Chapter Text
Morning light seeped through the glass window, spilling hazy warmth across the room. Shuichi woke to the soft hum of the awakening city outside, the melodic chirping of the birds, and the undeniably warm feeling blooming from his chest and spreading through his body.
His face was still planted on the pillow, messy locks tumbling over his forehead. He stretched a hand and felt the cold and empty space beside him where she should have been. Lazily, he opened his eyes. Indeed, he was alone in the bed. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, replaying each moment of the previous night in his mind.
No, it hadn't been a dream. Every kiss, every touch, every whispered name—the world would be far too cruel if those had been just fleeting creations of his unconscious mind.
As he hopped out of bed, he heard faint noises which definitely came from the kitchen. His face instantly lit up. He put on fresh clothes, splashed his face with cool water from the sink and, soon enough, he was padding down the hallway that led to the kitchen.
And there Jodie was, in the knee length burgundy dress she wore the previous day—slightly crumpled, but still fitted her beautifully. Her back was turned to him, strands of her fine, golden hair flowing smoothly at the back of her neck.
"Morning." His voice, rough from sleep wafted through the cold morning air. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder. The aroma of coffee already prepared on the table smelled inviting, but he didn't let her go. He snuggled up to her a little longer, pressing his face to her neck and inhaling her scent. He could smell the fading scent of her perfume mixed with the lingering musk of the night they had shared.
Jodie put a hand over his larger ones and held them tightly—surprisingly tight. "Shu..." she whispered.
"You love calling my name. And... I love that." Shuichi placed a tender kiss on her cheek and finally released her from his embrace. By the Gods… he could hold her all day.
She watched him as he sipped the coffee that she had prepared for him. After all this time, she still knew his preferred taste; he had always wanted his coffee in its full bitterness. He put down the mug and smiled at her—the sweetness in that smile in total contrast to the taste of his morning drink.
"Jodie, sit down," he said, jutting his chin toward the empty chair beside him at the kitchen counter. His eyes lingered on her as she grabbed her purse from the corner and sat with it on her lap. "Are you leaving soon?"
"Yes. I must." She forced a smile.
"And you will come back, right?" His eyes shone with hope—hope that last night won't be the last, that they would have more amazing nights to share, and that they would be together again. This time, forever. Then, he took her hand and said, "Marry me, Jodie. I'm back. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
There was no grand proposal, no ring, no candlelit dinner, and no flowers scattered everywhere—only conviction in Shuichi's voice. And it was more than enough for Jodie to say yes.
If only she could…
Pent-up tears fell from her eyes. Slowly, painfully, she pulled her hand away. "No..." Her voice broke into a whisper—a single word that carried a weight heavier than the tragedies they had faced in the past years.
"No?" For a moment, he wondered if he had misheard her. But he knew he hadn't. He was stunned, eyes wide with disbelief. "After you said I'm your greatest love?"
"And you will always be..."
"Jodie... This... what's going on?"
She looked down, shoved a hand in her purse and pulled it out with a gold band between her trembling fingers. Shuichi felt his heart slowly crumble as he watched her slip it onto the place where he had spent years waiting and dreaming to put a symbol of their unity, along with words that spoke of promises he would've kept until his last breath.
Jodie looked at him. And although her vision was blurry, she could see how his face dimmed. Seeing him like this hurt her more than she could ever imagine. But this was the truth—and they needed to face it.
"I'm already married."
Everything fell silent. Shuichi couldn't hear even the beating of his own heart. He wondered if it was still there, or if her revelation had dragged it off somewhere he could never find it again.
Married.
He swallowed the word like a thick thorn slitting his throat.
She put a hand over her mouth, quiet sobs continuously escaping through it. Then she reached for him and held his hand—the hand that she had dreamed of holding throughout her life, but she knew she would soon have to let go.
Shuichi felt his eyes sting. He loved her. And he knew she loved him too. Hell, he could ask her to run away with him. But would he want it that way?
Jodie placed one last kiss on his knuckles before finally letting go of him. Her fingertips hovered over his skin for a few precious seconds, then turned her back on him and took the first step to leave.
It was too late now. For him. For them. Maybe, they were really not meant for each other from the start. Maybe.
"Are you happy?" he asked quietly.
Did he really want to know? Would it ease the pain if she told him she was?
She stopped and looked at him over her shoulder. "I'm trying."
Shuichi, drained of all strength to speak, watched her until her figure disappeared. He hoped she would return and run into his arms again—where he believed she belonged. And when the latch clicked, he kept staring at the door...
...the door that he knew wouldn't open again.