The soft hum of Ayaka's apartment filled the background—faint traffic sounds beyond the window, the low clink of mugs on the coffee table, and the muffled buzz of her phone vibrating occasionally on the couch.
The golden glow of her floor lamp cast a cozy, amber light over the living room, wrapping the space in warmth.
Ayaka sat curled up on the sofa, fresh from her shower, her damp hair resting over one shoulder, wearing an oversized sweatshirt that once belonged to Akihiko.
She was sipping warm tea, stealing quiet glances at him.
Akihiko sat beside her, legs stretched out, one arm resting on the back of the couch.
His other hand held his phone, the screen's light casting a faint bluish hue over his face.
His silver hair looked almost starlit under the warm lighting, his eyes flicking through reactions on social media.
She could see the muscle in his jaw twitch ever so slightly as he scrolled.
He didn't speak.
Ayaka leaned closer, curious. "What's going on?"
He didn't answer right away, but instead, abruptly locked his phone and placed it face-down on the table.
That caught her attention.
She raised a brow. "Did you just… close it on something dramatic?"
He didn't look at her. "No."
She smirked, leaning toward him. "You saw something."
Akihiko sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Nothing important."
"Oh, it's definitely important now." she teased, leaning into his space with a playful glint in her eye. "Come on, Ice Prince. Tell me."
He finally looked at her, his blue eyes narrowed. "Some of your fans are still rooting for you and Makoto."
Ayaka blinked, then laughed softly. "Oh... That?"
"I told you it's not important."
"You sure?" she grinned. "Because the way you just slammed your phone down said otherwise."
He exhaled, almost like a warning, but she poked at his side.
"Oh my... wait—are you jealous?"
"I'm not." he replied instantly, too fast, too flat.
She let out a soft, triumphant laugh. "That's adorable."
Akihiko turned his head to her slowly, his expression unreadable. "I'm not."
"Right. You're just brooding because you 'accidentally' saw a comment saying 'Team Makoto forever' and your hand slipped." she teased, eyes twinkling.
"You're really pushing it, Ayaka."
She only giggled more, clutching her mug, enjoying the rare moment of power she had over him.
"Jealousy suits you." she said, nudging his knee with hers. "Maybe I'll tweet something nice about Makoto just to—"
Without warning, Akihiko shifted.
His movement was smooth and sudden.
One moment, Ayaka was laughing, the next—her back was against the couch cushions, the mug safe but forgotten on the table, and Akihiko was hovering above her, one knee pressed between her thighs, his palms braced on either side of her head.
Her breath hitched.
His face was dangerously close, his eyes intense, sharp—but not angry.
There was something else there.
Desire.
Claiming.
Tenderness veiled by heat.
"You were saying?" he asked, his voice low, rough at the edges.
Ayaka's heartbeat thundered in her ears.
Her fingers curled around the fabric of his shirt instinctively.
"You're…" she whispered, half-laughing, half-gasping. "This is cheating."
"Call it damage control." he murmured, gaze flicking from her eyes to her lips and back. "Or maybe it's long overdue."
She felt her breath stutter in her chest as he leaned in closer, their noses almost brushing, the weight of him above her grounding her and unbalancing her all at once.
Then he spoke, his voice softer now.
Vulnerable.
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
Ayaka's eyes widened.
The room stood still.
For a moment, she wasn't author Ayaka, or Ms. Midnight, or the girl stuck between reality and a story.
She was just herself—raw, exposed, flushed, and trembling beneath the man she loved.
Akihiko, who had once been a silhouette in memory.
Akihiko, who was now here—real and warm and breathing her name like a promise.
She blinked slowly, her lips parting.
"Yes."
He didn't wait another second.
His lips crashed into hers—not gently, not cautiously, but with the full force of everything they had held back for far too long.
It was a kiss that didn't ask permission—it knew the answer.
Ayaka gasped into it, her fingers flying to the back of his neck, pulling him closer as his hand slid under her sweatshirt, not to roam, but to feel—her spine, her warmth, the curve of her waist beneath his palm like a puzzle piece finally found.
He kissed her like he had memorized her mouth.
Like he was starving.
And she gave in to him, letting herself be swallowed whole.
His tongue parted her lips, deepening the kiss, slow and possessive, savoring every second.
Their breaths tangled, ragged and hot, her moan muffled as he tilted his head and pressed in harder.
She arched beneath him instinctively, and his hand slid up her back, anchoring her to him, like she'd slip away if he didn't hold her close enough.
When they finally broke apart, it wasn't because they wanted to. It was because they had to breathe.
Ayaka's eyes fluttered open, dazed and glassy, lips swollen from the intensity.
Akihiko's forehead pressed against hers, both of them panting softly in the dim light.
"Still think I'm jealous?" he whispered against her mouth.
She grinned despite herself, cheeks burning. "No. I think you're dangerously in love."
He smiled then—soft, real, beautiful.
"Good."
And then he kissed her again.
This time slower, deeper—like a promise he would spend forever keeping.
------
Sunlight filtered gently through the gauzy curtains, casting a soft glow across the bedroom.
The room was quiet save for the faint rustling of sheets and the steady rhythm of two slow, peaceful heartbeats.
Ayaka stirred first, blinking her eyes open with a lazy yawn.
For a moment, she didn't move.
Her gaze traveled across the familiar ceiling above her bed… until she turned her head and saw him.
Akihiko.
Still asleep, one arm possessively draped around her waist, his silver hair tousled from sleep, lips parted ever so slightly.
He looked younger like this—peaceful, no hint of the cold, composed Ice Prince.
Just a man in love, sleeping in the home of the woman who had quietly stolen his heart.
Ayaka smiled.
Her chest swelled with a warmth that pulsed through her like sunlight.
Carefully, she traced her fingertip along his jaw.
He stirred slightly but didn't wake.
She watched as his lashes fluttered faintly against his cheek.
Her heart melted all over again.
"Good morning." she whispered.
His eyes opened slowly, blue meeting brown in the quiet haze of morning.
"Mm." he murmured. "What time is it?"
"Late enough to stay in bed a little longer." she said with a playful grin.
Akihiko let out a faint, gravelly hum, tightening his grip around her waist and tugging her flush against his chest. "Then I vote we don't move. Ever."
Ayaka giggled. "But I'm hungry."
"I'll order food. Don't move." he mumbled sleepily.
"You can't order with your face in my neck."
"I'll figure it out." he replied, voice muffled. "You smell like strawberries."
She laughed harder now, swatting at his hair. "That's my shampoo, you weirdo."
"I'm gonna steal it."
They lay there for several more minutes—Akihiko lazily tracing circles on her back, Ayaka stealing soft kisses against his shoulder and collarbone.
Eventually, they made their way out of bed, Ayaka in his shirt and shorts, Akihiko in sweatpants and a coffee-stained shirt she'd handed him at some point last night.
Their morning was quiet and domestic—coffee brewed lazily in the kitchen, music humming faintly in the background, Ayaka dancing barefoot while flipping pancakes.
Akihiko, freshly showered and leaning on the counter with his arms crossed, looked like he belonged there.
Like he always had.
"I think we should tell them." Ayaka said as she sipped her coffee, her tone light.
"The guys?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
Akihiko raised an eyebrow. "You want to tell Kei and Kai?"
"I'm not scared of Kai...or Kei. Besides I think they already know it by now." she huffed.
"You should be." he deadpanned.
She threw a towel at him, laughing.
"I was thinking." she said, tapping her chin dramatically. "A mysterious photo. Very cryptic. Let people panic for an hour or two."
Akihiko blinked. "You're evil."
"I'm a writer. It's called building suspense."
And so, she did.
She took a simple photo of their intertwined hands resting on a book—"Where We Left Off"—and posted it with one caption:
"Turns out, happy endings aren't fiction after all." 🖤📖
The internet broke within six minutes.
------
Later That Day...
The cafe was buzzing with life when Ayaka and Akihiko arrived, hand-in-hand, trying and failing to look inconspicuous.
Yuki, Kazumi, Takeshi, and Keiko were already seated at a large corner booth.
Laughter and noise swirled around them, but their group was the eye of the storm—quietly glaring at their phones.
Takeshi was the first to speak.
"So." he began, raising his phone without looking up, "Which one of you posted this cryptic nonsense and decided to disappear like cowards?"
Ayaka waved with a big grin. "Hi everyone."
"You!" Yuki cried, pointing at her dramatically. "You! I was in the middle of a facial, Ayaka. A facial! And you just drop this bomb and vanish?"
Kazumi clutched his chest. "I choked on a rice cracker, Ayaka. I almost died."
Keiko leaned over the table with a teasing smirk. "We all thought you were eloping."
"I knew this was coming." Takeshi added.
Kazumi just blinked, eyeing the couple up and down, his mouth twitching. "Are you two—?"
Akihiko calmly pulled Ayaka a little closer by the waist.
Ayaka smiled, cheeks slightly pink. "Yes. We're dating."
The table exploded.
"Since when?!" Yuki shouted, grabbing Keiko's arm for support.
Keiko was already pulling out a pen. "I knew it. The tension in the volleyball game. The towel on her head. I'm writing this down."
"I want a full timeline!" Kazumi demanded. "Where's the prequel? The flashbacks? Deleted scenes?!"
"I'm telling you, I called it since the thunderstorm arc." Takeshi said.
Yuki grabbed Ayaka and shook her dramatically. "You seductress! You wrote the man into existence and then seduced him in real life!"
"It's not seduction." Ayaka pouted. "It's destiny."
Keiko nodded solemnly. "That is very on brand."
They all burst out laughing again, the entire booth alive with energy.
Ayaka looked around at her friends—the chaos, the joy, the teasing—and then back at Akihiko.
He was watching her, a tiny, rare smile on his lips.
And she knew, right then, that the story they were writing now together—chapter by chapter, moment by moment—was already the best thing she'd ever created.
------
That night...
Ayaka sat cross-legged on the couch in a loose T-shirt and shorts, her damp curls tucked behind her ear, fresh from a shower.
Akihiko lounged beside her, one arm stretched over the couch's back, scrolling lazily through his phone.
Their bare feet almost touched the coffee table.
Suddenly, Ayaka's phone lit up with a ping.
"Look! Makoto commented on our photo!" she said excitedly, tilting the screen toward him.
Akihiko leaned in, his silver hair brushing her temple as he read aloud, "Finally. I wish you both the best ❤️"
His brows rose slightly, amused.
Then his own phone vibrated in his hand. He glanced at the screen, and a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he read the message.
Makoto: "I know how you get jealous easily so I decided to put an end to those who're still hoping for Ayaka and I will be together. You owe me a drink. 🍷😌"
Akihiko typed back with one hand, effortlessly casual.
Akihiko: "Got it."
"What are you smiling for?" Ayaka asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Nothing." Akihiko said, a little too quickly.
Ayaka lunged. "Liar! Let me see!"
She snatched the phone from him, scrolling to the chat.
Her eyes danced as she read the exchange.
"Well, well, looks like you two are bonding now?" she teased.
Akihiko looked away with a grumble, "Not really."
Ayaka giggled. "Nooo~ you totally are."
Akihiko gave her a look, then without warning, pulled her into his lap.
"W-what are you doing?!" she yelped, blushing furiously.
"I just want to take a closer look." he said, his voice low and velvety as his fingers lightly traced her cheek.
"D-Don't tease me!" she stammered.
"Says the one who started it." His hand moved gently to her hair, twirling a soft curl around his finger before brushing it behind her ear.
Ayaka's breath caught. Her heart thudded wildly in her chest—but then Akihiko leaned closer, his voice husky.
"Let's go on a date."
Ayaka blinked, stunned. "A… d-date?"
Akihiko nodded, his tone matter-of-fact. "We haven't gone out properly since we started dating. It feels overdue."
Her eyes sparkled. "Ooh! I've always wanted to plan one! Leave it all to me!"
She leapt off his lap and practically sprinted to her room. "No peeking!" she shouted before slamming the door behind her.
Akihiko just chuckled and leaned back, flipping open the book on the table. His smile lingered long after she disappeared.