A.N:Hi everyone! I'm doing my best to get over the Macross Frontier withdrawal symptom TT so here's the continuation of the story. I tried my best to follow the anime timeline in spite of my first chapter (it's harder to do now that we all saw what happen).
I must apologize for turning such a mecha fest (episodes 24 and 25 were superb as always) into Shoujo Frontier but there's absolutely no way I would be able to retranscribe the sheer awesomeness of those action scenes.
I must apologize too for the OOCness and not being able to write nice romantic scenes (Fortunately SkullFaerie is here to spread AruSheri love!).
Anyway many thanks to my first reviewers (Amir-015, delicate-Flower, redskyy, Mana10 and gppr), to all the readers and to the writers spreading Macross Frontier love.
BETA-ED - 3/1/11 (by steshin)
Their flight over, the two young adults made their way back to the Saotome household where they would finally be able to catch some well-needed rest.
The way back home was mostly silent but it was a pleasant one this time around as both just wanted to enjoy each other's company.
Upon arrival both of them stopped in their tracks, neither really willing to let go of the other's hand. Albeit reluctantly at first, Alto released his fairy's hand and leaned in an attempt to claim those lips he seemed to be so fond of recently.
However she didn't let him do as he pleased as she stopped him by putting a finger on his lips.
"…Sheryl?"
"What do you think you're doing? After all you've put me through do you really think I will let you off the hook like this?"
A blush crept onto the pilot's face upon hearing this: neither could he deny she was right nor did he want to. In fact he was quite relieved to see that she didn't try to drive him away as she had for the past days.
He carried her like the queen she was and they both stepped in the room. Alto didn't know if he had to thank his military training or if she was this light to begin with as he put her on her bed.
It wasn't long before he joined her and they both were locked in a tender embrace.
Before drifting to sleep, Alto could hear a muffled "thank you" from his beloved to which he responded by pulling her even closer to him.
It was already past lunch time when Yasaburo knocked on the sliding door.
"Sheryl-san? You have a visit."
The lack of response prompted him to knock again.
"Sheryl-san? Are you in there?"
Hearing no reply, the performer decided to step in without waiting for the permission to come in. For all he knew the songstress could have been in need of assistance since she tended to faint a lot these days.
The sight that greeted him while surprising managed to bring a smile to his face.
Here he was staring at the two lovers snuggled up against each other with a blanket wrapped around them, a scene one could easily misinterpret. However a quick scanning of his surroundings proved him that probably nothing much happened as there weren't much clothes scattered around except for a jacket.
Upon noticing Alto's peaceful sleeping face he couldn't help but acknowledge how much he the long-haired boy had grown, from the teenager running away from his father to the man willing to put his pride aside and stay in the house he vowed to never return to, all for the sake of the woman sharing the bed.
As much as he wanted to let them be, he had to wake them up and thus proceeded to do so by shaking the pilot first. It didn't take long before this method elicited some shifting and a groan from the young man.
"You could have found another way to wake me up don't you think Sher-"
Alto found himself staring at his brother's face.
"Ni-san!"
His sudden outburst woke up the woman sleeping next to him and she muttered his name as she reluctantly stirred from slumber. She couldn't help a little cry as it was her turn to see the intruder.
"Good afternoon, Alto-san, Sheryl-san."
"What are you doing here, Ni-san! Get out!"
Seeing the pilot so easily flustered despite his kabuki past record amused Yasaburo and he would have been more than prone to further teasing if he had the time.
"Sheryl-san, you have some visitors."
"A visit? For me?" She couldn't think of anyone who would come to see her here.
"They seem to be government officials"
Both lovers shared puzzled looks upon hearing this.
"Why would they want to se me?"
"I don't know they didn't say anything. You should get ready; they're waiting at the entrance"
Having said what he had to, the kabuki actor exited the room leaving behind two surprised people.
He planned to go with her but he hadn't been allowed to as he was summoned to the Quarter in the meantime.
The news of their impending assimilation into NUNS wasn't well received by the SMS crew and he couldn't help but feel uneasy at the prospect of being a regular soldier as well as being given his own squadron without even knowing the whereabouts of his squad leader first.
He could understand however the need to do so considering Frontier's shape since the last attack. Its environmental balance was already at a point where self-restoration proved to be difficult and they had to give up several islands that were damaged beyond repair.
It wasn't long before he reached his home and made his way to the room they slept in this morning. He was greeted by a staggering songstress.
"Sheryl!"
Seeing her consciousness fading away, Alto rushed to her to prevent her fall.
Successfully catching her in his arms, he carried the feverish woman to the bed before taking care of her the best he could.
It was already night-time when the galactic fairy came to her senses. Her memory was still hazy as she scanned her surroundings in an attempt to remember how she ended in bed.
It took her several seconds in the dark but she managed to recognize the room she was in and when she finally did she remembered what took place earlier that day: how she waited for him after the meeting she had with his friend Luca and the new president, drifting out of consciousness as she finally saw him.
She then realised she wasn't wearing the same outfit she had been earlier and blushed at the thought of her favourite pilot undressing her, seeing her naked body in all its glory without her even being aware of it. A rapid double-check proved her wrong however as she was still wearing the same undergarments: she could clearly picture his embarrassed self struggling to put her into this more comfortable yukata, thus bringing a smile to her face.
The sound of an infamous cell-phone vibrating shook her from her reverie and she got up upon noticing the man who was sitting on the veranda, bathed in the artificial moonlight.
He didn't bother to check his message even though it was being sent by SMS. Alto immediately turned off his phone as soon as he heard some noise coming from the room she was resting in.
The most important matter at hand being his songstress' health, the former performer asked her the first question that crossed his mind as he slightly opened the door.
"Are you all right now?"
Despite its relative steadiness and all those years of practicing the mighty art of kabuki, Sheryl could still hear the anxiousness in his voice.
"Thanks to you I'm feeling better now"
She heard him sigh in relief at those words.
"May I come in?"
This second question of his was almost the same as if he were begging to be teased and the former galactic fairy did not miss this chance to make fun of her princess.
"What are you being so shy for all of a sudden? You already saw it all after all."
Her reply left him speechless and she was sure she could see his face literally glowing from all the blushing. The boldness he had displayed the day before made the scene all the more funnier as the resolute pilot had been replaced with an embarrassed young man looking like a deer caught in the headlights.
"I swear I didn't do anything beside-"
Soft giggles interrupted him before he could finish his sentence and embarrass himself further. He couldn't deny he was glad though to hear those as he stepped in the room.
"You really worried me there you know… And here you are making fun of me."
"I'm sorry, it was too tempting, you're so easy to tease after all."
Alto took a seat beside her while he waited for her to calm down. No matter how sweet those sounds were to his ears, the slight irritation at being laughed at prevented him from pursuing their talk until she stopped.
"So what did they want to talk about?"
There was a lot he could have said but this particular question had been nagging his mind all day long. What could the new president possibly want from this young woman?
"What about you? Why did SMS summon you for?"
Seeing her immediately shifting her gaze and trying to change the subject made him wary but instead of pushing the matter he decided to be the first to provide an answer.
"SMS is going to be disbanded and integrated by the NUNS…"
"But you're going to be in the real military then!"
As grateful for her concern as he was he couldn't stand the worried look she was giving him and thus tried his best to ease her fear, taking hold of her hands.
"It's not that different from our actual situation, there's no need to worry."
He was glad that his attempt proved to be partially successful as she calmed down. However their conversation was far from over and he knew he had to ask the dreaded question once again if he wanted to learn what had been said during their meeting.
"Now that you know my side of the story…"
"Alto-"
"What did they want from you?"
Fully knowing she couldn't avoid giving him an answer any longer, Sheryl took a deep breath and steeled herself for the upcoming exchange between them. Her beloved pilot had proved to be quite unpredictable recently and she didn't know how vocal he would be after hearing what she was about to say but she was sure he wasn't going to be pleased.
"The president… and your friend Luca… We talked about my disease."
How her illness was important to those people during this crisis still eluded him but he could already tell he didn't like the way it was going.
Seeing how he remained silent, the songstress went on.
"It seems that since it's reached its terminal stage, it gives me the same ability as Ranka-chan."
"Wait, terminal st-"
Even though she knew she shouldn't, the former galactic fairy felt warm inside when she heard this.
"Did you actually hear the most important part?"
"Sheryl… Don't tell me-"
"Don't worry, it seems she was born with those abilities, she's not-"
Alto failed to keep his cool this time, no matter how hard he tried to.
"It's not about Ranka! You know damn well what I was talking about!"
She was taken aback by this sudden outburst and it took her several seconds to find her voice again.
"Alto, I-"
"Don't tell me they asked you to sing in her stead!"
How they could ask a young woman on the verge of death to shoulder such responsibilities was beyond him. He knew Luca was willing to go to as far as using Ranka as a decoy to protect the girl he loved, but he never imagined his friend would resort to using a dying woman. While he had let him use Ranka to protect the fleet, he wasn't going to let him use the galactic fairy to replace the former songstress of hope.
"There's no way you-"
However, no matter how much he despised the idea, the quiet reply that followed reminded him that the decision was ultimately up to her.
"I already said I will do it."
To say the former kabuki actor was shocked was an understatement and it didn't take long before his initial surprised look turned into a horrified one.
"You… What?"
"I accepted…"
Sheryl winced as the pilot tightened his grip on her hands. Upon noticing this he immediately withdrew his hands leaving her longing for their warmth.
"Why should you sing for them? They didn't even care when they had their songstress of hope! Why should you care for them now?"
It was her turn to be shocked.
"Do you even know what you're saying?"
"You don't have to sing! I'll protect the fleet, so you can just rest and-"
"I will sing! I want to sing! It's the only proof I've ever existed!"
Seeing the tears brimming in the corner of her eyes was all the more painful as he knew he was the one responsible for this. Taking hold of her hands again he leaned closer and rested his forehead on hers before speaking, his voice no more than a mere whisper.
"…What about us? …Me?"
She held his pained gaze as she whispered back.
"Everybody deserves hope. Everyone lost so much in the last attack…"
As she said that, images of people praying for their lost relatives flashed through her mind. Whether it was a child crying for his parents or the other way around, a lover distraught at the loss of the significant one, she wanted to soothe their minds. She immediately thought of her Meltran friend who was still mourning for her loved one.
"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few..."
His heart sank at hearing this and he broke eye contact with her as he could no longer look her straight in the eyes.
"It's the right thing to do, isn't it…?"
The lack of proper reply prompted her to go on.
"I gave into your selfish demand last time… Now it's your turn to do so, Alto…"
The pilot returned her gaze once more, wondering why she was so keen on making it hard for him but he couldn't deny he had been the first to use such a method.
"Do you enjoy torturing me so much?"
Her rosy lips curved into a sad smile.
"Now we're even…"
Sighing in defeat, Alto held his fairy as close as he could. He nuzzled his face in the crook of her slender neck, taking the time to enjoy her fragrance before he finally mumbled an answer.
"Fine… I'll respect your decision… even if I don't like it…"
Sheryl didn't know whether if it was the way he said it, or simply his warm breath against her bare skin, nevertheless his reply sent a shiver down her spine and she couldn't hold back the onset of tears anymore as she realized how much she longed for that moment to last forever.
It took him one instant to shatter her resolve and replace it with dread regarding her impending doom.
"Alto… I'm scared…"
"I already told you I'll be there for you."
He withdrew his face to gaze into her two pools of azure brimming with crystal tears, burning all the details of her mesmerizing face into his mind. As he brought his hand to cup the songstress cheek, the former kabuki actor couldn't resist the urge to whip her tears away with his thumb.
"…Alto, give me the courage to keep on singing."
Her soft plea was met with an equally soft kiss and no matter how desperate this turn of events seemed to be, she completely lost herself into it. His intoxicating taste didn't help her to maintain what little sanity she had left.
Saying she was pleasantly surprised when she felt her favourite princess' tongue against her bottom lip was an understatement and she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep her balance as she parted her lips, allowing him to deepen the kiss.
Unfortunately for the both of them this moment of pure bliss came to a halt when one of the pilot's hands gently brushed against her thigh. The young woman unwillingly stiffened at his touch, causing him to pull away.
"Sheryl, I-"
"I'm sorry Alto… I can't do it…"
He took hold of her hands before leaning closer once more.
"Sheryl, I already told you I didn't mind."
She remembered how she wanted to drive him away when she first learned of her disease from her former manager. The first thought to cross her mind was about him and how she should spare him from the pain of losing a friend the same way he had lost his dear mother.
But he kept pushing, even managing to tear her walls down, and here she was now, almost giving into this guilty pleasure. He had made her say she would give him what he wanted but she still couldn't bring herself to actually do it.
Recalling what had been said during the meeting with the President and Alto's friend didn't help either. Even though she had been told there was a cure for the early stage of the illness, giving herself to him still felt wrong under those circumstances.
At least kisses were still safe and she was silently thankful for that.
"Alto…"
A ringing phone interrupted her but his owner didn't even bother to answer the call. In fact he seemed to be totally oblivious to it as his steady gaze remained on her. Not being able to hold it anymore she broke eye contact to direct her attention on the phone in an attempt to make him shift his focus to the small device.
"You should answer, it could be important"
"They can wait."
"Alto!"
"Fine!"
He threw his arms in the air in frustration before picking the offending object. Whoever made the call was in for a pleasant time as the blue-haired young man did not waste time to express his displeasure.
"I swear you better have a good reason to disturb me right-!"
Sheryl thought the conversation would already be over with such an opening statement but Alto's face convinced her otherwise when she saw the inner turmoil flashing through his eyes.
"They what…?"
The talk didn't last long after that and once it was over she couldn't help but ask
"What's wrong?"
"The SMS quarter is deserting the fleet…"
The fight had been quick and the quarter managed to safely fold out in the end.
Alto could still remember his heated exchange with his former squad leader about a man's duty and while he could understand his desire to protect the two most important women of his life he certainly couldn't condone this betrayal of the fleet, especially when Frontier was such in a bad shape.
After spotting the young heir of the LAI industries, the former Skull-4 finally climbed out of his disabled fighter and made his way towards him. The short boy would make a perfect outlet for his frustration and he had some issues with him after all.
"Luca!"
"Alto-senpai! Thank you for-"
"You little…! How could you ask her that! You know well she can't possibly do it!"
Realizing what the long-haired man was talking about, the younger pilot averted his gaze.
"You used Ranka and now you want to use her too? I never thought you were so-"
"We don't have a choice! This is all for Frontier's sake, why can't you understand that?"
Once again Alto's anger flared up and he grabbed his former friend's collar.
"Protecting Frontier, that's NUNS' job, ours! Not hers!"
The boy stared back at him, the resolve flashing through his unwavering eyes taking him aback.
"I will do anything to ensure Nanase-san's safety. Besides Sheryl-san already said she would do it!"
It pained him to admit it but even Luca was more of a man than he had ever been according to Ozma's definition. The two men flied to protect their dearest ones but no amount of flying could free his fairy from her impending doom.
Frustrated at the resolute boy but even more so at himself, he released him before making his way to the exit of the hangar, not even bothering to acknowledge any of the weird looks he earned after such a display.
Ever since her beloved pilot had left to intercept the rogue ship, Sheryl spent her evening gazing upwards at the dark sky as she was unable to go to sleep without being assured of his safety first.
Knowing that his foes this time around were his former allies did not ease her fear and she could only hope that their encounter wouldn't turn into a meaningless bloodbath as they certainly could do without the situation getting worse than it already was.
The songstress didn't know if her shivering was due to the actual chilliness of the night resulting from Frontier lack of resources or the loneliness she experienced without him by her side.
One thing she knew for sure though was that she should avoid catching a cold considering her already precarious health and thus decided to go back in her room, wasting no time to wrap a blanket around her cold body.
It didn't take long for her gaze to finally fall upon a photograph mounted on a simple wooden frame. The picture showed a long-haired boy clinging to his mother's yukata.
Sheryl had already noticed that photograph when she had first moved in this room but no matter how many times she saw it, she was still amazed by the sheer happiness exuding from the picture.
Seeing this prompted the young woman to wonder how wonderful it probably felt to have a loving mother. No matter how sad it was, the songstress had to admit it was a foreign feeling to her as she never had any relatives as far as she could remember.
However now that she had witnessed how much his mother's death affected him, she wondered if she should consider herself lucky to have been spared from the pain of losing a parent.
Deeming she had already shed enough tears for now, Sheryl decided to focus on a more pleasant matter. Her lips curved upwards in a tender smile upon noticing how carefree the young boy looked. It was an expression she longed to see but he had yet to display in front of her.
She could remember having caught a glimpse of this side of him during their trip to Galia IV and his sheer excitement at being able to fly in a real sky but this moment had been short-lived.
The noise coming from the entrance and the light footsteps that followed shook Sheryl from her reverie and she immediately went to see him.
The sight that greeted her clearly wasn't what she was hoping for after spending the last minutes looking at his happy young self. The pilot was sitting directly on the floor with his back turned to her, his head buried in his hands in an attempt to muffle his sobs.
Alto was still trying to regain his composure when he felt a pair of arms gently circling him from behind. Surprised at the sudden contact, he stiffened at first before relaxing upon feeling his fairy's soft body pressing against his back.
"You were already awake?"
Feeling her nod against his back, the young man tried his best to calm himself but to no avail as he failed to hold back the new onset of tears.
"Why did it turn like this? Ranka, SMS… How could they leave the fleet?"
As he went on with venting his frustration, he could feel her arms tightening around his waist.
"... Michel, Klan... Nanase too... When did it go so wrong?"
There was no one he could turn to anymore except the woman comforting him but he knew that wouldn't last.
"Even you-"
While he caught himself before saying something that would hurt her deeply, he had no doubt he had already said too much with those two words.
"I'm sorry I didn't want to-"
She shushed him before he could finish his sentence and turned him around as she helped him up.
Alto was taken aback when he saw her tears but he didn't have time to say anything as she pressed her lips against his in a passionate yet chaste kiss.
While their lips were still locked together, Sheryl led him to their room. She pulled back before she gently laid him down on the bed.
Climbing on top of him, she leaned in for another kiss. Gliding her quivering lips over his as tenderly as she could, she put a trembling hand under his shirt as their tears kept mingling together.
She tried to appear to be in control but failed miserably. Despite all the teasing she was doing on stage she knew she was at least as inexperienced as him when it came to physical contacts.
Sensing the songstress hesitation, the former kabuki actor broke the kiss thus effectively preventing her from going any further.
"Sheryl…"
Looking directly into his eyes, Sheryl could see his concern and she silently thanked him.
But even more so than his concern, she could discern the lust in his eyes amidst the tears and she had no doubt he could see it in hers as well.
Sheryl closed her eyes and took a deep breath as thoughts of his mother crossed her mind. She wanted to apologize to her for making him suffer. She also wanted to apologize for what she was about to do to the son Saotome Miyo loved so much.
Opening her eyes once again she finally managed to voice her first sentence since he had returned.
"Alto… Let me do this for you…"
He did nothing except reaching for her hand and intertwining their fingers.
It was all the approval she needed before she dove in for another kiss.
Sheryl had wanted to soothe his pain by giving her lover what she had denied him before he left the house, the bloodstain on the mattress being the reminder of the intimacy they shared just a moment ago.
Deep down she knew they had crossed a line they shouldn't have but she couldn't find the strength to break the embrace they were both locked in.
Her resting on top of him didn't seem to bother Alto as he was showing no sign of letting go. Both of them just enjoyed the other's presence as they rested in silence, their affection showing through their small gestures.
Sheryl was busy burning all the details of his handsome face in her mind while he kept stroking her back, occasionally running his hand through her magnificent hair.
Upon closer inspection she noticed something she never had before.
"You have pierced ears?"
Alto winced slightly at the painful memory...
"The world of kabuki is a harsh one indeed."
"What was that?"
"Humor?"
She couldn't help but smile at his lame attempt at lightening the mood. How she wished this moment would last forever…
However she still had an important matter to discuss with him now that they had done it.
"Alto… I have my weekly check-up scheduled tomorrow…You're coming with me to the hospital…"
"Of course I am."
The young woman sighed before she went on to explain what she meant.
"You'll have to ask your friend for the serum."
The puzzled look he was giving her proved he really had no idea what she meant in the first place. She couldn't decide if she should be angry at his recklessness or happy knowing he was willing to go that far for her.
"There's a serum for the earlier stages of the infection."
Finally realizing what she was talking about, he tried to tell her she shouldn't worry about that but he was hushed by a soft finger on his lips.
"Did you really think… I would have gone so far if there wasn't?"
Once again Sheryl's vision blurred upon noticing the pained look in his eyes. Knowing she would be unable to suppress her tears, the songstress nuzzled her face in his chest to hide them but to no avail as she immediately felt him tightening his arms around her.
Alto knew how hard it already was for the woman in his arms so he settled for a kiss on the top of her head instead of scolding her for ruining the mood, enjoying her warmth.
"Can we stay like this tonight?"
She nodded against his chest, his heartbeat lulling her to sleep. It didn't take long before the young man felt the former galactic fairy's breath evened out. Her heart pounding against his had a soothing effect and he was relieved to actually be able to feel her weight for he knew deep down that such moments were already limited in their case.
Before he drifted to sleep he remembered one more time the verbal exchange he had with his former squad leader about protecting what was the most important to him: if no amount of flying was going to save his beloved songstress, he made the silent oath to do his best to protect the fleet and the people she was willing to give her life for.
Their union that night had been a sorrowful one as her infection had undoubtedly plagued what should have been a moment of pure bliss. One could also argue that the intimacy they had shared was just a mere result of the circumstances they were faced with and that person would probably be right.
Nevertheless none of them cared how they ended sharing the same bed that night as they both found solace in each other's arms.
The holographic sun was already high in the artificial sky when Alto woke up.
The heaviness on his chest surprised him at first but he calmed down as soon as he saw his lover's disheveled head and he couldn't help but smile upon noticing how peaceful she looked. It was only now that he realized she was wearing the earring he had given her.
"Strawberry pie…"
He tried to stay still lest he would wake her up but no matter how much he wanted to let her rest he couldn't resist the slight urge to laugh, causing her to stir.
"Mmhhh… Give it back Alto…."
No amount of training would have been sufficient for him to be able to retain his composure after hearing her second line of the day.
He had known her for some time now and he had seen many other sides of her recently but her ability to surprise him continually amazed him. Never did he expect the great Sheryl Nome to sleep-talk.
After making a mental note to use this new piece of information to his benefit in the near future, Alto proceeded to wake the songstress with a gentle kiss on the forehead first.
When Sheryl opened her eyes this morning she was greeted by a soft pair of lips claiming hers. This gesture was followed by some more kisses and two hands rubbing her back.
She couldn't find words suitable to express how she felt being woken up this way and she didn't waste much time before returning the favor with a kiss of her own.
Both of them were gasping for air by the time they ended and several minutes passed before he spoke for the first time.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, thanks to you… What about you?"
"I think I could get used to it, waking up like that… I like it."
Her lips curved upwards in a sweet smile that reached her eyes as she was truly delighted to hear his thoughts perfectly mirroring hers.
They would have spent the day like this if it hadn't been for Sheryl's scheduled visit to the hospital.
"Maybe we should get up."
The fairy was logically the first to climb out of the bed, feeling chilly as soon as she did. Her shivering didn't last long though as the heat in her cheeks rose significantly when she saw the mattress.
Alto followed her gaze upon seeing her embarrassment. It was his turn to blush furiously.
"I… I guess I'll have to wash it…"
"Well… It's my fault too… I'll help-"
"You should just go get ready…"
Sheryl was grateful for his thoughtfulness as she couldn't imagine how she would be able to bear the humiliation if someone spotted her doing the cleaning. She had been abusing their hospitality for several days after all.
"Thank you Alto…"
Her whisper went unheard though as he was already lost in thought, wondering how he would be able to overcome the trial awaiting him.
Alto never thought the day he would be ashamed at his manliness would come. In fact he tended to jump at any chances to prove he was not the girly man a lot of people thought he was upon first seeing him.
He changed his mind when one of his father's pupils stumbled upon him while he was busy cleaning the stains on the mattress.
"Well…I guess it'll have to do…"
He glanced sheepishly at the offending object he had hung out to dry.
"Now that's a surprise coming from you, Alto-san."
It took several seconds for Alto's heart rate to return to normal after jumping from the unexpected sound of his foster brother's voice.
"I nearly had a heart attack!"
"It seems you had a great time."
Alto felt the heat rising in cheeks once more but he had already lost count of how many times he had blushed since he got up.
"You should have washed those tears stains though"
His eyes widened upon realizing what his foster brother meant.
He really should have washed his face before coming here.
Sheryl had just finished getting dressed when she went searching for her princess. It didn't take her long to actually find him as she heard him trying to explain himself before he was cut short by Yasaburo.
"So you ditched your pilot role for Sheryl-san's ideal boyfriend one."
In a true soap opera fashion, she had chosen the wrong moment to stumble upon their conversation. She still remained to listen since it concerned their relationship.
"I'm not acting!"
She was relieved to hear him blurt that out and even if she couldn't see him she had no difficulty to picture his face—she had studied it well last night after all.
"It's not like you Alto-san... Sleeping with a woman you never acknowledged before, crying shamelessly in front of someone…"
Seeing no reply coming from the man standing before him, Yasaburo went on.
"I heard she was terminally ill and I can understand why you did that… However do you really believe a relationship born out of pity to be a healthy one? Do you really think it is possible to sustain such a relationship over time?"
"Shut up!"
His interjection didn't do him any good as his foster brother just ignored it.
"You never tried to understand what your father went through when your mother died and yet you blamed him for all these years, going as far as running away from home and enlisting into the army. However right now you're just following in the footsteps-"
"Stop it!"
"-of the man you ran away from. Alto-san, are you really prepared to suffer the same way your father had?"
Feeling she couldn't bear it anymore, Sheryl made her way back to the room they had shared last night and she was already out of earshot when Alto finally spoke.
"You can call it acting if you want, I don't care… You can say our relationship is a result of the recent events… But I won't let you write it off as mere pity!"
He took a deep breath before resuming his talk.
"We probably should have waited before going so far… But she… We don't have time…"
There was much he wanted to say such as how he didn't care if he had to act out of character if that's what it would take for her to be happy. He could have added that he knew such a mindset wasn't a suitable one for a relationship but he couldn't care less at this point in time as all he wanted was to stay by her side until the end.
However he had no strength to spare for a meaningless argument with his foster brother and he wanted nothing more than go back to his lover's side. Before hurrying back to their room, he spoke one last time as he passed past the man standing in the doorway.
"…There's one thing I agree with you on…I never understood him until now."
The tears wouldn't stop coming but Sheryl ignored them as she was busy packing her stuff while scolding herself for being such a weakling.
She had chosen to live on as Sheryl, self-proclaimed songstress of despair now turned into the new songstress of hope, and yet she had failed in providing said hope to the one that matter the most in her eyes.
Instead of thinking of his well-being first as she initially did, she had indulged in his kindness, making the both of them suffer in the process. His brother was right when he said their relationship wasn't a healthy one as it all came down to her illness after all.
She was sorting through her wardrobe when her gaze fell on a certain set of clothes she had treasured ever since. As she went on reminiscing about their first date, she unconsciously reached for her new earring.
The sound of his footsteps broke her out of her daze and she hastily put on her sunglasses in a desperate attempt to hide her red eyes.
Alto knew something wasn't right when he entered the room as she didn't even acknowledge his presence and kept on packing.
"Sheryl, what are you doing?"
Seeing how she ignored him and kept her back to him, Alto made his way into the room and grabbed her shoulders. The songstress resisted at first but he eventually managed to turn her around.
He wasted no time wondering why she would wear a pair of sunglasses into the house and he proceeded to remove them to get a clear view of her face.
"Please don't-!"
It was her turn to be ignored as he didn't comply with her plea.
"You're crying…?"
"Congratulations for noticing the obvious! If you weren't there to tell me I wouldn't have noticed!"
Deciding to let her sarcastic remark slide, he renewed his first question.
"What are you doing?"
"Can't you see I'm packing my stuff? Now if you-"
"You're kidding me!"
Sheryl jumped as he lost his temper.
"What has gotten into you? Packing? After what happened last night? What about this morning then!"
Breaking eye contact, the young woman managed to utter a reply.
"We should just forget what happened…"
"Forget? How am I supposed-"
"Then just call it a one night stand! You should be happy now that you had what you wanted!"
"How can you say that! You were the one that-"
"Well you certainly didn't try hard to prove me wrong last night!"
She recoiled in fear as he raised his hand to slap her. Seconds ticked away before she reopened her eyes.
The slap never came but she knew she had crossed the line when she saw how he teared up.
"Tell me you didn't mean that…"
"Your brother's right… Our relationship… If I wasn't dying… We wouldn't even be together if you hadn't found out…"
"It's your fault… Always running around telling everyone how great Sheryl Nome is, how you can do everything… The thought of losing you never crossed my mind before…"
Taking her in his arms, Alto placed his cheek against her own, their tears mingling together for the second time. Despite all she had said she didn't find the strength to push him away and returned the embrace instead.
"When we first met on the stage, I thought you were awesome but then I saw you as a pampered diva. I first realized you were more than that for the first time in the shelter… I saw other sides of you at the mall, at your live performance…"
She should have interrupted him but she couldn't bring herself to say anything through her sobs.
"I thought you were just toying with me. I still had my doubts even when you couldn't go back to Galaxy… With the way you dismissed our first kiss… Next thing I know you're dying…"
Both of them were openly crying by now.
"How was I supposed to react? Tell me!"
"Alto…"
"Do you know how much effort it took me to say that I love you? I've already said it twice… How many times will I have to show you I meant it before you accept that fact..."
She nuzzled into the crook of his neck, a place she had grown quite fond of, before replying in a shaky voice.
"Love… Isn't it supposed to be wonderful? Look at us… All we've done is harm each other… I don't cry much and yet… It's all I've been doing since we've been together… Even you, you've been acting so out of character since-"
"Sorrow, hardships… Do you really think that's all there is to it?"
"We both know I won't make it… I don't want you to suffer the same way as-"
"If you think not you will blossom…"
"Alto-"
"Nor shall you blossom if you think… That's what he kept saying…"
"I don't want you to regret-"
"Living the rest of my life wondering what could have been, now that would be a life full of regrets… I know my Father would agree."
She pulled back a little to look directly into his eyes once more.
"Why do you keep pushing so hard after all I've said…?"
He was slightly taken aback by the question. The answer was so obvious he failed to see how she could have missed it.
"Because I'm the only one who can put up with you, that's why…"
The songstress failed to fight the new onset of tears. Even though his response hadn't been the most romantic one it felt so right that she couldn't help but cling to him as if her life depended on him as she wept. However those were tears of happiness flowing freely this time around and she readily welcomed this nice change.
They both remained silent for a while, comforting each other.
"Going out with a celebrity won't be easy…"
Despite his blurry vision, Alto smirked at her poor attempt at discouraging him.
"You're grasping at straws here… Even if they try to expose our private life you'll just have to drive them away…you're Sheryl Nome after all."
Sheryl buried her head in his chest, dampening his shirt, as she gave up trying to deceive her own heart. Relieved to see that he finally managed to win their endless argument, he rested his head on top of hers, enjoying the scent of her hair
They remained like this for what seemed to be forever before he whispered something that gave her goose bumps.
"Let's move out. NUNS provided me an apartment since Quarter left. Let's live together, just the two of us…"
His offer was too appealing and she couldn't do much besides nodding against his chest.
"You'll have to help me pack…"
"Yeah."
"I love you… Alto…"
Knowing the woman in his arms probably wouldn't miss the chance to tease him didn't prevent the former Sakura-Hime to shed some 'not so manly' tears as he was overwhelmed by emotion.
"Alto?"
"… That's the first time you said it…"
Under normal circumstances, the man before her would have already been under massive teasing on her behalf. That day hadn't been a normal one though and she thus decided against it.
She could certainly cut him some slack after all she had put him through.
It didn't take long for the two lovers to pack the songstress' stuff as she had already done half of the work before her Alto-hime entered the room.
Having a diminished wardrobe proved to be quite useful unlike what she had previously thought.
"Here."
Alto clearly noticed the incomprehension in her eyes upon laying them on the piece of clothing he was presenting her. There was no doubt she had recognized the precious yukata he was carefully holding.
"Alto, that's you mother-"
"I'm sure she would have wanted it to be that way."
No words could accurately describe her feelings when she accepted the treasured item, it was a blend of happiness and uncertainty but most of all she felt as if she had just been acknowledge by this loving mother.
Sheryl looked back at the photograph standing on the dresser as she held the article tightly to her chest and he was sure he had seen her mouthing a silent thank-you.
Following her gaze with a smile plastered on his face, he couldn't help but think how nice of a change her smiling tenderly was compared to the tearful face he had seen those past days.
"…It looks good on you…"
Alto hadn't meant for that line to be said out loud and he mentally slapped himself for providing her with more teasing material so soon.
"So… You're a kimono fetishist?"
No matter how gleeful she sounded, his embarrassment sending Sheryl into a giggling fit wasn't to his liking.
"I- I was just stating the obvious!"
The young woman raised an amused eyebrow seeing how he didn't even need her to make a fool of himself.
"Well… The yukata being pink and… Your hair… I was just saying that… You know… You could use more traditional clothes in your wardrobe!"
He sighed in defeat, turning his back to her in an attempt at preventing further damage to his already bruised ego.
"What's wrong with liking those?"
A pair of slender arms circled his waist from behind as she leaned against his back. He would have actually enjoyed the feeling of her soft body pressed against his if it wasn't for her lingering giggles.
"You're right. I like them too. Besides I'm sure you would look beautiful wearing one."
Alto turned around naively thinking his beloved fairy was done with her teasing.
"Of course! Men also do look great in-"
"I said beautiful. I never said handsome."
It took him several seconds to register the difference but he eventually did. However he wasn't going to let her have all the fun this time around. There was no reason he couldn't play along with her little game.
"Are you sure you want me to? I was regarded as the greatest oyama back then. I wouldn't want you to be jealous of my legendary beauty…"
His comeback left her dumbfounded. She knew questioning his manliness was a sure way to strike a nerve with him but she had never expected him to use her teasing to get back at her.
Instead of ticking her off that comment of his was rewarded by a heartily laugh and he soon joined her with one of his own.
For a short time they were brought back to those carefree days when banters such as these were common and no illness threatened to tear them apart.
They remained locked in an embrace for a while, just enjoying the nice change of mood for a while.
When they finally pulled apart, Sheryl grabbed her lover's hands in her own before requesting something she knew he would probably refuse. It was a good opportunity for him to come to term with his past though.
"Alto… I would like to meet you father… To thank him for his hospitality…"
…
…
"…Okay."
Sure she had expected him to eventually comply with her request but not before voicing out loud his reluctance first. In fact he had agreed so easily that it took a combination of his hands squeezing hers and their fingers intertwining in addition to his gentle smile to actually convince her that she had heard right.
After she made sure she hadn't imagined that part she leaned in for a quick peck on the lips and they made their way hand in hand to see the Father he had ran away from for far too long now.
"…"
Sheryl had never been an easily intimidated person but she was still nervous in front of the silent man even more so since he was her lover's father.
Although he was currently stuck in a wheelchair and needed the help of his pupil to move around, she had a hard time finding her voice at first.
She finally settled for simple yet sincere words of gratitude as she bowed down.
"Saotome-sensei… I wanted to thank you for your hospitality. I'm truly grateful for-"
For a moment she was afraid of having offended him as she heard him clear his throat.
"I should be the one thanking you."
The songstress looked up at the old man only to be shocked upon seeing his bowed down head.
"… He would still be running away if it weren't for you…"
"Saotome-sensei…"
The seconds ticked away slowly before Alto's father finally spoke again.
"… You should stop calling me that. From what I've heard, you're almost part of the family now."
She stared at her feet as a light pink tinge heated her cheeks. Her embarrassment has yet to reach its peak though and her cheeks turned bright red when she heard a completely unexpected sentence coming from him.
"I look forward to seeing my grand-kids."
As if it wanted to further her humiliation her stomach decided to make its existence known to the three people currently standing in the room. The growling sound was followed by a deep laugh to which the former galactic fairy could only respond with a sheepish smile.
Alto had decided to stay out of the room he had led his lover to, thus waiting in the corridor for their talk to end.
Sure, he had gone a long way since he first met her, going as far as returning to the home he had vowed he would never go back to. He had stopped running away since then but he wasn't sure his father would be willing to listen to his apology and he definitely wanted to avoid a meaningless fight in front of her, hence his waiting to talk to him alone.
The slide-door opened to reveal his foster brother pushing the wheelchair the man he had been fleeing from for the past years was sitting in. Neither of them said anything as they passed him, his father not even bothering to look up at his son.
Seeing no songstress leaving with them, the pilot looked into the room to make sure she was all right.
"… She is a fine woman."
For the first time in years, Saotome Ranzou spoke directly to his son much to the surprise of the said son.
The pilot turned around hastily only to see that he had his back turned to him, not that it did matter much.
"Yes… I know."
"You'll have to take good care of her."
The silence lingered for a while as it took Alto some time to find the resolve he needed to say what he wanted to.
"Father, I… I wanted to apologize…"
"If you think not you shall blossom-"
"-Nor shall you blossom if you think…"
"…Maybe there's still hope for you after all…"
He could picture the smirk on his father face at hearing this.
"…I wanted to ask you… Did you ever regret… Marrying mom?"
"… Do you even have to ask?"
A sigh of relief escaped from the former performer and he was amazed at how they could agree on the matter in spite of all that happened.
"You should join us for lunch… Unless you want her to starve to death."
Not much was said but Alto could feel that a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart as he was finally able to reconcile with his past.
Whether he wanted to or not he couldn't deny the fact that Sheryl's ability to surprise him was top notch. However he wished she would just stop doing so for the rest of the day as he stared at her stabbing the food with her chopsticks, in front of his father, no less.
He couldn't decide what had been the most humiliating moment of the day. The bed incident or the current one.
Even if his father didn't seem to be bothered by such a display, a quick glance at Yasaburo's embarrassed self prompted him to whisper some instructions to the woman sitting next to him.
"Stop doing that…! Can't you just eat like a normal person?"
"What, do you think I'm doing it on purpose? It's my first time using chopsticks…!"
Alto knew beforehand that he would have to face many trials by getting with the songstress and that she would keep him busy but none of that prevented him from forsaking neither his beloved VF-25 nor his quietness in order to be with her.
However he never thought that one of the first challenge he would have to face would be teaching her how to use chopsticks before she further made a fool of herself.
Sighing at the unpleasant task awaiting him, the pilot took her chopsticks and placed them in her hand, his fingers guiding hers in the right position.
"See? That's how you hold them."
He kept his hand around hers as they proceeded to pick a morsel of food.
"Got it?"
"I guess…"
Why people would use chopsticks to eat when it was so much easier to use a simple fork eluded her but she wanted to meet her teacher's expectations and she couldn't afford to ruin the first meal he had with his father in years.
Being Sheryl Nome, the former renowned galactic fairy, didn't help her in mastering the art of using chopsticks though as she dropped the food she was holding onto her lap.
Her eyes wandered briefly to each man present at the table as she tried to hide them behind her bangs.
Although she was relieved to see how unfazed her lover's father seemed to be as he kept enjoying his quiet meal like nothing happened, she felt the heat rising rapidly in her cheeks when she saw Alto's head buried in his hands and his foster brother looking away with a hand covering his mouth.
She cursed at her illness never kicking in when it needed to, how she wished she could just faint when she wanted to instead of always doing so at the wrong time.
Her wishful thinking was interrupted when a pair of chopsticks holding food came into her view.
"…Here…"
"Alto…?"
"…What are you waiting for?"
"I can't…"
It was surprising how her blush managed to deepen considering how bright her cheeks already were.
"It's too embarrassing…!"
His eyebrow twitched as he raised his voice.
"Embarrassing? What about me then? You should thank me for proposing to feed-"
The young man froze as Yasaburo cleared his throat and he immediately calmed down, too ashamed to risk a look at the man sitting in front of him.
"… If you don't want to then-"
A soft hand gently grabbed his own as he was about to draw it back and Alto blushed when her lips parted as she shyly placed the tip of the chopsticks in her mouth.
Sheryl averted her gaze and focused on munching the food he had provided her with.
Being the celebrity she was, the songstress had eaten in the most renowned hotels and restaurants in the galaxy before she finally made it to Frontier. It was amazing though how delicious the food she had in her mouth tasted considering how simple it was compared to what she had already tried in the past.
A flash of a poor girl looking through a window at a happy family having a nice dinner crossed her mind. For the past years she had led a life that most people galaxy-wide wished to and yet the little girl's dearest wish had never been granted prior that day.
It took her almost two decades but she had finally experienced what she wanted all along.
Unable to hold back the tears anymore, the now grown woman buried her face in the chest of the loved one she had shared a nice meal with. Not only did her circle of friends widened considerably upon meeting him, he also provided her with the family she never had.
"Thank you… Alto…"
Not knowing what caused such a sudden outburst, Alto panicked as her tears dampened his shirt.
Her muffled thanks however didn't go unnoticed and it didn't take more than that to urge him to pull her close, forgetting all the previous embarrassment he had felt at such displays in front of the two other men.
"… I don't know what you're talking about… but… You're welcome… I guess."
The pilot still didn't know what she had thanked him for but he didn't press the matter further as he simply kept stroking the back of the woman that helped him to come to term with his past.
"… Youngsters…"
Being the only one to hear him mutter under his breath, Yasaburo was the only one to notice the faint trace of a smile on his master's face as he finished his bowl of rice.
Looking back at the young couple still locked in an embrace he sighed in defeat. He knew that their story would probably be denied its happy end but upon seeing that scene, he understood that making the most of the few moments they would be granted together was all they could do.