Author's note: A one shot that acts as a finishing touch to my past work, Fatal Attraction.
It came to me as I was hearing Pavarotti's collaboration with one man, whose name I forget.
I used the song as a reference, and did this.
For Dlanor is my love, and my dream.
You are so beautiful, to me.
Beautiful…
Simply beautiful…
How positively marvelous is today, she thought. If it was her in the past, she wouldn't even look out the window.
Through a pair of old spectacles did she gaze at the sky, that sea of blue where the clouds are islands, and birds are fishes. The cries of seagulls were like a familiar lullaby that marked the end of grueling trials she and her beloved faced back then.
The smell of old books and oaken furniture in the Mansion Study had now grown on her. They wrapped her in a comfortable sense of duty.
Dlanor fixed her glasses with the point of her middle finger and dipped the tip of her fountain pen into a bottle of ink. Slowly she mulled her words, of what to write in her report, while keeping true to the story. The story might be over, but reports are still to be written and submitted.
"…whereas it might have been useless, were his gamble to FAIL. The Detective, one Furude Erika, was the very depiction of a dictator, per SE…and a little bit of a TIT."
She had tried to resist the urge to end her words with capital letters, but even on paper, it was inevitable. Capital letters glared at her through the glasses like spots on a Dalmatian (which she's rather fond of these days).
"Tea, Mistress?" Said Ronove, who appeared with a burst of golden butterflies. In his hands were a tea set.
"Thank YOU."
The smell of rich Earl Grey wafted from the cup as Ronove poured it with great care.
"What is a soft word for ANNOYING?" she asked, more or less to herself.
"I believe it is, hyperactive. Are we talking about the Seven Sisters?" he asked, quite without reservation, as he put another piece of lemon crumble onto the tray.
She looked at the batch of warm lemon crumble with wonder. She had known him for some time now, and she had given up on asking him about his "knowledge".
"Indeed," she said. "My superior is quite old FASHIONED. He expects punctual report with as much Shakespearean flair as one could muster."
"I see..."
She paused a moment.
"Is Battler…AROUND?"
At that point, a screaming woman in richly ornate dress burst in.
"Mommy! Nee-san is being mean to me again!"
"She lied!"
Dlanor looked at the twins, who are supposed to be Beato's clones, and at their dresses, burned on the rims.
"I didn't!"
"You did!"
"I didn't!"
"You-!!"
A blue glowing blade cut through the middle of their faces, barely centimeters away from relieving them of their noses.
"NOW," she moved from behind her desk and looked at her foster daughters, who stood three heads above her. "Ronove will take you and you'll sort out whatever you DID. I have things to DO!"
"Indeed, mistress. Now, shall we depart?" He snapped his fingers and out comes Beelzebub, Mammon, and Lucifer. They gagged the two Beatos before they even managed to complain and lugged them like they were a bag of turnips and vanished with splashes of golden butterflies.
"PHEW! Things never get boring when they're AROUND."
"Incidentally, mistress…I have a letter for you," Ronove reappeared.
The blue haired girl took the letter sealed with Eiserne Jungfrau sigil.
With a swift move, she cut the letter open with her red sword.
It was a letter each from Gertrude and that little one whose name she couldn't quite remember.
The content was a generic how have you been doing, when will you come back, and such. Only, the one from Gertrude was like it was copied from a template and the other, from that girl with obscure name was filled with spelling mistakes. The organization had really been skimping on office workers.
After finishing them she folded the letter, primly and perfectly, with slight mechanical sounds, and put her blue hat on it. Her eyes unconsciously glanced at the Eiserne Jungfrau sigil on it.
They are people she left behind to be with Battler. She cherished them as a friend would, but too shy to say it.
She grabbed a fresh piece of parchment and wrote, with perfect italic, the words. "I'm FINE.". Then after a passing thought, added. "Battler says HI."
She snapped her fingers and the letter folded itself into a perfect envelope. As she was about to seal it with the Eiserne Jungrau stamp, she thought a bit more. With a slight hesitation she pressed the golden Ushiromiya ring against the melting red wax, turned the letter into a golden butterfly, and opened the window to let it fly away.
Dlanor watched the butterfly flew away then heard a grumble. She blushed despite herself, and took a piece of lemon crumble.
"…this is HEAVENLY."
She sipped the tea and let the mellow lemon seeps into her tongue. It reminds her of that night, a few weeks ago.
The taste of his lips was like lemon tea, bittersweet and yet with a trace of piquancy. His words were like music in her ears. Every time his hot breaths brushed past her skin, her soul trembled. His hot, feverish body was very comforting against her cool skin. The sight of his well toned body would make any woman fall.
It's a mercy it was always covered in a suit.
Suddenly, a warm hand reached around her and embraced her neck lovingly.
She yelped and slashed wildly at it.
"Whoa there, is that how you greet your husbandos after not seeing him for two weeks?"
"You…you…!"
She trembled. Then, she exploded.
"D-dlanor…?"
"DIE! DIEDIEDIEDIE!!! DIE THE DEATH!! EQUALIZER TO THE DEATH!"
"W-wait…! No, not the golden sword!"
She charged at him, slashing wildly with her swords. Now with the addition of a Game Master privilege, she was three times as deadly.
Battler parried the swords with a combination of the golden sword and a barrier.
"You are really feisty. I like that in a girl."
She was distracted by his comment and Battler took this chance to haul her to a chair.
"B-BATTLER!"
"Now, now. Let's sit down and have some tea. Want something to eat?"
She looked at Battler, her face cherry red.
"Oh, I see," he leaned down and gave her a light kiss.
"I'm home, dear," he gave her a pat on the hair.
"Really…you are the WORST."
"And you are…so beautiful."
Dlanor touched her head gingerly with a smile. "Your lines are cheesy, even by my STANDARDS."
Battler sat on top of the desk and looked out of the window. Outside, the Seven SISTERS and the two Beatos are having a game. It will al end in blood. But here, even that is not strange.
For an instant, his face was melancholic as he was reminded of the family that he had left.
"Do you…regret your DECISION?"
Dlanor asked. Her face was expressionless, but concern was written all over her voice.
"Like I said before…no. And we've got a future ahead of us."
"…"
"But not just for us…for the future…"
Battler placed his hand on top of Dlanor's stomach.
"…that will be born."
Dlanor placed her hands on top of his big, strong hand.
Then they smiled at each other.
This man had changed my present. And he will change my future.
It is my decision. And I will not look back.
"…YES…"
Author's note: marriage is to love, to forgive, to wait, and to fight.
Leaving your family to be with your beloved is something hard, but it's worth it.
This chapter, I think, is how I view the connection between two loving couple.
One who displays affection so freely, while the other too shy to speak of it.
Well, mostly just because Dlanor and Battler are just too cute of a couple to miss. Sorry, Beabato fans, I'll do them next time.
If you enjoy it, please review. It will give me motivation to write more stuff.