After the weekend, the plans for Koyurei and I's wedding began in earnest. Of course the ceremony is just for close family and friends, making sure up and down and over and out that Endeavor isn't allowed anywhere near it. Everywhere I'd go on social media, it's swarmed with images of that kiss. In that simple, overjoyed, *My future husband saved me!* way. The news hasn't taken it well. Thinking about how it'd affect our careers.

The hero channels with analysts and experts have us plastered everywhere. Big glaring headlines of 'Midnight's Latest Tryst?!' or 'Enavant and Midnight: The Torrid Affair!" almost like we were committing a crime.

"This is risky for Enavant's chances to come out of his father's shadow..."

"Is Midnight willing to kill her career?"

It's so stupid that I'm surprised about all of this. The last fallout I had was years ago back when I was younger. There's a reason why limits on costumes showing skin showed up.

So today, Maina had a plan. Koyurei and I have to go on one of these talk shows and clear the air. Tell them we're an item and we won't be going away any time soon. Peeking down at Koyurei's peacefully asleep face, a pang of regret stabs at my heart.

I run my fingers through his soft, almost downy hair. I don't know if he'll be able to take it. He's been doing so well. My poor, sweet, mostly innocent fiance. He moves just a bit, his overly tired eyes meet my gaze.

"Mornin' beautiful..." he mumbles, smiling and scooching up to me, his lips warming me up all the way down to my core. I wrap my arms around him.

"Mmmm..." my hum is met with his own and we pull away a bit. He's so warm and happy, his delicate but bright smile appears almost like the sun after a storm. I really hate having to ruin it.

He sits up, stretching his slender arms. He scooches out of the bed and I almost wanna pounce on him and pull him back in with a quick, 'Come here!' so I could cover his sweet face with kisses. He hums around, whirring like a hummingbird.

His red hair is a mess, sticking up every which way, even the two lengths that frame his face are lopsided. But he hurries into the bathroom to fix it up, but I follow him in and loom over him.

"Nemuri?"

I press my face into his hair and nuzzle him, almost protectively holding him. He's so adorable! He leans into my arms, almost like he doesn't want to be awake at all. He pulls away, brushes his hair and teeth, and Sushi scampers into the room.

He looks down at him, "Alright, alright. I'll feed you, Sushi." he sighs, and Sushi blinks in an 'I love you.'

He smiles and follows the cat out. As I get ready I hear him shuffling around the kitchen. I lean against the bar.

"Well, we got something to do today."

"We?" Koyurei asks, getting the cat food, "Normally it's just you?"

"I had the idea that we have to clear this up with the public. Just look at these." I hand him my phone and he goes through the articles, absolutely growing paler and paler with every swipe of his finger. He puts it back down and kneels to fill Sushi's bowls.

"You want me to do what?" Koyurei pops up from filling Sushi's bowls, eyes bugging out of his face, "Nemuri, I don't *do* interviews." his voice is tense and pulled back like a bowstring.

"Honey, what about the ones you do for fans?" my counter hits home and he hesitates. He sighs and wilts.

"Okay, those are mostly impromptu." he looks almost sad.

"Look, don't be scared. I'll be right next to you the entire time, okay?"

"I'm not scared!" he scoffs, but that shatters quick, "Well, just a *little*." I coo at him and whisk him into my arms, his cheeks flushing a bright red and I giggle. Just holding him and breathing in the soft scent of all he is.

"It's important, honey. Would you rather we just go through our entire lives hiding?" He curls into my arms and sighs.

"Fine..."

After breakfast, we both get ready. The idea was that we'd wear our costumes. We'd be the heroes the public perceives after all. Midnight always ever strong and single, always tossing in innuendo after innuendo. Enavant the bright shining future of heroism, always fighting like an avenging God.

We were going to change, become a couple in public. Midnight and Enavant would be one. Not like how we were behind closed doors. But one in the public's eyes. They'd see me and him and know that I didn't choose him lightly.

Because I love Koyurei, I want more out of this life, and being with him and seeing him just light up and shine bright on dates? Seeing him so happy when he wakes up? It's like a hand reaching out to me.

So I took it. I look down at my suit and he ignites his. We just have to go in, do the interview, get out. It's probably not that much more complicated than that. Word got out fast, too. We left the house early, filling up Sushi's auto-feeder and auto-litter box that Koyurei got on sale. It really was a steal but at the same time when we got in our car there's a tension.

Koyurei grips the wheel, flames sputtering a little but behaving thanks to his suit, my own tighter than normal because of course I get nervous. Until his fumbling hand switches on one of my favorite songs. ABBA's Lay All Your Love On Me. What was my parents' song that they danced with at their wedding became one of my favorites because I felt the same way the singer did about the nervous man fidgeting and awkwardly humming along with it.

His face twists into one of frustration the minute we hit traffic and the scowl already there deepens into an angrier one. There's no fighting him when he's frustrated, so I brace for impact. He switches it to What's Up People?! and starts headbanging. Still driving correctly and going along with the song. He's been getting more into metal and punk lately. In his early career he sang on a metal album that only sold a few copies before quietly being shuttled away.

He's not in the best mood, but then again neither am I. The cold talons of dread sink into me when I think about what could happen. This wasn't just any interview. It was almost a life or death thing. Next up was Rosemary, the one song I know that Koyurei blasts to just stop himself from thinking. Reaching over, I grab his hand and kiss it. He glances at me. He's thinking the same thing I am.

All or nothing, better or worse, this is for our future.

So here we are. The makeup crew darting between us, the flames in his suit are off, but they still broil underneath the membrane. Koyurei's eyes dart from me to the room beyond the dressing room.

Maina comes in, "Okay, we're almost ready. Just remember to answer any of the questions as honestly as possible, okay?" Koyurei nods almost like he's about to cry but keeps up his brave face.

"Hey." I pipe up, "If he gets overwhelmed, let me take over." We get up and head out, the lights burning into both of us but the clapping and cheering drowning all of it out.

The host, Matsuo Kirijo, broke the story on the Hero News Network, basically one of if not the biggest source of hero news in the country. He's known for his dogged determination to get the facts of a situation.

He smiles, middle-age graying his hair and bright blue eyes crinkled with wrinkles on the sides. He brought us in with...

"Now I know these past few weeks have been busy. But this really has to be one of the biggest stories out there." he sweeps his hand towards the screen, showing Koyurei and I's big kiss.

"And here to give us the facts of this sudden development are the heroes themselves! Please welcome Midnight and Enavant!" the clapping and cheering calls us in as Koyurei meanders alongside me.

We sit down and he shakes our hands just before we do, "Glad to have you both on."

"Glad to be here!" I exclaim, the fake smile stretching on my face and Koyurei nods. Kirijo continues.

"Now... how did you two meet?"

"Well, it was at a bar." Koyurei starts, "My best friend Burnin' dragged me out one night after a particularly bad day."

"And I was there with Pixie Bob, Mt. Lady, and Ms. Joke." building up the story, "Of course I was also not there to scope out the men, but something about that night made me want to."

"That or you just wanted to show up Mt. Lady." Koyurei gives me a sly smile, and I nudge him.

"Be good, honey!" I chide, the crowd oohing at that. We're working them.

"Anyway..." Koyurei gives me a pointed look, "I was just minding my own business, not drinking away my sorrows when she comes up to me."

"What was the first thing you two thought of each other?" he asks.

"Well, what I thought was that he was kind of cute." I start, "That and I felt like him not drinking was a little odd, but understandable."

"I flew into quite the panic." Koyurei laughs a little, "I was wondering why she was coming up to me, out of all the guys in the bar. I know I'm far from ugly, but it was more of a mentality issue."

The audience laughs along, "We sang Somebody to Love, then went out to eat something at a fast food joint." he continues, "Then we just..." he looks at me and there's that smile again.

"Kept seeing each other. Nemuri loves me, warts and all. I... I'm really lucky." he smiles and the audience awws at that. We're doing so well but then I know it's all genuine. Koyurei's never had a lying bone in his body as far as I know.

"We all have this question, but what does your father, Endeavor, think of this?" Kirijo hits us with the bombshell of the century and Koyurei's smile immediately drains, and even my own falters.

What comes out of Koyurei is a curt, "He doesn't like it." cold, stiff, and a sheer wall of an answer as a chill wraiths its way through the room. His eyes flash with that same hostility.

"He watched what I bought her, what I did for her. He's controlling and honestly I couldn't stand another minute." he continues, "So I'm resigning and marrying Nemuri. I don't want to be a hero anymore."

He rises, "It's not because I didn't enjoy serving our wonderful country and prefecture, it's because I'm not supposed to be a hero."

He wraps his arms around me, "Nemuri helped me realize I could live."

"What do you mean, 'not supposed to be a hero?' Who is?" Kirijo continues.

"I had a brother." Koyurei answers simply, plainly, smiling again, "Three of them, actually. Two younger, one older by about five or so minutes."

"What happened to one of them?"

"That's not something I can answer, Mr. Kirijo. Ask my father." he bows his head, "If he's willing."

My cheeks heat up, sometimes Koyurei gets those moments that show that he's just like his Dad in a good way. This was one of those moments. Standing against all odds and just stubbornly biting back.

"So... when's the wedding?"

"Soon." we answer at the same time, "We've just started planning."

"Well, that's good to know!" he exclaims, "Well, thank you both for clearing some of this up, rumors are nasty things after all."

"You're welcome, Matsuo." I say, and Koyurei nods again.

Getting home, I let out a heavy sigh. God, that was scary! Nemuri hovers near me, this was an attack. I need to lay down the law before Dad starts to get angry. But then there's Nemuri, she almost had stars in her eyes when I brought up Toya. Barely anyone knows about it. About what happened to char Sekoto Peak down to ashes. How I was gone for a few years from early middle school to early high school. How I was only in UA because of Dad pulling strings.

Every moment since I woke up was just built for me. Not even earned or even wanted to be earned. I just wanted to make him happy. Just to take the brunt of the blows from my father's abuse. I couldn't save Toya, but I can bring Dad down. I can ruin him, burn his reputation and freeze the earth so he knows what he did was wrong. This wasn't vengeance, I saw everything and heard everything.

In some way, I want him to know that I won't ever forget it. I'll always be Toya's ghost. His reminder that he DID exist. That he didn't die. Because we're twins, and the kind that look identical to each other.

Nemuri wraps me back into her arms, "Baby, you're thinking again."

"Yeah, I do that..." I mumble, "What's up?"

"Well, I was thinking... we'd just invite our families, right? My parents and my siblings, your mom and siblings?" she asks.

"Yeah. Why?"

"We can invite friends, right?"

I nod and she kisses me on the cheek, "Great!"

She pulls me into bed with her, wrapping around me with a happy enough coo. It's like there's a big weight off our shoulders now. She turns me over and kisses me, her scent filling my nostrils.

"Mm..." my eyes grow heavy and my sight grows dim. But I don't mind going to sleep now. Slowly falling into sleep like nothing happened. Soon enough, I'll have to face Dad again.

I'm ready for it either way.