The Distance and Time between us

Before the media coverage died down completely, Y/n went to her mother to ease her of any pain caused by Y/n's "death". Haru had taken it upon himself to trash her old phone when he first took her, and it was safer to go to her mother's home. Ms. Shiro was an honest person. A woman always searching for the bottom of a bottle but honest and kind. Despite her flaws she loved her daughter and did the best she could. It would be unfair for the woman to suffer thinking she had lost both of her children in this lifetime. She had burst into tears when Y/n had arrived, holding her daughter and rocking Y/n like a baby. They both cried and after they calmed they talked. Y/n owed it to her mother to be completely honest and Haruchiyo had agreed that telling her mother the whole truth was best. Her mom promised not to tell a soul that Y/n was alive or who she was with. She only asked for one thing in return that Y/n promised her grandchildren. Haruchiyo was quick to let Ms. Shiro know that they would definitely be able to provide her with that, saying "We practice all the time. You'll have a grandson in no time." Y/n was quick to playfully slap him. After hearing the news about Y/n's "death" she fell deeper into despair and her drinking had progressed. She could barely stomach food without having alcohol to accompany the meal. Haru felt deep guilt, so at least one a week the couple visited her mother, to clean her home for her or bring groceries.

It took a month for media coverage about Y/n to completely fade away. Some news stations were skeptical of the cause of death. A journalist had somehow retrieved the autopsy of the body that was used as Y/n's replacement, and because there was bruising on the thighs of the body it was suggested that it couldn't have been a suicide. They even went as far as to suspect a serial predator was on the loose. Warning women claiming they should be careful leaving their homes. The police force was busy cleaning up the havoc the journalist had created, so Bonten was able to do some extra side work right under their noses.

Once the fuss died down, Haruchiyo had offered Y/n a job in the office to be his assistant. He promised her good money and the chance to spend more time together.

"Pervert, you're just trying to fuck on your desk." He could only shrug, cheeky smile on his face. Hey, she's right. Instead, equip with a decent disguise, Y/n started working at Senju's clothing store as the assistant manager. She took her old glasses from high school out of retirement, wore a wig, and used a nickname. She loved her job despite it being so different from what she had studied in school. She was able to help employees, keep stock, and organize all the paperwork. It gave Senju time to reach out to different designers and brands to be a part of her growing business. Whenever the two would work together it would be just like their time in high school, constantly harassing each other and picking fights. The employees would partake in some of the pranks and the overall environment of the store was just Senju and Y/n's friendship: beautiful chaos.

She'd usually get home from work first. Her work days much shorter than her significant other's. Y/n would shower and start dinner; Haruchiyo would be home by the time it was done. They'd sit at the table Haruchiyo had gotten. The one from their first dinner together. They would talk about their days. Something the Haitani brothers did or something Haru did to purposely tick off Koko. The latest gossip from Senju's store or the newest prank idea Y/n had. Plans for the weekend or old memories. Both of them always in high spirits, laughing until they cried at their own antics. By the time dinner was over, Haru would pull a DVD out of thin air, something he would pick up at the rental store. Y/n would clean up, he would shower, and then in pajamas they'd stay up late watching something scary. Sometimes Y/n would fall asleep on the couch and he'd have to carry her into the bedroom. Other times they fall asleep together in bed and Sanzu's phone would go off at bizarre hours. Waking the both of them up to an inconvenient call that he was needed by Bonten.

Everything was working out. They made it work. All the pieces fit together and the future looked so bright. But everyone has their days.

For the first time in almost three months, Haruchiyo came home angry. She could tell by the way he slammed the front door shut; he would always obnoxiously cry out "Doll face, I'm home!" when he first entered the penthouse. This particular night was different. She greeted him the same as always, "Hi Haru, how was work?", and set their two-seater table. He had been silent almost all of dinner. Sipping too much whiskey and mumbling to himself occasionally. The way he was chomping on his food was started to irk something deep in Y/n's soul, but she let it slip under the rug. She didn't need his sour mood to spoil hers. They both finished eating and sat in the silence. After about five minutes and another glass of wine, Y/n cleared her throat. She got up and was going to start cleaning the plates when he finally spoke up. "Some punk has been going to all of our hideouts and asking too many questions. I got a good fucking idea who it is too, sneaky bastard." he rubbed his temples, "I don't know how he figured out where to go and what to ask but he's being nosy. Too fucking nosy. But you know what they say? Curiosity killed the cat." he sat back in his cat but was still rubbing his temples, a vein on his forehead popping, "We got someone tailing him, but I think sooner or later I'll have to take care of him." Y/n walked over to him and started massaging his shoulders, in a calm voice she said, "Alright, so you'll have to take care of it. That's what you do, you take care of things. You're so good at that. It'll all work out. Don't worry about it until it's time too." He threw his head back to look up at her and smiled, "Thanks baby, give me a kiss."

She did and he got up to go shower. He looks so exhausted.

They didn't watch a movie that night.

Two days later Y/n woke up to Haru fully dressed and tucking a gun into his waistband behind his back. He smiled softly at her, kneeled by the bed and wiped her eyes of crust to assist in her waking up process.

"Today's the day to worry about it." He sounded slightly fatigued. She hummed in reply but didn't speak up. She hadn't found her voice yet. "I was right you know, about who I thought it was. I got no idea why he has so many questions about Bonten and Mikey but he won't let up. Our guy's tailing him for the rest of the day but then Mikey and I are making a move." Y/n nodded still a little sleepy but much more conscious considering the conversation at hand, she sat up a little to reply, "Alright, alright baby I'll see you when you get home then?"

"Yeah, and listen," Y/n perked up, opening her eyes fulling and giving Haru eye contact so he would know she was paying attention, "the jeweler might be here before I get back."

"Jeweler?" Y/n arched a brow.

"Yeah, we gotta measure your ring finger."

He smirked to her, and leaned in for a kiss. It deepened quickly. Y/n ran her tongue along his lower lip. He parted them for her; the air around them getting hotter as they started clinging to each other. He grabbed behind her head as she placed both hands around his neck.

"Alright," he kissed her, "alright." another kiss, "I gotta go." he still didn't pull away, laying kisses on her lips, jawline, and neck then heading back to her lips. "Okay for real this time, I gotta go. I love you."

"I love you too Haru." They shared one more kiss and he left the bedroom.

The jeweler showed up around their usual dinner time. He was a small elderly man with thick framed spectacles that enlarged his eyes and a curly thick mustache despite his bald head. He had nimble fingers and was delicate in sizing Y/n's left ring finger. He had her test out different diameters, in all different styles. He put a ring on her and ask her to do a mundane task like grabbing the tv remote or pour him a glass of water. He even had her play a round of thumb war with him. After each exercise he'd remeasure, resize, and readjust until finally after almost two hours, he found the perfect ring size for her. Y/n was so grateful not only for his hard work and dedication to his craft but also for Haru to have picked out someone so reliable for something so important. She thanked the jeweler once again as he left the penthouse. When the door was closed, she hugged herself; she felt so loved. Giddy, like puppy love all over again. It was like falling in love with Haru all over again.

Haruchiyo's ears must have been ringing because Y/n's phone buzzed. His contact photo a picture of them from seven years ago; her smile got brighter.

"Hello Mr. Sanzu." she said coyly as she answered the call.

"Hello soon to be Mrs. The jeweler just left right?" Y/n's jaw dropped. How did he...

"How did you....you know what never mind, yes he did and it went great. It took a lot longer than I expected but he got the perfect size for me." Sanzu could feel her smile through the phone and couldn't stop himself from smiling back. His heart full at knowing that he would be proposing to her tomorrow. "Good I'm glad. I'll be done with what I'm doing real soon; Mikey's taking care of the weasel now." he whispered out the last part and coughed, "Next I just have to pick out a big fat diamond. If you try to go swimming, you'll sink."

Y/n rolled her eyes, still grinning, "Stop, I don't need anything like that. I don't even need a ring. We both know how much we love each other and it's not like we can have a real wedding. I'm dead remember?"

"It'll be a wedding whether it's technically a legal marriage or not. We just need someone there to make it official, friends, family, a big ol' cake to smash in each other's faces." He let out a belly laugh at the thought of his pretty wife covered in frosting, "and the love of my life in a white dress. It's going to be the real deal."

"Real deal huh? Vows? the whole til death do we part?"

Haruchiyo let out a big laugh then, "No, sorry to break it to you doll face but not even that could keep us apart. I'll find you in the next life too."

"Well that's good to kn...."

There was a commotion in the background of the phone call, it sounded like people yelling.

"Hold on bab....MIKEY!?"

Haru screamed and the phone fell from his hands, Y/n could hear the clattering of the device against pavement. Her heart beat was intensifying. Her hands shaking. She had never, not one heard Haruchiyo scream like that. She had never heard him sound so genuinely afraid. It was the scream of a wounded animal.

"Haru? Haru? What about Mikey? What's going on?"

Y/n put her phone on speaker to hear better, there was too much background noise but she was focused on trying to pinpoint his voice among the chaos.

Then he screamed again.

"MIKEY, STOP!!!"

I'll find you

[Lightning sparks]

In the next life

[HANDS CONNECT]

In a violent flash, the potential future, this alternate universe, where Sanzu Haruchiyo was fed love on a silver spoon had ceased to exist all because of a handshake.