A/N: A bit late, but I suffered from some major writer's block that kept me back. It's getting better now, and the result of my labor is this... yumelicious chapter!

Once again, thank you for reviewing and reading! It means so much to me :)

Rena: Thank you again! I'm so glad I could make your day! As for your wishes, I'll see what I can do...

Chapter 13: His Girlfriend, Not His Secretary

Kaname Kuran woke up in his bed, yawning and stretching as he gradually came to. He stared at the ceiling; sleep clouding his mind as he worked through the events of the last night. His eyes widened as he turned frantically to the other side of the bed.

Though he should have expected it, he was heartbroken to find it empty… again.

The white pillow taunted him as he stared at it, a million thoughts churning in his head. He felt his heart crack and break in his chest; shattering into tiny pieces as it dawned on him that once again, Yuuki had left him without a word.

Just like that one time all those months ago, he'd woken up to the sight of the empty space next to him.

How could she…? He ignored the tears burning in his eyes as he stared at the pillow where her head was supposed to rest. He had half the mind to get up and search for her compulsory note where she said "sorry", like the last time.

Hey, maybe this time around she changed up the kanji in the way she spelled sorry?

"Yuuki…" He breathed, reigning in his panic and heartache.

"Looking for me?"

His eyes shot to the door, finding her leaning against the doorframe. His eyes trailed up her naked legs and thighs, which were abruptly covered by a black shirt.

His shirt.

It was slightly oversized and the top buttons were unbuttoned, showing off the valley of her breasts. His mouth watered at the sight as she sauntered towards him, a hungry look in her eyes.

Yuuki climbed onto the bed and straddled him. She pursed her lips as she watched his expressionless face and the lingering panic in his eyes.

"Oh no…" She brushed his chin softly, "you thought I left again, didn't you?"

His eyes lowered, unable to directly look at her and acknowledge the truth in her words.

"Oh, Kaname," she sighed sadly, "I'm sorry." She tipped his chin up and leaned down, searching his eyes.

"I'm not leaving you. Ever." She kissed his cheek. "I." She kissed his other cheek. "Promise." She rained kisses on his forehead and eyes. "You."

She kissed his lips softly and gently. Kaname's eyes were wide open as he watched her.

Yuuki pulled away and glanced down upon him, her eyes pleading with him to understand the extent of her feelings.

"Say something," she pleaded.

Kaname blinked, his mouth opening slightly as he stared at her numbly.

"Wow." He uttered, reaching up and stroking her chin.

"Is that a good wow or a bad wow…?" Yuuki trailed off uncertainly, leaning into his touch.

"A good wow," he replied, "as in – wow I can't believe you're here and you're real and… you're mine." His eyes softened as he watched her.

She clenched his hand on her cheek. "I am yours. I have been for a long time, you know that."

After the wedding, and after learning about Hanabusa and Yori's defiling activities on Yuuki's bed, they had retired to his home where they'd spent the night talking. Memories of the last time the two of them had been in his mansion haunted them, and so they wordlessly agreed that they would take things slow. After all, they had a lot to talk about.

They talked into the early hours of the morning, about everything from their issues to where they'd been during their separation. When the sun rose outside, Kaname offered her one of his shirts to sleep in, stating that she shouldn't ruin her beautiful dress while she slept. He had simply stayed in his white shirt and pants, content as long as she snuggled up against him while they slept.

Although he was still recovering from his massive heartbreak, he could feel his heart already healing. The more they talked, the more he discovered about her and truly got to know her. Their conversation flowed with ease, and it was so wonderful to just talk to someone about the little things in life instead of business and schedules.

He fell even more in love with her that night as they laughed about random things and teased each other.

"You sure know how to make a man wait," he chuckled, looking up at her in reverence. "Ever since the moment you walked into my office I've been crazy about you. These months when we were separated felt like years; I honestly didn't know if I would ever be able to let go of you."

Yuuki inhaled and exhaled, clearly uncomfortable with the guilt that swarmed her. "The way you feel about me… Am I your first love or something?" She asked, curiosity shining in her eyes.

"I guess, yeah."

"Wow," she uttered, cocking her head to the side. "That's… strange. Don't take this the wrong way, but you're way old–"

"Thanks."

She hit his chest. "-er than me, so I figured you'd had your fair share of love over the years. It always baffled me how you could feel so strongly towards me; but then I finally woke up from my stupidity and realized my own feelings were equal to yours."

Kaname pursed his lips, secretly delighting over her admission. "Well, it's not like I haven't been in a few relationships over the years. Most of them were just to please my parents and get them off my back, but there was maybe one relationship that carried more meaning than others."

Yuuki's eyes narrowed. "Really?"

"Why," he said cockily, "jealous?"

"Yes. I want you all to myself," she hissed, bending down and kissing his neck.

He chuckled. "You have me. And besides, that relationship ended badly and I never really think of her anymore. We were just better off separated. "

"Good," she licked up his neck before returning to his face. "Now you're mine."

He licked his lips. "Didn't know you had a possessive streak, Mrs. Kuran."

"Oh!" She slapped his chest lightly. "I'd forgotten about that! You… you sly fox!" She accused, pointing a finger at him.

He could only grin cheekily back in response.

"Those damn receptionists at the hotels we stayed at! Always addressing me as Mrs. Kuran even when I insisted we weren't married. At the time, I didn't really think too much of it, but in hindsight after learning about your feelings… You made them call me that, didn't you?"

"No," he said, his hands stroking the outside of her thighs, "those were accidental, really. But," he admitted, "after they did so, I might have slipped them a few yen bills to keep them addressing you as such. I was crazy in love with you, okay? And I couldn't tell you – so I did the next best thing, which was make other people say it for me."

"You're cute," Yuuki giggled, "in a weird, creepy, obsessed way."

"You make me be this way, Yuuki. I can't control my actions or myself when it comes to you… If you knew the extent of all the serious lectures I've received from Ichijou about sexual harassment at the workplace, you'd know how much I've tried to hold back and control myself."

Yuuki roared with laughter. "Oh my god! You two are such nerds! I can't even…" she wiped a tear from her eye, "I wish I was a fly on the wall during those lectures. Ichijou of all people teaching you about responsibilities… haha!"

"Yeah, well," Kaname chuckled, continuing stroking her thighs, "be glad your boss never sexually harassed you at the workplace. He did his best to control himself."

"I wish he did sexually harass me," she whispered huskily, leaning down, "that couch in his office is so comfortable. And his desk… Mmh, so big and so sturdy, I bet it could withstand some heavy movements…"

Oh. My. God.

Kaname was embarrassingly turned on.

"I'll… let him know about your desires, Mrs. Kuran…" He whispered against her lips. "I'm sure he can... find some time to accommodate your wishes…"

They closed the distance between them, tongues battling as they kissed heatedly. Once again, he felt himself drown in desire as she worked him, growing more and more desperate by the minute. He wasn't lying when he said he'd never felt like this before; no one could make him lose control and discard all rational thought like she did. Even if he'd been in several relationships before, no one could compare to what he had with Yuuki and how he felt about her.

Which made him wonder about her past. Had she ever felt like this towards someone before?"

"Hey…" He reluctantly broke their kiss. She clung onto him and used his reluctance, claiming his lips again.

Damnit, she's too good.

As gently as he could, he pushed her slightly off of him. "Listen, Yuuki… I need to ask you something…"

"Mmh…?" She hummed, her eyes slightly unfocused and her lips swollen from their kissing.

It took every ounce of willpower in his body to not ravage her right there and then.

"Am I… your first love?"

She pursed her lips in thought.

"Awwh, you're so cute!" She gushed, pinching his cheeks.

He flushed, embarrassed but also secretly happy that she thought he was cute. "H-hey…"

"I mean, you're like 30 years old and you're the CEO of the most powerful company in the country, and you're among the top five billionaires in Asia and you're… you're asking me if you're my first love!? You're so cuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!" Yuuki squealed.

Kaname pouted, which only made her squeal louder. He rolled his eyes, sighing. "Well, if you're done emasculating me, I'd like an answer to my question."

Yuuki grinned. "Oh, there's the big bad CEO I know."

"Yuuki…"

"Fine, fine," she held her hands in the air, surrendering, "to answer your question; yes. You are my first love, you stupid and cute CEO. I've had boyfriends and flings but… I always threw them away in fear of developing something deeper because I was never ready. I was… really detached and I didn't care about their feelings. You… made me want to face my fears. My feelings for you blossomed to the point where I realized that I was stupidly in love with you."

Kaname chuckled nervously, preparing himself for the next question.

"Not even Zero…?"

Yuuki's eyes widened. "Zero…"

Oh god, this is where she realizes she loved him all along and she's gonna run out of my arms, even if they had no chemistry or anything love-like between them. Like… some stupid manga.

"Oh, god no!" Yuuki blurted out, her face distorting into a grimace.

"No…?" He mouthed, eyes wide.

"Absolutely not!" She shook her head. "After… well, after I… abandoned you, I decided to end things with him because I realized I had feelings for you that I couldn't ignore. Also… eh, I kinda stood him up on our date that day to go over to your house and…" She blushed. "You know the rest of that story…"

"Don't I," he purred, resuming stroking her thighs, his fingers creeping up beneath the edge of the shirt she was wearing.

"Anyways," she said, arresting his hands and removing them from her thighs, "when I ended things with him he acted like a total asshole. He just went 'ahh, Yuuki, I really liked you, but you… you are just like a bear!' And I just stared and him and asked what he meant by that, and he was like 'you are just like those bears that killed my parents! I hate bears! Next time I see you, Yuuki, I'll kill you…. Like I will kill all bears' and I said: 'You can't go around telling people you're gonna kill them just because they remind you of bears! That's insane! I could report you to the police and have you arrested!' and then he did one of his emo faces and just went like 'you're a bear… you always were…' um, and then he tried kissing me but I slapped him away. And… that's how we ended."

Kaname blinked.

"Yuuki… how on Earth could you ever consider dating this guy? Even when I was crazy about you!"

"Ahh, I know, okay? It was a mistake!" She huffed, crossing her arms. "He was really charming in the beginning, but that whole tsundere gig got annoying in the long run… besides, I didn't know you were into me like that. I mean, I was attracted to you and all that, but you were my bo–"

"Say that again," Kaname smirked.

"What?"

"That you were, in fact, attracted to me from the beginning."

Yuuki blushed. "W-well… yeah. I mean… I wasn't fantasizing about you or anything, but, uh–"

"Sounds like someone who used to fantasize about their boss would say…" Kaname wiggled his brows, leaning up on his forearms.

"I didn't!" She bellowed, her face flushing.

"Shh…" He soothed. "It's okay. You're my girlfriend now, you can confess to me. I won't judge. Which fantasy was it? Was it the 'oops I dropped some papers in front of my boss, now I have to pick it up slowly in front of him?'" He winked.

"Or… was it the 'accidentally walking in on me showering at my house?' fantasy? Oh, wait… That did happen!" Kaname grinned wickedly.

"Oh my god," Yuuki covered her face with her hands. "I'm still scarred by that… And it was an accident! I'd only worked for you about a year, how was I supposed to know you'd walk out of your bathroom completely naked!?"

"Maybe because I was in my own house…?" Kaname trailed off, prying off her hands so he could watch her flushed face.

"Normal people wear a towel after they shower!" She yelled frantically. "Especially when they know their secretary sometimes swings by with important messages and documents!"

Kaname studied the flush in her cheeks and her wonderfully plump lips as she pouted. "Now you're the cute one," he stated, brushing her cheek as he sat up.

"Oh, shut up! You're always doing this to me, making me flustered and embarrassed! I bet you planned on being naked cause you knew I was coming over!" She accused.

When he said nothing in response, her eyes widened almost to the point where he was wondering if they would pop out of her eye-sockets. "Y-you–!"

He pecked her lips quickly. "You enjoyed the show, just admit it."

Yuuki bit her lower lip, trying to stifle her giggle. She launched her arms around his neck, holding him close. "You know…"

"What?" He whispered, looking into her amorous eyes.

"I'd like another show. Sometime soon," she whispered, her finger trailing down the buttons of his shirt. "I feel like I didn't really get a good peek the last time…"

"That…" he trailed off, feeling his heart rate pick up, "could be arranged."

"Good," she said as he leaned down and laid her on her back. Her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer. "I have high expectations after the last time."

"I'll make sure I don't disappoint you," he whispered huskily, claiming her lips.

Weeks passed, and when she wasn't busy with her studies, and he wasn't busy with work, they spent every moment together. She barely slept at her own place anymore; gradually, small pieces of her began to fill his home; a toothbrush here, an item of clothing there, some lipgloss by the counter… It was almost like before, except this time around it felt more intimate. Real.

Kaname smiled as he brushed his teeth, his head filled with thoughts of her. Could anyone be this happy? Was this amount of happiness allowed in one lifetime?

Like he'd expected, they were perfect together. Their professional work-relationship – which had been everything but professional – was just a prelude to the real deal; now, they were both freed of their inhibitions and the rules holding them back – now they could be together and not worry about the world condemning them.

It was freaking awesome.

Kaname nodded to himself in the mirror.

He thought back to all those years ago when he was just her boss, clumsily blurting out that he was in love with her, and then covering up by claiming it was a joke. He remembered that time he'd gotten his hopes up from their dirty dancing and the almost-kiss in Singapore; he'd felt on top of the world, and if he remembered correctly, he'd told her to "act naughty" later in the evening when he planned on sealing the deal.

He shook his head. You moron…

Still, he couldn't help but cherish those memories. They served as a reminder of how long he'd waited; how real his feelings were, and how mind-blowingly amazing it was to have those feelings finally returned by the love of his life.

Vaguely, he recalled Ichijou telling him to "be like a maaaaaaaaan!" during several workout sessions as a way of encouraging him, and giving him the push to take charge and get the girl.

And guess what?

He got the girl.

"You da maaan!" He said proudly, pointing at his reflection while he puffed out his naked chest.

"Who's the who?" Yuuki said curiously, popping her head in through the bathroom door.

"Um…"

The two stared at each other for seconds as Kaname tried coming up with an explanation.

"Awwh!" Yuuki squealed. "I don't know what that was, but yes you are a man! A big, strong man! Yes, yes!" She flexed her arms.

She might be the love of his life, but she sure knew how to make him feel like an idiot.

"Shut up," he said, throwing a towel in her direction.

Yuuki giggled in response, catching the towel and throwing it back at him. It hit him in the face; for a second he was completely covered as Yuuki almost doubled over with laughter, before it slowly fell down, revealing his murderous expression.

Revenge shone in his eyes as he spoke. "So this is how you want to play it…"

Like a deer caught in headlights, Yuuki's eyes widened as she froze, reading his intentions. "No…" She mouthed.

"Oh yes, dear," he hummed, pouncing at her.

Yuuki squealed as she ran down the hallway, giggling as the excitement rushed through her body. Unfortunately for her, he was faster and caught up with her quickly. He caught her in his arms and hoisted her over his shoulder as she kicked her feet and squealed; when he reached the bed, he threw her onto it and pounced on her again.

The tickling was imminent and merciless.

Yuuki yelled as he tickled her, wriggling beneath him. "Ahh.. Sssstoop it!"

"Sorry, I can't hear you…" Kaname teased, continuing tickling her. Having her walk around in his shirt everyday was a blessing; not only was it the sexiest sight in the world, it was a great aid when he wanted to tickle or touch her.

"Kanameeee!" She whined through her tears. "Ssstopp!"

"Hmm… That doesn't sound like an apology to me…"

He intensified his tickling, knowing where to find her most sensitive spots, already acquainted with her body. Yuuki yelled and laughed, tears escaping her eyes as she wriggled around like a cat.

"SSooo…" She managed to squeak out.

"Hmm?" Kaname hummed, grinning at her.

"Sooo-rryyy!" She managed to yell out as she twitched.

Kaname paused, watching as she calmed down. She glanced shyly up at him, begging for him to stop the torture. "I'm sorry," she said again, pouting her lips.

"Not good enough," he quipped, resuming the tickling.

"NOOOO!" She bellowed, wriggling around on the bed. "Y-you're so mean!"

After he'd tortured her to the point he was sure she would faint from excessive tickling, Kaname decided it was time to show some mercy. He stopped tickling her and instead stroked her stomach and ribs, trying to soothe her.

He kissed her eyelids and forehead, waiting for her to open her eyes. She opened her eyes and gave him a guilty look, biting her lower lip.

"Do you forgive me now?" She whispered, reaching up and brushing away the hair from his face.

"I suppose I have no choice but to forgive you. You are just too cute when I tickle you."

Yuuki giggled. "You know what's cuter? Finding your 30-year old boyfriend going "you da man" to the mirror!"

Kaname raised his hand and tightened his fingers as if it was a claw. "Hope you're ready for round three…"

"I take it back! I take it back!" Yuuki said, shielding herself with her hands. "Truce, please!"

Kaname lowered his hand and pinched her chin. "I didn't know you could be this glib. You were always so formal and courteous with me…"

"Well, I was working for you. Little did you know, all those times you woke me up in the middle of the night to ask me random questions, like what kind of suit you should wear in the morning, I was imagining what it would feel like running you over with my car."

Kaname's eyes widened. "You wanted to murder your boss?"

Yuuki smirked, an evil glint in her eyes. "Sometimes, yes."

"That…" He trailed off, lust-filled eyes scanning her face, "turns me on."

"Oh, shut up!" She slapped his bicep. "No it doesn't. Besides, superman, don't you have work!?" At once, panic filled her eyes.

"You're doing it again."

"What?"

"Going into secretary-mode."

"I…" She blushed, relaxing into the mattress. "Old habit. But don't you–"

"You seem to have forgotten that I have a very capable, though alcoholic, vice president at my disposition who can handle some of the business while I take some precious time off to spend with my girlfriend and torture her with tickling."

"How convenient," she muttered darkly, dodging his kiss.

He kissed down her neck, smiling at her antics. "Very."

"Well… does that mean you can take some time off later today? There's someone I want you to meet."

He stilled, removing his lips from her neck and glancing down at her. "Yes, I can. Who am I meeting?"

She smiled wistfully, reaching up and giving him a peck on the lips. "You'll see."

"All right…" Kaname muttered, letting it go momentarily.

"Now where were we…?" He said, narrowing his eyes with glee as she began squealing from his tickling.

They held hands as they walked through the cold landscape. Spring was in the air; the sun shining down and granting life to lifeless flowers and dormant trees; for once animating the otherwise slumbering landscape. Though the air was crisp and cool, there was still lingering warmth there due to the sun; like a ray of hope in a cold, dark world.

Kaname watched the gravestones littering the area, reading the names of the people resting beneath layers of dirt and the greetings from their loved ones. Some of the graves were overflowing with fresh and vibrant flowers, while some were completely devoid of decorations.

It made him sad to think about the people who were left behind; those who became a mere memory in people's busy and hectic life. Would that be his gravestone one day? Forgotten and cold, just a shadow of the life he once used to live?

He tightened his grip on Yuuki's hand unconsciously, needing to feel her warmth lest his thoughts darken further.

She glanced up at him and smiled, leaning into his arm as they walked down the narrow path.

Nerves swirled in her stomach as they got closer to their destination; she could make out the outline of the gravestone, recognizing it despite the amount of years that passed since she last visited. Her therapist had urged her for months to go, but she'd resisted every time, coming up with excuses to avoid visiting the grave.

Now that things had settled with Kaname, and she was finally letting herself bask in the happiness he brought her, she thought it was the right time to take this step. Initially, her therapist had told her to go alone, but after discussing it with her during their last session, Minori had agreed to let Yuuki take Kaname along with her.

"It's just that… I know I'm supposed to be independent and do things on my own, but he makes me stronger. He lifts me up to where I can't reach and holds my hand when I feel like letting go."

Minori nodded quietly. "I understand, then. I think you should bring him. But Yuuki, leaning on someone for strength is not a bad thing. What you just suggested is perfectly normal; you are going to do something very difficult, and you need his support. There's nothing wrong with that."

And so, Yuuki had brought him to the graveyard, allowing herself to receive his support.

She paused in front of the gravestone, taking in the moment.

"Kaname…. Meet my mother, Hitomi Kurosu."

Kaname bowed deeply in respect, his head lowered.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Hitomi. If my guess is right, Yuuki probably inherited your beautiful eyes," he said to the gravestone. "Actually, she's beautiful inside and out, and I'm so very happy to call her my beloved. I'm sure you are proud of her – as am I."

Yuuki smiled shyly at him, wiping her tears.

"Hello mother, it's been a while…" She began, her voice wavering. Kaname squeezed her hand in re-assurance.

"I'm sorry that I didn't visit you for so long. I hope you can forgive me. A lot of things happened, and I'll tell you all about it one day. Just know that… I'm happy." She hugged Kaname's arm as she wiped her tears. "Extraordinarily happy."

Kaname put his arm around her and hugged her to his side, kissing the top of her head gently, knowing how hard it was for her to do this.

He watched the grave in silence, giving her time to gather herself. As he did so, he couldn't help but notice the faded red kanji that spelled out Kaien's name on her mother's grave, and the unmarked slot next to it.

"Yuuki… your… in the time we spent apart, your father… forgive me for not knowing this, but did he…?" Kaname stuttered, unsure whether he could ask the question and what she would answer. He had only spoken with Kaien once, but from their short conversation on the phone he could already tell he liked him. At the time, he thought he would be his future father-in-law. But Yuuki's silence on the matter, and the fact that before they parted Kaien had been admitted to the hospital, made him go into panic mode.

"Die?" Yuuki inquired, her brows furrowing.

"Uh…" He breathed. "Yes. I mean… you never told me about his progress, and now that I see his gravestone…."

"Oh, that!" Yuuki laughed. He stared at her with wide eyes as she laughed in this morose situation. "No, no, not at all. He's alive and kicking. This," she said, motioning to the slot, "was just a temporary case of insanity. A few months after he was admitted, he got into his head that he was going to die, so to spare me he made all the preparations… I was so angry with him and hurt, but when the doctors explained that his little panic attack was induced by stress and the shifting hormone levels in his body, I understood him better. And, actually, a few days after it happened, he was declared 100% healed!"

"Thank god…" Kaname released the breath he'd been holding in. "I'm relieved."

Yuuki laughed. "Me too. Actually, now that you mentioned him, I forgot to tell you that he wants to meet you."

"He knows about me?" Kaname said, feeling pride soar in his chest. The more he and Yuuki progressed, the higher he got. Meeting her father was such a big cornerstone of their relationship… it made everything seem even more real. Even if they'd been officially together for a while now, he still caught himself pinching himself and checking to see if it wasn't just another one of his daydreams. Sometimes, when she slept next to him, he would just lie there and stare at her for a while, memorizing every pore on her face and committing it to memory.

"Yeah," Yuuki said sheepishly, "though I think he's known about us way before I even knew. He's very perceptive."

"Everyone knew, Yuuki. Well, except for you," he teased, flicking her nose.

She huffed in annoyance. "Yeah, yeah, I was stupid. But hey, you remember how angry I got when I first realized everyone except me knew?" She crossed her arms. "You don't want a repeat performance of that!"

Kaname grinned, trying to ignore the sliver hurt that arose when he thought of the time they were practically strangers due to him hurting her.

She noticed him trying to conceal his emotions immediately. "Hey, you," she said, reaching up and cradling his face. "I really did hurt you, didn't I? I'm sorry." She said softly.

"I hurt you first, Yuuki," he smiled wistfully, placing his gloved hand upon hers, "if anything, I deserved it."

"You masochist! You didn't deserve that much pain. I could've gotten my revenge on you in other ways… like, spit in your coffee everyday and fill your shampoo bottle with bleach."

Dark eyebrows shot up his forehead. "Is this what you learn about in therapy? How to plan the perfect revenge?"

Yuuki laughed out loud. "All I'm saying is… check your shampoo bottles, Kaname… they put all kinds of crazy ingredients in shampoos these days…" She winked.

Kaname shook his head, while his heart fluttered in his chest. "You… you really are something else," he said, pulling her close and kissing her forehead.

He turned towards her mother's gravestone slightly and spoke. "Your daughter has some mental issues… but I'll take care of her, I promise."

Yuuki slapped his chest lightly. "Hey! Says the guy that paid an insane amount of money for his secretary's clothes and her apartment without her knowing!"

"All right," he conceded, "seems like you and I both have a few screws loose. Guess that makes us a perfect fit, hm?" He nuzzled her nose with his own.

"Mhm," she nodded, turning towards the grave. "You see, mother? I found someone as crazy as me; my other half, so don't worry about me. We need to get going now, but I'll be back soon to tell you more…" She trailed off, holding back her tears. "Bye…"

My other half… Kaname almost felt faint at her choice of words. His love for her overwhelmed him all of a sudden; swelling painfully in his chest to the point where he thought he was going to burst.

As she turned to walk, Kaname pulled her arm, turning her towards him.

The look in his eyes made her pause, the breath rushing out of her lips. She lost herself in his garnet depths, the myriad of emotions in them arresting her in place. She waited with baited breath to hear what he had to say, secretly yearning to hear him voice his feelings.

"I love you, Yuuki." He said, the strength in his voice as he spoke conveying the true magnitude of his feelings for her. It was simple, yet divinely pure, and she felt it reverberate within her. He loved her deeply, and she believed him, feeling his words sear into her mind as his eyes filled with love. It hit her hard in the chest, but she loved the feeling.

"I love you, too," she said, reaching up on her tip-toes and kissing him. "Thank you for coming today. It means a lot of me… I want to share every aspect of my life with you."

"I'm grateful," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. "It means a lot to me to hear you say that. You already know so much about my life, but I have yet to catch up with yours," he admitted.

"You'll catch up quickly," she smiled, kissing him again. "We have all the time in the world."

A/N: Oh, yeah, that Zero diss with the bears? Sorry, not sorry.