Chapter 15

5 years later

Tokyo was many things. It was a bustling mecca, a metropolis that never slept and was a haven for prosperity that had touched so many. Millions flock to it with the hopes of finding their niche, hoping to settle into a place where they can prosper and thrive, but that privilege is often reserved for only a few; For those whom are willing to fight for it.

Many know this lesson all too well, but for a small bakery in the heart of downtown, all it had ever known was prosperity ever since opening its doors only a single year ago. Every morning, the street was filled with the scent of freshly baked croissants and bagels, morning turnovers and jelly filled doughnuts. The coffee was always rich and for those whom wished tea, there was even an assortment of loose leaf for them to choose from. The scent alone drew dozens in the first hour, but far earlier in the morning is when the Tatty-Cakes Bakery's owner would rise.

The sun had yet to brighten the sky still filled with billions of stars that sparkled like tiny untouchable gems, barely held at bay by the glow of the silver moon that hung just above the morning horizon. The streets were in that brief moment of calm just before the morning began to wake, but one inside his apartment above the Tatty-Cakes Bakery, his day was just beginning.

Atsushi Murasakibara had been awake for nearly an hour, sitting at his small dining table with a cup of coffee and his morning paper. It was his morning routine to wake up early, somewhere around 3am, and enjoy the morning calm before heading downstairs to his quaint little shop. It allowed him to think, to reflect on how five years had changed so much and how much his relationship with his father had grown. He had kept to his offer to pay for his tuition and after that, he had extended his hand of apology to the rest of his children. Five years had begun to heal the wounds left behind, and he had never lost touch with his uncle, but not a day went by that he didn't think about her.

He had written her back after receiving that one letter, but he had never received another from her no matter how much he had wished it. Everyday he walked home from school, he would check the mail, hoping with all hope to see another addressed to him, but everyday, there was nothing. He had kept that letter, kept it safe in a small lockbox he kept in his closet, but it had been so long since he had looked at it, that its words had faded from memory. The one and only time he had heard from Tatsuki Himuro was five years ago.

As Atsushi finished his coffee, he set down his paper and went to the kitchen to put his mug in the sink, brushing a hand back through his shoulder length purple hair to push the chin length bangs out of his face. It was damp from his morning shower and with a few passes of his fingers, he gathered it up and pulled it back into a ponytail.

He padded to his bedroom where he shed his bathrobe and tossed it onto his made bed before putting on his slacks and plain white t-shirt that helped to hide the copious amounts of flour that tended to get on his clothes while he worked. He sat down and slipped on his comfortable sneakers before rummaging through the pile of clean laundry he had yet to fold and put away. He dug out a long apron that he slung over his arm and with a final check in the mirror, he put his wallet into his back pants pocket, picked up his keys from the dining table and headed out the door.

There was a benefit to living above his own shop, and that was that his commute to work was short and sweet. He trudged down the stairs and unlocked the heavy door at the bottom that lead out into the darkened kitchen of the Tatty-Cakes Bakery. It was pitch dark, only broken by a small nightlight he kept plugged into the wall near his large stand mixer. He reached to the side and flicked on the lights, illuminating the stainless steel of his bakery's kitchen. He slipped the neck loop of his apron over his head as he stepped in and closed the door, easily tying the strings in the back to secure it to his torso before going to the front of the bakery to prepare the coffee and espresso machines for the day.

He filled the filters with fresh coffee grounds, smiling as he drew in a deep lungful that was filled with the earthy richness of the roasted beans. It was invigorating, energizing and a scent that he come to love during his time in culinary school. He filled the water trough with filtered water and with a simple flick of a long finger, the machine switched on to begin its lengthy brew. He wet a rag to wipe down the front display case, making sure the glass was as clear as the water he used to make his coffee and once that was done, it was time to set to work in the kitchen.

He readied the flour, the yeast, and preheat all five of his large ovens before beginning to mix up the morning's batch of fresh croissants, perfectly twisting them into crescents before setting aside a portion to press out flat by hand. He cut even strips of the fragile and flaky dough before putting them in the enormous fridge to keep cool while he mixed up the fruit flavored jelly with his large mixer. He added flavor and gelatin to make it gooey and thick before pulling out the strips and smearing healthy amounts of it over each one until it was gone. He folded them expertly before putting them into the oven with the croissants and once that was done, he set to prepare the rest of the day's treats.

He mixed up cake batter ranging from vanilla to strawberry to chocolate, but today was a special day, as it was the day his renowned chocolate lava cupcakes would be available. He made the cream cheese filling, the light and airy whipped topping and once the batter was readied, he put the right amounts into each paper cup. The entire time the morning aged and he never once stopped smiling.

As it came time to open for the day, Atsushi cleaned himself up and unlocked the door before switching on his open sign. He turned on the small dining room lights to help light his storefront before setting out a couple display cases and his sandwich bored to advertise his special of the day. The sun had just begun to brighten the day and just like every morning, the people of Tokyo took notice of the Tatty-Cakes Bakery.

No more than twenty minutes after he opened, the morning rush began to file in, lining up out the door just to get a coffee and breakfast, many with the hopes of snagging one of the Tatty-Cakes famous chocolate lava cupcakes. It was a busy morning, but one he had gotten used to and enjoyed.

As the morning rush died down, giving Atsushi the time he needed to prepare and bake more pastries and treats, the entry bell on the front door sounded, drawing his attention back to the front, but as he reached the doorway with no door, he stopped and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You're late, Lora-Chin." He said dully, somewhat glaring at the small woman whom was huffing and puffing.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Murasakibara!" She prattled off quickly, shutting the door and unzipping her thin coat to show her t-shirt printed with the logo for the bakery; A cupcake with the paper cup printed with the bakery's name.

"You didn't call." Atsushi said, just watching her set her purse and coat into the cubbyhole beneath the register as he leaned up against the door frame.

"I was running! I missed the bus this morning because it came early and then-" She started to ramble off until Atsushi held up a hand.

"Buses aren't early, or late, Lora-Chin." He said with no emotion showing on his face.

The small woman with jet black hair and dark eyes the shade of obsidian sighed as she hung her head and covered her face with her hands. She was barely tall enough to come up to his chest and she was so thin that Atsushi felt like he needed to stuff a few cupcakes down her throat just to ensure she would live. He had hired her on a few months ago, needing the help to run the bakery since its popularity was growing faster than he could keep up. She was a good worker, but was often scatterbrained as she juggled work, college classes and her studies. He usually had to snap her out of her daydreaming and when he did, she usually got flustered and fluttered about to make up for it. She was exhausting to work with at times, but she listened and his customers liked her which was enough for him to keep her around.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Murasakibara. I really am. I overslept because I was studying for my midterms last night and lost track of time." She mumbled, hanging her head and bowing with the hopes of being forgiven.

Atsushi lightly sighed, "Make sure it doesn't happen again... Or just call next time."

"Yes, Mr. Murasakibara!" She barked loudly as she stayed low in her deep bow.

"Man the front for awhile. I've gotta bake more sweets." Atsushi said, standing up straight from the open door frame and uncrossing his arms.

"I've got it." She said, finally rising from her bow to start work.

Atsushi quietly and slowly exhaled as he watched her for a moment, letting his head settle as she slipped on an apron with the same logo embroidered on its front. She pulled her hair back into a bouncy ponytail and as she settled into manning the front of the small, yet popular bakery, he turned and disappeared into the kitchen to work.

As he listened to the front of his bakery, he worked on baking more pastries and cupcakes, knowing full well that the chocolate lava cupcakes were popular with his customers. They always were and he knew that he needed more just to be able to keep up with the demand. He baked dozens of batches, let them cool before mixing up the airy whipped topping and squeezing the fluffy curls to crown the tops. He sprinkled the tiny chocolate flecks over them before letting them sit for just a few more minutes, buying him time to clean up just a bit before taking the trays out front. The customers that were in the shop beamed with delight at seeing fresh cupcakes and near immediately began buying them in multiples. It made him smile that his work was so well received, and as he turned to head back into the kitchen to keep working, the door opened with a soft chime and a familiar voice touched his ears.

"The defense has no leg to stand on. I submitted the right motions, so if they don't like it, they can talk to the judge... I don't care if the defense is threatening to submit a motion for a change of venue. The trial can be anywhere for all I care. It doesn't change the fact that we have irrefutable evidence of their clients' illegal property acquisitions." The woman said in a firm, confident voice.

Atsushi's brows lightly furrowed as he listened, trying to place the voice that made him halt his work. He stayed perfectly still, just listening and thinking, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't place the voice.

"Look, if you're that worried about it, then do an overview of the case. You'll see that all the defense is trying to do is delay the prosecution... Uh huh... I understand, but I promise I'm right on this. I meet with the judge in an hour, so I've gotta get something to uplift my mood. I'll call you once I'm done... Okay... I understand... Talk to you later... Uh huh... Goodbye."

That voice; That smooth, elegant and feminine voice was so familiar, but it was firmer, harsher almost than what his mind was remembering. They were memories he hadn't looked at in years, hadn't had the time to with going through culinary school and running his own bakery. All he had thought about was baking, but it was baking that put the pieces together.

His eyes opening wide, Atsushi sucked in a breath as he dropped his hand towel onto the stainless steel counter and headed for the front of his bakery. His heart had begun to beat harder instead of faster and as he reached the open doorway, he stopped and stared.

The woman standing at the display case was tall, smartly dressed in a gray business suit with a knee length skirt and modest pumps so they didn't make her even taller than she already was. He hair was pinned up, but he could tell that it was long and as dark as a moonless night. Her skin was pale, porcelain and her eyes were a sparkling silver, but the very thing that confirmed what he was thinking, was the beauty mark beneath her only visible eye; Her right one.

"Welcome to Tatty-Cakes. Can I get you anything?" Atsushi's employee asked cheerfully, standing behind the display case and in front of the woman as she studied what was available.

"Oh gosh... I don't even know yet. It all looks so good. I saw the sign out front that you have chocolate lava cupcakes here? I'd love a half dozen if there's some still available." The woman said with a gentle smile.

Atsushi couldn't believe his eyes, couldn't believe what his heart was telling him, but he knew he wasn't hallucinating. It had to be her, had to be the one person that he had thought lost to the wide expanse of the world and as she smiled, his heart was immediately alight with a feeling he hadn't felt since he was in high school.

"M-Muro-Chin?" He finally spoke, swallowing down his breath just to keep him conscious as the woman's smile quickly died.

Hearing that name, the woman looked up from the girl working the front counter as her silver eyes set on the insanely tall man standing in the open doorway. His hair was the same shade of purple she hadn't thought about in years, hadn't had the time to think about. His eyes were the same large lavender irises that had never failed to make her heart skip a beat and he looked no older than he did the day he was torn away from her. She thought he was gone; Had thought that she had let him slip through her fingers, but as chance would have it, she was standing in his bakery.

"A-Atsu?... Atsu, is that you?" Tatsuki managed to ask, her lips open in a soft gape as she stared.

Atsushi nodded, "Yeah."

"Oh my god... I thought it was just a coincidence about the name, but-" her voice trailed off, "You named your bakery after me?" She asked, swallowing as the back of her eyes began to sting with her realization.

"Yeah... I um... I use a lot of the recipes we came up with back in high school too." Atsushi said as his cheeks began to thrum with a warm blush.

"I'd heard the gossip, but... it just seemed like one of those things that served as a little reminder of how things were. I finally got a chance to come down and see for myself." Tatsuki said as she started to smile.

Atsushi blew out a somewhat nervous breath as he stepped out of the doorway, walking up to the counter where his employee had to crane her neck up in order to look at him, but the woman in front of her didn't have to to nearly such a degree.

"D-Do you have some time? I have a fresh batch cooling if you want those." Atsushi said, his cheeks still burning with his flush.

"Yeah... I have a little bit. Where I have to go is just down the block." Tatsuki said, pointing over her shoulder with her thumb.

"W-Wanna stay for a coffee?" Atsushi asked, hiding his hands behind his back so she couldn't see him picking at his fingernails.

"Yeah... I'd like that." Tatsuki said with a widening in her smile.

Atsushi returned the smile as he untied his apron and pulled it off, setting it down on the back counter as he sent a simple nod at his employee whom was near gushing her excitement that her boss was sitting down to some coffee with a woman he seemed to know. He lead Tatsuki to a small cafe table in the corner where he pulled out a chair and offered her a seat. She blushed a bit as she set her bag down and sat, smiling the whole time as he scooted her in and went to sit across from her. Despite the years, she never once forgot that even sitting down, Atsushi was tall. He was so tall in fact, that one of his legs had to stick out from underneath the table so his other would have room. It made Tatsuki softly chuckle as his employee brought them a pair of espressos that had been topped with whipped cream made in house.

"You look really great, Atsu. This place looks wonderful." Tatsuki said, nodding her thank you to the girl as she picked up a small spoon to stir in the whipped cream.

Atsushi lightly smiled, "Thank you. It's been a crazy year since I opened." He said, swiping a finger through the whipped cream to bring some to his mouth.

"I've heard. Some of my coworkers rave about this place. They say the coffee is rich and the pastries even richer." She said, tapping her spoon against the rim of the warm mug and setting it down.

"I work really hard to make people happy and so far, it's paid off." Atsushi said, lifting his coffee to his lips and taking a sip of the delightful brew.

"It shows," she took a sip and softly hummed, "Oh wow... This is really good. I've wanted to come by and check it out, but I've been so busy with work." Tatsuki said, setting her coffee down and dabbing her lips dry.

"It sounded like it. You made it as a lawyer?" He asked, resting his elbow down on the table to cradle his chin in his hand.

Tatsuki nodded, "Yeah... I'm an assistant district attorney working agricultural law. I made it a bit further than my dad." She smiled and took a sip.

"How is your dad?" Atsushi asked.

"He's doing really well... I did it, by the way; I stopped Shirō." She said as her smiled softened.

Atsushi sat up, "You did?"

"Yeah... That's what I'm working on now. Not long after you left, Shirō got caught trespassing on other peoples' land. It opened the door for my dad to investigate his family's dealings and we found a trail of illegal acquisitions. His family had illegally acquired the properties via fraud. It's been a long road, but... his family's ruined." Tatsuki briefly explained before taking a sip.

"The greedy are always the first to fall." Atsushi said, swiping another lap of whipped cream for himself from the top of his espresso.

Tatsuki nodded, "How're things with your family?" Her smiled was completely gone.

However, Atsushi smiled, "Better. Turns out that my dad wasn't as hard as I thought. Beneath that shell, he's a good man."

"R-Really?... I thought you said-" Her voice trailed off.

"I did, but at the time, I didn't know that he actually cared." Atsushi said.

"B-But you never came back. Is it because he wouldn't let you?" She asked as the corners of her lips began to turn down.

"You were already gone. When I first got back, I didn't leave my room unless I was going to school, and it wasn't until the day I got your letter that I actually said a word to him. That's when I found out that there was more to him than I thought." Atsushi said, finally stirring his espresso now that most of the whipped cream had been consumed.

"I meant to write back, Atsu, but-" she sighed, "I just got so wrapped up in pre-law and... college that I forgot. I wish there was a better reason why I never wrote you again, but there isn't." She said, her hands wrapped around the mug to absorb its warmth.

"I know... I was never upset with you. I understood why, but that didn't hold off the days where I missed you." Atsushi said, crossing his arms on the table as he studied her face.

"You weren't upset that I abandoned you?" She asked, briefly smiling at him as she held his gaze.

"No... I couldn't even I wanted to." He said in just above a whisper.

At the way his eyes looked at her and the low tone in his voice, Tatsuki's heart tripped over itself, stumbling down the hill she had spent years climbing. She truly did miss him, missed the time they had spend together and the carefree life they had briefly lived and as time had passed, she had had her moments of reminiscing in her own memories. As time had went on, those memories had faded, had become blurry, but sitting at that table, in that bakery and across from him, they felt renewed and whole.

"So um... So is there someone special you share all this with?" She asked, her gentle smile returning to light her eyes.

Atsushi shook his head, "No... You?"

"No. Being a lawyer tends to put a damper on one's love life." She said, returning to sipping her coffee.

"So does running your own business." He briefly laughed that was soon joined with hers that was so familiar, it made his heart flutter.

"I can only imagine. You have flour on your cheek." She said.

However, instead of staying still and letting him take care of the white smear on his cheek, she reached out and brushed it away with the pads of her fingers. The entire time, their eyes never left the others and when she took her hand away, his cheek now cleaned, only then did she feel the returned blush in her cheeks.

"S-Sorry... Just familiar I guess." She said, deciding it best to look down at her swirling coffee.

The moment her fingers had touched his skin, every single memory he had of her flooded into the front of his mind, remembering the feel of her, how soft her lips were and how silky her skin felt. It had been a long time since he had last gotten to feel such a thing that felt like the flour he baked with, but in that single moment, he couldn't keep himself from smiling.

"Are you free tonight?" He asked, earning back her gaze as her cheeks darkened even more.

"U-Uh... Y-Yeah... I am... After my meeting, that is." She said, brushing her fingers through her bangs to sweep them over her left eye.

"Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight? Lora-Chin can close up." He said with a gentle flutter of nerves in his stomach.

"I would... 7 o'clock?" She asked as her smile began to return in force.

Atsushi nodded, "7 o'clock." He said.

Tatsuki beamed before bending down and reaching into her purse, pulling out a small notepad and pen where she quickly jotted down her address and phone number before sliding it across the table towards him. She bit her bottom lip before finishing her coffee and standing from her chair, and with just a wave, she said goodbye and headed for the door to go to her meeting. He understood she had to, she wasn't retreating, but as the door closed behind her, he realized she had forgotten her cupcakes.

With just a soft smile, he headed back into his kitchen to prepare a half dozen cupcakes.

If there was one feeling that Atsushi didn't like, it was the feeling of his stomach in knots. He hated the sensation of his stomach flipping over itself, threatening to make him taste whatever he ate for a second time. He hated how it made him jittery. Hated how it made him fidget all that much more with his tongue bar and above all, hated how it made him flush with waves of heat.

If there was one feeling that Atsushi didn't like, it was the feeling of his stomach in knots before his dinner date with Tatsuki.

Atsushi blew out a nervous breath as he adjusted his gray vest, tugging it down so it laid perfectly smooth against his large torso. He smoothed it down before adjusting his deep purple necktie, loosening it just a tiny bit to make it easier to breathe before picking up his comb and running it through his blow dried hair. He glared at his flat purple locks, kept smooth and shiny from the small amount of gel he used, but the look didn't satisfy him. It just felt off, so with a huffed grunt, he combed it back and pulled it up into a ponytail.

Feeling much better about his hair, Atsushi gave himself one last look over, nodding his approval at his white and gray suit. His long sleeved white shirt was accented with a light gray vest that was the same shade as his long slacks. His belt was perfectly aligned with his vest's buttons and with the final adjustment of rolling his sleeves up to his elbows, he sighed and smiled.

Finally ready, he slipped his shining silver watch onto his left wrist before picking up his waist coat and the neatly wrapped package he had brought up from the bakery, containing a half dozen chocolate lava cupcakes he had baked only a couple hours prior. He put on his coat, leaving it open since it wasn't all that chilled outside and with one last blow of nervous breath, he picked up his keys and headed out the door.

With having his own business, having a way to get around was a necessity. He stepped out into the back alley of his bakery where his small truck was parked, emblazoned with his bakery's logo on each door. It was an older truck, but thanks to his experiences back when he was a teenager, he found older vehicles to be endearing. Plus, they had the added advantage of being big enough for him to get into.

He unlocked the driver's side door and sidestepped into the seat, setting the package down on the passenger seat before shutting the door and starting up the engine. It grumbled to life, but it was in good repair and it shifted easily into first gear. Ever since learning how to drive a manual, he had fallen in love with it and as he got older, moving through high school and up into college before opening his own business, he had gotten a stick shift simply because he liked it.

He stopped at the end of the alleyway and waited for a break in traffic before pulling out, heading in the direction of Tatsuki's address that she had given him that morning. His phone sat in its cradle on the dash, guiding him towards the entered address that had turned out was only a short drive away in a high rise apartment building near the governmental center of the city. He had picked his spot for his bakery specifically for that reason, as during the weekday, the many businessmen and women would come to his shop to take a load off from their stressful careers. It ensured business kept up and because of it, his strategic location, he had already taken a huge chunk out of his debt.

The short drive was soon over as he pulled into the underground parking garage of the apartment building, parking in a visitors spot and turning off the truck. He looked around at the other cars before stepping out, all of them being high end luxury cars that made his older truck he used for deliveries stand out like a sore thumb. It made the nervousness in his stomach spike, but with a long, unbroken huff of air, he opened his door and stepped out.

Following the wall plaques as he walked the halls, Atsushi took the time to relax, and as he rode the elevator up to the ninth floor, he released the last of his nervousness in a long, single breath. It may have only been a few moments, but it had done the trick and arriving in front of apartment 912, he steeled his nerves and rung the doorbell.

However, when the door opened, Atsushi's nerves thundered uncontrolled as he stared at Tatsuki, her hair pinned up in a messy bun with several bits falling free and with her swept bangs still, and always, covering her left eye. She wore a shapely knee length skirt with the same modest pumps and her top was a lazy tunic style blouse that hung off one shoulder. She wore a black tank top underneath that tied in her skirt and over her eyes was a pair of thick framed black glasses that made her eyes pop with a sparkle.

"H-H-Hi." Atsushi exhaled with his eyes staying wide open as he scanned her up and down.

Tatsuki's own eyes widened as she scanned Atsushi up and down, her lips parting in a silent gasp that soon turned into a soft smile.

"H-Hi... W-Wow... You look really nice, Atsu." She said, stepping aside to allow him to step into her home.

Atsushi hesitated for a moment before stepping passed her, not daring to go further than the small entry table resting against the wall. Her apartment wasn't the largest, in fact, his was bigger, but it was far nicer than his. The floor was polished bamboo and the walls were painted a calm sage green with one wall painted with a mural of a golden field of wheat. The air was fresh, crisp since her home was so high up and on the other side of the living room, was a wide balcony that had a lounge chair and a small glass table where she could sit, relax and admire the view.

"You have a really nice place, Muro-Chin." He said, turning around just enough to look at her as she shut the door.

"Thank you. I fell in love with it when I saw the mural. It reminded me of home." She said, stepping passed him and walking into the living room that only had a couch, a coffee table and a TV in it.

"It looks like Uncle Hiroshi's fields in Spring." He said, following her into the living room and eyeballing the few framed pictures she had hung up on the wall above the couch.

Tatsuki nodded as she picked up her coat and purse from her kitchen table, "It does. I'm ready when you are." She smiled.

Atsushi returned the same smile as he offered her his arm, unable to stop himself from smiling even wider as she beamed and took it with a soft hand. He lead her back to the door and opened it for her, allowing her to step through first before following her out into the hallway. She locked her door and once again arm in arm, they headed down into the parking lot.

At seeing his older truck, she teased him a bit, softly giggling just like he remembered that he hadn't deviated from having a stick shift since she taught him all those years ago. It made him laugh and as they both got into the truck, he headed out onto the street bound for his chosen restaurant.

Despite not a word being said on the drive, the atmosphere was light, comforting as every now and again, they would steel glances at each other. They smiled every time they were caught and after only a short while, Atsushi found an open spot in the street to park out in front of a small evening cafe.

"Oh, I love this place, Atsu! I come here for lunch sometimes when I wanna take a load off from work!" Tatsuki beamed excitedly, unbuckling herself and opening the door.

Atsushi continued to smile as he stepped out of his truck and walked around to her side, holding up the small wrapped package of cupcakes that he set down in her awaiting hands.

"These are for you. You forgot them this morning." He said as Tatsuki's beaming smile somehow got even bigger.

"Atsu-" she exhaled, "Thank you so much! I didn't realize it until I was talking with the judge and I was so sad." Tatsuki said, smiling up at him sweetly as she held the neatly wrapped box close.

"I wanted you to have them. I haven't changed the recipe at all." He said, smiling and shying into his shoulders for a moment before leading her towards the etched glass front doors of the cafe.

"Recipe?... Atsu, are you using ours?" She asked, her mouth soft with disbelief, but her eyes were filled with admiration as he opened the door for her.

Atsushi nodded as he followed her through the door, "Mmhmm... Y-You don't mind; Do you?"

"Oh god, Atsu... Of course not! I'm flattered you thought our recipe was good enough for your bakery!" Tatsuki beamed, holding the small box even closer as if she was trying to protect it.

"They're really popular. When I advertise them, I've really gotta turn them out, or I run out. It's why I had to hire Lora-Chin; She runs the front while I work in back." Atsushi said, holding up two fingers to the hostess to silently tell her a table for two.

"I understand, Atsu... D-Do you use any others of ours?" Tatsuki asked, following the hostess towards a lovely table for two with a burning candle in its center.

"Yes. I make our candy-canes too." He said as he felt his cheeks beginning to burn even hotter.

Tatsuki lightly gasped, placing the tips of her fingers against her lips, "R-Really?"

Atsushi nodded as he slid into the booth, "Yeah. They're mainly a holidays kind of thing, but I've changed it a couple times to make fruity ones for Spring and I've even made an orange cinnamon kind for Fall." He said, watching her as she sat down across from him.

"That's so great. I'd love to try one someday." She said with a widening of her smile that Atsushi couldn't resist.

"I'd like that."

As their eyes met, their smiles softened into ones of endearment, ones that were frozen as if time had stopped around them. For all the years that had passed by; All the years he had been left to memory to see the way her eyes sparkled and how even though only one was typically visible, he could still see her entire face. For all the years that had passed, he could still see her face whenever he closed his eyes, in his dreams and even in those tiny moments whenever he would blink. His heart missed those eyes, her voice, the touch of her skin and now that he sat across from her, seeing the face that had been left to memory, it was like those years never existed.

"D-Do you wanna start over, or pick up where we left off?" Atsushi asked, finally drawing in a breath once his lungs had begun to demand it.

"You really want to? Even after how I left things?" She asked, reaching across the table with her palms up.

Atsushi didn't hesitate as he reached out and took her hands, "You left things as best they could. We got dealt kinda a shit hand."

"It was never shitty, Atsu... Things just got in the way." She said, never once looking away from his purple gaze.

"Yeah... I don't see anything else in our way now." He said.

"Neither do I."

"How about where we left off then?" He asked, starting to smile wider as he fell into her eyes.

At his words, the way his hands cradled hers with a gentle touch despite their sheer size, Tatsuki's heartbeat was the only thing she could hear. It was slow and steady, not at all nervous, or anxious at the thought of being with him again as if time hadn't passed for them. The gentle and kind look on his face was just as calming and as she tightened her fingers around his, her smile grew to as wide and beaming as the sun's rays on a field of gold.

"I'd like that."

From the time of his first memory, of his first steps as a small child and having to grow up in a household underneath a rigid father, Atsushi, for the first time in his life, felt like everything had finally fallen in line. His business was booming, and his relationship with his father and family was better than it had ever been. They ate dinner together as a family once a month, giving each of the five children time to arrange travel all the way back to Akita where their father and mother still lived. His father adored his grandchildren, and once a month, he got to enjoy his youngest son's baking.

In all his life, there was one thing Atsushi Murasakibara wanted, had dreamed about, and that was to have his father's approval. He felt as if he would never get it, but sitting there across from her, across from the woman whom had showed him a different world, he knew, that come the next time he saw the man, she would be by his side and he would get it.

Amongst the fields of gold from a farm that seemed so far away, he knew it would always be with him from now on. He had his bakery. He had his family, and now, he had it all; He had Tatsuki.