"...Rou?"

  –

  A voice spoke softly towards the broken, dejected red panda who was seated on a rooftop at night in the capital. In the merchant district, despite it being night, everyone was still going too and fro. And with the anti-gravity magic spread as popular as it was, it wasn't… uncommon to find folks on top of buildings these days or randomly floating here and there, happily bouncing around without a care.

  It was why Celia had went out at night for a change. She'd mostly always just gone home at night not to worry her mother, but ever since she and her mother had made up, her mother had relaxed slightly and tacitly approved Celia's actions no matter what she did.

  It was certainly strange for Celia of course, but… she loved it. It was so freeing. And she wasn't wrong either. The worse off Rou was, the better her life was. It was if some kind of mystic inversion was taking place, sapping luck from one side to prop up the other.

  But there she was, standing in the street of the markets, looking at a figure on a roof that she could just unmistakably say was her 'friend' despite the moonlight offering little to no color distinction for him.

  And she could feel it in her heart.

  He probably hadn't been more sad in most of his life. A spark of hope came into her heart. Did that mean something amazing was going to happen to her? Celia perked up and began to look around but didn't seem to find something that would reflect the opposite of his clear despair.

  But what was it that she was brought here for? Clearly her 'luck tradeoff' should be going into overboard. But her attention kept going back to the clearly upset 'friend' that she had basically thrown under a cart to try and enjoy her own life and she slowly began to remember how much she used to hate others who cost others happiness.

  And quickly began to remember how much she actually hated herself for what she'd done despite how much better her life had been lately.

  –

  What surprised Celia a bit was as she had hopped onto the rooftop after a few careful jumps and walked up to Rou to sit behind him and hug him, he didn't flinch. Didn't try to push her away, or complain. Instead he just closed his eyes and leaned back against her, offering a soft 'thank you' as if he didn't care.

  Was Rou unaware it was her? Thinking it someone else perhaps?

  Well, no, he knew exactly without looking. Not only had Affection mentioned who it was, but he'd have guessed all the same because they had a habit of rooftop chatting from past interactions. W'elma was much taller, Millet much shorter, Ellie would never even on her best day and Vitor? Well, clearly he didn't have the assets Celia had.

  Though Celia really was being eaten alive inside, not getting the answers she wanted. Enough so that even though she'd hugged him to try and offer support in some small way, she couldn't help but let her ego and curiosity get the better of her.

  "Want to talk about it?"

  "I'll start crying again and I only just calmed down."

  The sage's voice was soft, very much admitting the truth there.

  Celia grunted. "Talk about it. I want to know."

  "No."

  Having realized Celia was trying to goad him and upset him further, Rou didn't play into it.

  She huffed and stood up, dropping him onto his back and turned to walk off, but almost as if understanding the whole process, Rou simply laid there. Before Celia had even got near the edge of the building to leap, the other red panda made a frustrated noise and walked back over to the upset sage to pull off a slipper and try smacking him on the head with it.

  Naturally as it was enchanted with anti-gravity magic her method failed miserably and she instead just… tapped his nose with it.

  –

  It was Affection's laugh at Celia's failed efforts that had Rou finally open his eyes and look up at her. "Sorry, but I'm not playing your games anymore. I know how much your time left means to you, but this nonsense about my misery being your gain is absurd. It's hurting you just as much as it's hurting me, otherwise you wouldn't be acting like you are… now would you?"

  "Bastard!" Celia yelled in frustration, going to kick his head only to yelp as she'd used her bare foot and didn't quite recall the last time she tried to 'attack' him(see: slap) it just hurt her. Hopping around on one foot, she stumbled, only to growl frustratedly as she was laying next to Rou and staring up as well.

  "Prick."

  "I love you too."

  "Don't you dare say that to me! You know that's not genuine!"

  "You're right, I don't love you."

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  "PRICK! Don't just say it like that, what's wrong with you!"

  "Maybe I do love you and I–" Rou's voice was cut off by Celia stuffing her hand over Rou's mouth and nose and clamping it shut forcibly.

  "Just stop… I know your night is awful, obviously, I've had a lovely day. Don't… don't ruin my night to make yours better."

  Silence returned, and lingered for a good five minutes as her hand slid away from his mouth finally and the two just laid there. Though Rou eventually reached a hand over and took hers, refusing to let go even after Celia put up a light complaint. Eventually she gave in.

  –

  "You know why I don't love you?" Rou finally broke the silence.

  Celia snorted, "Because you're a stupid prick and you're just trying to rub it in?"

  He rolled his eyes, "No, dummy, because when we spoke for the second time, you made it fairly clear you didn't want me to. For you, it was all fun and games. What are you afraid of anyways? Not like you're the one who has a countdown until you lose the other."

  Silence returned and after a while Celia squeezed Rou's hand and turned to lay on her side, half over him and against his neck with her nose as she tried to think of what to say.

  "You're a prick. Stop making me overthink what remains of my life."

  "With as much as you're talking about my prick, I'm starting to think there's something else on your mind."

  Rou could feel the snort of annoyance from her nose and she raised up to stare down at him. "Why even play at this Rou? It'd be easier if you just walked away and treated me like the asshole I am. Let me be happy and miserable and whatever else I feel without also making me feel like the villain."

  That silent stare remained before Rou said, "Come back to my place and apologize to my mother. She was rather sad you just up and left without saying goodbye to her the other day."

  "And why would I do that?"

  "I love you."

  "QUIT SAYING THAT!"

  "But it's true, I love you."

  "Fine, let's fucking go already, I'll apologize to her."

  –

  As they walked along the pathway through the capital, about half an hours journey towards the royal district at least and then another hour further, the two didn't say much. Sure, they could have leapt and jumped and gone on the rooftops but seemingly neither of them wanted to rush things. It was only as they finally got close that Rou stopped and caused Celia to pull against his hand, giving him a confused look.

  The two stared briefly and Rou leaned to kiss her. Instinctively she pushed away but he insisted, causing her to relent with a whine. The kiss was just a moment, but Rou asked as soon as it ended, "Let me be a part of your life, please? Even if you don't have much left to share."

  Celia shivered slightly at that, clearly both treasuring the words and hating him for ever saying it. "Asshole! How dare you ask me that now! You know how long I have left!"

  "How could I know? It's not like you would tell me. Remember? 'You'll just have to wait it out, day to day, not knowing if it's the last time we'll ever speak.'"

  "Damn you, Rou, don't you use my words against me! That's not fair! I have less than three months!"

  Her soft yelling was getting some stares from nearby windows before Rou surprised her by saying, "I know."

  "And how could you know?! I never told you until now!"

  "Borgain. He and I had a conversation. I refuse to use you as a bartering chip, but I'm fairly sure I know something he wants more than you and I'm willing to give it to him. But like you said, it's not my place to try and play the hero. It's your life, right? The only thing you've ever wanted is control over it. Right?"

  Celia stared at him, caught between anger and panic, and a faint glimmer of hope. But he was right, she said so herself. She just wanted to control what remained of her life.

  "Since you want control, I will offer you two choices. I want to love you, Celia. I do. But I can't if you never give me a chance. So your first choice? Ask me for what he wants. I will give it to you, and you can go try and bargain with him yourself. Your second choice? Refuse me, and I'll just go do it myself, and control your fate for you."

  The two returned to silence for a while and the gawkers from windows left only to be resummoned by Celia yelping as she'd tried to punch Rou right on the nose and only hurt her hand in the process thanks to his iron-like body.

  "How dare you only offer me those choices! That's no choice at all! I refuse to choose either!"

  "Not choosing is the second option."

  "Damn you!"

  "I refuse to watch you kill yourself. If you want to use your newly gained freedom after I acquire it from Borgain to do that, by all means, go jump off a fucking bridge. I doubt I'll ever get over it, I'll mourn, your mother will likely never get over it either. If you want to go the route of hurting anyone who ever wanted to love you, then save me the trouble and keep acting like this."

  She couldn't deny that. It was frustration on her part. Petulance against fate. Doing anything she could to feel in control despite knowing it didn't matter.

  "But until that point, let me be part of your life. Please?"

  No matter how much Celia wanted to yell, scream and fight, she also knew damn well that at this point she wanted nothing more than to live out her fantasy of being able to have a perfect home life. Maybe… maybe living a false hope to the end wasn't so bad? Rou had truly worn her out, emotionally exhausted.

  "...okay." Her voice was tiny, pained, but her body didn't betray her emotions. Her pride stood in the way but her body was honest as she clung around Rou, very much not wanting to be alone. She was tired of one night stands, tired of trying to blot out the pain with cheap thrills, of medicating her fear of what was to come with lying to herself that she didn't care.

  –

  What followed that night? Wasn't an apology. Nor was it intercourse. It was just Rou and Celia sleeping in his bed. Eventually Millet even joined, much to Rou's amusement. She kind of figured out easily enough that the two in the bed weren't seeking that time, and instead the sleeping woman was very much seeking comfort in other ways.

  Especially as Rou'd long since told Millet about Celia so she never got upset or jealous over something that didn't require it. Then again, Millet was never jealous to begin with, having always assumed she'd be the 'side girl' at best as the maid.

  Not that Rou felt that way.

  –

  What Celia hadn't expected to wake up to? Was pretty much everyone in Rou's household in the same bed by the time morning came. Not that she knew how it came about. Shiela was awake already and just leaning there quietly against her son's shoulder as he sat up against the headboard of the bed, asleep. She held one finger up to her own mouth before leaning to whisper for Celia's sake, "It's a bit strange, but blame the kids." Indeed, all of Millet's siblings were there too. "They saw Millet and Rou and you in the same bed and assumed it was fine if they joined too, and Millet didn't have the heart to tell them no. And I… well, you all looked so comfortable that I joined. Don't blame my husband for sitting out, he thought you might think it weird if he was with us."

  Celia felt a strange sensation inside and actually laughed slightly, tearing up and not quite understanding why, rubbing at her cheek in confusion. Of course when Shiela noticed she simply said nothing and reached to gently pat Celia's head like she was far younger than she was.

  Though Celia ultimately didn't say anything, she did mouth a soft 'thank you' towards Shiela before closing her eyes and tucking against Rou's chest to try and fall back asleep.

  The strangest thought that Celia had before she fell back asleep?

  She very much wanted to bring her parents and all of them live here with Rou and his family. No amount of lies could cover up that desire. Once again, she wanted the simple happiness's that Rou had. In this case, family. But she was greedy. Sure, Celia could just make up with her own parents, but she wanted more. For her few remaining weeks… she wanted a life with Rou.

  The last thing she said before falling asleep, in the warm comfort of Rou's arms and the blanket over them, the added weight of the others around her? It was too soft even for Shiela to make out.

  "I want… to love you too."