Your POV 

'Y-You're leaving?'

Birds fluttering from tree to tree broke the long, lengthy silence in which I was trying to process the news.

We had just gotten back from our win against Top Wand when he almost immediately dragged me to the clearing in the forest, an urgent need to tell me something important. And it was important.

Just as I healed from my last loss, he was going to leave me? I couldn't let that happen. Not all over again. 

'N-No...you just can't, Free!' I snapped, two angry tears sliding down as I clenched my fists at the Drain Fafnir owner, sitting so calmly down on the stone steps covered in vines. 'How can you be so calm? Aren't you sad that you're leaving? You're leaving Valt, Honcho, Silas and everyone else! You're leaving Chris and Trad! You're leaving BC Sol, your home ever since you were little. Y-Y-You're leaving me...'

Drip. Drip. 

I tilted my head towards the floor. The tears I didn't even notice in my eyes dripped off my chin, splattering the soft grass, staining it a little darker as the insects in that patch flew from the fat, leaking tears.

A pair of two strong pale hands clasped my shoulders suddenly, and I jolted ny head up to gaze into the murky orbs.

'(y/n),' Free murmured softly, leaning his forehead in with mine, gazing down at me. 'I love you. And that's not going to change because I'm moving away.'

'Yeah, to the other side of the world,' I said angrily in between tears, looking down. 

'It's just to America,' Free said gently, squeezing my shoulders. 'I promise I'll visit you. Just because I'm on the American team doesn't mean that I'm going to stay in America. Sometimes I might even train here again. I just won't compete with BC Sol. But that doesn't mean I won't visit you. And we'll facetime, every single night, even with the time differences. I'll call you three times a day if you want to. But I won't stop loving you.'

He took a step back, eyes still on me. I gazed up at him, and for a moment something passed between us as we held each other's gaze. Then I couldn't help myself and lunged into his arms, a sobbing mess. 

'I-I-I don't want to lose you,' I hiccuped, staining his yellow top. 

'And you won't lose me,' Free promised, leaving my hands once more. 'This isn't goodbye.'

'I'll miss you,' I said quitely, not bothering to hold him again. Free wanted it. I needed to let him go. 'So much.'

'I'll...miss you too,' smiled Free, walking backwards into the shadows. 'I love you.'

I smiled sadly, lifting one hand as a wave of goodbye. He evaporated into the darkness, leaving me by myself in the clearing. I stumbled and eventually sat on the moss-covered steps of the old ruins. 

I couldn't shake the feeling of deja vu. It was exactly like when Shu left me. At least Free promised to visit me. I guess I wasn't the right person for Shu anyways.

But I couldn't let Free slip out of my hands like I did with Shu. I couldn't face the pain and the hurting again. Not all over again. I bit my lip as I recalled the last time I was face-to-face with my Red Eye.

We were going to have to choose between love and blading. Our career or our companions. It was like asking a homeless man if he wants food or water. But even that isn't an impossible decision. (e/c) met scarlet, and in the moment they held each other's gaze, something passed between them.

My breath hitched as we both reached the same decision. A moment passed between us and pain and anguish filled both of our faces before we rushed towards each other, lips meeting before anything else.

Usually I felt at least a tiny bit paranoid about what onlookers thought about the kiss. But today, it vanished. I didn't care that the whole Bey Club was there, that young children like Nika, Toko and even Ryota was there. I didn't care that maybe, just maybe, even Principal Shinoda could us from his window.

No, today is the day that I could fully spend my time with Shu as one happy couple, young and unbothered. Our fingers intertwined and gripped each other like never before, never wanting to let go again.

We finally separated, a little something called oxygen calling for air. Even though we had stopped kissing, our fingers were still laced together just as tight, his hand pulling me closer to his body until I could feel his breaths, see every emotion passing in his eyes and every flicker of love echoing on his face.

Our foreheads touched, and I dropped my gaze, looking at the ground instead of his face, not wanting to lose control.

'(y/n),' he whispered my name, softer than ever. 'This isn't the end. This isn't goodbye.'

'I know,' I breathed back, hiccupping a little as the tears I had tried so hard to conceal started falling. 'I love you.'

'I love you more.'

Another tear slid down my fragile face.

And then realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

I never said I love you back to Free.

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Sorry for the short chapter again.

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Word count: 891