[CHUCK MCCOY]

✧ RIP ✧

The next couple of weeks smiled upon me and my girl.

While it hella pissed on everyone else!! The Elemental attacks sprung up here and there throughout Tokyo, massively displacing communities and putting our work at a standstill. Laws forbid civilian employees like me from working in environments that were deemed inhospitable; so that meant rescue Heroes and likewise had to go in and level out the destruction before buildings could be rebuilt and people like me, re-employed. A breach of that law could mean truckloads of payout via workman’s comp or whatever else. Some of my friends got hella lucky and cashed in on that. I was so stoked to just have full-paid leave.

Then my cuz and wife went on vacation right ‘round the time we started hearing ‘bout Babel. I was mad grateful. Like there was some hidden force out there protecting us, placing her far from the danger. N’ we took every advantage of the sudden downtime, organizing our contracts with the city to build our house. Ordering materials, lugging them up on a truck towards our dream home spot. Now we’ve got a lil tent out here, the coziest camp chair for my moongirl to sit in. A frog leaps by us and into thick folds of flowers. “They should be here soon,” I whisper, squeezing her hand. “I love you.”

As if on cue, my coworkers came racing like a bat out of hell into the meadow!! My eyebrows twitch as they get out, seeing the three of them outside of work like a surreal dream! The first girl, Tomoko, is hella massive - like American All-Star WNBA champ massive - and goes right up to Kazashi, a real big grin on her face!

“MY OH MY so you’re Mrs. McCoy! Chuckie’s always goin’ on’n’on ‘bout you, saying how pretty you are n’ how much he misses you all day!” She reaches in to hug Kaz’s hand, a curious expression in her eyes. “I, well I’m just shocked! Y’know with how Chuckie looks… n’ is… n’ everythan I thought you might’ve been one o’ those AI wives!” I’m dyin’!! “Ain’t that right, Azusa?”

“Tomoko… You can’t just go saying that kinda stuff out loud,” Azusa seethes, crossing her arms. “Anyway, I had my same doubts about Chuck having a wife. But then he pushed my car across the Shuto Expressway so I wouldn’t have to pay a tow and I thought, ‘well maybe there’s a chance for this chump after all.’” I grin. “With how short he is, he needs that, right?”

“HEY WAIT!!”

“And when he blows that chance with you baby I’ll be right here!!” Then this skeezehole goes right up to my girl, throwing his arms around her shoulder! Not for long!! “Hada Haru, LEAD Custodian and board member of the Janitors Union at your service, promising you bigger, better kids! Hey uh, how about after he builds you this rinky-dink house we go back to mine and I’ll show you a real place?”

“I’LL ■■■■ING KILL YOU PEOPLE!!”

Then they’re all laughing, with Tomoko grinding the top of my head with her watermelon-sized fist. “Let’s build ya two a home now-a, won’t we?”

tag: Kazashi McCoy

[Kazashi McCoy]

The last few weeks had been hectic. Between a near constant stream of bad news through the recent villain attacks, and her pregnancy progressing, it was like the world suddenly became so loud. The vacay getaway with Megumi was a godsend. She wished Chuck could have been there too, but part of her knew they would hella third wheel his cousin if that was the case. Still, for the entirety of their Golden Week, she was relaxed and made sure to send him plenty of photos and silly memes, as well as talk to him on the ring and ask about his day.

Then they were building a house too!! They really were making something positive out of the ashes of the recent events. Getting all the supplies in place and setting up the tent had been quite the challenge, even if Chuck did most of the work. That didn’t stop her from cooking him a delicious, hearty stew on the campfire. He was going to need it considering the amount of work they had ahead of them after all. Sitting in her camp chair, hair braided to one side with her legs covered by a warm blanket, she squeezed his hand back. “Love ya, Chuchu. Can’t wait ta meet ‘em.” She whispered back, just before seeing them enter the meadow.

One of his coworkers caught her attention immediately, probably because she was mega tall!! “That’s me!” She smiled, fangs showing but she didn’t care, Chuck had helped her embrace that part of herself years ago. “D-Does he really?” She blushed, looking over at him. Did he gush at work just like she did? “AI wives?” She laughed, more amused than offended, although she was ready to stand up for her gorgeous man any day!! “Ah’m as real as they come.” She then looked at Azusa, it was one person after another! “Really? Ah don’t see how anyone could pass up on someone so handsome an’ charitable.” She spared Chuck a glance, giving him a cheeky little wink. “His height is perfect. He’s my short king.” Her Pluto forever and ever.

Hada Haru made her narrow her eyes a bit. Blows his chance? As if. Chuck and her were perfectly happy, besides she loved Chuck! Not just any schmuck who walked up and asked for her heart. He could try again in an infinite number of alternate universes and she would never take an interest in him over Chuck. “Ah’m happily married, try yer luck somewhere else.” Was about as polite as she could word it. Bigger and better kids? Never happening. Call it a mother’s intuition, but she already knew her and Chuck were going to have beautiful children, hella taller than their parents too! Get the best from both of their genetics and become the stars of their own stories. If they hadn’t been his coworkers, if these were just some random mooks, she would already have started throwing out punches.

“Not if Ah kill ‘em first. ~” she added with a smile and a hint of malice, although she played into the lighthearted atmosphere. Probably only her boo knew that if it came down to it, she wasn’t kidding. “Nice ta meet ya three! Can Ah get ya some drinks?” She laughed, gesturing to a small cooler. Beer, juice, water, soda, they had plenty to choose from. They were free to just take one, but if they didn’t Kaz would pick the drinks out for them, it gave her something to do while they got working on the house. Maybe she could cook up some more of that stew too?

“If ya need anythin’ Ah’ll be right here.” Sat in her camp chair, she turned her left arm into a scarf, sneaking it into their tent so she could grab some of her knitting supplies and continue working on her collection of little tiny zombie devil socks.

CHUCK MCCOY

[CHUCK MCCOY]

✧ RIP ✧

I was hella obsessed with every call, text, photo n’ anythin’ I got from her during Golden Week!! Obsessed with Kazashi McCoy to begin with, it was a miracle I made it a week without her. The greatest peace of mind I could have was that my superstrong cousin was there, waitin’ in the wings, lookin’ out for her. In present time, I sat there marveling my moongirl as we held hands, thinkin’ she was so pretty. Every intricate line in her braid memorized in my brain, those engorged fangs I wanted her to sink into me and her smile… Everything about Kazashi was so beautiful it hurt. I wanted to build our house, eat the delicious stew she made n’ take us right back home n’ have her for dessert!! Beamin’ at what she said, I clung onto her every word as I got roasted to hell!

I wink at her while she blushes, not caring what my coworkers thought if they saw it!! “Sure does, sugar! He keeps on pretty quiet to himself now but whenever he does open that big mouth of his… it’s all ‘bout ya!” Despite the jokes n’ jabs, there was somethin’ hella comforting about this moment. Like a tiny planet was floating into our ozone, bringing with it resources n’ wonders n’ shelter. Despite the fantasy-like life we were building together, I always had this bee in my ear: what would happen to her if something happened to me? N’ havin’ my coworkers meet her it was like knowing there was another safety next. Yeah, even that ■■■■ass Hada Haru was dependable and he wouldn’t try anythin’ real. Otherwise ain’t a way in hell I’d let him meet Kazashi or let him know where we live!!

“Sorry about him, he gets stupider as the day goes on,” Azusa grit out, hauling away that crusty lech. Even if he ain’t mean it for real, I was still gonna knock his lights out for approaching Kaz like that anyway!! Just what I do! “Your short king, huh?” She burst into laughter! “You two are sickeningly cute, I’m gonna barf!”

“I’m on the death threat list of another beautiful woman!!” Haru wailed, dumb as hell. “When oh when will my luck turn world!”

“I’ll take a soda!” Tomoko chirped, laughing with the others at what Kaz said!! If only they knew she ain’t kiddin’! “Sit back, mamabear. We’ll build ya a real nice place!” With that, she extended her massive arms, conjuring up chains that rattle the earth as they ascended from it, lifting up materials right into the air. Azusa made a diamond hand sign, pressing it to her heart to activate her quirk.

Azusa, 33 years old!!
QUIRK: U-HAUL!
With a quick hand-sign to the heart, Azusa can manifest any number of transparent floating boxes!! The hardier she constructs them, the more immovable they become!

Tomoko, 27 years old!!
QUIRK: HELL’S CHAINS!
Tomoko can reel up unbreakable chains from underground that seem to be tethered to an unknown, rapidly moving entity!!

Hada Haru, 37 years old!!
QUIRK: HANDYMAN!
Haru can transform his arms into any standard tool found in a toolkit!! Legend has it he got fired from his office job by rage-smashing his desk with hammer-arms!!

So, funny random thing. When you’re not working for corpos, you work a helluva lot faster, more efficient. Like, I ain’t know how the chicks ended up as janitors with quirks like theirs - even if I’m a helluva hypocrite - but they had a real system down. Azusa steadies her boxes as placeholders for areas of the house; then Tomoko reels up materials, gets ‘em all tidy n’ lined in place, for Haru n’ I to start nailin’ everything down. Even talkin’ trash, we move at lightning speed.

“So eh, he-he, does your wife have a sist-!!”

“SHUT IT.”

I feint, playin’ like I was gonna lug a brick at his head. Y’know, it prolly ain’t the worst thing in the world if one of Kazashi’s half-sibs found this man. Hopefully one of those sibs who was hella more Blaine-like in their psychological portrait. Toying with the thought briefly, I put it down. May they never cross paths, for everyone’s sake, my girl’s above all else.

A couple hours into it, Azusa shook her shoulders, deciding it was break time. “Cute socks,” she says to my girl, genuine appreciation radiant over her face. “So, when are you due? What are you most looking forward to about being a mom?” She curls up on the ground next to Kazashi’s chair, dotingly lookin’ up at her with her chin propped by her fist. “If I can ask, that is.”

tag: Kazashi McCoy

[Kazashi McCoy]

Golden Week felt like an eternity away from him. It was a return to those days where she went to hero school and couldn’t see him every day, or so it felt at first. All she could do was watch on the news as the attacks broke out and Tokyo descended into chaos. Was he safe? Was he okay? She talked into her phone more times than she could count, heart racing as she sent him a million texts, she must have looked hella insane! Only his response could calm her down, only once she knew he was unharmed could she continue her vacation and send him more cute or private photos.

She couldn’t help but blush even more!! All about her? Had his coworkers seen through their facade? Did they realize they were both ride or die simps for each other? No, the bigger question was what did he tell them? Did they know all their sappy nicknames for each other? Just the thought was enough to make her want to turn into a scarf and snake into the grass then and there. At least if it hadn’t been for Chuck. “What are ya tellin’ ‘em? They don’t know how amazin’ ya are? Ya should brag some more or Ah’ll do it for ya.” Her lips curled into a mischievous little devil smile. It was a threat and she was ready to act on it! “That’s right!” She was hella proud of her short king. Happy he was hers and happy to be his. It was nice to know he had such nice coworkers on the legal job. Much of his working life was a mystery to her. Sure, they didn’t keep secrets from each other, and they did plenty of venting about work, but rarely talked about the mundane things. Like she didn’t know every hit he carried out and she didn’t always mention the patrols or office days where nothing happened. When he came home from work usually all she wanted to do was eat a nice meal, have some laughs together and cuddle up close. Living her dream and more every day.

“Ah’ll put my faith in ya!” She chuckled, a little touched at the nickname. Mamabear. She put a hand over her tummy when she sat down again, feeling a small kick. They were going to be parents soon. Their journey together had been enchanting, like some magic fairytale book you find tucked away at the back of the library. Soon, her and Chuck were about to write a whole new chapter together. There were going to be a lot of firsts. First time seeing the lil ones, holding them, comforting them. First sleepless night because of screaming and crying, babies’ first scrapbook. Maybe she should look into getting a Polaroid camera, one of those ones with a million photos in it because it was going to run out fast if she was the photographer!

Before she knew it she had already started knitting. Then her attention was grabbed by everyone getting to work, Tomoko’s chains reminding her of her colleague Gleipnir for a split second. “They’re pros.” She cooed, impressed by the display. When Haru asked Chuck if she had a sister, she paused, but only for a fraction of a second. She only knew one of her half sisters, Ichiyo Kaneko. She used to work as a funeral director, hiding her horns under her hat. She was revealed to be a villain not long after Kaz met her. They were probably doomed to be enemies ever since Kaz didn’t swear loyalty to Blaine. She was glad Chuck led Haru away from that idea. A guy like him didn’t deserve someone like Ichiyo.

In between knitting she looked up stuff on her phone. Ordering a Polaroid camera? Hella! First selfie was going to be Pluto and Charon in their cosmic dance. “Thanks.” She smiled up at Azusa, putting knitting needles down in her lap. “Th-This summer actually, right around the corner!” What did she look forward to the most about being a mom? It was such a big question, she could feel her head heating up and turning red as she mulled it over!! “Mm, sure! Ask all ya want.” She put a hand up to her chin. “Ta love.” The words just flew out of her, “ta love an’ cherish my kids an’ my husband every day. Ah grew up in an orphanage most of my life, so Ah want ta spoil them rotten!” She grinned. “Do ya have kids?” She looked at Azusa, then at the others. “Do any of ya?”

CHUCK MCCOY

[CHUCK MCCOY]

✧ RIP ✧

I ain’t ever wanna be away from her that long again. Welcomed her every text n’ pic, immediately saved the latter to a private folder and sought out a quiet place to respond to the former. A place where I could smile, look so stupidly drunk in love I wouldn’t touch base with reality for a lil while. Then I’d spam her right back with a carefully crafted meme barrage, cute animals n’ things to do n’ stupid lil things!! Ask her how her day went, where her and Megumi went this or that time, anything imaginable. It was like an obsessive lil game I’d been playing since I was eighteen years old - winning by being the first person to appear at the top of her contacts list, never wanting her to get up without at least seven messages waiting for her. I’d never get tired of everything she sent back, every laugh or worry she had over me. It made me so happy to read each time I swore my heart would burst.

Just like now!! Wild embarrassed as they stood there n’ rizzed up my girl by roasting me!! “N-nothing!! Just that I love you n’ I’d die n’ kill for you at a moment’s notice!!” It was true. I was a blabbermouth about my super hott succubus wife. She was the greatest thing to have ever happened to me, how couldn’t I? Like all the joy she gave me spilled over n’ above my essence, radiated onto the environment around me. Talked about the delicious meals she cooked, things she laughed at, places we went. Never her pics, tho. Cause people are fuckin’ weirdos. I know what happens with every single one she sends me, alright?! “Y-you’re so awesome baby I can brag about you n’ it’ll count for both of us!” My soul did funny flip-flops when she smiled at me, a threat I was fully ready to submit to. See why I’d never share her pics?

“Good! You can trust us now, okay?” Tomoko’s languid way of speaking, slow, full round words were weirdly comforting. Lowkey, I ain’t listen to what most of my coworkers talked about but the general pace of her words, without even understanding, seemed to have an effect on everyone in the crew. “Now-a know we’re just janitors and all but we gotta couple tricks up our sleeves! I promise you’re-a gonna real like your place when we’re all done!” She put a finger up to her lips.

I was magnetically focused on Kazashi, even throughout all the building process, bigass blue ears tryna eavesdrop on her every word. Sneaked looks at her all the time. Wondered what she was lookin’ at on her phone, couldn’t stop thinkin’ bout how cute she was!! My skin tensed just as her’s did with Haru’s question, glad that dumbie ain’t pursue it further!! I was gonna sock him anyway later! It was gettin’ done in record time, laying the foundation, tiling, technical things I hella knew allll about.

Azusa beams right up at my girl, genuine joy evident in her smile. “Damn! Just a couple months away now, huh? Congratulations.” I was hung on my girl’s every word then, leaning so hard over to listen I almost fell off the scaffolding!! Worth it to see her face better alone, all that red poured over her cheeks! Azusa purrs in empathetic anticipation, just so excited for my moongirl and me. “You know better than anybody the power of a parent’s love. I could tell in the first few seconds that you were gonna be a really good mom to them. Oh, and that goof’s really lucky to be married to you, too.” Before Asuza could answer my girl’s question, someone else just had to answer!!

“I DO!!” This asshole damn near paraglided so fast from the balance beam we were on, phone in hand, I went FLYING off the other edge. FACEDOWN hit the ground!! “Me me me~!!” he sung, waving his screen on as he raced towards my girl!! He flashed her his screensaver. “These are all mine!! My eighteen-year-old on the left and my twelve-year-old on the right! I get them both every other week and I’m just thanking every God above because I’m gonna have this whole summer with them while their mom’s are out exploring the world on all-expenses-paid cruises with their duds’ of husbands!” He’s happy crying. Damn near ballistic. “I couldn’t care less - I’m gonna get that WHOLE time with my kids!!”

Stars are spinning above my head. “What the ■■■■?? You have kids?”

“I just said I did!! Did you not hear ANY of that?!”

“Sure does! That’s why he leaves work right on time on Wednesdays!”

I perk up my brows. “They’ve come by the office before.”

“Am I the only one who ain’t know??”

“I don’t know how you couldn’t.” Azusa looks beyond me. “Isn’t that right, TomTom?”

“She went to the lil girl’s room in the forest a few minutes ago!” It was then I came up behind Haru, WHACKED him in the back of the head with a steel pole. Then dragged him by his ear back to our post!!

The faintest glimmer of worry, so fast only someone with supernatural reflexes could catch it, glimmers over Asuza’s expression. Then she looks back at my girl with a big sad smile, lowers her voice just a pitch. “We’re kinda at a crossroads, her and I. Life things are just getting in the way.” She tucks her knees to her chest. “We decided that if she hits thirty and we haven’t figured it out, we’ll just scrap the whole kids thing.” She looks up at my girl. Her voice is soft as a whisper. “Are you scared?”

tag: Kazashi McCoy

[Kazashi McCoy]

Nothing eased her worried heart like a trademark Chuck meme barrage. They had known each other for so long that he knew all her favorites too, knew just how to calm her down, he always did. She was the luckiest girl in the universe, having found her soulmate in the vast sea of stars, against all odds they had met and fallen in love. She thanked whatever fate had made him bump into her that day a million times every night, and every time she replied to his memes with her silly own.

She blushed at his blabbermouth self, loved that about him even though it left her hella flustered. “A-Ah love ya too, Chuck-kun. Isn’t he perfect? Ya probably only see him in work mode, but he’s hella cute at home. Have ya ever seen his creations? My Chuchu’s a natural born artist.” Her heart and soul was spilling over with love, so much so she couldn’t help but smile and blush. She didn’t often get to tease him like this by talking him up to coworkers and friends, bragging about how amazing her husband was.

“Ah believe in ya.” She smiled, giving Tomoko a thumbs up. “Y-Yeah, thanks!!” She was nervous but excited about the thought of becoming a parent. Somehow hero school had prepared her to fight villains without flinching, but raising kids? It was a whole new battlefield! “Y-Ya think?” She chuckled nervously, she had babysat before, but she somehow still felt underprepared. Tomoko’s words were comforting, though. With her compliment she knew her and Chuck weren’t delusional when they kept talking about becoming the best parents ever. Nothing like the ones that neglected them or worse in his case. She almost jumped in her seat when Haru joined in, she had unknowingly opened Pandora’s Box by asking them about their kids. “R-Really? They’re so old! Yer lucky ya get ta spend time with them an’ go places. Ah bet yer gonna have a great summer.” His response was a little intense so she was happy to have Chuck’s confusion take over the conversation for a minute.

Her expression softened when she looked back at Azusa. It was brief, almost like a gut reaction, but something told her she didn’t have it easy. “Ah see.” She mirrored her sad smile with sympathy, taking her words to heart. “Yeah.” She gave a defeated smile and looked down at the ground shamefully. “It’s embarrassing, Ah can put my life on the line in a heartbeat as a hero an’ not even think about it, but Ah lie awake at night, scared of all this.” Something she had shared with Chuck many times. She never wanted to lie about why she randomly started crying now and then. “Sorry.” She looked back at Azusa, wiping a couple of her own tears away with her sleeve.

CHUCK MCCOY

[CHUCK MCCOY]

✧ RIP ✧

It was hella healing to the soul, every message I got from her, technological traces of an angel’s existence. Sometimes I got hella spooked. Thinkin’ it was all a dream n’ I needed to confirm it, clutch onto some tangible evidence to the fact that someone like me could live in a timeline so good. A wife, best friend, divine intervention and all good things in the world as one person. How the hell could a gnarly troll like me get with a girl like that? To be married, freed from gang warfare, now with kids on the way and a home - could ya blame me? It’s the stuff of cosmos and dreams come to earth.

I drank up her blush, grinnin’ all the while at my girl till Asuza roasted me to high hell. “You can make things? Besides a mess in the breakroom?”

“WHAT MESS?!! I’M THE CLEANEST PERSON ON THIS CREW!” A scarred-up finger juts out!! “ALL THAT CRAP IS HADA-BAKA’S!!!” He roars at me as the other girl howls in laughter, and I might have hit his head once or twice or a thousand times with a wood block after that!! Tomoko’s beaming towards my girl, Azusa too when she chuckles like that. Ain’t think twice ‘bout it, it was obvious my girl had the cutest laughter in all the world. Awakens you to the spot, like a chorus of cherubs’ wings unfolding all at once. You can’t help but notice. Then Haru’s smiling at my girl’s response, his fat mouth ready to open up again and spew out a bunch of nonsense!! I’m glad I hit his ass!

The apparently hella-old man and I were still bickering as I tried my best to eavesdrop on my girl’s conversation. To my love’s earlier question, the petite tomboy crosses her arms. An assured smile finds her lips, muscled forearm flexing as she puts up her fist. “Do i think you’re gonna be a badass mom? A thousand percent. Your kids will be real lucky to have you. The world would be a better place in general if so many more kids had moms to begin with. Good ones after that are few and far in-between.” It was hard for me to listen after that!! But I saw her sad, defeated smile, the downtrodden expression that instantly flung an arrow through my heart. What was she saying? What was she feeling? Whatever was in my hands rest on the scaffolding as my arms go limp. Maybe it was one of the things she’d told me lots of before. That was somethin’ I was hella grateful for, the fact that there were no secrets between us. Whatever pain, worry, sorrow she felt, I felt too, wanted to be right there with her -

“You’re too young to understand, kid.” A hammer-arm blocks my chest from moving. Down, towards her. “But some things she’s only gonna get. Know when you’re the sword versus when you need to be the shield. Your whole calvary switches up with kids.” He grins at me. All stupid-like, big shiny teeth n’ deep set eyes that’ve seen some shit. The corner of my eye twitches real bad.

“YOU BAKA!! JUST CAUSE YOU’RE ANCIENT AIN’T MEAN YOU CAN BOSS ME AROUND!!” We’re shouting, punching -!! “LEMME ASK YOUR KIDS just what they think of all that crap!!”

“You’d never see them, you’re blind as a bat on Wednesdays!! HEY too you’re not that far away in age from my oldest y’know! I know a thing or two!!”

Down below, Azusa reaches out to hug my girl, offering her a tissue when the tears come. “Nothing to be embarrassed about at all. That is scary. Kids, their futures. It’s one thing when it’s just us but when it’s a whole other human who entirely depends upon you… you’re real brave to do this.” She puts her hand on my girl’s shoulder, taps it as if in prayer.

“I-I don’t know what’s going on,” Tomoko adds in, pressing her hand gently to my girl’s back as she came back from the forest, “but whatever it is, you’re gonna-do a real smashing job of it. I just get that sense from you. It’s not a-you bein’ Apparel the Hero but just… you, whoever you are on the inside, is a light that ain’t gonna be shined no matter what.”

Haru practically gives himself whiplash. “WAIT, that’s right?! Your wife is Apparel! OH APPAREL! Can I get your autograph?!”

“YOU BOKE!!”

I was gonna kill him before the day was up!!

tag: Kazashi McCoy

[Kazashi McCoy]

How would having a house together feel? Would it be the same waking up next to him? No matter where she went he was her home, the light of her life and her pale blue dot. Just like he needed confirmation that he wasn't dreaming, so did she. Sometimes waking up in the middle of the night to feel her wedding ring, feel him next to her. Maybe kiss him on the cheek before she fell asleep again, hella embarrassing and sappy stuff, stuff he never needed to know about but she hella did anyway because she loved him so much!!

When his coworkers continued to tease him she couldn't help but giggle. Chuck making a mess? Not her Chuck, couldn't be! Their antics were so endearing it kind of made her miss her own workplace. How was everyone at the agency, were they doing okay without her? Was her office starting to collect dust? Hopefully Mai wasn't overworked. ''Y-Ya think? That's far too high praise!'' She waved her hands in front of her face dismissively. She hadn't earned any of that! If anything, could she ever be a good mom? Orphan like her, no examples to really go by, no learned behavior at a young age from her own mom and certainly nothing from her dad. Were her and Chuck doomed to fail? Either way, she couldn't hide her blush, always something she was terrible at, especially when Chuck was nearby.

After Azusa confided in her she wasn't sure how to react other than take her words to heart. She did reach out and put a gentle hand on her shoulder, as if to silently communicate solidarity. When she offered her a hug and some tissues Kazashi she gladly accepted, giving her a tight hug back. ''Thank ya. Ah'm glad Ah got ta meet ya all today. Ah see Chuck is in good hands with the three of ya.'' She smiled, wiping away a couple more tears. On any other day, Tomoko might have startled her by coming up behind her, but for some reason she felt so relaxed and safe here, like nothing could go wrong when you were in good company. ''Thank ya too, both of ya..'' She gave Tomoko's hand a little squeeze.

Then Haru opened his big mouth again and the mood completely changed. ''My autograph?'' She managed a laugh with a little hiccup. ''Sure, come down here when yer takin' a break.'' With a smile curling on her lips she held her ring tattoo up to her mouth and whispered something only for Chuck's ears. ''Hey, hun, Ah love ya forever.''

CHUCK MCCOY