Author's Note: I should have explained this in the first chapter but here you go! As you may have noticed this fanfiction doesn't follow the manga at all. It follows the anime up until episode 21 then it kinda branches off and does its own thing. Thank you all so much for reading and a special thanks to Bashabuttonstories! If you like Sword Art Online you should check out his amazing fanfiction, A New Life! Without further ado, here's chapter 2! :D
It was almost morning as Leone arrived home. She thought of the vow she made to herself and decided she would at least wait for him to wake up. Leone thought to herself how he would react, and how their relationship would change, and began to worry. She walked upstairs quietely and peered into his door. Tatsumi lay there, making Leone wish she could lie there next to him. Eventually, she decided it couldn't hurt, and crawled into bed behind him, her arm around him. Leone fell asleep like that, and awoke as Tatsumi did an hour or so later. Tatsumi jumped out of bed when Leone yawned, not yet aware of his guest.
"Urk-" Tatsumi let a noise escape his lips as he turned to face Leone.
Leone finished her cute yawn and gazed into his eyes with a smile.
"Morning Tatsumi!" Leone beamed.
"Good morning..." Tatsumi said, still confused at his friend's sudden behavior, and not in an amazing mood to begin with.
"Any particular reason why you're in my bed?" Tatsumi questioned as Leone sat upright, still staring at him.
Leone blushed, trying to select the right words to express herself.
"Tatsumi." Leone said, suddenly more serious.
He turned to face her, looking away from the picture that meant so much to him.
"Last night I fought a Lieutenant in the capitals army" Leone began.
"I won without too much of a fight, but I can't help but feel that this job is getting more and more dangerous, and there are things I want to say and do before it's too late!" Leone said, suddenly filled with confidence.
Tatsumi stood wondering what she could possibly be getting at. She had really been acting odd around him lately.
"Tatsumi I know it may be too soon for you... But I've been thinking about this for a while, and I want to be with you." Leone said with a straight face, talking more quietly towards the end of her sentence.
Tatsumi stared blankly at her for several moments. Leone, a fearsome warrior and a bold person in general, was experiencing something she never had before. Leone's heart was racing just like in a fight, but to her, the circumstances were much more crucial. Just as Leone believed she couldn't take another moment without a reply, Tatsumi leaned forward and embraced her. Leone sat wide-eyed for a moment, then closing her eyes and smiling as she returned his affection.
"Thank you..." Leone whispered into his ear as Tatsumi began to pull away.
Leone stood up, face inches from his. They gazed into each other's eyes briefly before closing them, leaning into a kiss. They broke apart for need of air several moments later. Leone's heart soared, just knowing he accepted her love made her experience a feeling of true fufillment and happiness.
"Leone..." Tatsumi whispered.
Much like Leone, love was reletively new to him, and he didn't know what to say in response to Leone's passionate actions. He felt better though, after Leone took his hand and smiled. Seconds later Akame burst in, bearing a smile that practically exuded joy.
"Tatsumi! Leone!" Akame shouted as she entered the room.
The new couple jumped when Akame came in, trying to conceal their blush as their hands broke apart. Akame took note of their blushing faces, remembering to question them at a later time.
"Susanoo may be alive!" Akame cried out in joy.
"What?!" Leone and Tatsumi exclaimed simultainiously.
"How!?" Tatsumi asked, excited by the fact that he might be able to see his comrade once again.
"They found his core! Boss may be able to resurrect him if the teigu experts at the revolutionary army HQ can piece it back together!" Akame explained, her face displaying relief.
"That's great!" Leone exclaimed.
The three of them met with Najenda downstairs, discussing the details of the situation.
"...Unfortunately, the core needs to be transported from the rebel army headquarters to here." Najenda explained.
"Why is that bad?" Tatsumi asked, not sure why this was any different from any other time an important item needed transportation without arousing the capital.
"Because" Akame interjected, "Any organic teigu can sense an organic teigu from far away, especially if the core is damaged and constantly releasing energy."
"I see" Tatsumi said, starting to understand how much danger Susanoo's core's escort is going to be in, and unfortunately it would most likely be them.
"Well now that you understand the circumstances, i'm sure you've realized by now the only capable escorts are you three" Najenda elaborated, confirming Tatsumi's suspicions.
"Well then let's go!" Leone shouted, enthused by the fact that she might regain a precious comrade.
"Yeah!" Akame and Tatsumi agreed happily.
A few hours later, the remaining members of Night Raid tred under the cloak of midnight, sprinting in order to pick up the core and get back to the safety of their base in as quick a time as possible. Leone ran slightly ahead of the pack, smile on her face as they got closer and closer to their destination. Tatsumi made a mental note of her expression and how her happiness strangely made him feel better about, well... everything. Dispite the importance of the task at hand, he couldn't help but feel like he had betrayed Mine. Even though everything that happened with both her and Leone had felt right to him, he knew if Mine was still alive, Tatsumi would have to make a desicion. A voice derailed his train of thought, yet eased his mind as well.
"Are you okay Tatsumi?" Leone asked, with a caring smile plastered to her face.
"Fine" He replaid, earning a cute smile for his response.
He felt better knowing she cared, but then worse as he started to believe his potential relationship with Mine was a mistake. At least, that's what he wanted to believe. He wanted to believe that it was merely a pressured action that resulted from the extremely dramatic situation they were in. It was nothing against Mine, and he knew that she would want him to be happy, but he couldn't help but feel guilty. At that moment Tatsumi was snapped out of his concentrated state of mind once again. This time, by a group of revolutionary soldiers who were currently pointing their firearms at the three as the squadron's commander identifyed them and cleared them for passage.
There wasn't much conversation during their short time at the revolutionary army's headquarters, everyone had a grasp of the situation and understood how important it was to get the situation taken care of in minimal time. Tatsumi hastily yet carefully placed his comrade in his backpack as the group walked outside.
They made it half way home without any problems, the only problem then being the group of bandits who made the mistake of trying to rob them. After swiftly dispatching them, they continued their journey. Tatsumi deep in thought but still exchanging glaces with Leone whenever Akame scanned the area. It wasn't as if their relationship was to be a secret, but the cirsumstances hadn't allowed them any time to properly explain their relationship. This time had allowed Tatsumi to think about everything and begin to clear his mind, he did however, feel slightly guilty that while lost in his train of though, the two girls traveling with him dealt with the minor inconveniences such as wild animals or thieves.
Soon after the last time they had to deal with bandits who were oblivious to who they were currently trying to hastle, they arrived back at base.
"Boss we got it!" Akame shouted, alerting Najenda to their presence.
"Great!" Najenda exclaimed as the group walked into the room.
Tatsumi presented her with her late comrade's core, as she looked upon it with fondness.
"Well, then." Najenda said, addressing the group.
"Magatama Manafestation!" Najenda shouted.
Tatsumi, Akame, and Leone watched with high hopes the core of their friend that began to let out a golden glow. The core slowly ascended a few feet off the ground and the cracks began to disappear, raising the hopes of everyone watching what seemed like a miracle. As the group continued observing the ressurrection of their fallen comrade, a small group of assailents prepared to enter the building.
Leone twitched, getting the sense that something bad was about to happen.
"Guys be ready for anything." Leone said sterny, trying to assess the situation as she activated her teigu.
"Why?" Tatsumi asked, head tilted in confusion as Akame nodded, already steeling herself.
Just then, the muffled sound of an impact occured as Leone turned around at amazing speeds, gripping her assailent by the neck.
"Who do you work for?!" Leone interrogated her hostage.
"Doesn't matter..." The assassin said as calmly as one coughing blood could say something.
"By the end of tonight you'll all be dead!" He said grinning ear to ear.
Leone was finished with her interrogation which she ended by crushing her prisoners neck and throwing his corpse to the ground. Just as the group prepared to search the premesis for more enemies, an explosion could be heard, and fire could be seen spreading into the room.