Yin and Yang

“Despite my grumblings, you dealt with that situation marvellously, Shiidou. None but yourself would dare taunt such a formidable enemy, let alone turn its own pride against it. You truly ar-”
“I love you.”

Ann immediately falls silent as I cut her off. Rude though it may be, I’ve held off on the words for so long. I’ll say them, here and now, with every ounce of affection I’ve hidden away all this time.

“I-I-”
“You told me to save these words for a happier occasion. I can think of no better time than now. Ann, I love you. With every cell in my body, I’ve loved you for so long, and with every cell in my body, I’ll love you for years to come. I love everything about you. I love that you’re the first to support me when I need it, and I love that you’re the first to call me out when I deserve it. I love how you always push yourself to grow, and I love how you always push me to keep up. I love how you so often put other people’s good before your own, and I love that you can sometimes be selfish and look out for yourself. I love how you uplift me with your words when I do good, and I love how you mercilessly scold me when I take unnecessary risks. I love that you can be so bashful and cute, and I love that you can also be confident and direct. I love that you can be so fiercely loyal, and I love that you don’t let that loyalty cloud your judgement. From the surface of your skin, to the depths of your soul, I love all of you.”

My chest feels a thousand times lighter. Words I’d kept bottled up for so, so long spilled from my mouth without pause. Feelings I’d wanted to express for so long that I’m not even certain where they began. Maybe it was the adrenaline of the fight that made me so bold, or maybe I just couldn’t hold it in any longer, but after all this time, I finally told the woman I love just how much I love her.

“I-um-Shi-“

Unsurprisingly, such a confession seems to have left Ann grasping for words to say.

“Y’know, I seem to remember there being a reason you told me to wait for a happier occasion. If you’re looking for a reply, that’d probably be a good place to start.”

She pauses for a moment, as if trying to collect herself. Her face is a familiar shade of red, but this time it’s not bashfulness at playful flirting. She knows I’m serious, and she’s serious too.

After a few seconds of regaining her composure, she breathes in, looks me in the eye, and wraps me in a tight embrace. Despite how wet and cold our clothes are, I’ve never felt such a comfortable warmth.

“I love you, Shiidou. With every fibre of my body. With every ounce of my existence. With every inch of my soul. I love you. The yin to my yang, my precious other half. Alone I am shattered, and only with you am I complete. My master, my friend, and my beloved. These ten long years, I have loved you so. And even to this day, no speck of that love has faded. I have been yours my whole life, and I remain yours forevermore.”

I already knew of Ann’s affection for me, but to hear her say it leaves a feeling in my heart that I’d hold onto until the day I die if it were possible. I love the way she talks so much, and to hear that style of speech used to speak words of undying love to me… I struggle to believe I’m not in heaven.

“Forever’s a long time, sure I won’t manage to wear you out before then?”
“You’ve yet to find the limits to my patience, and I can hardly imagine you have any cards in your deck more destructive or asinine than those you’ve already played.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“One I doubt even you could rise to.”

Still wrapped tightly in one another’s arms, we chuckle as we fall back into our usual banter. Some things will truly never change.

I pull back slightly, and we both loosen our grip. I manage to put just enough space between our bodies for our faces to be nearly touching, her slightly taller stature putting us close to eye level.

And for the first time in my life, current or previous, I find myself kissing the woman I love.
It feels… natural. As if this was the way things were always supposed to be. The yang to my yin. My precious other half. After so many years of yearning, I finally found myself complete.

I’m unsure of how long we stand there, savouring the moment as our senses are filled with nothing but each other. The warm feeling of her lips against mine, the faint yet sweet smell of mana emanating from her body, the slightly sour taste on her lips, all of it a bliss that my whole existence is desperate to absorb. It’s a happiness and peace with the world that I’d never experienced, neither in my 16 years on Earth nor my 14 here.

It’s a moment that passes too soon, and yet feels like a lifetime.

Were it an option, I’d never want our lips to part.