Hello! This is not my first account, but this is my first story on this particular account. I hope you like the story, and warning: Spoilers for those who did not read Chapter 45 (or the beginning) of the manga. This is mostly about Tatsumi, but there will be a little Tatsumi x Mine fluff towards the end ^.^ I felt like writing some angst, I mean I don't think that someone could fully get over the tragic deaths of their childhood friends. It'll at least take a couple of years, but who knows everyone's different.

Ta-

Tatsumi..

Tatsumi, we can't keep meeting like this forever, you know?

You've grown really strong. We're proud to have called you our best friend.

But your friends need you. We'll meet again someday! I promise!

Don't give up, champ! You're so close.

Close to what?

I'm sorry that some of your new friends died, but they are in a better place now.

We have to go, but we'll see you again!

Wait..

We're proud of you, Tatsumi! You're getting stronger every day.

Goodbye, Tatsumi.

Don't go..

Keep your head up! We'll keep watching over you, so don't worry.

Please..

Bye bye, Tatsumi!

Gasping, Tatsumi bolted up in his bed.

He sighed as he realized that it was just another sad dream about his late friends, Sayo and Ieyasu.

He hasn't been having dreams about them a lot, but for some reason he always dreams about them every time something happens, whether it's after a big fight or if one of his Night Raid comrades are hurt, or worse.

What makes him feel bad about those dreams the most is that he hates it when he dreams them. He hates that after each dream he always wakes up on the verge of tears, he hates that he wakes up emotionally exhausted, and he hates that they are so close. They're always so close, close enough to touch, but he knows that he could never touch them.

Tatsumi got up out of his bed and went out of his room, weaved through the hideout stealthily as to not wake up anyone, and quietly closed the hideout's door. Breathing in the cool night air he went and sat out in the lawn. Because they had to go and find another hideout after the whole Dr. Stylish fiasco, they couldn't bring Sayo and Ieyasu's graves with them. Tatsumi knew that it wouldn't be logical to bring the graves with them, but it still hurt to know that he had to leave behind the only thing that gave proof that they had lived in this world.

Since he couldn't stare at their graves, he decided to look up and stare at the stars instead. He always wondered what happened when someone dies. One of his favorite theories is that their souls turn into a star, that way they can always look down at their loved ones from above.

Unknowingly shaking, Tatsumi whispered to himself. "It's not fair".

It's not fair that they got separated before they could reach the capital.

It's not fair that both of them died a terrible death, and Tatsumi wasn't there to help protect them.

It's not fair that they left the world without him, that he had to face the outside world alone, that he never even got to say goodbye.

Not surprisingly, Tatsumi found himself wiping away a few stray tears that fell down his face. This always happened. He would sit out here, and just began thinking. He thought of the good times, the bad times, and the times that could have been. The times that should have been.

And then he'd start crying.

It always depended on how much he thought. The more thoughts he had, the more tears would fall.

Eventually, he stopped fighting the tears, and instead he sought a little bit of comfort in them. Especially because he'd hear a strangely familiar voice in his head say "It's okay to cry as much as you need."

He didn't mean to, but Tatsumi would always expect Sheele to come out of nowhere and hug the pain away for him. He knew that he would never feel Sheele's hugs again, but he can't manage to convince himself of that fact, and it makes him cry even harder because it just hurts so much.

It hurts to know that he wasn't strong enough to save four people that he cared about.

It hurts to know that he's still too weak, and that another one of his friends could die and he can't be there to help them.

It hurts to know that he's always the one who needs saving, and he can barely even save himself, let alone another person.

But that's not entirely true. He saved Mine from Seryu's wrath a few weeks ago.

Smiling to himself, Tatsumi remembers when he set Mine on the cliff, and how beautiful she looked even though she was clearly beaten up and in pain.

He wonders if he started falling for her a long time before that event. It wouldn't be surprising, considering that they always playfully argued with each other.

While deep in his thoughts, Tatsumi didn't hear the door open, and a certain pink haired girl step out and begin to walk toward him.

Mine knew about his dreams. Tatsumi confided in her about them one day while they were hunting for food together. Lately they've been learning more about each other, and they've been seeking comfort in each other's presence. They thought it was a little funny how they were so different at the beginning, but they knew that it was because they were both headstrong and perfect for each other.

Stepping carefully in the grass, she forgot to put shoes on, Mine crept up behind Tatsumi and wrapped her arms around him.

She felt him tense up, and in a small voice he whispered "Sheele..?"

Mine smiled and hugged him a little tighter. "Nope."

Tatsumi slowly eased up, and for a while both of them stayed like that.

He began thinking that maybe, just maybe, things will be okay after all.

Mmhmm. I hope this story is okay, lol.