The Joker (tangerine)

chapter nine: 終わり

The next morning when both girls awoke from their shared room in Nara, Japan. They weren't greeted by a pleasant waking call. Instead, it was the sound of crashes and screeches that awoke them both, and as they both peered out of the window, they were beyond confused and surprised as to how the bullet train they had been on hours ago had crashed into the city. 

"Tangerine?" Keiko questioned as she and Karin ran out of the room. 

"What are you two doing here?" He practically shouted at them. "I thought you were going home--"

"We were too tired to drive all the way back, what happened?" Keiko replied, walking over to him. 

"Uh... the White Death is, well, dead," He shrugged. "And we've got our briefcase back so we plan on keeping the money."

"You need a ride back to Tokyo?" Lemon questioned, peeking his head out of a tangerine truck. 

"That's funny," Keiko laughed, to which Tangerine just smirked. 

The four of them entered the truck, Tangerine sitting in the front next to Keiko as she drove them back to their place in Tokyo. Karin and Lemon were playing a game of Slap Jack, which was quite difficult in the car, yet they still tried. 

"I'm shutting this," Tangerine sighed, shutting the divider between Lemon and Karin and Tangerine and Keiko. 

"Why?" Keiko laughed, looking over at him. 

"What are... what's... what's going to happen now?" He questioned, unsure of how to phrase it. 

"Well... what do you want to happen?" She looked over with a serious expression, something he had yet to see from her. 

"Well in an ideal world... you would come to London with me, and-- and Karin could come too, and the four of us would live in our apartment," He shrugged. 

"Is your apartment even big enough for that?" Keiko tilted her head. 

"We've got three bedrooms," He nodded. "One for Lemon, one for Karin... and then one for you and me?"

"Don't you think that'd be moving a bit fast?" She laughed. 

"We don't really have time to go slow, do we?" He raised his eyebrow. 

"No, I suppose we don't," She smiled. "We'll move in with you."

"What?" Tangerine's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah," She shrugged. "I mean, our apartment is shit and we've had a difficult time paying for it for a long time, so as long as your rent isn't too bad--"

"It isn't," He placed his hand on her thigh. "Even if it was, I wouldn't make you pay it."

"How sweet," Keiko teased. 

"Karin!" Keiko shouted, Tangerine sliding open the divider. 

"Yes?" The girl looked up. 

"We're moving to London!" Keiko smiled.

"What?" Karin and Lemon chorused. 

"Mate, if you think I'm about to share a bedroom with you just so those two get their own rooms, you are mistaken," Lemon raised his eyebrows. 

"You keep your bloody room, Lemon," Tangerine rolled his eyes.

"So then what, they share a room?" Lemon questioned. 

"No--"

"I sleep with him," Keiko explained, causing Lemon to erupt from laughter. 

"Wow, your first time bringing home a girl and she's already moving in?" Lemon teased. 

"What, are you a virgin?" Keiko raised her eyebrows at him. 

"No!" He shook his head feverishly. "I've just never... been in a relationship! It's hard--"

"With our line of work, I know," Keiko agreed. "Good thing we work together."

Now, Keiko and Karin had a new definition of their Royal Flush.

Keiko still remained the Joker, of course. Her personality could never change, it was just in her blood. Her constant teasing and joking was a part of who she was, as was her flirtatious persona. Luckily, she now had someone to direct her flirtations at. 

Karin was the Queen of Hearts, still. She remained kind and caring, even to Keiko who could be a pain in her ass sometimes. She adored Lemon and Tangerine because Keiko did, and she'd do anything for her. 

Tangerine decided that he wanted to remain the Two of Spades, seeing as it was Keiko who gave him the name. He was reckless, that was obvious. However, he was also the perfect partner, both in terms of romance and assassins. 

As for Lemon, Karin decided he would be the Six of Hearts. He was energetic and individualistic; he knew who he was and wasn't afraid to show it. On top of that, he was also, like Karin, extremely caring for those close to him. 

Even if Keiko and Karin lost their sister on the bullet train, they gained two other family members, and while the girls knew they couldn't replace Kimiko, they were grateful and lucky  for the boys taking care of them, and in Keiko's case, Tangerine loving her.