Proposal

Setsuno cocks a brow when Roku kicks the desk in his room out of frustration he's never seen him so upset or be anything either than happy.

"Before you set this place on fire can you please keep in mind we just moved in like 12 hours ago, what the hell is up with you?"

Roku sighs, "I cannot get in touch with Madeline it's been a month since we talked I'm worried about her."

Setsuno checks the time, "You worry too much I'm telling Yuno to schedule you for a session before you die. Oh wait, you can't."

Setsuno snaps his neck before taking a shower and going to bed he knew sharing an apartment with Roku was a bad idea for his mental health, but he needs to keep a close eye on him before he works himself to death one too many times.

Roku groans waking up on the bedroom floor, "I thought you wanted us to move in together so I don't work myself to death you should've mentioned killing me with your own bare hands was the exception."

Madeline giggles, "You have great friends I've been watching for a while now. They really love you especially the Lin's. Izumi is about to call you should get up now."

Roku walks towards Madeline standing in front of her, "Where are you? I've searched high and low for you give me a clue."

She shakes her head, "It's a trap, come after me they'll come after your friends."

Roku furrows his brows, "What are you talking about? I thought they only wanted me back, why my friends?"

"The Oni found out what you're hiding and soon enough everyone will find out she never lost the child.

"The exorcists are against immortals whole heartedly they managed to poison your father with their sick lies and fake texts.

"All I know is that they have a way to get rid of all the immortals including half breeds like you.

"They will turn you all fully mortal and they need you for it.

"The child being unborn and still in the mothers womb will not be affected hence even after the spell works there will still be a whole bunch of unborn immortal left and they aren't having that.

"So, you have to choose between me and them."

Roku takes a step back, "Where are you? I'll come get you."

Madeline smiles, "The garden I've always been in the garden."

Roku looks around scratching the back of his neck, "How do I wake up?"

Madeline flicks his forehead and Roku wakes up. She also wakes up on the floor of the garden room a blue flower atop of Eve's head. the garden has been dead for centuries and now it's suddenly blooming and that can only mean one thing.

"Tenshi is back."

She walks out of the room taking her robe from the students guarding the door, "He will come home soon enough, ready the horizon we missed our opportunity last time we won't miss this time."

Rouge huffs, "Don't you think that if you worked with the immortals last time things would've been different? You've been after Tenshi for a very long time and yet they've come the closest to catching Tenshi even though they don't know what he looks like."

Madeline strikes a daring glance at Rouge who shakes his head.

"Watch it boy, you don't know who you're talking to."

Rouge chuckles, "You're the traitorous Exorcist who made a deal with the devil and sold this church over to evil.

"You're the one who switched the texts so that Roku may never leave because you were afraid of being alone and soon enough he'll come back for you and you're afraid he'll strike you down himself. Admit it."

Madeline glares him down unable to mutter a single rebuttal instead she walks away to the high Priests office.

"Well?" The grey-haired old woman looks up from the paper work on her desk.

"He will come, but I cannot say for sure when." She looks out the window and sighs.

"Is something the matter Madeline? I thought you'd be happy."

Madeline shrugs her shoulders, "I haven't aged a day I wonder how old he is now, immortals age disproportionately you never when exactly they stop aging."

The Priestess stands up, "Roku hasn't aged a day since his 19th birthday I'm sure he's still a quiet individual allergic to happy I never saw him smiling that is until he met you yet you left him and he never smiled ever again kept himself occupied with his magic day in and day out."

"You never let him leave."

"We cannot taint our image, what will the other branches say if they find out we were harbouring a devil in our midst? He should've been grateful for a roof over his head."

"He's not a devil."

The Priestess glares at Madeline anger flashing in her old grey eyes weary and droopy, but the fire still burning bright, "You dare come into my office to chastise me girl."

Madeline takes a step back bowing her head, "No mam, I just don't like you calling my friend a devil."

"That's exactly what he is. Made from the blood of the devils spawn they are all devils and their existence has opened a breach we as the church cannot contain any longer. Demons have safe passage through both worlds and it's their fault we cannot distinguish friend or foe."

"It's not like you're trying to make friends anyway." Madeline walks away only to get stopped in her tracks when she tries to open the door and it's unlocked.

"If you didn't know Madeline, now you know those doors will not open until you tell me everything you know about Roku, and I mean everything."

Madeline sighs, "He's still a virgin, hates blood spells and between you and me I'm not the old lady who will need to go use the bathroom in the next ten seconds. I can wait you out."

The Priestess narrows her eyes thinning her lips clenching her fists tighter, "Now we know you're hiding something and that means we cannot trust you. I hope you enjoyed your free time because back to the well is you're going."

Madeline smirks, "You can't send me back because you're not the ones who got me out in fact all you're telling me is that I can leave because I am no longer bound to this place nor am I bound to you and your rules" Madeline's eyes widen, "I can leave if I want too."

The doors open and she rushes to the garden plucking the blue foreign flower tossing it in the well before bumping into Rouge waiting for her.

"What do you want?"

Rouge smiles, "To meet her, Yuno Lin she sounds fascinating to me I found out from a reliable source her uncle is the first immortal and he will be Emperor soon.

"He scheduled a meeting with the Vatican for an alliance and you know how the exorcists are they won't compromise and war will break out."

Madeline shakes her head, "I don't care, I have an island to visit there's something I left there and I need it back."

"Your little Luxar ring? It won't work you know the conditions of a Luxar ring is that it has to be mutual and you feel the same way about your lover boy, if you think you can suddenly pick up those feelings on your way there forget it."

Rouge smirks walking away, "I'll be in Kagawa if you're interested. Oh wait, Hiroshima is going to kill you before you tell his son the truth. Oh man, what the hell were you thinking making deals with the devil."

Madeline turns around glaring at him, "Why do you know so much? Who are you?"

"A friend of a friend. See you around sweetheart and happy hunting, you'll need all the luck you can get."

~

Yuno sits outside waiting for Roku who's in the school getting Xavier from his class.

"Hi, I'm here for Xavier."

Xavier looks out the window spotting Yuno on the phone with Ken who didn't drop of Tori at the orphanage and instead let him tag along on his business trip.

"Yuno calm down we'll be back soon enough it's not a big deal." Yuno glares at her phone hanging up. Ken sighs holding Tori in his arms waiting for Kim to show up.

"Where's your own son?"

Ken turns around his eyes widening when he sees Himawari.

"Surprised? don't be. I hope you enjoy your stay here Kim's new lab is quit the marvelous investment on your part everyone wants to know what you're working on and rumour has it you'll be engineering pets with abilities. I was only here to remind Kim my brother would love one too."

Tori's eyes follow her every move as she walks away.

"Ken, let's go." Kim picks up Tori who giggles when she tickles him.

He snaps out of the shock following Kim to the lab laying Tori on the bed.

"Stay very still for me buddy."

Tori yawns before nodding watching the drones that hover above his body,\.

"What is that?" Ken asks noticing the Ake family crest on the bots.

"The future! X-ray bots that will give a detailed scan of Hitori's bone structure and muscle development we'll be doing the same with Snow and Lorry."

Ken watches the two animals interact it's like having a cat and a dog under one roof difference is the cat and dog burn or freeze everything and they throw tantrums like children.

"Yuno's mad at me she hung up during our call when I wanted to tell her I just landed."

Kim turns her head to Ken, "Did you ever think that it's because you spend an uneven amount of time with the boys?"

Ken narrows his eyes, "Xavier and I spend enough time together he's the one that prefers Yuno over me and he hates to travel he'll always find a way to get back to Yuno or Saito.

"I promise you at home it's always just the two of us. It's the going out part that annoys him he's always been introverted."

Kim nods with a smile on her face, "Oh, that I remember he preferred mom over you back then too because she didn't go out with dad while you could never stay in one place."

"In my defense country life was too hectic for me to just sit and do nothing like we can in the city." He laughs at all the ridiculous games he and his sister made up.

His favourite of them all was scaring the hell out of hikers who visited a close by mountain where they had a cave engraved with their secrets and the dragon stories their father told them.

"You're thinking about him again."

Ken looks up shaking his head, "I just wonder what happened to him, why did he suddenly want nothing to do with his own family? It didn't make sense then and still doesn't now, but I know something new that I didn't know then. What if a witch got to him?"

Kim smiles, "You always were the better half out of the both of us Ken even now you refuse to believe he's the monster we know he is.

"There's something fundamentally wrong with all those immortals from the past, it's like immortality stripped away their humanity and instead left these cold-hearted beings instead, but you're right he might be a different person now that he's human again."

Kim brushes Tori's cheeks covering him up with a blanket he fell asleep and she's done, "Why the sudden change? I know you Ken forgiveness doesn't come easy in fact it's a miracle you forgive at all."

Ken smiles, "Yuno." His one-word reply is enough of an answer to explain everything from start to finish for Kim.

Yuno helps keep him grounded strengthens his human side.

"Man am I jealous, I've had the worst luck when it comes to men."

Ake walks into the room flicking Kim's forehead, "If you weren't so batshit you'd have your own kids by now, oh wait you can't anymore."

Kim steps on his foot, "Shut up you asshole."

Ken leaves the room going outside for a short walk he looks around the place and it's too quiet for his liking he calls Yuno one more time and instead Xavier answers.

"Hi dad."

Ken smiles seeing him with some face painting and a balloon in hand. "Where's Yuno?" he turns around looking around the room Ackerman snatches the phone from Xavier glaring at Ken.

"When am I getting unfired? I can't do this whole stay at home business."

Ken shrugs his shoulders, "I'll think about it when I get back, mind giving Yuno the phone?" Ackerman shakes his head puzzling Ken who thinks that maybe Yuno said she doesn't want to talk to him anymore, "Why? Is she really that upset with me?"

"Upset with you? I wish. They're upset with me. You know how moms are when they come together it becomes an anti-dads' zone and I'm in the middle of it." Ackerman looks around just in case they're eves dropping.

Yuno is holding the baby girl in her arms while she gives Sensen a moment to enjoy a long relaxing soak Yuno has only her feet in the tub so she can heal her fatigued body and help her relax.

"Do I not miss these relaxing soaks I could do with one every day I had no idea being a mom full time was such work."

Yuno's smile drops and Sensen sits up, "Oh shit, that was so insensitive of me I'm sorry."

Yuno shakes her head, "It's okay I'll be just fine I'm doing a whole lot better than I was 5 months ago" Yuno remembers the first three months after then we're just too real for her. The days were longer. People just wouldn't stop reminding her of what happened.

"It's no reason for you to feel bad or anything like that I'm okay with Tori and Xavier and honestly one more would've been a bit much considering I'd just officially graduated into the adult world and I would trade my 9 to 5 for the Palace any day, but -

"You know how Ken is he's serious about using his half of the Kaminari building as a hospital I just need some experience and eventually I'll have my own 24 hour job like him and I won't have time for my kids like him and I'll always be tired like him."

Sensen chuckles laughing at Yuno's expression and mockery tone chatting some more until the baby goes to sleep.

Ackerman and Xavier watch TV while Yuno makes dinner after putting the baby to sleep Sensen fell asleep too, "Hey Yuno, Ken says you should call him back."

She turns around walking to the living room taking her phone making a call.

Ken wakes up since he was sleeping. "Yuno? It's 2 AM what are you doing still up?"

"Making dinner, Roku has taken over my life this is the only time I get to eat what I want when I want in peace without a meeting and having to get on the scale after every meal I have."

Ken nods half asleep.

"Mommy!" Tori takes the phone from Ken who goes back to sleep Xavier runs into the kitchen talking to Tori over the over phone.

"Food's ready."

Ackerman jumps off the couch giving Yuno a tight hug, "Is Ken Tachibana a lucky man or what? When's the last time I got eat a meal like this."

Yuno grabs a chicken wing, "You should try being me surrounded by Roku and the over protective Izumi my only salvation is Ryu who secretly runs errands for me getting me whatever I want to eat when she can."

Ackerman's eyes widen watching Yuno pour nearly the entire bottle of hot sauce on her plate Xavier doesn't seem to mind the spiciness either, but Ackerman remembers Yuno couldn't stand the idea of hot food and yet right now she's going crazy with it.

"Wow, you must really love spicy food huh!" Xavier nods hanging up since Ken told Tori to go to sleep.

"I used to hate it, but it's really good after you give it a chance."

"You don't say."

Ackerman comments his face scrunched up unable to hide the disgust plastered on his face.

"What Rex?"

Ackerman shakes his head going back to eating his meal, "Nothing, eat away."

Ken walks into the lab Kim is analysing everything she has on Tori and the animals.

"Any news?"

Kim pulls up Tori's charts lining up Xavier's charts too. "Ken, Hitori's blood contains a foreign molecule only found in the blood of Immortals and this isn't something recent it's something he was born with."

Ken gives her a confused look, "He's Immortal?"

"No, it's like an inactive gene it's dormant inside him, but he could be."

Ken looks at Tori in his arms, "Are you saying there are people out there with this dormant gene in their bodies?"

Kim nods, "Do you think Yuno has it too? It could explain why your child's immortality could be detected from within the room."

Ken looks up, "Izumi may have done it on purpose. Roku mentioned that there's a way to fully suppress our immortal side making us fully human which would explain why…" Kim's head perks up when Ken doesn't finish his sentence.

"Why? What?" Kim questions and Ken points to Snow.

"His immortal side may have been triggered when he fell into the pool when Yuno was being channeled through me the stones may act as a key to unlock their immortality so it may be that all Lin's are immortal, but why would Izumi not tell them? Why suppress them in the first place?"

"Why aren't you telling Yuno you brought me here to study Tori and there's no business trip involved?"

Ken turns his head lazily in her direction, "She'll kill me that's why."

Kim narrows her eyes, "Ken, are you hiding something from Yuno?"

He shrugs his shoulders, "Maybe." Kim narrows her eyes even further before nagging him all day none stop. "I'm going to propose to her!" Ken shouts at Kim finally annoyed with her to the point of no return.

Kim stares at him in shock, "You can't be serious Ken, don't you think it's too soon?" He rolls his eyes taking Tori home leaving Kim with a puzzled look on her face.

Ken gets home calling Yuno before getting himself and Tori ready for bed, "Proposing? Geez couldn't you think of a better lie."

Ken sighs looking out the window thinking out loud about anything that comes to mind, "Kim you better shut up for once Yuno will freak when she finds out I said that she's not the type to rush into things like this."

"Shut up!" Tori glares at Ken before going back to sleep Ken jumps on the bed waking him up shaking him back and forth.

"Say that again, I don't think I heard you right." Tori giggles before apologising and Ken lets him go.

"The nerve." Tori giggles after saying that at the same time as Ken.

"Go back to sleep, I'll stay quiet."

"Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams Hitori."