Shu's POV 

It was a beautiful day, with brown birds flapping strong wings alongside the fresh air. The forest, large and out of civilization's reach, was alive, many mammals like squirrels scuttling along the winding path without a care about us humans.

The sky was a lovely azure with no clouds in sight, a complete contrast from the gloom and doom at Dread Tower. Dread Tower, with it suffocating atmosphere, had been gone from the present for about two days now.

It hadn't ended with (y/n) winning against Hyde, but rather Aiga losing against Phi. It came as a shock to see the former villain challenge Aiga and crush the latter. But through losing, Aiga had come to a realization about the whole darkness situation thing. 

Aiga acted exactly like (y/n) had upon realizing it. Even if he isn't the type to do so, he apologized to everyone, especially (y/n). Despite being at each other's throats a couple of weeks ago, the two of them had calmed down and developed a mutual friendship. 

But Aiga's apologies didn't change to fact that Achilles was now broken in pieces. 

"Hurry up already! Come on!" laughed Aiga as he excitedly ran down the sandy trail. 

"Wait up!" shouted (y/n), but Aiga ignored her and continued to run. She sighed and face-palmed. "Jeez, that kid is full of energy."

"You can't blame him," I shrugged, a smile on my lips watching Aiga shout in joy. "He is visiting his family again, after all."

We walked together at a slow, leisurely pace. Ever since we had kissed it seemed like we were closer than ever, but we still hadn't talked about the kiss. I think we were both scared too; we were scared that it would be somewhat an awkward subject for us. The kiss was something that happened in the spur of a moment, but with that being said, I want more; more kisses that were just as meaningful.

"I'm home!" Aiga yelled, interrupting my thoughts as we arrived at the Akabane farm.

It was simple and quaint, with four buildings and a large open field making up the farm. Aiga ran and latched himself onto every animal in his vision, chatting with them like they were old friends.

"So this is your home," I mused. 

(y/n) elbowed my playfully. "You sound so judgemental, Shu!"

Before I could respond a young girl with a blue aesthetic ran up to us, calling out for Aiga enthusiastically. She blinked as she noticed me and (y/n). "(y/n) (l/n)? And Shu Kurenai?"

"Hey, Naru!" greeted Aiga with a big grin.

Naru didn't return that grin, but instead crossed her arms. "Aiga, I hope you're still not feeling down in the dumps. No matter what, I'll always be on your side! If there's anything I can do, just let me know!"

Aiga blinked. "Wait. What? What in the world are you talking about?"

"I just mean..." she trailed off, her voice noticeably more quieter now. "Well, I thought I heard Achilles was destroyed."

"Yeah," Aiga brought out the remnants of his bey. He gazed at it sadly. "It sure was. It's nothing but pieces now."

"That's horrible!" exclaimed Naru worriedly.

(y/n) nodded in agreement. "It is, isn't it? Especially since it's Aiga's first bey. First beys will always have a special place in your heart."

She was talking from experience, from the time when Lui broke her original Xcalius. She looked downwards, and I thought about how sad she looked. But then she grinned and I thought about how glad I was she had overcome it already. "But don't worry! Aiga's gonna revive it, right?"

"Yeah," he clutched the broken pieces. "I'm going to do my best! And this time around, it'll be stronger than ever! Hey, dad!"

Upon seeing his father, Aiga ran off. Naru giggled before running too. "Aiga's home!"

"And now that I'm back, I can make a new Achilles!" Aiga's eyes sparkled. 

"I can see that," Taiga Akabane smiled.

Aiga turned towards me and (y/n). "Shu and (y/n) are going to help me out!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you," I nodded my head and (y/n) flashed a grin as we walked closer.

"I'll help you out too, okay?" Naru offered.

"Yeah! Of course!" Aiga said excitedly before running off again. "Let's get to it, lovebirds!"

"Don't call us that!" (y/n) said, flustered. 

Naru giggled. "It's true though! You guys are so cute!"

I merely sighed as (y/n) and Naru got involved into a 'girls talk'. I glanced at Taiga who was watching Aiga run into a different building. I turned to (y/n). "We should get going."

"Right!"

We started walking before Taiga called out. We turned our heads, curious. Taiga nodded. "Take good care of Aiga, you too."

"You can trust us, Taiga!" saluted (y/n) before we followed Aiga's tracks.

We arrived inside of an old stone building, littered with several equipment like blast furnaces and computers. In the middle of the room a large oak table was place, the broken Achilles resting on the table with only a white piece of cloth separating them.

"So what kind of bey will it be this time?" Naru questioned.

"Turb's awakening's a must!" Aiga shouted instantly before pointing rather aggressively at me (y/n). "I want to have the abilities they have!"

His volume then lowered and his gaze softened as he continued to stare down at his broken bey. "Listen, Achilles. I give you my word right now that I'm going to become a blader that's worthy of fighting by your side. That's what a real bond is all about, right Achilles?"

Both (y/n) and I smiled at each other. Aiga had already taken his first step to healing his bond with Achilles.

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Your POV

It was late in the morning when Aiga finished building his energy layer. He flourished it towards us proudly, showcasing the metal disk with twelve metal spikes sticking out.

I burst out in laughter. 

"Are those all Turbo blades?" Naru asked curiously. 

"Uh-huh!" Aiga looked proudly at it. "It's going to become the best bey in the world that's capable of Super Awakening! Even better than Xcalius, so don't laugh, (y/n)!"

I laughed even harder. 

Shu elbowed me, whispering, "You sound so judgemental, (y/n)."

But even he was struggling to contain himself from laughing as he told Aiga, "Sorry, Aiga, but with all those blades your bey will be overloaded. Its offense and defense will be unbalanced."

"And not to mention it'll be ugly," I whispered and Shu elbowed me again. 

"Don't worry," Aiga said happily. "My bond with Achilles will take care of that."

"No, it won't."

"Aww," Aiga sighed. "And I thought it was perfect just the way it was."

Aiga continued knocking the bey into place with his hammer before stopping briefly. "Both offense and defense?"

"What's the matter?" Naru tilted her head.

Aiga resumed hitting Achilles. "I've got it! If I just do this..."

His words trailed off into thoughts as he continued tinkering in silence. As Shu bent over to help him, I took this opportunity to talk to Naru again. I whispered, "Girl talk number two; start."

"Roger," she smiled before beckoning to the other side of the room. "Let's move away so he won't hear."

"Hey, where're you guys going?" demanded Aiga when he saw us walk off. 

I shrugged. "Just checking on some stats with Naru's tablet."

Satisfied with that answer, Aiga returned to his work with Shu. Naru gazed up at me in amazement. "You're so good at lying!"

"Yeah, but I suck at being honest," I laughed. "Especially with love. I need your help."

"Right," she nodded. "So from the last talk we had, I gather that you and Shu kissed and now you don't know how to talk about it."

I nodded too. "I don't know, if I bring it up, what do I say?"

"Ask if it means you two are dating," Naru hummed. "Because you totally should be."

"But what if he doesn't like me?" I found myself questioning once again. "What if he just did that to make me feel better in the battle? What if he didn't actually mean it?"

Naru frowned. "I thought you were smart. Of course he meant it. If he didn't, do you think your body would've gained strength like it did? He likes you, you like him too, you just need to confess."

"I still feel nervous about confessing," I fiddled with my hands.

"I can't help you with that," she shrugged. "I'm only eight, remember? I haven't dated anyone yet. But do you have any friends that has or is dating?"

I pondered this. "Yeah. But she's on the other side of Japan."

"Oh, you're such a boomer, (y/n)," sighed Naru, clicking her tongue in disappointment.

An irk mark appeared on my head. "What did you just say?"

"Nothing!" she chuckled nervously. "Anyways, we can Skype her."

"And how do we do that?"

"You're so old!"

"I-I just haven't been on technology in a long time! Stop laughing, Naru!"

Ten minutes later, Mei's face appeared on Naru's tablet. "Hey, (y/n). And..."

"Naru's the name," she grinned. "We called you because we are having girl talk number two. We need your help. (y/n) kissed Shu-"

"(y/n) kissed Shu!" Mei yelled hysterically, a large grin appearing on her face. She let out a inhumane screech. "Oh my gosh, (y/n) kissed Shu!"

"Mei, calm do-"

"Wait, wait, mago-musume kissed Shu Kurenai?" Gingka's grinning face also appeared. "No way!"

"I don't know why you're so shocked, it was aired on International TV," Naru and I sweat dropped. 

Naru whispered to me, "They're the real boomers."

"I just don't spend time watching TV," Mei yelled. She cleared her throat and her voice went back to normal. "Anyways, what do you need?"

"Advice for confessions," I explained simply. 

"Okay, I got you," she hummed in thought. "How did you confess to Shu last time?"

I pondered this. "Well, we kissed from a game of truth or dare-"

"Wait, where you the ones that prank called me and Ukyo?" Mei asked, dumbstruck.

I giggled. "Yeah. Anyways, it was awkward after that and I basically ignored Shu for a long time-"

"Way to go, (y/n)," Gingka sarcastically clapped.

"Be quiet, ojii-san! Anyways, I told him how I felt after he talked with some fangirls and I got jealous. But I just did that because I was angry in the moment. I had motivation."

Mei thought to herself. "I don't know how to get you to confess. I mean, we don't want a jealous (y/n). I guess...just do whatever feels natural. It'll come to you. It happened to me when I confessed to Ukyo."

"Oi! You two!" Aiga interrupted the call. "We need the tablet!"

"Soon!" Naru said back before whispering to me. "Hurry, (y/n)!"

"Alright," I grinned at Mei. "Thank you."

She smiled back. "No worries."

The skype call ended and Naru handed it over towards Aiga and Shu. Naru helped them out, and I was left alone, thinking about crushes and confessions.

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clash

I watched intently at the battle playing out in front of me. Aiga had finished Achilles about an hour ago, the bey resurrected in a stronger form. They had been battling Shu and Spriggan tirelessly, Aiga wanting more than anything to activate his Turbo blades.

Despite its fancy upgrade, Achilles had burst each time they had battled. I sighed as Achilles bursted once again. 

"Another battle!" Aiga called, but Kana Akabane's voice interjected from their house. 

"Dinner's ready!" her voice echoed. "Come and get it!"

"I want to practice a bit more," Aiga told us. "Can you tell my mum for me?"

"Sure," Shu nodded, and the three of us departured to the wooden house, alight with warmth and happiness. 

Several dishes with each of their enchanting aromas were laid out carefully on the dinner table. 

"Itadakimasu!" we chorused before digging in, the delicious flavour leaving me wanting for me. Despite Kana's protests, Shu and I heaped compliments upon her, and I wondered if she could even do a fish with Shu and Chiharu. Then I decided that that dish would be fit for royalty. 

"About Phi," Taiga suddenly brought up the subject that no one had been willing to talk about. The atmosphere immediately turned tense. "Is he really back? Did he really destroy Achilles?"

"Yeah," Shu confirmed. "He's back and he destroyed Achilles."

"But you know, maybe it was for the best," Taiga stirred his hot chocolate, his eyes glued onto the saccharine drink. "Aiga's come to a realization, and I say that Aiga destroyed Achilles before Phi did."

It felt harsh for Aiga's own father to say that, but it was true. It was for the best. I put my cutlery down and bowed my head. "I'm sorry. I played a large part in provoking Aiga's darkness. I hope you accept my apology."

"Chin up, darling."

I glanced up into the soft gaze of Kana, her eyes sweet as honey. She smiled. "That's all in the past. It's obvious you've changed. We, and I'm including Aiga in this, forgive you."

"Thank you," I grinned, feeling as though a weight had been lifted off of me. "Thank you so much."

"So, about Phi," Taiga resumed the subject. "Are you two going to go after him?"

"Like, challenge him?" I tilted my head before shrugging. "Probably not."

"Why not?" Taiga asked, his eyes cool and calculating. 

"What would any of us gain from battling him?" Shu replied. "We're not monsters that battle for no reason. But if Phi starts destroying more and more beys, then we'll definitely make a move to stop him."

"That's good," Taiga sipped his hot chocolate, sitting back in his chair. We ate in silence for a few more minutes until I yawned loudly.

I smacked my lips together and rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "Sorry, it's just tiring since I've been all over the globe in the past week."

"It's okay," Kana smiled. "If you feel like it, you can go sleep now. Taiga and I have already set up the beds upstairs. You will be sleeping in Naru's room and Shu, you'll be sleeping in Aiga's room."

I excused myself from the table. "Thank you for letting me stay here. Good night."

I was climbing the stairs when I heard Shu say, "I should probably go to sleep too now."

I smiled to myself before entering Naru's room and doing my usual night routine, plus showering. After I finished it was dusk, and I went to the balcony to get a better view.

I gasped in delight. The sky was entirely clear, with constellations and different galaxies put on display. There was a faint violet light where the sun was still setting, adding to the elysian feel. 

Back in Beigoma, the city lights always took away the full beauty of the sky. Here, out in the country, it must be heaven to see this sight every night. I reached out into the heavens, wanting to touch the soft clouds and bright stars.

"(y/n)."

And suddenly my own piece of heaven was right besides me, white hair flowing in the wind and crimson hues in awe of the sight too. I put my hand down, feeling a little selfish for wanting to touch the night sky when I had Shu right next to me. "Shu."

We stayed silently, side by side, enjoying each other's presence. It was like that time at Wakiya's cabin in the woods, where we were together on the rooftops. The sky was also clear.

Suddenly, I was being selfish again and I wanted more and more moments like these. Moments like that time on the plane, that time in New York's mall, that time in the Grand Canyon, all those times in Japan. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Shu Kurenai.

"(y/n)," Shu repeated, but his voice more soft and tender this time. "Looking up at this sky, I can't help but imagine what it would be like to be God and own heaven."

"I know what you mean," I agreed. "It's beautiful."

"But then I realized," he continued, his crimson eyes settling on my face. "Why should I keep looking up at the sky? Because for me, there is a piece of heaven on Earth. And I would like it to be mine. All mine. So, Ninja Girl-"

I realized what was happening.

And I cried.

"-will you be my girlfriend?"

Tears cascaded down my cheeks in careful trickles, leaving behind a stain. I hugged him, my Red Eye, my piece of heaven. 

"Of course, Red Eye."

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the nicknames are so cringey eW but i wanted a little bit of nostalgia from when they first confessed.

hope you enjoyed the chapter !! c:

word count: 2770