Chapter Twelve – What's Important

It happened soon after the talk with Maria that I lost consciousness. Neither Kuon or I ever wanted to hurt her, we both care about her deeply but when you fall in love you often become blind to the world around you. As I open my eyes, I realize how big and soft the world is and I stretch out a hand finding it to be puffy and chubby. I remember Maria's words and realize what she's done to me.

I sniffle a little and try to crawl forwards, I find it hard to even push myself up on my knees. Somehow I want something soft, I want to be bounced, I want a warm hug. Pretty much, I want everything that was missing from my childhood. I open my mouth and try to breathe but my chest rises and falls in a strange way. Was this how Kuon felt when he became a baby? Are we cursed to grow up together and that it will be years until we have a proper relationship again.

'Phone' I try to say as I spot it but my words come out as babbles, "Wabun"

Is this how helpless Kuon felt when it happened to him? I feel powerless and I'm wondering what happens when somebody finds me. I reach for the phone and I instinctively want to put it in my mouth and suck on it. No. It's a cell phone, it's not like a lollipop or something.

I try to unlock it, I know the password since it's my phone but I can't get my fingers to press the buttons. I start to sniffle unable to work the phone in the way I want. I try bashing it on the ground, my body acting from frustration rather than any other emotion. I hear the Siri button work and I try to speak.

'Call Kuon' "Wawaa Kwon" I babble and of course the phone isn't working. I bawl again before finding the door to unlock. Is it the president? I look up, my eyes filling with tears before I see a grown up version of Kuon following the president. I sob as I want to rush over to him and ask if he's okay but I'm in this helpless body.

"Oh my god," Kuon says as his face lights up but sadness still remains in his eyes. "I found you," he tells me and he scoops me up and pulls me close to his body. I grab onto his shirt and he kisses my forehead. "I'm so sorry, princess," he tells me and I babble again. He pulls me closer. He must know the level of my consciousness.

The president watches him with a sad smile on his face and Kuon sways me from side to side, bouncing me a little and I giggle. As I do so, he smiles at me and kisses my cheek.

"I'm here, princess," he tells me before mouthing a thank you to the president. Kuon grabs the clothes that I was wearing before and wraps them around my naked baby body. "I'm here. I won't let you get hurt again, I promise."

"I'm glad that you found her," the president says, "but could you explain what's going on."

…

…..

I should have known that things had become even more messed up when I woke up in my adult body with a diaper between my legs. Dad had been watching me and I know that he had been surprised when I regained my adult body but I was desperate to find Kyoko. If I had gone through this hardship, I didn't want for her to face it too. I'm glad that I was able to find her.

As I hold the girl that I adore – I don't know if I can still call her a woman – in my arms, Boss tries to get a clearer understanding of the situation. I hate that she has to suffer as I did.

"Could you explain what's going on?" Boss asks and I kiss Kyoko's cheek, making sure that she's bundled up well enough and I have her securely in my arms.

"Your granddaughter," I tell him and Boss looks at me with a sad smile. "I wanted for her to be happy for the two of us but this stupid infatuation has to end. Kyoko didn't do anything wrong to her. It's enough if she turns me into a baby but Kyoko. I just…why would she want to hurt me?"

"She's still a young girl," Boss tries to defend her but I'm sick of people defending her. Kyoko has always tried to help and support her, Maria once treated her as a big sister but it doesn't seem to matter. The love that we have both directed towards Maria doesn't matter and it pisses me off.

"I need to call my father," I tell Boss without really explaining my reasoning. Kyoko has to be safe and Dad can keep her safe, he can babysit her, he's been good with babies and he knows that I've been looking for her. I take the phone as I shift Kyoko so her head is on my shoulder and phone my father.

There's something that I really have to do and Kyoko can't be with me when I do it. It'll just upset her too much.

…..

…..

Dad managed to promise me to take as good care of Kyoko as he always did of me so this leaves me to walk through the corridors of LME searching for a particularly manipulative young girl. I've always made an attempt to be kind and understanding to her and that makes me pissed that she doesn't give me the same respect.

As I spot her, I walk over pretty pissed off. "We need to talk," I tell her, anger in my eyes towards her and that is something that I never wanted to do. I have never spoken to her like this but her actions can't help change my opinion of her, hopefully she can learn from them and change them.

"Kuon, you're back," she smiles but as she turns to me and sees my anger, her tone changes and she just stares at me as if unsure what to do. She shouldn't be. She should know exactly what I'm after.

"Well, I think I have you to thank for that," I growl under my breath before looking around. A real man wouldn't yell at a girl in public, it might embarrass her but I am truly furious with what has been going on. "Can we go somewhere to talk?" I ask as I try to keep calm and not scare her further.

"I don't really feel like talking," she shrugs and I kick the wall. I'll pay for the damages. I glare at her and lift my chin. I don't like being this guy but I can't believe what she has done to Kyoko. Kyoko didn't deserve that treatment.

"Well, I do and we can either do it here or we can do it in private," I tell her and Maria finally nods and takes me to an empty office. She looks at me and before I can get any of my words out, she lifts a finger and I glare at her again. She takes a step back and flinches.

"Before you say anything, I've always loved you and wanted to end up together," she attempts to explain though that type of thing isn't something that you can explain. Maybe sometime in the future we'll laugh about this but probably not. "I just don't think that anyone else is deserving of you. I want the best for you."

"Kyoko is the best for me," I tell her, "And I don't give a crap anymore that you love me and fantasized about a world that was never going to happen in the first place. I wanted to be happy and I found someone who makes me happy. She makes me feel safe and cared for and I make her feel the same way. I've never pushed you to accept our relationship though it's ridiculous that you don't. I just thought that you cared about both of us enough to actually allow us to be happy. We want to have a child together and that child shouldn't be one of us."

"So, you can ditch her, someone else can…" Maria starts in a brattish manner but I place my hand on the wall behind her and try to control my anger. I am not going to physically hit her but Kyoko and I deserve better than this. After all we've worked through, we deserve better.

"I will never ditch her or allow myself to fall in love with anyone else. Even if I have to wait eighteen years for her, I'll do it. I'd rather be with someone half my age who I love with my entire being than be with a selfish witch like you," I tell her and she flinches again.

"What do you want me to do?" she asks in a shaky voice and I study her. I thought that she was more intelligent than this.

"You should know what I want you to do," I tell her and Maria shivers. I spit on the ground to really prove my disgust before leaving her. She sinks against the wall, pulling her knees to her chest and shaking with tears streaming down her cheeks. I really couldn't care less if she's upset. I have a woman who I love and who loves me, at least, I hope that I still have her.

…..

…..

I freeze as I feel myself returning to my adult body. I hope that this isn't going to keep switching between me and Kuon. I have the feeling that Kuon would have sacrificed anything to give me what I want but can't he see that I want for him to have the things that he wants. I see Father watching me. "No matter what, I love him," I try to assure Father and he nods. I know that we're both nervous about what Kuon could have possibly done.

I try to keep my breath steady as I hear the door open and my eyes widen as I see the adult Kuon enter. He turns to me and a smile comes over his face. He rushes to me and pulls me into his arms and we're both laughing. Still, doesn't there have to be a catch somewhere.

"Is it over?" I ask him as I push a hand through his blond hair. As much as I loved him being a baby and being able to take care of him, I wanted my husband back and now I have him. Still, in this life there are sacrifices. You don't get something for nothing.

"I think so," he tells me and I can't do anything other than hold him closer and press my head into his chest. "I think that I just lost us a friend though," he admits and I can understand that. Maria was a good friend to both of us but this has changed my opinion on her. I don't know how someone who truly loves you can do this to you.

I sigh, "At least we have each other," I tell him and I hope that he can find the same kind of relief in that. It's hard to say goodbye to Maria but in the end, all I truly need is Kuon.

End of Chapter Twelve

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Erza, H-Nala, PaulaGaTo, Vanillaaa