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fearlessdevil17 · 1 year

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M+R Sparks Of Hope Fanfic: “A Secret Revealed”

Based on this Headcanon/little story (don’t click if you don’t want spoilers) i made for Edge, i decided to make it into a fanfic.

Also Mario is best parental figure and no one can convince me otherwise

(not good at/use to making fanfic’s, hope you don’t hate it too much)

M+R Spoilers plus Minor Spoilers for Paper Mario: TTYD, and Luigi’s Mansion. with mentions of the Mario Movie and the second upcoming SoH DLC:

As the heroes proceed to Momma’s Windmill, their path is blocked by a Darkmess tentacle. Once Beep-o analyzed its danger level, Mario and Edge agreed to take on the enemies within it themselves. With the others wishing for their safe return, the duo alongside their spark partners (Starburst and Exosphere) jumped into the Darkmess.

It was a rough battle as the different renditions of Wildclaws nearly overwhelmed them, but the two managed to push through. With all the Magnafowl’s and Deep Freeze’s gone, the two head towards cover to catch their breath, for they couldn’t seem to find the Riptide.

“Any sign of it?” Edge asked “no, this one seems to be sneakier than the rest”, Mario said as he gripped his weapons tightly and turned to face her “keep your guard up, it’s probably trying to give us a false sense of security” Edge nodded in agreement and looked up at the two sparks that were with them “stay close” she told them.

Once they were ready, they cautiously left their cover and started to search for the riptide. They thought it would be fairly easy since their target was pretty big, but surprisingly it was a good hider, in fact it was really good at hiding that it managed to ambush Mario and Edge by revealing itself from the cover it was hiding behind once the duo were right beside it.

“LOOK OUT” Edge screamed, the two barely had time to react as the Riptide used it’s claw to break the debris it was hiding behind, with the giant pieces mainly hurtling toward Mario and Starburst. Luckily Edge managed to tackle everyone out of the way from the hurtling pieces, but let out a shriek when she felt a sharp pain in her leg.

Once on the ground, Mario immediately sat up and looked at Edge, who was laying on her stomach, struggling to get up with Exosphere looking at her with worry in his eyes.

In her perspective, she felt dizzy, her ears were ringing and her vision was starting to blur, the pain in her leg was too much to handle. She could barely make out Mario's voice asking her if she was okay.

However Mario couldn’t focus on Edge for too long as he noticed the Riptide slowly heading towards them. Mario placed a hand on Edge’s back as a way to protect her, he had to think of something fast before it was too late, he quickly scanned the area, hoping to find something that could help him while not having to leave Edge’s side. Then he found it - seeing a fully intact debris cover sitting on a cliff right above them - giving him an idea.

“STARBURST!” he called to his spark partner and waved his weapon, signalling starburst to power it up. Once he did, Mario aimed for the debris, waited for the Riptide to be above it, and fired.

Chunks of debris started raining down towards the Riptide as it was crushed underneath the huge rocks “have a taste of your own medicine” Mario thought to himself, breathing heavily.

He placed his blaster’s back in there holder’s once he knew that they were finally safe, all his focus was now turned to Edge who was now lying motionless on the ground, luckily she was still breathing. Mario saw how worried Exosphere was, and pets him as a way to reassure him. He then proceeds to place a hand on Edge’s shoulder and gently shakes her in an attempt to wake her “Edge? Are you alright? Wake up, it’s over now, we're safe.”

Edge stirs a bit and managed to open her eyes, her head wasn’t spinning anymore so she was able to see and hear clearly now. She tries to get up, but she’s only recovered enough just to move her upper body a bit, and slowly looks up to face Mario. Mario saw the look in her eyes, he could tell she was in a lot of pain. His brotherly instincts kicked in as he puts a hand on her forehand and realizes that she was running a bit of a fever, he then places both hands on her shoulders.

“Edge, you can deny this all you want, but i can tell your in a lot of pain right now, i need to check what’s wrong, i’m going to help you sit up, alright?. And don’t even think about protesting, I'm not leaving your side until I know you're okay. "Edge wanted to say that she was fine but then she remembered that she was speaking with Mario, the Hero of the Mushroom Kingdom of all people. From what she’d seen and heard throughout her journey with him and his friends, he has a huge heart of gold, he was very protective towards those he cares about - especially his brother - and whenever someone is hurt or sad, he will do what he can to make them feel better.

To think she would be one now on the receiving end of his kindness. Edge looked at Mario again, who had a very serious look in his eyes, telling her there was no point in arguing. she then turned her head to look away from Mario and swallowed her pride “alright…” she said quietly.

“Don’t be embarrassed, sometimes we all need help from others, even if you think you don’t need it” Mario reassured her, even though Edge didn’t react on the outside.

She was however reminded of how she first met Exosphere, remembering how the little spark helped treat her wounds when he found her lying unconscious. She barely managed to escape Cursa when it sent a whole army to hunt her down and kill her.

She snapped back into reality when she felt Mario carefully help turn her to a sitting position. While helping her, Mario started scanning her body, checking for any severe injuries - and much to his horror, he found the source. Mario and the two sparks starred in horror, their eyes wide open, even Edge was shocked at the sight when she stared at what they were looking at.

There was a sharp piece of cover debris piercing through Edge's left leg, explaining the extreme pain she was feeling.

Edge cursed at herself. In her mind, she was panicking, not because there was a piece of rock in her leg, but because her blood was dripping on the ground. If Mario saw it, he would put two and two together about her origin. She tried to hide some of the blood on the ground with her leg, but she knew she wouldn't be able to hide forever considering the fact that the debris piece had her blood on it too.

She looked up at Mario, who to her relief, was mainly focussed on calming Exosphere down, who was currently panicking for seeing the injury “Exo” Edge called to him in an attempt to calm him down, only to be met with the spark rushing over to her side and hugging and lightly nuzzling her neck to comfort her.

Mario on the other hand didn’t know what to do, he didn’t even realize that he was pacing left and right asking himself what he should do. Due to his Doctor history, he knows that the debris is piercing Edge’s arteries, and they don’t have anything that could safely remove it, not even their ship has any surgical tools.

He started remembering those times where either him or Luigi got badly hurt during their adventure’s, especially when they first arrived at the Mushroom Kingdom, it was rough, but if it meant saving his brother, he would do it again in a heartbeat, he still hasn’t forgiven bowser for hurting Luigi when he was in his clutches.

The mission to get to the Windmill has completely vanished from Mario’s mind as he wonders if Momma has any medical supplies that could help with an injury like this. He took a deep breath and turned to look at Edge who was observing him the whole time. He knew she wasn't going to be happy with what he’s going to say next, but what other choice did they have?

“Alright, listen” he started “The Windmill will have to wait, we need to take you back to Momma’s garage, see if she has anything that could help us with this situation” he told Edge.

Hearing this, she scowled at him “are you kidding?! We're so close to that damn propeller and you want to head back?!”

“LOOK AT YOURSELF EDGE!” Mario yelled at her “you're in no condition to fight right now. You need medical attention.”

“Screw that, if we all head back, we’ll just be an easy target for enemies, or worse, a Spark Hunter to ambush us just like how that Riptide did. Were all heading to that Windmill now” Edge then placed her hands on the base of the sharp rock “just help me pull this out an-"

Mario quickly lunged at her “NO!” he shouted as he quickly grabbed her hands and took them off the rock. Edge has never seen Mario look so terrified.

“Look at the position it’s in” Mario pointed out “these are where your arteries are, and this debris has penetrated them. If we pull it out now, we won’t be able to stop the bleeding, one wrong move and it will be your downfall”

Mario saw Edge’s eyes widen, thinking that she was now scared about pulling it out, when in reality that’s not the case. In fact she was worried because she realizes that she can’t hide her past anymore, but due to her not being a normal Rabbid, she knew it was going to happen at some point, but she never would have thought the universe would force her to bring it up when she believed it wasn’t time yet, plus she doubted that they would even believe her if she told them, and even if they did, she's pretty sure they would leave her just like her previous friends did, or worse, try to kill her like Cursa did.

She placed a hand on her head, all these thoughts started to give her a headache, much worse due to her mild fever.

“When we get back to the others, I'll have Rabbid Peach and Bowser take you back to Momma, alright?” Edge almost forgot that Mario was with her, realizing that she doesn't need to tell everyone just yet….if she just told Mario right?

But due to all the thoughts in her head, she wonders if this was even a good idea, she then looks at Exosphere (who knew about her past when they first met) who gives her a nod of agreement as if he can read her mind on what she’s thinking about.

She felt Mario carefully tucked his arm underneath her legs so he could carry her, it’s now or never.

“No,” she said sternly, causing Mario to stop what he’s doing. She placed a singular hand on the debris again “help me pull out the rock…please.”

Mario stood up in shock at her request, he told her what would happen if he did and she still wants to pull out the debris?! He's starting to think she’s becoming delusional from her fever.

“Edge, didn’t you hear me, we can’t pu-”

“TRUST ME!”

She interrupted him, leaving the plumber speechless. “I trusted you on what to do throughout our journey, even though you have been skeptical of me.” Mario's eyes widened “yeah, you think i didn’t notice? This time will you trust me when I say this” she looked determined now “pull out the debris.”

Mario didn’t know what to say, she was right after all, when him and his friends first met Edge, he didn’t really trust her, for all he could have known, she could have been a spy for the enemy - it didn’t really help when she walked up to Midnite back at the library like it was nothing - But eventually he did start to warm up to her when he saw how much of a big softie she was underneath that intimidating appearance of hers.

His mind was at war with himself, He wanted to trust her on this, but he worried if this is just a way for Edge to- he shivered at the second thought. He looked at Starburst who looked back, then the two looked at Edge, who had a look telling Mario that she was serious about this.

With one last deep breath, he reluctantly kneeled down and the two grabbed the rock together - the sparks decided to help too. Before he did, he turned to look at the Rabbid one last time.

“This is gonna hurt” he warned her, making her chuckle “like we haven't dealt with that before” Mario smirked a bit at her comment before the two gripped the rock tightly, counting to three, and pulled.

The pain was excruciating for Edge, her head was pounding, and the ringing in her ears came back, she even felt tears starting to form on her face. Despite having the urge to vomit, she swallowed the feeling and kept pulling. Luckily with the help of Mario and the sparks, the pain lasted about ten seconds before the rock was finally pulled out.

Both heroes are now lying down, breathing heavily for different reasons with the sparks floating above them, they were just glad it was finally over. Mario got up to look at the rock he was now holding, noticing the black substance smeared on it.

He was confused, looking closer, he immediately dropped it when he realized it was Darkmess, that’s impossible, the only thing he could think of was if the riptide cut it claws on the debris when it broke the rock, but that doesn't make sense, it’s claw didn’t even touch the debris, plus he did notice that no rock had Darkmess on them when they we're hurtling towards him.

The only explanation was that it would have come from…..

Edge?

Mario froze, his eyes widened in realization, he immediately looked back at Edge who was now in a sitting position, looking at her leg wound.

That was sealing up on its own, leaving a huge gash.

Mario stepped back in complete and utter disbelief, his theory was correct. while he saw regular blood on Edge’s body, the fresh blood that dripped off her leg and onto the ground converted to Darkmess, he looked over to the tears streaks on her face, only they weren't regular tears either, it was also Darkmess.

Mario couldn’t believe what he was seeing, he knew Edge wasn’t like any other Rabbids they've met, but to think that she had a connection with Cursa somehow. He should have seen this coming, with all the times she told them about the spark hunters, and the incident back at the place library, his mind constantly told him that Edge was hiding something but he didn’t want to pressure her into telling. unless it was urgent, he won’t ever do that to anyone if they weren't ready, even if they were hiding something.

But now that he is here in this situation, he has so many questions to ask now.

“Go ahead….” Edge’s voice interrupted his thoughts when he saw her now looking at him, completely exhausted “ask whatever, when your done, we’ll get out of your guys hair now, just tell the other’s that Exo and i didn’t make it, i’d rather not face them like this” she said as she used one arm to hug her legs, and the other arm holding her head, utterly tired and defeated with Exosphere laying in her hair to comfort her.

Mario was confused by what she was saying, was she really thinking that they were going to leave her behind because of something like this, he face softened at the sight of her, no one has ever seen her like this. Looking like a scared child about to receive a horrendous punishment from their parents, not to mention, the exhausted look on her face, it reminded Mario of when Luigi first rescued him from king boo, how exhausted he looked when he rushed to tightly hug him on that day.

He starts to remember people he has met throughout his adventures in a vulnerable state like Edge, she probably hates being in this state he thought. whenever he see’s someone like this, he always listens to their problems and does what he can to help them through it.

And well.....who’s to say he has stopped?

Despite wanting answers, his kindness will always get the better of him.

He walked over to Edge and carefully picked her up bridal style, being mindful of her leg. Edge flinched at his touch since she didn’t expect this at all and Exosphere flew off her head and began to follow Mario.

“what are you-” she couldn’t even finished her sentence when Mario gently placed her in front of a wall, allowing her back to rest on it “the question’s can wait”, Mario said as he pulled out some gauze and bandages from his pockets and began to wrap her leg “try not to move much”

Edge gritted her teeth at the feeling of the gauze touching her skin, but at least it wasn’t bad, she was surprised however seeing that Mario had these items “you keep bandages with you?” she asked, causing Mario to smirk at her “well when you go on constant adventures, you tend to get hurt, a lot” he chuckled “you should have seen my brother and i on our very first journey, we were an absolute mess.”

Edge was surprised at how calm Mario was in this situation, he saw the Darkmess she had within her, and yet he chose to still help her? even going as far as to tell her a bit about himself as a way to cheer her up a bit, it all felt so bizarre.

“There” Mario said as he just finished bandaging Edge’s leg “your pretty good at bandaging” she noticed “well i did a few classes on becoming a doctor when i was younger, didn’t really interest me much, but it was a big help in my life” Mario then rested his back on the wall right beside the Rabbid.

“How are you feeling, your fever’s not getting worse is it?” he said concerningly, Edge place a hand on her head “no, it finally died down. Better than before I guess, "she answered.

Mario felt something rummaging in his pocket, he looked over and see’s Starburst come out of his pocket with a Starbit in his hands, flying towards Edge and handing her the gift. Although she appreciated the gift, Edge was pretty confused as to why Starburst would give this to her.

“Have you ever tried a Starbit before?” Mario asked, she shook her head “it’s not just our little star friends that can eat them, some Lumas gave me some when i was in a tight spot trying to save peach. from what i remember, they taste a lot like honey” Edge looks back at the Starbit “go ahead, try it, i bet it’ll make that fever go away”

Looking at the Starbit she gripped in her hand, she slowly started to nibble at it. a small smile formed on her face when the flavour hit her tongue, she wasn’t sure what honey tasted like, but if this is what it meant to be, it was delicious.

Edge was still processing everything that just happen, making her start to remember that she was here all because of a near death experience, all of her memories began swirling in her head - from when she first opened her eyes seeing nothing but Cursa looking at her - to trying to escape the many enemies chasing her - to meeting Exosphere for the first time - and finally meeting Mario and the gang back at the temple.

Her smile began to frown, bringing the Starbit to her lap, and lowered her head “why?...” she said just barely enough for Mario to hear her “huh?” Mario looked at her with concern, “why are you so calm about this?” Edge looked back at him “you saw that Darkmess lives within me, you know that i’m connected to Cursa, and yet you still allow me to stay in your group….why? For all you could have known i could have been a spy”

Mario smiled at her “i thought the same thing when i first met you'' Edge was surprised at that “anyway, i always suspected that you had some kind of connection to Cursa, especially that little interaction with Midnite, and that you knew Bedrock’s name.” he then smirked “plus i’ve been through way more bizarre things on my own journeys, so with something like this is pretty much almost an everyday for me” he said, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

But Edge didn’t even crack a smile, she just listened to him talking while hunched over, staring at the Starbit she was holding, rubbing it gently with her thumb. Seeing this, Mario frowned, he could tell something was on Edge’s mind.

“You could have confronted me about my relationship with Midnite while we were heading to palette prime, why didn’t you?” she asked.

“Two things: one is that despite my skepticism, i could tell where your heart was at that time, and two, i left it out because i thought you’d grow defensive if i asked about it, so when you grew agitated when Beep-o confronted you about knowing Bedrock and Midnite, well i was correct…..speaking of which”

Edge's ears perked at those words “are you okay with answering those questions i’m meaning to ask?” She took a quick glance at Mario, before looking back at the Starbit and slowly nodded her head.

Mario rested his head on the wall, stared up at the sky, and began “in Jeanie’s documentaries, Cursa’s creations were made by combining objects and Rabbid DNA, but about you, it’s clear to me that you were combined with something different just like the Spark Hunters were.”

He turned his gaze towards her “tell me Edge……are you a Spark Hunter? Edge sighed annoyingly “i was, for a while” she rested both her head and back on the wall “not just that, but i was also the leader, alongside-”

She stopped herself, being noticed by Mario

“-Someone else” she said quickly, looking at her blade (that was still on the ground where she got hurt) “when i first got my hands on my blade, i knew my mission was clear”

Despite Mario wanting to know who the other leader was, he could tell she didn’t want to talk about them, so he let it go

“What made you leave?” He asked, “Cursa gave me too much free will, I was able to think on my own and realized that what I was doing was wrong. I tried to bring the others to my side, instead it completely backfired, and when Cursa found out, it sent an army of it’s minions to kill me”

Mario eyes widened

“I barely managed to escape with my life, but at least i got to met Exo after that” she continued, placing the Starbit in her pocket as Exosphere flew close enough for Edge to pet his head “i didn’t say anything because i thought it wasn’t really important. I knew at some point I had to tell you guys, I didn't just appear out of nowhere after all. but I didn't think you’d believe me, and even if you did, you'd probably try to kill me too, so when Beep-o confronted me, I froze, unable to chose my words without it sounding suspicious.”

Mario looked horrified, she really thought they would kill her if they found out where she came from, a knot formed in his stomach as he swallowed the urge to gag at the thought, thankfully Starburst was able to comfort him.

“Sorry” Edge interrupted Mario’s thought, he looked over to the Rabbid who was just petting Exosphere. Mario’s face is saddened at her, at least he now knows how Edge feels, she literally risked her own safety by joining a group she met, thinking they were going to kill her if they found out the truth about her just to rescue sparks from Cursa.

Edge surely is such a unique Rabbid.

Mario placed a hand on Edge’s shoulder, causing her to look up at him “don’t apologize, i appreciate you telling me this, now that i know what you've been through, i understand why you never said anything” he then grabbed both her shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

“But i’m here to tell you that my group and i are NOT like Cursa, sure we’d be surprised, but we would NEVER do something like that, and i’m certain that the others would say the same thing if they were here right now.”

Edge stared at the plumber with wide eyes in utter disbelief, but judging by the look on Mario's face, he wasn’t bluffing. She smiled a little “You didn’t answer my question” she said. Mario let go of her shoulders, looking confused

“Huh?"

"Earlier, I asked that even though you now know what I am, why are you letting me stay in your group rather than casting me out?” she was right he didn’t answer that question, he looked at her with seriousness written across his face, but with a little smile to go with it

“Because i know people like you” Edge looked surprised “a friend of mine who I met many adventures ago, also had a connection to a person I had to pursue in order to save the world, her name was Vivian, and from what I remember, she was something called a shadow siren."

"How did you two meet?" Edge asked

"Well it started off a bit rocky, when I first met her, I had to fight her along with her older sisters since I was in pursuit of their queen, but the second time we met, she didn't recognize me because someone stole my body, impersonating me, but I helped her out with something important, and in exchange, she helped me get my body back. turns out I was the only person who ever showed her kindness, her sisters weren't so nice to her, probably because she was a bit "different" compared to them. Anyway, when Vivian found out I was the person she helped, she decided to came with me and the group of friends I was with at that time. despite not wanting to leave her sisters"

Edge was intrigued, she found it quite interesting that Mario met someone who was once on the villain side before her, it makes her wonder how many adventures he's really been on "where is Vivian now? She asked

"Well, after i defeated the shadow queen, she made amends with her sisters, and the three now are living at their home quietly"

Mario suddenly made a realization "now that I think about it, you two seem have something in common, maybe one day I can introduce you to her"

Edge thought about the words Mario said, Vivian made amends her sisters even after the way they treated her. This made Edge hopeful that someday she can make amends with the other spark hunters and maybe even….make amends with her-

She stopped her thought

Remembering that Mario mentioned he was with another group of friends at that time, she thought to herself, did they accepted Vivian for who she was, Edge needed to know

“Mario, you mention that you were with another group of friends at that time that isn’t ours. Tell me, did those friends of yours accept Vivian?” Mario was a bit confused about the question but he answered anyway

“Well, they were a bit unsure of her at first, but when i told them that she helped me out, they eventually warmed up to her, why do you ask?” Edge said nothing, all she did was look away gripping her arm tightly. Seeing Edge's stance, Mario realized why she asked that question “Edge?” he spoke calmly.

“Are you…..scared to tell the others?”

Edge growled to herself, she hated being scared, let alone show fear. She placed a hand on her head and sighed “more like…not ready”

She stared straight ahead with Mario listening patiently “the only reason i told you was so i wouldn’t have to face them like this, i thought maybe you could tell them….after you’d leave me behind…”

Mario’s face saddened “but since that’s not happening, i just don’t feel ready to tell anyone else yet” she chuckled emotionlessly “to think the universe decided to put me in a situation like this huh?”

Mario heard the crack in her voice, to him she looked so vulnerable as she hugged her bandaged leg while grabbing at her hair, eyes shut tightly, he could tell she was trying so hard not to cry, he thought to himself if Cursa can traumatize her like this, imagine how the other Sparks Hunters are feeling right now.

A chill ran down his spine by just thinking about it, even Bowser wouldn’t kill his minions if they screwed up, Cursa was truly ruthless.

He moved closer, shifting himself so that he’s now sitting on his knees, he gently grabbed at her arm, feeling her flinch a bit, he stroked her scarred fur with his thumb to calm her down.

“Edge…we can’t predict our outcomes, no one can, but you know what i tell my brother, whenever he gets overwhelmed” Edge looked over to Mario “i tell him to take a deep breath, and to take one step at a time. There are times where his anxiety got the better of him, so we always take it slow, and if that doesn't work, staying by his side while i lead the way helps him feel better too”

He then grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently “i want you to feel the same way, you don’t have to hide anything anymore, but if your not ready, then just go one step at a time, don’t think about it too much right now okay. you’ll know when you're ready”

Mario smiled at Edge, causing her to smile back “thanks” she said. Mario was glad that he was able to cheer Edge up a bit, but he wanted to make sure she was 100% better before they rejoined the others.

“There is one more thing I would do in order to help my brother feel better, but I would like to ask for your permission, will you be okay with it?” he said as he spread his arms open a little, letting edge know what he meant. but edge didn’t understand why he needed permission, not even his stance gave it away, she was genuinely confused.

But she trusted Mario, there was no suspicion in his voice at all “uh….sure i guess” she said with a nod.

With permission granted, Mario wrapped his arms around her. Edge tensed when Mario pulled her closer to him, at first she didn’t know what he was doing, starting to regret her decision.

It wasn’t until her body made contact with his, was when she realized what he was doing: he pulled her into a hug.

Mario felt how tense Edge was, her reaction wasn’t surprising to him, the poor Rabbid has never been hugged by anyone before (with the exception of Exosphere). though he probably should have also given her a bit more of a heads up before making his move.

“You’ll get used to it the more you spend time with us” he told her with a smile. Edge relaxed a bit now that she’s finally processed what happened, she was still unsure of the hug, but all of her negative thoughts were washed away by the sheer kindness she was receiving.

She smiled, resting her head on Mario's shoulder while gripping his arm sleeve. Mario looked up at the two sparks floating in the air, now smiling at the sight, it’s nice that Exosphere has finally calmed down as well.

“Alright” Mario said as he broke away from the hug and stood up “we stayed in here for far too long, we should head back before we get an earful"

"might be a little too late for that” Edge smirked as she stood up.

Mario rolled his eyes "yeah, just wait till you hear one of peach's lectures.” Edge raised an eyebrow "come on" Mario said as he lead the way

But as Edge walked forward to get her sword, the pain in her injured leg came back to her (luckily it wasn't as bad as it was before), she gritted her teeth and kneeled down off of it, catching Mario's attention.

"What's wrong? Are you still hurt?" He knelt down to her level looking at her leg "I'm fine, just give me a minute alright" Edge reassured him, slowly standing up again

"I thought your blood healed the injury" he said as he helped her up

"It did, but only if it's life threatening. any other normal would be ignored, anything else like arteries or severed limbs would be immediately attended to"

She sighed "if it was more serious, it would take hours to heal" she started to walk slowly, trying to ignore the pain "I'll just walk it off and it should stop hurting soon".

Mario wasn't amused with what Edge said, it reminded him of when Luigi would try to hide injuries from him, and due to him constantly seeing through his brothers lies to the point where Luigi finally stopped since he knew there was no point, Mario knew that Edge was pretending to be fine, even after their little heartfelt conversation, she was still stubborn as ever.

Edge was just about to reach for her sword, but she was caught off guard when Mario grabbed her sides and lifted her off the ground

“WHA- HEY!” she flinches, not having the time to react when the plumber manages to lift her over his head, and onto his back. Once she was adjusted onto his back, Mario reached over to grab her blade and headed to the exit.

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ALL ABOUT!” Edge shouted in his ear, gripping his sleeves so she won’t fall off, not that she will since Mario has a good grip.

Mario, completely unfazed at her shouting, laughed at her reaction “do you know how many times my brother tried to walk off an injury without alerting me, guess how many times he failed hiding it” he said with a smirk

“What, i’m not hiding anything, just put me down and let me walk” Edge protested, trying to get out of Mario’s grasp.

“Yeah that’s not happening” Mario said, happy that Edge was starting to act like her old self again “your arteries may have healed, but you still have a gash that needs to be taken care of”

Even though he couldn’t see Edge roll her eyes and knock her head on his shoulder, he could tell she was clearly annoyed

“Relax” he said with a chuckle “it’s not that serious now, i’ll have Rabbid Peach heal it for ya, and you’ll be back on your feet in no time” Edge raised her head in surprise “hold on” she protested “don’t you think that would be a waste of her magic, i mean, she needs it for the battle field in case anyone needs it more than i do right?”

Mario looked over his shoulder to Edge and gave her a sad but reassuring smile “Edge, nothing can tucker her out, do know many instagram posts she makes everyday'' he said being a bit humorous “anyway, knowing her, she won’t think it’s a waste, if it meant to heal someone she cares for” Edge widened her eyes in surprise at Mario’s response

“Your one of us now Edge, your not alone anymore, everyone cares about you, you have grown on us throughout our journey together. When it’s over, you’ll come with us back to the mushroom kingdom, You’ll still have a lot to learn, along with people you’ll meet, but we're here to help you with that, and When it’s time to reveal the truth about you, they won’t judge you, i promise, your part of our group - no - your part of our little family now. I hope you can accept that, cause we're not going to be leaving your side anytime soon”

Edge huffed a laugh, but remained speechless, never in a million years would she thought she’d be surrounded by people that would take her in. From the moment she was first created, all she was ever taught was how to be a leader, how to fight, how to capture sparks, and how to be a killing machine.

Cursa made her believe that the world would be against her if she didn’t obey, so when she became self aware, she believed it for a while, until she finally realized that wasn’t the case.

She felt Exosphere nestle himself in her hair, nuzzling it in the process, a smile formed on her face, while her rebellion against Cursa started awful, she wouldn’t have met Exosphere if she didn’t, the little spark was the first to ever show her kindness, something that motivated Edge to recuse the sparks, even if she died trying.

She doesn't regret her decision, she never will, though she never expected it to lead her to where she is now.

Her body started to relax, adrenaline vanishing instantly, letting go of Mario’s sleeves and resting her chin and arms on his shoulders, it felt nice to relax and not be on guard 24/7.

Seeing how her forearms are slightly wrapped around Mario’s neck, Edge grabbed her forearm, attempting her own hug. She's not used to hugging people who are bigger than her, but it wouldn’t hurt to at least try. Closing her eyes, she muttered a small “thank you” under her breath.

Though it was just loud enough for Mario to hear, causing his smile to grow wider, what he saw today wasn’t Edge, but rather a girl full of trauma who believed that the world was after her just for deciding for herself. It reminds him of when him and Luigi first came to the mushroom kingdom, how traumatized they were when their fight with bowser was over and the brothers finally reunited, mainly because they were scared of losing each other.

If anything they could have left there and then if they wanted to, nothing was keeping them there after all. But after recovering from the whole ordeal with the help of peach and her people, they realized that they have found a family within the kingdom, they still visit their birthplace from time to time, but they truly felt like they were home.

While they still tend to be traumatized throughout their adventures, it was never as bad as their first time, but when it is, the brothers always help each other through it. They were never mostly afraid since then.

Now he will show someone who experienced something similar that she now has people she will soon consider a family, hopefully one day she can make amends with her old friends, but for now, once Cursa is defeated, they will take the time to help Edge adjust living in the mushroom kingdom just like how the brothers have.

Looking back at Edge, who clearly looked relaxed, Mario was happy with his thoughts, knowing she was in safe hands, she’ll be just fine.

As he hopped out of the Darkmess puddle - which disintegrated after they were out - he was seconds later surrounded by their friends, who were berating him with questions, he knew they weren’t going to avoid the lectures.

Edge wasn’t really paying attention to the other’s voices, but she could tell how worried they were. Mario was right, she did have a lot more to learn, but perhaps maybe she can start by getting used to this new family she now has.

#super mario bros #mario rabbids #mario rabbids sparks of hope #mario + rabbids #Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope #rabbids #fanfiction #did i ever mention how much i love found family #assuming that the dlc rabbid is edge's older sister #i like to think that mario would fill that role as older sibling for edge #also i am disappointed that there's barely any fanfic's of edge trying to adjust living in the mushroom kingdom #can you imagine what her interactions would be with other mario character's #like daisy yoshi rabbid yoshi birdo vivian wario and waluigi #hell i'm sure rabbid peach would introduce edge to rabbid kong #i would love to see her interact with spawny as well #there is so many possibilities #but anyway #as i was writing this #i started remembering the mario games i've played throughout the years #and now we are here #how mario has grown over the years #i had so much nostalgia writing this #like i said my writing's not really good #hope you don't mind it too much #i'm glad i get to share this #also i've been fixating on SoH since the gameplay trailers released #that's a new record #anyway #IF YOU TAG THIS AS SHIP I WILL DESTROY YOU

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sabraeal · 1 year

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want your heart (to be for me), Part 1

[Read on AO3]

The last of my Holiday Gifts for the year, posted a few weeks late due to this particular fic growing COMPLETELY out of control. It was supposed to be a one shot, but since this is nearly 5K in and of itself...I decided two parts would be the best decision.

A god’s work, Nanami has found, is never done.

She spends two weeks rolling about the ocean floor, trying to untangle the complex politics of the courts of the sea gods and their tumultuous marriages, but when Himemiko’s wedding drama settles enough for the waves to spit her back out on land, she’s sure-- certain, really-- that this time she’ll keep her feet dry and nose clean long enough to make it through exams.

That is, until some sky god falls in love with Tomoe, stealing him away to her cloud city or whatever. Three days of growing wings-- painfully one bone at a time-- and nearly a week of learning how to use them all ends in a burst of shimmering feathers the moment her toes touch the tip of Mount Kurama, all her hard work amounting to little more than pillow stuffing. Two days before the test.

Her just-barely passing marks would be worth it, if only that jerk would appreciate the effort.

“Thanks again for letting me stay, Kei-chan.” Nanami’s sure to put on her brightest smile, the one that makes Tomoe choke and Mizuki sigh.

Kei barely bothers to look up from her phone. “What? Oh, yeah, no problem.”

“Really--” she sprinkles a little more earnestness on this one, teeth hurting as she keeps them bared-- “it means a lot to me! It would have been a real pain trying to get back to the shr-- home tonight.”

“Yeah, totally, I get it. You really live out in the boonies.” Her fingers fly across the keyboard, nails ticking and tacking in the same staccato bursts as a typewriter. Or gunfire, maybe, considering the amount of bodies she’s leaving behind. “It’s no problem. My parents are never home, so you can come by whenever.”

Nanami blinks. “Wha--? Really?”

“Why not?” Her shoulders twitch in what might be a shrug’s lazier cousin. “I mean, I’ll probably be on a date, but if you need a place to be...the door’s not always open, because I don’t need my stuff stolen, but it’s here.”

It’s not the first time she’s had the rug ripped out from under her, but this is the first time it’s felt like a magic trick. Sure she stumbles, but she’s still on her feet, and what’s beneath her is so much sturdier than some raggedy old tablecloth. “That’s really kind of y--”

Kei flicks off her screen like punctuation.“Ami-chan’s at the door.”

The girl’s all limbs, but when Kei sweeps up from the couch it’s graceful, in a way Nanami could never manage. Or well, in a way she’d think she’d be able to, up until Tomoe slunk in with his stupid smirk, insinuating that everything about her was so unfortunately human. “Make yourself at home or whatever.”

“Oh, okay,” she murmurs faintly from the floor, the impulse to jump up and hug her fading as Kei strides through the door. “Thank you, I gue--”

The door slams shut on any more earnestness. Knowing Kei, that’s on purpose.

“Well well, Nanami-chan,” a reedy voice pipes from behind her, more confident in its welcome than it deserves, “it’s not quite as spacious as home, but I suppose we could do worse.”

Nanami twists around so tightly she nearly wrings herself out, her limbs tangled up so hopelessly that she can do little more than gape as Mizuki paws through Kei’s bed, making himself right at home. “Mizuki, what--?”

“As much as I hate to give that wild fox any credit, he certainly dreams up better bedding than this. Is this even real cotton?” He tugs at the fitted sheet, mouth thinning out to a grimace. “Ah, well. Beggars and choosers.”

“What are you doing?” Here, specifically, but she’ll settle for any answers that wrap up before Kei can saunter back in, Ami in tow. “You’re supposed to be back at the shrine!”

“Where else would I be?” he asks her, expression rumpled reproachfully. “I’m your familiar, Nanami-chan. If you’re leaving because of that nasty fox, then I will help you settle in your new shrine. Even if it means I’ll have to cut back on my brewing.”

Mizuki’s words may be nothing but aggressive support and positivity, but the disparaging glance he spares Kei’s bedroom-- well, he could teach the mean girls at school a thing or two.

“I’m not leaving! And certainly not because of Tomoe!” There’s no sense in doing that when he’s already spending all of his time sulking in the spirit realm, punishing her for daring to enjoy a kiss. “It’s just a long walk from the city to the shrine. It’s not safe for a girl in the dark!”

At least, that’s what Ami had told her, wide eyed and trembling. It’s the sort of thing Nanami would typically wave off-- it’s hardly the first time she’s had to make that walk after the sun’s set, and it certainly won’t be the last if Tomoe’s going to bury himself in tanuki every time her crush rubs his fur the wrong way-- but Kei put her phone down, serious, and agreed. And when Ami added, especially since Tomoe is out of town with his family, for good measure, and well--

Stretching her legs outside of the shrine seemed like a better and better idea every minute.

Mizuki tilts his head, eyes narrowing until he’s more snake than human. “You’re right,” he decides. “It’s much better for you to be here. I’d hate to think what that wild fox would do if he caught you on your date.”

Nanami whips around with a yelp. “My what?”

“Your date,” he clarifies, too confident for someone living so far from reality. “With the crow god.”

“Oh, that.” She laughs, the tension slumping straight out of her shoulders. “That’s not a date. I’m just showing Jirou around the city. It’s the least I can do after he taught me how to use those stupid wings.”

They hadn’t felt stupid at the time; no, they’d felt powerful and dangerous, like she was a Real God, not just some high schooler thrust into the spirit world at the whims of a butterfly who thought she might make a good lesson for his familiar. Ha. If she’s a lesson, it’s one Tomoe sure isn’t happy to learn.

“Oh.” Mizuki pulls the sound too long; goosebumps pimple up her arms. “Well, I suppose he will be very disappointed, then.”

A strange knot knits itself in her stomach, heavy as a stone, rattling around as she shifts onto her hip, frowning at him. “What do you mean by that? This is what he asked for.”

Or rather, he’d said, I have grown curious about this mortal world. I want to see why it draws so many crows off the mountain. Same difference, if you ask her.

Mizuki stares at her. “You told him it was a date.”

Her jaw drops. “I did not.”

“You did, you said--” he pitches his voice higher, nothing like her own-- “Is that all? It’s a date!”

“I didn’t mean it like that!” she insists, cheeks burning. “It’s just-- it’s a saying. I’m sure he knows that.”

Even still, Nanami can’t forget the wide-eyed way Jirou had looked at her, nor his murmured, is it...?

Mizuki hums, unconvinced. “If you say so, Nanami-chan.”

Her mouth opens. To say just what, she’ll never know, since the door flies open at the same time, and with the reflexes of a god-- or a girl who has learned not to get caught-- she shoves Mizuki straight out the window.

Ami blinks, staring at the place he sat only seconds ago. “Did you just--?”

“Hey, keep it moving,” Kei snaps from behind her. “We don’t got all night, do we? Nanami’s got a date to go on.”

“It’s not a date.” She’s sure of that, certain, but as Kei elbows her way into the room, dropping down to her vanity with an expression that could only be called stern, it comes out much meeker than she‘d managed with Mizuki. “It’s just an old friend--”

“Whatever.” A drawer rattles open, and oh, Nanami had thought her little compact with two shades of blush was the height of luxury, but Kei’s got enough make up to glam up a small country. “You want to look hot or not?”

“Ah...” Nanami blinks. There’s glitter in there. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt...”

Kei’s the kind of girl whose mouth is too sharp for smiles, but a smirk fits her just fine. “That’s what I thought.”

“So what’s the deal?” This is the longest she’s ever seen Kei without her phone, her hands too busy dancing across an absolutely massive palette instead. It’s the sort she’s only seen in store windows to make the big ones look reasonable by comparison. “Should we take pictures of his license plate? Have Ami follow you in disguise?”

“Me?” Ami hiccups, flushed.

“Well, I can’t.” She sniffs, reaching into her vanity for yet another little plastic case. “I’ve got a date too.”

“Ah, no, that’s not--” Nanami imagines Kei flashing a phone in Jirou’s face and can’t decide whether to laugh or grimace-- “he’s a friend, I promise. That’s all.”

“That’s what they want you to think,” Kei warns her sagely, unimpressed. “But guys our age only have one thing on their mind.”

“Oh, well, he’s, er...” It’s impossible to explain that he’s an ageless being that typically sits in a hall outside of time and space. “A little older. So it’s fine.”

“How did you meet?” Ami asks, so sweet-- too bad it’s drowned out by Kei’s, “Does he have a brother? Friends?”

Somehow she doubts that either Kurama-- er, Shinjirou or Jirou would appreciate her spreading around that they were related. Or, well, whatever the tengu had going on, living on Kurama. “Through, er, Tomoe’s family.”

Ami’s eyes round. “Oh.”

“What about that guy anyway?” Kei leans back, her hand guiding Nanami’s chin this way and that, inspecting her work. “I thought you two were, you know...?”

It’s stupid how her eyes tear when she says, “We’re not.”

Kei frowns, grip easing on her jaw. “His loss then. What about this guy? Is he hot? Would it drive Tomoe nuts if you--?”

“Kei-chan,” Ami gasps, hands clapped to her cheeks. “Nanami already said that this was just a friend! There’s nothing for Tomoe-kun to be upset about, and even if there was, Nanami-chan would never!”

It would be nice to be as kind and put together as Ami thought she was. “Right,” she lies. “There’s no way he could complain about me showing our friend around, nope!”

Kei arches one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows, skepticism palpable. “Right. Now what are you going to wear?”

It takes the whole half hour for Kei to lean back, one of those dagger-point grins on her face as she declares, “Oh yeah, he’s going to choke on his own tongue.”

Considering how she’s the only woman he’s ever met, she doubts that will be a high bar to clear. “This isn’t a date.”

“Okay,” Kei says, unconvinced, which is all she manages before the doorbell chimes, delicate as crystal. “I’ll get it.”

“No!” Nanami catches herself before she can grab her, pushing her mouth into the semblance of a harmless smile. “I mean, he’s my guest! You don’t need to put yourself out.”

A spark flares deep in the morass of Kei’s green eyes, and oh, she has made a mistake, saying the exact thing that would pique her interest. “No, no, let me.”

It’s only five yards to the door, but with both of them on their feet, it becomes a contest of inches, Kei’s sharp elbows fending her off at the same time Nanami tries to catch her ankles with a heel. It’s a tumble, really, one of them making headway before the other draws her back, over and over until Nanami knocks the phone from Kei’s hands into the couch, making a mad dash before the girl can recover.

The door’s open hardly more than a crack, but she calls out, “Jirou!” nonetheless, like she can audibly mark her territory, her smile wide if strained, and when it swings wider--

Oh.

Intellectually, Nanami had known he couldn’t walk around the mortal world in his monk’s robes and beads-- and there’s no way his wings would fit in the subway-- but still, she’s not prepared to see the former fourth Soujoubou of Kurama idling in the hall with jeans. There’s no red dabbed at the corner of his eyes either, no tabi or wings or undefinable magic something-- he’s as mortal as they come, just some guy--

A camera clicks behind her, and she turns just in time to watch Kei pocket her phone, gaping. “This is your not date?”

Oh, that’s right, he’s gorgeous too. Because the spirit world runs on soap opera rules.

“I told you, you didn’t have to take pictures!” Nanami hisses through her smile.

“This isn’t for your thing,” Kei assures her. “This is for personal use. Are you sure he doesn’t have a brother?”

It’s quiet, pitched to stay between them, but she sees Jirou glance back, brow furrowed, before his gaze slides to her. “Nanami,” he says, serious as always. “It is a pleasure to see you again.”

All she can do is stand there stupidly, staring at the way his hands flex at his side. Oh no, this is definitely a date.

“Hey,” That knife’s edge of a smirk splits Kei’s lips, one of her hands already outstretched. “I’m Nanami-chan’s--”

“Leaving!” she gasps, surging forward to drag him through the door. “We’re leaving!”

The door slams shut behind them with the force of foxfire, her hair billowing out around her shoulders as it hits the frame. With a smile grit so bright her teeth ache, she chirps, “Well, let’s get this show on the road!”

Only hours ago, there’d been a whole plan for this whole debacle. Not a solid one-- Nanami didn’t really do itineraries, and she doubted Jirou would appreciate being hurried along like a tour group-- but she’d had ideas. Tokyo Tower, maybe, or the Skytree for something more current. The art museums in Roppongi were also an option, though she thought one of the ones down by Ueno Station might be more convenient. Cheaper too, since she doubted the former fourth Soujoubou would be flush with pocket money.

But none of that is Date Material. Not that she wants it to be, it’s just-- Nanami hates to disappoint. If this is going to be Jiro’s single trip to the mortal world, then she really should try to make it special, maybe even go along with--

“I don’t understand,” Jirou huffs, coat shrugged so high it must itch his ears. “It’s a tree.”

It’s a long way down from the gallery to the mall’s lowest floor, but Nanami leans over anyway, wondering whether she could grab one of the snowflakes hanging from the rafters if she just reached out her hand. “I’d think out of anyone, you would understand how important a tree can be.”

“The sacred sakura is the source of Kurama’s life and power.” His lips peel back in a sneer. “This is indoors.”

“It’s a Christmas tree!” The bulky banister digs into her back as she turns, grinning up at him. “Don’t you guys have--?”

Slouched in his wool coat Jirou looks like any other guy walking past, but skepticism pulls his spine straight, putting him head and shoulders above even the tallest passerby. With his arms crossed and face drawn into a forbidding scowl, it hardly matters that he doesn’t have his wings or isn’t dressed in his monk’s robes-- he’s every inch a god.

Or a spirit, or-- ah, whatever tengu are. She’d never been too clear on just who made the cut for kami, and at this point in the game, it’s a little late to ask.

“Ah, right, no, you wouldn’t.” With the way time works on the mountain, Jirou might even predate the concept. “It’s from the West. It’s a night where couples go out, and--”

Her teeth clamp down, biting back the words. What’s wrong with her, mentioning couples’ holidays to the only guy who has ever confessed to her? Especially when she already rejected him for reasons-- reasons that have flitted off to the spirit world, probably to discourage her too, and--

“Are you going to get souvenirs for your brothers?” she asks, breathless.

She braces for him to scoff, to tell her that the once-soujoubou has no need for gifts, but Jirou only blinks. “Souvenirs?”

Ah, right. The tengu never leave the mountain. “When you go somewhere, it’s polite to bring back gifts. Food and stuff! A little slice of the mortal realm for everyone to enjoy.”

Only a few months ago, Jirou’s frown would have been enough to make her back track and tremble, hoping his wrath wouldn’t come down on her the way the gods were so fond of doing, But a week under his wing, so to speak, and now she knows: he’s thinking. “...Polite?”

“C’mon.” She hooks her arm around his. “There’s a store right over there.”

It doesn’t strike her until they’re in front of the novelty chocolates, Jirou standing as still as a deer in headlights, that oh yes, the man from the magical mountain might be paralyzed by choice.

“There’s so many,” he manages, strained. “How do you do this? This whole world is so distracting. It’s a wonder any one of you gets anything done with all this going on.”

Nanami leans a hip against the wall, not bothering to smother her grin. “It’s because we’re getting stuff done that there is all this.”

His mouth rounds. “Oh.”

She plucks a box off the stacks of snacks, a to-scale miniature chocolate Skytree. “Do you think this is why the mortal world corrupts the tengu? I’ve never thought about it, but I suppose we’re spoiled for choice down here. And everything must seem so fast.”

“Maybe.” He approaches the word slowly, lips wrapping around on tip-toe, as if sneaking up on it might make it easier to say. In the end he grimaces anyway, cheeks flushed. “I’ve since realized that the corruption of the mortal realm might have less to do with its vices, and more to do with its, er...”

His dark eyes flick toward her, pink creeping up to his ears before they skitter away. “Taking into account the other prohibition of Kurama, the first Soujoubou might have been more concerned with keeping his brothers from distracting themselves with the, er...mortal women that lived there, rather than any other excess.”

“Oh,” she squeaks, her own face suddenly hot. “Yeah, I guess that would be...”

“I agree.”

Her head snaps up, watching as he delicately picks up a snow globe from the shelf behind him, a small version of Ueno Park painstakingly modeled inside. “We are told that we hatch from beneath the branches of the sacred sakura. I certainly don’t remember anything before my time at Kurama. But for Shinjirou to be the Soujoubou’s son, then that means he must have...”

Jirou’s mouth pulls thin.

“Well, there must be some lady tengu, right?” Nanami can’t recall ever seeing one, but she’d be the first to admit: her sample size is small. “On one of the other mountains, maybe? It’s not like the Soujoubou...”

His steady stare is more answer than she needs, and yet he still tells her. “I heard he was a handsome man, in his younger years.”

“Ah.”

He lifts his shoulder, cheeks burning too bright to be casual. “The last century was a hard one.”

“Right,” she murmurs faintly. “I’ve heard kids will do that to you.”

An hour and three stores later, Jirou finally settles on some wagashi shaped unseasonably into sakura blossoms, sold two in a package, grimacing as Nanami shakes out the shrine box to pay for them.

“Don’t worry,” she tells him, with a smile, “I planned for this!”

He does insist on paying for the lucky cat three stores over, pulling out a stack of bills that certainly aren’t from the spirit world. “It’s for the Soujoubou,” he explains, firm. “It wouldn’t be appropriate to ask you to pay.”

“You’re bringing Manekineko onto a mountain full of birds?” Her mouth twitches as his furrows wearily. “He’ll be one well fed cat!”

“The Soujoubou likes them. Cats, I mean.” He softens as she gazes down at the bag, like he can see the figure even through the glossy paper. “He says they carry their weight keeping the mice out of the kitchen.”

Nanami blinks. “You guys get mice in the spirit world?”

His mouth hooks into a smirk. “ Whether they are made by gods or men, few things have as little respect for boundaries as a mouse.”

“Ah.” She stares down at the bag. “I guess that makes--”

The gloss shimmers as it flies from his hand, knocked back to the pavement. Nanami needs a solid second of blinking for the moment to come into focus: the bag laying on the ground, Manekineko’s box slid half out of it; Jirou standing stock still on the walkway, as if the ground was made of glass and even a breath could make it shatter; a little boy sprawled on the ground at his feet, staring up and up and up, tears already beading on his eyelashes.

“Stupid.” The mountain of a man-- of a god glares down the long slope of his nose, just as remote and aloof as Kurama itself, and Nanami stiffens, her breath caught in the heavy weight of her lungs. Even without his robe, he’s imposing, and the boy on the ground shivers the way Botanmaru used to at the very sound of Jirou’s name. She can’t forget how the little crows had all feared him, how they would flinch at even the gentlest raised hand--

“Here,” Jirou murmurs, crouching as much as a man his height can manage. “Are you hurt? Can you stand?”

“N-no.” The boy blinks, shaking his head. “I mean, yeah. I can...I can get up, I think.”

“Then there is no reason to sit on the ground.” His large hand juts out, just in front of the boy’s face. “Who do you belong--?” Jirou catches himself. “Do you have a guardian nearby? A...parent?”

“Y-yeah.” That small hand folds into Jirou’s, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. He can’t be more than six or seven, too young to be wandering alone, but too old to suffer being stuck to someone’s side. “My m-mom.”

“A mother.” Jirou’s face softens. It does things to her stomach that Nanami refuses to contemplate. “She must worry over you.”

The boy flushes, tucking his face into his shoulder to hide it. “Yeah, I guess. Maybe.”

“Come, then.” With an awkwardness that’s almost endearing, Jirou shifts his grip, holding the boy’s hand so delicately it might as well be made of glass. “Let us see if we can find this woman. Your return will go a long way toward easing her mind.”

The boy’s cheeks blow out, half a pout. “Okay, mister, if you say so.”

It takes only a minute or two to locate his mother, weighed down by a half dozen bags and on her phone, placing a frantic call to the help desk.

“Daisuke!” she gasps, clutching the boy to her, not letting him shake her off. “How many times have I told you to stay close! There’s too many people for you to go running around!”

“I just wanted to check out the Lego store,” he huffs, suffering through her kissing and scolding with belligerent embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to go far. I would have come right back if I hadn’t run into-- er, I mean...”

“Run into?” His mother blinks, and that’s when she notices Jirou, looming awkwardly a few steps away. “Daisuke!” she hisses, manhandling him into a bow. “I’m so sorry that my son inconvenienced you, sir. I promise that we raised him better than to be such a bother.”

“Ah.” One hand raises, soothing. “Please, you don’t have to explain to me. I understand. Young boys often seek out their own adventures.”

“Oh.” The woman’s eyes trail up him, from the thick sole of his boots to the fur trim of his hat-- and when she’s done, she glances over his shoulder, squarely at Nanami, before she asks, “You have children of your own?”

“No, no.” His hands wave between them, a soft denial. “Younger brothers.”

“I see, I see.” Or so she might say, but the gaze she fixes on Nanami is far too speculative, the implication so heavy she can’t help but turn away, flushed. “Go on, apologize for interrupting their night, Daisuke.”

“Sorry,” the boy informs the pavement. “I’ll be more careful next time.”

“Really, it’s no trouble.” Jirou’s voice is always heavy, each word spoken with a palpable weight, but for once--

For once, there’s a laugh bubbling beneath it, too light to be smothered by seriousness, one that sets his lips twitching, a smile haunting the corners of his smirk. Happiness.

It looks nice on him.

It takes another ten minutes for Daisuke’s mother to be content with her son’s apologies; Jirou’s protests going unmarked with each bow and scrape. Don’t go easy on him, she insists, he needs to learn some manners.

“I think,” Jirou murmurs, humor clinging to the shadows of his words, “that maybe Shinjirou is lucky the Soujoubou did not bring his mother to the mountain. They are fearsome.”

There’s an ache in her chest, an old one, the kind that never fills but simply is grown used to, until it feels natural to never heal. “I wouldn’t know. I don’t remember much about my mom.”

His mouth is already open with his next question, but she can’t stop herself, not when the words are already struggling their way out through her lips. “You’ve changed.”

She glances up at him just in time to catch the way his eyes round and his mouth slackens, a blush blooming across his cheeks that has nothing to do with cold. “What...?” He clears his throat, and once again he’s Jirou, aloof and alone, the strongest tengu on Kurama. “What do you mean?”

“The Jirou I met a few months ago wouldn’t have helped that boy.” Her elbow pokes into his unyielding side. This guy obviously doesn’t skip ab day. Or...whatever day they trained to make what should be love handles into solid steel. “He would have just told him he was weak and a disappointment to his ancestors. He certainly wouldn’t have helped him to his feet, let alone find his mom.”

“That’s...true enough,” he admits, reluctantly. “My mind was always bent toward pleasing the Soujoubou. To living up to his example and becoming the strongest of his sons. I thought that if I became a man he could rely on, if I made the rest of my brothers as strong as me...”

That it would protect him. Or rather, their way of life. He’d explained as much, when they descended into the Thunderbeast’s lair.

He coughs, cold steaming his breath. “All those years, I worried over only the most superficial aspects of being Soujoubou. I neglected to see even the most basic truths, the ones my master had gone to great pains to show me, even as I proved over and over that I did not understand. There is more to strength than the physical. There is more to discipline than denial.”

Nanami hooks a hand around his arm, squeezing it. “It’s good that you did learn it though. It takes a very big person to admit when they were wrong.”

She doesn’t add, especially a god. She’s learned the hard way that you never know when one is listening, especially when their winds are such tattletales.

“It was you that showed me that, Nanami. I allowed my vision to be clouded by pride, and you--” Jirou glances down at her, that stony glaze softening to something almost human-- “you saved me. All of us on Kurama. Our lives have been changed by your touch, and I, for one, will never forget what we owe you.”

“O-oh.” The way he looks at her, it’s so-- so intimate, the way she catches Tomoe looking at her in the breath before he turns away. The way she wishes he would without needing to hide it. That someone would, without acting it was some great sufferance, a lowering of their standards.

And here Jirou is, giving it to her for free, no strings attached. In a way that makes her want to turn toward it, the way flowers do for the sun, unfurling her petals to bask in its glow--

It’s too much.

“Oh, is that, um--” her eyes dart over the street, trying to find something to hold onto, some flotsam in the storm of these feelings-- and she finds it. “Ice skating?”

Jirou blinks. “Excuse me?”

“Come on.” She hooks her arm through his, dragging him toward the stop light, eye fixed on where the crowd presses around Ueno’s plaza. “Let’s go.”

#jironami #nanami momozono x jirou #kamisama kiss #kamisama hajimemashita #want your heart to be for me #my fic #set an arc or two after kurama and sharply diverges from there #still in the period where tomoe likes to punish both nanami and himself for their feelings #i had OH SO MANY PLANS for the second half of this #that i was excited to get out #but i had a few ideas i wanted to add to this part #and then a lot more to the rest of the date #AND NOW WE ARE HERE #so...sometime soon #i will finish this up

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