Before this begins, I know that this story will not be everyone's cup of tea. There are people out there that won't like the plot, or will feel uncomfortable by it, and that is perfectly reasonable. If you happen to be one of those people, it's perfectly understandable to not read this story.
With that said, for those that do decide to read it, I hope that you enjoy.
Subaru was always prone to feeling lost. With the life that he lived, it was only natural.
Today, however, he felt more lost than usual.
With a heavy heart, his mind wandered into a dark place. He felt little motivation to do anything except wallow in his own self-pity.
Emilia and the others randomly suggested that he should take a break. Subaru argued against it, of course, but Emilia eventually made it an order. He couldn't refuse.
His mentality must have gotten obvious, and Subaru chastised himself for it. Once again, he worried them.
For all that they knew, he simply went for a walk; a simple exercise to clear his head. To his credit, that's how things started, and it lasted a lot longer than he'd anticipated.
But, eventually, he had gotten sidetracked. His mind wandered and Subaru somehow found himself in a bar, slouched pathetically over the counter.
In spite of the energetic atmosphere, a void of emptiness continued to grow in his chest. Subaru felt hilariously out of place. A part of him questioned why he was even there.
He didn't know, nor did he really care. Right now, he just wanted to be left alone.
For a while, time seemed to stagnate as Subaru found himself in a cycle, continuing to suffocate in his own self-induced loneliness.
…
All of a sudden, the air around him changed as someone took a seat beside him.
Out of instinct, Subaru glanced to the side. He paused, momentarily flustered, as he came face-to-face with a very beautiful girl.
Her hair was long and glowed with an alluring, platinum color. Her figure was rather delicate and petite, adorned by a simple day dress that matched her beautifully radiant skin.
She looked over at him, a small smile on her face. He gazed deeply into her ocean blue eyes, feeling a chill run through his body.
For some reason, something about her felt strange.
"Greetings," she said in a soft-spoken voice.
Snapping out of his stupor, Subaru replied, "H-Hey?"
She lightly giggled. "Are you alright?"
He cleared his throat, trying to find some composure. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "What about you?"
Subaru cringed and averted his gaze. The awkwardness was palpable, but the girl hardly seemed to notice.
The girl raised an eyebrow. She didn't reply right away, but Subaru could still feel her eyes lingering on him. It was like she was observing him — studying him.
After a long silence, she hummed in thought. "I could be better, or perhaps worse. It is the same for you, I imagine?"
At her words, Subaru let out a deep breath. He slouched forward as his body slightly relaxed. For some reason, he felt a little more comfortable.
"Yeah, I guess," he said with a chuckle. "There's just a lot going on, you know?"
The girl nodded. "I understand. An overbearing amount of mental stress, I presume?"
Subaru sent a small smile in her direction. "Pretty much."
"It is good to relax every now and then," she stated, her expression playful. "These moments come too infrequently. It is nice to take advantage of them."
Subaru couldn't help but agree, laughing a little. "How often are you able to get out?"
"Once every few decades," she nonchalantly replied. "And yourself?"
He laughed again at her exaggeration. "You know, for me, it really feels that way, too."
Her smile ever so slightly widened. "It seems as though we have much in common."
"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing," he said with a grin, extending his hand. "I'm Natsuki Subaru, Emilia-tan's one and only Knight, and weirdo extraordinaire!"
Subaru wasn't sure where this newfound energy came from, but it felt nice. Something about this conversation felt real and it sparked something inside of him. He could feel his mask slipping as a desire to keep talking mustered in his heart.
The girl's expression became stoic as she simply stared at his hand. It made him freeze, causing his rising courage to vanish.
She didn't seem to know what to do. Now, neither did he.
Subaru suddenly began to feel guilty, wondering if he'd made her uncomfortable. The awkwardness of the moment only increased the longer he kept out his hand.
Looking away, he began to stutter an apology as he retracted his hand. However, before he could, the girl reached forward and grabbed his hand in an instant.
Surprised, Subaru looked up to meet her glazing blue eyes. "Pandora," she said in a soft whisper. "And, please, do not worry. I quite like unique individuals."
He was left stunned as he digested her words. In the end, Subaru let himself grin again. "Just don't get tired of me too easily."
Her smile returned, too, as they let their hands separate. "I doubt that I will."
"Well, if you say so," Subaru replied with a chuckle.
Pandora gave him a knowing look. "As a matter of fact, I believe that we will get along very well."
The atmosphere between them was light and relaxing as they rested in a comfortable silence.
"How about a drink?" she asked, raising her arm in order to call the bartender.
He immediately held up his hands to refuse. "Oh, no-no. I don't drink."
She amusedly raised an eyebrow at him. "Surely you jest?"
"I'm serious." He chuckled coyly, glancing away. "Where I'm from, it's illegal to drink at my age."
Curiously, she asked, "Why come to a bar if you do not wish to drink?"
"I-I just wanted to relax, you know?" he replied. "I just ended up here by accident."
Pandora hummed. "It is admirable that you have a strong moral code. However, is indulging in this guilty pleasure for one night truly so bad?"
Subaru clicked his tongue, looking away. He mulled it over.
With how stressful things have been, a drink did seem very enticing. He knew that it was wrong — that he shouldn't give in — but he just couldn't help himself.
He felt strangely compelled to let himself indulge — to relax and open up for once.
"… I suppose just one wouldn't hurt."
Pandora grinned as she waved over the bartender. She ordered their drinks, and before long, twin glasses were placed in front of them.
Subaru grabbed his glass with a bit of hesitancy, studying his drink. Some part of him felt guilty for even considering taking a sip.
However, as he looked at Pandora, he couldn't help but raise his glass to her. She looked back at him oddly, not recognizing the gesture.
He felt awkward, but there was no point in backing down now. "To becoming friends?"
Pandora looked at him for a moment, only to smile and raise her glass as well. "To becoming friends."
After their glasses clinked together, they both took a sip. Subaru reeled at the taste, setting down his glass as he recovered. Pandora giggled.
"You really do have a distaste for these types of beverages, it seems," she commented in amusement.
Subaru glanced over at her, feeling out of place. "Well, it is my first time doing this."
She chuckled a little, looking down at her drink. "I am also not a typical drinker. Though, interestingly, I have found that the taste becomes much better after a few sips."
Despite what she said, Subaru had a hard time believing it. Honestly, what was with this girl? His drink felt like liquid fire, but she didn't have any trouble at all!
He looked at his glass in his hands with trepidation. He supposed that there was only one way to get used to it.
Gripping the glass tighter, he rushed it toward his lips and took another sip. The taste was just as merciless as before.
As Pandora took a few sips of her drink, Subaru looked at her curiously. "Say, why'd you come here, anyway?" he asked, only to cringe and immediately backtrack. "Sorry if that's too personal."
"It is quite alright," she said, showing him her smile. "Though I surmise that I am here for similar reasons as you."
His eyes wandered away, his face slightly red. "Yeah, you're probably right."
They both didn't speak for a while, only taking occasional sips from their drinks. With each sip, Subaru gradually found the taste to be more bearable. It was just like Pandora said.
After a while, Subaru looked back over at her, his cheeks tinted red. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
She giggled, glancing his way. "Is that not hypocritical of you to ask?"
Subaru pouted a little and looked away. She was right, and he couldn't even deny it.
He wasn't sure as to why he'd even asked, but something just compelled him to do it. He just wanted to help.
"How about this," she said, garnering Subaru's attention. "If I reveal some of my problems, you reveal some of yours. Does that sound fair?"
Subaru thought about it, only to wind up looking at her with a challenging grin. "Deal."
"And then we yelled 'El Minya!' and showed that little freakshow who's boss!"
Subaru dramatically flailed his arms, extending them out as though he was mimicking the spell. Pandora giggled at his actions, and he laughed, too.
Time flew by fast. They shared a vast amount of stories, albeit vaguely. Being tipsy helped in slicing up those conversations.
They refilled their drinks a little too many times.
Nevertheless, neither of them could complain. They were actually having fun. It was a genuine privilege that didn't seem to come all too often.
"You have good companions," Pandora commented, somewhat queasy. "My colleagues and subordinates are largely incompetent fools."
Subaru gave her a funny look. "What do they do?"
"Complain," she complained. "I suppose that, if they were to fall in battle, I would not mourn them."
"Damn. I didn't think you had it that bad."
Pandora gave him a grim smile. "You do not know the half of it. I have had to deal with some of these imbeciles for at least a century."
Subaru couldn't hold back a hearty laugh at her exaggeration. "I've definitely felt frustrated with people being dense, too."
"Really?" she asked.
"Yeah," he replied with a slight nod. "Like, for example, I really love this girl. She's amazing and beautiful and she's a wonderful person. I confessed to her not that long ago, and it didn't really turn out well."
Pandora chose not to interrupt him. She only looked on with interest.
Subaru sighed. "I guess she's a bit naive? Don't get me wrong, I love that about her! It adds to her cuteness! But … it just hurts sometimes, you know?"
He looked away, losing himself in his thoughts. Even now, the memories of Emilia turning him down still stung.
Pandora just stared at him. She didn't know what she was supposed to do. This type of situation was far out of her expertise.
But she decided to try, anyway. With a genuinely sincere tone, she said, "I am sorry for your loss."
"What—?" Subaru looked at her with an incredulous expression. "Nobody died, though?"
She slightly tilted her head. "Did your heart and soul not perish?"
Subaru blinked at her a few times out of sheer disbelief. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard.
Eventually, loud laughter echoed out from Subaru's lips. Pandora looked confused. "What is so funny?"
"Nothing, nothing," Subaru replied. He gave her an amused grin. "Thanks for that."
At his thanks, she smiled. "You are most welcome."
"Excuse me."
A man coughed into his fist, trying to garner Subaru and Pandora's attention. When they failed to notice, the man narrowed his eyes and raised his voice.
"Excuse me!"
Subaru jumped at the exclamation, while Pandora looked over with glazed eyes. They found themselves face to face with the bartender, and he was less than happy.
"You have been disturbing the other patrons for hours now," he said with reluctant professionalism. "I'm afraid that you both need to pay your bill and leave."
"H-H-H-Heeeey! There's no waaay we've been—" Subaru slurred, only to burp. It took him a few seconds to find his words. "—that bad! No, no, no way!"
He dramatically shook his head from side to side as Pandora nodded her head in agreement. The bartender pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a frustrated sigh.
"We have received multiple complaints during this hour alone," he said. "Again, I have to ask you to pay your bill and leave."
Subaru and Pandora looked around, finally noticing the dozens of eyes that were trained on them. Normally, Subaru would jitter with unease under their gazes, but now he couldn't bring himself to care.
"W-W-Why didn't you tell us before then?" Subaru asked, pointing at him accusingly.
The bartender drilled into them with an unamused stare. "I did. Several times. Now, pay your bill and get out."
"Uuuuh." Glancing at the bartender, Subaru sheepishly asked, "Can I put everything on a tab?"
"Of course, sir," he begrudgingly grumbled. "What will the name be?"
"Otto Suwen."
Subaru giggled loudly to himself. He was so clever.
The bartender sighed, rolling his eyes. "Very well. Your expenses will be added to the tab. Thank you for your patronage."
When the bartender left, Subaru and Pandora took that as their cue to leave, too.
Standing up and walking had been tricky. They were both somewhat dazed, making most of their steps clumsy and uneven. When Pandora held onto his arm for support, Subaru hardly reacted.
Seconds after they stepped outside, Subaru's eyes wandered to the sky. He immediately became entranced by it.
Like a beautiful piece of art, the stars shone brightly in creative patterns. His mind went into overdrive as he tried to imagine all of the different constellations.
"Beautiful …" he absentmindedly muttered.
Pandora curiously looked at him, only to look up as well. Drunkenly, she said, "Quite … Quite beautiful, indeed." She paused, stopping herself from burping. "When I look at them, I … I am … I am reminded of a time that I miss dearly."
Subaru resonated with those words as many memories flooded his head all at once. "Same here."
They continued walking without another word. Despite their awkward steps, they were both relaxed and unbothered.
After a while, Subaru realized something: why was he walking with her instead of going back to Emilia? Everyone was probably worried sick!
Getting distracted by his next thought, those concerns quickly left his mind. He looked at Pandora, unable to stop himself from asking.
"Where … uuuh … Where are you going?" Subaru asked.
Pandora hummed, looking at him. "Where are you going?"
He nodded a bunch of times. "Yeeeah. Yeah. Where are you going?"
She seemed confused as she slightly tilted her head to the side. "Tha-sh what I said."
Subaru blinked a few times. After some thought, he realized that she had asked first. How could he have been so silly? It was only polite to give her an answer.
Thinking more, it was probably a good idea to get an inn. It wasn't safe for either of them to go home in their current state. He could realize that much.
"An inn," he replied. "We can … We can, uuuh, get a room."
Pandora hummed for a long time before letting out a short gasp. "Oh. Oh," she repeated herself. "I believe that I understand. We can— We can do that."
With her in agreement, Subaru started to look for an inn. Between their constantly distracted thoughts and their clumsy walking, the search lasted longer than they both realized.
When they finally found a suitable place, it was already very late into the night. There was nobody in sight, inside or outside. Neither of them noticed this, however.
Being the only two people in the lobby, they approached the receptionist. She eyed them suspiciously, immediately noting their drunken demeanors.
Subaru opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. They felt stuck on the tip of his tongue. He even held up two fingers, as if to emphasize his words. It's too bad that he wasn't actually saying anything.
The receptionist skeptically furrowed her brows. She looked at his raised fingers before asking, "Would you like to purchase a room for the night, sir?"
"Woooah!" Subaru's mouth opened agape, looking at her in shock. "H-H-H-How did you know I was gonna say that?!"
The poor lady just sighed, rubbing her eyes. It was too late for this sort of nonsense. "It's five copper coins per room."
"Oh! Uh, hold on."
Subaru's hands fumbled in his pockets, pulling out a coin pouch. One by one, he very slowly counted the coins until exactly ten of them were placed on the counter.
The receptionist gave him an odd look. "Two rooms?"
With an enthusiastic nod, Subaru replied, "Yes!"
The lady's eyes switched between Subaru and Pandora curiously. Afterward, she sighed again. This wasn't her business.
"Just don't cause any trouble," she said, handing him two room keys. "Your rooms are directly beside each other. Enjoy your stay. "
Subaru nodded with a goofy grin on his face. "Don't worry, ma'am!" he exclaimed with a salute. "I'll be on my bestest good behavior!"
He was promptly ignored. Not that he cared, or even noticed.
They were hardly able to read the numbers on the doors, let alone the ones on their keys, so they had some trouble finding their rooms. After a lot of trial and error, however, the two finally got there.
Subaru followed Pandora into her room and helped her into bed. Even while drunk, his concern for others was strong.
He made a move to leave, but she grabbed his arm. He stopped dead in his tracks, turning to look at her. Their glazed eyes met before she pulled him into the bed alongside her.
From that moment on, the rest of the night felt like a blur for them both.
When Subaru awoke the next morning, his eyes met an unfamiliar ceiling.
Sitting up, he groaned and rubbed his eyes. He held his pounding head, feeling cold under the covers.
It took him a while to fully realize that he was completely naked. He was overwhelmed with mass confusion as he failed to understand what had happened to him.
When he looked to his right, all of the previous night's memories returned at once. His face scorched itself red as his eyes darted away in an instant.
Pandora was already awake, sitting over the bedside. Her bare back faced him, and she made no effort to cover herself.
She felt his movements, glancing back at him with an unreadable expression. "Are you alright?"
Subaru couldn't help but falter at her words. "Not really."
With a hum, her head turned away. She seemed to be deep in thought.
Before the silence could persist, Subaru asked back, "Are you?"
"Partially," she replied. "I must now accept some things. That is all."
Was that really it, though? He doubted it.
"I-I'm sorry," Subaru stuttered out. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have—"
"No," she interrupted him. Her head tilted downward as she continued, "The fault lies with me."
She took a moment to observe her own body. Eventually, she studied the palms of her hands and let out a deep sigh.
"This was something that I should not have done."
Subaru couldn't help but agree. In the end, this was his mistake, too.
A pit opened in his chest. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, he knew that this was wrong. He felt unmistakably guilty.
Yet, strangely, neither of them seemed to regret it.
After a while, Pandora finally got to her feet. "I believe that this is where we part ways."
Subaru made the mistake of glancing at her. He quickly forced himself to look away again, his face a deeper shade of red.
Despite that, he felt enormously sad. He thought that they'd bonded really well.
Losing a friend always hurts. It only takes one bad experience for someone to leave forever.
How could he have been so stupid? He chastised himself for his idiocy.
… But was it really that bad of an experience?
Subaru shook his head, abandoning the thought. He understood why Pandora wanted to leave, and it was something that he would just have to accept.
Pandora finally covered herself, draping a simple white cloth over her body. At least he could look at her now.
She turned towards him, her expression hesitant yet firm. "Do you truly believe that you deserve equal responsibility for this mishap?"
Without hesitation, he looked straight into her eyes and replied, "Yes."
With a gentle gaze, she softly spoke, "You are quite the humble individual."
Subaru didn't reply. He just shyly averted his gaze, clearly flattered by her compliment.
"While I disagree with the sentiment, I appreciate it, nonetheless." Pandora gave him a small smile. "I will remember your words."
She made her way to the door, one step at a time. When she reached for the knob, she hesitated slightly. With an uncertain gaze, she looked back at him.
"I want to thank you, Natsuki Subaru," she said. "You have given me a genuine connection that I have never felt before. I apologize that I cannot see it through."
Pandora paused. It looked as though she wanted to say more, but she stopped herself.
Her hand turned the knob, opening the door. With one last look, she whispered, "Farewell."
Subaru was left alone in the room, watching as the door closed behind her. He spent a long time simply staring at it, too stunned to move.
An hour passed before he finally moved out of bed. He felt unmotivated, weak, and undoubtedly hungover. He didn't even think about what he'd tell everyone when he returned.
His head was just too unfocused. He was irreversibly lost in thought.
At some point, he'd gotten dressed and returned the room keys to the receptionist. He barely registered the lady's thanks.
When he returned to his friends, Beatrice immediately smelled the alcohol on him and started to ferociously question him. Others, like Ram and Emilia, did the same.
Subaru could hardly hear what they were saying. He could only manage a few absentminded responses. His head still hurt, and this was only making it hurt more.
Beatrice eventually realized how dazed he was. Begrudgingly, she insisted that he take some time to rest. Subaru didn't argue, nor did he complain. He really needed it.
Emilia wasn't ready to give up, though. The worry in her tone was unmistakable as she spoke to him. She pressed him for details, wanting to know if he was okay or if anything was wrong.
The entire time, Subaru couldn't bear to look at her even once. Whenever he did, a pit would open in his chest and consume him whole.
Emilia started to become noticeably sad and upset. She asked him — begged him — to tell her what was wrong. She wanted to know if it was her fault.
Subaru wanted to comfort her — to reach out and hug her. He wanted to reassure her and say that nothing was her fault, but he didn't have the strength or the will to do so.
Even if they weren't actually together, it felt as though he'd betrayed her. It made him feel disgusted with himself.
When he finally got to bed, he found himself alone. Everyone decided to leave him be.
He was exhausted and tired, feeling as his mind teetered on the edge of falling asleep. In spite of that, one thought remained persistent in his mind.
In spite of his overwhelming guilt, he couldn't help but wonder: did that experience truly mean nothing?
Over the course of many months, Subaru's mentality changed. That night had been the catalyst of a newfound determination.
Subaru strove to better himself. He had lost a potential friend because of his own recklessness. He didn't want to make a mistake like that again. He needed to be better.
As a result, he started to open up and become more proactive. He became all the better for it.
Garfiel and Otto essentially became his brothers. They always gave him an opportunity to simply take a break and relax. Subaru loved their dynamic and always liked to be around them.
Frederica and Petra were great friends. They were always caring and reliable, never seeming to judge him by his faults.
Ram was like the big sister that he never had. Sure, she was harsh sometimes, but that was the part of their banter that he really loved the most. In fact, her words helped him to improve, so he greatly appreciated it.
Beatrice was by far his best friend. She was his partner. He could tell her anything and she would always stay by his side. Sometimes, she would comfort him until he fell asleep in her arms. Their trust knew no bounds.
When it came to Emilia, Subaru was proud of how far they'd come. Emilia showed him her complete faith, which he reciprocated to the fullest. She constantly went out of her way to make him happy.
Emilia even started to pick up some of his habits as they spent more time together. Subaru found it to be really cute.
For once, Suabru felt like he could be himself. He started to feel accepted for who he was.
Having people to rely on was new to him, but it felt unexplainably nice. He treasured them all.
It took a long time for Subaru to move past that night. Even now, he never fully opened up about it.
For the most part, it became a fleeting memory. He would always remember the fun at the bar, and the friend that he had made, but nothing more beyond that.
"Betty's contractor has that look on his face again," Beatrice grumbled disapprovingly, eyeing him expectantly.
Subaru snapped out of his thoughts, looking at her with a lighthearted grin. "Sorry, Beako, I was sorta just reminiscing a little bit. What were we doing? I feel like I was giving you a bunch of headpats."
Beatrice gave him a half-hearted glare. "That is not what you were doing," she refuted, only to become meek. "... But Betty wouldn't mind if it was, I suppose."
He laughed as he placed a hand atop her head, affectionately rubbing it. She seemed to purr like a cat, relaxing her body and leaning into his touch.
Subaru could only smile. She was really adorable.
"Barusu!"
Beatrice screamed and jumped, ramming her head right into his chin. Subaru let out a weird noise as he recoiled, holding his face as Beatrice profusely apologized and attempted to heal him.
He forgave her, obviously. It wasn't like she did it on purpose.
He laughed it off, finding the incident to be genuinely funny. As a result, she pouted at him.
When the commotion died down, Subaru and Beatrice both looked at Ram, who held an impatient expression. Subaru seemed interested in what she had to say, while Beatrice looked displeased.
Her gaze bore directly into Subaru. "Sorry for interrupting," she said with clear sarcasm, "but there is a woman here to see you."
Subaru faltered in confusion. "Do I have to go answer it?"
"With Emilia-sama and Roswaal-sama at their meeting, you are the head of the house," she begrudgingly stated, shaking her head. "Though Ram will never understand why Roswaal-sama made such a poor decision.
"You don't have to be that harsh."
Ram gave him a stern look, putting him momentarily on edge. "Whatever the case, that hardly matters. This woman is here to see you."
Subaru had a hard time processing what Ram said. "She's what?"
"Do you need a new pair of ears, Barusu?"
Sensing her irritation, he held up his hands. "No-no, I heard you. But why would anyone be here to see me?"
Ram's eyes narrowed at him in suspicion. He cowered under her intimidating gaze, feeling an unexplainable chill run up his back. "Ram believes that you need to see for yourself."
With that said, she left the room. Subaru and Beatrice shared a glance, equally unsure of how to interpret Ram's words.
Even so, Subaru had a weird feeling in his chest. For some reason, he felt uneasy, like something bad was about to happen.
He and Beatrice made their way out of the room, reconvening with Ram at the main entrance. She bowed to him, likely only out of professional courtesy, before she opened the door for him.
Subaru froze. He had to blink a few times just to make sure that he was seeing things correctly.
Pandora looked back at him with a soft expression, wearing the same single piece of cloth from when they last saw each other. "Hello again, Subaru."
"Uhm … Hey."
The tension made it difficult for him to meet her eyes. A large part of him just wanted to shrink down and hide.
"How have you been?" she asked.
He glanced up at her, rubbing his arm. "I've been pretty good lately, I guess." He paused, swallowing a lump in his throat. "What about you?"
She managed a small smile. "I have been doing alright. Thank you."
An awkward silence became prevalent. Neither knew what to say.
Beatrice continued to stand by Subaru's side, looking between them in an attempt to understand what was going on. "Subaru," she addressed. "Who is this woman to you?"
At her question, Subaru's face flushed red. He stuttered, "I-I, well, s-she is—"
"We are friends," Pandora interjected, much to the duo's surprise. "Subaru is my dear friend."
Beatrice eyed her with skepticism. "Then why has Betty never heard about you?"
Pandora shared a glance with Subaru. Her demeanor shifted, and Subaru noticed it far too well.
"Well?" Beatrice prodded impatiently. "Out with it! How do you know Betty's—"
"Actually, Pandora, why are you here?" Subaru suddenly asked, interrupting her.
Ignoring Beatrice's blatant shock, Pandora adorned an unsure expression. Subaru also felt a rush of uncertainty as Pandora looked away.
"I apologize," she barely whispered. "During these past months, I have felt very lost. I have been faced with irreversible decisions and have begun to question many things, mainly in regard to myself. I needed to speak with you again, Subaru. But, also …"
Pandora stepped to the side, revealing a decently sized box. It was big enough to where you would have to hold it with two hands.
An assortment of different blankets and small cushions lay strewn out at the bottom of the box. On top of those blankets and cushions were two, small babies: a baby boy and a baby girl.
Subaru looked at them in wonder. He couldn't help but adore their cute little faces as they stared back at him, both equally curious.
Pandora took a breath. "These are our children, Subaru."
…
Time froze as her words truly set it. Even then, he still couldn't properly comprehend it.
He took a step back, followed by another. The bad feeling in his chest exploded as his heart accelerated to unfathomable speeds.
Subaru tried to get a hold of himself, but to no avail. He took rapid breaths, too overwhelmed to think properly.
Nothing could have prepared him for this.
His eyes wandered to the children one more time before drifting back to Pandora. Only one thought was on his mind.
"Oh, no."
For those curious: the designs for the kids can be found in an artwork that I commissioned a long time ago. It's floating around somewhere. Nevertheless, they'll be properly detailed in future chapters.
I know that some of you will ask about smut, so here's my answer to that: I've thought about it. If I ever decide to write it, I'll post it as a separate side story someday. Just don't hold your breath on that.