Elysia smiled as she gently dipped her bare foot into the cool water of a beautiful pool, Reinhardt's purple short-sleeved coat around her shoulders. Reinhardt was on the side, playing the guitar she gifted him. A small smile appeared on her face as she saw how focused he was. 

"What is it?" Reinhardt asked, stopping mid-strum as he looked at his friend. Elysia said nothing as she smiled at him more, a memory of how they first met appeared in her mind. 

"Nothing," The young woman replied with a smile as she stood up and sat beside him. 

"Do you..." 

"Hm?" Elysia curiously looked at him before smiling as she sat on the bench beside him. 

"Do you want to sing?" Reinhardt asked, a slight red dust present on his face barely noticeable to anyone. Seeing this, Elysia just smiled more and kissed his cheek. 

"I want to, why not play something?" Elysia said as she leaned on his side, resting her head on his shoulder. 

https://youtu.be/gS9UDILE82A

Say my name when a tree susurrates
Once and again telling a story lost in time
The way it starts and the way it ends
Never again making up stories in dismay

With several starts, but just one end
Ah, how I long to embrace
The future breaking out of shades from the past
Still ablaze

Save your tears for the day so far away
To irrigate the wilderness that's still asleep
In the world waiting to be lit
To spread over the riverbeds, so dry and dead

Let ships that ran aground re-launch their sails
Ah, how I long to embrace
The future breaking out of shades from the past
Still ablaze

Seeds bear new life when flowers dare to fade
Petals linger about
Awaiting one last dance
Shaking off all the dust from the past

New stories have yet to start

Reinhardt listened to Elysia sing with a smile on his face as he gently raised his hand to touch her cheek but stopped. Elysia smiled and as soon as she finished, she gently took his hand and pressed it on her cheek, nuzzling it close. Her eyes looked at his with nothing but pure adoration, one stronger than she often gave to her loved ones. 

Seeing such a thing, Reinhardt could feel his heart skip a beat like it usually does whenever he is with her. He just feels so... complete. Waiting for nothing, Reinhardt leaned in and took her lips, kissing her gently. Elysia just kissed back before pulling away, teasingly keeping it passionate yet short and chaste. 

"Your turn~," Elysia said with a smile as she rested her head on his shoulder. Shaking himself out of his shock, the young man chuckled as hi hands began to play. 

https://youtu.be/whrPrspFt2M

Farewell

To all the earthly remains

No burdens

No further debts to be paid

Atlas

Can rest his weary bones

The weight of the world

All falls away

In time

Goodbye

To all the plans that we made

No contracts

I'm free to do as I may

No hunger

No sleep except to dream

Mild and warm

Safe from all harm

Calm

Good riddance

To all the thieves

To all the fools that stifled me

They've come and gone

And passed me by

Good riddance

To all

Farewell

To all the earthly remains

No burdens

No further debts to be paid

Atlas

Can rest his weary bones

The weight of the world

All falls away

In time

After his long, Reinhardt saw the thoughtful look on the pink elf's face before it was replaced by a smile. 

"How about a duet?" Elysia offered as she sat on his lap and leaned up, kissing his freshly-shaven jaw. "And no, sad song."

"It's not sad," Reinhardt said

"It is," Elysia said,

"Depends on the singer," 

"So you do admit it," Elysia said with a smile causing Reinhardt to sigh and the pink elf just chuckled. "Hey." 

"What?"

"Do you remember how we first met?" Elysia asked, poking her fingers together. 

Reinhardt said nothing as he looked at her. 

******

A younger Reinhardt dressed in Ceremonial knight armor with bandages around his left eye and forehead held the handle of his sword as he flicked the remains of the Honkai beast he had just killed without any problem. 

Feeling something move behind him, the bandaged knight managed to deflect a strike from a bull, severing its tusk and sending it flying away only for an arrow to kill it. The one-eyed knight looked at the source of the arrow, only to see a young woman his age dressed in a ceremonial military uniform, her pink hair dancing with the wind. 

The young woman brushed a strand away from her face before giving a small smile.

**** 

Reinhardt remembered the first time she saved him on the battlefield but their first meeting...

****

A young 15-year-old Reinhardt sighed as he looked around the massive Apocalypse estate. The young man got lost and arrived in the garden instead of the hall after taking a wrong turn. Feeling the sun's hot gaze, the young man tied his neck-length hair into a ponytail that draped over his shoulder and if anyone saw him, they would notice that he had a striking resemblance to Fu Hua. The young man removed his suit jacket and opened the top buttons of his shirt, letting the cool breeze soothe his skin. 

"Man, Mom and Dad are gonna be angry at me again." The young man said as he reached in his pocket, revealing a small case. Opening it, the young man took a breath from the vape before sighing out a cloud of smoke. 

"Those are bad for you,"  A girl around his age with pink hair said with a smile as she carried a pot of flowers. Flowers made of

"Crystals?" Reinhardt's voice broke through the silence as he observed the pink Crystalline flower on the pot. How? 'I mean, I have an insane healing factor and have fire abilities,'

"Hmph," The pink-haired girl pouted as she leaned in a bit to look him in the eyes. Dark orbs similar to the night sky met pink irised blue similar to the twinkling stars in the sky. 

"What?" Reinhardt asked as he looked her in the eyes. 

"Vaping, that's dangerous for you." The young girl repeated as she looked at him. 

"I have a healing factor," Reinhardt replied as he looked at the young girl in front of him, 

"That doesn't excuse that." The girl said, only for a roar to erupt from... her stomach. Hearing this, the young woman's face burnt red while Reinhardt. The young man chuckled, finding the bright red pout on the girl's face adorable. 

"Here," He said as he presented to her a ration bar. 

Saying nothing, the girl set the pot on the ground and took the bar, splitting it in half and /giving it to Reinhardt, much to his shock. 'Usually, Kallen would have stuffed her face with it... or anyone else really,' 

The young man thought as he remembered his gluttonous best friend 

"Lysia..." 

"Did you say something?" 

After finishing her snack, the girl gave him a smile and gently raised her skirt by a small amount, and did a perfect and elegant curtsy. 

"My name is Elysia Apocalypse, it is a pleasure to meet you," Elysia said with a smile on her face making him blanch. '

"I'm Reinhardt, Reinhardt Crozzo," Reinhardt introduced himself with a slight bow.  "The pleasure is mine," This time, a growl escaped his stomach, causing Elysia to giggle lightly. 

"Someone's hungry. Come on, there must be some leftovers in the kitchen, that is if you would like to eat with me, Sir Crozzo." 

****

Who would have thought that a simple chance meeting after he got lost...  He did not deserve her. She deserved better. 

Reinhardt said nothing as he looked at Elysia, the woman that stood by him and supported him, even if she knew he was not able to reciprocate her feelings back then. 

****

A young 16-year-old Reinhardt stood in the middle of the rain as he looked at the tombstones of his parents. What is he gonna do?! He was just a teenager, but now he was the patriarch of their family! 

Reve and Rex are still young and it broke his heart and soul to hear them cry and beg for their parents. It should have been him, not them... They should have been the ones that survived, not him. He was just... a failure. 

He barely remembered getting back home, he drowned himself in his paperwork, asking a favor from Sakura to help babysit his baby brothers. It took a week but he managed to smooth everything over. It was then that he found himself in the cemetery once again, by his parent's graves. letting the rain drench his form once more. 

"Rein," Elysia said as he held an umbrella for them, not minding how drenched Reinhardt is in rainwater or how her shoes and clothes got a bit dirty. 

"Ely..." Why was his friend here? Wasn't Elyia supposed to be in headquarters? 

"Come on, you're going to get sick if you let yourself get drenched." Elyia's soft voice soothed his soul and it disgusted him. His parents were gone and his baby brothers were going to grow up never knowing how wonderful their parents were while he was here, enjoying the company of... no. "It's okay, Rein."

"You should go to the Crozzo manor, your room is still there," Reinhardt replied emotionlessly yet his eyes... Elysia saw it all and she hugged him. Uncaring of getting drenched or getting her clothes ruined, all Elysia saw was that her friend needed comfort. 

"Come on, Rein," Elysia called out, "Please don't let yourself get lost in your sorrows. Reve and Rex need you, Kallen and the others need you," Her voice echoed in his mind as his eyes burned. "I need you, please." 

"I can't... how can I? My brothers will never know how awesome our parents were and because of me..." 

"No," Elysia's voice was kind and gentle yet firm. "It was not your fault, Rein. Be there, let them know what you know." 

Reinhardt said nothing before he chuckled and laughed. How fucking unfair... 

"I'm so pathetic," Reinhardt whispered before being forced to look at the eyes of his friend. 

"You are not pathetic, Rein. You are Reinhardt Crozzo, the sword of the morning, Knight of the lord," Elysia reminded him. "You are Reinhardt Crozzo, my best friend, the oldest son of Rieve Crozzo and Maria Crozzo, current lord commander of the order of the Crozzo. Even if you think the world hates you, I will be here for you, Rein." Elysia said with a smile. 

This woman... he could never really deal well with her. 

It was later in his room that he found himself in the lap of his best friend as she played with his shorter hair. 

"Sleep, Rein. I'll be here." Elysia said and he closed his eyes at the soothing warmth of his friend and her beautiful voice singing songs as she caressed his head. "I will always be with you, by your side, no matter what, my dear listener," 

Just as when she knew he was asleep, she parted strands of his hair and kissed his forehead tenderly. 

"Ich Liebe Dich," 

****

"How could I forget," Reinhardt finally said as he kissed her gently, eliciting a gasp of pleased surprise from Elysia and a whine when he pulled away, 

"Flirt," Elysia said with a shy smile. "Rein," 

"?"

 "Ich Liebe Dich," Elysia said with a smile and sincere and serious eyes. 

===

"Kind of reminds me of us," A young man bearing a striking resemblance to Reinhardt and Reve said as he stroked his scarred chin as he watched the two from the windows while the woman beside him, Fu Hua, raised his brow. 

"What? He's aloof not a sissy like you were back then." The young woman shot with a teasing smile before kissing his lips. 

"What? Me? Who was it that asked you to go on a date?" 

"It was the other way around, you magpie," Fu Hua teased as he smiled and stole a kiss while messing with his hair and clothes. "Do clean up, we have a party." She said with a smile, leaving the man to curse as he fixed his clothes, 

===

Rex was annoyed. Ever since he arrived and after getting mistakes for class Rep, he could hear several gossips about him and now, he had removed his jacket and sat by the bar. 'huh?'

For a split second, he could have sworn he saw an image of a woman that looked like Mei in a pink Kimono giving him a lap pillow under the cherry blossoms. Weird... 

Glancing at the drink in front of him, the young man chuckled as he noticed how Lumine tiredly curled up on his jacket off his side. HOLY SHI! AETHER IS MAKING OUT WITH AYAKA!

'Don't make me an uncle soon,' 

"Worm,' Rex turned around and saw... Seele? 'No, not her. Seele is too kind and gentle.' 

"I demand head pats." Seele(?) asked without shame causing him to blink. The fuck?

"Hey!" A rogue tuna appeared and covered Seele(?)'s mouth. "Huh, you do look like class rep." Kiana the tuna said, finally noticing their similar facial feature. 

...

Reve smiled as he danced with Bianka, obliviously unaware of his brother's plight.