A/N: These are short stories just for fun and feels. Don't think about them too much. (Possible) light novel spoilers ahead. This fic is also available on Ao3.

"You're not worried?"

Lena looked up at Annette. The day was still early and the two of them had gone out for coffee at a cafe, and now her friend was giving her a curious look as they waited at their table for their orders to arrive.

Lena knew what Annette was talking about. It had been a full day since Shin and the others had gone on their hunting expedition. A full day since she'd seen him off.

"He asked me to trust him," Lena said simply, "and I will. I should be able to do that much, at least."

"You can trust him and still worry about him, you know," Annette said. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"Maybe," Lena murmured.

The server brought their drinks, and Lena wrapped both hands around her cup, feeling the heat spread through her fingers. I trust him, she thought resolutely. He'll be fine.

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All Shin could hear was the roar of a furious boar as he and Alfons ran as fast as their legs could take them. Shin didn't risk looking behind him; all of his focus went to keeping his balance and making turns when necessary. He knew that if either of them fell, it would spell the end of them.

He had to admit, even in this situation, Alfons' stamina was admirable. He wasn't as fast as Shin, but he still kept ahead of the beast that hounded them. They both knew it wouldn't last, though. Shin himself could feel his muscles straining as he burned through all his stores of energy.

Shin jumped over a fallen log, and Alfons ducked under a low branch. The boar smashed through both. Shin wanted to ask what exactly the plan was here, but he didn't think Alfons could afford to speak at the moment.

Luckily, their eyes met, and Alfons jerked his head to the right. The two of them veered sharply. That was one thing they had over their pursuer; the boar's heaviness made it cumbersome and unable to make tight turns.

It skidded past them, momentarily losing sight of the pair, and they seized their chance. By the time the boar straightened itself out, they'd vanished.

Shin and Alfons squeezed behind a large boulder, neither making a sound, listening to the boar's deep grunts as it sniffed around. The snow was helping, but only just. Shin figured they had a minute, at most.

"I take it you have a plan?" he whispered.

"Something like that," Alfons muttered. He pointed, directing Shin to the mountain peak. "Up there. That's where we're taking it."

"Care to elaborate?"

Alfons flashed him a grin. "Think you might like this one, Undertaker."

–––––––––

The one minute wasn't nearly enough to restore them fully, but it did grant them a head start. Unfortunately, once their advantage had worn off, the chase became a battle of attrition.

The beast was relentless; it didn't stop no matter what obstacles were in its way. There was a considerable gap between it and them, but the boar's presence was constant even if it wasn't breathing down their backs anymore.

"Bastard…never…gives up…does he?" Alfons huffed through labored breathing.

"Good thing…we've got your plan, right?" Shin panted.

They had reached the mountain top. Out here in the open, the frigid wind drove the snow directly into their faces, and Shin's lungs stung as he desperately sucked in air. Alfons literally fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Shin felt a newfound respect for the man; maintaining such a breakneck, uphill pace for so long without rest was no small feat.

He took a moment to check their surroundings. They were up against a rock wall, with the dark forest behind them, and a sheer cliff up ahead. A shelf only a few yards in length was all that stood between them and open space.

A rustling in the woods alerted him of the approaching threat, and he edged over to nudge Alfons. "Ready?"

"Yeah." He still sounded out of breath, but it wasn't as if he needed all of his energy now. Just enough for this one thing. They shuffled backwards until the cliff was right at their backs. The flawed stone creaked under Shin's paws, but held fast.

The beast emerged, and Shin slumped onto his haunches, panting heavily. His legs trembled as if struggling to support even half of his weight, and his head hung with exhaustion.

The picture of defeat.

Come on, Shin thought. Take the bait.

The boar rumbled deep in its throat, and it scraped a hoof against the stone. As it did, Shin noticed its rampage through the woods did not leave it unscathed like he'd originally thought. Splinters stuck out everywhere on its hide, and its steps were unsteady. Its eyes seemed to have trouble focusing on them, but none of the fire in them was lost. It still yearned for vengeance.

Unfortunately, this single-minded hatred, coupled with exhaustion, made it liable to make mistakes it wouldn't have otherwise. All the boar saw was its enemies lying defenseless before it, and that was a chance it would never pass up.

The monstrous hog dropped its head, and charged.

Got you.

Shin bunched his muscles and together, he and Alfons sprang in opposite directions.

The boar, as expected, tried to change its trajectory, but the momentum it had built up did not allow that. Squealing, the beast slid across the shelf. It dug in its hooves to keep it from careening over into the chasm, but it was by no means secure, and the boar's back half now dangled over the edge without any support.

Between its great weight and the grooves it was digging into the ground, the already weakened stone began to crumble. Cracks snaked across the ground, zigzagging along the entire cliff.

"Now's our chance! Before the whole thing goes!" cried Alfons, scrambling to his feet, trying to put as much distance between himself and the thrashing animal as he could. Shin got to his paws and made to run after him.

The boar, however, wasn't about to accept its fate so easily. It gathered its feet under itself and, in one last act of defiance, lurched forward, grabbing Shin's tail in its teeth just before he could leave its reach.

Both hunters cried out in alarm. While Shin struggled vainly to free himself, Alfons rushed back towards them, unslinging the gun from his back.

"Let him go, you pork bastard!" he shouted.

"Stop!" Shin protested, but it was too late. Alfons' foot came down on the cracked surface.

Just as he took aim, the shelf disintegrated, and human, wolf and hog were sent tumbling into the void.

–––––––––

"Woah… Then what happened?" Rito breathed.

Shiden waved a hand, as casual as ever despite her formal wear. "Well those two survived, obviously. By the time we found Arnfried and got down there, the pig had already kicked the bucket. Didn't get a good look, but my guess is he probably died on impact. Serves him right," she growled. The soreness had gone by now, but she wasn't about to forget her own encounter with the boar anytime soon.

"Anyway," Shiden went on, tapping her filled plate with her fork, "thanks to that, we've got twice as much pork to eat tonight. So don't be shy and dig in."

Rito didn't need to be told twice. He had to be mindful of his suit, but the little werewolf wasted no time chowing down on the heaping slabs of barbecued pork piled up on his own plate.

All around him, the dozens of people in the banquet hall did the same. The feast was nothing short of magnificent. Unique dishes from all manner of cultures had been prepared, so every person found something familiar to them, or new to try. The hall was filled with laughter and merriment as humans, werewolves, and many others celebrated the end-of-the-year holiday feast.

Those who weren't inhaling food, that is. After a few minutes of eagerly filling his stomach, Rito sat back, looking a little down. "Shame Theo couldn't make it, though."

"Ah, he'll be alright," Shiden reassured him. "He's gotta stay in wolf form until he heals, though, so I guess he just didn't want everyone watching him limp around." Given that turning from a wolf into a human and vice-versa involved altering a werewolf's organs, bone structure and nervous system, transforming with an injury could worsen the wound and lead to complications depending on severity. It was painful regardless, so many experts on werewolf anatomy advised that the patient remain in whatever form they were in at the time for the duration of the recovery period. This obviously had its share of inconveniences, which was why Rito didn't envy Theo in the least.

Shiden, seeing his sullen face, slapped Rito heartily on the back, and he nearly faceplanted into his brisket. "Come on, lighten up, kid! Someone's bringing him food later, don't worry your little head about him. Besides, this is a feast we're talking about, so let's have some fun and fill up till we black out!"

Rito smiled nervously. "Eh, I don't know about that…" But knowing his friend wouldn't be left out of the banquet entirely did help lift his spirits a bit, and soon he had returned to shoveling down a variety of foods, including a slice of an exotic-looking cheesecake.

Despite her teasing, Shiden left him to it, instead sitting back and basking in the warm atmosphere of camaraderie. Tonight, at least, they could enjoy themselves without worry. Her Majesty really does have the best ideas, she thought. …And I guess I should go and thank that Reaper, too. None of them had been happy with his decision to draw the boar's ire onto himself, but since everything worked out in the end, their disapproval was not as severe as it could have been.

…That, and Shin's demeanor had changed somewhat, since their return from the mountains. At first Shiden thought he had been rattled from falling from such a height, but even now, two weeks later, he was still pensive. He had told them the story of what happened on the cliff, but had been vague on the details after that.

When they finally reached the bottom of the cliff, Shin was human again and tending to Alfons, the boar was lying dead on its side, and a gun lay in the snow a little ways away. Shin had been injured too, but it was nothing he couldn't heal from, and yet he had still looked shaken.

And up until today, he had been avoiding Lena.

Shiden pursed her lips. Maybe I don't have to thank him after all. After all that talk about getting closer to Her Majesty, if that's how he's gonna treat her, then he's not getting any of my sympathy.

She huffed. She had refrained from giving him a piece of her mind, but only because Shiden felt this was something he and Lena had to work out on their own. It was time she and the others took a step back from it all.

Just as she thought so, Shiden saw a glint of silver from the corner of her eye, and turned her head to see Lena taking the stairs up to the balcony, stepping carefully so as not to trip on her red dress. In all likelihood, Shin was there.

Shiden's eyes drifted until she caught sight of a head of red hair also watching Lena disappear, before turning and walking away. Shiden eyed her thoughtfully, then stood. "I'll be right back," she said to Rito.

She found Kurena sitting at the end of another table, poking her meat with a knife without any intention of eating it.

"Hey, Gunslinger. Got a moment?" Shiden called. Her name was a subject of irony among them, as Kurena was by no means an expert at handling firearms. Most of them weren't. She was called so for her accuracy and reflexes in battle, and it was something she seemed to take pride in.

Right now, though, Kurena looked far from prideful as she glanced up at Shiden. "...Shiden? What is it?"

Shiden smiled gently. "Let's talk."

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This sucks.

Not only did he get his tail handed to him by a pig, but he had to miss out on the festivities they'd prepped for so long because of it.

Well, technically he could show up, but he'd rather not have to deal with everyone's pitiful stares, so Theo opted out of participating. He lay stretched out in a specially made bed meant for large canines, watching the seconds tick by on the clock overhead. The ward was dark during this time, and Theo figured he may as well get some sleep while he was here.

He awoke sooner than he expected, the smell of roasted pork rousing him from slumber. Right next to his head lay a large tray stacked high with pork chops, pork ribs, pork belly, and similar pork-based items. Theo's mouth watered, the sight of the food snapping him out of his foul mood and reminding him how hungry he was.

He leaned forward to take a bite, and spied a small white slip of paper in front of the tray, folded and propped up to display the words written on it.

Still think I don't have a heart?

– A.

Theo blinked, then smirked to himself. "We both know I don't really think that, Professor."

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"I thought I'd find you here."

Shin didn't turn around. He would recognize her voice anywhere. He continued leaning on the rail, looking out over the rest of the city, which was aglow with lights. "You were looking for me?" he finally asked.

"I was. Don't you remember?" Lena asked him. "We said we would talk once the celebrations were underway." She stood next to him. "Unless…you've changed your mind?"

"No," he said quickly. "No, I…I guess I just can't figure out what to say." No, he knew. But now, after the boar, he didn't know if he was still allowed to say it. He still hadn't told the others what really happened that day. Not even Raiden knew about it.

"Shall I go first, then?" Lena suggested. Shin tensed, but nodded.

What she started with was not what he was expecting. "I'm glad you're alright."

She smiled at his surprised expression. "I haven't been able to tell you before, but I was so relieved you'd survived the fall that day. When I heard how you had been injured, I…" She trailed off, her hands balled into fists.

Shin knew she hadn't talked to him about it until now, because he hadn't given her the chance to. As soon as he had fully recovered, he had gone to help skin and butcher the meat. And Lena, her hands already full with making preparations, couldn't find a good time to approach him, which he had been betting on.

It was cowardly, but Shin simply couldn't bear to see that look on her face. The look of fear and horror when she saw his bloodied form. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

"Why?"

He sighed. "We didn't get to talk, because I've been avoiding you. I just didn't know how to face you after everything that's happened."

"And why would you need to be sorry about something like that?" Lena asked him. "You escaped with your life. You survived a fall that killed a full grown Giadian boar. How could I be anything but happy?"

But Shin shook his head slowly. "That's…not what happened," he muttered.

Lena frowned. "What's not?"

"The fall didn't kill the boar."

Her eyes widened at that, but now that he'd started, Shin couldn't stop. He told her the full story.

He had awoken at the bottom of a cliff, lying on top of the giant boar, of all things. That was what had likely broken his fall. Even so, Shin had taken considerable damage, and knew it would be a while until he was fully healed. Alfons had also been lucky enough to fall into a deep snowdrift, but he had still been knocked unconscious, and his body was by no means unharmed. Head throbbing, Shin had stumbled over to check on him, and that was when it moved.

The boar slowly rose to its feet, equally unsteady, and Shin could do nothing but stare in disbelief. If a plummet from that height, their trump card, couldn't do it in, then nothing could. They were both wounded, and Alfons was passed out. There was no way Shin could carry him to safety while the boar just watched, and the rifle–a longshot in itself–lay closer to the beast than to him. If he tried to grab it, he would be skewered.

They had been utterly at its mercy.

The boar had looked at him, then at the gun. And then…

"He knelt."

Lena blinked, not understanding. "The boar?"

Shin nodded.

"Because it was hurt?"

Shin didn't respond immediately. Then he said, "Yes, but I think…in more ways than one."

At first, Shin didn't dare move from his spot. He stood, paws frozen to the ground, as he waited for some kind of attack. But it never came. What did come was a peculiar sound, something soft and broken, emanating from the boar's own chest.

"It sounded like…weeping."

Lena said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

And he did. "I think, after that rampage, and the fall, he finally realized that nothing he did was going to bring his mate back. He could have killed us all, and it wouldn't have made any difference. So when I turned human, and I picked up the gun…he didn't do anything."

Elise's voice came back to him. It's better for them that way, isn't it? Now he knew. That boar, when all his energy was spent, when he lay injured and at his lowest, realized he couldn't bear to live in a world without her by his side. And Shin, acknowledging that, had returned–painfully–to human form, taken the gun and leveled it at the only part of the boar's head that wasn't covered in nigh-impenetrable skin.

The part that would be near-impossible to hit otherwise, but guaranteed a swift and painless end.

"In the end, that's the reason we survived," Shin said, his voice nearly inaudible. "After everything I said about wanting you to trust me, that still happened. Theo and Shiden, and even Anju got hurt. And Alfons…he could have died. Any one of us could have. We lived, but none of it was because of me."

He had wanted to reassure her, to show Lena that she didn't have to constantly fear for his safety when she needed to focus. And then he went out and proved the exact opposite. Shame didn't even begin to describe how he felt.

"I don't think that's true," Lena said. She placed a hand over his, and he felt the warmth of her skin seep into it, even through her gloves. "You chose to lead the boar away. You and Alfons both. If you hadn't, Raiden, Theo and Anju wouldn't be here today. I hardly think none of it was because of you." She squeezed his hand. "You brought them back alive, Shin. You came back alive. That's all that matters."

And when Shin still looked doubtful, Lena took a breath. She'd had two weeks to think. To figure out how she was going to tell him. And hearing his story only cemented her resolve. "You know, that boar and I might have something in common."

Shin gave her a puzzled look, and she turned to face him, looking directly into his deep red eyes. "Right now, I can't imagine what I would do without you here with me, Shin. I know you're strong. I know you're smart. And yet, I still fear. The thought of you leaving one day, and never coming back… That scares me more than anything."

Shin could do nothing but stare, stunned, as Lena took his other hand. "I think I'm always going to worry about you, but not because I think you're not capable."

She thought about what Annette had told her at the cafe, and gave him a smile. A warm, radiant smile meant only for the person before her, the one who was her anchor, her pillar.

The one who could very well be her other half.

"It's because that's what it means to love someone, isn't it? And I love you, Shin."

For a long while, there was quiet, and for one horrible moment, Lena feared she had completely misinterpreted. What if she had bared her soul…only to be rejected at the end? What if she'd just ruined their friendship?

"Shin?" she asked, hesitant. "Is something wro–"

That was all she managed to say before his lips were on hers. He held her tightly in his arms, and the passion behind his kiss rendered her helpless against him. She responded with equal enthusiasm, her hands reaching up and running furrows through his hair.

It was only for a handful of seconds, but to the two of them, it may well have lasted a lifetime. In all the years they had been alive, nothing had ever felt so right.

Finally, eventually, Shin relaxed his grip, though he still held Lena in a gentle embrace. Her face felt on fire, and even his cheeks had a noticeable blush to them. She lowered her gaze bashfully, and he pressed his forehead against hers.

"There's really no arguing with you, is there?" he said softly. The fondness in his voice made her melt inside.

"I only spoke the truth, Shin."

"I can see." He stepped back and held her hands in his. "So let me tell you mine. Lena, I wish I can make it so you don't have to fear for me, but as you know, that's not always going to happen. There may be times when a situation is out of my hands, and I won't know what happens next. But I do know this: Whatever happens, wherever I may be, I will always, always find my way back to you. As long as you and I both know that, I can keep going. Because that's also what it means to love someone."

His smile was gentle and carefree, and Lena saw the briefest glimpse of what he could have been like, had he never known the Eighty-Sixth Sector.

"I love you too, Lena."

–––––––––

They stayed together for a while after that, enjoying the view and each other's company. Eventually, they would have to go back down, but for the time being, both were content to gaze down at the city lights below, shining like a thousand fallen stars.

A new chapter had just begun in their lives, and it both excited and terrified them. There really was no knowing what happened next. But they knew one thing: He had her, and she had him.

In this world of chaos and uncertainty, that was their one truth. And in that moment, it was all that mattered.

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this little holiday special! Nothing beats the Vol. 7 scene, of course, but I thought it'd be interesting to see what could have happened if Lena had been the one to confess first. I feel like their issues would have been much simpler, at least.

Anyway, this was kind of exhausting to do because I really wanted this arc done by Christmas, or at least while it was still December, so I was writing pretty much nonstop this whole month. Ultimately worth it, but I think I'm going to stick to oneshots for a while after this.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone, see you in 2022!