"Captain, we should get ready soon we need to check the engine before going," one of the stewards reminded, a piece of luggage in one hand as the other held a cup of hot coffee.

Cracking his golden eyes open, the blond stretched a yawn escaping his lips in the process. "Really," he muttered absentmindedly his eyes flickering to his wristwatch before he sat up. "Tell Kobayashi to take care of it," he instructed as he stood up. His left hand reached for his pilot cap as he started to stride toward the exit. "I need to take care of something else."

"Vice-captain Kobayashi," the brown head attendant repeated in confirmation. "Alright, then I'll see you later captain."

Kise didn't spare the steward another glance, waving his hand and humming in acknowledgment, he took his phone out reading over the few missed messages he received while napping. One of them was a lovely message from his phone operator, his bill to be precise. The others came from the few group conversations he belonged to.

The first group, "Vorpal Swords," where were most of his friends from junior high, was asking about an upcoming meeting. A date to play a game of basketball and spend the day together. It also seemed like this time Satsuki would join them making them reunite as their old team once again.

On the second, a group in which were some of his old basketball mates from Kaijo high, Yoshitaka had begun to ramble about how cute his partner looked in everything they wore. Myriads of pictures were lined up, each accompanied by gushing and cringe-worthy comments from the former ladies man.

A chuckle escaped Kise's lips as he noticed few of his former teammates had left the group. Most probably tired of the raven's texts, he would have to add them back once Moriyama stopped his flow of praise. Maybe when he landed in Macao.

Scrolling down his missed calls, he noticed one had left a voice message. His finger hovered over the contact name, a giddy feeling spreading through his body as he stared at the ID, pure adoration veiling his golden eyes.

Love <3

Clicking on the name, he started listening to their voice. Hearing them made his thoughts drift to his friends. Perhaps telling them about their relationship and making it official would be a good idea?

The sound of the phone beeping sounded for a few seconds before the other took the call.

::

Clouds of dark smoke rose in the sky, bright flames fluttering with the wind as they seemed to escort the haze higher and higher. Time seemed to have stopped, it was as if they were alone in the world, a different world. Everything appeared apocalyptic, the corpses sprawled on the dusty ground, the shouts and cries of desolation echoing throughout the night, the metallic scent of blood mixed with the fuel's oily odor.

It was all so different, so distinct from the usual shouts and childish squeals coming from the teens and children, from the bustling streets, the somewhat disgusting smell of sweat and the soothing scent of wilderness.

The blond's eyes felt heavy, the world around him seemed hazy as his half-lidded golden eyes blankly stared at the rising smoke. Blood trickled down his head, he couldn't feel his lower body, and as seconds passed the feeling of his other limbs slowly faded as if they were never there, only a fragment of his imagination. Perhaps the reason behind the empty feeling in his lower body was because the crash amputated him? He didn't know, he couldn't see, the strength in his neck wasn't enough to lift his head.

A lone smile slowly graced his lips as his eyelids gradually closed themselves. At least, he had heard his lover's voice once before embarking it was disappointing how he wouldn't be able to see their lovely face or hear their charming voice anymore. How would they react, his lover and friends upon hearing about him?

Giving his last breath, Ryota closed his eyes, his mind flooding with endless regrets about all the things he had yet to do and the people he would never see again.

Somewhere, at the same time, a lone figure brought their hand to their chest. A pang of pain went through the figure's heart before it faded into nothingness, only letting a foreboding feeling in their heart. Uneasiness crept into their mind before they shook their head, clearing their mind from any useless thought. "I better go," they muttered before locking the front door.

::

Cries, blinding light and then silence, darkness engulfed him once more, he couldn't process the events before his consciousness slipped away.

"Isn't he the cutest?" the green-haired lady cooed as she held the newborn in her arms, a peaceful yet tired smile displayed on her face as her greenish eyes crinkled in pure bliss.

"Congratulation, little sis'," a man, probably a few years older, with similar features praised, his hand gently brushing through the younger's long silky locks of green. "He looks just as cute as you when you were born," he added a teasing smile on his face. "Just as chubby."

"Are you saying I was fat?" the girl retorted with a small pout, although the amusement in her voice betrayed her seemingly angry behavior. "My cute Mikaël is anything but chubby, I tell you! He's the sweetest cutie pie ever," she huffed childishly before resuming her endless cooing.

The male smiled wryly at her attitude before frowning, a hand to his face as to hide his changing facial features his thoughts drifted to the name his sister had uttered. Mikaël, hadn't she said she wished her first son to be named Léon? Perhaps it was this man's influence, his hand clenched into a fist as his frown hardened for a second before he slowly exhaled, trying to calm his nerves.

There was no use in thinking about someone who wasn't here, for the time being, he needed to support his sister as best as possible. Although she seemed healthy and perfectly fine, nothing was sure. Her constitution was weak, and even if it never endangered her life, it always managed to weaken her every time an attack stroke her.

It worried him, lately whenever a seizure occurred she came back more feeble, almost breakable. As his green eyes flickered to his sister's peaceful state, the male smiled, she was alright and would remain as such, he promised himself. Gently ruffling his sister's silky locks once more he bid her farewell, leaving a perplexed greenette and a smiling granny behind.

"What was that about," the now mother muttered absentmindedly before sending a quizzical glance her mother's way. Her eyebrow was raised questioningly and her head slightly tilted to the side as one of her hand caressed her baby's cheek.

Quietly smiling the old lady waved her hand dismissively before standing up. Slowly making her way to the lying woman and newborn she cracked her eyes opened, revealing an unusually pale shade of green. Her grey hair was pulled in a bun, only leaving a few stray strands to frame her face.

A low hum escaped her slightly chapped lips as her wrinkled hand slowly reached to touch the baby's pale skin. "Mikaël," she muttered softly, her hand's back gently rubbing against the newborn's chubby cheek. "A good name," she complimented before bringing her hand back by her side and looking at her daughter adoringly. "Don't exhaust yourself," she whispered a tinge of tiredness in her voice.

The mother smiled brightly, attempting to chase the negative thoughts out of her mother's head. "Don't worry, I'm feeling perfectly fine. My life has never been this good!" she chirped before casting her child a glance, her features morphing into one of love almost worship. "I'm glad I lived until this day," she whispered an absent grin on her face as her greenish eyes seemed to lose a bit of their usual spark.

At the sight of her daughter's unhidden fulfillment, the mother felt herself getting distressed. Plastering a smile on her face, she nodded purposefully ignoring her youngest child's last words before glancing at the clock. Noticing visiting hours were about to be over she started to walk toward the exit, only stopping at the doorstep.

"You should call Pierre when you have some time," she said her gaze hardening for a split second as she looked at her unsuspecting daughter. "He is your brother, he has the right to know," she explained softening her voice slightly before giving the green head a smile, washing away the previous tension she displayed. "I'll come back, take care of yourself. See you later little guy."

Waving her hand with a grin etched on her face, the girl knew her expression fell as the door closed itself. To tell her brother, even her, now, ex-lover didn't know of her situation. She sighed, her green eyes falling on her son's peaceful figure. "I'm sorry your mother had to be someone like me," she whispered. "Thank you for coming to this useless me," she added, her eyes a bit watery as she stroked his chubby little cheeks.

::

Floating, He felt like he was floating. Everything seemed so far away yet so close. The faraway voices, the endless darkness that enveloped him. Obscurity, it was so dark and cold yet feeble warmness exuded from his surrounding, giving off a strangely soothing feeling. It was comforting, but the hidden coldness couldn't go unnoticed. The source of all the warmness he felt was distant, almost scared.

Why? What was it that scared them so much, that stopped them from getting nearer? Cracking his golden eyes open boundless obscurity greeted him. Was this what the afterlife looked like? Their pupils flickered from right to left, his body trying to turn and look around in the process.

He felt vacant as if he was nothing like he didn't exist. His eyes or what he imagined was his pair of golden orbs seemingly looked down, searching for his figure, only to be greeted by pure oblivion. It was strange how unsurprised he was, how accustomed to it he seemed to be, not having a body, not knowing how he was there even. Strange, but not uncomfortable.

He found his situation oddly comforting and as his thoughts started to drift to his life which he assumed ended in the plane crash Kise's mind finally regained a bit of its humanity. Grasping how unnormal the position he was in was, his mind started to run a mile a minute. Where? How? Why? Who?

The only answer was the sudden apparition of light before him. The next instant people's silhouette emerged from the said brightness, unknown people but part of Ryota felt a strange familiarity when seeing their faces. Was it because green reminded him of Shintarocchi?

Why were they shouting, crying? Ryota felt a burning sensation as if his lungs were on fire, his eyes or what was in their place seemed to tear up as his inexistent throat dried itself. Undescribable sadness submerged him the whole mixed with unknown fear and anxiety.

Where were these emotions coming from? Why did he fell such connection to the woman lying on the clinical bed? As if part of him was torn the moment his eyes met her apologetical ones, Ryota screamed.

The emotions flooded into him, washing away all of his previous thoughts, all of his past memories, like a blank canvas the soul felt empty, devoid of what it once was. He plainly stared at the things before him, not knowing what it was, not caring about what it could be either, he was only there, waiting.

Myriads of images passed through the light, each one engraved themselves into his mind before changing telling him of things he didn't know, words he couldn't understand echoed around him, grief feeling each one of them before gradually the grieving feeling faded. At times the voice was reproachful, others it was soothing, comforting almost pitying.

The vision stopped, the soul vanished.

The space remained empty.

::

"Mikaël, come and help mamie will you," the old lady called out from the kitchen, snapping the green head out of his dream-like state. Hurriedly nodding and letting out a sound of agreeing the boy ran to the kitchen.

His golden eyes fell on his granny's back as he put the basketball in one of the kitchen's corner, washing his hand he thought back on the strange dreams he had these days. Of how the empty feeling within him slowly filled up, as his former life's memories gradually resurfaced.

Although what he last saw, this screen, what he heard, this voice, his uncle's. Without noticing it, he opened his mouth. "Mamie," he called out to his grandmother, the French word seeming odd as always compared to his Japanese 'O bāchan,' but he didn't mind it. "Why does tonton Pierre hate me?" he wondered absentmindedly, not registering the question he had asked.

The older lady smiled as she kneaded the dough. "Hurry and put your apron on," she said briefly glancing at the boy's figure.

Mikaël, or was it Ryota, nodded. Taking the yellow apron off the hanger, he expertly tied it around his waist before hurrying to his cooking grandma. "What should I do mamie?"

Giving out her directions, the grandmother, Renée, smiled at her grandson's diligent behavior. He was better off not knowing about his uncle for now. Pierre's vision of the boy was something she couldn't change, even if the one he saw when he looked at his nephew wasn't Mikaël but another.

Perhaps, one day when Pierre had a kid of his own, they would re-establish the contact. With these hopeful thoughts, Renée went back to kneading the dough. 

Mamie: granny/ grandmother

Tonton: uncle

If it isn't indiscreet, do you originally ship Kise with someone?  Also, happy Valentine's Day

Thanks for reading, until next time^^