The Town Where only I was Missing - SmolAngstyWritings (2024)

"Gaku Yashiro..." A dark haired woman mused under her breath as she gazed at the papers in her hands. The woman - a newly hired teacher assistant for the fifth grade classroom - was named Lila, and was currently walking towards her designated class as she read over a list of students. Ah.. she would have to remember all of these names! It.. it would probably take her a while. Though she knew one name for sure. The name of the man she would be working with, Gaku Yashiro. It's been years and years since Lila last saw him, but she still remembered him ! The silver eyed woman suddenly stopped in her tracks when she realized two things: one, it was getting late, and two, she was in the completely wrong building ! "O-On my first day too-!" Lila whined as she quickly dashed outside and went into the proper building. She skid to a halt right outside the fifth grade class, then took a moment to catch her breath. "G-Geez..." She was already making a fool out of herself! Urk... she had planned on coming to class before the students showed up so she could introduce herself professionally , but it seemed like all the kids were already in their seats -! "There you are-!" One of the faculty members said, coming over. "The class has already begun. Come on, let's get you settled in your new work space." The older woman said, opening the classroom door. After brushing off her skirt, Lila excused herself before stepping in. She smiled a bit sheepishly, "G-Good morning-! Ahah... sorry I'm late..." She caught sight of her reflection in the door window, then quickly pat down her hair a bit so it wasn't disheveled. The faculty member went to the front of the class, taking Lila with her. "This is Lila Furukawa, and she will be Mr. Yashiro's teacher assistant for this class." The older woman introducd Lila, before the silver eyed woman spoke up herself, "I hope we can all get along well! ..It'll take me a while to get all your names right, so please be patient with me." The woman laughed sheepishly. As the faculty member spoke to the class, saying that they have to respect the new teacher assisastant and all that, Lila allowed herself to turn to Gaku, "...And it'll be nice working with you, Mr. Yashiro." She hummed softly, eyes glimmering slightly. Would he recognize her-? ...He certainly matured in the best ways possible ! He... he was utterly handsome!

"...This project will be worth twenty percent of your final grade..." The teacher was saying, though a harsh whisper from beside Bertolt interrupted the highschooler's chain of thought, and he wasn't able to catch what the teacher was saying next. "Oi, Bertolt. The love of your life is late again." Reiner whispered, causing the taller male to glare at him, a slight blush coating his features. "R-Reiner! Stop that!" He whispered back in a harsh tone. Reiner chucked, simply going back to leaning in his seat. He wiggled his eyebrows at his friend though, enjoying how worked up he got over his oh-so-obvious crush. With an irked sigh, Bertolt turned away from the blonde and looked ahead. ...What Reiner said was true though. Soleil really wasn't in class yet. She was late often.. and she seemed like a student who worked hard and wanted to do well. Ah.. Maybe she took the train , and ran late because of that? It was possible that she simply lived far away. That's what Bertolt told himself, anyway. "....you'll be working in pairs. You have a full three weeks to do this, so I expect good work. The presentation counts as five percent of the project grade, so much of your points will be coming from your research and poster or video. I'm leaving the topics up to you, though remember, our theme in this course is controversies (1). So pick something related to that. The pairings will be as follows..." Bertolt again glanced at the empty seat not too far away from him, though he quickly looked away when he heard the teacher call out his name. "Bertolt and Soleil. Reiner and Conny..." "Hey! How come I don't get a girl in my group?" Reiner called out, sounding irritated. "Girl's always know how to do good in these things. Plus, c'mon , Conny?" Reiner murmured to himself, though turned to Bertolt with a grin. "You and Soleil , eh? It must be fate! Bertl, remember, you make your own fate!" Reiner grinned. "You play too much of that Fire emblem game.." Bertolt murmured, mostly as an attempt to hide his blushiness. "Wha- Bertolt, you don't understand how great this series is!" Reiner announced, perhaps a bit too loudly, because everyone - including the teacher - paused and turned to look at him. "Reiner..." Bertolt groaned under his breath. A bit later, Soleil finally came in. "I'll give you time today in class to discuss your projects. Get into your groups. " The teacher announced. With a deep breath, Bertolt got up and approached Soleil. "Uhm.. hello.." He grinned sheepishly. "Looks like we're in a group for this project. I'll tell you about it, so don't worry too much yet. I think... we should meet up over the weekend to start on this. Which of our houses works best for you-?"

(1) so I guess this could be either English or history class? Maybe Psychology? ? Idk you can change it, I just picked something random xD

((This is great thank you!!))

Gaku walked over to his desk at the front of the room and clapped his hands together, successfully gaining the attention of his students. Elementary students sometimes took a while to quiet down, but after a couple moments, usually everyone turned their attention to their teacher at the front. He smiled, "Good morning, class," the man greeted, to which they all replied "good morning, sensei" in chorus. He picked up the attendance folder and looked around the classroom, noting that all the students were present today. The same couldn't be said for the faculty, however... Gaku was supposed to have an assistant teacher join him from today onwards (as much as he loved his students, they were quite a handful! Another teacher would be much appreciated), but they weren't here so far. Perhaps they got lost along the way. Oh well, no big deal- Gaku could handle the class for a bit longer! "We'll begin with math today. Everyone, please open up your notebooks. Were there any questions on the homework? Let's go over them now, in that case, before moving on to today's lesson." Gaku smiled at his students and they nodded (though a couple of them groaned, not wanting to do math). Before they could officially start anything, though, the door opened and in came a beautiful young lady following one of the staff members. Oh, so this must be the new teacher assistant! She was really beautiful, actually... Gaku cleared his throat, hoping that the bit of heat he felt on his face wasn't showing, and turned to both women as they came up to the front of the classroom. The lady introduced the woman, Lila, to the classroom. That name... Could it be? He wasn't sure, but when the black haired woman turned to him, speaking, he was certain of it. He could never forget those eyes, that smile...! Lila had changed over the past couple of years- in the best way possible!- but he could tell that she was still the same wonderful person she was all those years ago. He knew little of love now, but he'd know even less when he was a child. Still, he remembered the whole hearted admiration he felt for Lila all those years ago, how he brought her chocolates but insisted his mom made him do that, how he tried to bring her flowers but lost courage in the end and left them for her anonymously... These fond memories (and the sudden addition to Lila's beauty) caught Gaku off-balance and he quickly realised he was staring. Realising that only flustered him more and Gaku quickly tore his gaze away from Lila, laughing sheepishly. "M-my pleasure, Miss Furukawa," he said. Class saved him, thankfully, so the black haired man turned to Lila once more, "We're going over any questions from homework right now. Would you mind walking around class and seeing if the students need any help?"

~

Soleil sighed. She hated being late to class, but there wasn't really a way around it in these situations. Besides, she supposed she was used to it by now... The teacher didn't give her too hard of a time because of that, either. She tried to focus a lot on her studies so that she could face the future with her own strength, so she suspected the teacher pardoned her tardies as long as she was focused. Oh well, whatever. She opened the door quietly and stepped into class, "I'm sorry I'm late," she said, almost as usual. The teacher nodded her direction but said little, and so Soleil went to take her seat at her desk, giving a smile to her friends in the classroom in greeting. She winced a little as she sat down, but today wasn't as bad as usual. It seemed as though the teacher was telling them about a project, which was quite unfortunate since Soleil missed out the entire introduction, but when Bertolt approached her and said he was her partner, she smiled. "Hello," she greeted back. They were friends, though they were still far from being close. Bertolt was one of the nicest guys in their class (even if he did tend to blend into the background (1) ) so Soleil got along with him well. Hopefully that meant they'd do well on the project together, too! "Ah.. Don't you want to sit?" She motioned to the desk besides her. Since the teacher was giving them this class period to work on their project, they may as well get comfortable! "Mm, working on this outside of school is probably a good idea." Soleil nodded, "It would be nice to finish this project well before the deadline." Soleil would've loved to go over to his house, if only not to be at her own, but on the other hand she didn't want to leave her younger sister alone in that house, either... Maybe if she had a friend over, things would be calmer? Unless she could bring her sister to Bertolt's house... No, that would be too weird to suggest. "We could go over to my house after school to work on this some more, if you'd like. We could stop by the library before then to pick up some books, once we choose a topic... Do you have any ideas?"

(1) There's this ongoing joke in AoT Junior High where Bertolt is always blocked out. Like in pictures he's too tall so you can't see his head, or he says something but then a car honks so you can't hear him ahaha poor bby quq

((WAHHH GAKU IS SOOOOO ADORABLE OMG I'M GOING TO SAY LILA PRESSED THOSE FLOWERS AND SHE STILL HAS THEM OKOK QUQ she can ask him about them one day YAY WAH I'M FANGIRLING HE'S SOOOOO CUTE 😍😍😍😍😍))

Lila watched Gaku - or should she refer to him as 'Mr. Yashiro', despite them knowing each other yeas ago? She wasn't too sure - as she waited for some sort of reply. Though he didn't say anything for a while, and simply gazed at her. A light blush formed across her features, "I-Is there something on my face -? O-Or is my hair still standing up-?" The flustered woman reached a hand up and attempted to pat down her hair again, just in case. "I got a little lost, so I had to run here... ahah.." She laughed sheepishly, trying to explain why she looked like she just woke up and still had disheveled hair. Though it seemed like Gaku wasn't staring at her for that reason at all. No... it looked like realization was dawning upon his features instead. Oh! M-Maybe he remembered her then! The girl gave a wide and delighted grin at his simple - but absolutely adorable! - reply. Was that a stutter in his voice-? Unfortunately, they didn't have time to chitchat , because the staff member who had been talking to the class quickly left and class was resumed. "Mhm! Assistant-Sensei is on the job, sir!" She grinned, then spun on her heel to go look over the students work. These were fifth graders, so Lila wanted to be a fun assistant teacher that everyone could trust-! .... Plus, it was such a perk to see Gaku teach~. He had always been wonderful with kids -! "Oh, proportions I see. Those are such a bother.." Lila sighed dramatically as she looked over one student's work. "But there's an easy way to remember how to do them properly ! Let's take this question here and try to solve it together , okay?" After explaining it to the student , she told her to try solving one herself. When she got it right, Lila beamed. "Yeah! That's the way~ Great job!" Being a teacher assistant was a whole lot more fun than she thought it'd be-!

"O-oh, thank you." Bertolt smiled , a bit sheepishly, before he sat down in the empty seat besides Soleil. "Y-Yeah! I agree. It would be best to finish this project before so that we don't have to worry about it anymore.." This was really hard for Bertolt. Really, he couldn't even look at Soleil without suddenly blushing. Moreover, he felt a certain blonde male's eyes on him the entire time... The tall brunette tried his best to stay calm though, especially since they weren't even doing anything except for talking about the project. "Your house ? That's perfectly fine by me-! I'll tell my parents I won't be home until a bit later today then." How he was able to stay that without stammering was unknown to him. He would be going to a girl's house-! And not just any girl's house either. Soleil's house. ...Reiner would never let him hear the end of it-! "As far as topics go... We could always go with one of the more popular topics, like abortion, but.. there are other ones too. " He paused, and, still feeling Reiner's eyes on him, he purposely spoke a little bit more loudly than usual, "Or maybe we can do something like... 'is playing too many video games bad for you'?" "Fire emblem is life!" Reiner declared from across the room, though Bertolt didn't look back (mostly because he was embarrassed). "I'm sure we can come up with an interesting topic. Do you have any ideas you'd like to research ?" He smiled , still unable to get the shyness out of him. Luckily, the longer they talked, the more comfortable he felt talking to her. The rest of class went by quickly, and, soon enough, it was already the end of the day (1). Bertolt quickly called his mother to tell him where he would be. He got teased about going to a girl's house of course, and he became immensely flustered and defensive , but other than that everything was fine. As promised, Bertolt waited outside of school for Soleil. "How was your day-?... We're going to drop by the library first, right?" He smiled a bit sheepishly, "I also asked to take out the new Game of Thrones book... have you read the series?" "Oi! Bertolt!" Bertolt turned to glance behind him, only to see Reiner in the distance (( Omake+Gif+Anime+-+Ore+Monogata <--- Reiner's expression )). Wh-What was with that expression of his-?? How embarrassing.... Bertolt hoped that Soleil didn't see it-!

(1) feel free to change this if you wanted to do something else!

((OKAY YAY THATS SO CUTE YAY I'M GLAD YOU LIKE THE IDEA :D also sorry this is short!!))

"No," Gaku chuckled, "You look lovely. I'm glad you found your way to our classroom." He smiled. Ah... He was glad to see Lila again after so many years, though he found himself at an even greater loss of what to do right now. He had so many things to say to her, and yet he couldn't muster up any of them... Maybe it would be easier with time! He watched as Lila went around to the children, helping them through math problems, and smiled. She was a natural with kids, it seemed- they liked her already! A number of them asked about her and her life (partly because of pure curiosity, and partly because they wanted to evade math work) and Gaku was delighted that everyone got along so well~! He did the same, going around to students to help explain what they didn't understand. Once the homework check was over, the black haired man came back to his place at the front of the classroom and pleasantly began to teach them some new material. Class seemed to go by quicker than usual, even between the smiling (albeit a little shy) glances he cast at Lila, and soon enough it was time for lunch break. This week's monitors came to the front of the room to help with lunch distribution, and soon enough all the children were happily munching away and chatting to one another. Finally having some time to himself, Gaku walked over to his new coworker with a smile on his face. "How are you liking the work so far? I hope the kids aren't pestering you with too personal questions." Gaku laughed gently, looking from his students back to Lila with a fond expression on his face. He pulled a chair up to where Lila sat so that the two of them could sit together as they ate. He could finally address what was surely on both of their minds-! "...It's been so long since we last saw each other. How have you been?" Gaku began pleasantly. "We ought to go out for coffee to, you know, catch up. Are you perhaps free today or tomorrow after work?" Gaku suggested. Though he spoke cleanly and his voice didn't betray him, he was certain that Lila had not idea just how much courage he had to muster up for that. He was just really glad that no blush broke out on his cheeks...!

~

"Mm, there are so many topics to choose from... I almost wish the teacher gave us a more centered assignment." Soleil nodded. Still, it would be best if they came up with an idea now so that they could find some good resources after school today! "What do you think of sheltering refugees, maybe? Or GMOs? Or even the topic of disposable diapers..." ((these were all speech and debate topics my brother had XD)) The two of them spoke about this for a while, and eventually decided to just go simple but well researched: abortion. "We can look for some resources about fetal biology, reproduction, and maybe health risks of pregnancy? That'd cover the basics, and then we could get something from a political perspective..." Soleil suggested. Once the school day was over, Soleil found Bertolt waiting for her by the school gates. She smiled and waved a little to him as she came over. "Good, and you?" As they began to walk out of school, Soleil nodded, "That's right. Though I still have to pick up my little sister from the elementary school... If we're quick, we can go to the library first. She'll wait that long." When Bertolt asked her about a book called A Game of Thrones, the girl tilted her head slightly to the side. "I don't know it. Have you read it yet?" She liked to read a lot, whenever she had time, so if this was a good book she'd like to try it! She was always on the lookout for more books. When she heard Reiner's voice, the girl turned around as well, but didn't really understand what was going on, not in the same way Bertolt surely did. "He looks pretty happy," she noted, "Did something nice happen?" With that, the two of them went to the library. With the help of one of the librarians, they found some good resources for their project and checked them out, and Bertolt got the book he was looking for, too. It looked really interesting...!

((you can skim over them picking the sister up if you want? I don't mind!))

((Gaku is soooooooo adorable wahhhh ♡♡ you play him so well, Lila is uber blushy ♡//7//♡ It's not short at all woman geez it is beautiful :') ))

Throughout the day, Lila felt a weird fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach whenever she glanced at Gaku. Moreover , the "You look lovely" from earlier still stuck with her, making her day even more enjoyable! Plus.. those little smiles that Gaku gave her were just so adorable, she couldn't get over it! The first half of the day passed relatively quickly, allowing the class to pause in their work for lunch break. Lila sat down at one of the empty desks near the front of the class, then smiled when her coworker came to join her. "It's very enjoyable! The kids are so adorable~." Lila hummed in delight. Really, they were all just so cute -! She loved kids~. And.. well, she lived alone, so being in such a lively workspace was wonderful ! "They're all very polite. I don't mind answering their questions." Lila beamed , watching as Gaku sat down. There was a small pause, though the man finally spoke up, saying the very words that the woman herself wanted to say. "So you do remember me~! I'm glad!" She laughed somewhat, grinning all the while. "I remember you too of course. I still have the flowers you left for me. ... Not in the same state of course, but I have them anyway, pressed in a book~." She hummed, but then realized something. "Oh.. ahah, I forgot that I wasn't supposed to know it was from you. You left them anonymously right? ... Of course I knew they were from you the very day I received them! Who else would do something so sweet? Silly Gaku." Lila teased, wondering if he remembered that too. "Mm.. I've been fine. And you?" She mused, taking a bit of food as she awaited his reply. When he answered and then suggested going out for coffee, Lila's entire face lit up. "Thats a great idea! I'd love to~. Cafés are wonderful, but even more so with company! I don't have anything planned after work, so we can definitely go later today." (1)

"That sounds great! We can quickly go to the library now then. I'm sure it won't take too long... Also, what sort of display should we make for the presentation ? The teacher said a video or poster is fine... If we're going for the poster, we could print out some information and buy some supplies when we need them." Bertolt mused, then began to walk to the library with Soleil. As expected, gathering the proper books with the help of the librarians didn't take too long at all. The brunette even got his copy of A Game of Thrones! "It's a great series. This is the latest book. You should try it if you enjoy reading. I'm sure you can take out the first book here, too." He suggested, then asked a librarian to bring them the first book as well for Soleil to take out. Once they were done at the library, the duo left and walked towards the elementary school. "Is it just you and your sister then?" Bertolt asked Curiously as they walked. The male found it easier to talk to his crush as time passed... he was quite proud of himself for that as well! Soleil was really cute, so it was really hard for Bertolt to muster up the courage to talk to her... And she seemed a little... distanced from everyone else , too. But he was thankful that he got this opportunity -! It didn't take long to pick up Soleil's little sister; she was waiting outside, so she was easy to find. "Hello there." Bertolt gave a small smile. The little girl, too, was cute ! Though of course , the girl's both had a different sort of cuteness. Bertolt generally liked all kids, so he found all of them to be cute! "What's your name? I'm Bertolt , and I'm in your sister's class." The man grinned. Most of the rest of the walk, though, was in silence. Upon reaching Soleil's house, no one opened the door, so Bertolt assumed that her parents were working. But when Soleil unlocked the door and the group walked in, the male found that wasn't the case. The house itself was tidy, a normal looking home, but.. it had a dark, unpleasant feeling to it, as if there wasn't an ounce of love. "Soleil." A rather harsh voice called as a woman - who Bertolt assumed to be Soleil's mother - came into the living room. She had an irked expression on her face, and was about to start talking, but when she saw Bertolt, she pursed her lips. "Excuse me for intruding. It's nice to meet you. I'm here to work on a project with Soleil." Bertolt explained, feeling rather... put off by the woman before him. But he tried his best to be polite anyway. "Is that so...? Welcome." She murmured, sounding rather resigned and unenthusiastic. She retreated back into another room, leaving Soleil, her sister, and Bertolt alone.

(1) you could skim to the end of the day if you'd like too! ^7^ Hehe but I'm completely satisfied with any Gaku at all no matter what, so even if you don't skim or don't want to , I definitely don't mind!

((I'm glad you like the replies QuQ TELL ME IF YOU WANT ME TO CHANGE GAKU IN ANY WAY OKAY ^U^))

"Y-You knew?" Gaku spluttered when Lila said she still had the flowers he picked for her after all these years. A small blush crept up his cheeks at the thought. H-How embarrassing! He'd been sure that Lila didn't know and that hse'd never find out... The black haired man had to remind himself that they were both adults not and that the embarrassing things he'd done were items of the past, when he had still been a child, so he really didn't have to feel so strange right now. Still... Just being around Lila reminded him of the feelings he held for her when he was a child. It had been a silly, childish crush, where he'd denied it to everyone but was secretly pleased when his friends or parents teased him about it. Really, Gaku couldn't help but to feel a warmth connect him to Lila, even after all these years...! He chuckled, "I was very careful that you wouldn't find out," he admitted, "But I did initially mean to give them to you in person, I suppose it's a good thing that you found out anyway, no?" He smiled along and nodded as their conversation progress, and when Lila agreed (happily!) to meet up with him for coffee afterwards, the teacher beamed, feeling both relieved and ecstatic that she was up for the idea. "Great! We can go together after we finish up here." Gaku smiled. "I know a nice place not too far from the school. We could take the car, but it's no longer than fifteen minutes by foot, if you'd like to walk. The café has really wonderful cakes and desserts-- o-or so I heard." Gaku caught himself in the last moment, though he couldn't say that was a good save. Glancing cautiously at Lila, he tried to gauge her reaction if she'd noticed. The black haired man tried to hide his sweets addiction from, well, everyone, but more than anyone else, he didn't want this beautiful woman to know about something that could make him look weird in her eyes! Speaking of which, he'd have to lay off on sweets soon- or start going to the gym even more often-justin case. It's not as though Gaku wasn't fit, but he wanted to look as good as possible! For Lila? Well... He wouldn't admit that, but yes! It was more subconscious than anything else, really... "Very well, I'll be waiting for you after work. Heh, I'm glad we met each other again, Lila." ~*~ The rest of the day dragged on forever in comparison to how quickly the first half passed. It must have been because of how excited Gaku was for the day to be over so that he could spend more time with Lila! In any case, the children were all gone now and Gaku finished up some faculty responsibilities, too, so he was good to go!

~

"Perhaps a poster, then? It could almost be like an information brochure, one you'd find at a clinic." Soleil suggested. That would match a theme. "But, we can still wait and decide later!" In all honesty, now that Soleil had this wonderful book titled A Game Of Thrones in her hand (part of a series called A Song of Ice and Fire), all she wanted to do was curl up and read it. The various nonfiction books they borrowed from the library for their project were probably going to take priority, though... "Well, it's me and my sister and our parents." Soleil nodded. Foster parents, really. If they even deserved to be called that. But not wanting to complicate things right now, Soleil just settled for calling them that. Before too long, they reached the elementary school and Elianne was waiting for her big sister as always. Soleil smiled when she came over, but the little girl was preoccupied with staring up at Bertolt- not unkindly!. He was tall even in comparison to Soleil, so he must've felt colossal to a fifth grader! "I'm Elianne," the girl introduced herself cheerfully as they began to walk home. "How was school today?" Soleil asked the little girl. She beamed, "We got a new assistant teacher today! She's really pretty and nice and she gave me a sticker (1)." The girl boasted, pointing proudly to a star shaped sticker on her shirt. The walk home was quicker than Soleil would've liked, even though they weren't walking particularly quickly. Involuntarily, the woman stiffened when she heard her name spoken by that familiar, harsh voice, but Bertolt's own voice eased her out of it. She let out a sigh of relief as the woman left them alone, at least for now. Soleil turned to her guest and smiled, "We can go up to my room to work on the project. Do you want anything to drink, maybe?" She asked, getting herself some water. Soon enough, they went upstairs to start working on it ((we can skim through that ofc XD)). Soleil tried to keep Elianne out of her room (...she did want some alone time with Bertolt, maybe-), but the girl kept asking for homework help, so half of their project time went to helping her with fifth grade work, really. Still, it was fun to have a friend over-!

(1) Or not XD Just putting in something cute and random but change it if anything bwahaha XD

((😍😍😍😍 SO perfect wahhh it was so adorable how Gaku wanted to lay off on the sweets xD YOU PLAY HIM SO WELLLLLL ! Let me know if you want anything changed at all as well!! Also I caught that colossal pun xD bwahah that was great xD))

Lila tilted her head to the side somewhat. "Mm.. I knew as soon as I received them." She mused, speaking as if that were the most obvious thing in the world. "I had no doubts that you gave them to me~" Was that because she had wanted them to be from him..? Perhaps. But she also knew that she had only ever been really close to Gaku. "You're the nicest person I knew, so of course I had no doubts ~ You always gave me nice things, like those chocolates !" ...Again, Lila remembered that Gaku hadn't told her that at all. He had insisted that his mother had forced him, but when she thanked his mother later on, she had said otherwise. The girl smiled sheepishly at the man, giving a little laugh afterwards as well. "I never really thanked you properly for all of that.. they meant a lot to me though, and really made me happy. Ahah... it's a little late now, but thank you-!" She noted the man's light blush and stutter, causing a rather fond expression to spread across Lila's features. H-How adorable..! The girl figured, all those years ago, that Gaku was shy. Was he still shy then ? It was really cute -! "Oh-?" Lila peeked up at Gaku, wondering why he stuttered and seemed a bit sheepish when mentioning the desserts in a café he knew of. "Ahh.. it's always so hard to choose just one dessert..." Lila admitted, laughing sheepishly. "All desserts are delicious no matter what!... Mm... Maybe we should walk so that I could lose some calories before taking them in again ..." She actually didn't care too much about that though. Wouldn't walking with Gaku be wonderful ?~ Maybe.. Maybe he could walk her home, too.... -TimeSkip!- "Are you finished with everything ?" Lila questioned , peeking over Gaku's shoulder in his office a while after all the kids left. "You're a great teacher, you know ~." Lila hummed, "I'm really happy to be able to see you again, like this. " She beamed. "Let's go now." She insisted , going ahead to put on her jacket. Before too long, the two were outside, walking towards the cafe Gaku mentioned earlier in the day. "Winter is coming ~ I hope it snows soon." She mused, then beamed up at her companion, "Thanks for inviting me out today~."

"Elianne is a pretty name." Bertolt smiled at the little girl. The male was quite tall, so she really seemed smaller than a fifth grader ! Well , the man was fond of kids and enjoyed playing with them, no matter the age. He always wished that he had a younger sibling too. "Thats a great idea." Bertolt said, a sheepish smile on his face as he mustered up the courage to look over at Soleil for a moment. "...Or if you'd like, we could make a newspaper article sort of thing. I know someone who could have it printed out professionally too." He suggested. When the small group was mostly settled in the sister's house , the brunette politely declined any drinks. "I have a water bottle with me, so I'm fine, thank you." The male smiled - still with a hint of shyness - as he sat down cross-legged on the floor. He began to look through the books they had taken out and jotted down some important terms and notes. "There's a lot of information to go through here. Maybe we could pick a few major keypoints and describe them in more detail ? Like the politics and the such. " He mused. Although both of them managed to write down quite a bit, Elianne needed help with her homework, and so the duo became momentarily distracted. "You're learning probability in math now, huh? Let's see... this question really is a tricky one." Bertolt pretended to be deep in thought by rubbing his chin somewhat , and then grinned, "I think we can solve this if we work together though! Let's see here..." He showed Elianne how to so one of the problems she was stuck on, and, in doing so, he also began to go off topic with Soleil. "So what other books do you like , then?" He questioned curiously. In all honesty, he was trying to distract himself from the fact that he was in Soleil's room. He.. he couldn't help but to feel nervous because of that -! He's definitely never been into a girl's room before (unless you counted his parents room). And again, this wasnt any girl. It was Soleil. He... he had the hugest crush on her, so of course he was nervous. Things were a bit easier with all these distractions-! (1)

(1) do you want me to do anything now with Soleil's parents? :o make something happen? It doesn't have to be extreme or anything ! Let me know okay?

Soleil let out an exasperated sigh as her sister insisted that they help her with her homework. She was quite certain that Eli could do it very well on her own, but she also knew that the little girl probably just wanted some attention from Bertolt too. Elianne was positively delighted that he was kind enough to help her go through her work- Soleil could see in her eyes that Eli quickly gained a liking towards Bertolt. Which was fine and dandy and all, but Soleil did bring him home with the intention to get some of their project done-! Nevertheless, with her little sister distracting them, it was near impossible to concentrate on the musty old books they brought back from the library. Soleil had some notes written down and a couple of pages in books marked with sticky notes, but that was about as far as she got. She smiled at Bertolt in response to his question, "I admit, I like adventure and fantasy style novels. Some romance is nice every once in a while, too." She mused, "Have you readThe Light Between Oceans, perhaps? It's been on my mind recently, heh." Though their work went by pretty slowly, Soleil was still pleased with the fact that they hadsomethingdone. She was quite sure that they were already well ahead of most of their classmates who wouldn't even think about this project until the day before it was due. But alas, with the progression of time, night had to fall and Soleil was certain Bertolt wanted to get home before that happened. "We did pretty well today," Soleil smiled, "If you don't mind... I think meeting up like this two or three more times would let us finish this project soon. So if you have any free time... I'm sure Eli would be happy to see you again, too." Soleil laughed a little, making her sister blush in embarrassment. Soleil would at least walk him downstairs-!

((mAH HEART WAH ILY GAKU ♡ AND I'M GLAD BERTL IS TO YOUR LIKING QUQ))

Lila laughed lightly at Gaku's words, "Yeah, that's true." She didn't admit it aloud, but she, too, would probably be distracted by the falling snow. She was too embarrassed to say that to Gaku, though, so she kept it to herself. It wasn't long before the two reached the small bit cozy café. "Wah... this is lovely~." She hummed, settling down in her seat across from Gaku. She peeked across at the dark haired man, watching him curiously for a moment. The way the candle light reflected against him brought a bit of warmth to Lila's cheeks, so she quickly picked up a menu and looked at it instead. "W-Wah... Wh-What am I supposed to choose-?" The woman gasped out in awe. "Chocolate cake? O-Or cheesecake ..? Chocolate cheesecake? ...But cream puffs sound really good too... wahh-! They even have napoleans ! A-And cinnamon buns too!" The girl practically fawned, though immediately shut up when she noticed Gaku peeking at her. Lila immediately blushed, though pouted a little in an attempt to hide it, "I-I.. y-you know I like sweets." ... And apparently, Gaku did too, according to the waiter ! "O-ooh... I'd like his regular too then!" Lila hummed, glad that she finally made a decision. Once the waiter left, she smiled sheepishly, "I'm sure it tastes really good if it's something you've ordered more than once." She paused for a moment before speaking up once again, "How long have you been teaching, Gaku?" She beamed cheerfully, then continued to speak with him as they waited for their order to come. "...If.. if you don't mind, can you walk me home afterwards...?" The woman asked all of a sudden, shifting a little bit in her seat. "I've been feeling a little uneasy lately... Im sure I'll feel a lot safer with you with me~." She hummed. When their orders finally arrived, Lila didn't hesitate in trying it. "Wah-! How delicious -! Gaku has great tastes!"

"You're into Fantasy too? Then you must have read Harry Potter right? ...Elianne, have you read that series too? If not, you should give it a try." Bertolt grinned, quite happy with the fact that he and Soleil had so many things in common. Or, well , they both liked to read in any case -! "I sometimes enjoy a good mystery novel as well. You should try out Lois Duncan's books if you get the chance !" Speaking about similar interests like this really made the brunette feel a little less nervous-! "Oh! I've read that book as well. It was really good and well written." (1) The rest of their time together was spent mostly like that, with them talking about good books, helping Elianne with homework, and trying to work on their project. Before Bertolt knew it, it was already getting dark outside. Ah.. where had the time gone-? Had he been enjoying himself that much -? "I'm glad that were able to get some general ideas down. I'm sure we're further into the project than everyone else." Bertolt laughed. He could already imagine Conny and Reiner playing video games instead of doing what they were supposed to. "I think meeting up again is a great idea ! ..T-To , uhm, w-work on the project of course." The male laughed sheepishly, looking away to hide a small tint of color that suddenly spread across his cheeks. Spending any time with his crush would be great-! "Thank you for having me." Bertolt smiled when he was downstairs by the front door. "I'll see you at school tomorrow. Maybe we can meet up again afterwards ? Anywhere works! ...See you, Soleil. Bye Elianne!" He called , then, with a small wave, left the house. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the woman from earlier - Soleil and Elianne's mother? - come out into the living room. Though the door was shut soon afterwards. Bertolt frowned , though continued on his way. If that woman was their mother... she seemed awfully cold... With a sigh, the male took out his cellphone-- and wished that he remembered to get Soleil's number. (2) He turned it on (since he had turned it off so he wouldn't be distracted by phone calls) , and saw about fifteen texts from Reiner, all of them with suggestive looking emojis and teasing words. The brunette sighed , but let out a sheepish laugh nevertheless as he made his way home. (3)

(1) idk cuz I haven't read it eheh quq YOU CAN CHANGE IT SO THAT HE SAYS NO THO IF YOU'D LIKE
(2) or if you want, they could have already exchanged numbers ?
(3) we can timeskip if you'd like!

((The texts from Reiner are gr8 ahahaha XD And sure! It's actually cute that they don't have each other's phone numbers yet wahhh))

Gaku was more than pleased when he realised Lila was fawning over the multitude of sweets this café offered. He remembered his first time here as well, when the numerous choices seemed like heaven on earth to him-! ...He hated to admit that he tried each dessert on the menu at least once (and settled for a favourite, his "regular")... which meant that he really did go here often. And that he ate a lot of sweets. He wanted to hide that fact from Lila, but it seemed that (thanks to the waiter) she more or less knew already... Besides, knowing that she loved sweets, too, made him happy and allowed him to lower his guard a little! "You're very cute, you know?" The words slipped out of Gaku's lips before he could even comprehend them, and when he did... well, a bit of red grew on his cheeks in embarrassment. H-He hadn't meant to say that out loud! In a desperate attempt to hide what he said, Gaku continued, albeit more sheepishly, "You remind me of some of our students. They'd love sweets, too." He laughed gently, hoping with all his heart it didn't sound too awkward. Of course... Lila's cuteness was completely different than that of the fifth graders, it was almost another aspect altogether. The two of them continued to make small talk, catching up in this and that. Gaku found himself latched on to every one of Lila's words, wanting to hear every last thing she had to say. So when Lila spoke, asking him to walk her home, he at once noticed the change in her tone. Eyebrows furrowing, Gaku nodded solemnly, "Of course. If you wish it, I'll walk you home anytime." He said, leaning forward. "Lila... What's going on? Is everything alright?" He couldn't tell much from those couple of words, but he could sort of connect the dots nonetheless. A beautiful woman such as Lila walking home alone in the dark... He didn't even want to think about what opportunities that offered to all sorts of awful people. The black haired man reached out to take her hand into his and gave it a gentle but firm squeeze. "You can trust me, alright? I'll help you however I can, whatever the situation." He reassured her before pulling back. When their orders came a little while after that, Gaku smiled. He was glad that Lila liked his favourite treat-! (1) Somehow, it made them seem closer...

~

Soleil was more than pleased that she and Bertolt had so much to talk about. "Yeah, the Harry Potter series is wonderful! I used to be an avid fan." Soleil nodded. Eli added that she'd only seen some of the movies, but that she'd borrow the first book tomorrow to read it. Something told Soleil that her little sister had a sort of fascination with Bertolt. And well, with the kind way he was treating her and helping her with homework, she wasn't really surprised! Soleil watched as her classmate left, waving to him and promising to do this again tomorrow if all went well. But with him gone, Soleil's foster mother approached the two girls again. For a moment the brunette felt panic wash over her, but thankfully nothing came save for some harsh words. (2) She let out a sigh in relief, even though her words almost shattered Soleil's good mood, but soon enough their mother returned back to the couch with a wine bottle in hand and didn't bother the girls again. "Are you hungry, Eli?" the brunette asked her younger sister. They were usually the ones who made dinner. To her surprise, two cups of instant noodles sat on the kitchen counter. Even though it wasn't at all enough to make up for everything else... Soleil smiled a little bit. And the rest of the day she spent curled up, readingA Game of Thrones. ~Timeskip~ Soleil wasn't late to school the next day. In the couple of minutes they had before class started, the girl walked up to Bertolt (and Reiner), greeting them with a smile. "I started reading the book you recommended," She grinned, deciding to tease him just a little bit, "It's really good so far-! I can't believe they did that to Bran... But geez, I'm not yet at a hundred pages and there have been three sex scenes already. What sort of things do you read, Bertolt?" She asked, though hopefully he knew she was just teasing-! "I didn't think you were intothatkind of stuff... Though then again, I heard all guys are, even if they hide it! Is that true?"

(1) I bet she'll like his treat too huh ;D ;D ;D
(2) I just don't know what to write XD She could've said something like "don't bring people over again" but I might want Bertl to come over mmm idk just imagine the mood instead of what she actually says XD

((Reiner is sooo fun to play xD bwahaha xD and oh yes Gaku's treat 😏😏😏😏 ~ AGAIN THIS IS SUPER SUPERRRRR ADORABLE WAH 😍😍😍))

Lila was practically fawning over how delicious the sweet she chose was. "No wonder why this is your favorite!" The woman cooed, though suddenly paused when she heard Gaku speak. "C-cute-?" She stammered, her own cheeks involuntarily flushing a light pink. D-did he really think so-? Hearing him call her cute really made her stomach feel fuzzy. It was such a pleasant feeling-! After mustering up the courage to speak up again, she gave a wide though still very sheepish grin. "Th-Thank you..!" She was tempted to say that she was totally manly instead, but she was actually quite pleased with this compliment, and took it to heart. "And you too! U-uhm, handsome I mean-! You're very handsome." Lila blushed, taking a bite of her dessert to distract herself from her own warmed cheeks. She wouldve called him adorable , since he really was absolutely cute, but she wasn't sure if he'd like that as much as she did. Plus, he really was handsome, so this was fine too-! "Oh.. the students would surely enjoy sweets too! You're right! Maybe I'll bake something for the class tomorrow~." Lila hummed, delighted by the idea. She was alone at home, and sometimes even felt uncomfortable being there, but baking really eased her nerves -! When the female asked if Gaku could walk her home, he quickly agreed, making Lila let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. That makes me feel a lot better." She beamed. Gaku was really a wonderful person...! She was so grateful for his company and concern... He even said that he would walk her home whenever she wished -! He... he really was too kind! "That means a lot to me." She smiled sheepishly, but then shook her head a little, a frown forming soon after. "I... I'm not sure. I've been feeling like this for a while actually. Just.. really uneasy when I'm alone. Ah.. Maybe I'm just paranoid.." Lila laughed a little, nervously, looking away for a bit. The feeling of her hand being held made her look back up across at the man, however. Her eyes widened a bit in awe, and her cheeks flushed lightly. "I-I.. Th-Thank you.." She stammered, absolutely touched by his words. "You're a really wonderful person." Lila beamed, her eyes shimmering somewhat as he let go of her hand. "I'm really glad.. ah! Let's exchange phone numbers." Lila suggested , "That way I can invite you over for sweets~. I bake often , but I always make too much.. and it'll be better if you tried them fresh! Th-That's fine right?" She gave another sheepish smile as she took out her phone, ready to exchange numbers.

The next day, Bertolt was just hanging out with Reiner before class. Or, well, sort of. Reiner had his arm slung around the taller male, and was teasing him relentlessly about the day before. "So why didn't you answer any of my texts huh Bertl? Were you doing the do?" The blonde wiggled his eyebrows a little, causing Bertolt to frown. "Doing the what?" He questioned. "The do! Y'know , subtract the clothes, divide the legs, and multiply? C'mon Bertl! Focus, focus! You're a man aren't you? A man has to please his woman! You can't be a virgin forever--" He spoke enthusiastically, though really, all of this just made Bertolt's entire face flush. "W-What-? D-Dont just talk about that s-so casually-! B-besides, she probably doesn't like me like that.." Bertolt murmured, sounding somewhat dejected. "Hey, stop sounding so down in the dumps ! You got a chance, don't worry!" Reiner said with a nod. "What about your project? How's it going?" Bertolt quickly changed the subject. Thinking of Soleil made him abnormally blushy and flustered... "Project? What project?" Reiner asked, standing up straight. "Uh, the one Conny came over to your house yesterday for." "..Oh yeah! Psh. That's not due for a long time, so we played video games." Reiner grinned. Bertolt laughed a little, 'I knew it.'He thought , before Reiner interrupted his thoughts, "Look, it's your bae!" He said in a harsh whisper. "My what-?" Before he could get an answer , Soleil came up to them and began to speak. "O-oh? I'm glad you're enjoying it!" He beamed, but then blushed darkly. "U-Urk.." He stammered. W-well, it was true that there were a lot of sex scenes, but-! "Bertl! Is that true? Oh geez man I didn't know you read that kinda stuff." Reiner nudged his friend somewhat, grinning. "Hey what's the name of that book? I want to give it a read too." He grinned. "Bertl's probably reading it because he's a virgin and doesn't know anything about IT." "T-That's not true! I-I mean, I-I .. I AM, b-but that's not why I read it-!" Bertolt quickly told Soleil , not wanting to look bad in front of her. Ah.. he looked like a total fool now, didn't he? Reiner laughed heartily at the whole situation. "Wow Soleil, you're great fun to hang with." He said through laughter, "We should all hang out sometime!" He grinned, but then gazed at Bertolt, who was glaring at him despite how flustered he was. "Ah.. a-anyway, where do you want to go for the project today? I-If you're free of course." Bertolt smiled at Soleil.

((Reiner is amazing bwahaha XD YOU PLAY HIM SO WELL TOO))

Gaku couldn't help but to smile to himself at the raven haired woman's reaction. Even though telling her she was cute flustered him a tiny bit, he was thrilled that she accepted the compliment so gracefully. Ah... he'd have to tell her such things more often, in that case~! He hadn't expected Lila to return a compliment to him, though, and hearing her say that he was handsome made his heart skip a beat. Gaku looked away involuntarily, somehow suddenly feeling shy from that compliment, but smiled nonetheless. "Thank you," he said softly. Hearing Lila suggest that she'd bake cookies for the class tomorrow also made the man smile... but he also sighed internally. What if he couldn't stop himself and ate too many then? All his students would know about his sweet tooth-! He'd have to be very careful as not to let them find out, in that case... He frowned as he listened to Lila recount her recent feelings of uneasiness. He hoped it was just that: false feelings that something was wrong. If there really was someone causing her distress... Gaku didn't want to think about it. But should push come to shove, he definitely wouldn't hesitate to help her out of this, whatever 'this' was-! He smiled when Lila suggested that they exchange phone numbers. "That sounds good," he agreed, though let out a mock sigh (that quickly turned into a chuckle), "And here I was hoping to lay off of sweets for a while... That's not going to be possible, is it?" He grinned, taking out his phone. The two of them exchanged phone numbers, which was actually really pleasant. Somehow it felt as the two them were closer now, too. "If you ever feel uneasy, call me. I'll try to come over then." He nodded. The two of them finished up their coffee and desserts, making small talk all the way through and growing ever closer. Gaku insisted that he pay for the two of them (saying that she could repay him by bringing in cookies tomorrow), and once this lovely rendez-vous was over, they stood up to leave the café and to both walk to Lila's home. By walking her back, Gaku would know where she lived, too-! It felt like quite personal information, so knowing this really did make Gaku happy. "Did you like the café?" He asked hopefully as the two of them walked back in the dark, "They have a lot of good things there, so perhaps you'd like to go out and try something again sometime?"

~

Soleil almost felt bad for teasing Bertolt to this extent. They weren't particularly close friends- not like he and Reiner were- but she still found a sort of connection with him that she couldn't find in anyone else. She hoped it was alright to joke around like that, at least a little. She listened to the two boys, laughing a little bit at their answers (though mainly at Bertolt's flustered reaction). "Well, I'm still enjoying the book a lot. I hope we can discuss it once I'm finished with it." Soleil smiled. She adored talking about books, trying to analyse and foreshadow everything it might've hinted at. And really, the sex scenes in this book weren't particularly explicit. Rather, they were presented as something completely... normal, which in a way was a refreshing point of view. The brunette smiled- albeit a little shyly- when Reiner suggested that they all hang out sometime. She knew the blond more through Bertolt, so it made her happy that he liked her, too. "Heh, I'd be looking forward to that," she smiled. Perhaps they could all go hang out together sometime soon. Soleil returned her attention to Bertolt, thinking about things for a moment. "If you don't mind," she began, "Could we go over to your place this time? Or somewhere else, I don't mind. I'm not sure if my mother wants me to bring company over so often." Besides, it would be nice to get away from that stuffy house, from that lifestyle, even if just to forget about it for half a moment and pretend it never existed. Once Bertolt agreed and they decided on a place, the brunette offered him a smile, "Great, I'll see you after school then." Class started not too long after, so Soleil wandered back to her seat before turning her attention to the front. The day went by pretty quickly, especially when she knew she'd get to spend time with Bertolt at the end of it. She met him outside the school gates, like yesterday, from where they began to head back to work on their project. She wouldn't be picking Eli up after school today in that case, but she'd written the girl a text not to wait for her, so she'd be alright.

((GAKU IS STILL SUPER ADORABLE WAHHHHHHH))

Lila peeked up at Gaku, smiling sheepishly when she spotted a light hue on his cheeks. H-How cute-! She didn't make any comments though , since his face probably reflected her own... "What-? Lay off on sweets?" Lila gasped. "I've tried before and it's one hundred percent impossible mhm." She nodded knowingly. "You can come play tennis with me to lose some calories instead!" (1) The woman laughed. "...I've tried doing other things before, but it didn't go so well." Lila laughed sheepishly, recalling her attempts to work out by doing pushups or situps. Nope, she had done one before she gave up and laid on the floor for a while. What's worse was that she gained back those measly calories lost - plus more ! - after eating some cheesecake afterwards. "Us sweet tooths have it tough. But we have to stick together !" She huffed. Once they exchanged phone numbers, the two spoke more as they ate, enjoying themselves all the while. Gaku insisted that he pay , so Lila thanked him for that and promised lots of yummy cookies for the next day. Then the two left the café and began to walk to her house. "Yes, it was a wonderful café ~ We should definitely go again!" She beamed. This meant that they'd be able to spend more time together outside of the classroom~. Ah.. what was this feeling-? The walk home was quite sweet, really. Lila did feel safer with Gaku by her side like this ! Unfortunately, their time together had to come to an end for today. "Ah.. thank you for today. It was great fun." The woman said once they reached her front door, a sheepish smile spread across her features. "Let's do it again sometime!" She beamed, then waved to him enthusiastically as he left. Ah... she sort of felt a bit emptier all alone now, but... well, she'd go bake! With that, she opened her door and locked it securely behind her. *Time Skip* The next day, Lila came to class with a huge basket full of treats. "I'll give you all something sweet at lunch time if you pay attention extra well today!" She beamed to the fifth graders. The first half of the day dragged on - though Lila didn't mind, since watching Gaku teach was a delight - before lunch time finally came. As the week's monitors gave out the lunches, Lila went to her basket and pulled out a medium sized see-through goody bag full of various types of cookies. "I was up until two in the morning.. I lost track of time ahah~." The girl laughed sheepishly , presenting the bag to Gaku. "Look look, I made gingerbread men too! See this one is you. It looks like you doesn't it?" She had decorated the gingerbread men to look like everyone, so Gaku's was a bit taller than the others, and was wearing a frosting suit. "Personalized gingerbread men are the best~ I even made one of myself~... See?" She pulled out another goodybag - yes, she made one for herself too - and pointed out the Lila cookie. Then she went around the class to give out the rest of the goodybags. "Make sure you eat your lunch first everyone !" She called out.

"Great! We should go to that new amusem*nt park! Bertl here will pay for us!" Reiner grinned. "That sounds-- H-Hey wait-!" Bertolt suddenly said, exasperated, when he realized what Reiner just said. The brunette didnt say anything after that though, and instead just let out a resigned sigh , a slight smile on his face. Bertolt gave his attention to Soleil , listening to her as she asked if they could go to his house to work on the project. "O-Of course that's fine." He grinned sheepishly , wishing he had straightened up his room before leaving the house this morning. "I'll text my parents and let them know." He added. His parents wouldn't mind of course. They'd just tease him a bit... or a lot. The day before , after coming home from Soleil's house, he had been questioned and teased relentlessly. Ah.. well, secretly he found some pleasure in that, since he did have a crush on Soleil. He would never admit that aloud though. "See you after school." Bertolt smiled shyly , watching her walk off. Reiner threw his arm around his friend again, beaming, "You got this Bertl ! Now tell me about those steamy scenes in that book she was talking about." "R-Reiner!" *Time skip!* At lunchtime , Bertolt texted his mother about Soleil coming over. She complained about not being told earlier so she could prepare more, but other than that she was delighted to have a guest. After school, the male quickly went to meet Soleil at the front gate. "Ah.. did I make you wait-? Sorry. Reiner was asking for a bit of math help." He laughed sheepishly. More like Reiner was begging him to tutor him for the upcoming math test. Though that was besides the point. "My house isn't too far from here." He explained , beginning to lead the way. "We can print out some information at my house today , and maybe look for pamphlet designs." Bertolt mused as they walked. Although the walk was short, the brunette really did enjoy himself -! He didn't even have to unlock the door to his house because his mother seemed to have been waiting for them. "Ah, welcome dear ! Are you Bertolt's friend?" She smiled warmly, welcoming the two inside. "This is Soleil." Bertolt introduced, a little sheepishly. "It's so nice to meet you! Make yourself at home. I've made some cookies and prepared some ice tea, so I'll bring that out for you two as you work. Why don't you stay for dinner, Soleil ? Bertolt's father is going to bring home Chinese food , so you're welcome to stay and join us." His mother smiled kindly, making Bertolt laugh softly. He was really glad that his mom was so welcoming. Soleil's own parents seemed... different, not so warm. So maybe Soleil could feel more at home here-! Bertolt was also pretty sure that his mother suggested getting Chinese food because of the guest coming over. "We can work in the living room." Bertolt suggested, leading Soleil there and then settling down on the floor. His mother came out and set the cookies and iced tea down on the table, along with plates and cups. "I'll be in the kitchen if you two need anything at all." She said kindly before disappearing once more. Really, Bertolt was a tiny bit embarrassed, but hopefully Soleil was happy -!

(1) I love tennis and baseball YAY THEY'RE SUPER FUN

((Wahhh I didn't know you played those! THAT'S SO COOL YAY~ YOU AND GAKU SHOULD TOTALLY PLAY TOGETHER YAY))

Gaku laughed gently, "I'm afraid you're right about that." It really was near impossible to just stop eating sweets-! It made him quite happy to hear that Lila wouldn't mind him eating them, but... well, he'd still keep an eye on his weight, just in case. The man smiled when Lila suggested he join her in playing tennis sometime, "That sounds like a lovely idea," he admitted, "Let me know the next time you go, and perhaps I'll have the time to tag along." As long as it wasn't anything terribly important, Gaku would definitely make time to go play with Lila! He walked her home as promised, happy to see that everything seemed to be alright. At least, Lila didn't seem uncomfortable when he was around, so maybe the uneasiness she'd felt before would go away-? "Good night, Lila. I had a nice time today." He smiled, waving her goodbye. Gaku watched Lila get into her house, locking the door behind her before he began to walk with a smile on his face. ~Timeskip~ "You're spoiling the kids," Gaku chuckled when he saw Lila bring in a basket full of baked treats. The kids noticed it at once, too, and he could almost literally see their affection for the assistant teacher rise. Though a number of students were just impatient to get the cookies, most of them focused very hard on their work, motivated by the prospect of food. Once it was time for lunch break, Gaku turned his attention to Lila when she spoke. He gave a low whistle in admiration, "Two in the morning, huh? I admire your motivation. Heh, everyone looks really happy about these." Gaku, too. He was doing all he could as not to drool at the prospect of these wonderfully prepared sweets. It was even better that they were hand-made by Lila...! How special was that? Part of Gaku wanted to keep these cookies with him forever as a memento, but on the other hand... well, he'd probably eat them. His sweet tooth was practically aching in hunger-! But oh, what sort of role model would he be to the kids if he gobbled all his cookies down at once? Gaku couldn't but chuckle gently when the woman showed him a gingerbread man made in his liking, and then another of herself. "These are adorable," he cooed, "You really have a wonderful talent with these~ I can't wait to try them-!" The kids were positively ecstatic when the new teacher handed them all a goody bag as well, complete with a personalised cookie. He was quite amazed that Lila remembered (and liked!) all the kids well enough after her first day of teaching to make them cookies. She really was amazing-! Gaku looked down at his own cookie, complete with a suit and tie, surrounded by others. He quickly ate his lunch, eager to get started on the cookies. Trying one, his expression softened to one of pure bliss. "These are delicious, Lila-!" He hummed to her, completely forgetting to call her Miss Furukawa in this classroom setting. Oh well, it should be fine~!

~

Soleil was a little taken aback when Bertolt's mother spoke to them at once upon entering his house, but in no way was this a bad sort of surprise. "Ah.. I-It's a pleasure to meet you!" Soleil returned the greeting, bowing her head a little. She listened in slight awe as the woman spoke to her, even going as far as to invite her to dinner. The brunette was about to refuse politely, saying she was needed at home, but... the atmosphere here was so wonderful, and Soleil found herself wanting to spend more time with Bertolt-! She peeked up at the taller boy cautiously, "Is that alright-?" It was a silly question, perhaps, but Soleil wanted to hear the answer anyway, for her own sake. So that she could give herself the chance to enjoy dinner at a friend's house like this-! "In that case... Thank you very much!" She accepted the mother's invitation gratefully, if not a little shyly. Soleil nodded and followed Bertolt to the living room to work on their project. She'd sort of wanted to see his room, but that was a selfish wish. The living room would do fine for their project! Sitting down on the floor, the brunette pulled out her notebook and one of the reference books from her bag, setting it on the table. "Heh, I feel like we'll get more work done today," she smiled, "Though really, we've already done quite a bit! I'm happy with it. O-Oh, thank you so much...!" Soleil said when Bertolt's mom came in and set down a plate of cookies and a jug of iced tea on the table. And all home made, too! She couldn't help but to stare at them for a moment, barely realising that her eyes begun to sting with tears. She quickly looked down at her notes, hiding behind the book and letting her hair fall to conceal her face a bit as well in hopes that he wouldn't notice. "Bertolt.... Your mom is so n-nice..." She sniffled. H-How embarrassing! She hoped Bertolt didn't notice.... Wiping her eyes as nonchalantly as possible, she put on a smile again. "A-Ah, sorry-! I tend to get emotional... L-Let's continue working, shall we?"

((I'm not super good at tennis, but I'm good at baseball and soccer YAY XD I beat all my cousins in egypt in soccer and it was me and my 15 year old cousin vs . My brother and my two older boy cousins xD bwahah they were embarrassed that they lost so bad to us xD))

Lila beamed proudly, "They're super adorable right?" She ate some of her lunch, though decided to just get to the sweets because she couldn't help herself. She opened up her own goodybag and was about to pull out a cookie, though saw Gaku taking out his own gingerbread cookie. The woman simply watched him for a moment, a slight flush on her features. "Ah.. so cute~." She hummed under her breath, not realizing that she had spoken those words aloud. "I-Its true," She murmured, puffing her cheeks out a little as she pulled out her phone and took a picture of the man. "See?" She held out her phone to show him, then grinned shyly, "I'll keep this picture if you don't mind~." Okay, so maybe she hadn't taken that picture just to show him. No, he had looked so adorable with his cookies that Lila just had to take a picture ! She put her phone away and then bit into her own cookie. "I sort of ate a lot of cookie dough last night too. Ahh... Why are the most tasty things so bad for you-?" She sighed dramatically, continuing to munch on her cookie anyway. She felt her cheeks flush at Gaku's compliment. He even called her by her name in the classroom-! Ahh, he was too cute.. "Thank you-! I'm glad you like them." Lila beamed, "I could make lots of different sweets~. Oh, maybe I'll make you something everyday to go with your lunch!" She beamed, "It's wonderful having someone try my baking~. Hm.. what should I make for you tomorrow-? Cheesecake-?" She mused curiously. She paused , then suddenly frowned a little. "Yesterday after you left.." She murmured softly, peeking over at the man, "I saw someone in my backyard for a moment. And when I checked again, the person wasn't there anymore. It was really creepy." She shuddered a little. She fidgeted a bit with her fingers, frowning. "W-Would you mind walking me home again today-?" She had felt so much safer and better with him... And she just enjoyed spending time with him. Part of the reason why she had stayed up until two in the morning was because she was too afraid to go to sleep. Maybe this wasnt just paranoia -?

"Of course it's okay-! Dinner will be more fun with you here, too-!" Bertolt admitted with a faint blush. He was so glad that his mother went into the kitchen because she would have teased him about this immensely. Actually, he hadn't meant to say any of that aloud, but it sort of slipped out... the brunette went with Soleil into the living room and then sat down. "Yeah-! I'm sure we'll get a lot done today." He beamed, though frowned a little when he thought about Elianne in Soleil's house alone. Well.... there was nothing wrong with that of course, but it seemed pretty lonely and not that warm. Surely Elianne would be okay! Bertolt turned to Soleil and smiled, "We can borrow my dad's laptop and print things from there." He quickly got up to get the laptop, then sat down with it. "Thanks mom." The male said to his mother when she set the cookies and iced tea down. "Do you want some iced tea Soleil? Here I'll pour you some." He offered, sitting up on his knees to go pour some. Though the sound of sniffling made him pause in what he was doing. "S-Soleil, is something wrong-?" He asked quickly, frowning deeply. Had he done something wrong-? What happened -? She had looked at the cookies and iced tea , and all was fine... but now she sounded like she was crying -! His heart nearly broke at the sound of her voice. But what did this mean-? Was she crying because his mother was nice? "A-Are you sure everything is alright?" He asked Soleil worriedly, before slowly nodding at her answer. If she insisted... Bertolt poured Soleil some iced tea and handed it to her, then poured a cup for himself and settled back down. He turned on the laptop and then opened up his own notebook. "Where should we start-?" (1)

(1) sorry this is short ene WE CAN TOTALLY TIMESKIP IF YOU'D LIKE?

((YAY LILA IS AMAZING OUO Ahaha it's always a wonderful feeling to beat someone who thinks they're the best ahaha~ and then gloat XD THAT'S THE BEST YAY))

Gaku let out a small noise - not quite as extreme as to call it a yelp - in surprise when Lila took a photo of him. His cheeks at once grew warm as he realised what she had done, but despite his shyness and embarrassment, it was also a nice feeling, in some way. Somehow, it made him happy to think that the woman liked him well enough to want to have a picture of him. It definitely didn't help when she called himcute, too. The man wanted to protest, or to at least rebut that she was the cute one between the two of them, but in his flusteredness, he couldn't say anything. Not anything comprehensible, anyway. "That's terribly unfair," Gaku finally managed to say (quite sheepishly, if I may add), sighing somewhat, "You have a picture of me but I don't have one of you." Though he did rather intend to tease Lila a little by saying that, the man actually succeeded in flustering himself a bit more, too. He sighed at himself. Still, intending to cover up his previous words, the man put on a pleasant smile, hoping to mask up his teasing (and embarrassment), "You know, I should at least have one as a contact picture for you on my phone." He pulled out his phone and snapped a picture as well. As Lila spoke of all the things she liked to bake, offering to bake even more things for him and their students, he couldn't help it-! The happiness shone on her, radiating off of her smile and voice and every other part of her. It made a wonderful picture- not posed, but absolutely candid happiness. Gaku smiled down at the picture, "This should do well," he showed her (but didn't let her hold his phone in fear she might delete it) before saving it and putting it away. As tempted as Gaku was to list off all his favourite sweets and cakes to Lila so that she might bring them in soon, he stopped himself because he was certain that much deliciousness would spoil him. And fatten him up too, maybe. He hoped not. However, when Lila's voice turned soft, fragile like a butterfly wing, Gaku's expression softened. He leaned in slightly as to hear her better and his eyes widened slightly as he listened. The man pursed his lips at this worrying information. He was torn: should he tell her that it must've been her imagination, just to ease her worries? But if these were more than just suspicions, even white lies could make things worse... Gaku reached out his hand to firmly take Lila's into his, looking directly at her as he spoke. "Of course I'll walk you back." He said gently, trying to put on a small smile to calm her down a little. "It'll be okay in the end. I promise." He'd definitely help her get to the bottom of this-! The black haired man realised that a couple of kids were staring at them now, intrigued by their sudden serious demeanour and here Gaku pulled away, smiling pleasantly. "We'll speak more about this after work," he assured Lila gently, "And I'll take you home, too. And Lila... If you ever feel something weird, call me and I'll come to you. Even if it's the middle of the night." That time was surely even more dangerous, right-? If what Lila felt really was true, then this situation was far less than ideal. He didn't want to think about the consequences... (1)

~

"I'm fine. Thank you, though." Soleil said, putting on a smile. Ah... She was really glad when Bertolt let the topic go, because she really didn't want to get into explaining what was going on. If anything, she could always blame her sudden burst of emotion on "monthly problems"- that was usually enough to gross boys out and change the topic, as well as a relatively valid excuse. In any case, everything seemed to be alright now, and the two of them again began to work on the project. "We have most of our biological research done... Maybe let's do social now, and then we can write up and format both sections later?" Time passed by pretty quickly, especially with iced tea and cookies. The two of them spoke, both for the project and sometimes about other topics, too, but Soleil was also happy that they had time to work in silence as well. Around Bertolt, it really was a pleasant sort of silence, not at all awkward or uncomfortable. It was safe. Soon enough Bertolt's dad came home (with food), and after meeting each other it was soon time for dinner. Soleil again felt a little out of place, eating with her friend's family, but she grew more comfortable around them, too. They were both really nice, and the atmosphere at this home was just so warm and encompassing-! Oh, surely it was alright to indulge in this comfort for now, right? To, for a moment, imagine this was her own world. She could be selfish once in a while... right? When dinner and clean ups were done, and after Soleil and Bertolt came to a stopping point in their project for today, the brunette thanked him and his parents again for dinner and for having her over. "See you tomorrow, Bertolt." She smiled, waving before she left the house. ~Timeskip~ (2) Soleil didn't want to go to school the next day. She would've much rather stayed home with her little sister, who was likely to spend the entire day in bed sleeping and recovering, but having both children miss school on the same day would be suspicious, her foster parents claimed. The brunette couldn't shake the guilt off of her - where was she while Eli had been exposed to all this horror? At Bertolt's house, having fun. It felt wrong. Well, today she'd go straight back home to her little sister for sure!

(1) Gaku believes Lila of course!! OuO But he's still hoping that it's not real I guess? Or not so serious. I can change that! I was thinking that after he gets the picture from the stalker he could become wayyyy more protective and involved, but for now he's like this? Tell me if you want it to be otherwise! And we can timeskip if you want !

((Sobs GAKU IS SOOOOOOOO CUTE WAHHHHHHH ♡♡♡♡ FANGIRL X INFINITY PLZ MARRY ME GAKU cough ok I'm done))

Lila mentally beamed at the picture of Gaku that she had on her phone. It was so adorable-! While she was alone, she'd set it as her phone background. ...Was that strange -? Ah, her feelings for Gaku were getting stronger with each passing minute-! She.. couldn't help it. He was so kind and sweet , just like when they were friends in the past. "H-huh-?" Lila blinked in surprise after seeing that Gaku had taken a picture of her as well. She hadn't realized it until he spoke up about it, but when she saw the picture he took , the woman blushed. "I.. I don't mind.." She murmured , quite shyly. In fact, her heart was beating quickly at the thought of him having such a picture. Would he look at it often-? Ah, maybe.. Maybe he liked her? Enough to save a picture of her anyway. When Gaku assured her that he'd be there for her whenever she needed him, Lila smiled earnestly and in relief, "Th-Thank you so much, Gaku-!" Accidentally calling him by his first name slipped her mind as she gazed up at the man fondly, and in slight awe of his kindness. *TimeSkip!* (1) Gaku ended up walking Lila home almost everyday (because the woman continuously asked him.. she was starting to feel bad, but he always reassured her that it was okay-!). A couple of nights later, after Lila had made some sweets for Elianne who hadn't shown up to class that morning, she went to change into her night clothes. When she did so, however, she saw a flash of light (2) come in through her window. When she peeked out to look, she saw shuffling and a shadow, as if someone had been there. It scared the woman immensely , and she quickly pulled the blinds shut and went to recheck the locks on all of her windows and doors. Then she huddled on her couch in the living room and pulled out her phone. Her background was the picture of Gaku from a few days ago, and she allowed herself to gaze at it for a few moments before she made her decision. She called Gaku, and when he picked up, she nearly sighed in relief. Hearing his voice calmed her down immensely -! "C-Can you come over-?" She questioned, trying to keep the stammer out of her voice unsuccessfully. When he agreed, she thanked him profusely, then waited by the front door for him. When he arrived, she opened the door before he knocked since she had been watching for him. "T-thank you for coming so late..!" She said immediately, then noted, for a moment, that she was still in her pajamas. ...Gaku wouldn't mind, right? She allowed him in and locked the door behind him. "Would you like some cake? .. I was going to bring this for you tomorrow, but you can taste some now, as a thank you for coming!" She hummed, feeling much better already. "...I .. saw something in the backyard again. A flash of light, and then a shadow and some shuffling. ..I-Its so creepy, Gaku."

The time spent with Soleil - even though they were mostly working on a project - was absolutely wonderful and thrilling. Bertolt couldn't be happier, and that showed on his face as well as in his eyes. His parents, too, noticed this and seemed happy. And knowing, but they didn't speak up about anything too teasing (surprisingly) at dinner. The food that his father brought home was delicious, but even more so with Soleil with them. It was such a happy time..! Was it wrong to want to spend even more time with Soleil -? He had always had a crush on her, perhaps from afar since they hadn't really talked much, but now.. his fondness seemed to increase a hundredfold -! He was infinitely happy. "Today was fun." Bertolt said with a small blush. Hopefully it wasn't too noticable.. he was sure his parents would tease him for years to come if they noticed. "You're welcome here anytime , Soleil." Bertolt's mom smiled, his father nodding along in agreement. "Have a safe trip home. Do you need a ride?" His father asked. She insisted otherwise, however, and soon left. Ah.. Bertolt wouldve liked to walk her home, especially at night so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable or alone, but -! Ah.. and he had forgotten to get her number once again. He wouldve liked to at least hear from her when she arrived home safely-! The next day, upon seeing Soleil once again, he approached her with a sheepish smile. "We managed to get a lot done yesterday. I'm glad. My parents really enjoyed your company." And had teased him relentlessly, but that didn't need to be said aloud. Still, he had admittedly felt some joy after being teased about how he and Soleil were cute together.. "Y-You can come back any time, even if not to work on our project..!" He stammered a little, looking down to hide his embarrassment. Though Soleil's demeanor seemed... different. "Is something wrong?" He asked softly, more seriously now. She didn't say too much, but at the end of the day, he found one of the elementary school teachers looking for Soleil. "She's my friend, so I can pass along a message-?" Bertolt suggested. "Soleil is the elder sister of Elianne right? I'm the assistant teacher of that class, and I made some cupcakes for everyone. I wouldn't want Eli to miss out, so can you give these to her sister to give to her? Thank you!" So Elianne wasn't in school-? Did that have to do with why Soleil seemed upset all day? "Soleil-!" The brunette called once he spotted her a bit afterwards, "Your sister's assistant teacher told me to give this along to you for your sister." He explained, handing her the little container with a cupcake inside. "...Is something the matter Soleil -? Is Elianne out sick today?"

(1) so I timeskipped a few days for Lila , but I also want it to be the day where Eli doesn't come to school so that she could say something about that? QuQ I hope that's fine!
(2) camera flash ! I'm sure you already knew that tho but yeah idk why I'm putting this here xD

((GAKU IS CRYING HE WILL HAPPILY MARRY YOU <3 And yeah dude use Eli however you like in the story!! Even for Lila and Gaku's plot OuO))

Gaku was reading in bed when his phone buzzed. Glancing over at it, he could see the called ID as Lila, and so the man quickly bookmarked his page and set the book aside before picking up the phone. "Hello?" He asked gently. Though it made him happy to see Lila call him, he was also a little worried about why she was doing so this late at night... A serious expression passed over the man's face as he listened to her words, her voice soft and fragile, and he nodded. "I'm on my way. I'll be there in a little while," he assured her. The man was about to suggest that he stay with her on the phone, talking to her to help calm her down a little, but she said she'd wait for him at her house. He'd be there soon enough, anyway! Gaku threw his sleeping clothes off and pulled on a pair of trousers and the first t-shirt he found. He pocketed his phone and wallet and keys, and grabbed a jacket before running out. He started his car - it was much faster this way than if he was to walk - and in a matter of minutes he pulled up by Lila's house, quickly making his way to the front door. He raised his hand to knock, but the door opened before he could do so, revealing a shocked (but happy to see him) Lila. "Of course... I'm glad you called me, if something strange is going on." It really did make him happy to know that Lila trusted him this much-! He stepped in after Lila, perhaps a little sheepishly. After noting that she wasn't physically harmed in any way, the next thing he noticed (and couldn't keep out of his mind) was the fact that she was in her pajamas. They... They were so cute! And seeing Lila wear them, for some reason, brought a hint of colour to the teacher's cheeks. It just felt so... intimate, in a way, to see her in this state-! Not that he'd complain...~ Still, the sight of her in her nightclothes made the teacher's thoughts wander to other... ideas, even though he knew perfectly well he should be focusing his attention on the problem at hand. Focus,he scolded himself, but to little avail. It was near impossible-! He couldn't help but to imagine her curled up against him, her head tucked in against his chest as they shared the bed, sleeping. And then as his hands trailed up her thighs and underneath her pajamas and she'd shiver beneath his touch and mewl out his name-- No. He had to stop thinking about this, or else he'd go mad. Not to mention it was awful of him to do so, since it felt as though her were taking advantage of the black haired woman...Gaku followed the woman inside and to the kitchen. He probably shouldn't eat sweets so late at night, but the cake looked so delicious-! Not to mention, surely Lila would feel a little calmer if the two of them shared some dessert? "Lila," Gaku said softly, though his voice was still firm, "What happened?" He listened to her, hanging onto her every word, even as his expression grew grim. The sky tonight was almost entirely free of clouds; that flash most definitely wasn't lightening. So then...? "Did you see their face?" He questioned, "Or anything at all, that could make them stand out. Any details?" She probably hadn't seen anything, not from afar, but he still had to try and ask-! "Ah... Come on, let's sit down. You must've had quite a fright." Gaku suggested. "I'm here now, so there's no need to worry. You can relax for now, alright?"

~

Soleil really wasn't in the mood to see Bertolt today. She knew it wasn't his fault at all, but she couldn't help but to partly blame him... or rather, his kindness that caused this problem in a roundabout way. She was still the one at fault, of course. Still, seeing Bertolt also woke warmth in her. She really did like being around him, and despite his gentle personality, she felt very safe around him. Happy. Soleil put on a small smile when he approached her, though it was mostly forced. "Th-Thank you, Bertolt. I might take you up on that." Soleil nodded. She was happy to get an offer like that, that she could go to his house whenever she liked, but something old her she wouldn't be doing so anytime soon. The brunette was a little taken aback when her friend asked if something was wrong, but she quickly shook her head, "I'm fine," she insisted, "Ah, class is starting. See you." Once the school day was over, Soleil wanted to go home as quickly as possible to her dear sister. She was sure Eli wasn't in a worse condition than the one she was in yesterday, but she still wanted to be by her side. (1) Just as she was leaving the school grounds to go home, though, a familiar voice stopped her. She smiled gently at Bertolt as he came over. "What do you need?" She asked, not unkindly (or, at least, she didn't mean it in an unkind way-!). She glanced down at the container with a cupcake and smiled gently, "Thank you. Eli will be very happy to get this." The little girl loved sweets almost as much as her teacher did, from what Soleil could see-! ...Actually, no, that was pretty much impossible; no one liked sweets more than Mr. Yashiro, probably. When Bertolt asked her again about what was wrong, the brunette let her gaze fall to the floor. "...Yeah, Eli got sick." She echoed, "I'm sure she'll perk right up after this cupcake, ahah." Soleil tried a laugh. (2) They were getting closer to her house now, and though it was awfully nice of Bertolt to show such concern for Elianne, he really was treading into foreign territory, and Soleil rather wanted him out of it... "It's alright, you really don't need to come in," the brunette tried to gently refuse. If he saw Elianne in this state-! No, she definitely couldn't let him know what was going on here. But as Bertolt continued, insisting, Soleil felt her patience wear thin. It wasn't his fault, not at all-! But with everything going on, things were already bad enough and Soleil didn't need Bertolt intruding. She clenched her fists and looked back at him, "This is none of your business, Bertolt," she snapped in a cold tone, "Just leave, okay? There's nothing to see her. I'll deal with it on my own. See you tomorrow." The house was really close now, so Soleil pushed past Bertolt, making clear she didn't want to be followed, and went inside. Ah... Had she been too hard on him? The boy was doing nothing but trying to be helpful, and here she'd been so awfully rude to him...

(1) Could we say she left the school grounds and she's walking home but Bertl saw her? So they're sort of walking home together right now-- but not really-- UwU
(2) Oooh could we have Bertl offer to come inside and spend some time with Eli to make her feel better? But then he'd see her in that state, so Sol doesn't want that-

((SURE I'LL ADD ALL THAT IN YAAAY ♡ and omg Gaku is soooooooo adorable I'm fangirling again omggg))

Lila really was glad and relieved to see Gaku. She felt so much more at ease now-! And.. to think that he had come all this way at this time of night for her... It made her heart flutter in all honesty. He was so kind and caring towards her-! "Thank you so much, Gaku." She repeated again, wanting to show him just how much she appreciated him. "...hm?" She paused, noticing him looking at her. "Oh, do you like my pajamas ? They're super comfy~." She beamed, blushing faintly at his gaze. She didn't mention that she hadn't changed back into normal clothes because she felt uncomfortable in doing so... "...I couldn't see anything." She frowned, going to the fridge and taking out the cheesecake she had made. "Ooh, do you want whip cream on it?" She hummed, taking that out as well. She cut two slices and put them on plates, then added the whip cream on top before pausing and turning to Gaku. "Do you want a kiss?" (1) She beamed. ...Okay, maybe she hadn't said the whole thing because she wanted to see Gaku's reaction. Was that cruel -? She just wanted to know if she had a chance-! Even though he was so sweet and kind to her... and even though he made her feel loved and cared for, she didn't want to mistaken it all for something that it wasn't. After his answer, the woman hummed and held up a bag of Hershey kisses. "These are really yummy, so I like to put one right on top of my cheesecake ~." After adding a chocolate to each slice of cake, she picked up the plates and giggled somewhat, "Since you're here, let's watch a movie together! They're playing 50 Shades of GreyPirates of the Caribbean now." She led Gaku into the living room and settled down on the couch, patting the seat beside her for the man as she turned on the right channel. "I love this movie. Will and Elizabeth are really cute together , right?" She hummed, eating some of her cake as the movie began. Throughout the movie, they didn't talk too much, but Lila would always randomly say something like "this is so much fun" or "lets do this again soon!". About halfway through the movie, however, after Lila finished her cake, she murmured, "Hey.. can you stay here with me..? Don't leave." The girl let out a small yawn, though continued to try to watch with Gaku for a while longer. Eventually, though, she curled up against the man and fell asleep. (2)

Bertolt gave a small smile, though it was a little saddened. "..Ah, she's sick..? I hope she gets better.." Soleil was such a caring sister -! She looked so distressed for her younger sibling. Was her sickness that bad-? Either way, the male was awed by how kind and caring Soleil was. He was sort of walking with the girl at this point, though he didn't mind. They lived in the same direction, and Bertolt liked spending time with his crush anyway-! And... something seemed to be wrong. "O-Oh, maybe I can come over to see Eli-? I'd like to cheer her up a bit since she's sick." The brunette suggested. If he were sick , he'd love to have company come over to tell him to get better soon-! (Especially if that company was Soleil, but he was probably pushing his luck there.) When the girl insisted that he didn't have to come in, the male misunderstood her tone and thought that she simply didn't want to bother him. Not that it would bother him at all-! Was she just being polite -? "I don't mind coming in to see Eli-! Really, it's no problem. She's such a nice little girl and I hope she feels better soon. Maybe I can teach her how to make a paper boat-! Do you think she'd like that?" The tall male grinned hopefully, albeit a little shyly. Suddenly, though , Soleil's voice changed into a much colder one than before. "S-Soleil-?" He stammered, shocked and a little hurt by her sudden outburst. Why was she so angry-? No.. something was definitely wrong. This wasn't Soleil. She must be going through something-! And her sister.. what was all this about? Had something happened to Soleil's sister-? The male glanced at her house in the distance, feeling a sense of foreboding. The house had a grim aura to it... Had something happened in that house-? "Soleil, I'm here for you if you ever need anything at all." Bertolt said, voice reassuring but firm as she pushed past him. "I know.. I know something is wrong. I won't give up on trying to help you, s-since you're a precious friend-!" He called out to her as she went on further ahead. He.. he had thought something was off about their household when he had first come, but... now he knew for sure that something bad was happening. But if Soleil didn't open up to him, if she kept denying it... he wasn't sure he'd be able to help her -! ...No, he wouldn't give up. Not at all. (3)

(1) I couldn't stop myself xD
(2) sobs it's so cute *7* you can timeskip to the morning if you'd like, but you don't have to *7* any Gaku is wonderful wahhh
(3) I stopped here because I wasn't sure if you wanted Bertolt to follow her anyway?? :0 do you want him to? ;7; anything you like!

((Thank you!! This is perfect wahhhh ~~ And bwahaha Lila's reply was soooo cute I died *u*))

Gaku froze at Lila's words. A k-kiss?? Of course he'd like one-! But for the black haired woman to ask him so casually about that--! Honestly, Gaku's mind turned off for a moment, which meant that he couldn't ease off the bright red hue that had risen to his cheeks. S-So... was this why Lila had called him over here now? Was this actually a booty call? He didn't mind, not at all-! But goodness, this was the last thing Gaku expected, even if he had wished for it. "I-I-.... A-A k-kiss?" Gaku stumbled over his words. Gods! He was so embarrassed. Here was his childhood (and present) crush, offering him a kiss, and yet he couldn't even synthesise a proper sentence to tell her yes and of all the affection he held for her. The blunt way in which she asked him for this also probably played a part in Gaku's shyness... Though he couldn't blame itallon that shock, no matter how much he wanted to. And then... Oh. S-So... she didn't mean a real kiss after all... But a chocolate one. Gaku loved Hershey's kisses, too-! But in all honesty, they seemed so much less sweet in comparison to what he thought he'd been getting: a kiss from Lila. He laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Y-Yeah, that sounds lovely, thanks." He mumbled, trying desperately not to let Lila know what he was originally thinking about. That'd be far too embarrassing-! He picked up his cheesecake and thanked the woman for such a wonderful treat. When she suggested that they watch something, Gaku really did want to protest and say that he couldn't possibly stay any longer and that he was probably intruding, but... well, he really did want to stay. And if Lila felt safer this way, then why shouldn't he? A Pirates of the Caribbean movie was playing, though Gaku barely paid any attention to it. How could he, when Lila was sitting so close to him? And paired with the delicious cheesecake, it really was no wonder that Gaku didn't pay attention to the movie. But when he felt Lila curl up against him, falling asleep, he stiffened for a moment in surprise. H-How cute! The woman looked absolutely adorable like this. Her expression was so cute and innocent (completely unlike the teasing one she showed him before-), and the fact that she was so close to him, touching... It made Gaku feel absolutely wonderful. Special. She felt safe around him, didn't she-? That was truly wonderful. Gently, slowly, Gaku leaned down to press a lingering kiss against the woman's forehead. "I'll keep you safe, Lila. I promise." He whispered.

~

Ugh, why was he being like this? Soleil had been so awful to Bertolt just now, and yet his words echoed wonderfully, as kind as he had always been, even as she pushed past him. At this point, the woman was practically in tears, a mixture of her anger and sadness and all those feelings of inadequacy. She didn't know what do to... Bertolt was so kind to her, especially over these past couple of days, and the woman really did come to care for him deeply. Wouldn't it be alright to tell him about everything-? No, she couldn't do that. Not now, not ever. Besides... Right now, she had other things to worry about. Pushing those thoughts aside, the girl went upstairs to her sister's room. ~Timeskip~ It had been a couple of days since that fateful day, and Elianne had recovered pretty well. She went to school after two days, when the bruises weren't too bad anymore, but Soleil still insisted that she be very careful. "Why don't we go out for some ice cream after school? ((I forgot, is it winter? It can be something other than ice cream XD)). It'll be fun." Soleil suggested as she walked her sister to the elementary school entrance. Elianne beamed, obviously happy at the prospect and gave her sister a quick hug before running off to the school. Soleil smiled. Her sister was like a ray of sunshine, really! She didn't mention that she just wanted to keep her and her sister away from the house as much as possible, but something told her Eli knew her motives anyway... Alone again, the brunette walked over to the high school and into her own class. Ah... She hoped Bertolt wouldn't ask her about yesterday. Hopefully they could just pretend that conversation never happened... though the girl supposed she owed him an apology anyway.

((Sorry, this barely progressed ahaha. You could go to the end of the school day and the girls could do something with Bertl, or you could timeskip somewhere else completely? Or no timeskip at all! Sorry ahhhh. It can be a short reply if you can't think of anything XD I just wanted to submit this before I left.))

((OH MY GOSH GAKU'S REPLY WAS UNBELIEVABLY ADORABLE OMGGG ♡♡♡♡
*///7///* ))

Throughout the entirety of the movie, Lila couldn't stop thinking about Gaku's reaction to her kiss offering. No one blushed that much over Hershey Kisses (right-?) , so had he thought about something else-? The thought made Lila unbelievably happy-! When she fell asleep against Gaku, she swore she felt something soft and sweet press against her forehead... but she couldn't tell for sure, since she had already fallen asleep. ~Time Skip!~ When morning arose, Lila woke up to the sunlight pouring in through the windows. "Hnn.." She murmured, slowly opening her eyes and letting out a small yawn. For a moment, she was utterly confused as to why she was sleeping in the living room... until she turned to see Gaku sleeping beside her. At that moment, the woman recalled everything, and a delighted blush spread across her features. "You stayed for me-?" She murmured softly, making sure not to wake him. "Thank you Gaku." She leaned up and pressed a kiss against his cheek as he slept, then pulled away, simply watching in slight awe of how cute he looked. H-He was so, so adorable when he slept-! And.. to think that he had stayed here with her... it made Lila's heart flutter in her chest-! It was still pretty early, so she carefully got up and got ready for work. Once she was done, she began to prepare some breakfast and then went to wake Gaku up. "Gaku, it's a new day! Rise and shine!" She hummed pleasantly, "Let's do our best today~!" She beamed. Like this.. it felt like they were a couple~. "You can wash up in my bathroom if you'd like. It's down the hall over there. I'll have your breakfast ready soon!" She went back into the kitchen and finished up the food, putting some eggs on a bagel and then wrapping them up in tinfoil. "Mm.. coffee.." She mused, pulling out a thermos and putting some of the coffee she made in it. "Thats breakfast.." She mused to herself, then realized that she should make extra lunch for Gaku too. Once the man was out and ready, Lila handed him the tinfoil covered bagel and thermos. (1) "Breakfast ~ Look, I made some extra lunch for you, too! Do you mind if I come with you to work?"

((All of Bertl's reply got deleted >_> I'm sorry if it's short and sucks qnq ugh I'm so upset the reply before was actually really good))

"What should a person do if their friend is hurting, but doesn't want to talk about it?" Bertolt asked his mother at dinner that night. "Thats a sudden question. Is everything alright, Bertolt?" His mother questioned, concern lacing her voice. She didn't press the matter, luckily, and instead gave a small knowing smile. "You wait for her. She probably doesn't want to talk about it now, but Bertolt, don't give up on her. One day she'll need you, so make sure you stay by her side." Lost in thought, Bertolt didn't notice how his mother referred to the person who wasn't even mentioned as a female. ~Time skip!~ Bertolt wasn't sure how to approach Soleil the next morning, but... one thing was for sure. He wouldn't give up on her. He knew that something was terribly wrong, and he wanted to be the one to help her and stay by her side. He would wait for her -! As long as he had to. And then he would do everything in his power to help her. Throughout the day, Bertolt made sure to avoid the topic of yesterday. Instead, he spoke about the project and Game of Thrones. At the end of the day, seeing Soleil and Elianne in front of the elementary school, Bertolt rushed over and grinned. "Reiner told me that he overheard you two talking about ice cream. S-So I was wondering... if you'd like to go here?" Bertolt held up a flier - with coupons for a free first ice cream! - for the grand opening of a 'create your own sundae' shoppe. Reiner was actually the one who gave him the flier. He had been planning to go with Connie, but instead saw Bertolt's distress and gave it to him.

(1) making to-go breakfast is so adorable because it's such a married couple thing to do wahhhh ♡♡

((YAY I LOVE IT WHEN LILA THINKS THE REPLIES ARE CUTE XD ALSO BERTL'S WAS SUPER CUTE ANYWAY <3))

Gaku had a hard time waking up that night. It took a while for him to realise what was going on and where he was when he did wake up, but it didn't last too long, thankfully. Right... He came over to Lila's place yesterday night and stayed with her through the night. Sleeping half sprawled on the couch wasn't very comfortable and left him a little sore in the morning and so he stretched, getting up. Still... Seeing Lila so early in the morning was wonderful and somehow made Gaku extremely happy. It almost felt as though they were a couple, staying together over the night like this. Sure, it made the black haired man blush a little bit, but he didn't mind too much. Hopefully Lila wouldn't see it anyway. " 'Morning," he greeted with a smile, his voice still deep and laced with sleep. He ran a hand through his messy hair and thanked Lila before going into the bathroom to wash up as she suggested. Ah... Staying up so late had its effect on him (Gaku was certain he'd be yawning all day!) but he didn't regret it at all. If it only made Lila feel safer, he'd stay up all night with her-! The teacher splashed his face with cold water and attempted to smooth his hair and clothes, but no, he definitely couldn't go to work like this. When he went back to the kitchen area where Lila stood, his eyes widened in pleasant surprise. "This is for me-?" He asked, almost as if in disbelief. His expression eased into an earnest smile, "Thank you, Lila. I'll have a wonderful breakfast and lunch today, it seems~ Ah, but I still have to stop by my place before work to change and gather my things. You don't have to come with me, but if you don't mind waiting for me then, I'll be happy to drive you to school as well." They had the same destination after all, and were good friends, so to Gaku there didn't seem to be any reason as not to take Lila with him. Once Lila was ready, the two of them left and entered Gaku's car, which he drove back to his place (1). He unpacked the bagel Lila made for him and ate it in the car, somewhat hurried as he drove. "Mm! This is delicious-!" Gaku exclaimed, though his voice was a little muffled by the bagel he was holding in his mouth. He blushed a little in embarrassment, realising how silly he must look right now, but... Well, he supposed it was true that one of the best ways to a man's heart was through his stomach. Soon enough, they arrived at Gaku's place and he got out, motioning for Lila to follow him inside. "I'll be quick- make yourself comfortable, alright?" Gaku smiled before leaving to wash up and dress properly.

~

Soleil was infinitely grateful that Bertolt didn't press the matter of yesterday. She wouldn't know how to even start talking about that in the first place... Once the school day was over, the brunette went over to the elementary school to pick up her sister as usual. "How was your day?" She asked her little sister as the two of them began to walk away from school. Though Elianne was still obviously less perky than usual, she seemed quite happy as she spoke about the fun game they did in maths today. Soleil smiled. She was happy to see her sister happy, even if only for this while. Before they could get away, though, a familiar voice caught their attention. Eli almost looked happier to see Bertolt than Soleil (though the brunette still offered him a kind, sort of shy smile). "O-Oh? That's very nice, but r-really, you don't have to-!" Soleil began, but her little sister cut her off, "That sounds awesome! Let's go!" Soleil sighed, but her expression quickly faded into a fond smile. She had promised Eli ice cream after school, after all, and wouldn't it be so much nicer to go with Bertolt as well? Not to mention, coupons were always a plus! "Alright. If you're certain, Bertolt, then it'd be lovely to go. ..Thank you." The three of them made their way to the new ice cream store, with Elianne chatting about what she did in school today. Before too long, they arrived at the place and were admitted to the creating-your-own-sundae station. "Ah... I've never done this before," Soleil admitted with a small chuckle, "I'll watch you first, Bertolt." She followed suit, taking vanilla ice cream and lots of fruits and sprinkles. "I'm putting chocolate syrop on mine!" Eli exclaimed happily, squirtinga lotof it onto her (chocolate) ice cream. Soleil rolled her eyes playfully, but she definitely wasn't about to rain on her sister's parade. Besides, she was far too cute for that~! The three of them sat down at a table and dug into their sundaes happily. "Heh... This is fun," Soleil smiled, looking at Bertolt, "It'd be nice to do it again sometime." (Here Eli nodded furiously.) They've hung out together for the project, obviously, but going out to do something else was still new to the two of them... and very pleasant, at least for Soleil!

(1) house or apartment or-?

Sorry if this is short qoq

((Is it okay if Gaku gets the picture in the mail soon since it's been a while and he actually slept over so maybe the stalker is annoyed by that? If it's okay!! ^7^ ohh and Gaku could have a house!))

Lila grinned. "'Course it's for you. I hope you enjoy it!" She hummed, absolutely delighted by how happy Gaku seemed. Maybe she should make him breakfast more often-? "I don't mind waiting! Let's go then." The woman said, following the man out of her house. Really, she was infinitely grateful for having Gaku... Not only did she feel safe with him, but she also just loved his company -! It made Lila so happy to spend time with him. And he was so sweet too, staying with her all night... The woman settled down in the passenger seat of Gaku's car, then watching him as he began to drive off. "Oh.. Gaku looks really cool when he drives-!" (1) Lila involuntarily fawned. As the man opened up his bagel, the woman pondered upon whether or not she should offer to feed him so he could use both hands to drive. But.. ah, would that be crossing a line ? Or maybe it'd fluster Gaku too much and they'd get into a crash. Yeah... so Lila decided simply to smile in delight as he ate it. "O-Oh? Do you really like it? " Her heart seemed to flutter in her chest at his kind words. And oh-! H-How adorable he was ! Lila simply couldn't get over it. Was it wrong that she wanted to cuddle him? Once they arrived at Gaku's house, Lila allowed herself to sit down on his couch. "Take your time~." She beamed, delighted that she could actually see the inside of his house. There was something so intimate about it -! Though, when Gaku left to get ready, Lila found herself feeling impatient for his return. So somehow , the woman found herself trying on the man's suit jacket. "Hmph.. it's too big. I can't ever look as cool as Gaku this way." Lila huffed to herself as she glanced in a mirror.

Bertolt smiled quite widely at Elianne's excitement. "I knew you'd be excited for this! I am, too! Let's see who can make the most delicious looking sundae, okay?" He grinned. She looked happy... which was wonderful since she had been through something - a sickness? No, he was sure it was something more... - awful recently. Bertolt was very close to asking if the girl felt better, but.. something told him not to bring up the matter. Bertolt was glad that Soleil , too, agreed to going to this new ice cream place. Surely it would be fun-! To make ice cream sundaes together... It didn't take long for the trio to get to the place, and, luckily, it wasn't too crowded. Yet. "This place looks like it'll be getting a lot of buisness huh?" He smiled pleasantly, going ahead to make a strawberry sundae with a lot of fruit. "This is fun isn't it? Oh.. Elianne, you ought to add some whip cream and then add the chocolate syrup!" Bertolt suggested , helping her out with that before adding some whip cream to his own. After they were done, they all sat down at a table together. "Ah.. I guess yours looks tastier after all Elianne." The male chuckled. Well... no matter how her sundae came out, he'd have let her 'win' anyway! "...My parents want to go on a camping trip one of these weekends." Bertolt began, "...They said you can come along too, Soleil , if you'd like-! A-And Elianne too!" He added quickly, not wanting the little girl to be left out. More over... something told Bertolt not to leave Elianne home alone ever again. "So.. think about it-! It'll be great fun for sure with lots of adventures and games !" He beamed. Wouldn't it be so much more fun if they came along-?

(1) I dunno why but the concentration on a guys face when he's driving is really hot to me xD

((Sure! I'll do that during the next day/timeskip, maybe? So feel free to skip whenever you want to and I'll go along with the picture in the mail thing then ouo I ended at a timeskippy part mhm Also dude for some reason I just can't stand whipped cream?? Everyone else in my family adores it but I think it's awful ene Sometimes they serve it on hot/iced chocolate in cafés and I hate that so much ahh))

Gaku didn't have the time to shower and so on, but thankfully he wasn't in too bad of a state. He doubted that his fifth graders would notice (much less care) if he had a little bit of morning stubble, right? There just wasn't enough time to do everything properly, but he did dress into fresh work clothes and brush his teeth and all that. Once Gaku was as ready as he could be under these circ*mstances, he went back to the living room where he left Lila... only to find her drowning in his jacket. For half a moment, he could only stare there at her, agape, with a light blush spreading out on his cheeks. H-How cute she looked in his clothes-! The teacher shook his head, trying to bring himself back to reality, and then cleared his throat, "I see you've taken my words to heart," he said with a fond chuckle, referring to how he told her to make herself comfortable. "Come now, we should be on our way. We oughtn't be late. And heh," he patted her head gently, "I'll be needing my jacket back, too." Once he got that back from Lila and put it on, the two of them left to get back into his car. Before too long, they arrived at school and Gaku parked his car there before getting out. There was still about half an hour before lessons started, but as teachers, their day started earlier than their students'. "It looks like we're not too late," Gaku hummed pleasantly as he led his assistant teacher into the school building and classroom to gather papers and the like. The black haired man stifled a yawn, still rather tired from their eventful night before, but he'd at least get through this school day-! In any case, the children would surely be happy to have a more laid back day today, too. "Let's give it our all, hm?" Gaku smiled at Lila, and soon enough the classes started.

~

Soleil smiled to herself. This place really was something else! It had an absolutely wonderful atmosphere and made the girl feel safe and happy... Though she supposed that was more due to her company than to the actual shop. The ice cream was lovely as well (even though Soleil was half certain her little sister would get a stomach ache from all this chocolate) so she really couldn't be happier. When Bertolt suggested that they come along for the camping from trip sometime, the brunette's cheeks grew a little pink. "That's... awfully nice of you and your parents." She smiled, choosing her words carefully. "It would be a lot o fun to go! Right, Eli?" Here her little sister nodded enthusiastically, though didn't say much with all that chocolate ice cream keeping her busy. "Ah... Getting away for the weekend would be nice, too. I'll have to ask my parents, but... If it's not a problem, I'd we'd be happy to join you guys." Soleil said, more quietly this time. She didn't know if Bertolt was suspecting anything or whether this was out of pure generosity and friendship, but Soleil was really happy to hear this offer from him. Whether she'd ever accept it and go was another matter, but it made her happy to think about this possibility. Bertolt was so sweet, and his parents were so nice, too-! Spending a weekend with such a happy family was sure to be wonderful~ Elianne would definitely be happy as well. And so the afternoon passed, full with them talking about this and that and about nothing at all. Such simple, happy times where what really made the girl happy. She wished they could last forever-! "Thanks again for the coupons," Soleil smiled as they parted, Soleil and her sister going towards their house while Bertolt went to his. "I had fun today."

((Okay!! I'll do a timeskip then! And tbh I'm not a huge fan of whip cream either xD I don't hate it and sometimes I like it but i don't see why everyone loves it so much?? ))

"Mm yes, you told me to get comfortable!" Lila agreed full heartedly. She puffed her cheeks out a bit in a pout as Gaku pet her head , mostly to hide her own blushiness. "Mm... fine." She huffed, reluctantly taking the jacket off and handing it to the man. Once again, the duo went back into the car. "Oh, you haven't shaved ?" Lila pointed out as he locked the doors, leaning in a bit more closely to examine him. "...It looks really good on you actually ." The woman mused, a faint blush spreading across her features as she settled back down in her seat. They conversed lightly as he drove, but soon enough they arrived at the school. "Mhm! Let's do our best today, Gaku~." Lila beamed. *Time Skip!* A few days later, the woman found herself feeling more and more uncomfortable at home. Though, she also felt awful for making Gaku come to her every night... So instead, she sometimes called him, or texted him. Still, she felt awful for keeping him awake so much... 'Gaku, I made you some fruit tarts for tomorrow! ^7^' Lila texted to man, currently staying huddled underneath the covers in her bed. Meanwhile... a certain someone slipped an anonymous letter under the front door of Gaku's house. The mysterious someone rang the doorbell a few times before making his escape into the night. 'Are you there Gaku? Sorry for keeping you awake for so long... ;o; ' Lila once again texted him, shifting somewhat in her position before glancing out the window. Maybe she should just move. But.. it's not like she had the funds, nor the ability to do so at the moment.

Bertolt gave the two girls a warm smile. "Of course you two are welcome-! My parents truly enjoyed your company, Soleil , and I'm sure they'll love to meet Elianne as well-!" The dark haired male said enthusiastically, grinning in delight at the younger sister's excitement. Wouldn't it be fun if they could all go camping together -? And.. Wouldn't it be great to get the two sisters away from that house-? "Ask your parents about it, in that case. ...O-Oh-! Soleil... u-uhm, I've been meaning to ask you.. A-Are you alright with exchanging phone numbers -? " The male asked sheepishly. "S-So we could text each other about the project and what not.." He added, albeit still quite shyly. He really would like to have her number, and not just for the project -! He took out his cellphone and , after ignoring about a dozen teasing texts from Reiner , took down Soleil's number. After thart, the group ate up the rest of their ice cream and then left the shop. "That was fun, right?" Bertolt asked with a smile. As they walked, however , the tall male noticed something... with a flicker of a horrified expression spreading across his features , the male's eyes widened at the sight of a bruise on Elianne's leg. It was fading away now, and was mostly covered by her skirt, but... where had she gotten that? At once, Bertolt's mind went towards his gut feeling: abusive family members. But... that bruise could've been from anywhere. Perhaps a fall-? That.. that could be it. And yet, part of Bertolt refused to believe that. ...Bertolt wanted to get Soleil and Elianne away from that house. Realizing that he had been frozen and almost staring, the male cleared his throat. "Soleil, can you get back to me about the camping before this weekend ?" He asked the older of the siblings, a faint smile on his face. ((We could time skip here if you'd like? I'm so sorry it's short and awful, I got soooo distracted qnq))

((In America is it called "whip cream"? Here and everywhere I've lived it's "whipped cream" :o I reallllllly don't like it ene If it's store bought and really sugary it's okayyy but generally I don't like it at all plooey))

Gaku didn't particularly mind staying up to comfort Lila and all that, though he rather wished it weren't so. Not the staying up, but rather the fact that Lila felt uncomfortable. Though she sometimes spoke of the vague uneasy feelings she got, he still had no proof of what was going on. And since they were colleagues and friends, their conversations tended to stray more towards fun topics instead. Which wasn't bad, but it did mean that Gaku knew little and less of this mysterious person making Lila uncomfortable... At the moment, the black haired man was sprawled on his bed with his phone in hand, texting Lila. It was quite late, he supposed, but he didn't mind too much. Besides, the half-finished hot chocolate that stood on his bedside table was enough to help him stay up with Lila as well. He smiled gently as he read her message, and at once set to replying. "Thank you, I'm looking forward to trying them! Hah, there goes my diet- ^^" " He sent it and soon enough Lila sent another reply. Before he could write something in return to that, though, the doorbell rang a great many of times, making Gaku jump a little and then frown. "Brb" he wrote to Lila before setting his phone on his bedside table. He went downstairs and looked through the peephole, but there was no one outside his house. Only after that did he notice the envelope at his feet. So, someone must've slipped it beneath his door? Then they definitely wanted him to see it... What on earth could this be, that it was so urgent in the middle of the night? Curious, Gaku tore the paper open and took out a single, glossy picture. His eyes widened. This... This was a picture of Lila- quite a good one, considering the camera's obvious distance and awkward angle - through the window. As she was changing. It made Gaku blush a little, but he could push past those emotions as he tried to search for an explanation for this. There was nothing else in the envelope, but when he flipped the photo over he noticed there was writing on the backside.Stop interfering, or else. Gaku's blood ran cold as he read those words, over and over again. Wh-Who sent this? What did they mean? M-Maybe Lila sent this to him as a prank? Or as a way of telling him she wasn't interested? No, that wouldn't make any sense... As much as Gaku wished it wasn't true, he could see no other explanation than that a stalker took this picture. But whatever that person was thinking, they were wrong. Gaku was now more determined than ever to protect Lila. He would not back down. The man rushed back upstairs and picked up his phone. He ignored Lila's message and instead dialed her, wanting-needing- to speak with her directly. "Lila," he said, his voice trembling ever so slightly, "Where are you right now? ... I'm coming over, okay? Wait for me-!"

((So you said that he'd invite her over now, but I thought first he could come over to her house (idk if you want him to show her this picture?), make sure she's okay and then even that same night he'd drive her over to his house! But change it however you'd like!))

~

Soleil smiled gently at her friend when he asked for her phone number. "Sure," she agreed, "It'd be great to communicate easier. We still need to return to our usual working habits to finish this project." After all, for the past two days they hadn't met up because of... things. It was fine, since they still had over two weeks to finish, and in all honesty they were almost finished with the project now anyway, but it would be nice to finish it quickly. Soleil pulled out her phone and read out her phone number to him. "Send me a text now and I'll save your number, too." The girl suggested, doing the same. They soon left the place and left to go home. Soleil tilted her head a little at his request to get back to her soon, "I'll try," she said, "But I'm not sure if we can leave on such short notice." It'd be nice enough to be able to go at all. Maybe another weekend? She'd have to ask her parents well, maybe try to persuade them... ~Timeskip~ Soleil was really excited to go on this camping trip! It took a while to convince her foster parents to allow them to go, but in the end they got their permission. Elianne was even more excited, it seemed! The girls didn't really have any camping equipment, so they were relying on Bertolt and his parents to get those things. They took clothes and some snacks and all that, of course! They met up with Bertolt and his family and the two girls greeted them cheerfully. "Thank you again for inviting us," Soleil nodded. They began their hike to the campgrounds, making smalltalk all the while. Elianne was a little wary around Bertolt's parents at first, but they were as charming as ever and soon enough she was chatting happily with the two of them... even though she generally stuck to Soleil. "Do you go camping a lot?" Soleil asked Bertolt as they walked.

((You can timeskip if you want? or not I really don't know XD))

((Uhm it's probably whipped cream xD I dunno my family and I say Whip cream :o maybe that's just the name of the brand we usually buy from?? I'm not sure! And ooh Gaku doesn't have to show her the picture, maybe because he doesn't want to scare Lila ?.. but then again ahhh that'd be nice drama and comfort mhm B) sobs now I can't decide qoq Surprise me?? I can't choose sobs))

Lila laughed a little at Gaku's text. 'Oh, you don't need to diet. Don't worry so much ! Embrace the sweet tooth ^7^ ' She texted him back. The next message she received from Gaku was a hastily written "brb". Had something happened? Probably nothing bad, but Lila was curious anyway. Maybe he got a phone call? 'Take your time!' Lila texted back, then laid down on her bed as she waited. Ah... waiting like this felt like forever ! She looked through her photo gallery as she waited for his reply , then stopped once she reached that one picture of Gaku she had. "Oh, you're so adorable ♡." Lila whispered to herself in delight, unable to help herself. At that exact moment, her phone started to ring, causing her to nearly fall out of bed in surprise. "G-Geez.." Lila breathed out in relief (and delight) when she noted that it was Gaku calling her. "Hullo Gaku!" She said cheerfully as she answered her phone, though a small worried frown spread across her features when she heard the man's almost frantic voice. "G-Gaku? What's wrong , you're scaring me." She stammered, her own voice rising a bit in panic. She sat up in bed, listening intently to the man's words. "H-Huh? I-Im at home, why-? ... S-Sure, I'd be happy if you came over, Gaku-! B-but is something wrong -? You sound like this is urgent.." Really, what was the matter? A few moments ago, they had been cheerfully texting about desserts... Then suddenly Gaku told her that he'd be right back... And now this. Had something happened in the time that they hadn't been texting? It was very unusual for Gaku to act this way, so..! Yes, she'd feel a lot better if he were to come to her. That way she could assure herself that everything was alright. Moreover... she so hated being alone in her house, especially at night. "I-Ill be waiting for you then, Gaku. You're alright aren't you-?" She asked quickly, wanting some form of reassurance. "I-If something is wrong, please let me know...!"

Although Bertolt really did want to text Soleil as soon as he could, he knew that it would probably be strange if he did so. Ah.. he didn't want to be a bother -! Besides, he had to inform his parents about the camping trip. Now, he hadn't exactly lied about the trip. It was a tradition of sorts for the small family to go out and camp around this time of the year. However, the dark haired male's parents hadn't mentioned anything of that sort. Ah.. he was very sure that they'd agree to it, though! And even if they didn't at first, Bertolt wold find a way to make this camping trip a reality. He wanted to get Soleil and Elianne away from that house of theirs, even if only for a little while ... To Bertolt's great relief , his parents full heartedly agreed to the idea of camping with the two girls... after much teasing that is. Bertolt was willing to take all of the teasing though. Anything to help those two girls -! They didn't deserve whatever bad things they were going through... Plus, going camping together would be extraordinarily fun! When the day of the camping trip finally arrived, Bertolt was beyond excited. "O-Of course! I'm really glad you could make it." Bertolt smiled at Soleil , eyes practically sparkling. His parents were walking a little bit ahead, wanting to lead the way and also give the trio a little bit of space. Being around someone else's parents was always a bit strange at first. "We've been coming to this camp site for a few years now. It's sort of like a tradition. It's really fun too-! We usually see deer running around if we wake up early enough." The male grinned, noting the awe on Elianne's face. "So you two haven't been camping before -?" He asked curiously. Well... if his initial thoughts were correct, then he was sure that they hadn't been camping before.... After a while of hiking and making small talk, the group came to a clearing. "Alright folks! Here we are. Bertolt, why don't you help out with the tent? You three can share it. Your mother and I don't mind sleeping under the stars. Unless you ladies would rather not sleep in the tent?" Bertolt's father questioned with a warm smile. Bertolt, on the other hand, felt his entire face heat up. W-Wait, he couldn't sleep w-with-! H-He would be far too embarrassed -! Plus, even though the tent was rather large, they would still be so close together...

((Ohhh okay! And we talked about this on hangouts, so I'll have Gaku show Lila the picture. I just think she should know about it, since it's a big deal :o))

"I'm fine," Gaku insisted quickly, "I'll be there as soon as I can." He really was fine-- it was Lila he was worried about. He hung up just as suddenly as he had called, promising to be there quickly. Again, the man grabbed his coat and phone and wallet and keys, but he didn't take much else before rushing out to his car. In all honesty... he wasn't planning to stay over at Lila's place again, not tonight. No, if there was some strange man lurking around all this time, taking pictures just as he had suspected, then there was no way he'd let Lila stay there alone! And that threat... Really, what could anyone do? Surely this man wouldn't attack Lila... right? Gaku hoped not. Releasing her pictures online wasn't much better, but at least she wouldn't be physically hurt. No matter what the "or else" was, Gaku definitely wouldn't allow things to come to that! It didn't take long for Gaku to pull up in front of the woman's apartment (alright, maybe he had been speeding a little, but he had a good reason!). He was admitted quickly as well, and at once took Lila's hands into his. Panting slightly and eyes frantic, it took Gaku a second for relief to sink in that Lila was alright now. He was so, so glad that she was unharmed. "Lila," he said gently, still breathless, "I... I want you to come with me. Please. It's not safe here. Trust me." Gaku squirmed a little on his feet, pausing. Should he... Should he show her the picture he received? He knew it was probably a good idea for her to know, but wouldn't she be even more freaked out now than before? And, on a much lesser note... wouldn't she be embarrassed that he'd seen a picture of her changing? The thought still brought a small blush to Gaku's cheeks... But deciding that she really ought to know, Gaku pulled out the image from his overcoat and showed it to her, "This was just put under my front door," he frowned, turning it over so that she could see the writing on the side, "...You were right. There's someone ought there for sure, observing you... And I don't know who he is, but he sees me as a threat to his plans. So that means I'm interfering with him, at least a little bit. ...That's good. That means, if you're by my side, then you're safer-!" Gaku raised his gaze from the floor up to Lila once again, pleading, gentle, "I don't think he'll be gone for good yet. But I swear, I'll do everything I can to keep that creep away from you. Come with me. Please."

~

"Deer? That would be lovely to see! (1)" Soleil beamed. It seemed as though it would be a truly magical sight to see something like that, especially during this special trip. Really, the girl didn't need anything special- this trip itself was enough to make her happy- but it would even lovelier if the trip was filled with such wonderful sights. Elianne was even more excited; she hung onto every one of Bertolt's words with wide, gleaming eyes. Soleil shook her head at her friend's question, "I've been camping once, with my parents, but that was when I was small. Before Eli was born." The brunette nodded fondly. Well, she barely remembered anything from that time, since she was rather young, so that barely counted, right? Realising what she just said, though, Soleil blushed lightly in embarrassment and explained, "Ah... That was with our real parents. Not foster." She added, rather unhelpfully. She never told Bertolt - or pretty much anyone else in this district - that the people they were living with were their foster parents. Even though her 'explanation' was very vague, she hoped Bertolt understood. She didn't really want to talk about this, not now. She wanted to forget all about their foster parents. Before too long, the five of them arrived at a campground and began to settle down. Soleil blushed gently at the parents' suggestion for the three children to share a tent, and while she was about to protest, Elianne at once grinned, ecstatic at this idea. "Yay, let's do that!" She grinned. Soleil tried to mask her blush with a smile. It's not that she was unhappy, b-but just thinking about being so close to Bertolt sent a strange feeling through her, for some reason. Besides, with Eli so happy, it was strange not to go for it, right? The little girl would be sharing a tent with her two favourite people (and seeing how much she loved her fifth grade teachers, it could only get better if they were there too). "Alright, let's do that," Soleil smiled, and then looked up at Bertolt, a little shyly, "Y-You don't mind, right?"

(1) We have deer run through my grandma's fields every night and morning ouo they're so pretty I've always loved them *u*

((YOU SEE DEER? *0* THAT'S SO COOL I'VE NEVER SEEN ONE IRL BEFORE))

Lila frowned slightly. "Okay, if you're sure... See you soon-!" The woman said, sounding a bit reluctant to hang up. Before she could even do so, Gaku hung up first, leaving her alone and worried. Ah.. he'd be with her soon, right -? With that in mind, she waited by the front door once again and quickly opened it when she spotted Gaku's car pull up. As she waited , she noted that he practically ran up the stairs and into her house, looking frantic. "G-Gaku , what's wrong -?" She asked again, eyes wide at his state. When the man took her hands into his, she peeked up at him questioningly. "Wh-what-?" It took her a few moments to process what the man just said. Go with him-? I-Its not safe -? Lila had felt uncomfortable being alone in her house for a while now, and walking home alone scared her, but ... where was Gaku's sudden worry coming from -? Despite the entire situation, the woman felt .. warm inside after knowing how much Gaku cared for her. When the dark haired man suddenly pulled out a picture of her changing, her face flushed. "G-Gaku-?" Thats when he spoke. T-That picture had been slipped under his door-?? "Th-That happened the day I saw that flash." She stammered in realization. It.. it had been a camera then. When the man turned the picture around, her blood ran cold, and her face paled. S-So there was someone tailing her -! "Wh-Why-?" She stuttered. Why her ? After taking a moment to let everything sink in, she tried to calm herself down. "W-What are you talking about -? W-why are you the one saying please-?" She laughed, though it sounded watery. "I-Im the one who should be begging you to ta-take me with you -!" She was terrified of course. How many pictures did this stalker have of her -? What was he planning to do next-? And Gaku... He was so, so kind to her, worrying for her sake and wanting to protect her. At this point, Lila realized her eyes were brimming with tears. Was it because she was scared -? Or perhaps she was touched by the care Gaku showed her -? Or maybe a bit of both. He was always helping her, and all she did was bother him and keep him up all night ..! "I-I want to come with you, if y-you allow it, Gaku.. Th-Thank you so much for helping me all the time..!" She sniffled, wiping away her tears quickly.

Bertolt frowned a little at Soleil's words. So .. her parents had taken her camping before -? That didn't match up with his initial thoughts about abuse then.. Maybe they changed over time-? Soleil's next statement , however , made much more sense. Foster parents. So those people in her house weren't even the girl's real parents. That.. that was such a sad thought. Soleil must have loved her real parents -! She spoke so fondly about that camping trip after all... And what about Elianne ? Could she even remember her real parents ? The tall male's heart sank and nearly shattered at the thought alone. If only he could do something about it -! If only... If only he could help in some way. All these little hints - the way Soleil had cried at his house about his mother being nice, Elianne with her "sickness" and that bruise - led Bertolt to believe in the worst: that the girl's foster parents were involved in child abuse. But.. he couldn't do anything unless he was absolutely sure -! He.. he could be horribly misunderstanding. And yet... ah, he just needed a bit more proof, then he could do something about all this ! In any case, Bertolt dropped the subject for now and began to talk about how much fun they would have on the camping trip. Later on, when talking about where everyone would sleep, the tall male blushed. A-Ah, hopefully no one would notice, since it was getting dark out-! Elianne seemed so excited to sleep by him, which was pretty adorable and he was happy Soleil's sister looked up to him so much. He wouldn't be so embarrassed and blushy with sharing a tent with a little kid, but... S-Soleil ? His long time crush? T-They would be s-so close, and Bertolt was told that he had "very, very weird" sleeping positions-! Wh-What if he woke up half on top of her, or groping her or something?? The man's face only flushed even more at that thought. "I-Its fi-fine of course!" The male stammered out with a sheepish laugh. "I-Ill go set that up n-now!" He added quickly, going ahead to start up the tent. In his embarrassment , he found himself fumbling with the poles, and his father had to come over to give a hand. "Heh, good job son." His father grinned, giving Bertolt a pat on the back. "Wh-What's that supposed to mean-?!" He called, exasperated , as his father went to start up some food. After a while, the group sat down to eat the meat his father had grilled. "Well? Doesn't eating together like this in the outdoors make everything taste better?" Bertolt's mother smiled. "Elianne, do you want some more? Soleil ?" His father questioned kindly.

Gaku felt his head swirl. He didn't know how to make heads or tails of what was going on, but he knew for sure that he had to do something. He had to try. And given how panicked Gaku himself was, surely Lila would be even more frightened! He could only imagine how she'd feel... It was absolutely sick and disgusting for anyone to stalk a beautiful young woman so-! ...Though that was probably why they were doing it in the first place. He listened intently as Lila spoke and his eyes searched hers constantly, trying to gage her reaction. She was terrified. He could hear it in her voice and see it in the tears that threatened to spill out onto her cheeks. He wanted to say something, to tell her that it would surely be alright and that she didn't have anything to be afraid of, but the words stuck in his throat. Did he have the right to say that? ...No, Gaku would not let that be a lie. He'd make everything okay-! But when Lila wiped her tears away, the black haired man felt a tinge of guilt surge through him and he came back to reality. He should be the one wiping away her tears, no? "Don't worry anymore," Gaku said gently, pulling Lila into an embrace, "I'll protect you." He could feel her tears blotting through the material of his shirt. "It's okay... Let it all out." He stood there for a while, gently rocking with Lila, pulled together in this embrace. Were this any other situation, he would've blushed at their closeness, but even Gaku knew this was serious right now. He stayed in that position until Lila pulled away. "Are you ready? Let's go, then." He smiled weakly and took Lila's hand- so that she was reminded she didn't have to fight alone- before taking her to his car (1). He put some soft music on as not to allow silence to scare them any more, but the two of them arrived at Gaku's house quickly. The black haired man led Lila inside, "How about I make us some hot chocolate?" He suggested, trying to be cheerful. That always helped him calm down... and in all honesty, he could use some sugar to help his nerves right now, too. When that was ready, Gaku handed a mug to Lila. "...Let's go up to my bedroom, then. I'll help you adjust, and you can sleep there. I'll take the couch." He smiled comfortingly and led the woman up to his room.

~

Soleil looked after Bertolt as he left to set up the tent with a slightly worried expression. He seemed... reluctant? She couldn't quite tell what was going on, but Bertolt was definitely acting a little strangely. She hoped everything was alright... Maybe he didn't want to share their tent after all, but went along with it just to be polite? She hoped that wasn't the case-! He could tell her anything, right? In any case, Soleil redirected her attention to another part of the campsite, taking Elianne with her to go help out Bertolt's mom with some of the preparations as the men set up the tent. Bertolt's dad grilled food for them to eat, which made camping seem even more special. It tasted absolutely wonderful as well! "This is delicious," Soleil commented through the meal. The food was hot, right off the grill, which made it even nicer. She shook her head at the offer of seconds, but Elianne was more than happy to accept (though Soleil had to wonder how her little sister managed to fit all that food in her stomach-). They helped clean up after dinner was done, and while the family sat around the campfire for a while after that, telling stories and laughing, it was soon time to go to sleep. Soleil took her sister to the tent and closed the flap, "We'll change quickly- don't come in." It would be flustering enough to sleep in the same tent as Bertolt, so changing with him would be far too much-! ...Besides, she didn't want anyone to see the bruises adorning their skin. It'd be much better to keep all those hidden-! When the girls were done changing, they opened the flap again and eventually everyone settled down to go to sleep. "..Thank you again for taking us," Soleil said to Bertolt's parents before they went to sleep, "I'm having a great time." She went back to the tent. Ah... This was a little awkward now, no? "Uhm... H-How should we sleep?" She asked. Eli, thankfully (or not?) had a definite answer, "Can I be in the middle? Please?" And so they settled down on each side of the ecstatic little girl. To her... couldn't this almost feel like sleeping in between parents? (2) "..Good night." Soleil smiled to herself despite the small blush on her cheeks.

(1) Do you want Lila to take her things now? Some clothes and a toothbrush and whatever? That might be a good idea if they have work tomorrow XD But we can always say it's the weekend so they can go get the things tomorrow ouo Up to you!
(2) Oohhh idk if you remember but in Mirai Nikki Hojou mentioned how he wanted to sleep in "river" position between his parents. So the parents are on either side and the child is in the middle. It's called that because the kanji for river, "kawa" is 川 - see, the middle line is a little shorter, like the kid! ouo I JUST THINK THAT'S SO CUTE WAHH bwahaha okay sorry that's random XD

((Thats so cuuuteeeee *7* omg yas ♡ YOU'RE LIKE A LITTLE FAMILY AWWW *7* and omg can we say it's the weekend tomorrow then? I'll say Lila brought along a few things though))

Lila was so embarrassed for crying so openly in front of Gaku like this. But.. she couldn't help it. She was so confused and scared and also touched by how kind and caring the man beside her was. The woman tried to calm herself down, but only succeeded in tearing up some more. She was eternally grateful for Gaku's embrace and kind words; she allowed herself to cry until she could no longer , just as he suggested. "Th-Thank you." She murmured softly, her voice slightly muffled due to her position. After reluctantly pulling away, the female gave a sheepish smile. "Ah... your shirt is all wet now.." She said, voice sounding somewhat sniffly after crying. Lila was sure that she'd be safe with Gaku. For sure -! He .. he would protect her from anyone who tried to harm her. The woman felt so useless and pathetic for crying and for not being able to do anything... but.. but she was happy and content with this man by her side. After gathering herself some, the woman went and collected a few things, like her toothbrush, a hair brush, and a change of clothes. After seeing that picture of herself changing, Lila felt much too uneasy to change into outside clothes, so she allowed Gaku to lead her out while she was still in her pajamas. The car ride was pleasant despite the circ*mstances , and, when the duo finally arrived at Gaku's house, Lila smiled. "You have a comfy house ~" She'd been there for a few moments once before, but now was different. "Hot chocolate is delicious!" Lila beamed, unable to help herself. It wasn't too long before that was finished and Lila was handed a mug. "Thank you." She smiled shyly, following Gaku up to his room. When they reached there, however, the woman paused at the man's words. "H-Huh-? I-I don't want to sleep alone, Gaku..." She murmured, looking at the ground and blushing slightly in embarrassment.

Eating together was absolutely wonderful of course. Everyone seemed so happy-! It filled Bertolt's heart with joy to see Soleil and Elianne so joyful. The male was determined to keep a smile on their faces -! After everyone finished eating and decided to turn in for the night , the girl's went into the tent. Now, Bertolt was about to follow them, because he assumed they were heading to bed, but luckily, Soleil announced that they would be changing first. "O-Oh.. O-Of course! T-Take your time-!" The male stammered, blushing darkly in embarrassment. He would have died if he had walked in on the girls changing -! While the girls went inside to change, Bertolt had to force himself not to think of Soleil changing. He even smacking his forehead, as if hoping that would shove the thoughts out of his mind. He was so ashamed of himself -! Soleil soon interrupted his thoughts, though, and allowed the tall male to come in. Ah.. he was still rather flustered about sharing a tent with the two girls, but he couldn't back out-! That would be rude-! And it's not like he was bothered by it.. no, h-he would love to sleep so close to his crush! But.. ah, he hoped nothing embarrassing happened... "I-Im coming in now," Bertolt announced, even though he was told that it was okay. He slipped into the tent and felt his face warm up a bit. Soleil looked so so adorable -! (And Elianne too, but it was obvious that the type of adorable for the girls were different.) He hoped no one noticed his blush... "You want to sleep in the middle -?" Bertolt asked, a soft but shy smile spread across his features. "Thats fine with me of course-!" Anything to make these girls happy. And... didn't it feel like the three of them were a family this way-? As Bertolt laid down, he was so, so tempted to press his lips against Soleil's forehead... Perhaps he would have, if he weren't so utterly shy and bashful. "Goodnight." Bertolt said softly in reply, somehow managing not to stammer.

((I'm sorry this sucked ene I was distracted all day omg))

((Okay that sounds great!! They worked a lot so it's about time they had a weekend XD))

Gaku's face broke out into a small blush when Lila spoke up, saying that she didn't want to be left alone. Ah... He... He knew that! After everything that happened, not only today but all those days before as well, it was only natural that Lila didn't want to be alone somewhere, much less in an unfamiliar house. And yet he hadn't wanted to spring something on that may have been awkward for her. But this... this meant that the two of them would be sharing a bed-! That's what really made Gaku blush. He didn't mind, of course, but wasn't this an awfully big step anyway? Just thinking about how close together they'd be sent a shiver to excitement through the teacher (for which he, naturally, scolded himself). "I... Of course. Forgive me, I wasn't thinking properly of your comfort. I'll stay the night with you, in that case." Gaku said with a gentle smile, wanting to comfort Lila, if only a little bit. "Here's the bathroom if you'd like to use it. You can set your things down anywhere in the room." Gaku had been in his pajamas before he went out to pick Lila up, so he was still ready to go to bed. The man climbed under the covers, though remained in a sitting position as he drank his hot chocolate. He felt his cheeks heat up when Lila climbed into bed with him, even though the two of them weren't even touching (yet). Gaku tried to convince himself that the warmth he felt was steam from the hot chocolate, and not a blush. Nope. He kept his gaze down at his hands where he held the mug, feeling quite flustered all of the sudden. He could feel the heat radiating off of Lila's body besides him in the most pleasant way possible. Really, he had to stop himself from moving in closer to her. Wouldn't it... Wouldn't it be alright to bring her into an embrace? She was frightened, and he could give her the comfort she needed... No, Gaku scolded himself, he wouldn't project his own selfish desires onto her in her time of need. He'd help her if she needed it, but he wouldn't allow his heart to act before his brain. "Are you comfortable?" Gaku asked gently, setting his mug down on one of the nightstands. He paused, trying to think of what could make her more comfortable "...We can keep a light turned on, if you'd like." That was a rather childish suggestion, but who's to say it wouldn't help? "If you need anything at all, wake me up, alright? I'm here for you, Lila."

~

Soleil had a very pleasant sleep that night. Curled up with her sister and (indirectly) with her crush, she felt tremendously happy and safe. It was a hand near her face that woke Soleil up early that morning. She moved around a little, but it woke her up anyway. Confused, the girl sleepily turned to look over at the source and realised it was Bertolt, who was sprawled out in the most bizarre pose she'd ever seen. His arms were spread out (though one was awkwardly pressing against the side of the tent) and one of his legs was half up in the air. She had to wonder how he could sleep comfortably in that position, but... For some reason, just seeing that made Soleil laugh softly to herself. It was obvious that Bertolt was tall, but seeing him sprawled out sleeping like this again reminded her just how much bigger he was than her (and even more so than Elianne!). Her thoughts ran wild, wondering how her smaller hand would feel engulfed in Bertolt's, or how easy it'd be to settle her head against his chest. Soleil blushed at her own thoughts and tried to push them out of her mind, but that was much easier said than done. She settled down again to try to sleep a while longer, rested up but still eager for more sleep, but eventually it was time to get up, and so Bertolt's parents woke the tent dwellers up. Soleil sat up alongside Bertolt and her little sister and stretched. Unbeknownst to the brunette, though, as she stretched her arms into the air, the bottom of her pajama shirt rose up, exposing a little bit of her stomach... and of the bruise that was beginning to fade away and yellow. It barely bothered her anymore, so maybe that why she didn't notice... With that, the group began to get ready (Soleil and Elianne again changed in the tent) and enjoyed a hearty breakfast.

Lila blushed lightly at Gaku's words. So he wouldn't mind sharing the bed with her-? She would feel so much safer of course, but there was also something else. Lila was sure that she would just be utterly happy to be so close to the man -! "Thank you." The woman smiled sheepishly, turning to retreat into the bathroom. With the door shut, she glanced into the mirror to see just how pink her cheeks were. "Oh, come on.." She whispered under her breath, pressing her hands to her cheeks in an awful attempt to force her blush down. Lila washed her face a bit , brushed her teeth , then put her hair in a quick ponytail before exiting once more. She.. she still felt sheepish about this whole situation, but she still climbed into Gaku's bed without hesitation. Like him, she got under the covers and stayed sitting up, her mug of hot chocolate in hand. "I'm fine now, Gaku , thank you." Lila beamed when the teacher asked if she was feeling comfortable. "I won't mind sleeping in the dark, don't worry!" Well... at home she had slept with a light on for the past few weeks, but... now that she was with Gaku , she felt immensely safer! ... Feeling this sense of security , however, made Lila realize how she didn't particularly want to be at home alone ever again... She soon finished up her hot chocolate before she laid down. "Good night~." She hummed, peeking over at the man with a sleepy smiling before shutting her eyes. *Mini time skip YAY* "H-Hn.." Lila mumbled in her sleep, nuzzling even closer to the warmth beside her. Somehow, while she was asleep, one of her legs curled itself around one of Gaku's, and her head was practically buried in his chest, leaving the two quite tangled. Ah.. but Lila was so comfortable! She didn't even want to wake up..

"D-did I s-squish you?? I-Im so sorry-!" Bertolt stammered when he and the two girls beside him were awoken. As he thought, he had woken up in another weird sleeping position, with himself sprawled out. H-He.. he felt so bad! Poor Elianne had been in the middle , too.. had Bertolt hurt her ? Did the girls even sleep comfortably -? Ah.. the brunette was ashamed of himself. Before the male could say any more, his eyes flickered down to catch sight of .. a bruise on Soleil. It was fading away now, but it was clear that it had been a nasty bruise before. What could have caused it -? Again, Bertolt's mind went straight to the abusive foster parents theory. Had they hurt Soleil -? Bertolt's heart shattered at the very thought. How could anyone hurt someone so pure and beautiful -? He.. he would ask Soleil about that later then.. He didn't want to ruin her mood so early, nor did he want Elianne to be upset. With that in mind - and after Bertolt apologized profusely some more - the trio got up and got ready for the day. Together, they all enjoyed a wonderful breakfast , and then were left alone for a bit as Bertolt's parents went to set up a little volley ball net. "Soleil..." Bertolt murmured softly , gazing over at the brunette. "I.. ah, I noticed a bruise on you before. Are you okay-?" The male asked , his voice as gentle as possible. It was embarrassing to admit that he had seen her stomach , but.. he had to know. What if his theory was a huge mistake -? He didn't want to do anything to hurt her in any way. And ... if his theory was right, then .. Bertolt wanted to help Soleil and Elianne at once! There was no way that Bertolt would just leave the two be if they were living in such a horrid household.

It took Gaku a moment to remember what had happened last night that caused Lila to be oh so cutely curled up against him in the morning. Still bleary, for half a second he wondered with a hint of panic if he'd gotten drunk last night and called the girl to come over-- and if so, why had she accepted?? But the lack of headache was against that thought, not to mention that he wasn't the type to get drunk either... And then it came back to him. That picture. The threat. Going over to Lila's house. Her crying in his arms. Asking him to stay with her in the same bed. Ah... The poor woman must be frightened half to death with everything going on! But as silly as it was, maybe she'd feel better now in the daylight, too. Now that she was with him. Exchanging those negative thoughts for positive ones, Gaku smiled and gently nudged Lila against him. He didn't want to leave this position despite the fact it made him blush, but he didn't want to take advantage of Lila in her moment of need, either... Yes, it'd be better to wake her up. They almost felt like a couple, which made him blush slightly- but happily. Moreover, with her legs intertwined with his and his thoughts running wild, he was afraid something awkward might happen. He didn't want Lila to be scared around him or to hate him, so he pulled away reluctantly, untangling their limbs, and sat up in bed. "Good morning," he smiled, speaking softly, "Did you sleep well? ...How are you feeling today?" He asked as Lila stirred. Gaku stretched and got up from the bed. "I'll go take a quick shower. Sleep a bit longer if you'd like." He smiled. The teacher went to pick up some clothes for the day and then left to use the bathroom to shower. He did so quickly, and then dried off and dressed before coming out of the bathroom again. His hair was still damp, but no longer dripping. It'd dry soon enough. "Do you want to go out for breakfast somewhere?" Gaku asked, and then rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "I'm not sure if I have proper breakfast food here." He could make eggs and toast, but in all honesty, Gaku usually just had cereal and a coffee- something he didn't necessarily want Lila to know.

~

Soleil laughed gently, shaking her head from side to side, "It's fine, you didn't bother us." Well, Soleil didn't mind Bertolt's strange sleeping positions- they seemed cute, even! Besides, everyone had some strange sort of quirk, right? Not necessarily with sleeping, but... well, Soleil knew someone who often fell off her bed during the night, so Bertolt wasn't alone in this! Elianne didn't seem to mind, either. In fact, it seemed as if she were in too good a mood because of this trip to be rendered uncomfortable by anything- bugs, being squished, the hard ground, anything! The three of them waited as Bertolt's parents set up a volleyball net. Well, Soleil and Bertolt did, but Elianne went around looking for four leafed clovers as she waited. Soleil turned to her friend when he spoke up. She smiled at him, though it faded as his words registered. She realised that quickly enough, though, and put on another, more forced smile. "O-Oh, that! Yeah, I'm fine," she nodded. She didn't know which bruise he was talking about, but decided asking him about that would give birth to more questions still... "I fell over a few days back. It doesn't hurt anymore, don't worry!" She figured that was a pretty good excuse... though really, a bruise on the stomach was unlikely to form from such a thing. Not that she knew he was asking about that one. Still... This meant Soleil would have to be more careful from now on. Did Bertolt suspect anything? She was letting her guard down too much around him... "Come on, it looks like your parents are almost done. I'll go get Eli and let's go play!" Though that was absolutely true, maybe it was so that Soleil also wanted to get away from this topic. She found her little sister and brought her back to the campsite as everyone began to play.

((Gaku is still so adorable omg ))

"N-Nuuu.." Lila mumbled in her sleep as she felt the warmth next to her move out of position. Why?? It had been so comfy.. She attempted to shift closer and wrap her legs around Gaku's again, but his voice woke her up instead. She rolled around onto her back, then blearily glanced at the man beside her. "Uhn..? Nnn , still sleepy.." She muttered, then rolled back over and fell asleep once more as the man mentioned something about a shower. At some point whilst he was in the shower, Lila fell to the floor (in her sleep), and somehow didn't wake up and just continued sleeping. A while later, when she heard the man's voice again, she slowly opened her eyes and glanced up from her position. "Nn... morning~." Lila grinned lazily, not even realizing that she was on the floor. She slowly sat up, yawned, stretched, then rubbed her eyes and stood up. "Hm..? Gaku, your hair is all wet. You'll catch a cold!" She insisted , furrowing her eyebrows and going into the bathroom to grab a towel. "You ought to dry yourself properly." She murmured as she stood up on tiptoes to try his hair properly with the towel. Once she was done , she beamed, then giggled a bit, "Your hair is standing up now. It's so cute~." Afterwards, she went to take her own shower (with Gaku's permission of course) and the such, and then beamed. "If you don't have breakfast supplies, let's go buy some and make yummy pancakes ~!" Yes, wouldn't it be sweet to make Gaku breakfast -? He's been doing so much for Lila after all. This was the least she could do-! ...Ah, maybe Lila shouldn't get too comfortable here. She couldn't intrude on Gaku forever... though in all honesty, the woman didn't even want to think about leaving. She enjoyed Gaku's company so much, and she felt so safe with him... wasn't it okay to be a little selfish -?

Bertolt frowned a little at Soleil's explanation as to where the bruise came from. Her tone alone seemed rushed, as if she was hiding something. Moreover.. how does one fall and bruise their stomach ? It seemed very unlikely. A bruise to the stomach would have to come from some sort of blow, right? "Oh.. is your leg feeling better ? It looked like quite a nasty bruise." Bertolt frowned, worry painted on his expression. And.. now he'd just have to wait. If Soleil went along with what he just said, that meant that she had more than one bruise, right? And a bruise on her leg AND her stomach couldn't come from a mere fall. Ah.. all Bertolt wanted was some solid proof of his thoughts so that he could help Soleil and Elianne in any way possible -! He wanted to get them to safety, away from harm... "Alright then, let's go." Bertolt finally smiled, going after the two girls to play. ((TIME SKIP (1))) The camping trip with Soleil and her little sister went by Wonderfully. In fact, Bertolt was sure that this was the most fun he's ever had at a camping trip! His parents had a lot of fun too, and promised to invite the girls to any other camping trips in the future. Though Bertolt was teased relentlessly by both his parents and Reiner , the tall dark haired man could say with assurance that it was well worth it. He had so much fun, and was absolutely delighted to see Soleil and Elianne so happy and excited. A few days passed ((feel free to change this!)) since the camping trip, and now Bertolt was simply home and doing some homework. By now, Soleil and Bertolt were mostly done with their project. They simply had to add a few finishing touches and then practice what they would be explaining in the classroom.

(1) I hope you don't mind but I time skipped to after the camping trip?? You wanted Soleil to get hurt and then Elianne calls Bertolt right? :D ? Maybe we can do that now?

((I changed the setting a little! I want Sol to stay home from school and Eli asks Bertl to pick her up from school and she tells him then B) uhm so I'll write some from Eli's POV mhm))

As Gaku showered and prepared himself for the day, he thought he heard a distant noise- perhaps as something fell to the ground?- but decided to ignore it as simply having misheard something. So when he exited out of the bathroom, dressed but his hair still dripping, he nearly jumped upon seeing Lila on the floor. S-So the noise must've been her! "Lila! Are you okay-?" He exclaimed, kneeling down besides her form. She moved a little bit, but judging by the steady rise and fall of her chest, she was sound asleep... She didn't seem hurt, either, so that was good! Gaku sighed (rather endearingly), "How can you sleep in such a situation?" He mumbled, and moved to pick her up and set her down on the bed properly. But Lila awoke before he had the chance to do so, looking up at him so lovingly. Her words were almost too much for his heart-! How could she be worried about him in this situation-? Really, Lila was so sweet! Dumbfound by her actions, he could do nothing but accept as she dried his hair for him with a fluffy towel. Ah... it felt wonderful to be taken care of by Lila, but Gaku was scared this'd all go to his head-! ...He was already beginning to feel a little light headed around the black haired woman, simply from sharing the same bed and having her take care of him-! Not that he minded~ He blushed at her actions, but did his best to cover it up. "Th-Thank you," he said, still a little flustered. Thankfully (or not?), Lila taking a shower gave him some time to recover from his blushiness (as long as he didn't think about Lila... bare... and wet... in his shower--). With Lila's agreement, the two of them left to go out for some breakfast at a nearby café. It was nice to spend time with Lila in such a way! "Order anything you'd like." He smiled. Really, Gaku was just so glad that Lila was holding up - at least somewhat - after that frightening revelation about a stalker. They'd definitely be able to get through this-! But there was no doubt about it that it could be frightening, too...

~

Soleil put on a pleasant smile. Now that she knew which bruise he was talking about, she could make the conversation more believable. The one on her leg looked worse than it felt, in all honesty, but Bertolt must've been quite shocked to see such a dark colour! "Yes, it's much better now. It was a nasty fall, but I can barely feel it anymore. Thanks for worrying, though." ~Timeskip~ Soleil did not come to school today. Appearance aside, she didn't even have the strength to get out of bed, much less to learn and do all those normal school activities. This was too much for her... Probably the worst beating yet. Exhausted and sore, Soleil just slept the day away... Elianne, too, could barely concentrate in school today, though she was more or less fine, physically. Her thoughts were with her older sister, not with either of her teachers. It took all she could as not to break down. No... She couldn't stay a bystander any longer! The girl pulled out her phone during a break and sent a message to Bertolt (Soleil had given her his phone number, just in case): "can you come pick me up after school today. eli" Once school was out, the brunette waited for Bertolt outside the school, sitting on one of the steps and kicking a pebble on the ground. It was strange to see the tall boy come pick her up without Soleil with him, but that's what made this so important. She mumbled a greeting and then stood up to begin walking home with him. Eli was quite for a long time, hesitant. She knew it was essential to tell Bertolt now, but it still felt as if she were telling him a big secret... In the end, only when Bertolt asked where Soleil was today did Elianne finally say something, her voice shaking and tears welling up in her eyes. "She... She's h-hurt. I-I want... you to h-help her-!"

((Ooh this is perfect! YAAY))

Lila grinned once she and Gaku arrived at a nearby Cafe. Really, spending time with the man like this made it feel like nothing bad had happened at all... She was able to forget what had happened, at least somewhat. It was still there , in the back of her mind... But with Gaku, she felt safe and secure! Surely no one would try anything, not when Gaku was here to protect her ! At this point in time, the woman really never wanted to return to her house ever again. It was lonely and dark there, and.. Surely whoever was stalking her hung around there! She wasn't sure if she'd ever be comfortable there again... at least, not alone. Was it fine to feel that way-? And after getting a taste of what it felt like to be taken care of by Gaku, she wasn't sure she wanted to leave at all... Ahh, Lila felt like she was being such a bother to Gaku, but... she'd be selfish for a bit. And she would also make sure to take care of him, too-! ..For some reason, she really loved taking care of him though. She loved seeing his adorable blushy reactions ~! "Ooh... anything I want -?" Lila grinned mischievously as the two were sat down in the cafe. One look at the menu was almost enough to get her drooling. "Is cake for breakfast an option-?" She mused, though in the end she decided that she would probably be teased about it (or maybe not, since Gaku loved sweets as well-?) , and finally settled for some chocolate chip pancakes (with loads of whipcream). As the two chatted and waited for their orders , Lila found herself only falling for Gaku more and more... "Ohh, look Gaku, some of our students are here too!" Lila beamed at one point after seeing a group of them walk in. (1)

Bertolt was worried when Soleil didn't show up at school that day. But... her sister was still there, so maybe Soleil was sick -? ... He tried to get her words from the camping trip out of his mind, but they still haunted him until this day. Those words.. about the bruise on her leg. He had seen a bruise on her stomach, and yet.. This meant that Soleil also had a nasty bruise on her leg. No fall would cause that. Then... someone was definitely hurting her and her sister too-! That's why.. Bertolt wanted to see Soleil as soon as possible. Leaving her home alone with those foster parents of hers-! Bertolt was more than tempted to skip school... but Elianne texted him , asking him to walk her home. He couldn't say no, and he couldn't let her walk home alone, so he agreed and went through the day. Time seemed to move much to slowly for his tastes-- perhaps due to his anxiety -- but eventually , the school day came to an end, and Bertolt practically ran out to the school entrance. Reiner was left shocked and confused , but even he realized that something must be wrong. So he didn't try texting Bertolt any teasing texts like he wanted to. When the tall dark haired male met Elianne outside, he was a bit upset to see that the girl was seeming down. "Hey Elianne. " The male smiled gently , "Let's get you home okay?" He didn't want to push her to talk about something if she didn't want to... so he waited to bring up what was wrong. When they were about more than halfway to Elianne's house, the male finally broke the silence and spoke up, "Elianne , is something wrong -? ... Is Soleil okay?" And that's when the girl suddenly broke out into tears, sobbing about Soleil. Bertolt's eyes widened as he quickly leaned down to Elianne's height. "Elianne , don't worry.. I... I'll definitely help Soleil , and you too-! You just have to tell me.. is this because of your foster parents ? Are they hurting you two? Elianne I swear I'll get you both out of there." Bertolt said firmly , standing up straight. Now.. now he could help these two-! (2)

(1) can we do a part where they see the two and tease them plz it'll be super uber adorable mhm k thx xD
(2) i stopped here because I wasnt sure how bertl could get Soleil out right now ? I was thinking he could "kidnap" the girls like in the anime but right now shes hurt and asleep right? :O Uhm so maybe we could timeskip to later in the night ?? When her parents are asleep-?

((Wahhh that'd be SO CUTE YAS LETS DO THAT :D))

Gaku couldn't help but laugh at Lila's words. She was adorable! He had half the mind to tell her sure, cake was alright for breakfast, if only because of her charm. Thankfully, Gaku retained some of his senses even around such a cute woman, and nudged her playfully, "That might be a better option for the evening," he grinned. Soon enough, the two of them ordered their food (actual breakfast food, at that) and then awaited their order. They spoke pleasantly as they waited for their food to be done, and when Lila noticed a group of their students enter the cafe as well, he looked their way. A smile graced Gaku's lips, especially when the children seemed to notice them as well and walked up to the couple. "Good morning!" One of the children beamed, looking at both teachers, "I didn't know you came here for breakfast, teachers!" (Apparently some of the children still had a hard time believing teachers had a life outside of school). "It's a nice place though, isn't it?" Gaku smiled and then asked kindly, "What are you doing here without your parents?" One of the children puffed out his chest, clearly quite happy that Gaku noticed the children's independence, "We had a sleepover yesterday! So my mom let us come here for breakfast. What are you doing here?" Before the black haired teacher could say anything, though, another student piped up, "Mister and Missus are on a date!" She squealed, "Are you going to share spaghetti? Like in The Lady and the Tramp!" (1) ("Who eats spaghetti for breakfast, idiot?") "Ewww! That's gross!" Another boy stuck his tongue out as if to help everyone understand just how gross kisses were. Gaku's face was burning fifty shades of red at this point, but he was really, really trying not to let it show, especially not in front of his fifth graders! He was so very tempted to lean in and murmur to Lila how he wouldn't mind sharing their meal, or kissing her... or doing plenty of other things together~ But even if that wasn't improper, Gaku wasn't sure if he had the courage to do so. Besides, now he had to deal with his students and tell them to ease off! Before he could even say anything, though, they were already going on a whole other tangent-! "Well, I think it's adorable! Maybe then Mr. Yashiro and Ms. Furukawa will get married!" "Can I be your flower girl then? Please?" "No, if they get married then they won't want to be with us anymore! Don't leave us-!"

~

Even between her crying, Elianne had a hard time getting her thoughts out. She had to tell Bertolt what was going on-! Yes, he was definitely someone they could trust! But her foster parents- and even Soleil- insisted on keeping all of this a secret, something that no one could ever find out about. Soleil claimed they could get through this on their own, but Elianne had an ever harder time believing that. So that's why... she definitely had to get these words out of her! She nodded solemnly, though she was still crying, "Y-Yes, they're... they're awful. Th-they beat us, a-and... I'm s-scared-!" It took a little while for Elianne to calm down, but with Bertolt's help that came much easier than otherwise. She explained- in a roundabout way- that Soleil wasn't in any condition that needed immediate attention, and since their parents would be home now anyway, there wasn't really any way to help right now. Elianne went back home to her sister after a little bit, while Bertolt promised to come back later, at a safer time. Which should be right about now. Soleil was feeling better now. Though she was still sore all over, and the bruises would show for days, she could at least sit up and do some stuff on her own. It was late, though, so the girl was eager to go back to sleep, but her little sister seemed to have other plans. "Soleil, we should dress. It's cold outside, so take a jacket and socks." Eli explained, trying to shake her sister up to wake up properly. "Wha... Why? Eli, it's late. Go to sleep." Soleil mumbled. But her sister- who was already dressed warmly and carried a bulging backpack on herself already- wouldn't have it and insisted Soleil get ready, that "he would be here" anytime now.

(1) I hope you know this scene? :o you're not so familiar with Disney movies so idk. here's a picture just in case mhm giphy

((Ahsjshwjshoesjwosjwoosa OMG THAT'S SOOOOOOOO CUTE I'M DYING I'M DYING OF THE CUTENESS SOB))

Lila beamed when their students came over. "Hello there!" She waved, excited to see them. Ah.. unfortunately, Elianne, one of her favorite students, was not amongst the small group... But no matter ! Lila was still happy to see that her students enjoyed talking to her so much! "Oh, a sleepover huh? Aww why wasn't I invited -?" The woman asked with a fake pout, but then laughed to show that she was just kidding. When the students suddenly announced that Lila and Gaku were on a date, the woman blushed immensely. "O-Oh? Does it seem like that-?" She asked sheepishly, then smiled a little, "I think we're really cute together ! Don't you agree?" Part of her was saying that to tease Gaku, but.. part of her also wanted to know if they were cute together. "Mm.. I think we'd prefer sharing some kind of sweet instead." Lila mused with a knowing nod. She wasn't a huge fan of spaghetti after all! Though when The Lady and the Tramp was brought up, the woman was tempted to try it out... "I'm pretty sure they don't use such long noodles in real life... Wouldn't it break too ?" Lila murmured curiously , twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. She peeked up at Gaku and gave a small endearing smile. Ah.. he was blushung! "H-How adorable!" Ah.. now it was Lila's turn to blush (even more). She hadn't meant to proclaim that aloud-! Ah.. Oh well. She had to admit that she enjoyed being "shipped" like this-! "Oh.. Gaku would be a wonderful husband!" Ah.. there was something else that should've stayed in a thought bubble.. She supposed she shouldn't hold back now. "Ahah.. Don't worry, no matter what, I'll still be your teacher assistant ! Promise ! I'm sure Gaku will want to continue teaching you as well. Right Gaku?"

As soon as Bertolt had dropped Elianne home, he started to prepare everything. Meanwhile, he texted the girl throughout the day to ask about her and her sister's well being. Ah.. he had briefly spoken to his parents about what he wanted to do (not giving too much detail... luckily, his parents didn't ask too many questions!) before setting everything up. And finally , in the midst of night, it was time. Bertolt was in front of the girls house now, his phone in hand. He called Elianne (he had informed the girl before to keep her phone on vibrate so that the ringing wouldn't wake anyone up) and spoke softly when she answered. "I'm outside now. Hurry , okay?" He hung up after that, then had to wait a while before both girls snuck out of the house. Soleil looked rather confused to see him, but he gave a wry smile nevertheless. "I'm going to kidnap you guys." He said, eyes twinking somewhat. Finally.. he'd be able to help Soleil and Elianne out of that disgusting place. "Come on now." He whispered, leading the two girls as far away from the house as possible before he finally allowed himself to speak. "You two don't have to worry about anything anymore , okay?... Soleil, are you feeling okay?" He asked worriedly, gazing at her for a moment as they walked. "...I knew for sure what was going on when you spoke about the bruise on your leg. I actually saw the one on your stomach. I should have done something then and there... I'm so sorry Soleil. But you don't have to worry any more. You're safe from now on. Both of you." It was late, so Bertolt's parents had already went to bed by the time the trio got to his house. After unlocking the door and letting the girls in, he grinned. "Come see this." He led the two to his room, where he had cleaned everything up and changed the blankets and the such. "I fixed up my room so that you two could stay in here. There's only one bed , I'm sorry about that.. Do you mind sharing ? I'll be sleeping in the living room." Bertolt explained.

((YAY I'M GLAD YOU LIKED IT :D))

Gaku nearly choked when Lila stated that she thought they were quite cute together, too. Was... Was she just teasing him? That must be! Or she was just being nice because their students were here now, too. Ah, Gaku almost wished that Lila wouldn't say such things, for they were definitely bad for his heart-! He never was good around women... The black haired man had to remind himself that he was an adult, so it was silly to play his crush out as a schoolgirl would. He liked Lila, so he ought to say something. That way, at least he'd know if he had a chance with her... A-And since Lila didn't seem disgusted by the thought of being in a couple with him, then surely he ought to at least try? It took Gaku an embarrassingly long time to think of something to say, so really, only when Lila asked him what he thought was the man pulled out from his thoughts and fantasies. "Y-Yes, of course," Gaku smiled pleasantly, though the bright blush was ever present on his face. He hoped his students didn't know what that meant... "I'd miss you all too much. I'm definitely not going anywhere." Of course, Gaku was earnest when he said this, he really did like his students so he didn't have a reason to want to stop teaching. But alongside that, he would also be able to spend more time with Lila! Even if... Even if nothing worked out and she rejected him, Gaku would at least be able to see her at work. That had to be good enough. The children, too, seemed more than happy with that answer. "Good! In that case, you have my blessing to get married." One of the kids said. A couple others nodded in agreement in a chorus of "yeah!"s. One of the little girls looked up at Lila with large eyes, "I saw a stork flying yesterday. Do you think it'll bring you a baby?" Gaku nearly choked - again. "Storks only visit married couples." He quickly explained. Well, that wasn't true - you didn't need to be married to have a child - but then again, the whole stork thing wasn't true, either, and Gaku definitely wasn't about to explain to these kids what sex was. "Don't you want to go order already?" Gaku suggested gently. The kids nodded eagerly, almost as if they had forgotten they came into this café to eat, and rushed off after saying bye to their teachers.

~

Soleil didn't like the idea of going outside in the middle of the night, especially when she was in such a poor condition. Honestly, she was quite ticked at her sister for all this nonsense, but even with some harsher words, Elianne stayed strong and insisted that they go outside, that this was important. If it was important, Soleil decided, then she'd just have to trust her little sister-! So the girl dressed (and took her phone with her - unbeknownst to her, Elianne had packed some essentials of both sisters, such as toothbrushes and the like) and went outside. The brunette couldn't have been more surprised - and confused - to see Bertolt standing there. "Wha...?" Soleil mumbled. It's not as though she was unhappy to see him, or that she didn't trust him, but one had to admit that it was strange to see him in front of her house at this time of night. Maybe this was because of her weakened state right now, along with the fact that it was the middle of the night, but Soleil didn't protest when the boy took them away. Even as confused as she was, she knew that Bertolt meant well... as did Elianne. She didn't know what to say... Bertolt was taking them away from this horrible place-! She was more than grateful... After what seemed like forever, they arrived at Bertolt's house and snuck in quietly. "Thank you," Soleil said quietly, looking at the room he prepared, "for everything. Really." Elianne seemed to be in a wonderful mood, despite the fact that she was practically falling asleep on her feet. "Mm, we'll share a bed! Don't worry, Sol, with Bertolt helping us we'll definitely be okay!" Soleil looked up at the man and smiled, "Yes... I'm sure it will. ...Thank you. And good night. Let's discuss this more in the morning."

((GAKU IS SOOOOOOOO ADORABLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE))

Lila was pretty sure that her cheeks were completely flushed, so although she wanted to tease Gaku about his own, she knew she couldn't. Ah.. at least that meant that he couldn't tease her about it either-! "O-Oh, Th-Thank you." The woman stammered out sheepishly with a nervous laugh as the kids gave their blessings. Ah.. poor Gaku! He couldn't even speak , he was so flustered ! Although it was absolutely adorable, Lila felt a little bad. It made her really happy that Gaku didn't disregard the kid's words. Did this mean that he liked her? Or maybe he was just too embarrassed to say anything.. When one of the fifth graders asked if a stork would bring the two a baby, Lila's face practically exploded in a bright shade of pink. "H-H-Huh?" She squeaked. Luckily for her, Gaku answered before she had to, and soon enough the group of kids left. When she was left alone with the man once more, she gave him a sheepish smile. "G-Gaku, do you know how to make coffee foam a-art?" She asked , pulling her cup of coffee a bit closer to her. (1) She took a toothpick and concentrated on her coffee as she made designs in the foam. Ah.. what should she make ? In all honesty she was doing this to distract herself from her dark blush , but she involuntarily found herself wanting to simply go all out and confess how she felt for Gaku. Now was as good a time as ever, right -? She made her design in the coffee before quickly pushing it forward for Gaku to see before she could change her mind or lose her bravery. After she allowed Gaku to see, she stayed silent. In the coffee foam was an intricate "I ♡ U" design. She probably could've made it nicer, but at this point, she was just so anxious ..

Bertolt felt immense joy when Soleil and Elianne were safely in his house. Now.. now nothing would be able to hurt them. From what the male knew, the girl's foster parents wouldn't try to hurt them if they weren't in the privacy of their own home. So now... now everything would be okay. If the girl's foster parents tried to find them, then Bertolt would go a step further. If they didn't bother.. well, Bertolt would still inform the authorities of the abuse. It would be easy to prove too, since Elianne and surely even Soleil would speak up now-! "You're both welcome here. So don't worry about anything anymore , and rest well." Bertolt said softly , watching as the sister retreated into his room. He.. he honestly felt a little giddy. Now they would be free of that awful abuse. He was so, so glad that Soleil had come along and agreed to it. She had thanked him profusely as well.. How bad had the abuse been? He could see a lot if bruises and even cuts on her... Bertolt clenched his fists at his side. How could people be so cruel -? He... he couldn't help but want revenge for the girls. But unfortunately, he couldn't do that, otherwise he'd probably be put away.. "Good night." He called out softly ,though he wasn't sure if anyone heard... When morning came , Bertolt found himself getting up a lot earlier than usual. He was a bit confused as to why he was sleeping (half way off) the couch, but his memory of last nignt quickly returned to him. With a small smile on his face, the tall male went to wash up and get ready for the day. He was about to go make some breakfast, but it seemed as if his mother beat him to it. "I woke up earlier because of our guests." His mother smiled as she cooked. "Ah.. thanks mom." Bertolt smiled , then went to knock on his bedroom door.

(1) I forgot if she ordered coffee but hehe let's say she did okok

Soleil woke up the next morning quite confused. It took her a moment to remember that she wasn't in her own bed, but rather in Bertolt's, after what happened last night. Ah... it smelled nice. His entire room was really nice and put the girl at ease. It flustered Soleil just a little bit to stay at Bertolt's place, especially to sleep in his bed and shower in his bathroom, but... it was a pleasant sort of fluster, if anything.Elianne was still sleeping when Soleil woke up, and the brunette decided to let her sleep some more. From what she understood, the girls would stay at Bertolt's house all day, since if they went to school, their foster parents could easily just call a teacher and realise the girls were fine. A soft knock on the door grabbed Soleil's attention, and she opened it to see her favourite tall person. "Good morning," the girl smiled a little, "Did you sleep well? Ah... I'm sorry, it's because of us that you have to sleep on the couch..." The two of them made a bit of conversation, but after a while, Soleil's expression sobered quite a bit and she looked up at Bertolt with downcast eyes. "Hey... Can I ask you something? ...What are you trying to do by all this?" She hated to bring something like this up after everything Bertolt did for them already, but it's not as though Soleil could just ignore it. "If this works, then child services will take me and Eli away somewhere else. I... I'll be 18 next year, so all this time I was thinking..." Despite herself, Soleil found that her voice was beginning to crack,"I just have to endure one more year of this... A-And then I'll be Eli's legal guardian..."

Soleil woke up the next morning quite confused. It took her a moment to remember that she wasn't in her own bed, but rather in Bertolt's, after what happened last night. Ah... it smelled nice. His entire room was really nice and put the girl at ease. It flustered Soleil just a little bit to stay at Bertolt's place, especially to sleep in his bed and shower in his bathroom, but... it was a pleasant sort of fluster, if anything.Elianne was still sleeping when Soleil woke up, and the brunette decided to let her sleep some more. From what she understood, the girls would stay at Bertolt's house all day, since if they went to school, their foster parents could easily just call a teacher and realise the girls were fine. A soft knock on the door grabbed Soleil's attention, and she opened it to see her favourite tall person. "Good morning," the girl smiled a little, "Did you sleep well? Ah... I'm sorry, it's because of us that you have to sleep on the couch..." The two of them made a bit of conversation, but after a while, Soleil's expression sobered quite a bit and she looked up at Bertolt with downcast eyes. "Hey... Can I ask you something? ...What are you trying to do by all this?" She hated to bring something like this up after everything Bertolt did for them already, but it's not as though Soleil could just ignore it. "If this works, then child services will take me and Eli away somewhere else. I... I'll be 18 next year, so all this time I was thinking..." Despite herself, Soleil found that her voice was beginning to crack,"I just have to endure one more year of this... A-And then I'll be Eli's legal guardian..."

In all honesty , Lila felt as if her heart were about to explode or give out from beating so quickly against her chest. Her face was completely flushed at this point, though she still forced herself to look across at Gaku as he gazed into the cup of coffee she had passed to him. It felt like forever since he spoke up-! Ah, at least Lila was given the pleasure of seeing that adorable blush on Gaku's features as she waited ♡. When the dark haired man finally spoke, saying that he loved her, Lila's eyes widened. Although she had sort of thought he might love her too, the woman was so shocked and awed at Gaku's sweet words. Figuring that she ought to say something , Lila finally found the courage to speak, "I.. I love you too~." She hummed, albeit quite sheepishly. Despite her huge blush, the woman was smiled so much that her cheeks became sore. "Ahah.. don't worry Gaku , I'll be sure to tell you that every day ♡... Im all yours-!" Lila assured the man. Yes, her heart felt like it was going to give out from her joy. At least if she died now, she'd be infinitely happy -! "Please tell me that you love me lots and lots often , okay? That'll make me really happy~." The woman felt positively love drunk ! "You should drink that coffee before it gets too cold you know! Oh.. you ought to take a picture so that you'll always remember this special day~" Lila beamed.

((Uhm to be honest I really don't know about child services and what happens after so the part where Soleil said she'd be Elianne's legal guardian confused me a little and I'm really sorry about that qoq Uhm so what I wrote might not make sense but I honestly didn't get it , I'm sorry!! I'll ask you to explain it anyway hehe but for nowww--))

Bertolt gave Soleil a small smile, perhaps one that hide a bit of sheepishness. Ah.. right now he was alone with Soleil as everyone else slept, and that thought made the man blush a little.. Though when the female began to speak, he realized that how wasn't the time for that. With wide eyes , the male simply gazed at Soleil. She looked.. almost scared, and in all honesty , the male wanted nothing more but to take her and hold her close... "Soleil." Bertolt said softly, reaching down to take her hands in his. They were soft and almost delicate , but he knew just how strong she was. "You don't have to worry about anything.. if anything, you can stay here with us. My parents will be more than happy to keep you here and talk to the child services to work something out. You don't have to endure any more pain. So please.. don't worry anymore about anything. We're all here to keep you and Elianne safe and happy." Bertolt promised softly, his tone kind but Stern. That's right .. he wanted nothing more than to make these girls happy-! "Enjoy yourself , okay? Please. You've been through so, so much.." Bertolt murmured, a frown gracing his lips. "So now it's time for you to relax and enjoy yourself." The male couldn't even imagine how much she and her sister have been though. If only she had said something sooner -! His only regret was that he hadn't been able to get them out of that awful place sooner..

Gaku was still half certain that this was all a dream, some wonderful fantasy that he had imagined. But the heat on his cheeks felt so real, and Lila's smile was so beautiful, that surely this couldn't just be a figment of imagination. Joy soared through the teacher's body, through ever vein in him, filling him with an almost intoxicating feeling in the base of his stomach. Lila... Lila loved him! She returned his feelings! And now she'd be his and he'd be hers, for however long they'd have each other. No words could describe the happiness Gaku felt at this very moment. "I love you, Lila," Gaku repeated with a huge, almost goofy smile. He wanted to hear those words over and over again, both from himself and from his beloved. Though they were just three simple words, they carried so much happiness in them...! Slowly, Gaku leaned in closer to the woman and reached up a hand to gently cup her cheek. "Lila... May I kiss you?" Gaku whispered. They were close enough for his breath to tickle against Lila's skin, but they weren't quite one yet... Oh, how Gaku wanted to kiss her! It was all he could think of right now, and he really had to restrain himself from doing so right this very moment. He had no doubt that Lila would agree, but it felt better, somehow, to ask anyway. He wanted to hear her gentle voice, to see those soft lips move before he'd lean in and kiss them... There was so much love in his body right now, that Gaku knew he wouldn't be able to just keep it in. He wanted to share it with his beloved-!

~

Soleil glanced up at Bertolt for a moment before returning her gaze to the ground when he took her hand into his. His hand was much larger than hers, but if anything, that just made her feel safer, as though she could lose herself in his warmth and kindness. Ah... Really, Soleil wanted to be in his arms, to cry all her worries out and then maybe the world would be okay again. She didn't do anything, though, nor step up to him nor say anything. Whether it was from some sort of shyness or just the fact that she didn't want him to see her in tears again, she didn't know. "Thank you," Soleil sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, "For everything." She's said that before, but these words and feelings were so, so important, she really felt the need to say them so often. Without Bertolt, who knows where she and her sister would be? What sort of situations they'd come across. That's right, for now she just had to focus on the present. After all of this was over, she could worry about what was to come after. She wanted to believe that they were safe now, that everything would be okay. If she believed that hard enough, wouldn't it become the truth? Suddenly feeling very sheepish, Soleil realised that she was still holding onto Bertolt's hand. A blush ran up her cheeks and she gently (and reluctantly) pulled away, feeling embarrassed for coming undone at such a moment. Changing the topic seemed like the best course of actions now... "I-I'll go wake up Eli to get dressed a-and all that." Soleil stated. Her eyes flitted up to Bertolt again, "Did you want to something?"

Lila's heart skipped about a dozen beats as Gaku slowly leaned in. Th-They were so close-! The woman nearly forgot that they were in the midst of a café , in public. But really, what did it matter? Lila loved Gaku with all her heart. Right now it was just the two of them in their own little world ... ♡ The woman's heart still felt as if it would give out, though. It was hammering so quickly against her chest -! She wondered, for a moment, if Gaku could hear it as well. His sweet question , said in a gentle whisper, sent a shudder down the woman's spine. It took a few seconds for her to gather up her courage, but it was clear from her expression that she wanted to be kissed. Wouldn't that be the sweetest -? Much tastier than all those cakes and cookies on display! "Y-Yes." Lila stammered, her voice just above a whisper as her blush darkened considerably. Yes, she definitely wanted this-! His hand against the skin of her cheek felt so very pleasant, so utterly lovely -! The woman allowed her eyes to close (1) , then gently leaned forward to meet the man's lips halfway. She.. she definitely wasn't experienced in this, but -! She loved it so very much... It was definitely the sweetest thing she's ever tasted. His lips melted against hers so perfectly , as if they were meant for each other ! And.. they found each other again after so long. Perhaps such a thing as fate truly did exist -! This kiss was loving and sweet and lingering; Lila tried her best to convey all of her feelings in it. Only when Lila needed to break away for air did she pull away. "A-Ah.." A dark blush was plastered across the woman's features as she gazed at her lover sheepishly.

Bertolt had always been the person who tended to blend in with his surroundings. He wasn't exceptional at anything , and he was fine with that, but... knowing that he had helped Soleil and her sister get out of such an awful position really did something to him. And more than anything, he was just so, so happy that they were safe now. He .. he was thrilled that the girls could live now without fear of their foster parents. Really, he couldn't be happier -! Ah.. but how long had the girls been suffering ? Just thinking about that hurt Bertolt. He had seen Soleil before that project that they were assigned to do together. She used to come late to school then, too. That means.. back then, she had been in pain, and he had been none the wiser. It pained Bertolt to think of that, but he knew his pain was nothing compared to what Soleil and Elianne had to endure... "You're so brave." Bertolt said all of a sudden, a small smile on his face. "I.. Wouldn't have been able to go through that. I admire you so much Soleil. You endured so much , but now that's all over. You don't have to worry anymore , I promise." The male said confidently, then let his hands fall to his sides (once Soleil let go). Ah.. her hands had been so warm ... And his too. He hoped she didn't realize that his hands were kinda sweaty.. ((xD)) The male del his face flush a little. "O-Of course. Take your time-! Breakfast will be ready soon! Then.. ah.. perhaps it's best if you stay indoors for a while. We can do something together to pass time time if you'd like.."

"Bertolt-" Soleil reached out her hand as if to touch him, but then stopped herself and let her hand and gaze fall back down, "Ah... I-It's nothing, sorry." There was a part of the girl that wanted to tell him something more, that wanted to rely on him even more, but Soleil had allowed herself to get caught up in a moment of hesitation. Ah... She'd try again later, maybe with a little more courage... She hoped that a good opportunity for this would come up soon again! "I-I'll be downstairs soon, then! And yes, I'm sure we'll think of something fun to do." Soleil watched as Bertolt left, and then closed the door behind him before she turned to her sister's sleeping figure in the bed. The brunette walked over to her and gently shook her awake. Elianne sat up in the bed, yawning. "Come on, let's get you dressed and ready." Soleil hummed. Eli clearly wasn't too happy about that, but mumbled something incoherent under her breath and went to change anyway. Once all of that was done and over with, the two girls left to go downstairs to the kitchen. "Good morning," Soleil smiled when she saw Bertolt's mom as well, albeit a little shyly. Though she knew her friend's parents pretty well at this point, she still didn't particularly want them to find out about what's been going on... That was impossible though, right? Well, at least all of Soleil's bruises were covered up. "It smells delicious. Can I Help with anything?" She offered. Soon enough breakfast was ready and everyone sat down to share the meal.

((This is perfect ! ^7^))

A while has passed since Lila and Gaku have gotten together , and really, she couldn't be happier. She had nearly forgotten all about the situation she was in... Honestly, she was just too happy ! Plus she felt so safe by the man's side. Currently , the couple was walking back to Gaku's house. At this point in time though, the man insisted on referring to it as "their house" rather than "his house". "A quick dinner? Are you busy afterwards?" Lila mused curiously as her lover spoke up. She walked a bit ahead of him, then turned around to face him as they walked so that she was walking backwards. "Ooh , I bet you're just excited to see how well our students did on their tests! We can eat something quick then." Lila nodded, a delighted grin spread across her features. The woman noticed something - a shadow of someone in the distance, behind Gaku a little ways away - , causing her eyes to flicker in that direction and stay silent for a moment. Ah.. she must've been imagining things , because there was no one nearby at all.. Lila focused her gaze back on her lover and grinned, though nearly stumbled when her back hit a sign. "Ahaha.. I guess walking this way isn't such a good idea." The woman laughed sheepishly, then turned back around to walk beside the man instead. "I can make us some spaghetti at home, Gaku! It's quick to make and fun to eat~." She laughed, obviously in a delighted mood. Well.. she was always happy with Gaku by her side!

Bertolt was a little surprised when Soleil suddenly called out his name. "Yes?" Was there something more she wanted to say? Ah.. but before he could find out what was on her mind, she shook her head and took it back. "Ah .. if there's anything you need at all, don't hesitate to let me know -!" Bertolt would do his best to make her happy. And her sister of course, but there was no doubt that the male had rather strong feelings towards Soleil ... He wouldn't push the subject, in any case. The male would wait until she was ready to tell him whatever she needed to tell him! With that, he told the female he'd see her at breakfast, then retreated into the bathroom to wash up and all of that. When he was done , both Soleil and Elianne were in the kitchen with his mother. "What a kind young lady you are! But don't you worry dear, breakfast is ready. Take a seat and I'll set everything out." His mother smed warmly as Bertolt sat down as well. Today, she made a whole feast of food . Pancakes, eggs, and even French toast was set out as well as some hashbrowns. Ah.. his mother went all out for the guests they had! "Mornin' ladies, Bertolt. " His father smiled as he came out into the kitchen. He gave his wife a kiss on the cheek and wished her a good morning before taking his breakfast to go and leaving for work. "Bertolt, I might have to run to the store later if you don't mind." His mother stated as she sat down with the small group. "Is everything good? Oh, have some orange juice or some tea if you'd like!"

Gaku laughed endearingly at Lila's words. "Of course I'm excited to see their work. I have a feeling they did really well on this test!" Gaku smiled, "But there's another reason, actually. I have a, a doctor's appointment today. Just a checkup, don't worry." The black haired man actually had something completely different in mind, but he figured this was a good excuse. Claiming that he had a work-related meeting would mean Lila would have to "attend it" too, so that was out of the question. Sure, it was strange that he hadn't previously mentioned a doctor's appointment before, no matter how small it was, but maybe Lila would overlook that? Seeing her run backwards into that pole snapped Gaku out of his thoughts, though, and at once a concerned expression grew on his face. "Are you alright?" He questioned, wrapping his arm gingerly around her waist. Gaku sighed - though it was meant in an endearing way - "My, what am i supposed to do with you, hm?" He placed a kiss on her temple. Ah... The man wished that these happy days could last forever~ "Spaghetti sounds wonderful." Gaku smiled. "I'll help you make it - it'll be faster that way. Besides, I love cooking with you~" Alright, Gaku wasn't necessarily the best at cooking... but he could always cut some vegetables or clean up afterwards. In any case, he loved spending any and all of his time with Lila, and cooking together was usually a time filled with giggles and smiles. Yes, Gaku thought to himself, he'd definitely do everything in his power to protect that wonderful smile of Lila's. Though Gaku couldn't sense anything behind them anymore, he still couldn't shake off that tense feeling that someone was following them... Soon enough, the couple arrived back at their house and Gaku locked the door behind them, just for good measure.

"A.. doctors appointment? Is everything alright?" Lila asked her lover, a concerned expression spread across her features. Ah.. that was strange. Surely Gaku would have mentioned it before ? Maybe he had just forgotten -? ...No, that sounded strange. The man had excellent memory ! Then.. what was the matter ? Was he hiding something..? Lila knew for a fact that Gaku was earnest and that he'd never do anything to hurt her. So.. Maybe there was something wrong? As his lover, she would support him all the way -! The woman smiled widely and even giggled a little when her beloved kissed her forehead. "Aren't I such a handfull?" She laughed. Well.. she really was, but she knew that Gaku probably wouldn't agree. "Oh yes, let's cook together ! That's always so much fun!" Lila agreed full heartedly with a a laugh. The couple quickly arrived at home and then set to work on making dinner. "Wouldn't it be fun to have colorful noodles?" Lila mused curiously as she started to boil the noodles and mix the sauce. It wasn't long before the two were sitting down at the table to eat. "We always make the yummiest food together !" Lila beamed as she tasted some of the spaghetti. "It'd be nice if we could recreate the Lady and the Tramp scene that our students mentioned.." The woman giggled , giving her lover a wink before adding, "But this is fine too! ...Say 'ah'!" She hummed, leaning forward to feed Gaku some of the pasta. "Yummy, right ?" She smiled warmly. "Feed me too~." And with that, the two ate and shared their food until they were finished. "..Are you leaving now? I'll clean up here, don't worry! Hurry back, okay? I love you~." Lila cooed, leaning up to press a kiss against the man's cheek.

Bertolt felt a little giddy , in all honesty. Seeing Soleil and her little sister so happy made him ecstatic ! The male couldn't help but to laugh softly when he saw Elianne stack pancakes onto her plate. What a warm atmosphere -! Breakfast was wonderful , and in all honesty, Bertolt forgot that it was actually a school day.. "Bertl, why don't you take today off? It'd be rude to leave your guests here without their host." His mother suggested. Only then did he remember school. "A-Ah.. Okay -! I'm sure Reiner could come over and give the homework." Though Bertolt had to admit that he wasn't too thrilled about inviting his best friend over at the moment. He would tease him for sure ! After the cleanup , Bertolt's mother left to run to the store. "I'll bring back something nice for everyone. Have fun!" His mom called out before leaving. Bertolt was a little embarrassed to be alone in his house with Soleil (and her sister) but.. "Hey.. want to play a board game then? How about monopoly ?" He laughed, going into his room to take the game out. "I'm not very good at it, but let's do our best! Uhm.. my mom bought me the spongebob version.. heh." The male laughed sheepishly , blushing a little as he set the game down. He was a little embarrassed at having a game so childish , but... well, everyone liked spongebob , right? Bertolt took the board out of the box and began setting all the pieces out. "Who wants to be the Banker ?" He asked with a smile. (1)

(1) I'm so sorry this was short ! Should we timeskip to the confession -? Also you put a (1) in yours without a footnote like I did before xD

((Ooh that sounds really cute hehe ^^ Bertolt is so happy that you love him so :') ))

Lila hummed in delight as she was given another kiss from Gaku. Really, there was nothing sweeter than the feeling of being loved and pampered ! "Be safe!" Lila called out as he left, waiting for a while afterwards, just watching him walk away. "Doctors appointment huh...?" Lila mused. It.. it just felt so strange to the woman that the man would forget about a check up like this. And what a strange time to set it up, too... Moreover , surely Gaku wouldn't have minded if she were to come ? She knew for a fact that Gaku would never cheat on her, so what was going on -? The nagging feeling in her chest told her that he wasn't going to the doctors office. So, without thinking , Lila slipped on her shoes and left the house as well. She could see Gaku all the way in the distance.. if she tailed him from this far, surely he wouldn't notice her ! And it was getting late anyway, so the cover of the night would help her. She.. she wasn't sure why she was following Gaku , and she didn't know what she'd tell him if he found out, but she just couldn't sit at home all paranoid like this. With that in mind, she followed the man, keeping her distance. As she suspected, he didn't even go in the direction of the doctors office... Where was he going? And Lila also realized what a terrible liar Gaku was. Adults didn't need regular checkups , right ? Unless they had some sort of sickness, but she was sure that Gaku was healthy ! She'd have to scold him at home for using such an awful excuse !

Bertolt honestly couldn't be happier. He had a lot of fun with Elianne and Soleil (though he lost monopoly terribly) , and it seemed like the girls had a lot of fun as well ! Later in the evening , once Bertolt had finished his homework and everyone was asleep, Soleil suggested to watch a movie together. "O-Oh.. sure!" The tall male said with a sheepish smile. Watch a movie alone with Soleil ? How could this night get any better -? Well.. there was something, but the thought alone made his cheeks flush a little. The two quickly picked out a movie and turned it on before sitting on the couch together. In all honesty, Bertolt couldn't concentrate on the movie at all. Every part of him was focused on the fact that Soleil was right next to him, so close -! He was sure that his face was flushed completely. Bertolt was a little surprised when Soleil suddenly spoke up, interrupting his thoughts (of her). "I.. I was really happy when we got paired together , too..!" Bertolt admitted sheepishly, forcing himself to look at the woman beside him despite how embarrassed he was. "Reiner kept teasing me about it, too.." did that give too much away-? The man's heart was racing - he could hear it hammering against his chest! - at the girls sweet words.. And then, they only got ever sweeter, until she said those few words that Bertolt couldn't even comprehend at first. "Like... m-me ..?" He stammered. Was he dreaming ? No, Soleil was right there beside him... D-did this mean-?? The man's heart practically exploded with joy-! "I..I-I really like you a-a lot too, S-Soleil .. f-for such a long time , but I never had the confidence to say anything.." He said softly , managing to keep his stuttering to a minimum. By now, the movie was almost totally forgotten..

((Maybe not in America but in other places it's good for adults to have regular check ups too!! Like every 6 months I think. Barely anyone does it that often, but it's ideal :p Also do you want to give the stalker a name?? Appearance?? Add in something if you'd like!! And change whatever you want quq))

It didn't take long for Gaku to find him. Sure, it wasn't particularly easy for the black haired man to find the perpetrator when he didn't even know what he looked like, but just by being aware of a presence made it much easier to notice it. He first realised a figure hiding amongst bushes. It disappeared out of his sight just as quickly as it had appeared, but he saw the gleam of a camera lens before the figure moved away. Apparently the man had seen him, too, and began to move away from Lila's direction in hopes of not getting caught... But Gaku wouldn't allow it. Not to get away without a punishment, at least. Though for a while the teacher couldn't see the stalker all the time, he could hear twigs and leaves crackle softly under his footsteps, which made it easy for Gaku to track him. Soon enough, the stalker seemed to realise he was being followed and began to run, but Gaku only did the same, keeping close on the man's track, never letting him out of sight. The man finally ran into a small cabin, with Gaku still hot on his track. He ran in as well, so now both men were in the same room. He could finally get a good look on this horrible man - and at the room. It sickened him. There were pictures of Lila tacked up on all four walls, covering almost the entirety of the wall. Most were of her sleeping, or changing, or bathing. A couple pictures were of Lila and Gaku together, but Gaku's face had been mutilated, cut out, scribbled over or slashed into ribbons with a knife. "You want to fight?" The man snapped, "Fine! Let's settle this once and for all! You messed up my entire plan, bastard! I warned you before, but you were too stuck up to listen. I'll make sure you regret getting in my way-!" Gaku pressed his lips into a thin line. The man was right: it was best to settle this now. But he was wrong in one regard: Gaku would be the one to leave victorious. "You piece of sh*t... I won't forgive you for what you did." Gaku spat, voice wavering with emotion. He ran up closer to the stalker and slugged him with as much power as he could muster, "Trash like you sickens me the most!"

~

It felt like forever had passed before Bertolt gave his answer. Ah... It's not as though Soleil was expecting much, but she really was hoping for the best anyway-! Those few seconds of waiting were so tense, so stressful, so that when Bertolt replied, saying that he, too, felt the same, that he liked her, it felt as though Soleil's heart would explode. He meant that, then? Ah... Hearing those words brought a broad smile onto Soleil's face as well as a warmth to her entire body. "I... That makes me really happy," Soleil admitted, absentmindedly twirling some strands of her hair between her fingers. Though part of Soleil felt as though she could jump with joy right now, the atmosphere and time of the night made her feel more of a peaceful happy than an ecstatic one. It was just as pleasant, filling her entire body with warmth, but she felt no need to do anything drastic now. As long as she could share this moment with Bertolt, as long as they were together, she was happy. That was good enough. The girl leaned her head against Bertolt's shoulder and moved her hand so that it was on top of his. "Is this... okay?" She whispered, cuddling up gently against him. Though she really wanted to intertwine their fingers, the girl stopped herself in case he didn't want to yet. Besides, even this was pleasant enough~ The movie served as perfect background noise, and while Soleil was sort of watching it, her thoughts were entirely on Bertolt. Feeling safe and happy and loved, Soleil felt as though she could fall asleep right here and now.

((Yeah I think people should get checkups often but (at least here) it's sooo expensive to get a checkup ^^" and I dunno if this is true for a lot of people but neither of my parents have a doctor that they go to ?? I can't remember the last time any of my parents went to a doctor , let alone get a checkup ! But yeah you're right !! And this is perfect thank you *7* I don't really mind if he's nameless tbh so this is perfect !))

Following Gaku only confused Lila more and more with time. She had to cut through grass and bushes , and at some point her lover even took off in a run. Not wanting to lose him , she sped up too and followed him (though still kept a safe distance). What in the world was Gaku doing -? She had no idea, and she couldn't see well enough since he was quite a ways ahead of her. Not to mention the fact that it was late and not brightly lit. The woman was tempted to call out to him, to ask where he was going in such a rush, but decided against it and simply continued to follow him. He ended up running into a lonely cabin. The woman paused before the building, glancing up at it for a moment before warily following Gaku inside as quietly as possible. Her heart was racing - both from running and from fear - but she tried to stay silent. She could hear the voice of a man in the next room, but from where she stood, she couldn't see anything. His harsh words dripped with malice, making her face pale. H-He would hurt Gaku-! Why.. why had Gaku chased him though? Who was this man? What plan was he talking about...? A shudder ran down Lila's spine as she risked a quick glance in the room her lover was in. Th-Those pictures -! She covered her mouth to hold in a horrified gasp and quickly went back into hiding. Her blood ran cold and she felt sick after seeing what was in that room, tacked to those walls-! Everywhere.. pictures of her. Bathing and changing and sleeping .. thousands of them-! She.. she had always felt wary at home, as if she were being watched , but.. she had no idea how long this had been going on. The thought sickened her immensely, and the sight of Gaku's cut out faces in some of the pictures horrified her. This.. this was her stalker , the one who had threatened Gaku-! Wh-What was he doing -? Didn't he know how dangerous this was ? If something happened to him-! When she heard his voice , cold and dripping with hatred, she peeked around again only to see her lover slug the man across the face. For a slight moment , her eyes widened with awe. Gaku was really strong -!

Bertolt felt his face flush (even more than before if that was possible) when Soleil leaned closer to him, cuddling against him. She.. S-she was so soft, so warm -! The male was sure that his heart would burst at the rate it was hammering against his chest. He wondered... could she hear his heart ? Ah.. as embarrassing as it was, he thought , he wanted to let her hear it. Let her see how much Bertolt cared for him-! Realizing that he hadn't answered her question, he murmured softly , "Y-Yes.. O-Of course." He was unable to keep that stammer out of his voice, but it was clear that he was simply ecstatic. He wished he could say everything that was on his mind, but he knew that words weren't enough. Still.. he didn't want to do anything too quickly. For now.. this was perfect. Knowing that Soleil liked him just as he did her .. that alone was enough to make him happy. And her close proximity and warmth and love filled his entire being -! He would never forget this feeling. "I'll always be here... to protect you Soleil .. you don't have to go through anything alone." He said softly , cheeks still flushed. At least he managed to tone down the stammering somewhat -! He noticed , after a while, that Soleil was drifting off to sleep. So he reached out - as quietly and gently as possible - to turn off the TV . It was okay to stay here like this, right? Yes.. he'd embrace this moment. "Sleep well. " Bertolt said softly , nuzzling against her with a sheepish smile. He watched her for a while, ecstatic still and unable to sleep, before leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss against her forehead as she slept. Ah.. even that was wonderful -! He .. loved Soleil. He loved her so, so much -! He would protect her no matter what. He would make sure of it. He was so glad that he had gotten her out of that hell... "Goodnight Soleil. " He said softly , before finally drifting off to sleep with her.

((Okay, I'm glad this is fine!! But as always, change whatever you'd like!))

As disgusting as the stalker was, he really wasn't very strong. Blood was streaming out of his nose - most likely broken - after the first punch Gaku gave him, but the teacher wasn't done with him yet, no. There'd be no mercy for scum like him. "How do you like that-?" Gaku spat, slugging the man again before he could even regain equilibrium after the first hit. Another punch and the man was lying down on the floor, groaning in pain. Blood soaked into the wooden floorboards of the cabin below. Knowing that the stalker couldn't possibly go anywhere anymore, no matter how much he struggled and tried to fight back, Gaku took his time in coming over to where he lay curled up on the ground. The black haired man kicked him in the stomach, making him lie down flat on his back before pressing his foot and weight onto the man's chest. A crazed smile grew on Gaku's lips, "Tell me," he hummed, "What should I do with you? There's no punishment painful enough to make up for what you did... But I suppose I can come pretty close~" The stalker groaned loudly when Gaku kicked him - hard! - in the stomach. He leaned down and grabbed a fistful of the other man's hair, pulling him up by it to the point that he was practically suspended in the air. "P-Please," the man begged, his voice thick with tears and his face swollen and bloody, "Please, h-have mercy..." Gaku spat. "You don't deserve any mercy. Lila... is my angel. You've gone and tainted my beloved, trying to cage her. I promised her... I promised myself... That I would protect her no matter what. She's what I live for-! So go on. Give me one reason as to why I shouldn't kill you right here and right now."

~

((I'm timeskipping because I don't know what else to do mm))

Soleil woke up earlier than usual, probably because of the uncomfortable position she was in. For half a moment, the girl had was absolutely confused as to why she was sleeping in such a strange position, and why she wasn't in bed, but rather on the couch. But a warm (and sprawled out and sweaty) form reminded her of last night, and at once a smile grew on her face. Bertolt-! That's right, she confessed to him yesterday, and he reciprocated her feeling... Could anything be more wonderful? The brunette got off the couch, stretching her limbs, and then looked down at the tall man still sleeping. "Good morning," she hummed softly. Soleil didn't really want to wake him, for he looked so peaceful while asleep, but Bertolt still had to go to school today, so it was best that he wasn't late. The brunette leaned down to gently shake him awake, and after a couple tries his eyes opened. "Hey there," she smiled, running a hand through her messy hair. Some sounds from upstairs indicated that Bertolt's parents were also getting ready for the day, so it was good that Soleil got off of Bertolt. She didn't personally mind if his parents knew, but she didn't want to upset them, as their guest, by sleeping on their son. Who knew how they'd react? Yes, it'd be much better to tell them verbally instead of showing them. Since Soleil wasn't going to school today, either, she'd go and clean herself up later, after Bertolt left for school. Elianne was still asleep, since there was no reason for her to wake up.

((Gaku's sad*stic expression ♡♡♡ AND WAH HE'S SO SWEET OMG))

Again, Lila peeked around the corner so that she could watch what was going on. Gaku definitely had the upper hand, it seemed; the man he was fighting stood no chance against her lover ! Ah.. she was so glad that he wouldn't get hurt.. Letting her guard down a little, the dark haired woman changed her position so that she could get a better look at the scene playing out before her. She could see the man now, bloodied and on the floor. So.. he had been the one stalking her -? Seeing all of those pictures on the wall made Lila shudder again, but she forced herself to focus on Gaku instead. Her lover's tone... it was so cold -! Gaku hated that man... for Lila's sake. And.. and his words! The content of them were so loving and kind. He referred to her as.. his angel , his reason for living. Gaku loved her that much.. Her heart fluttered at the thought ! From the angle she stood in, she could slightly see her lover's expression... and oh, it was gorgeous! Now definitely wasn't the time to think of his gorgeous expression, but Lila couldn't help but to feel all tingly inside because of it! All that aside.. Lila wondered what she should do. That stalker.. ah.. he definitely deserved to die-! But Gaku.. Surely he'd get into trouble.. She hated the stalker with all her being, but she didn't want Gaku to get into trouble -! With that in mind, Lila took a small breath of air and walked forward, wrapping her arms around Gaku from behind. "I.. I don't want you to get in trouble, Gaku.." She murmured softly.

Bertolt was pretty sure that he had never slept better than he had that night. Although it wasn't the most comfortable position, he had slept so well -! Probably because throughout the entirety of the night, somewhere in the back of his mind, he had known that Soleil was his now and that she liked him. What could be more pleasant -? The brunette wasn't sure that things could possibly get any better than this. A soft voice - as well as the feeling of someone shaking him - roused the male from sleep. He slowly opened his eyes, letting out a small yawn as he did so. "Ah.." He stretched somewhat , noticing at the same time how weirdly he had been positioned. It took the male a couple of moments to recall the events of the night before. "S-Soleil.. good morning..!" He said, blushing faintly. That's right.. the two had been sleeping next to each other on the couch for the entire night. That in itself made the brunette blush. "Did you sleep well-? I.. I slept wonderfully." Bertolt said rather sheepishly. After a couple moments, he got up. How wonderful it was to wake up to the sight of Soleil first thing in the morning -! She was as beautiful as ever ... "I guess.. I'll get ready for school. Within a few days, I'm sure you'll be able to come back too.." Bertolt smiled warmly. School was so much better with Soleil by his side-! And.. since they were together now, wouldn't it be even better -? "U-uhm.. I..I'll see you later , Soleil -!" The male blushed a little, though used a bit of courage and leaned down to press his lips against her soft cheek. After pulling away (with a dark blush spread across his features) he quickly went to wash up and prepare for school.

Gaku jumped slightly when he felt arms wrap around him from behind, but the man at once relaxed into the embrace when he realised it was Lila. How... How had she found him? He didn't notice her presence before at all, so he had to wonder just how much the woman had seen. ...Would she be frightened? The pictures on the wall were enough to make even Gaku uneasy, so he couldn't imagine what it was like for Lila to see this entire mess... Slowly, gingerly, Gaku raised his hand and rested it on one of Lila's against his chest. The stalker's blood from Gaku's wild punches was mostly on his knuckles so it wasn't touching Lila even now, but Gaku still felt as though he were tainting something pure in this contact. "I won't, don't worry," he told the woman gently, his voice soft, "I have no intentions of getting caught... But that doesn't mean he can't get what's coming to him." Gaku looked down at the man curled up on the floor, sobbing quietly with what was left of his consciousness. Ah... Maybe he suffered enough already? The black haired man honestly wouldn't want to stop at anything - he'd be more than happy to show this man just what happened when he messed with his Lila - but was that too much? Around Lila, at least? With a small sigh, Gaku relaxed and turned away and out of Lila's embrace so that he could face her instead. "Are you alright?" He asked her, gaze running her up and down to gauge her reaction. Was she shaken? Frightened? Somehow, she looked a little happy too... Relief, perhaps? "Ah... I have a feeling he won't be bothering us again," Gaku said with a small smile, "So you can rest easy now. Is there... anything else you want to do?" Before they left this horrid place? The stalker deserved a death worthy of a thousand hells, but it wouldn't be easy to see to that. Whatever Lila wanted to help her calm down and feel better, Gaku would do-!

~

Soleil smiled, "I'm glad to hear that," she hummed cheerfully, "Me, too, I slept really well." Ah... Seeing Bertolt first thing in the morning like this made her heart race. He was always cute, of course, but seeing his expression fade from sleepy to alert, to see his hair more tousled than usual, all of that was so adorable-! "Mm, it shouldn't take too long... I think." Soleil mused to herself. It would be weird to miss so many school days, but this was an important part of the plan, Soleil knew. She didn't want to mess things up, so she'd stay away from school as long as need be-! Her heart nearly stopped when Bertolt leaned down and pressed a kiss against her cheek in the most adorable manner. The man was gone just as quickly as the kiss had come, though, leaving Soleil alone save for her racing heart, but she didn't mind too much. Slowly, she raised a hand to touch where Bertolt's lips had been just moments before, enjoying the thought and feeling of it all. Really, the girl couldn't possibly be happier-! She stayed downstairs for a little while, and soon enough Bertolt was ready to go to school and so he left. "Have a nice day," she smiled before going upstairs to wash herself up. Elianne was still sleeping when Soleil was done, so the brunette carefully curled up in an armchair (as not to anger any of her bruises)and picked up the second book in theGame of Thronesseries as she waited for the day to unfold.

(1) The book series is actuallyA Song of Ice and Fire, but the tv show series is calledA Game of Thronesso I'll just go with that in order not to confuse things too much XD But I felt the need to write this in a footnote mmm

((You forgot to put the (1) Again but I know where you meant I think!! I only bring it up because it's SO CUTE WHEN YOU FORGET YAAAY XD))

Lila was glad when Gaku calmed down a little, placing his hand over hers. "You're really wonderful, you know..? I.. I was so worried since you were acting a little differently .. so.. I followed you. I was worried that you'd get hurt too, but.. ah you're really strong Gaku.. I'm so relieved that you're okay.." She nuzzled her face against his back, her voice slightly muffled. "...Thank you for protecting me." He risked his safety for hers. Gaku was so unbelievably sweet-! She loved him.. but above all, she was just so, so glad that he was okay. Of course, she was relieved that the stalker was finally out of the picture, but.. with Gaku by her side once again, she was happy. The woman removed her arms when Gaku turned to face her, then peeked up at him. Involuntarily, her eyes brimmed with tears; though she wasn't upset. No, she was.. so relieved. "Th-Thank you.." She sniffled, quickly wiping her eyes. How long had she been scared ? Much too long.. and.. and now , finally, she could rest easy -! She.. she didn't have to worry about it anymore.. Gaku had protected her , like he promised. She was so, so grateful to him-! "Th-Thank you so much.." She repeated, and leaned against his chest for a while. When she finally calmed down, she stood up straight and gazed down at the criminal. "You're lucky.. If I wasn't worried about him getting in trouble, I wouldn't have stopped him. ..I hope you rot in prison." She said coldly, before turning away. "..It feels weird leaving these here. Gaku.. can we collect these ?" She definitely didn't want any of these pictures getting out-!

Even as Bertolt left to go to school, his heart was racing. Just from that small kiss.. he was smiling like an idiot ! He really couldn't help it. He was just.. so happy with everything now. Soleil and Elianne were safe, and on top of that.. Soleil , the girl he had a crush on for so long, was his girlfriend. Even thinking about it sent his heart racing ! When he arrived at school , that huge smile must've still been on his face, because Reiner almost immediately commented on it. "Oi Bertl, what're you so happy about ?" He asked with his signature grin. Bertolt just shook his head and continued on his way. No matter how much he wanted to announce the news, he knew he couldn't until Soleil's parents were investigated. A lot of people questioned her whereabouts, but no one did anything more than ask if Bertolt had seen her. So it was alright. Near the end of the day, right when he was about to be dismissed, Bertolt was called to the main office. He was greeted by a couple of people who said they would be investigating Soleil's home. "No calls for missing children have been made. There are signs of abuse, so we'll be investigating further. Your mother informed me of the situation. Please continue doing your best until we've finished." And that was that. Bertolt was allowed to leave school, and since he had a bit of time, he went to buy a container of ice cream for everyone to share before going back home. Since he had a key, he unlocked the door and went in. "I'm back -!" He announced , taking off his shoes and going in.

((Bwahaha sorry XD I don't even remember how it happens that I forget to put them in XD))

Gaku nodded, "Of course," He said gently, "Let's take them down." He didn't feel great with leaving all these pictures up here either, for anyone to see. It felt strange to take them, too, for they would be a reminder of this horrible moment, but at the same time, Gaku didn't want to forget. He couldn't. It would be disrespectful to both his and Lila's feelings to sweep this under the rug. "I'll call the police, too." The man nodded, pulling out his cell phone. This horrible stalker could rot the rest of his life in jail for all Gaku cared. Let the worst come to him. With that, he dialled for the police and informed them of a criminal at their location. He took a couple of pictures of the room for potential evidence if need be before beginning to take down the hundreds of pictures tacked up to the walls. As Gaku snatched them down, he felt bile rise up in his throat again. Really, this man was so disgusting-! Once all the pictures were collected, the man stuffed them into his bag, out of sight, but definitely not forgotten, and wrapped an arm around Lila in what he hoped was a comforting manner. "It's all over now..." He pressed a kiss against her temple, "You're safe." A little while later, the police arrived and, with Gaku and Lila's explanation, they cuffed the stalker and took him away. Gaku never felt more relieved than during that moment as he watched him get taken away. "Ah... Let's go back home now, hm? I'm sure you're shaken up." Gaku, too. He wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. With that, the both of them left arm in arm, leaving back to their house. "How about we take the day off from work tomorrow? I think we could both use a day to rest up." Gaku would call the school and let them know they had an emergency. He didn't want Lila to push herself to work after such an intense period, and he didn't really want to leave her alone for so long right now, either, so surely this was alright!

~

The day seemed to go on forever. Soleil was happy, yes, and her body could definitely use all of this time to rest and heal, but doing nothing all day had its toll on the girl anyway. Without Bertolt, too, it seemed to pass much more slowly than otherwise. But between reading and spending time with Elianne, the day certainly wasn't boring. Soleil was trying to teach her little sister how to play chess when the sound of the door being unlocked sounded and Bertolt came in. Both girls smiled (and Eli at once ran off towards him, chess long forgotten). "Welcome back. How was school?" Soleil asked, wanting to lean up to kiss him (but she was too embarrassed at this stage with Eli around). She then looked down at her fingers, fidgeting, "...Did anyone... say anything?" It would take a couple more days to get this sorted, she knew, and she shouldn't get her hopes up too high, but the girl couldn't help but wonder if anyone was concerned... "Anyway! Do you have a lot of homework? Let's do something fun when you're done. For now," Soleil laughed airily, looking at a hyper Elianne (who appeared to have noticed the ice cream Bertolt brought in), "I'll keep this one from bothering you." The little girl pouted, but didn't try to fight that statement.

((We can timeskip if you'd like!))

((You're so cute YAY :") ))

Lila felt pretty sickened by the sight of all the pictures tacked up onto the walls. It.. was quite hard to take them all down. It was both horribly disturbing and scary at the same time.. she really didn't enjoy seeing just how many pictures this stalker had of her. And.. now that the woman got a chance to look at them, she realized that she had been watched for far longer than she had expected. Once all of the hundreds of pictures were finally safely put into Gaku's bag, the girl let out an inaudible sigh of relief. Before too long, the police arrived and took the stalker away. It was only then that Lila allowed herself to throw her arms around Gaku and embrace him tightly. "Th-Thank you-!" He was so brave for her sake. So kind and loving -! Ah.. she could barely even comprehend the love and adoration she felt for the man! He.. he protected her. "I-I.. Just.. Th-Thank you, so, so much.. I'm really happy..!" Lila pulled away slightly to look up at him, a smile spread across her features. She could barely put her emotions in words, but.. hopefully the man would realize how big of a deal this was-! "Also.. you looked really cool when you were fighting that guy.." Lila said , albeit sheepishly. She gave a small nod when Gaku suggested they both stay home the next day. "Yes.. Let's do that. " She said softly . They definitely deserved a day off-!

Bertolt was really glad that he wouldn't disappoint Soleil when she asked her question. "Yes.. they're looking into the situation as we speak-! I'm sure.. in a few days time, everything will be sorted out.. and then you'll both be able to come back to school." The male said with a gentle smile. "And.. a lot of people are asking about you guys. Elianne's assistant teacher really misses both of you too." The brunette explained, laughing a little when Soleil's little sister seemed to notice the ice cream he brought. "We can all have ice cream sundaes later , okay?" The male smiled. When Elianne ran off in excitement, Bertolt was left alone with Soleil for a little bit. With a soft blush on his cheeks, the male used every ounce of his courage and leaned forward in order to present his lover with a kiss on the cheek. "I-I missed you today.." He smiled sheepishly , looking both embarrassed and utterly joyful. He .. he couldn't help himself -! This whole situation .. he was just beyond happy .. *Timeskip!! Change it if you'd like okay?? QuQ* A couple days later, everything was nearly sorted out. It was currently Sunday, though Bertolt's dad was out in another state on a buisness trip. "Bertolt ? I'm going to take Elianne out for a few hours. If we're a bit late, feel free to heat up anything in the fridge!" His mom called out. Bertolt.. wasn't too sure, but he felt as if his mother wanted to give him and Soleil some alone time. ...Then again, she really took a liking to Elianne , so maybe she just wanted to spoil her some. Once his mother and Soleil's sister left, the brunette got up from his spot on the couch and gently knocked on his bedroom door (Where Soleil was). "Soleil -? Ah.. A-Are you busy?"