Eto sat on the couch in the den, sipping her coffee and reading a book. Suzuya sat in the chair adjacent to the couch, a flustered expression on his face. He drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair, and did not take his eyes off Eto's arm. Her white shirt revealed the bottom half of the heart, and it gnawed at the man. He shifted uncomfortably. Juuzou had wanted to talk about it earlier, but he had wanted the conversation to private. But now the children were off doing a puzzle with Naki upstairs, and the ex lovers were alone.
"Don't you think it's a little late in the day for coffee," he chided, trying not to appear nervous.
"Don't you think I would drink something else if I could," she responded in a flat tone, not lifting her eyes from the pages of the book she was reading.
Suzuya rolled his eyes and sunk into the chair. He had no idea what to say to the woman. He found himself staring at her. She wore a thin, white v neck shirt and faded jeans. The owl neckless she had worn the night he had proposed dangled around her neck. Her hair fell freely down her back, and her glasses kept sliding down her nose. She was absolutely beautiful.
"Take a picture, it'll last longer," Eto said, turning the page of her book.
"What?" Suzuya blushed.
"You were staring at me," she said.
"I was just curious," Juuzou said, swallowing hard. "A—about the stitches."
"What about them?"
"Why do you still have them?" Suzuya asked, heart pounding.
Eto still did not meet his eyes. "For the same reason you're wearing the suspenders I bought you for Christmas."
Juuzou blushed and adjusted his left suspender strap. "Oh."
"The reason why you wear them still is a mystery to me," Eto said, taking a sip of coffee.
Suzuya shrugged. "The reason you gave them to me is the real mystery."
Eto frowned, still not looking up. "Not really."
"How so?" Suzuya asked, feeling a bead of sweat run down the back of his neck.
"Suzuya, I lied about a lot of things," she said. "But I honest to God never lied about loving you."
A knot formed in Juuzou's stomach, and he felt like he would be sick.
"W—when did you fall in love with me?" he asked, stuttering.
"The day I sat with you at the zoo," Eto said, not looking up. "Of course I didn't know it then; but I know it now."
Juuzou swallowed hard and wiped the sweat from his brow. "And h—how long did you love me."
Eto closed her book and looked Suzuya in the eyes. Her green eyes were watery, and a tear fell down her face.
"Juuzou Suzuya," she said softly, with more pain in her voice than words could ever express. "I've loved you every day since."
With that, the half ghoul stood up, took her coffee and book, and left the room; leaving Suzuya numb with shock.