Author's Note: Welcome to the update! Thank you to those who have followed and favorited. You inspired me to continue my endeavors with this story. This warning is kind of obvious considering Dazai's character and previous chapters, but I feel like I must give it anyway: There are suicidal ideations and an attempt in this chapter. I do not support or condone suicide. However, having been there myself I do understand the impossible lows and altered state of mind one is in when suicide is considered so I do not take this subject matter lightly.

I hope you won't be disappointed with the new chapter. Please enjoy!

Barely awake, Kokoro rolled over and grabbed her phone. She smiled to see the text message waiting for her. Although they had not seen each other in a few days, Osamu sent her a text greet her every morning and another to send her to bed every night - not to mention the dozens in between.

She liked him. A lot. Too much probably. Sighing, she rolled over onto her back and replied to his good morning text. So far it is a very good morning.

Osamu: Want some company?

Her pulse sped up. Of course she would want to have his company. As she began typing telling him so, asking for a time, there was a knock on her door.

"Oh, my god!" she gasped, tossing the phone onto her pillow and launching herself out of the bed. She had no idea he meant now!

Kokoro ran into the bathroom. Unfortunately, she had slept on her belly therefore she had a hopeless case of pillow face. Creases marred her left cheek so she splashed cold water onto her face in an effort to get rid of the redness and a little of the swelling.

With damp hands she patted her frizzy hair in an effort to tame it just a little. Grabbing her toothbrush and toothpaste as he knocked again, she gave her teeth a quick scrub to freshen her breath.

Grabbing her red silk robe from the hook in her bedroom, she wrapped it around her body clad in her most comfy black sleep shorts and softest white t-shirt. Comfort had been key last night as well as a few drinks to get her to sleep.

As much as she missed Osamu, she had not had the energy to see him lately due to work. Her shift had changed from nights to days. Osamu had been working crazy hours as well, Kunikida cutting him no slack and leaving him no spare time for dalliances. She is not sure exactly what kind of work Osamu Dazai does. She knows he is a detective, but after meeting his coworkers she seriously doubted he is the typical private investigator type spying on cheating spouses or gathering info on people filing bogus lawsuits.

Kokoro flicked on the decorative stained glass lamp placed on the recently purchased little square table beside her newly acquired couch. She opened the door to see Osamu standing there with a white bag with her favorite bakery's name emblazoned on it in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

"I come bearing gifts," Osamu announced, extending the cup of coffee to her.

"Oh, you're the greatest," she gushed, stepping forward to press a kiss to his cheek. Taking the coffee, she retreated back into her apartment to sit on the couch.

"This is new," he remarked taking a seat on the chocolate brown suede sofa with plush overstuffed cushions. He dropped the bag of pastries onto the oval dark wood coffee table. "Nice."

"A few days ago I was window shopping at lunch. I saw these things in the furniture store and decided to buy them. Make things a little more homey and comfortable. I fell asleep right in the store sitting on this couch. How could I not buy it?" she laughed, toying with the lid of her cup. "I decided to splurge and buy everything."

Osamu glanced around but did not see her mother's old recliner.

"Where is - "

"I got rid of it," she answered, cutting him off. "I decided it is time to get rid of the past. I shouldn't allow it to effect my present."

"That's good to hear," he said, brushing his fingertips across her cheek. He felt a little sad and disappointed. "Does this mean you no longer want to commit suicide with me?"

Kokoro placed her hand over his, pushing her cheek into his palm. "You're the one I want to die with Osamu Dazai. I haven't changed my mind about that."

"Oh," he gasped, sliding forward to be closer to her. "I'm glad to hear it."

Kokoro took a sip of the caramel latte with extra whipped cream. The creamy sweetness coated her tongue and made her brain buzz from the shot of sugar and caffeine.

"This is so good," she said, shifting her body to the side to face him. "Did you want something?"

"Uh huh. There's something I want," he returned, edging a little closer.

"Oh? And what would that be?" she inquired, the hint of a smile touching her lips.

Osamu glanced down at her bare leg laying on the couch between them. His fingers touched her knee and slid up her thigh.

"Am I being too forward?" he asked as goosebumps rose up across her thigh to meet his fingertips.

"No. Not at all," she replied, her voice a husky whisper. "We're both adults here."

"Two very attractive and desirable adults," he said, placing his other hand on her neck.

Kokoro chuckled lightly as he pulled her forward. "One of is more humble than the other."

"Humility is overrated. I'm being truthful." He fitted his mouth to hers, allowing his lips to linger in the chaste, close mouthed kiss, reveling in the sensation of her soft lips against his.

When his lips lifted from hers, their eyes met. For a long moment, they gazed into each other's eyes before exchanging silly grins like lovestruck fools. They are lovestruck fools, and they knew it.

"I've missed you," Kokoro confessed, reaching out to grasp his forearms as if he might disappear.

"I've missed you too," Osamu said, returning the sentiment. He pushed a frizzy stray curl out of her face. His fingers glided along the pillow marks on her face that had not yet faded. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"After a few drinks," she admitted. "Shift changes are difficult."

"A few drinks are okay," he assured her, giving her a peck on the lips. "But you can't go overboard without me, remember?"

"I won't," she promised. "Speaking of going overboard, why don't have a beach picnic tonight? There's going to be a full moon."

"Sounds romantic," he murmured, kissing her cheek.

"It does, doesn't it?" She kissed his mouth hovering in temptingly close proximity to hers. "Then we can take a swim together."

"Skinny dipping?" he inquired, his voice rising an octave with hopefulness.

"We'll see. It's going to be terribly romantic."

"Guess there will three full moons out tonight," he joked, pulling her forward as she laughed. His mouth stifled her laughter into a giggle before it tapered off into a moan as he continued to kiss her deeply.

"Want to meet me here about nine? I'll be working until six. That will give me plenty of time to get everything ready."

"Sounds good to me. Guess I should go so you can get ready for work."

Kokoro caught his hand as he stood up in preparation to leave.

"Will you stay to eat breakfast with me?" She picked up the bag and opened it to see half a dozen pastries inside. "You can't leave me alone to eat all of these."

"You're right," he said, reaching inside for a creme horn. He handed it to her since that one is her favorite. Going back in, he fished out a cream cheese filled pastry. "I must do my duty and help you eat these."

"Did you want coffee or tea or something to go with that?" she mumbled around her bite of flaky pastry and thick vanilla cream.

"No, I'm fine," he assured her. He reach over to tuck another one of her crazy corkscrew curls behind her ear. His fingers grasped another one, coiling it around his finger before uncoiling it.

Her eyes met his warm brown eyes that gazed at her with such tender emotion it brought tears to her own. A smile of pure joy lifted the corners of her mouth. She leaned forward, cupping his jaw and stroking his cheek with her thumb as she continued to bask in his adoring gaze.

No man had ever looked at her like that before. This man came into her life in such a weird way and continues to be a completely unexpected and wonderful surprise. She doubted anyone ever would again. She sighed heavily, sadness filtering into her chest and weighing down her light heart.

"You're making it so much difficult for me to leave to go to work," she sighed.

"Call in. Stay with me," he urged her. He held her hand in his, begging her stay with the big puppy dog eyes of his.

"Mmmm," she moaned, biting her lower lip and rolling her eyes in frustration. She wanted to stay with him. Something good was bound to happen considering the mood between them. "You're making me want to do bad things Osamu Dazai."

A mischievous glimmer made his eyes sparkle in the low light illuminating the room.

"Oh? What kind of bad things? I want details. Lots of them. Or better yet..." He grabbed her ankle, picking up her leg and positioning it between his side and the couch as he scooched a little closer pressing further into her personal space. "Show me."

Kokoro moaned plaintively again, closing her eyes to break the contact with his seductive gaze. Rather than allowing him to kiss her lips, she dropped her chin toward her chest and pressed her forehead to his puckered lips for more innocent and less tempting contact.

"I should go to work," she sighed sadly, raising her head and daring to glance at him. He looked as disappointed as she felt. "They will be short staffed at the ER otherwise."

"Awww," Osamu whined, poking out his bottom lip in a shameless pout.

"Shouldn't you be getting to work too?" she inquired, poking him in the chest. "You don't want to piss off Kunikida."

"I should but - " He leaned forward in another attempt to kiss her but her finger pressed to his lips. Sitting back, he exhaled in dismay from her polite and sweet rejection. "Okay. You should go to work, and I should too."

"We have tonight to look forward to," she reminded him, turning her body to place both feet flat on the floor.

After kissing his cheek, she stood up giving him a subtle hint it was time for him go despite not wanting him to leave. Unfortunately, there were certain matters that needed to be tended to such as going to work so she could afford to pay her bills.

So far none of her suicide attempts had ended in the desired result so the bills would still be there waiting for her. Despite not really wanting one, she always planned for the future.

"Tonight," Osamu said, taking her by the hand and spinning her around as if they were on a dance floor.

Turning her into his body, he leaned her back, dipping her deeply which sent her into a fit of elated giggles. He stood her back up, swaying her from side to side to the music inside their hearts because there was none playing for their ears. Indulging in a few more whirls around the living room, guiding her in the dance they never got to finish on the bridge, he pulled into his arms to give her the kiss he had been wanting.

Osamu Dazai's unpredictability thrilled her. The way he made her feel could only be described as absolutely rapturous. She felt happy and excited and - loved. He was quickly becoming her everything when she had nothing at all.

"Osamu," she whispered, hugging him tightly, not wanting him to let her go.

"I love it when you say my name like that," he uttered softly into her ear as he nuzzled into her silky curls.

Osamu lowered his mouth toward hers again. The alarm on her phone sounded, playing a happy and upbeat tune. Rather than letting her go, he danced her around the living room since they had music this time. She threw back her head and laughed as they rotated together, their hands clasped tightly while his other hand rested on her hip and hers lay against his shoulder as if they were trained ballroom dancers.

"Oh, my goodness," she chuckled when they came to a stop. "Osamu Dazai I think I'm falling in love with you."

"What?" he asked, squeezing her hand that he still held. "You're in love with me?"

Oh, my god did I really say that? Idiot, idiot, IDIOT!, she berated herself. But when do you know you love someone? How long does it take to figure it out? Falling in love is simple and fast. She had definitely fallen in love with him. Right from the beginning, they shared a special bond like no other couple on earth.

"Yeah," she confirmed, her lips quivering as she smiled up at him.

Her eyes scanned his for any sign of fear or sadness or anger - anything that might signal a possible rejection. She saw nothing except for hope and warmth. Damning the torpedoes of doubt and running full speed ahead, she would continue her confession.

"I am..." she inhaled deeply to gather her courage. "...without a doubt, in love you."

"I am, most definitely, in love with you too."

Osamu kissed her. She happily accepted the kiss that verified he felt the same way as her. Her head felt lighter than air along with her heart, both soaring with joy. The alarm on her phone suddenly shut off startling them out of their reverie, causing them to break the kiss.

"Uhm...I guess I should get ready," she mumbled.

"I'll see you tonight. I'll be here at nine," he promised her, giving her a kiss on the cheek and walking away. If he had kissed her lips, neither one of them would be going to work today.

~\'/~

The twelve hour shift seemed to go on forever. Although glad there were not many emergency patients, Kokoro hated the way the hours dragged by. In between patients, she wrote down lists for their special date.

First she decided what to buy at the grocery store. Something simple and light. Not having a stomach full of fatty rich food would make coroner's job a little easier and a little less disgusting later. Cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches. Watermelon and honeydew melon for dessert.

Wine is a must. The alcohol would strengthen and quicken the effects of the sedatives and muscle relaxers she planned to take. The drugs would prevent her from acting on the survival instincts when they kicked keeping her from fighting to get to the surface for air. They would ease her into death via sleep without having to suffer the terror and agony of slow asphyxiation.

On her lunch break, Kokoro made a second list. This list, however, she kept strictly in her head. Handcuffs and rope. Handcuffs to secure them together. Rope to bind their hands so Osamu would not lose contact with her this time.

When her shift was over, Kokoro quickly changed and was out the door uttering hasty good-byes to her coworkers. She went to the grocery store close to her apartment after getting off of the train.

Once home, she put everything in her mostly empty refrigerator except for the red wine. She glanced at her phone. Almost seven thirty. No text messages from Osamu.

"Time for a shower," she announced to herself. undressing on her way to the bathroom.

Kokoro dressed in a matching bra and panty set, purple satin and lace. Matching underwear is a must for a dead body. At least it always is on television cop shows when a murder victim was found. She smiled at her owned macabre sense of humor as she pulled on her most comfortable pair of faded jeans. She tied the two sizes too big men's button down white shirt at her waist.

As she was cutting through the small round watermelon, her phone chimed to notify her of a text message. Her heart leapt and sped up in anticipation.

Osamu: I might be a little late. Work stuff.

"Shit."

~\'/~

"I don't have time for your shit, Chūya," Dazai growled slipping his phone back into the inside pocket of his trench coat.

He had places to be when this idiot showed up threatening to destroy his entire plan for the evening. He had a beautiful woman and a suicide attempt to get to. The possibility of being late irritated him. He had no intention of missing this extremely important date. The idea angered him greatly.

"Did you seriously just interrupt our conversation to send a text?" Chūya yelled down from the roof in disbelief.

"Get down here and stop yelling, moron," Dazai shot back, feigning bored indifference. "We don't want the entire neighborhood to listen in on our conversation now do we?"

Casual as ever, hands in his pockets as he glowered at his former comrade, Chūya leapt from the top of the building. Unimpeded by the laws of gravity since he could bend them at will, he floated down to the sidewalk to land softly on his feet in front of Dazai with the grace and delicateness of a ballerina.

"You seem to be in a hurry, Dazai? Why is that?" inquired the redhead, genuinely intrigued by his former partner's reaction of annoyed impatience.

"None of your business. What the hell do you want, short stuff?"

"Short stuff!" Chūya shouted, instantly enraged by the derisive nickname.

Dazai always had poked fun at him for his height. To his chagrin and frustration, he never grew any taller after age fifteen; a fact Dazai happily poked at him every chance he got.

"I'll get right to the point. Do us both a favor so we can get this over with," he said, pulling his hands from his pockets to check his nails as if he might have chipped one during his controlled descent. "Tell me what you know about the one they call the Enduring Goddess."

Enduring Goddess? Who the hell chose that moniker?

"I don't know what you're talking about," Dazai lied, nausea swamping him.

"It's a who. A woman who possesses an immortality ability. Surely the Armed Detective Agency is already investigating."

How did the Port Mafia get wind of Kokoro's existence so quickly? Perhaps Kokoro had been recorded in one of her suicide attempts ending in her getting up to walk away and live another day. He had no idea exactly how many times she had tried. He had caught her quite by accident that day while looking for the jerk standing in front of him.

There could be a video or two out there on the internet showing the woman with the miraculous resurrection ability. Cameras are everywhere nowadays. Inside of buildings, on every street corner, and in every single person's hand. There was no escape from the prying eyes of a camera lens, recording everyone all time catching them at their worst or their best - and revealing some of their biggest secrets.

"Dammit," Dazai muttered under his breath.

"Don't think I'm so stupid as to think the Armed Detective Agency has not been told of this woman's existence," Chūya said, folding his arms over his chest.

"We haven't," he returned, stepping closer to loom over the man the same age as him by nearly a foot. Unlike Chūya, he had grown several inches.

"Oh, please," grumbled the redhead, rolling his summer sky blue eyes. "You can't expect me to believe that."

"We have never heard of such a person or such a ridiculous ability." He kept his tone light and carefree as not to betray his true emotion. He propped his chin on his hand as if considering the possibility of an immortality ability. "Perhaps we should investigate such a person."

"We're going to find her first," warned the determined Port Mafia executive.

"What is she anyway? A vampire," he scoffed, rolling his shoulders to literally shrug off the threat.

The Armed Detective Agency had no need to investigate. They already knew her identity, her whereabouts, and her associates mostly Dazai and all of them by extension. She posed no threat to them or the public at large. If anything, she was the one who needed to be protected. Not to mention, her ability is not immortality at all; only healing, a physical reset.

And now the imminent threat he should have anticipated had appeared. Dazai had gotten so caught up in being in love, playing Romeo to her Juliet, he had forgotten the Port Mafia, Mori Ōgai specifically, would eventually be looking for her.

Naturally Ōgai would be interested in someone possessing an immortality ability. He once confided in Osamu Dazai that during the Great War, he had written a paper he called "The Immortal Regiment" detailing the immeasurable possibilities and profound usefulness of ability users to the military. So convinced of his outrageous scheme, he submitted his mad ramblings to the emperor himself. However, his fevered dream of an army composed of ability users was never achieved. His only result were marching hundreds, possibly thousands, of men to their deaths before the war ended.

Ōgai's assassination of the Port Mafia's boss to steal his position was not the only secret the doctor entrusted to Dazai. It must have disappointed Ōgai greatly for so many reasons when Dazai did not commit suicide and take those secrets to his grave. Someone with a presumed immortality ability, albeit conditional and completely misunderstood, could revive his dream of gaining the limitless power he desired which would in turn allow him to achieve unchallenged success as a mafia boss. But is there really a means to harness an innate ability? Mori Ōgai would have no qualms killing Kokoro to find out.

I can't let Ōgai get his hands on her and use her as a lab rat. I won't let that happen, Dazai thought. His reasons to protect her were more selfish than altruistic, considering his own personal emotional stake should something happen to her rather than the threat posed to the world on a grand scale.

Best case scenario would be that Ōgai would accidentally kill her in his attempt to extract the essence of her ability. Dazai refused to let that happen. No one was going to steal her life. She was going to die of her own volition with him.

"Are we done here?" Dazai asked, covering his mouth to stifle a fake yawn. "This conversation is boring me."

"Yeah. I'm bored with your ignorance. See ya, Dazai," Chūya said, pushing off the ground and launching himself back up to the rooftop as easily as one takes a step forward to walk away.

"It's been nice chatting with you!" he yelled after his former partner, not the least bit sincere.

The conversation had been disturbing at best, instilling a fear that turned his blood cold at worst. Chūya always did like provoking him. Taunting him with the knowledge the Port Mafia is aware of her existence would make it so much more satisfying if he captured Kokoro out from under Dazai's nose later. There is no way Dazai will let Ōgai get hold of her for his sick experiments.

Dazai glanced at his phone. Eight thirty. Good. He would not be late for their date after all.

~\'/~

Osamu set the basket on the sand. Kokoro flipped open the lid, pulling out the gray blanket to spread it out. The wind caught the blanket whipping it into his face. She laughed as he fought off the piece of cloth that wrapped around his upper torso.

Once he took hold of the corners to assist her, they lowered the blanket to the ground. He quickly grabbed the basket, putting it in the middle as they both plopped down heavily on either side to keep the sea breeze from catching the blanket again.

"Maybe we should have eaten in my apartment then come here," Kokoro said, placing the plastic containers of food out on the blanket to further anchor it down.

The full moon filled the entire area with silver light, clearly lighting up everything on the deserted beach. The round white orb reflected on the black waves, moving and shifting with each trough and crest rolling across the ocean's surface.

"It's a beautiful night," she sighed, pulling the curl blown by the wind out of her mouth to tuck it behind her ear.

"It definitely is," Osamu agreed, watching her open the pill bottle she retrieved from the basket. "What is that?"

"A muscle relaxer," she answered, popping one into her mouth to dry swallow it. She offered one to him. "Want one?"

"Nah. Over the years I've trained myself to stay perfectly still while drowning," he replied.

She took out the bottle of wine and corkscrew. Placing the bottle between her thighs to hold it securely, she screwed the metal spiral into the cork. Holding the neck of the bottle, squeezing the bottom with her thighs, she pulled until the cork came out with a satisfying pop.

"Damn," she grumbled after looking into the basket. "I forgot the glasses. Oh, well..."

Upending the bottle, she took a sip.

"Classy," he teased her when she handed him the bottle.

Kokoro stuck out her tongue at him in response to the sarcastic insult.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," she retorted, opening the container of sandwiches.

"Our last meal," Dazai announced, taking a sandwich from the plastic box.

"Here's to us," Kokoro said, raising her finger sandwich for a toast since they did not have glasses.

"To us," he agreed, tapping his sandwich to hers. "May tonight be the night we succeed. We can die happy in each other's arms."

Nibbling on her sandwich, Kokoro gazed at him as he finished off the small sandwich in two bites. Afterwards, he leaned back on his hands, closing his eyes and turning his face up to the moon. Bathed in the silvery white light, he looked ethereal, a magnificent otherworldly being.

Dazai could feel her staring at him. Opening his eyes, he turned his head to meet her eyes fixed on his face.

"What?" he inquired.

"You're just..." She shrugged, lowering her eyes from his. Despite its brightness, the moonlight made it impossible for him to detect the blush on her face. "You're gorgeous, Osamu. A rare, lovely creature...to the eyes and the heart."

Dazai's insides warmed at her romantic assessment of him. God, she had a way of making him fall in love with her a thousand different ways. From the way she batted her long black eyelashes at him, to the pervasive sadness in her big brown eyes, to her poetic words that caught him off-guard.

He wished so desperately her love would be enough to fill the deep, dark void inside of him. Like a blackhole in space, his emptiness is limitless and eternal. He feared he would suck her in and destroy her. Good thing she was already self-destructive. Now he can take her with him.

"Give me one of those," he said as she swallowed another pill.

Kokoro held out the bottle to him, exchanging it for the wine bottle.

"Do you think we will succeed tonight?" she asked, handing the bottle back.

"I hope so," he rejoined. I hope so for your sake. You might meet a far worse fate later if we fail, he thought, filling his mouth with the highly astringent dry red wine. "Bitter taste for a sweet death."

"Here, here," she returned, snatching the bottle out of his hand and raising it in agreement for another toast.

Feeling tipsy, her head light as air and devoid of thoughts, Kokoro giggled as she drank again. She opened the container of fruit and pulled out a piece of green honeydew melon cut into the shape of a round petaled flower; a feat that had been accomplished with the help of a metal cookie cutter.

"Melon?" She held out the container to him.

His glassy eyes leered at her as his lips stretched into a wide grin. He reached out, grabbing her breast and squeezing.

"Sure. I like melons," he said, expecting a slap to the face for his brazenness.

Shockingly, Kokoro covered his hand with hers, urging him to squeeze her breast again.

This time he concentrated on the feeling of her breast in his hand. Solid and heavy but not too big, her breast fit perfectly in the palm of his hand. Everything about her fit him just right - clear down to their mutually suicidal tendencies.

"I love you," he confessed, leaning forward to cover her mouth with his before she could respond.

Her wine soaked tongue pushed into his mouth. His responded by gliding along hers to taste it before sucking lightly. Her hand went to the back of his head, grasping his shaggy hair. He coaxed a moan from her by stroking her tongue lightly with his and rubbing his thumb over her nipple through the lace of her bra.

Her tongue withdrew from his mouth, and she broke the kiss. With a handful of his hair, she held his head positioned close to hers. Her lips hovered in front of his, her breath caressing his lips making him feel as if they never lost contact.

"Seal with a righteous kiss the deal I have made with death forever*," she whispered, pressing her lips back to his for a brief kiss. "Come, bitter poison, come, unsavory guide!*" Her tongue pushed into his mouth again, then retreated, inviting his to follow. She sucked his tongue briefly before lifting her mouth away. "So I die with a kiss.*"

"Aren't those supposed to be my lines? It's the last thing Romeo said to Juliet before dying," he said, removing his hand from her breast to cup her chin. His eyes studied hers shining like dark glass marbles in the moonlight. "You're absolutely amazing."

"So are you," she returned the sentiment wholeheartedly.

"These violent delights have violent ends...And in their triumph die, like fire and powder...Which, as they kiss...*" He paused, giving her a peck on the lips. "... consume.*"

"Warning words spoken by the kind Friar who feared for Romeo and Juliet and their consuming love. Ironically, it was him in the end who enabled them to commit their double suicide," she responded.

"Are you ready?" Dazai asked her, leaning back from her.

Kokoro pulled out another bottle of pills. He did not ask what kind of pill the second one is. Dumping both bottles into her hand, she tossed a hand full into her mouth to wash them down with the wine. Reaching into the basket filled with all sorts of goodies, she pulled out the handcuffs and a short length of rope.

"Ooooh, what are those for?" he asked excitedly as she dropped them onto the blanket.

"Insurance," she answered, unbuttoning her shirt. "To make sure you don't let go this time."

"Hmmm," he murmured, picking up the handcuffs and examining them. "These are real police issued handcuffs."

"What did you expect? Pink fuzzy ones?" she shot back, giving him a drunken lopsided grin which made him laugh at her.

"Well, actually - "

"No."

She stood up and swayed uncertainly prompting him to jump to his feet. He grabbed her by the upper arms to steady her on her feet before she toppled onto the sand.

"Be careful," he warned her, holding her upright.

"I'm fine," she assured him, patting his shoulder. She unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans. "Want to join me for a swim?"

"That is what we're here for," he said, taking off his jacket as she shimmied out of her jeans.

Rather than going skinny dipping as they had joked about, they peeled off their clothes down to their underwear. As the stood facing each other, Kokoro snapped one of the metal shackles of the handcuffs around her left wrist. Taking his right hand in hers, she secured the other link around his wrist with a click.

Osamu threaded his fingers through hers, holding her hand tightly as she tucked the end of the rope between their palms. He watched as she wound the thin rope around their hands to bind them together. Pulling up the end from between their hands, using her free hand and her teeth, she tied to a knot to make sure he would never lose physical contact with her. Only then could she die because of his nullifying power to render her healing useless.

"You are a lover*," Osamu said, gliding the fingers of his free hand over her cheek as he looked into her eyes.

He was quoting from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet again. This time he used a line spoken by Mercutio, Romeo's friend and confident who knows of his companion's ill fated love for Juliet.

"Borrow Cupid's wings*," he continued, stroking her cheek affectionately while his eyes held hers that were becoming unfocused from the copious amount of medication and alcohol. "...and soar with them above a common bound.*"

"You know Mercutio was making fun of Romeo for being a love sick fool by saying that, don't you?" she questioned him, her words slurring toward the end.

"I know. I am making fun of myself. I am truly a lovesick fool," he admitted, pressing his forehead to hers. "It's a sad, sick joke I would find someone like you. So perfect...someone meant for me...so sweet and beautiful...only to die."

Her knees weakened as the drugs and alcohol took further effect. Kokoro leaned heavily into him, her breath coming in labored, ragged inhales.

"We should go before I can't walk," she said.

Osamu put his arm around her waist, holding her against him and lifting her feet from the sand as he carried her the short distance to the water. At the edge, he sat her down, allowing her to feel the water on her feet. It was as warm and comfortable as bath water heated during the day by the unrelenting summer sun.

Enclosing her waist once more, he carried her further into the water. His fingers clasped hers tighter when the water reached their waist. The waves pulled on her limp body.

"I love you, Osamu," she said.

He could barely hear her above the combined roar of the wind and waves filling his ears. Carrying her was easier since the water kept her body afloat. He kept walking until his feet could no longer touch the sand.

Although the waves were calmer out here, Osamu could feel the undertow sucking at their feet. The deceptive calmness of the ocean this far out often gave unsuspecting swimmers a false sense of security. He folded their arms, placing their bound hands between them.

Treading water, he held her to him resting his lips on her forehead as she slumped forward, unconscious from the pills. Soon he would give out. His muscles would tire then cramp up completely to render him immobile. Then they would slip under the waves. His only regret was that he never made love to her. He only made it to second base.

~\'/~

The water splashed over Osamu's face bringing him to consciousness. He opened his eyes, the saltwater making them sting. His chest ached and burned from the seawater he had inhaled. Sitting up, he coughed and regurgitated the water.

Looking around he saw that it was still night, the moon high in sky. He raised his hands to wipe his eyes which made him become aware of her.

"Shit," he muttered, staring at her in confusion as his muddled mind tried to process what he was seeing.

He saw her lying next to him on her side, their hands still connected. Kokoro did not move. Her soaked hair looked like seaweed the curls pulled straight and sticking to her face and neck. Peeling her hair away from her face, he saw her deathly pale skin and blue lips. She was dead.

Real fear set in chilling him to his core more then the wind cooling the water clinging to his skin. The following surge of panic prompted him to take action. He untied the knot, being forced to gnaw at it with his teeth like a rat, pulling and shaking until it finally loosened. Unwinding the rope, he separated his hand from hers which hung white and limp from the metal shackle.

Scooting over to her, made aware of his still aching muscles with painful clarity, he ignored the discomfort to push her over onto her back. Pressing his hands between her breasts, he began chest compressions to pump blood through her cold body.

Her hand flopped lifelessly, hitting his arm and hands as he pushed with all of his might on her chest with his hands locked together in a single large fist. He could not tell if it was tears or ocean water streaming down his face as he continued what he hoped would be a life saving procedure. Having no idea how long they had been in the water or how long ago she took her last breath, his efforts might be pointless.

Her twenty minute time frame for reparation and revival would have to overlap time and time again until those precious twelve hundred seconds were diminished with no reset point except a lifeless state making death certain. He had no idea where they were at in that time progressive chain or if it had been exhausted completely to the point of no return.

But he had to try. Osamu thrust his fist into her chest with a burst of strength brought on by desperation. The distinct crack of bone set his teeth on edge as he broke her rib which often happened during emergency chest compressions.

"Come on, come on," Osamu muttered, keeping on despite the broken bone. It would heal if she was alive.

The muscles in his arms pulsated a white hot pain down to his fingertips and up through his shoulder to his neck. Soon he would have no strength left at all.

"You can't leave me," he moaned, leaning over her to blow into her mouth. "Come back to me. You have to come back."

He pushed down her chest and his arms gave out on him causing him to crash down on top of her. Forcing himself to sit up, he tried again but his arms buckled and hung uselessly in front of him, his hands resting on her chest.

"You can't leave me alone!" he yelled as if she might hear it in the great beyond. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this! We were supposed to go together!"

Osamu felt her chest rise under his hands. Suddenly, she inhaled a deep wheezing breath her eyes opening wide. She sat bolt upright, head butting him in the process..

"Ow!" he bellowed, rubbing his aching forehead. He was jerked forward as she turned to the side to begin ejecting the water out of her lungs and stomach. "Whoa!"

Once she stopped throwing up, her body sufficiently devoid of sea water and anything else that might be in her digestive tract, Kokoro sat beside Osamu trembling.

"Oh, my god," he sighed, putting his arm around her to pull her into his while their connected hands lay on the sand between their bodies. "I'm so glad you're alive. You can't leave me."

"I know," she rejoined in a hoarse whisper, her throat raw. "We're supposed to go together. I heard you."

Osamu held onto her as a coughing fit wracked her body. He could not bring himself to let her go yet.

"You sounded angry so I figured I'd better walk away from the light and come back," she morbidly joked in her raspy voice. "I'd be pretty pissed if you died without me too."

"Uh, Koko," Osamu said, his arm reluctantly dropping from around her as he leaned back. He held up their connected hands. "What are we going to do about this?"

She coughed, shivering uncontrollably.

"Don't worry the key is at my apartment," she said, rolling onto her hands and knees. "We should get going."

"Did you think our attempt would fail from the beginning?" he asked, assisting her to her feet.

"I always hope for the best results but plan for the worst possible scenario," she said, leaning against his side as he put his arm around her waist.

"Hmmmm, I see," he murmured pensively, helping her toward the blanket so they could retrieve their clothes.

"You see what?" she questioned him, bending to pick up her jeans and shake the sand out of them.

"Isn't hope an odd thing for a suicidal person to have?"

"I suppose so."

Osamu bent forward as she hunkered down to put on her jeans. He retrieved his coat and laid it over her shoulders as they were standing together.

"What else do you hope for?" he asked her, pulling the coat together between her breasts.

For a moment, time stood still as her eyes captured his. Kokoro smiled, an impish glint making her dark eyes sparkle in the moonlight.

"I hope we get back to my apartment without being arrested for public indecency."

Osamu threw back his head and laughed heartily. It was just like her to employ her sarcastic wit when it could have been such a profound romantic moment. Further proof that convinced him he had met his soulmate.

~\'/~

Chūya sat on top of the apartment building hidden in the shadows. The moon had disappeared in the near dawn hours enveloping him in darkness. Not usually given to patience, he continued to wait.

Although he had pretended to leave after bowing out of the pointless and irritating conversation with Dazai, he had simply retreated to a part of the roof where the man could not see him. Dazai had acted too flippant, too ignorant even for him, for Chūya to believe he knew nothing about the new and intriguing ability user in town. Suspicious, he followed him here.

Minutes later, Dazai had exited the building with a woman. It was too much of a coincidence for her to not be the one they were looking for. Chūya never expected the woman to be the girlfriend of the man with a death wish. Rather than follow Dazai again, he decided to stay put to see what happened when they returned.

He was exhausted from staying on watch all night. A horrible thought occurred to him as he yawned. What if they never came back? What if Dazai had finally succeeded in his suicidal endeavors and took the woman with him?

Damn him, he thought bitterly. Selfish bastard.

The echoing laughter in the alley distracted him from his wildly spiraling thoughts. Dazai and the woman were finally returning.

About damn time.

Peering over the side of the building, he saw them walking huddled close together, her wearing Dazai's jacket around her shoulders. She looked half drowned and half dead. The cough, so strong it made her stumble, was punctuated with a wheezing, liquidy sound at the end before it started over.

Dazai did not look much better. His messy hair was drenched and hung in droopy tendrils around his face. Although wearing a shirt, it had been buttoned crookedly and hung on his scarecrow like frame like a sail making Chūya wonder if it was even his shirt.

Chūya smiled maliciously. Yep, definitely another failed suicide attempt. The hateful grin morphed into a more sincere smile of self-satisfied happiness as he watched them approach the front doors of the building and disappear inside.

"Gotcha," he whispered to himself triumphantly. Time to inform the boss of his discovery.

Author's note: The asterisk symbol (*) indicates direct quotes from Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet.