After making sure the blade of his sword was well sharpened, he placed it in its black sheath and watched Akame carefully finish sharpening Murasame.
"I can't wait to take back Incursio." Tatsumi said. His plan was to find the person who decided to make use of his teigu and make sure that the weapon goes right back to the rightful owner, himself. It will be difficult since he will be going against a teigu with an ordinary sword.
"Is that all you are going to do?" Akame asked blankly and Tatsumi sweated.
"Obviously not... Najenda said I'm going to stick with her and the Imperial Army. We're going to deal with The Emperor and the Jeagers. She said you were going to fight Esdeath, right?"
Akame nodded while sheathing her teigu.
"I have a trump card that could possibly defeat her. Or at least proactively damage her. I can only use it once, and I plan to take her out as soon as possible." Tatsumi understood. No matter how much he wanted to believe Esdeath had a kind heart deep down her sadistic mask, the woman was an evil plague to the world. There was no cure for her cold heart. She was born to kill, and she will be reprimanded for it.
"What about everyone else?" He asked. "I heard Leone is going to go for the Prime Minister."
"Yeah. Mine and Lubbock are going to evacuate the Capitol and provide back up whenever it's necessary. I truly hope we will make it out okay." Tatsumi reached over and patted Akame's head with an encouraging grin.
"Don't worry! I made a promise to Lubba, and I won't hesitate to make a promise to you! After all, I did say before that I will survive, didn't I?"
Akame nodded while smiling back.
"Yes. And when all this is over, shall I lock your bedroom door?" Tatsumi grabbed his sword with an embarrassed scowl while leaving the living room.
"You're not letting me live it down, are you?" He mumbled with pink cheeks. From behind, Akame shook her head happily.
"Nope."
"Heeey cutie~!" Tatsumi barely looked from the pot he was boiling lobsters in.
"Oh hey Leone. Need anything?" He asked politely. Leone seated herself on the counter beside the stove.
"Nah, just giving my favorite boy a little company." She said with a wink. When Tatsumi narrowed his eyes at her, she sweated. "I promise, no more flirting! Y-You have such a scary look these days..."
"Sorry. It's just that it makes Lubba feel insecure about it, even if he won't admit it." Lubbock's version of coping with jealousy is performing subtle, hostile acts while pretending to be innocent.
"I understand. You're just a rare gem to come across." Tatsumi forced himself not to blush at the compliment. He never understood why his being coming from the countryside suddenly makes him special. It must have been his gullible personality and quickness to turn down a female's offerings. "I don't blame dear Lubbock for being so possessive. He doesn't seem so keen to share~"
"He's not like that..." Much. Tatsumi is also guilty of being a little possessive. Like the one moment earlier when Lubbock had bent over to pick up a dropped book and Najenda happened to be looking away from her report for several seconds. Of course Tatsumi did not make a scene, but once Lubbock entered his room later, let's just say from now on his hands do not only hold Lubbock by the waist in a make out session.
"I was always curious to ask but I didn't want to make it a big deal with the girls. How did you and Lubbock get together?" Leone asked interestedly and Tatsumi cursed his cheeks for warming up.
"Oh you know, the usual romance story. I took out his stitchings and then we confessed to each other. You know, crying and making out doesn't sound all that bad now that I think about it."
"I-It just happened." Tatsumi said instead. "We could only really depend on each other and stuff just went from there."
"Hmm... did you guys say the three big words to each other yet?" Leone egged on. Now that he thought about it, he did not recall either of them saying 'I love you' to each other. He had not thought about blurting it out either. He and Lubbock just seem content with showing their love for each other.
"Um no. But it's not like I don't or anything." Tatsumi quickly clarified.
"Haha, I know. Word of advice though, it wouldn't hurt to give Lubbock a special night, if you catch my drift~" Leone suggested.
"We can't! A-Ah I mean... w-we prefer to do... other stuff..." He stammered. How embarrassing would it be tell Leone that he is afraid of losing himself in the middle of a passionate event?
"Aw, so you really are waiting until after the war to keep your promise to him, eh-?"
"Get out."
After lunch was made and served, Tatsumi finished cleaning up the kitchen with Akame. He was surprised to see Mine sitting outside by herself in the backyard, and walked over.
"Hey there. Feeling okay?" He asked concernedly. The girl had flushed but nodded swiftly.
"I'm fine. Just thinking."
"Oh alright, don't wanna disturb ya then." Tatsumi said and turned to leave her alone.
"Why do you love Lubbock?" He froze rigidly from the sudden question with several interpretations of it. Was that meant in a mocking way? Mild interest?
"Excuse me?" He pardoned nicely bit his facial expression said otherwise. Mine had shook her hands quickly.
"N-Not in a mean way or anything. I'm just curious. What do you see in him that makes him unique?" He was still bothered by the wording but at the same time, he could not think of a reason why Mine would be against the idea of him and Lubbock being close.
"Oh. Uh well, he knows me well. A lot. Better than I know myself." Tatsumi said as he looked up at the sky. "He's sweet, funny, and really easy to talk to. He's also insanely smart and unbelievably pretty." He did not know why he uses the term 'pretty' to describe Lubbock, but it fit him so well in his eyes. Especially the rosy smile that makes his chest do several flips.
"I see."
"I could go on about Lubba, but we'd be here a while, haha. Don't worry about us though, you continue thinking."
"I'm actually done now." Mine said as she dusted off the top of her skirt. Tatsumi blinked and watched her head back in. "I wish you and Lubbock the best of luck. If you both do anything stupid, I won't hesitate to use Pumpkin."
"Aha... we'll try..." Tatsumi responded as he ruffled the top of his head.
After dinner, Tatsumi stopped by the study room when he heard Najenda and Lubbock speaking.
"... is still surprising." Najenda had said.
"I can understand. I'm amazed myself but I don't regret being in love with him." Tatsumi, currently seated on the ground now beside the door, blushed with a content smile after hearing Lubbock say that.
"What do you love about him then? Just curious."
"... Everything, it's kinda hard where to start. He's... different. He's really compassionate, even about small things, like making sure a ladybug gets on a leaf safely. Heh, it's cute how much of a worry-hog he can be. He always put me before him and I used to hate it, but now I don't mind at all. Its really nice to be comforted by him. And you have to admit, he's definitely matured a lot more since he joined the group. Physically and mentally. He's just... Ack, stop making that face, I'm already embarrassed!"
Tatsumi silently chuckled when he heard Najenda laugh at Lubbock's irritated sound. He stood up and left the hall to go into his room, stuck with a warm feeling in his heart. He is now determined even more to make things stay the way they are by the time the war ends. The warm atmosphere, the family-like group, everything will be like this from now on.
Half an hour later, Lubbock stepped into his room with an automatic smile.
"Yo, Tatsu." He greeted. Tatsumi smiled back and moved over in his bed so Lubbock could climb in.
"Hey, Lubba." Lubbock rested his head against his chest and Tatsumi tilted his head to rest his chin in Lubbock's hair.
"I'm anxious, but I'm also ready. For tomorrow." Lubbock brought up. Tatsumi placed an arm around Lubbock.
"Me too. I'm going to make everyone happy. And we won't have to worry about taking down an organization plotting to kill us." He said. Lubbock laughed and exhaled deeply.
"Tatsumi..." Said teen looked up when Lubbock peered over his head.
"Yeah, Lubba?"
"Could you... repeat this after I've said it to you?" Lubbock requested and Tatsumi raised his eyebrows.
"Oh uh sure. What is it?" Lubbock shakily lowered his head over Tatsumi's and their eyes connected almost instantly.
"I love you." He murmured before sealing their lips. Tatsumi wrapped his around Lubbock's waist, kissing back passionately. He then broke the kiss with a large smile.
"I love you too." Tatsumi said breathlessly and would pay to have Lubbock's heart-exploding grin printed perfectly into his mind forever. He pressed their lips together again, loving how close they held each other. He was filled with so much love that he felt like his poor heart could not take much more.
Their love truly is an unfair gift.
