You open the door and both you and Marco pause for a second before you're both laughing. Marco's in jeans, a t-shirt, and a flannel over it. He's wearing his work boots and from the looks of it went home just long enough to clean up before coming over to pick you up.

You, on the other hand, are wearing a simple black dress, heels, and have your hair done up a little. It's not much, but there's certainly a disconnect between the style of clothing you're both wearing.

"I can change real quick." You say and Marco manages to wrap his hand around your fingers.

"No - uh, this is... you look great." He manages, his ears burning enough you can feel your cheeks warming up.

"I... well," you look down and back up and give him a smile. "Jeans and a white t-shirt is a pretty classic look, so in that way we match."

"Classic for me, classy for you," he corrects. "But I don't mind if you don't."

"I-."

"If you sleep somewhere else, text me." Dadan says from the stairs.

"Ma'am." Marco says, nodding toward Dadan as you try not to expire right where you're standing.

"Sure thing mom!" Your voice almost breaks as you grab a coat. You put it on and close the door behind you as Marco takes off his flannel. There's suspenders over the thick, tight-fitting, white shirt he was wearing beneath it. The sleeves are folded up a bit, but the shirt wasn't a tee.

"Uh?"

"Suddenly just a little warm." He says with a grin, offering his hand.

You zip your coat up to the top, hiding in the thick fluffy collar before putting your hand in his and letting him escort you to his car. The classic look was bad enough, but the suspenders and the rolled up sleeves were going to kill you before you could get your first drink.

"You alright?" Marco questions, a knowing and teasing tone in his voice.

"Yea... yeah." You clear your throat as he opens his car door. "The classic look suits you," your eyes shift down and back up again. "Very well."

You get seated and he smiles. "Good to know." He hums, before closing the door and coming around to the other side.

You consider briefly, fleetingly, and desperately, just asking him to take you somewhere private. The tension is killing you in the best, and worst of ways, but you let the thought pass. You wanted to be able to tell him about what happened earlier.

And to do that, you needed the clothes to stay on.

"So what are we celebrating?" He questions as he backs out of the long driveway. "Or did you really miss me that much?"

"Celebrating the fact that I think my new job is going to be everything I kind of wished my old job was." You say, trying desperately to at least sound neutrally happy. "Nekomamushi called me this afternoon."

"That was quick. Not that he's one to waste time, yoi." Straightening out the car he heads down the road. "Did he hire you on the spot?"

You laugh. "Nah, but I don't think it's going to be much of a decision by the time I get back to the city." You admit. "It was just a good, short conversation, and with everything else I thought it would be good to celebrate the small wins."

"And," you say slowly. "Maybe, I did miss you. A little." You add, glancing over to see him smile as you try to keep your face hidden.

"I didn't think you'd be so shy, little warrior." He teases, his tone's soft, and you let him tangle his fingers in yours.

"I didn't expect you to be so smooth, pineapple." You huff, hiding in the coat as much as you can muster. "I remember this really dorky, gangly-limbed little guy who's best skill was a collection of really bad jokes."

"I had pogs too." He quips.

You almost choke on your laugh, coming out from your hiding spot in the coat. "Do you still have them?"

He shakes his head. "I didn't hold onto them when I went to the academy, but I did start collecting bar coasters." He admits.

"The evolution of pogs," you say dramatically. "Bar flaps."

Marco makes a funny sound that turns into a laugh. "Bar flaps?"

"Bar pogs?" You prompt.

"They're not all round, yoi." He clarifies, a chuckle at the edges of his words.

"So then flaps works. Like flap jacks."

"Bar pancakes."

"Bar cakes." You both say at the same time and you wave your hand even as you're both laughing.

"No, no, I mean, that's funny, but no. Bar cakes are those pucks they put in urinals, we don't need people thinking you collect those."

"Alright, bar flaps it is." He agrees.

"Makino's is going to be packed." You murmur.

"The line might be out the door. Even with the expansion, the weeks between holidays are usually the busiest for the whole town, yoi."

"Is there somewhere a little less popular?"

"There's the Burnt Page," Marco says.

"I'm surprised it's still standing."

"I think the Burnt Page is also surprised it's still standing, but the boys like it. It won't be packed, but it is a popular place for my brothers. It's closer to the manor."

"It's... not like we're a secret, right?" You manage to say.

Marco's quiet for a moment. "That's true. You'll stick out a bit in a nice dress like that, but-."

"If half the bar's gonna be Edwards I'm not worried." You interrupt. "Besides, I don't mind risking an assault charge if someone decides to be handsy."

"Just try not to hospitalize someone." Marco teases.

You laugh. Considering between the two of you, Marco was the only person to actually hospitalize someone. But also because you don't think you could do that much damage. At least not in heels and a black dress. Now, if you had jeans and a pipe, that would be a different story.

Marco pulls into the Burnt Page and you're surprised to see how new and modern it looks.

"Did it... did it actually burn down?" You question as he helps you out of the car.

"Yup. Four years ago now. Still the same charming watering hole inside as it ever was. They didn't update the look, but it does look nicer since it's all still fairly new and not a fifty-year-old bar, yoi."

"Cool." You hum the word as the two of you step inside.

True to his word, the interior was mostly unchanged. Aside from being new and mostly unblemished, it still pretty much looked like the same bar. A bar you weren't supposed to have been in before you'd left for college, but the older boys had reserved the bar to celebrate you, Thatch, Izou and Marco graduating high school.

Because of that you did kind of associate the bar with celebrations.

A few Edwards raise a glass, or nod in your direction when you and Marco come in. He ignores his brothers as he looks for a place to sit and pulls you over to a small booth, near the back and against the wall. The single seat was wrapped around a table just big enough to fit a few drinks and maybe a tray of nachos on it, but not much else. The C-shaped seat was big enough for maybe three people to squeeze into, but it was certainly more comfortable for two.

It also let you both put your back to the wall, and sit next to each other so you could talk over the cacophony of chatter and music.

It was a little more snug than you were maybe ready for, but there was space enough between you for you to hold hands on the chair cushion, instead of putting your hands on the table. You get drinks ordered from a waitress who looks perfectly happy to be there, and extremely likely to break a man's knee-caps with the same smile on her face.

"He gave me so much data on the Conglomerate." You explain to Marco. "It's less about the phone call with Nekomamushi and more the fact that they're in the business of charity. Like, how cool is that?"

Marco doesn't say anything, just smiling as you continue on. The drinks haven't even arrived, but you tried to explain this to Dadan and her eyes just glossed over.

"So they have all these different investments, and even some of the stuff that's part of their charity services brings in a cash flow, but that money funnels almost immediately right back into that part of the business. Which is a point where I think I could improve it. A 6-month delay on the income to invest it short term, puts more power behind what comes in, and then when you put it back in you've made it that much more impactful.

"The tricky part is covering the revenue costs while you put those delays in place, but they might be able to do that, part by part, with charity events. A few well-timed, effectively PR'd and advertised events, and you'd have enough of a buffer to-." You stop, feeling your face heat up.

Marco's just sitting there, taking in your every word, smiling in a way you'd never seen him smile before. There was hardly any other word for it except smitten.

"Why'd you stop?" He prompts, taking a drink of the beers you didn't even realize had been delivered.

"I... just..." You grab your drink and down half of it in one go. "Never seen that, is all."

"Never seen what?" He questions, scooting just a little bit closer.

"That look... on your face." You say the words softly, motioning with your finger to get your point across.

He leans in, sweeping your hair behind your ear before speaking into it so you can hear him over the noise. "Your face lights up when you talk about your passions," He says, shifting even closer again, putting his arm around your shoulders and holding you close. "Can I kiss you?"

Those hooded eyes shift from your lips up to your gaze and you nod. Marco holds up the appetizer menu and blocks you both from view of the common area, before leaning in. His lips have barely pressed against yours when you heard a ruckus from the bar. The whoops and cheers from what was likely most of the Edwards in the bar made you smile.

Marco smiles too, keeping the menu up between you and them as he leans in for a deeper kiss. Someone hollers something about buying a round for the house as you put your hand on his cheek and return the sweet kiss. The rush of the bar, the warmth of his lips, the semi-privateness of where you are, the growing ache in your chest.

Your face is so flushed when you break the kiss that Marco kisses your forehead, and continues to hold the appetizer menu in front of you for another minute.

"Oi! Eyes back on your own business!" He shouts, clearly cutting over the din of the bar. There's some chuckles in response, and he lowers the menu. "You alright?" Marco asks with a smirk.

"I can handle a public display of affection or two." You reply, straightening up before leaning into his shoulder. "You're a pretty good kisser, for a gangly dork." You tease.

"I look forward to showing you all the ways I can kiss you, pretty bird." He muses and its everything you have to keep the sweet shiver that goes down your neck under control.

Having nothing else to say to that, you take another drink of your beer. You and Marco don't say much else. Watching the people in the bar, waving and acknowledging the other members of his family that come and go. You catch sight of Thatch and Haruta, but aside from a wave, they both give the two of you space.

It felt a little bit weird, but you didn't flag them over to come join you either.

Marco ordered a second round and something to snack on. You started telling him more and more about the things you hoped you could accomplish at Zhou, glancing over at him and looking away almost as fast.

"Having a hard time looking at me while you talk?" He questions, giving you a knowing smirk when you turn toward him.

"You keep making that face, and it... it flusters me." You declare. You were only two beers in, but you were comfortable enough around him the small amount of liquid courage was enough to help you be more honest.

"If you kiss me more you won't see my face, yoi." He offers so smoothly it actually takes you a second to realize he's still teasing you.

"Then I won't be able to talk." You retort, sticking your tongue out at him.

"Then I wouldn't be making that face," he points out, leaning in and stealing a kiss from you.

"We should-." You turn toward him to say something when the sound of breaking glass, followed by bellowed slurred words from a drunk man make the whole bar go quiet for a second.

"FIGHT YOU SOFT COWARD!" You don't recognize the man yelling, but he's yelling at one of the boys. He's also, given the consistency between his clothes and the dozen guys with him, not alone.

"Come on." Marco says, grabbing your hand and sliding you both from the booth as the fight breaks into full chaos before you've cleared it.

You'd tucked yourselves away in the back, and you knew Marco didn't want you both to get stuck surrounded by the wrong side, so it was better to just leave. The bar was Edwards almost two to one for the other side, so it wasn't like they needed you and Marco to get involved anyway.

"Never a dull moment!" You shout as you follow along. Marco has a hold of your hand, and is pushing past the people who decided to stay and watch the fight.

When he turns to look back at you his eyes go wide.

Marco pulls you so hard it lifts you off your feet. Your shoulder screams from the tug, but the look on his face scares you more. He pulls you behind him and you turn to see someone stab him in the stomach. The assailaint's face flashes in surprise, and then in anger as he looks over at you.

It's not a face you know, but you'll never forget it.

Marco hauled off and hit the guy who stabbed him. You saw the anger directed at you disappear behind a haymaker that had all of Marco's weight in it. He bellows for Thatch before lifting you up and bullying his way out of the bar. The knife was still in his stomach and you could feel your blood turn cold, and your lungs tighten up.

The survival knife was sunk to the hilt.

Inside him.

And it had been meant for you.