Archive of Our Own ^beta

Tsuyoshi cycles through about fifteen emotions as Tsubasa and Miho meet eyes.

“Tsubasa?” Miho asks.

“Natsumi?” Tsubasa replies. And suddenly they’re hugging, and Tsubasa is crying, and…

His first thought is: he should be jealous. He wants Miho to be happy, but Tsubasa’s a fugitive! That’s not safe, and Miho is… his.

The only thing that he’s ever felt like this for.

Except… it’s Tsubasa. For some reason, he likes Tsubasa, trusts Tsubasa, knows that if this is true, and his Miho is Tsubasa’s Natsumi, they both love her absolutely.

So he can’t be jealous.

“How?” Tsubasa asks, which is Tsuyoshi’s question as well.

“It’s complicated,” Miho says.

“W-we’re both used to complicate, Miho-Chan,” Tsuyoshi says, and she turns to him.

“Tsuyoshi, I—”

“As long as you’re happy,” Tsuyoshi says. “I love you. Miho-Chan.”

Miho sighs, looking from Tsubasa to Tsuyoshi.

“You know each other?”

“He kidnapped me, briefly,” Tsuyoshi says. “Now we’re friends.”

Miho laughs.

“Is this about that confidence you’ve been growing lately?” She asks. Tsuyoshi blushes despite it all.

“Maybe a little,” he says.

“Good,” Miho says. Tsubasa’s still hugging her. It looks comfortable.

From both sides.

“I should probably explain, huh?” Miho asks.

“Yes,” Tsubasa says. “Where did you go?”

Miho holds up a silver pair of sunglasses. Oh. Oh!

“After I disappeared, I found out about a new world,” she explains. “There are monsters walking among us, but I was scared, so for a while I just… at first, I fought, but then I made my way out. And forgot almost everything. That was the cost.”

Oh. So she didn’t know when she married him. That makes Tsuyoshi’s even slight jealousy fade away completely.

“But you remember now,” he says. Miho smiles.

“I remembered when I got captured, remember?” She asks. “After that, it took a bit to… figure it all out again. You two have been fighting for me, haven’t you?”

““Of course!””

Miho laughs.

“I do love you both,” she says. “I really do.”

Oh. Now she’s crying too. Tsuyoshi drops what’s left of his self control to gently wipe away her tears, and Tsubasa moves to make room for him. His comrade and his wife. It shouldn’t feel this natural.

“It’s not fair,” she says. “These points’ price, and you both pay it!”

“I’m just glad I have you back,” Tsubasa says, stroking her soft hair. She collapses in their arms, and how is she so weak if she used to be a warrior like them?

Tsuyoshi reminds himself to go wring Kaito for answers later.

But for now…

“Why don’t we go home,” he says. “I’ll go make dinner, and we can talk, or not. Tsubasa, you can come as well.”

“It’s my night to make dinner—”

“Oh absolutely not,” Tsuyoshi says. “Miho-Chan can catch up with her fiancé, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

Tsubasa smiles.

“You’re a good guy, you know that?” He asks. Tsuyoshi smiles back.

“We both love her, right?”

“We both love her” doesn’t necessarily result in holding hands with Miho asleep between them, but Tsuyoshi’s gotten somewhat used to his life being insane.

“You’re handling this well,” Tsubasa says.

“I know,” Tsuyoshi replies. “But she loves you, and I like you. And I’d do anything for Miho-Chan.”

“Natsumi’s wonderful,” Tsubasa says. “I just never thought she was a warrior.”

Tsuyoshi nods.

“Was… did she always have her stamina issues?” He asks.

“No,” Tsubasa says. “You think so too, right? This was part of her price.”

Tsuyoshi nods.

“We should bring her to the bed, though,” he says. “She has work tomorrow. And our bed is more comfortable. And large enough for three.”

Tsubasa smiles.

“I’d like that.”

They’re all being beaten, even Taro. Tsuyoshi habitually puts himself in front of Tsubasa.

“We should get out of here—”

“Hey!”

“Miho-Chan?”

“Natsumi?”

Miho steps in front of them all, with… is that a sword?

“Duo Change,” she says, placing a gear in the hilt.

All the glitters!

Miho is so cool! His wife is so cool!

Tsuyoshi is, just a little, giddy at the thought of the day this far.

“You’re back,” Taro says. Miho smiles.

“I am,” she says. “Was I supposed to not fight, when my husband and fiancé were?”

“You did leave,” Taro says. “Because you wanted to.”

“Well, now I don’t,” Miho replies.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Tsubasa asks, checking Miho over. “You’re weaker than you were—”

“It’s fine,” Miho says. “The Avataro Blade is made to compensate. I’ll be careful. I value my own life too… but I also care about you two.”

“And you chose it this time?” Tsuyoshi asks. Miho smiles.

“Of course,” she promises.

“We never have talked about us,” Tsubasa says. Tsuyoshi blinks.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… I’ve only ever loved Natsumi,” Tsubasa says. “But now, it feels right to be all three of us.”

Oh. Oh his conversation.

“I know what you mean,” Tsuyoshi replies. “I don’t think it should be that complicated, really. I like you. You love Miho-Chan. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind us dating, too.”

(And sure enough, she doesn’t.)

Tsubasa is dying. Thanks to this monster, he’s dying. Rage fills Tsuyoshi, and oh yes, he loves him too now. Equal to Miho but different because Miho is wonderful, perfect. Tsubasa is hurt.

“Tsuyoshi?” Miho asks. “What’s that face?”

Tsuyoshi forces his normal smile onto his face.

“It’s okay, Miho-Chan,” he says. “I’ll take care of the monster. You take care of Tsubasa.”

Miho looks unconvinced.

“I let it fly the first few times,” she says, after the fight ends. “But Tsuyoshi, tell me. Why do you hide like this when Tsubasa and I get hurt? It’s not okay. Our enemies are still human.”

“I only got two of them beat but the Cerembrans,” Tsuyoshi says, then covers his mouth,

“Tsuyoshi?” Tsubasa asks. Tsuyoshi looks away from their caring gazes.

“You’re all I have,” he says. “I can’t let you get hurt. I won’t.”

“There’s better ways to handle that than murder!” Miho says. “What if we lose you , huh?”

“Then… you’ll be fine,” Tsuyoshi says. “I’m not that important. So I can do whatever it takes to protect you both,

“But you are important to us ,” Tsubasa says.

Tsuyoshi sighs. Miho cups his chin.

“Trust us, maybe?” She asks. “I don’t like that crazed look on your eyes.”

“…I’ll try,” Tsuyoshi offers.

For now, that’s enough.

He loves them, so it’s enough.