheek with a thumb. "Of course I came back. What made you think I would leave forever?"

She lowered her eyes, staring at the crumpled tissues in her hands. "I thought… I thought that my worst fears had finally… that it had happened again… we were… yelling at each other..."

Alarmed at this reminder of her old trauma, Kuon slid off the bench and crouched on the ground so that he was eye level with her. "Kyoko, look at me."

She did so unwillingly, her eyes still leaking tears. He caught her hands, and squeezed them gently.

"Couples fight… it's normal. It doesn't mean we love each other less." He held her gaze, willing her to believe him.

"But…" she sniffed, "you... left me."

Kuon closed his eyes. "And I shouldn't have. Please… please forgive me. I… I was afraid of my own temper. You… you of all people should know why."

At that Kyoko hesitantly reached out a hand, tracing his jaw with the lightest of touches. He sighed, turning his head to kiss her hand.

"I've never been afraid of you," she whispered. "I'm not about to start now. Just don't… don't leave like that. Please. Don't… don't turn into Tsuruga Ren."

His eyes widened, realization dawning on him. Leaving was exactly what his alter-ego would have done. In fact, he already had done it once… at Karuizawa when Fuwa had shown up, bragging about rescuing Kyoko from the stalker. Instead of talking it through with her, he'd shut himself up in his room to sulk.

They'd been married for a year, but it seemed that he still had things he had to learn to trust her with.

"I won't. I promise." He tugged on her hand and she came willingly into his arms. They sat on the ground like that for awhile, the fountain's merry trickling a backdrop to the relief swelling in Kuon's heart.

"I love you," he murmured, pressing a kiss on top of her head where it was tucked against his shoulder.

She lifted her chin for a proper kiss, not speaking. Even after so long, she still had trouble saying the "L-word," not because she hated it any more, but because it had become so precious to her. As if she was worried that the more she said it, the more it would wear out.

They left the roof garden a while later, as the sun had started to set and the wind was getting a bit chilly. She made dinner while he helped. He never would be a good cook, but her patience had made him a lot more adept in the kitchen than he used to be. It was nice to have an evening to themselves. Both their schedules had been so full lately that they barely saw each other during the day. This was one rare weekend when they actually spent more time together than they had in a long time. Perhaps that fact alone had led to the fight.

Kuon looked at their joined hands over the dinner table, glancing at the sparkling blue gemstone on her ring that had once been Corn and came to a decision.

"Kyoko, I'm going to ask Yashiro-san to stop filling my schedule so tight," he said, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. "I've been too stressed out with three different shows , all week not to mention prepping for the big Armandy shoot that's happening next week. I think… I think I'm going to drop most of the modeling gigs."

Her eyes widened. "Kuon—!"

"I mean it." He moved his hand up to cup her cheek. He never tired of touching her. "You… us… this is more important than my career. I'm not by myself like I used to be. I have to think of just not what's best for me anymore, but what's best for you; for us. And a full schedule is not good for us. Today proved that if nothing else did."

"I… to tell you the truth, I was thinking the same thing," she said with a quick smile. "Before you came back I told Sawara-san that I want to drop Bo."

Kuon blinked. "But you love Bo." Bo was the one thing she'd kept constant ever since she started at L.M.E. To leave Bo felt like… leaving an old friend.

"I loved Bo for the humorous bits, and now that I landed that role in that new romantic comedy, I won't need Bo to fill that need. Besides," she said, leaning forward, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears, "if you're making a sacrifice, I will too. I… I don't want to lose you, Kuon."

He lifted her hand from the table, brushing his lips across her fingers. "You never will."

Her cheeks flushed pink as if she were the shy girl of sixteen he'd fallen in love with instead of a grown woman of twenty. He was contemplating whether it would be more expedient to carry her back to the bedroom or take advantage of the couch when she squeaked in alarm and ran back into the kitchen.

"I forgot the eggssssss!" she wailed.

Kuon bit his lip to keep from laughing at the woebegone expression on her face. He supposed dessert would have to wait.

-end-