The Sweet Shop Next Door

Pass the broccolini

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. The story's basically over anyway, but here's the last chapter. Hope you enjoy it! Review, please!

Chapter Twelve:

The first few months of their marriage were difficult and wonderful at the same time. Eliza had instantly become immersed in a world unlike any other. She had watched in rapt wonder at the care and love D bestowed on his...animals? They looked somewhat human. D had explained to her the powers of the incense. She felt a little hurt that she didn't "possess the gift", but she'd get over it.

"Checkmate."

"What?"

Eliza broke out of her musings. Checkmate? Again? The adorable creature sitting cross-legged in front of her, a very pale boy of six years with white whiskers sprouting from his cheeks, grinned childishly. His eyes were large, black pools that blinked before he decided on a move.

"You're getting better, Miss Eliza! Want to play again?"

Part of the wonderful thing about living with D was that there was always someone to talk to. It took D a while to get around to feed all the animals, but then again, the more he had to do, the slower time moved. D was a lot like Santa, in a way.

"Where are the cookies?"

D crept up behind Eliza and placed his delicate hands on her shoulders. His life had definitely improved since this human female had entered his life. Sweets of all kinds were now available diurnally! But where were they? Eliza looked up, somewhat surprised by this unusually intimate gesture.

"Top drawer."

"Thank you."

The kami happily head off to the direction of the kitchen and found the cookies just where Eliza had said. He took one and began munching on it. He watched Eliza play chess with Jean-Claude and smiled faintly. What would his grandfather say if he knew a human was living with him. Many of the "mythical", for they actually existed, creatures were completely appalled. Some left, but most stayed. Eliza was very kind and respectful of their territory, two necessary qualities if one wished to remain alive around centaurs and dragons.

Later that night, after Eliza had made a cheese and olive plate as a prize for Jean-Claude, she crept out of her bed. Sharing a bed would have been awkward, so D and Eliza both had their own queen-sized beds in the same room. This night, however, Eliza didn't feel like being alone. Strangely enough, neither did D. She slid beneath the covers, causing D's eyes to quickly flash open. Seeing that it was just his...wife (he could never get used to using that strange, human word), he relaxed a little bit.

"Hi."

"Hello."

A faint smile crossed over D's lips as he returned to his slumber, this time with Eliza leaning her head on his shoulder. It actually felt somewhat comforting to have this human creature nearby. Still, he was tired.

"I would like to show you something in the morning."

"Ok."

And with that, they fell asleep.

The next morning, D and Eliza woke up and rose awkwardly out of bed. After a breakfast of oatmeal for Eliza and sugar-coated, sugar-frosted sugar-flakes for D, D led Eliza through the back room. Eliza had been told that she was only allowed to enter one of these rooms if D was present, so this was a special treat. After going through corridor after corridor, they arrived before a glass door. It was glass, yet at the same time, she could not see what was past it. The contents inside the room were blurred.

"Where are we?"

D smiled and opened the door. Inside was an oasis of cherry blossom trees. A light wind blew the petals across the seemingly never-ending plain of lush grass. Eliza was astonished at the sheer beauty of it all. In what D called "the human world", it was impossible to find places of pure beauty as secluded as this. D couldn't help but feel pleased. He knew this was the perfect place for Eliza. Something about the pink cherry blossoms reminded him of her. Wordlessly, he took her by the wrist and led her into the grove of trees.

"I'm not sure if this will work. It's the way kamis used to unite themselves."

"Before they were..."

Before the angry mob of her kind had slaughtered his ancestors.

"Yes. I've never tried it before. Close your eyes. Relax."

D held up his hands and she put hers against his. She concentrated on her breathing like her former yoga instructor had told her too. Breathe in. Breathe out. All of a sudden, it felt like her heart was soaring. No, her heart wasn't soaring. She was soaring. She could feel her feet leave the ground. It felt like she was spinning around and around, but for some reason she wasn't getting dizzy. D's hands were still against hers and she could feel him spiraling with her. She heard D's voice inside her head. Open your eyes. And she did.

They were hundreds, no, thousands, of feet above the cherry blossoms, spiraling higher and higher. The pink petals were spiraling around them as well. Every emotion, every feeling, every thought she ever had possessed seemed to merge with his. She had never felt so complete or so happy with another person in her entire life. D looked like it was the same for him. A smile was on his face. Not the cocky "You'll never arrest me, Detective" smile or the "I just sold you a pet that will eat the livers of you and your children" smile, but a true, genuine smile.

And all of a sudden, they stopped escalating and began plummeting to the ground, still connected. Whatever bond or force was holding their palms together, she hoped it would never break. She had never seen D so happy and had never been this happy herself. The cherry blossoms followed them in a mini-cyclone, and at that moment, they each knew what love was.

Sappy ending, but review, please! Did you get that Jean-Claude was a mouse? I wanted to use the suggestion from an earlier review. Anyway, thanks for reading and review, review, review!