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love is a song that never ends

──● bambi
BAMBI

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"Do you think your siblings are watching?"

Kei's thoughts are dredged up at the sound of his girlfriend's voice, features sparkling under the fairy lights of the gazebo in the back of the summer house. Soft, delicate music is playing through the nearby speaker. Even if Kei thought it'd be more romantic to have live music, he wasn't going to risk asking his siblings to play for them and watch their entire date.

"Kei?"

"Most likely," His eyes flickered around them, before settling back to Arietta's "I'm sure they're around here somewhere. If they aren't hiding in the bushes, then they're at the nearest window." Not that he minded, not really. If it had really bothered him, he would tell Yume, and Yume would be sure as she could that their siblings let them be. Even if he faked his annoyance, he knew in all honesty his siblings just wanted to see him happy.

Classical music weaved its way into the cooling California air, stars beginning to blink into fruitation as the sky deepened in color.  It was a lovely night, truly, and it made it even lovlier now that his happy ever after was dancing with him in the moonlight.

She really did look beautiful. Of course, Ari always looked beautiful, but especially so now. His siblings had wanted to spend the day with her, and Arietta, without hesitation had accepted. Of course, she wasn't aware that it was so Kei could plan out a very lovely date before he left again to be halfway across the country, but that really only made it sweeter.

Sharp, stilleto nails, courtesy of Reysa, trailed up his chest and around his neck, interlacing her fingers around him as they swayed under the fall of darkness. "You look very handsome tonight, Kei."

"Thank you Ari." His voice remained even and calm, as it almost always did, but the lack of reaction made his girlfriend habitually puff out her cheeks. Kei smiled then, pulling his hand from her waist to cup her face, stroking a thumb over her cheek. "Nothing can handle a candle to you, songbird."

"Songbird?" To his delight, he watched heat trail up her cheeks, eyes glittering at the new nickname.

"Well sure, your voice is the first thing that really made me fall in love with you." His hand pulled from her face then, taking her own instead and raising it to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. "Do you remember when you asked me about the play - your pianist ran off."

A slow, fond smile warmed her face, eyes sparkling with liquid affection. "Yes. Although, I did have an ulterior motive."

"What's that?"

"You were really very handsome." Her words forced Kei to pull his affection from her hand, eyes locking on hers as she spoke, her smile turning into something far more devilish. "I might of, or might have not, had a crush on you, and - it's possible - that I accidently overheard you singing in the empty auditorium one day and immediately decided that I really wanted you to be the one playing for me."

Bumbling thoughts smoothed over relatively quickly in his mind, his own features scrunching into something like a teasing smile, safe enough to reveal under the cover of a starry night. "Oh, you just happened to have a crush on the rich, quiet kid."

"No." Arietta countered, painted nails absently tracing the back of his neck. "I had a crush on Keitaro Morrigan, my wonderful, talented, musician." Her hands retracted then, cupping his own face in her hands. "You're perfect, darling."

"Perfect is a stretch-"

"Shush." Her tone didn't quite match her words, blooming flowers of affection decorating each one. "I never thought of you as a rich kid,  or- I guess I never just thought of you as a rich kid. Of course, it crossed my mind, but with a person of your stature it kind of has too, but I love you because you love the same things I do." She paused "Well, except for the heat, but we can work through it." Then her gaze again turned into that soft, sappy look that Yume would no doubt tease him over after this. "I love you because you love music. You love poetry, and creation, and history." Slow, even circles were traced on his cheek, eyes remaining locked on his. "I think it's kinda hot that you can play electric guitar, and you're not really scared of haunted houses or anything like that, so you can hold my hand through them." Again, her hands trailed up and around him, pulling him close so she could bury her face into his neck, murmering into it. "But I really, really love you, because you love your family so much Kei. You love them so, so much, and I know sometimes it scares you, but I know you love them. They know you love them. And every time I see you with them, I just think about how lucky I am, that you love me too."

"I do love you." His voice comes out much softer than he means it, mostly to avoid the burning prologue of his own emotion searing his throat. He's gone to return the hug, lacing his arms back around her to hold her so tightly that it might seem like the world was on the edge of the end.

"I know." Arietta's voice echo's his softness, and after a long, lingering moment, she pulled back away, taking his hands in her own, staring at him like he might have given her the moon. "I love you too, Keitaro."

__________

"There's no way you aren't The Little Mermaid, Kei." Junpei glanced at him, zipping up his bag and setting it on the couch. 

Reysa just popped her gum, looking over her well-manicured nails, "Also, That's Ari's favorite Disney movie."

Kasumi's eyebrows furrowed, looking over to her as she set down her phone. "How would you know that?"

Kei's sister grinned back at her, slumping back into the couch, "Oh, because we're getting married next week."

"You're hilarious Rey." Kei just shook his head in mock disbelief, mentally filing away all of his siblings suitcases as he ran his eyes over them. It had been a good break, for all of them. It seemed like all of them could have done with the break, and it had been eye-opening, to say the least of it.

At least now he knew he had a girlfriend.

"I"m only saying Kei, if you fuck up, I have to marry her. Arietta is a one in a million."

"Yeah, but Kei already knew that cause he's in lovveeee" Jady retaliated, skipping down the stairs, nearly tripping over the last couple before her arm was snatched by Delaney, who's concern was quickly recovered.

"Careful Jay, we all know what happened to Yume when she got reckless around stairs."

"Excuse you, I have fantastic agility Laney." Yume ducked around them, her own beaming smile adorning her face as usual as she hurried over to her gathering siblings. "I only fell once, when I was nine."

"Yeah, and you ended up in the hospital with a stupid smile on your face." Akiho's response came without him looking up from his phone, eyebrows knitted together in something like concern.

"Irrelevent, and immaterial Aki."

"What are you, a lawyer?" Elijah leaned over the couch, sending a patronizing glance towards his older sister, who responsed in her own with a petulant huff, before he returned to looking over Akiho's shoulder, "What are you so concerned about anyway?"

"Nothing!" Akiho quickly pulled his phone to his chest, glancing around the room before forcibly relaxing. "It's nothing. I'm just - oh look, it's Elliot."

Elliot, who'd just come out of the kitchen only raised his eyebrow, leaning against the wall. "Very clever. That didn't work at all. Out with it Akiho."

Kei watched each pair of his present siblings eyes turn to Akiho, internally pleased to see the conversation veered away from him and Arietta for the time being. His younger brother was practically shrinking into the seat, then sighed deeply. "Alright, it's about Leo."

"What did you do this time?" Merlene just crossed her arms over her chest, eyes narrowing.

"Okay, first of all Mer, rude, second of all, I didn't do anything."

Kei only raised an unimpressed eyebrow, leaning against the cool, smooth surface of the arch behind him "So who did then?"

"Well.." hesitation crossed over his features, "One of Leo's friends, texted me."

"Uh-huh?" An impending sense of dread grew in Kei's stomach, churning over the anxiety and panic of undying suspense.

"They want me to break up with him."

"What?" Yume's voice was sharp, pushing herself off the wall as she stormed too him. "You said no, right?"

"Of course I did!" Akiho just looked back down at the ground "I really - I really, really like him you guys. And I don't want to break up."

Merlene looked subdued, regret breifly flashing over her features, but it vanished as she leaned forward, "But?"

"But I also don't want his friends to be rude to him just cause he's dating a guy."

"Oh, so they're homophobic assholes. You should have led with that Aki." Elijah pushed himself up from leaning over the couch, "I can handle that."

"Elijah- no, I can't let you do something about it-"

"Why not? I did something about Indigo."

Jady nodded "That's true, me and most of the ballet team appreciate it."

"Wait a second- what do you mean most??"

"Guys- bigger issue here?" Yume just waved her hand between Jady and Elijah, before looking back to Akiho. "So, break up with Leo, or what?"

Akiho's shoulders slumped, sinking into the couch, "They said they're gonna out him."

Jasiri frowned, poking in her head from the kitchen after Elliot, "Really? That's mature- also, generally speaking, New York isn't the worst place to be out."

"That's kinda irrelevent though Jas." Jady chewed her cheek, "I didn't want to be out just cause I wasn't ready."

"Yeah, but, you also weren't dating someone." Elliot countered, "Is it really fair to Akiho that he has to keep their relationship secret and feel like some sidepiece?"

"Wow, thanks guys, that makes me feel so much better." Akiho only flopped sideways onto the couch, and Kasumi smiled apologetically, gently brushing his hair.

"It can't be all bad. There's twelve of us, surely we can think of something."

Elijah scoffed, "I already thought of something, ruin their careers."

Kei just scrunched up his nose, "Or, I don't know, you could tell Leo his friend's are trying to blackmail his boyfriend."

"I really don't want to force him to come out."

"Well, Akiho, you need to at the very least give him the option. It's not really fair for you to make that choice for him" Junpei just raised his arms, stretching them over his head.

"Well, i'm glad we came to that agreement, because that's what I was doing a minute ago, sending a lot of screenshots." Akiho deeply sighed, closing his eyes as Kasumi continued to gently play with his hair. "I don't know, if we break up, maybe it's for the best- I kinda did rip his heart out-"

"Okay, I thought you told us to move past that?" Merlene stepped forward. "It was like four months ago, get over it Aki. Leo got over it like a week after it happened, so let it go. You made a mistake, whatever, it's tragic, cry a river, then move the fuck on." She crossed her arms over her chest again, "Besides, like Kas said, there's twelve of us, and also-" She paused, then a slow, feral grin darted up her mouth, "Have you seen Leo, he could take any of his friends, easy. And I doubt very much that he's gonna be happy about someone threatening you."

"Yeah well-" Akiho glanced at his phone again, then shook his head, "Weren't we talking about what Disney movie Kei is?"

"The Litte Mermaid, we're all in agreement." Jasiri scrunched her own nose up as murmers of agreement flickered through their gathered squabble of siblings. "Besides-"

"Keitaro?"

Everyone quickly fell silent, turning to face the entry archway, where his father was standing with a small smile. His suit was back on, phone momentarily pocketed as he glanced up at his children before his eyes again fell to his oldest son. Instinctivly, Kei straigtened slightly, pushing himself off the wall as he awaited a request.

"Can we talk for a minute?"

It doesn't really matter, Keitaro thinks, It doesn't really matter how old he gets, those kind of words make his brain race for a lot of reasons. Not because whenever he's talked to it's father, it's been bad, but he's heard enough stories from a lot of his friends about their fear of talking to their parents one on one. Kei's pretty sure that can't be healthy, but whatever, he won't judge.

Besides, his nerves almost always kick up anyway, regardless of the situation. Instead of dwelling to much on his thoughts, he nods, feeling the burning stares of his eleven siblings as he followed his father to an offhand room.

Dai Morrigan sat down in a chair, motioning his son to follow suit, which Kei did. "Keitaro, I wanted to talk to you about um - well, first, I want to assure you that I approve of Arietta, even if you don't need or require my approval, I like her a lot, and I really like that she likes you so much." His smile is shortlived, and the sight of it vanishing so quickly doesn't exactly sit well with Kei, but his father continues regardless. "I wanted to talk to you about this estate."

"The summer house."

"Yes." He dips his head in affirmation, glancing out the window to admire the warm, blooming day before them before returning his attention to his son. "As you know, it's a very popular rent-out for expensive weddings. Not only because it's on a beach, but because it's large and can house plenty of people. Currently, I'm managing three different estates. Our own, along with this one, and of course your grandfather's, and i'm finding myself incredibly overwhelmed."

"Really, dad? You came to that conclusion all on your own?"

"Okay, fine, Suga told me I was overworking myself after I fell asleep at my desk while talking to him about work - but that's not the point." For a moment, his father's smile reappared, before he shook his head and just again looked to him. "The point is, I need someone to manage this estate, and, even though it would wait till the end of your school semester when you graduate, I would like to see if you'd be interested."

"Interested." Kei blinked, "In moving to California?"

"Your girlfriend is here, first of all, and I'm also quite aware there's a large musician and production buissness here, and it could be a great opportunity for your work. Of course, if you aren't interested, I'm perfectly happy for you to stay in New York, but I also understand that I can't hold onto my children forever." This time his smile stayed a little longer, "I don't expect you to make the desicion now,  especially since you might reconsider if Arietta's show isn't renewed for another season, so we'll wait till after your graduation and most likely the summer until I offer you the job to manage the property. And it will be a real job, Kei. I'm not just letting you live there- I need someone to manage it, and you've always been very responsible, so I trust that you would be able to make the proper desicions."

Kei's father reached over, patting his shoulder, "Take your time, think about it, and I'm here for any questions if you need."

There was a momentary pause, Kei's thoughts racing, "..I'll think about it."

Relief shone over his father's face as he stood, brushing his hands off before once again pausing. "Oh, Kei?"

Keitaro fell into step beside him, placing his hands in his pockets as the walked. "Yes?"

"Do you think it's to late for me to start dating again?"

✦

✦ OPHELIA ✦

- part seven is finished !

- sorry for the re-update!! wattpad
was saying my entire book was 
a draft, so i just decided to 
republish the last chapter -

- happy birthday to blurry-vintage 
as well !! 

- let me know how you felt
about his arc <33

- ty for your patience darlings !

no question today ! as part
seven is finished , and we'll be
moving to part eight shortly !
so i need all opinions on junpei
done as soon as possible <3
if this is already done feel free
to just comment as such !

──● answers