~Two Weeks Later, Takashina Residence, Early Morning~
Soutarou woke several seconds before the alarm beside his bed could begin its daily attempt to infringe upon his peace…
Not because of discipline…
Nor because he had suddenly developed the habits expected of a responsible student…
No…
The gentle awareness resting at the edge of his senses had changed.
One familiar presence moved through the kitchen beneath his room…
Warm…
Steady…
And carrying reinforced energy.
Another approached his bedroom from the hallway…
Colder by nature…
Vast enough for the faint pressure of Absolute Demise to remain ever present.
His Pawn remained downstairs and his Bishop stopped outside the door.
Soutarou stared toward the ceiling for another second before the handle quietly turned…
Lavinia slipped into the room with the careful movements of someone try her best not to wake him…
Her long blonde hair fell freely around a pale-blue nightdress…
A dark hat remained absent for once…
And her sapphire-blue eyes softened the moment they found him already watching.
Lavinia paused before sheepishly asking, “Did I wake you, Sou-chan?”
Soutarou glanced toward the alarm clock and lazily answered, “Nope…
My dearest Bishop was sneaking around outside my room too loudly.”
Lavinia blinked before looking toward the empty hallway behind her.
Lavinia then lowered her voice and confusedly protested, “I wasn’t making any noise.”
Soutarou lifted one hand and tapped two fingers against his chest before teasingly explaining, “You don’t have to…
I can feel you wandering around now, Nia-onee-chan.”
Lavinia’s expression brightened…
Then softened into something quieter.
Lavinia stepped farther inside and gently admitted, “I like that.”
Soutarou’s teasing eased as he murmured, “Me too.”
The connection was useful…
If Mamako or Lavinia moved beyond Kuoh, he’d know.
If either became injured, frightened, or pushed their power too far, the bond would warn him long before an ordinary message could arrive.
Their reserves had also grown.
Lavinia’s increase had been especially noticeable…
Absolute Demise now possessed far more power to draw upon without threatening to exhaust her…
While Mamako’s already absurd balance between spatial severance, soul fire, and that monstrous sanctuary had become even harder to overwhelm.
But those benefits remained secondary…
Soutarou looked at Lavinia standing beside his bed…
At the same woman who had entered his life carrying a suitcase and no place to call home…
She wouldn’t age through a handful of decades while he remained almost unchanged.
Mamako wouldn’t either…
The thought alone had settled deep inside him the night both Pieces accepted his blood and carried it into theirs…
Quiet…
Heavy…
And relieving enough that Soutarou had spent several minutes sitting between the two women without saying anything at all.
They’d be with him as long as his long life lasted.
‘That alone was worth every irritating second I spent chasing those Pieces…’
Lavinia reached the bed before leaning down.
Her hair slid over one shoulder and brushed across Soutarou’s chest as she peered at him with growing concern.
Lavinia softly asked, “Are you feeling alright, Sou-chan?”
Soutarou returned to the present and assured, “Perfectly fine.”
Lavinia continued studying him before gently placing one hand against his forehead.
Lavinia thoughtfully murmured, “You looked sad.”
Soutarou caught her wrist and lightly corrected, “Not sad…
Just thinking.”
Lavinia allowed him to hold her there.
Her fingers relaxed against his hair before Lavinia quietly asked, “About us?”
Soutarou’s eyes shifted toward hers…
The question was innocent…
Lavinia had always looked at him warmly…
Fallen asleep against him during long research sessions…
Kissed his forehead whenever Mamako did…
And treated his personal space as a flexible suggestion rather than a meaningful boundary.
None of that was new…
What was new was Soutarou noticing how long some of those touches remained.
Lavinia’s sapphire-blue eyes lowered toward the hand still wrapped around her wrist.
Her cheeks gained the faintest trace of color before she softly repeated, “Sou-chan?”
Soutarou released her and immediately sat upright.
Soutarou coughed into his fist before quickly answering, “Yeah…
About you and Mamako-nee being safer.”
Lavinia smiled…
Then she sat upon the edge of his bed and wrapped both arms around him without asking.
Soutarou stiffened for only a moment before her chin settled upon his shoulder.
Lavinia hugged him more tightly and warmly whispered, “Thank you.”
Soutarou’s ears warmed as he tried to maintain a reasonable distance that Lavinia appeared entirely uninterested in permitting.
‘Normal sister hug…
Completely normal…’
Lavinia nuzzled her cheek against the side of his neck.
‘A little affectionate…
But normal.’
One of her hands slowly moved across his back before resting between his shoulders.
‘Extremely affectionate…
Still within the acceptable range…’
Footsteps approached from the hallway before Mamako stopped at the open door.
Her chestnut-brown hair had been tied loosely behind her head…
A pale apron rested over a cream-colored blouse and long skirt…
And one hand remained planted against her hip.
Mamako watched them for several seconds.
Soutarou looked toward her with the expression of a man requesting emergency extraction.
Mamako’s violet eyes curved warmly before she gently observed, “Nia-chan found him first~.”
Lavinia made no attempt to move as she contentedly confirmed, “I did.”
Mamako stepped into the room before reaching down and smoothing Soutarou’s already messy hair.
Mamako lovingly said, “Good morning, So-kun.”
Soutarou accepted his fate and replied, “Morning, Mamako-nee.”
Mamako leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek.
Lavinia immediately lifted her head.
Soutarou noticed the motion and Mamako did too.
Lavinia stared at the place Mamako’s lips had touched before quietly asking, “Are we doing morning kisses now?”
Mamako blinked as though the question had never occurred to her.
Mamako then smiled and naturally answered, “We always have.”
Lavinia considered the claim…
Then turned Soutarou’s face toward her and placed an equally gentle kiss against his opposite cheek.
Soutarou remained perfectly still.
Mamako’s smile brightened.
Lavinia looked strangely satisfied.
Lavinia’s arm remained wrapped around his waist while Mamako continued running her fingers through his hair.
‘These two are supposed to be my “sisters”…’
‘If those two ever asked me for something…
Anything…
I’d tear apart Heaven, the Underworld, and whatever unfortunate God tried to tell me no.’
Soutarou swallowed.
‘So if what they eventually ask for happens to be…
Me…?’
Mamako tilted his chin upward and worriedly questioned, “So-kun, why is your face becoming red?”
Soutarou immediately denied, “It isn’t.”
Lavinia touched his other cheek and calmly contradicted, “It is~.”
Soutarou pulled himself free with the graceful desperation of someone escaping an affectionate ambush.
Soutarou threw the blankets aside and hurriedly declared, “I should shower.”
Soutarou moved toward the bathroom and quickly promised, “I’ll be downstairs in ten minutes.”
Lavinia remained sitting upon the bed.
Lavinia watched him reach the door before curiously asking, “Sou-chan…
Did we make you shy?”
Soutarou stopped.
Mamako’s eyes widened before turning toward Lavinia.
Lavinia looked entirely sincere.
Soutarou refused to face either of them and stiffly answered, “No.”
Lavinia’s smile grew.
Mamako covered her lips as a soft giggle escaped.
Soutarou entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him with slightly more speed than dignity required.
Only after the lock clicked did he place both hands against the sink and stare into the mirror.
His lightly tanned face remained composed…
Mostly.
His ears had betrayed him completely.
Soutarou sighed and muttered, “I’m only seventeen…
That conversation can wait a bit more…”
The reflection offered no disagreement.
Soutarou turned on the water before quietly muttering to himself, “I wasn’t shy…
I wasn’t.”
…
Twenty-three minutes later, Soutarou sat at the dining table beneath the combined attention of Lavinia and Mamako.
Mamako placed a carefully arranged breakfast before him.
Lavinia sat beside him rather than across from him despite three empty chairs remaining available, not to mention the fact that she scooched closer to him.
Soutarou glanced at the grilled fish…
The rice…
The soup…
The vegetables arranged with extreme precision and order.
Then he noticed the small pickled plum resting in the center of the rice.
Soutarou suspiciously asked, “Is the lunch just as…
patriotic?”
Mamako clasped her hands and proudly answered, “Since that thieving- I mean Sona became your fiance…
Despite my own opinions…
*Ahem* I know So-kun knows where home is…
But anyways I thought you should at least look somewhat dependable.”
Soutarou stared at her as Lavinia nodded as though the reasoning made complete sense.
Soutarou slowly questioned, “And the flag-shaped breakfast somehow accomplishes that?”
Mamako happily replied, “Mhm.
It shows commitment.”
Soutarou looked toward Lavinia for help.
Lavinia took a small bite from his rice and thoughtfully agreed, “It’s very committed…”
Soutarou pulled the bowl away from her and complained, “That was mine…”
Lavinia leaned against his shoulder and softly requested, “You can feed me another bite.”
Mamako watched him recover before she gently asked, “Would you like me to feed you too, So-kun?”
Soutarou closed his eyes and then he opened his eyes again and found Mamako waiting with patient warmth while Lavinia remained comfortably attached to his side…
In the end he couldn’t tell either of them no.
Soutarou reluctantly lifted a small piece of fish toward Lavinia and muttered, “One bite.”
Lavinia’s eyes brightened before she accepted it happily.
Mamako’s expression became hopeful.
Soutarou pointed his chopsticks toward her and firmly warned, “You’re supposed to be the adult.”
Mamako’s shoulders lowered by the smallest amount and Soutarou only lasted three seconds of his sternness.
Soutarou sighed and surrendered, “Come here, Mamako-nee.”
Mamako immediately leaned forward with a radiant smile.
‘Yeah…
I’m doomed…
Well…
I suppose that’s not that bad of a fate…
Nah who am I kidding?
That sounds amazing…!
Fuck yes…!’