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HIGH SCHOOL PARENTICIDE CASE SHOCKS JAPAN, POLICE OFFER LITTLE INSIGHT

At a press conference early this morning, the Edogawa Police Department remained tight-lipped on major details concerning the murder of a retired American GI living in the prefecture over the weekend, the accused suspect being the man's daughter. The incident was reported to police in the late hours of Friday the 27th and the daughter, identified as 18 year old Natsuki Tamura, remains in custody at the police precinct as of Monday.

"(The National Police Agency) and subsequent parties understand that this is a very serious case with a heightened public interest because of the youth factor…we can only guarantee utmost professionalism as this case moves forward." Edogawa Police Chief Kiyotaka Hamada told the press at the steps of the Metro Police Headquarters in Chiyoda. "This is an evolving investigation…we believe there may be other actors involved, and we are looking into every account and report." This is the first time police have made a full statement concerning the murder after radio-silence through the weekend.

When pushed further, Ward Chief Hamada offered vague details. "We are of the understanding there is a person closely connected to the suspect who was present at the time of the incident, but we do not believe them to be an instigator or collaborator to the incident. As a result they have not been charged. We are asking anyone with helpful or otherwise information about the accused and the victim to step forward and make contact with one of our detectives." The press conference lasted merely five minutes before Hamada signaled the end and returned inside the building with his entourage.

The victim has been identified as 53-year old Gerald Xavier Tamura, a retired United States Army Corp of Engineers specialist who public records show has been living in Edogawa since the 2000s. He was reported to be a divorcee and had just the one daughter from said marriage, living in a neighborhood commonly associated with retired Allied soldiers. His daughter has been identified to be an active student at Yamaku High School. There has been intense speculation as to the charges she might be subjected to, as homicide and other possible felony-level charges have punishment levels up to and including the death penalty.

The criminal system of Japan has no obligation for a speedy release or trial; a person accused of a crime could potentially be held in custody for twenty three days before the person is even formally charged. Pending said charge, it is likely the suspect will remain in custody at the local precinct and if charged would be relocated to the Tokyo Detention House in downtown Katsushika. Prosecutors historically are incredibly unlikely to present a case to a judge unless they sincerely believe they can win; in 2017, it was reported there was a nearly 98 percent successful conviction rate for cases that went to trial and jury. Japan is one of a handful of countries that continue a death penalty consequence for especially heinous crimes, and the topic has consistently ranked in support with public polling for decades.

With respect to the online realm social media was lit aflame with talk and speculation as to the circumstances of the case. The story has quickly become an international study with a majority of netizens expressing great sorrow for the suspect-in-question, some claiming to be friends or family of the girl and pleading for mercy. Others were not as sympathetic, insisting the rule of law must be applied and to wait for further details before taking a side. Racial epithets were also used. Such a violent but delicate situation in these quiet towns is quite rare and a similar case has not happened in Japan in nearly half a century, and it will be a question in the coming days and weeks as to how the law may be reviewed and applied in sentencing for the suspect."

Reporting live from the Metro Government Building, Rodolfo Suarez, United World News, Tokyo."

…

With a sharp gasp, I rise from my slumber.

Dust glints in the air as the morning sun shines through the window. I groan as I slowly push myself up from the ground and watch a foamy trail of drool dribble down my lips and connect to the stale sickly carpet. Ew.

I wipe my mouth; definitely not the best sleep I've ever had. Stiff pains shoot up my spine and splay across my ribs, the bruises from̶̦̑͐ ̶̞͂́t̵̗̥̔h̷̯̒͘e̶̤̝̽͆ ̵̂fig̴͎̍ĥ̴̫̩t̶̢̠́͊ ̴̘̀c̶͙͆̍o̵̘̅mplaining in their now usual chorus. The air still has that decaying rot odor to it but there's the distant hum of the AC units outside pumping some fresh air into the place at least. I did my best to tidy-up Natsuki's room by putting together the ruined mangas into a stack and pushing the big debris, the shards of glass and wood and everything else, into one big pile. It felt disrespectful to sleep in her bed even for a night, without her comfort there, so I just pulled off the bedsheets and made a spread on the–

Wait.

The AC is on?

…I didn't turn it on–

"-Shouldn't cost too much, but you'd definitely have to rewire–"

Christ! I snap to attention.

There are people in the house!

I flip onto my stomach and push up. My knees pop and complain as I clamber to my feet and grip the dresser for balance, trying to stay quiet. My chest heaves as I inch towards the door. My free hand sweeps the hair out of my face as I ever so slowly peek out the side.

There's nothing, but the male voice continues, "...man, look at all that blood."

Another male, older than the first, laughs. "Squeamish?"

"No. Just…man, what happened here?"

Police? Looters? Reporters looking for the inside scoop? I cup my ear to try and gauge the chatter.

"Some girl shot her dad when he caught her and her boyfriend in her room."

"No shit, huh?"

I scowl. Yes, total shit. Dogshit actually. Where the hell did you even hear that from?

The older male continued, "I guess the dad got shot…here, ish. The fight started in the living room, which explains that." The sound of papers shuffling. "I suppose it all started down here, the report didn't mention any damage up top."

"Well, let's go look."

And three distinct pairs of shoes start to stomp up the stairs.

The room begins to blur. Oh my God, oh God oh God. I can feel my feet shuffling together, a clammy cold-as-ice rush licking up and down the hairs of my arms. What to do? The door hangs wide open, and my fight or flight forces me to lurch towards it and twist the knob, lifting the door slightly up in an effort to stifle the hinges from creaking. The door silently swings closed, but the sweat of my palms lets the knob go just a second too early and it makes a loud brassy squeak! as it releases.

The men are talking, I can hear their deep tones, but I've no idea what they're saying. Get the fuck outta there!

There's just the one window in Natsuki's room, facing out to a dead-patched backyard and a tall wood-fence perimeter, a small shed tucked in the corner. There's a locked gate along the side, and it almost looks like there's some kind of car alley behind the fence, paved or not I don't know, separating the two blocks of neighborhoods…but my car is in the front of the house, and I have no idea who's even parked out there now. Probably the whole fucking police department waiting to nab me with my good fortunes recently, and my Dad with the belt.

The morning sun shining down, I stick my head out the window and swerve to my left and right. The houses between here seem quiet, nobody in the backyards at least. Too early for a barbecue, huh? It's an entire story drop down with some sickly looking bushes to comfort the fall, but they look soft, a decent landing spot. It's either that or fall directly onto the stone walkway that fronts it. The plants kind of look like…buganvilias? No…maybe camellias from, ah, where was it? Oh, Mom used to grow them in the garden. A forgotten hobby from another world.

"It's not so bad?"

"This door's locked."

Jump.

I'm sticking my leg out the window when as an afterthought I look behind me where the bag full of Natsuki's mementos still waits patiently atop the bed. I almost trip trying to reach over to it and dangle it out the window. I swing once, twice…it drops from my free hand and snags on the branches of the shrubbery, but still drops like a rock with a muted glass crunch onto the walkway. Sorry, hun. I'll buy you a new frame.

Now it's your turn.

I look hesitantly down at the drop, the world spinning and pulling away from me, and dig my fingers against the sun bleached wood frame. First one leg, then the other, then my butt is resting precariously on the windowsill, poking into a splinter. The birds nesting in the nearby trees whistle a merry but curious tune, blending in with the wind chimes hanging from the patio off to my far right. An icy tingling snakes up my throat, that all-inviting sense of dread high above my head. I heave my chest as I look for the courage to make the leap.

A man says, "I think someone's here."

Found it.

There's that odd sensation again of my body flying through the air before I land right into the thick of the thorny, dying rose bushes. Two or three dozen claw marks rake down my bare arms as the bristles snag against my clothes, immediately drawing thin trails of blood that drip right down my arms. The next thirty seconds are kind of a sickening blur as I'm shouting in pain my fingers snapping the bag up and I just book it around the corner thick blots of blood splattering all over the grass and I rocket to the front of the house and across the street when someone shouts "Hey!" but I'm still thundering down the asphalt refusing to stop where two white vans are parked on the curb but no police, thank God. The keyfob chirps as I throw the door open climb inside and roar the engine to life. My vision smears as I keep looking back to the house, but there's no activity, none at all no mob chasing me down. I pull the car in gear and try not to race down the street, not stopping 'till I turn the corner and pull back into more familiar surroundings and only then do I finally start to relax.

Relax just as the adrenaline of the sprint dies and the screaming pain of the thorns truly kicks in. The tears are welling up as the pain forces me off the road, smacking the hazard button and peeling off to the side to grip my arms as the muscles scream and contract.

There's blood everywhere; on the seat, on the wheel, on the dash, in my fucking eyes. My throat chokes for air as I caress my trembling arms and grab blindly for anything to mop up the morbid mess, my fingers dig to the backseat and land on an old t-shirt on the floorboard with the white fabric turning an ugly black with the blood. The smell of the metal is so bad and the pain so fierce I feel like I'm going to pass out.

Kit. First aid kit.

Another blur as my body is rearing up from the driver's seat almost stumbling right into traffic and to the back of the car, digging through the same place I found that crowbar only days ago. Does it have–yes, it does. A bottle of water to rinse the arms, peroxide to clean the wounds, gauze to wrap it all up. Sickly black drops splatter everywhere, mixing with the chemical, trailing down the bumper of the car in bubbly acidic white streaks as I try to rest. The morning sun continues to rise indifferent to my struggle. It takes nearly half an hour to properly nurse and I definitely look like a bum sitting on the side of the road doing all this, but I couldn't care less. Society can kiss my ass at this point.

This is nothing compared…I have to see her.

What's happening to you now, baby girl? I pray for your safety. I pray even though I don't know who I'm even praying to. Does prayer require a recipient? It's not the act of worshiping something, but honoring someone. Natsuki Tamura, a girl who would never dream of raising an indecent hand to anyone, framed as guilty of one of the most heinous acts imaginable, the taking of a life. Natsuki. A week ago we were inseparable and now here…we…are. A completely unimaginable fate a week ago is now the unforgiving reality, that we have been accused and nobody wishes to believe us. Or cares to.

A car honks at me as it passes. I lower my eyes and take a slow breath. What a mess we're in, but we're in this together.

It occurs to me at that moment that I haven't had the urge for my phone yet, so I paw my pockets for it to find the battery dead. I flick my wrist to look at my watch; almost ten, otherwise around the second going third period at Yamaku. Someone with the admin would've called my parents by now…who would then try to call me…to hear a full voicemail after I've been gone all night…and now there were probably some witnesses to some kid fleeing a closed-off crime scene today, who would call the police to report what they saw. So from every angle I'm seeing it, I'm in it deep today.

I watch the traffic pass me by for a minute, from my stoop on the back bumper. I don't know how long I ended up sitting there, phasing in and out of reality but I did notice the warmth of the Sun slowly shift across my face before I think to move. The drivers pay me no mind, their eyes flickering to me on the side before back to the road. Off to their offices or to school or departing the city. This is a country of 120 million people, yet I'm alone on a sinking island built just for me.

What should I do?

…

'You will either respect her or you will fucking fear me!'

My heart shudders.

''You think you're so fucking bad!? Come and take it!'

The hot needles stab and pierce my eyes so hard the tears flutter in my lashes. His shouts and defiance replay endlessly in my mind. My lips form the words and squeak, Kah-zu-mah, but no sound comes out. A painful huffy whimper. I pressed my fingers so hard against my temples I felt like a blood-gorged tick about to pop, but I remained the same. I'm still here. Still here.

Oooh…baby, baby-yyy...

I should've been quicker. I ran out of aspirin hours ago and the guards aren't here. I could've broken you two up. I could've just knocked him out. I could've–I coul–I should've done so much more. It didn't have to end like this. I miss you so badly it feels like I'm being boiled alive. My skin is so stinky and stretchy. Emi is still sleeping but I can see the glow of the orange sunrise through our tiny slit window, blotting out the inky black night with the birth of a new day. Eventually the guards will start to rise us up for breakfast, but I haven't slept at all. I want you. I want you.

Kazuma.

Forget about me. I'm a dead girl walking. I will love you until the end of time and a little bit after that, but you must forget about me. I command you to. There is no redemption for me and I realize that now as the migraine ripples and chatters my teeth so so bad. Bright colors mix with the spots of white in my eyes. Red, green, blue. I squeeze my fists and feel my knuckles pop. I shove a finger in my mouth and bite hard to keep from screaming and waking her up.

My body flails and rolls around on the bed as I writhe over and over, clutching my stomach. The pains are so sharp they feel like hot irons being speared inside me. The fear of never seeing you again. I know you're out there somewhere, I pray you're safe and sound, but it's like my entire body is aching for you. The caress of your hand, the twinkle of your eyes. Carnal, red hot fire within me my love for you is.

Father.

How desperately I despise you. The stink of your alcohol, the hairs of your brow, the holes in your teeth. You always used to tussle and mess with your hair to hide your sickeningly hilarious balding dome. Did you like the free haircut I gave you? One hundred percent off or your money back! I can still feel the slickness of the oil now between my fingertips, the chemical burn of the gun tingling my nose. My lips lick with relish. Why did I stop with one shot? If I can escape this hell I will claw you out from the ground and turn your carcass into–

The hallways have a timed light tuned to motion, so for the past few hours it's been off and I like it that way. But now the lights are slowly clicking to life with the clack of heels coming down the corridor. A matching pair of shiny black shoes.

The clacking of the shoes is so loud it starts to stir Emi, but I spring up like a coil and sit perfectly towards the wall. My arms shake and I push my palms to my knees, trying to calm down. Two officers in blue uniforms, with clean cuts and fresh faces I've never seen before, slow as they reach our cell. One fiddles with a key ring and the other shuffles some papers against a manilla folder.

Could it be?

The bars slide open and the one with the keyring blurts out, "Which one is Emi Ibarazaki?"

Horror. Emi is just starting to rise up from her sleep but she recognizes her own voice. She looks up in alarm and snaps up at the two men. Realization. "Wh-what? I'm leaving?!"

The other officer chimes in, "Your bond has been posted. Time to go." And they make the move to take her away, reaching for her arm.

We lock eyes in a second and Emi almost leaps out of her skin and catapults across the room to hug me tight. "Gh, uhh–Kazuma! Kazuma Odaka! Yamaku High!" The officers take a step back, surprised at the reaction, but they're still preparing to escort her out.

The tears spring up from me in a flash. My hands reached for her face and were almost nose-to-nose. "Do you remember the number!?"

She blinks and shakes her head assuringly, hugging me tighter. "U-uhhh, y-y-yes! Even if I don't, I'll find him. I promise, baby doll." She kisses me once on the cheek and we start to sob.

The officer with the keyring isn't one for emotion, because he's saying "Alright, let's go." and the two pull her away and Emi starts to shuffle out the door but we're still calling out to each other, keeping our eyes locked. "Don't let them break you! I'll come back soon!" The manilla folder cop grips her arm and she glares at him, breaking our eye contact.

I put a hand to my mouth and can only gasp, "I know I love you!", just as she's being walked down the hall and out of earshot.

Leaving me all alone once again.

…

Four Months Ago

The long cavernous hallways of the old Tokyo Convention Center boomed with activity as the crowds swelled towards the double-doors of the Main Ballrooms, a beehive of activity on that crisp February afternoon. The great halls of convention swelled towards their breezy capacity, as the snappy chilled winds from outside and gently shook the windows, guaranteeing everyone would be squeezing in for warmth. Kawaii-Kon!, as the convention was stylized by, was one of the more mid-sized anime events in the area and one of the first of the New Year. It had only been around for a few years but it always had something interesting going on in its two days; karaoke, arcades, guests, the works. Compared to something like Comiket hosted at the gargantuan Big Sight complex, which the few times I've been there feels like entering another galaxy, the smaller convention center allowed the chance for a more enjoyable and personal experience.

Valentine's Day was on a Wednesday, but the convention was for the weekend that followed. Now that was an interesting day, with the familiar red-pink banners hanging and the aura of romance floating through the corridors. The day ended with a pile of chocolates and love letters Monika collected into one big bag to split the candy with and to read the letters out loud at the club meeting. Yuri had, much to her intense blushing surprise, a bouquet of roses delivered to her during class with no idea as to who sent it. Sayori and Yoshi exchanged gifts and played hooky every other class so she told us, but Nats and I opted to just get each other small chocolates and save the warm and fuzzy occasion for the convention itself. We had an entire weekend of events planned, and absolutely nothing could spoil it.

These were brand new cosplays of ours but we were kicking it old-school; Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Jupiter (canonical inconsistency notwithstanding). It was fairly simple to put together, just parting my hair away from its usual swirl and fixing up my tux here and there, but Natsuki spent a little extra time at the cosplay repair room to make it less revealing before she changed outfits. She seemed satisfied once we entered the dealers hall to look around, and once people started asking us for photos her worries earlier in the day melted away. Nothing some strategically-placed safety pins couldn't fix. We were one of the most popular couples at the con and it wasn't even lunchtime yet.

As we stepped away from the Artist Alley to the crisscrossing corridors leading to the panel rooms, Natsuki's hand flexed out and beckoned for mine. Without hesitation I laced my fingers with hers, but she began to pull me away from the herd and up an escalator. She faced away but I looked at her, bemused. "Where are we going?"

She turned to shush me with a wink as we began to ascend. "I don't know. Let's find out."

The escalator passed over the wide glass rotunda looking out onto Sarue-onshi Park, with its wide lake frosting over and trees shaking in the cold winds. Beyond it were homes, towers and beyond it the distant skyline. As we ascended the roofs of houses became smaller, climbing up to the top of the building. The booming chatter of the lobby three stories below us began to fade as most people got off on the second floor, where the karaoke lounge and anime viewing rooms and everything else were being hosted. It seemed nobody was using the third floor for anything.

Ah.

Natsuki, still gripping my hand, led us off the escalator and across the polished linoleum floors. Our heels clacked quietly in step as we stepped off, where at the top it led to a small lounge area with plush couches, tables and some vending machines, but headed off into another hallway connecting to even more conference rooms. There was a group of older men in suits just exiting from the bathroom, but other than that we were all alone. Just as the hallway opened up, a velvet rope hung clipped across the frame with a printed paper sign.

CONVENTION DOWNSTAIRS! PLEASE TURN AROUND! THANK YOU!

I shrugged. "Kind of a no-go area, hun." My feet shuffled slightly, but Nats persisted. Her hand let go as she swooped low under the rope with ease, lifting it up so I could cross.

"It's a sign, not a cop."

I could feel an icy wave of hesitation ripple within me; there had to be a camera somewhere watching us. The goody-two shoes Kazuma Odaka was saying to look both ways and obey the law, but I ignored it. You can't tell me what to do, sign.

I crouched to cross over and we again held hands as we strolled down the hall, gazing at the various art that hung on the walls. Ballroom A, Ballroom B, Ballroom C…the retro-futurist spinning logo of Tokyo Convention Center idled on each display screen showed no schedule of events. The doors were all closed, to be expected, but still Natsuki continued by jiggling the knobs…searching…for…

Just before the hallway tapered off, a door opened. Us standing in the wide entry, Natsuki grinned as she looked up at me and nodded to the blackness of the room.

"Come on." Her eyes lifted with expectation.

"...aren't you worried about someone seeing us?"

On her tippy-toes, Nats leaned forward to peck me on the cheek. With her index and thumb she squeezed the cheek she just kissed goodnaturedly. "Well…um, they're not here now, are they?"

The honeyglow in my cheeks won the day. "Nooo…," I nudged her forward. "They're not."

The ballroom was a literal cavern, maybe fifty foot high ceilings with a nearly two hundred foot square perimeter. An awesome glass crystal light fixture hung from the very center of the room, with a quartet of satellite fixtures encircling the main light. Maybe two or three hundred steel cushion chairs lined in a perfect grid to face a speaking platform, where a thick wood podium and a row of five chairs sat. From the front of the room sat a single fluorescent light glowing across the stage, but save for the fire exit signage everything else was shut off. Natsuki quickly turned on her phone's flashlight and pawed for the lightswitch. In a blinding flash of white, all the harsh lights turned on.

I winced and covered my eyes. "Ouch."

"Ow, hang on." She grabbed something, a remote on the wall secured by Velcro. She flicked the lights off, cloaking us in near darkness again. She mushed buttons on the remote. "Look, I think you can adjust the–oooohhhmygooosh…"

Her voice trailed off as she mushed buttons on the beige plastic remote. The chandelier seemed to come alive, slowly rotating as its quartet of sibling lights joined in a brilliant display of electric colors and lasers. A crashing sea of green pierced by dozens of neon blue lights illuminated us all, spinning and shooting across the chairs and the entire floor. The effect was amplified by the chandeliers spinning in their place; it seemed the entire ballroom was swarming in an ocean of swimming…something. Fish? Yeah.

My jaw hung ajar. "Wow…", I started to move towards the front of the stage, feeling the glow of the lights shining down on me, criss-crossing my fingers. The room was alive with color, as if we were in the middle of a massive kaleidoscope.

Natsuki pressed more buttons as I continued to slowly stride past the chairs towards the front. The lights flickered from green against blue, to red against orange, to purple against pink. Finally, the lights settled on the prettiest pattern yet; a blue-black with hundreds of twinkling silver stars of various shapes and sizes streaking across the entire space.

I felt dizzy. Utsukushii.

I turned to look at her, and a strange puppy-like glow crossed her face. The stars amplified the highlights of her features; her clean pure face, her dazzling intelligent eyes. The gears in her head began to turn, thinking of the moment…she reached for her phone and began to tap. As I turned to glance straight up from underneath the main chandelier, where the lights were most prominent, Natsuki's phone began to play a strong oldies serenade I couldn't quite recognize.

As the song began Natsuki quickly strode up to me and made a silent motion to dance. Without even thinking I closed the gap to put my hands to her hips as the song began, her one hand resting on my chest with the other gripping my shoulder. We began to do a slow waltz in place, under the glow of the chandelier, bucking and swaying slightly. As I tried to keep with this unfamiliar beat, I could feel the tickle of her wig hairs under my chin.

The song was beautiful, a very sharp-throated woman singing about a midnight walk under the stars pondering about her lover. I knew only some basic dance moves Mom had shown me long ago, but Natsuki seemed to be an expert in footwork; kicking and stepping and shuffling like an acrobat on a high wire. Like she had practiced. I felt a bead of sweat drip from an eyebrow and tried to keep pace, looking down and watching her feet move like magic across the floor. An expert against an amateur.

Natsuki giggled. "Oh, gosh."

"H-huh?"

Her voice was teasing with an air of flirt. She gently nudged her knuckle into my chest with the emphasis, "Don't telll me this is the first time you've ever danced with a girlll."

I spun us around slowly, towards the stage, feeling the lights cross over my face. I sighed. "Oh, bite me."

"Maybe later."

I just rolled my eyes, squeezed her hips and pulled her closer. I could feel her body rock against mine as my heartbeat slowed, relaxing, savoring the moment. With you Nats my worries melt away. We crossed towards the stage and as I walked backwards up the small steps, I picked her up with ease and set her on the stage as light as a feather to continue the slowdance. Perched on one of the seats, the song continued to harmonize from her phone.

I mused, "Who's singing this? I can't place them."

She paused, glancing away for a moment. "Ummm…I don't think you'd recognize them, hun."

"Try me."

"Patsy Cline?"

"...ah, no, sorry."

The serenade continued, repeating the chorus. Patsy Cline must be an American singer. Gosh, it was such a beautiful song. The beauty of great music is to bring the peoples of all nations together regardless of race, of creed or language barrier. The constant twinkle of the chandelier lights truly brought the song to life right off the pages of the lyrics, as we bucked and swayed and Natsuki hummed the melody to herself. The stage was ours to behold. As the singer paused to let the instrumentals play, with the precision of a hummingbird in the wind Natsuki spun in place, stepping and twirling on the tips of her toes before she returned back to me. From my breast pocket a rose I plucked (stole) off a convenience store rack droops, and with a free hand I take the flower and place it lengthwise in my mouth. As the song finally crested and began to fade away, I twisted myself slightly to dip her down low, our noses gently touching tip-to-tip.

I don't know exactly what I was trying to do here, but I do recall the stem of the rose pinching into my canine and instead of gently dropping flat to her own lips, the rose turns and plonks directly into the bridge of her eyes, the petals fluttering and flower thudding to the floor. She only has a moment to squeak a bored "ow" as a cramp bites up my leg and in one horrifying moment she yelps as I lose my balance and we both fall to the floor. Natsuki just starts to laugh and playfully hits me on the head over and over, my chest heaving as we both lay there side by side. The stars at night spun deeper and brighter across the ceiling, entrancing us.

The energy of the ballroom. The power of our love. Two hearts as one. We had achieved, if only for a moment, nirvana. The impossible barrier that divides all peoples across all souls finally broken, if even for a breath.

As the song ended and we started to dust ourselves off, we scooted to the edge of the stage as I cradled her, her soft head laying on my lap. I looked up at the softly spinning lights as she played with the buttons of my tux, tracing her finger down the crease of the suit.

"I don't want this moment to end."

Parting the hair from her face, I lowered down and kissed her slow and soft, gently caressing her cheek with my thumb the same way she did when we first stepped in here. We held the kiss for a blissful eternity before I broke it off, smiling.

"It never will."

…

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait! But I promise you, they will be reunited soon.

Thank you all so so much to everyone who likes/supports Love and Literature! Please stay tuned!