Heads-up: this the first periodic chapter. I created it to serve as a flashback, of a sort, and to introduce one of the pairings within this story. Additionally, this chapter will revolve around the pairing of Kyoya Tategami and Hikaru Hasama, therefore, it will contain some mature subject matter, but nothing explicit has been or ever will be written. If you don't feel comfortable reading about this pairing, or simply don't want to hear about it, then I don't recommend reading this chapter of the story.
Everyone watched in absolute reverence, as Pegasus and Leone raced toward the sky, each desperate to gain more altitude than the other. Thanks to the True Lion Gale Force Wall, Leone was able to gain the upper hand, and was succeeded by the use of another special move: The King Lion Reverse Wind Strike.
With one stroke of emerald radiance, the exotic lion flipped, itself, over in mid-air and charged for the winged horse. Baring its glistening, elongated canines, Leone aimed for Pegasus's throat, rooting its fangs deep into the thrashing animal's neck.
Every spectator watched as Leone took Pegasus down with seemingly impossible speed and prowess. As the smoke cleared, a peculiar pair of intelligent blue orbs didn't fail to notice how Gingka's eyes widened and froze when he saw that his winged partner was embedded in the stadium floor.
"I-it's over …" Blader DJ gasped, clearly shaken. "I … I don't believe it. Cosmic Pegasus has been … defeated."
Wordlessly, the victor summoned his partner back to his hand, pocketing the emerald bey. For a moment, his royal blue gaze studied the spectators, as they raced toward the arena floor. Instead of delight, only a haunted look of horror graced their faces. With the exception of Ryo, Hikaru, and Benkei, of course, everyone else made their way towards Gingka, who had just retrieved his fallen partner from the bottom of the stadium.
Bowing his head slightly, the Leone wielder's bangs obscured half of his face, concealing the fact that his countenance had adopted a far more sullen expression. Without so much as a sideways glance in Gingka's general direction, the older male weaved his way through the crowd, just as Blader DJ came to award him with a glorious trophy.
Lifting his head, the leonine blader fixed his royal navy gaze upon the eccentric announcer, his body casually poised for violence. For a fleeting moment, Hikaru and Benkei glanced at one another, concern etched into their eyes. Neither were certain what had triggered it, but Kyoya had just entered a dangerous calm. Despite the fact that Blader DJ had done nothing to offend the vexed teenager, the Leone wielder looked as though he was one second away from knocking the announcer's teeth in.
"Kyoya …?" Hikaru called out softly, as she approached the green haired male. "Are you okay?"
As though the mere sound of her voice had solaced the beast – known as Kyoya's temper – the leonine blader stalked away from the announcer, as well as the trophy. After all, what good was a laurel, even a well-deserved one, when everyone still considered you to be the enemy?
†††
A few hours later, the sun had slid beyond the horizon, the honeyed light fading to oiled gold. After much thought and consideration, Hikaru had finally convinced herself that she should be the one to track down the wild King of the Beasts. Despite what Gingka and the others said, Hikaru knew that they could not be classified as Kyoya's 'friends.' Friendship was mutual, and Kyoya rarely indicated that he ever viewed them as anything more than annoying adversaries.
That said, she was not a friend, much less an enemy. She was simply the concerned assistant of Ryo Hagane, Director of the WBBA.
Heading to her apartment, she quickly freshened up, slipping into a comfortable white sundress, along with a short denim jacket. Applying a thin sheen of lip gloss, she took a final look at herself in the mirror and felt a strange twist within her abdomen. Her outfit was a far cry from her normal WBBA uniform – more light and feminine, she supposed – and it caused a question to arise: did she really want to look this good for Kyoya?
"You can do this …" she said aloud, her words falling upon her own ears. "He's just a guy."
Making her way to her nightstand, Hikaru quickly grabbed her keys, as well as Aquario. Although she no longer battled, she always kept it close by – for it served as a reminder of her late mother. Grabbing a hold of her purse, she checked its contents. Frowning slightly, she returned her violet gaze to her nightstand, where a small, key chain-sized can of mace rested.
Admittedly, Kyoya was intimidating, but she trusted that he wouldn't hurt her; she couldn't say the same, however, with regards to those who lived on his side of town.
With a soft sigh, she slipped the miniature can of mace into her purse and headed out.
†††
Upon her arrival to the warehouse district, Hikaru began to feel old memories stir in the recesses of her mind. The last time she had come to this "neighbourhood," the Face Hunters hadn't been the friendliest of people, having challenged her to an introductory battle when they first met. Swallowing nervously, she took in her surroundings. Assuming things didn't go as planned, it would be wise to map out an escape route, especially one that she'd have quick access to, without having to worry about junkies (among other things).
As she got closer, she could hear the bass of profanity-laced rap music, echoing from the main warehouse.
If he isn't here, I suppose I'll have to ask Benkei, she thought inwardly whilst approaching the entrance. As she neared the corner, she noted that multiple males were gathered within the warehouse. Easily, she could say that over forty people were present, all of whom she assumed were Face Hunters – or used to be, at the very least.
Some were battling or consuming alcohol, while others lounged lazily among the crates which lined the walls. Some were even fighting in the far corner, occasionally decking it out on the floor, or finding themselves in headlocks.
Taking a sharp breath through her nose, she cleared her throat softly, causing one of the Face Hunters to look her way, performing a slow once-over before discharging a low wolf whistle. Naturally, that gained the attention of the others, many of whom fixed her with a salacious stare.
Showing some initiative, she stepped forward, focusing her gaze on the one who had whistled at her – the one with a blue bandanna hanging out of his low slung pants. Once she was close enough, in order to be heard over the music, she attempted to have a brief conversation, ignoring the fact that many, if not all, of the boys were blatantly checking her out.
What on Earth is their problem? Have they never seen a girl before, she pondered inwardly.
"You lost, sweetheart," one of the Face Hunters asked in a salacious tone. "'Cause you know, if you are, I can give you a tour of–"
"Shut up, Harley," the one with the blue bandanna snapped, before focusing his attention on Hikaru. "What do you want, short stuff?"
Ignoring his tone, as well as the term 'short stuff,' Hikaru fixed him with a purposeful stare.
"Would you happen to know where Kyoya is?"
"Say what?" He slurred.
"Kyoya," she repeated.
"Why're you lookin' for him?"
"I just wanted to speak with him for a moment."
Grunting his indifference, he pushed himself off of the wall with his shoulders, before leading her into the lair of the Face Hunters. Gathering her courage, or as much of it as she could find, she followed after him, doing her best to keep her head held high with dignity.
"Wait here," he grumbled, before scaling a set of metal stairs off to the far right.
Nodding her head, Hikaru remained perfectly still, while observing her surroundings. From the rafters overhead, multiple chains descended to the floor like vines, and, most prominently, appearing over the graffiti coated walls, were the words, "DEATH 2 PREPS."
Shrugging, Hikaru noted that soon after he left, the other Face Hunters began to surround her, directing a plethora of catcalls her way.
"Hey, princess, you look cold," one of them drawled lazily, whilst flipping his cap backwards. "How about you come over here and get cozy with me?"
"You're joking, right?" She growled softly, while throwing a deep glare at the one who had dared to speak up. (After a long, and somewhat stressful, day at work, her patience was beginning to run thin.)
"So … that's a 'no?'"
"That's a hell no." Hikaru clarified, causing the Face Hunters to release a loud chorus of howls, and laughter, causing her to frown.
Apparently, it was amusing when a girl turned down a sleazy guy. Or at least that's what the Face Hunters thought.
"C'mon, baby … don't be like that," he whined.
Turning to face the male, Hikaru's lilac coloured eyes zoned in on the one who had spoken.
"Why don't you just shut up?" She snapped softly, her eyes ablaze with hostility. Despite her looks, she wasn't some delicate, little blossom, nor would she hesitate to put this wretch in his place, should he dare to trifle with her again.
"Oh … Like playin' rough, do you," he snarled while advancing, attempting to intimidate the former blader. However, and much to his displeasure, before he could get any closer, an ominous growl could be heard overhead, causing everyone (including Hikaru) to involuntarily flinch. Flicking their gaze upwards, everyone watched as a large figure came into view.
Almost twenty feet up stood the wild King of the Beasts, who was leaning casually against the metal railing surrounding the loft overhead.
"Kyoya …" Hikaru breathed softly, suddenly having the urge to fidget under his gaze.
"What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to speak with you."
"Oh …? And what, pray tell, would you like to speak about?" He asked, his deep baritone accompanied by an insufferably bored expression.
Before she could answer, Hikaru couldn't help but to notice how everyone's attention was now trained on her, causing her cheeks to heat up a little.
"Um … actually, I was hoping we could speak privately," she said, whispering the last part.
Upon hearing this, some of the Face Hunters smirked, causing Hikaru to bite her lower lip, her teeth sinking into the soft pillow of pink. As for Kyoya, he merely arched a dark eyebrow, assessing the importance of what the former blader had requested of him.
Humouring her, he flipped himself over the banister, landing directly in front of the Face Hunter who had been making the threatening advances earlier. Due to the unexpected movement, the boy stumbled, landing on his back, forcing him to meet the electric blue gaze of his leader.
Narrowing his eyes aggressively, Kyoya turned to silently trail after the cerulean haired beauty as she exited the warehouse.
†††
With no particular destination in mind, the pair soon found themselves atop a hill, which overlooked the city. Given the newfound vantage point, the leonine blader turned, focusing his attention on Hikaru. It was obvious – he wanted an explanation regarding her "visit." Normally, people tended to avoid him at all costs, so why, exactly, had she demanded an audience with him?
"Why did you leave after the battle like that," she asked, her gaze directed towards the shining lights of the city below.
Her tone was not sympathetic, nor was it condescending, Kyoya noted, however, he still had no interest in touching base on the subject.
"Does it matter?" He grunted softly, while lowering himself to the ground.
Frowning, Hikaru turned to look at him. He was simply sitting there; one knee drawn up to his chest, with an arm wrapped around it, while the other supported his weight.
"Yes," she stated, while taking a seat beside him, mindful with regards to the placement of her dress.
Taking a sharp breath through his nose, Kyoya reached into his pocket, producing a cigarette and a small lighter. Lifting it to the edge of his mouth, he inhaled slowly before releasing a perfect ring of smoke into the night air.
"That sort of thing means nothing to me."
"How can you say that?" Hikaru pressed, hurt visible in her violet eyes. "You finally defeated Gingka, and now you're acting as though you merely battled an inexperienced child. You're not like that."
Turning to face her, the leonine blader removed the cigarette from the edge of his mouth and offered a wry smile.
"I don't owe you anything … much less an explanation," he stated, his tone clipped and final.
Frowning, Hikaru watched as the Legendary Blader of Spring arched a dark eyebrow slowly, daring her to challenge his words. (Unfortunately, he was correct.)
Noting her loss of words, as well as the look of hurt in her eyes, he offered the cigarette to the cerulean haired beauty. His attempt at smoothing things over, she supposed while hesitantly reaching for the cigarette.
Lifting it to her lips, she attempted to mimic Kyoya's actions, which, unfortunately, resulted in a small coughing fit. Upon seeing this, the lion's smile almost became tangible as he retrieved his cigarette, detecting a faint trace of what he suspected was strawberry flavoured lip gloss.
"That stuff is terrible," Hikaru whispered, once her breathing had returned to normal.
"I suppose so …" he muttered, before proceeding to out the cigarette.
For a few moments, no words were exchanged between the pair, until the sound of thunder rumbled in the distance. Looming close by, storm clouds began to roll in from just beyond the sea, setting the perfect stage for a summer shower, Hikaru supposed.
The unexpected sound caused both teens to still briefly, before the cerulean haired beauty suggested that it was time to get going. As they slowly rose to their feet, Kyoya couldn't help but to notice the delicate, yet seemingly subtle details that he had clearly overlooked earlier. From where he stood, he could fully appreciate the slender arch of her neck and the soft curve of her jaw. It amazed him – the beauty that could be found within such simplicity.
Brushing a few stray strands of grass from the edges of her dress, Hikaru began to make her way down the hill, only to notice that the leonine blader seemed to be rooted to the spot.
"Kyoya?" She called softly, her tone almost expectant.
As though he had been snapped out of a trance, the lion followed suit, the ends of his coat snapping in the wind, until the pair found themselves at a quiet intersection. It bordered between the warehouse district and the other side of town – which was only twenty blocks away, give or take.
As they stood there, somewhat hesitant to part ways, the sky rumbled once more causing minuscule drops of water to descend from the sky.
Just as Hikaru got ready to turn and make the journey home, she couldn't help but to notice the new stance Kyoya had adopted. His broad shoulders were slightly hunched, his hands buried in his pockets, and shadows obscured half of his face. Overall, the image was hardly befitting of a king. He didn't look particularly happy, or even angry. He just looked sad and distant from the rest of the world.
Swallowing unevenly, she wondered if she would regret her next decision as she slowly approached the leonine blader. Standing on her tiptoes, she gently pressed a soft kiss to his cheek and after a moment she pulled away, her countenance adopting a sad smile while her violet eyes retained their soft glow.
"Congratulations, Kyoya …" she whispered – referring to his victory, before turning to leave. If they had to part ways, she figured it should be done on good terms. For one of them, anyway.
However, she had barely taken two steps when she felt a strong arm slide around her waist. Much to her surprise, her stride was immediately cut short as the King of the Beasts drew her closer, causing her hands to land against his chest.
"Kyoya, what're you d– mmmm … nhh."
With the exception of the predatory glint lingering in his eyes, no warning was issued before the battle-scarred male shifted his head, capturing Hikaru's soft, initial sound of protest in the condensation of their kiss.
For a moment, she was completely still, her mind remarkably clear from a single touch. Ever since her defeat at Battle Bladers, she had trained herself – both in mind and body – to be ready for the worst. To be prepared.
She had been ready. Ready for anything … except Kyoya.
When he pulled away, his eyes softened a touch, and was accompanied by a peculiar warmth that had never been there before.
"Don't leave," he murmured, his voice just a little above a whisper.
†††
Making their way inside the warehouse, the teenagers carefully climbed the metal stairs. Everyone else had left around eight o'clock, Kyoya explained as they neared the top. Once she was standing at the top, Hikaru slowly took in her surroundings. The loft was sparse, and relatively clean, apart from several books that had been strewn across a platform bed.
Off to one end of the room stood a wooden dresser, a door which led to an en-suite bathroom, and two planks along the wall which served as shelves for a collection of books. Among the various titles, Hikaru noted that he had a copy of "The Wind in the Willows."
A secret smile graced her features as she ran her fingers along the tattered spine of the book. He must have been rather fond of it during the days of his childhood, she suspected. And, oddly enough, peeking out from the top of the book was an old newspaper clipping, possibly acting as a bookmark. The words forming the first sentence read, "Following the tragic death of G.T., the heir of TC has reportedly gone missing."
Upon hearing the lion shuffle in the background, Hikaru quickly spun around, attempting to forget what she saw. The term 'TC' seemed familiar, in a strange way, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Deciding to ignore the article, her thoughts drifted back towards the children's novel, itself.
"Kenneth Grahame, huh?"
Rolling his eyes, Kyoya offered to hang up her coat with his own, before claiming that he had been fond of the author's work for a short time. However, as he matured, he tended to lean more towards Jack London.
Giggling a little at the irony, Hikaru caused a pair of stormy blue eyes to soften as the Legendary Blader slowly made his way over to her. As he got closer, she lifted her hand and gently touched the corner of his mouth, her fingertips lightly brushing over his fang. Upon contact, the atmosphere within the loft shifted, and a new thought entered Hikaru's head, causing her to shy away from his gaze as she tucked her hand back to her side.
When questioned why she seemed so distant, and why she was avoiding eye contact, she had no choice but to confess the inner workings of her mind, as hot crystalline tears slowly formed at the edges of her eyes.
Of all the girls he could choose from … why her? After the events of Battle Bladers, she had quit, in every sense of the word. Instead of dusting herself off, and trying again, she had thrown in the towel and walked away from it all. At first, she had convinced herself that she was making the right decision. After all, internal bleeding, bruising, some broken bones, and the possibility of never being able to have children of her own was enough to scare anyone into submission.
Upon hearing this, Kyoya slowly set his hand on her cheek, his fingers stretching back to her ear as he brought his forehead to hers. Although he chose not to speak, what he meant was clear. No one – living or dead – compared to her. No one ever would. Not in his eyes.
Slowly, he sealed the gap between the two of them, drawing her body closer to his as they shared a passionate kiss, which gradually grew more heated.
Somewhat hesitantly, Hikaru gently reached behind his head to the base of his neck. Carefully she undid his ponytail, freeing lustrous strands of alpine hair, which caused Kyoya to pause. Almost instantly, he claimed Hikaru's eyes with a purposeful stare, the muscles throughout his body suddenly filled with tension.
Similarly to any other male his age, the thought of having someone like Hikaru in his life was euphoric, but, at the same time, it brought a set of worries all its own.
"Are you having second thoughts?" She asked softly, worried that she had taken things too far.
"Not even close," he responded, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Then … what?"
Frowning, as though struggling to form a difficult question, Kyoya took her hand in his, running his thumb along her flawless skin.
"To tell you the truth," he began softly, "I'm actually wondering if you want to reconsider your … options."
"No, of course not," she exclaimed, taking a step forward while he stroked her cheek.
"How can you be so sure," he murmured. "There's a lot that you don't know about me …"
Gently, he pulled away from the cerulean haired beauty, and, in one fluid movement, he reached behind his neck, ripping his T-shirt over his head. As soon as he did, Hikaru's gaze was instantly drawn toward his lithe torso, which was decorated with hard, chiseled planes of toned muscle. For a moment, it felt as though her brain had short-circuited, causing a soft shade of pink to hug her cheeks.
Flicking her gaze up to meet his, she saw that his countenance had also taken on a soft, rosy tint. The main differences being that his was less noticeable, and his eyes had adopted a seemingly feral look, similarly to an animal that had been cornered.
Noting her gaze, the leonine blader's frown deepened as he turned around slowly.
"K-Kyoya …?"
Reaching behind his head to the base of his neck, the Legendary Blader swept his long, lustrous hair to the side, causing Hikaru to gasp softly. Unlike the front of his torso, his back had been marred with multiple scars.
For a few moments, the loft was as silent as a cemetery, but Hikaru swore, from the recesses of her mind, that she could hear the whistling of leather flying through the air, accompanied by the sorrowful shrieks of a child. They looked old, and they would probably heal completely within another year or so, but that didn't help to ease the pain in Hikaru's heart.
She wanted to ask who had done such a terrible thing to him, but she couldn't begin to form the words, much less find the correct ones.
Swallowing unevenly, she approached the brooding male, and slowly wrapped her arms around him from behind.
"I'm so sorry … Kyoya," she stammered past stifling, heartfelt sobs that threatened to claw their way to the surface.
Clasping her hand with one of his own, Kyoya drew her fingers over the hard planes of his abdomen until they settled over his sternum. Beneath the shield of bone and muscle, there was a faint heartbeat. In that moment, Hikaru realized what he was trying to say.
Overcome by a wave of emotions, she pressed closer to the Legendary Blader of Spring, and proceeded to kiss the scars along his shoulder blade. Turning to face her, he claimed her mouth with his own, before proceeding to pick her up and make his way over to the navy duvet.
That night he told her things he had never told anyone before. Admittedly, his words were brief and carefully chosen, but it was far more than anyone else had ever received from the lone lion.
Within the loft, it was as though the rest of the world didn't exist, apart from the rain which fell from the sky as threaded jewels. Every kiss, every touch was a tender confession of love, the likes of which neither had ever known before. Lying together in the dark, their two hearts slowly became one.
"Mine," he growled softly in her ear, while drawing her closer.
"Yours …" she conceded with a soft gasp.
Regardless of who said otherwise, Hikaru knew it in her heart - she had always been his … and he had always been hers.
†††
The following morning, the industrial scent of the city held delicate traces of freshly fallen rain and blossoms that were just beginning to flourish. Sighing in content, Hikaru couldn't imagine a better way to wake up, than with her head resting upon the elegantly muscular chest of the wild King of the Beasts, and her legs intertwined with his.
Somehow, in a single night, it felt as though the entire world had been reborn. For Hikaru … it had been. Everything seemed so different, compared to before. The rays of sunlight did not merely descend to Earth. It was akin to music. Every note danced and waltzed, forming a symphony of light, beckoning the inhabitants of the loft to awaken and exchange sweet nothings.
Smiling at the thought, Hikaru dared to look upwards, only to see that her mate's royal blue eyes were still shielded by a curtain of long, dark lashes.
Feeling a bit adventurous, she leaned closer and began to kiss along his jaw, until she neared one of the infamous blades of scar tissue that adorned his face.
It wasn't as rough as some might've suspected. In fact, it was rather soft as she had discovered, the main difference being that it was a few shades darker than the rest of his naturally soft tan.
As she continued her ministrations, the leonine blader stirred slowly, the muscles along his torso flexing and contracting. As the events of last night flooded his mind, Kyoya turned to look at the cerulean haired beauty lying in his arms. He wasn't certain how, but as if over the course of last night's events, his senses suddenly became much more appreciative of Hikaru's delicate features.
Leaning closer to his queen, the Legendary Blader slowly captured her mouth with his, reaffirming what had happened last night between the two of them.
If he was being honest, Kyoya knew next to nothing about the term 'romance.' Did he know the definition of it? By the book, however, the properties of the word were foreign to someone like him. 'Hikaru,' on the other hand, was a word that he did understand. 'Hikaru' was a word that meant everything to him. Something that he would burn down cities for. Something that he would kill for …
"Hi."
"Hey … You all right?" He responded at half the volume.
"Mm-hmm," she sounded, while gently threading her fingers through silky strands of hunter green hair.
Leaning closer, the couple shared another kiss and shortly afterwards began to discuss the properties of their relationship. They spoke in hushed tones of how they felt the first time they battled, what they experienced when the other got hurt at Battle Bladers, and, eventually – as it always does – the topic of the future arose.
When it did, Hikaru experienced the shock of her life.
Admittedly, Kyoya had told her many things last night, between tender words of romance and gentle touches. He had even told her about the death of his parents, rendering him alone at the age of six. What he had failed to tell her was that he planned to return to Kyoto, shortly after graduating to run his father's company. He had also failed to tell her that his father had been the founder and CEO of Tategami Corporation, more commonly known as "TC."
At that moment, it suddenly made sense why those letters seemed so familiar when she had seen them in that news article. "TC" was the largest – and by the far the most successful – military arms dealing company in the world. The "missing heir" of said company had to be Kyoya, being that he was the first-born son of Lord Tategami.
Never in her life had Hikaru been in such a state of utter shock. Last night, she had slept with Kyoya, and, somehow, he had conveniently forgotten to mention that he had been a multi-billionaire from the moment he took his first breath.
This information, as far as she was concerned, was merely another form of separation. It wasn't bad enough that she watched him and the others from the sidelines. It wasn't bad enough that she watched the audience chant his name, all somehow desperately seeking his attention. Now, she may as well have originated from a different planet. How could she possibly hope to compete with that?
"Why didn't you say anything," she whispered.
"What did you expect me to say? The last time I checked, discussing career options, while making love, tends to kill the mood," Kyoya grunted softly, his face once again adopting a rosy tint.
"Still … you could've said something, at the very least," she countered, refusing to meet his gaze.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Kyoya shifted his weight so that he was lying on top of her, forcing her to look at him.
"What difference would it have made? My actions last night – my words, even my thoughts were results of how I feel when I'm with you. No one else has, or ever will have that effect on me," he growled softly, his eyes ablaze with anger, while his bangs brushed against her forehead. "I have never loved anything, or anyone as much as I love you. Leone, my parents, even Beyblade, itself – it all blurs in comparison to you."
Hikaru instantly stilled in his grasp, her eyes wide upon hearing his confession. Usually, people of any sort had trouble seriously admitting that they loved someone – so hearing the words, crisp and refreshing, had a profound effect in her mind. Allowing the tension to leave her body, she accepted his admission. Somewhere in her heart, she was certain of it. Every word of it. In the end, it truly didn't matter, she reasoned. Even if her own mind told her otherwise, or someone arose and told her that she was no good for him, she knew that Kyoya wouldn't hear of it. He was just far too stubborn, but it was a type of tenacity that she hopelessly adored.
This time when her tears reappeared, she allowed them to run freely while a gentle smile graced her features. Carefully she placed her hands along Kyoya's torso, drawing him closer to her so that they were sharing a breath.
"I never thought something as beautiful as you could happen to someone like me," she whispered, leaning up this time to brush his bangs aside and place a kiss softly against his forehead.
†††
A year later – as he had stated in the loft – Kyoya followed through with his plans. Shortly after graduating, he headed for the city which he had affectionately been named after. Attending a private university, he had earned a degree in Business & Management, preferring to dabble in the art of political science from time to time.
As for Hikaru, after years of rigorous studies and academic achievements, she went on to be the head corporate lawyer for TC. As her new title implied, she was responsible for overseeing and handling transactions, negotiations, and the drafting of corporate documents.
Blessed in countless ways, Kyoya couldn't help but flash his fang in appreciation every time a new set of paperwork was placed before him. Because when it was, Hikaru was always by his side, pointing out an important piece of information that he may have overlooked. Whenever she did, the sunlight always caught her gleaming wedding band, the radiance of it akin to the glimmer in the young CEO's eyes as he marvelled at his wife's legal and economic prowess.
For far too long, each had been bearing the burden of a secret storm, their internal struggles constantly rendering them alone and helpless in the dark.
Turning to face his wife, Kyoya saw the soft glow of her violet eyes, and felt his heart constrict with pain and happiness all at once. She was heartbreakingly beautiful, inside and out, and although she didn't know it, her eyes whispered the same words as his did …
You're not alone anymore …