Confession ~Juuzou x Reader AU~

Epilogue

~12 Years Later~

I don't go with him.

I don't even give him an answer. Not that day. Not the following week. Not even the following month. I don't do anything.

But that was then, and this is now. I have no regrets. The choices I made, I made with great and careful consideration. I thought about those around me. I thought about my daughter. I thought about myself, and I made a decision based on all that. And now...we're here.

"Mom, are you okay?"

I blink, looking to my side. Rui is standing there, her long brunette locks pulled into a ponytail. Her e/c eyes are trained on me, a single brow lifted. An expression I've seen many times on her...and on Lucas.

"You're acting spacy," she says. "Are you okay?"

I smile, "I'm fine. It just... It feels weird to be back."

She snorts, "Speak for yourself. I get to come back every summer to see Gran and Grandpa."

I laugh, "That is true. I guess it's just weird for me." I perk up and look around. "Where is he?"

"Papa?"

"Yeah. I thought he was right with us."

"He was... Oh, wait. There he is."

She points and I follow. Sure enough, there he is. Looking so very much the same – to a degree.

Those once ebony locks have grown out, revealing his naturally white hair, which is still disheveled and messy, but I expect nothing less. His frame is still lean and slender, his black jacket hanging from his narrow shoulders. His skin is still that soft ivory that I adore touching and feeling, the red stitching still one of his favorite modifications. And his eyes – those beautiful ruby eyes – look all around until he sees us and flashes a smile.

I didn't give him an answer that day. I didn't give him an answer the following week. I didn't even give him an answer a month later, but eventually, I did.

I did give him an answer.

I said yes. I said I'd come to Japan, but there were things I needed to do first and conditions that needed to be met.

Firstly, I wanted one more year in H/P to prep and prepare Rui and me for the move. During that time, I studied the language and culture and taught her. He video called whenever he could and helped in that. That's why Rui is fluent in Japanese now. I get by.

Secondly, I had to spend time with those I cared about while I was still in H/P. So, I saw and visited with Mrs. Warner often – even after I moved into a new apartment complex. She understood that my old apartment no longer felt like home. She didn't fault me for that. We remain close until this day. As for Randy, we remain in contact, exchanging emails and calls even until this very day. Shortly after Clay was arrested, Randy sold the club and moved to Germany (or wherever you prefer) with his partner. They own a bakery and adopted two golden retrievers together.

Thirdly, I still wanted Rui to be able to spend time with Martha and Joseph. After all, they are her only involved grandparents. So, though it was tricky when she was little, we figured it out. Oftentimes, they came to us. As Rui has grown, she has gone to them. She has learned to be independent and due to what we went through when she little, has grown to be quite vigilant.

Another condition I needed to be met before moving to a whole other country was I needed Juuzou to be completely open with me. I wanted to learn everything about him, and for him to learn everything about me. That wasn't difficult. It came so naturally after we confessed our feelings for each other. And with each new thing I learned, I fell more for him.