Hi, Lord Muffintops here. I used to not like Toma at all... But writing him has made him grow on me. And so commences our awkward trio! Please, enjoy the story.

~ Toma ~

I clapped my hands over my mouth to avoid yelling out. "Wh-what…?" I breathed.

The floating girl, she'd said her name was Musca, sighed heavily. "Let's take this chat outside. Michi is resting and I wouldn't want to wake her."

"Right…" Even in my shock that was something I could easily agree with. She floated right through the door and I opened it to follow her, shutting it as gently as I could behind me. "So –"

"You IDIOT! You seriously thought that was going to work?!"

"I mean –"

"I'm not done talking, you WHELP! How dare you try to insert yourself in such a way while Michi is hurt! Even if you love her, that doesn't give you a right to go stomping all over her identity! Michi will never accept you once she remembers, DUMBASS!"

"That's assuming she remembers," I retorted.

"She's going to. The second I rejoin her side, everything will come back."

I felt my face go pale, a tremor of fear run down my spine. After what I'd just done, that wasn't the best possible conclusion. "What are you?"

"Good question. I'm surprised you didn't ask sooner. I'm a spirit. I've been guiding Michi for a while now."

"Guiding her?"

"Yes. It's a long story, but Michi has amnesia because she didn't originally belong to this world. I've been by her side while she navigates this place, regaining her memories."

"This is all way beyond me…"

"My point is that nothing that happens in this world, hardly anything at least, is coincidence. Michi's mother didn't find her by chance; it was fate. The two of them were destined to clash in this world because neither of them can exist at the same time while still retaining their identities." She squeezed her eyes shut, looking pained. "Michi's destiny… is now to suffer at the hands of her mother who isn't supposed to be in this world."

My blood chilled. "So you're saying that it's definitely not over."

"No." She opened her eyes and looked at me with grim seriousness. "The four of you are all part of Michi's fate as well. You, Shin, Ikki, and Kent… I was able to choose only one of you to see me, and I picked you, Toma."

"Why me? It really sounds like you hate me if we're being honest here."

"Oh, I definitely dislike you. You scare me with how far you're willing to go in the name of your love. But still… That very reason is why I felt like you were the person I had to choose. The person I had to ask for help." She gritted her teeth as emotion had begun to overtake her voice. "I can't protect Michi on my own. I've failed at it multiple times. That's why I need you above the others. I know that you're willing to do whatever it takes, even if it means breaking the law or standard codes of morality. That's why I want your help. We have to do whatever it takes to protect Michi… Even if it means doing something unsavory."

"What do you think I was doing by trying to implant memories like that? The best way to protect her is to keep her by my side."

"You had to know that sooner or later her memory would come back though, right?"

"I was hoping it wouldn't. Even if it did, maybe she'd forgive me because in the end, I did it for her sake…"

"Don't pretend that you don't have a personal desire that founds what you were doing."

"You're right about that, I guess…" I frowned. "So it was all for nothing."

"I can't just leave Michi without her memories. She probably won't survive if she doesn't know what's going on. Her mother will be back, and if she's even less prepared to handle it than she was last time…"

"Enough. I get it. I messed up… So what do we do?"

"I'm going to wait until Michi is discharged and back at your place to give her memories back. I'll help convince her to stay there because it's what's best… Then we go after her mother."

"… What are you asking me to do here?" I murmured.

Musca crossed her arms and looked away. "I don't want you to kill her, not if you don't have to… But make her stay away. If that's a message that needs to be beaten in… So be it. Michi is the only thing that matters."

I smirked. "At least we can agree on one thing."

"Hmph." She waved her hand at me. "You should go on home now. I think Michi is asleep for good tonight. She usually rests deeply anyways…" She smiled fondly, chuckling.

"… I love Michi a lot, you know. It's in my own way, and it's definitely not pure or perfect, but… It's still love."

"I know… I know that. Honestly, I don't want to give her up to you. In terms of stability the best of the bunch for her to choose would be Kent. Maybe Ikki, but definitely not you or Shin. But that's what I want; what I think is the safest option. I have no idea where Michi's heart will lead her. I'm not rooting for you by any means, but you're the one who can protect her the most because you're willing to go outside the bounds of the law. Still… If you try anything twisted, I'll stop you."

"I understand. But I promise not to hurt her."

"… We'll see. Just go now, Toma. Let me be alone with her for a bit. I'll stay with her every moment from now on and I don't need to sleep, so it should be fine. We should have a telepathic connection as well, so we can contact each other if we need to."

"Fine. I'll be back tomorrow."

"Right… See you then."

I trailed home, feeling the heavy emptiness of my apartment differently tonight. I'd have Michi here with me soon, for better or worse. I was selfish beyond belief, using her to cure my loneliness in this situation. But it was also true that I was the one best able to protect her. Even if I had to pay with my life, or worse, even if I earned her hatred… I would do whatever it took.

~ Musca ~

I looked at Michi's sleeping form and let out a long sigh. "Michi… I wish… I wish for a lot of things." I took her hand in mine, surprised at how warm it was. "I wish I could always be by your side and hold your hand like this, but I can't… I wish you would choose the person who's going to make you the happiest, and I wish even more that I knew who that was… But you're the only one who can see that, I think." I bowed my face over her fingers as tears started dripping down my cheeks. "Michi… I don't want to leave you… Please just be happy, because that's the only way I'll be able to stand it…"

~ Toma ~

August 23rd passed, and Michi was released from the hospital on the 24th. The pool party was cancelled, of course. The rest of us couldn't find it in ourselves to go and have fun while Michi was still stuck on bedrest. "Knock, knock…" I peeked into her room, almost freakishly relieved to find her in her regular civilian clothes instead of a hospital robe.

"I don't need to be wheelchaired out of here!" Michi was busy arguing with a nurse. "I can walk just fine on my own." She crossed her arms and glared stubbornly.

"But… you really… you're still…" The nurse sighed, shoulders slumping.

"They've been at it for a while…" Musca informed me as she floated over to my side.

"Uh, I can take care of her… Support her while she's walking," I offered, trying to mediate.

The nurse sighed again. "That's fine." He handed me a bag. "Here's her pain meds. The larger pills will make her tired, but they're more effective. No strenuous activities." He gave me a pointed look and I felt my cheeks turn red. Michi was going to be under my constant supervision, well, almost constant, but that didn't mean I was going to try anything. I would just have to try very, VERY hard to restrain myself.

Shit, I was doomed.

"Don't you dare try anything, Toma. I'm warning you…" Musca hissed in my ear.

"Okay…" I sighed. "Ready to go, Michi?"

She grinned, nodding. "I've been going stir crazy… But people visited a lot, so it wasn't all bad. Sawa and Mine came yesterday and stayed for a really long time. They're nice."

"Yeah." I nodded. They'd stayed for so long that I hadn't been able to come in to see Michi after work. It had been beyond irritating. "Are you sure you feel well enough to walk?"

"Yeah, I'm fine! Gosh!"

"Okay. I'm just worried about you."

She blushed. "I know."

Once we were out of the hospital I put an arm securely around her waist, not caring whether she needed the support or not. I knew how badly she was going to react once Musca gave her memories back, so I was taking the chance to savor in her closeness while I still could.

"Y-you don't have to do that… I'm fine," she mumbled, still leaning against me.

I kissed the top of her head, not saying anything and taking the walk slow to savor the moment with her. When we got back the dread and fear I felt kept mounting higher as we got her settled. Would she really forgive me for this? Before I had been confident, but now that we were here I wasn't so sure.

"Are you ready, Toma?" Musca asked.

I just nodded, sitting next to Michi on the bed after having made myself a cot on the floor. "Hey, listen…"

"Yeah?" There was such complete trust in her eyes. I almost couldn't handle ruining it on my own, but…

"You need to hear this from me first."

"Toma…" Musca realized what I was doing and stared at me in shock.

"I… I lied to you."

"What…" She trailed off as I pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.

"Please just listen," I whispered before leaning back. "We're not actually dating, and we never agreed to move in together. We dated once, yeah, and talked about it, but that was a long time ago. The truth is… I lied to get you here because I was scared. I thought that this was the only way to protect you, but… I was wrong. I'm sorry."

"What… Why…" Michi, sputtered, seeming to be unsure on just how to react.

"I'm going now, Toma. It's going to hurt her a lot to remember, so get ready…" Musca placed a hand on my shoulder. "You're a better man than I thought you were."

I flinched, both gratified and made even guiltier by her kind words. The only reason I was having to apologize like this was because I wasn't a good person. "Michi, I wanted you to hear the truth from me, no matter what." That much at least I wouldn't regret.

"I don't understand – agh!" Michi doubled over as Musca took her cheeks in her small, childish hands.

I rubbed her back, murmuring words of comfort as she trembled in pain. I was resigned to it now. She would react how she would react, but I had to stand by what I had done in terms of purpose, and that would never change. Once she stopped shaking and paused to breathe I closed my eyes. "I always want to protect you, Michi… Because I don't think I'd be anything without you here."

The next thing I felt was her fist connecting with my face.

~ Michi ~

"Toma, you bastard!" In an instant I had straddled and started wailing on him. He put his arms up to protect himself on instinct but otherwise didn't try to fend me off. "How could you do that?! Lying to me… Bullshit, trying to protect me!" I gasped as pain reared up in my torso again, using one hand against his chest to steady myself while continuing the assault with my other.

"Michi, stop!" Musca grabbed my arm. "I told him to do it. Well, after the fact… But I wanted him to bring you here."

"What the hell, Musca?!" I calmed down enough to think it through even while fuming. "You told him…? What do you mean, you told him?"

"Toma can see me now. We agreed that him bringing you here was what was best to protect you."

"But –"

Musca held up a hand to stop my instant protestations. "It's undeniable that he's the most equipped to do so. He lives alone basically unsupervised without any family ties and is willing to go farther than anyone else. I chose him for a reason. I am sorry, Michi, really, I am… But you have to trust me. Trust us. There are some things I have to explain to you that you need to understand."

"Okay…?" I slumped back, still trapping Toma with my legs on either side of his torso. He put his arms down to rub at his cheek and bloodied nose. The sight of it was satisfying payback for the lies he'd told.

Musca took a breath, expression weary. "Look… Your existence is based on matter of fate, of destiny, Michi. You and your mother… Your parents are destined to be dead. You're meant to be alone in terms of biological family. Your mother being here is an imbalance to your world, and the both of you can't exist at the same time without the other's memories being wiped clean. You've been having feelings more and more often that you aren't supposed to be here, right?"

I gritted my teeth. "Yeah…" The puzzlement had been so bad upon seeing my mom again that I'd been rendered unable to move. "That's why we're here in the first place…"

"So I had to make some hard choices while you were out. Toma is helping me protect you, and we went about it the best way we could. Please understand. I don't agree with all of Toma's methods, but he gets the job done no matter what. Besides… You need to be near him now." She showed me her hand, where the symbol of the diamond stared at me. Toma's pathway. I still hadn't completed it, and now I had less than a week until the deadline.

"… Shit," I swore softly. "Okay then… Fine. Toma, it's not as if I don't understand… I know that this is something you'd do without even caring about yourself, trying to protect me. But still! If you don't even try to keep my feelings in mind while you're doing it, then it doesn't mean anything, right?"

He nodded, looking defeated. "I'm sorry. I really am."

"I forgive you." It wasn't as if I had much of a choice on it if I wanted to beat his pathway, and besides… I didn't want there to be conflict between us. Piling that up on top of everything else would be too hard. "Look, Toma… Just don't do anything stupid, okay?" I smiled, hitting him lightly on the shoulder.

"Michi…" He sat up suddenly and I yelped as I almost fell backwards, but he wrapped his arms tightly around my back, holding me close to him and burying his face in my shoulder. "… I won't… I'm sorry."

I petted his hair with both hands, enjoying its softness. "I know. It's okay." He was like a child at some times and a threat in others, and in other times still he was the closest thing I had to a lover. No matter what, letting go of him was almost unfathomable, especially when he seemed to rely so much on me. "Toma… Why is it that you feel like you can't be without me? Please help me understand…" I whispered.

He just shook his head before lifting his face up towards mine. "I can't tell you that," he whispered back, mouth almost touching mine as he spoke.

"Please…" My eyes had drifted shut almost before I knew it or had thought about wanting to do it, and his lips brushed mine gently. We were a bit twisted, but it was our own sort of love. Yeah… Yeah, I was in love with Toma. Based on memory, I had for a long time. Accepting that love had been the issue, and now there was space in my heart.

"Neither of you have any decency!" Musca huffed. "I'm still right here!"

"Wah!" I leaped back, bouncing on the bed and hugging my knees to my chest and Toma's face turned red. "S-sorry." I had a tendency to forget myself around Toma.

"You're dangerous in more ways than one…" Musca grumbled at Toma. "Don't forget, I'm watching you!"

"Noted…" He glanced at me and smirked, and I smiled back nervously. At least in that moment, I had the feeling that I could forgive this person for anything.

"Uh, sorry about your nose..." I grabbed a tissue from a box on the nightstand and dabbed at the minor injury, the blood on his upper lip.

"It's fine." He lifted a hand to wipe at my lip with his thumb. "Got some on you a second ago."

"Oh..." We were both blushing, the atmosphere still charged despite Musca's protests. I cleared my throat. "So what am I supposed to do?"

"Just take it easy here. There's books, video games..." Toma frowned. "I know it'll be hard for you... But it's best for you not to go outside alone. Not while your mother is still out there somewhere. Just wait on me for leaving the house, okay? I promise you'll get to leave."

"I get it..." I grumbled. "So I just have to hang out while you're at work..."

"Yeah. But all of my time is yours other than that, okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you have a key to your apartment on you?"

"Yeah, why?" All of the things I'd been carrying on me had been returned upon my discharge.

"I need to pick you up a few things. You'll need pajamas, changes of clothes, like underwear and stuff..." He trailed off, face reddening again. "I, I mean... Um..."

"I get it!" I covered my face with my hands. "Just take it... The number is on the key... But, uh... Come back quickly please." It made me nervous to be alone in someone else's house without them there, especially Toma's place.

"I will." He bent down to kiss my cheek as he took the key from my hand.

"You're gross, the both of you!" Musca sighed. "Just get out of here, Toma!"

He laughed, slinging a backpack to put my things in over his shoulder. "Bye."

"Bye..." I sighed once he was gone. "I can't keep up with him... How fast he can change, depending on me one second and being reliable the next..."

"That's just how it is I suppose..." Musca looked at me, frowning. "It's like you forget I'm here when he's around..."

"I really am sorry about that."

"No, it's fine, really. You have your own life to live, one apart from me."

"Musca?" She sounded so sad...

"Hey, Michi, promise me you'll be happy at the end of this?"

"Yeah, I promise. We'll both be happy, right?"

"Yes." Musca smiled warmly. "I hope so."

"Don't talk so weird. Come on, help me pick a game to play." I loaded up a Pokemon game that looked like it hadn't been touched in some time and started a new game. "Charizard is my freaking baby... Oh my gosh Musca look it's a shiny Pidgey! I MUST HAVE THE SHINY PIDGEY!"

"The... what?" She looked up as the door opened.

"I'm back," Toma greeted us, putting the bag he'd taken with him and a bag from my place on the floor next to the bed. "This should do. I can always go back if you need anything else."

"Okay, thanks."

"I guess you'll want a shower, and I need to figure out dinner..." He started muttering to himself about options. "You like chicken?"

"Sure."

"Good. If you hop in the shower now dinner should be ready by the time you get out."

"Okay... It's weird having someone to depend on... Taking care of me like this," I said softly.

Toma smiled. "You don't have to worry about a thing." With that he slipped into the kitchen.

"He's really enjoying himself..." Musca sighed. "May as well get cleaned up, Michi."

"You're right... I still feel hospital clinging to me." I chose the most concealing pajamas I had and took them into the bathroom with me. It took me a few embarrassing tries to figure out the faucets since they were different from what i was used to but soon I was under hot water. "It's embarrassing, kind of..." I murmured.

"How so?" Musca replied from the other side of the curtain.

"Knowing that this is the kind of shampoo he uses, and the kind of soap..." Knowing that I would smell just like he did. "RAH!"

"You... slapped yourself in the face again."

"Banishing impure thoughts."

"Yeah, I know."

I jumped at some tapping on the door. "I thought I heard a yell... You alright, Michi?"

"She fine! Just go work on dinner!" Musca snapped at him.

"I-I'm fine, Toma," I answered him more kindly.

"Okay... But be careful." I heard his footsteps tapping away and sighed with relief.

"Geez... I'm not going to be able to calm down while I'm here..."

"Michi... Would you prefer it if I wan't here?"

"What? No, of course not! Don't ask stupid questions."

"... Okay," Musca murmured.

Once clean and dressed I tiptoed and peeked into the kitchen. Toma noticed me and smiled. "Nice timing. It's just a simple stir fry, but I didn't think you'd mind."

"I'm not picky when it comes to food, Toma."

"Yeah," he laughed and put food in bowls for each of us, and we sat across from each other. After a few minutes of silent eating he reached out and took some of my bangs in his fingers, running his hand down them.

"What's that for?"

"Your hair is wet."

"Well, duh, Toma."

"I know, I know, just... It's not something I thought I'd ever see. And your cheeks are all red from the steam, and..." He blushed. "I've gotta be honest, it's a good thing we're sleeping in separate places."

"Uh, yeah." I gulped, almost choking on rice from the shock of the candid statement. I touched my bangs, embarrassed, then thought of something. "It wasn't there..."

"Huh?"

"My hairpin, it wasn't there..." I jumped up and went to search through the bag that had been given to me from the hospital.

"Is everything okay?"

"No, not really... I can't lose that! Did the hospital misplace it, or did it fall off during the attack, or..."

"Why's it so important? Can't you get another one?" Toma asked.

"It's from Ikki! I can't... replace it..." I plopped down on the bed, irrationally upset.

"Oh, well... I'm sorry, Michi. I don't know what to tell you."

"It's fine... But I think I lost my appetite. Sorry..."

"It's okay. We can just have leftovers tomorrow. I won't even have to cook dinner after work." Toma smiled and patted my head. "It'll be okay."

I sighed as he left me there. "I feel bad, but..."

"I understand. It was something precious from someone precious." Musca squeezed my shoulders. "Why don't you brush your teeth and go to bed? We can look for it while Toma's at work tomorrow. Maybe it just got misplaced in all the commotion of getting you settled here."

"Yeah... Hopefully. Okay. Let's do that." I brushed my teeth, moping as I went to say goodnight to Toma, who was almost done with cleaning up the kitchen. "I really am sorry. I didn't mean to ruin dinner."

"Again, it's fine. You going to sleep?"

"Yeah. I took my pain meds, so I should get tired soon anyways..."

"Rest well then." He lifted my bangs out of the way and kissed my forehead.

"Y-you too. Goodnight..." Despite being so upset I was still lulled by the general smell of him on the pillow, the sense that he, too, had been underneath these warm blankets at some point in time. Safe; I was safe here.

~ Toma ~

I heaved a sigh once checking on her yielded that she was asleep based on her light and slow breathing. "Good..." I picked up a book and went to the kitchen to read so I wouldn't feel so restless with her there. I needed to divert my mind away from touching her, from trying to get closer.

"So..." Musca floated into my field of vision. "What did you do with the pin?"

"What are you talking about?"

"It's not just any pin. That's a symbol of Ikki's love for Michi and her affections for him. No way you'd let that stand under your roof. You're a better person than I thought you were, but you're still you, Toma. So where is it? It's hurting Michi not to have it. Let her have the comfort of it, no matter what that means."

I heaved a sigh. "You're so manipulative..." Musca knew exactly what buttons to push to get me to relent; knowing that I was hurting Michi in some way that was actually genuine and possibly lasting made me have to relent. I pulled the flower hairpin out of the pocket of my jacket. "I thought about burning it while she was in the shower..."

"Well, it's good that you didn't. Put it under the bed and we'll find it tomorrow. Michi doesn't have to know."

I sighed. "Fine."

"You know, you shouldn't be so petty. You do have a place in Michi's heart."

"That's not enough," I murmured, then shook my head and went to toss the pin under the bed. "Happy?" I whispered as Musca trailed after me.

"Yes. And in return, I'll do you a favor." She jerked her head. "When you're here during the day, I'll leave you and Michi alone. You can have that time with her. But at night I'm staying in here, so don't try anything."

"How gracious of you," I muttered climbing into my cot on the floor. "... But I'll take what I can get I guess."

"As you should," she huffed, settling near Michi.

I wanted to touch her; I wanted all of her. It was so painful, trying to have any less do.

~ Musca ~

For the sake of completing the pathway, I would let him have some time with her. It was fine as long as I didn't have to look at it. It only served to remind that I would have to leave her soon. I couldn't stand to be forgotten before then. "I'm not being the best friend right now, Michi... I know that. But all of these moments are so precious to me, even if you don't know it..."