Kyle and Tear approached the door to the rock garden. It was shut, but Kyle could hear chattering coming from behind it. The two Novas stopped right in front of the door.
"Hey..." Kyle started. "What should we tell everyone?"
"A-about...us?"
"I was going to say about you being the Angelic Buster, but they'll probably want to know that too." Kyle said sheepishly.
Tear frowned. "It...it's kind of supposed to be a secret..."
"Then we wont tell them." Kyle smiled and clasped her hand tighter. "If it's a secret, it'll be our secret."
Tear smiled back. Kyle took a deep breath, and pushed open the door.
The garden was filled with all sorts of heroes. The girls had apparently joined the boys while the two had been out. Captain Kyrin appeared to be arguing with Hawkeye about something, Evan was rubbing the back of his head while talking to Chase, the Beast Tamer, who appeared to have taken Evan's wand and was comparing it with her own scepter.
"Ah." Mercedes noticed the two Novas and tapped Aran on the shoulder.
"Oh? You two are back?" The white-haired warrior asked. She started walking towards the two with a smile on her face.
"Y-yeah..." Kyle said. "And there's something we gotta-BLAGH!"
Aran brought her fist down on Kyle's head, square between his horns.
"OW! What was that for?!" Kyle yelped.
"'Yer the idiot who came up with that dumb idea in the first place!" Aran yelled back. "It's obvious I'm gonna hit 'ya for makin' a girl cry like that!"
"I already got hit!"
"Too bad!" For good measure, the warrior hit the Kaiser for a second time.
"Don't try to escape, kid." Hawkeye grunted. "We all got in trouble for your stupid plan."
"My plan?! Neinheart came up with it!"
"Yeah, well, he got hit too."
"So?" Aran cracked her knuckles. "Did 'ya apologize or do I need to hit 'ya again?"
"I apologized! I swear!" Panicked Kyle.
"He did! He really did!" Tear supplied.
Aran sighed and relaxed a little. "That's good then."
"So...?" Started Jack.
"So what?" Asked Kyle.
"So how'd it go between you two?"
"Oh! Th-that's...um..." Kyle rubbed the back of his neck. Tear reached out her hand to him, and he took it, knitting his fingers through hers. There was a momentary pause.
"EEEEE! SHO CUTE!" Chase squealed, and her tail wagged. She ran over to the two and started hopping up and down. "ARE YOU TWO GONNA GET MARRIED? YOU'RE SHHOOO CUUUUTE TOGETHER!"
Tear flushed. "M-married?"
"Like a match made in dork heaven." Commented Belle, the Wild Hunter.
"Lovey-dovey couples, bleh." Jack made a face to indicate his disgust with all things involving love.
"Don't be that way." Evan said.
"Oh you're one to talk Mr. Dragon Master Hero, every time the alliance meets all you do is make googly-eyes at Mer-"
"SHHHUUAAAT UP ABOUT THAT!" Evan clapped a hand over Jack's mouth.
"Eh?! Evan you have someone you like too?!" Chase gasped. "You should confess! Do it! Do it! Tonight'll be a night for LOVE!"
"No."
"Aww come on..."
"I said no, Chase. Drop it."
"Don't tell me what to do!" The animal-eared girl huffed. "I'm older than you, remember?"
"By a week!"
"Doesn't matter." Chase stuck out her tongue.
"This is lively." Commented Shade, who had a calm smile on his face.
Kyle let out a laugh, as did Tear.
"Hey..." Kyle began. "...where is Neinheart, anyway? I should thank him, I guess."
"Half-glasses went to take a bath." Brighton piped up. "Apparently he takes his baths alone, like he said."
"I wish Claudine were here." Sighed Belle. "I would have switched the signs on the baths, and sent her in after him."
"That's crazy." Said Hawkeye. "The two would fight like a pair of rabid dogs."
"Nah, they're just repressed." Said Belle. "They'd probably just act like a couple of rabbits and start f-"
"BELLE!" Snapped Mercedes. "THERE ARE CHILDREN HERE!"
"Hey, that reminds me..." Said Hawkeye. "...the Neinheart bit, not the rabbit bit...did the plan actually work? I mean..." He directed his attention to Tear. "Are you really the Angelic Buster, kid?"
"'Course she's not, moron." Said Aran. "What kind of dumb question is that?"
Kyle glanced at Tear.
"That's a secret." He said, and the two grinned.
"Ehh? You mean she actually is?" Jack looked disappointed.
"Huh? N-no, I just said..."
"Kid..." Said Hawkeye. "You tried to sound cool by telling everyone 'it's a secret'. That means it's like, a 95% chance of being true."
"Totally" Confirmed Mihile.
"Wha...I...I'm not!" Tear protested.
"Too late." Said Aran. "Y'should hit 'yer boyfriend for spilling it."
"I didn't spill anything!" Kyle complained.
"Hey, kid." Said Brighton. "Little tip from the Resistance: If you wanna lie about not being something, just say you're not that something. Easy-peasy."
"Bragging about something is foolish, whether you brag directly or indirectly." Luminous said.
"Thanks for the fortune cookie, Lumi." Said Hawkeye. Luminous glared at him.
"Still, kid, don't you think it's kind of bad that a bunch of perverted geezers ogle your girlfriend all the time?" Commented Kyrin. "I mean, she goes on stage and does all those dance moves."
"Look on the bright side!" Said Belle. "Now when they're alone, she can dance just for him!"
Both Tear and Kyle turned bright red.
"BELLE!" Yelled Mercedes. "THERE! ARE! CHILDREN! HERE!"
"Huh? Dancing?" Chase looked confused. "I can dance."
"Really?" Asked Jack. "Would you do it for m-BUGAH!" His comment promptly earned him a well-deserved punch right in the face from Yuuki.
"Thanks 'fer hittin' him so I don't have to." Said Aran.
"Don't mention it." Said Yuuki.
"This got out of control." Said Tear.
"Sorry I spilled our secret." Said Kyle.
"Spilled? N-no! You're good." She blushed. "Y-you were cool. I think."
"Y-you really think so?"
She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on his cheek.
"Yes, you're my one and only hero."
"And you're my idol."
The two smiled and leaned close, as the friendly arguments between a dozen heroes faded out into the night.