-30-

"Kuroto is gone now and he fulfilled his role to our show," Hiiro tells me as the wind blows his hair. He's not looking at me and it is quite creepy. "That leaves three of us now to figure out how we're going to fix things."

"Did you figure out why things are going out of wack?"

"It seems that Kiriya took notice in what was going on, but he didn't report on it to anyone. I went through his things in order to help make that Gashat, remember?" He turns to me, eyes a bit softer than a few moments ago in the CR.

"I remember that you were going to do that."

"Kiriya was looking into what was making the world fall apart and he came up with a theory. The somehow and someway, someone gained their own will and desired to see the outside worlds. I don't know what exactly what would cause that to happen though."

"Oh...I see." 

So...Kiriya also knew about this? Then Kuroto didn't know about more than us knowing about it, right? Well, me and Jennie. He had no idea about Hiiro knowing anything about the state of this universe.

"So, now that I figured out what may have cause it, I need to look into how to stop it from going on and if it did happen that way. You're going to keep on pretending to be a part of your fictional reality and be good to Emu."

"You approve of us don't you? Why?" I am curious about Hiiro's relationship with Emu. They're not close, but they get along when they need to.

"The Intern is someone that I don't mind dealing with here at work. He's not bad and I know you mean no harm to him at all. You have dug a hole that you can't get out of this time and we should keep it like that. Once you go home, if I still remember you, I will tell him what is the truth and what isn't the truth about you."

The wind blows and I look away, my eyes stinging a bit from the winds. So, he'll tell Emu the truth and I won't? Is my whole romance with Emu going to be based on this lie I came up with to Parad? 

"It isn't your problem now. The truth will come from my lips and no other from now on, Elkie. If it comes out from your mouth before I can tell him, it'll complicate things. Parad will kill you and Emu will be hurt." Hiiro's eyes are probably narrowed into his serious look now. "I am doing this to protect our secrets."

"This is protecting Jennie from Taiga, right?"

"She doesn't need any protection from him. In fact, she's able to handle herself around him. I haven't seen Taiga be so caring towards anyone since Nico showed up and Jennie showed up. He may seem like he absolutely hates her, but I'm pretty sure he is into her for some reason." Okay, no thanks.

"That is a no thank you right there!" I don't want to hear about Taiga have some school boy crush on my best friend. "She isn't into guys like him so he just needs to back off."

"I think you will come to find that she is into only him. Honestly, she fits with him so well. She frustrates him and he frustrates her. That's like his perfect woman," Hiiro states. 

"Hiiro!" I look at him, glaring. "Stop!"

"What? It is the truth. Taiga's eyes are different when he looks at her. Jennie is someone that has changed Taiga a little bit and I'm honestly glad she has. It makes him seem less like a jerk and I want him to be less of a girlfriend killing jerk."

"You and your dead girlfriend, Hiiro!" I sigh heavily, shaking my head. "Let's get this straight, alright? Jennie isn't into Taiga and Taiga is not interested in Jennie."

Taiga is only interested in things that benefit him and his position in life. I highly doubt he actually cares with all his Taiga heart for his patients. That man only cares for things that help him in the end and that is that. He's only helping Nico because she is making him help her. Pretty sure of that.

"No, they're into each other like how you're into trying to get Emu's pants. Let's not tiptoe around things with each other, Elkie. You are thirsty for some of that Intern."

"Stop being a brother towards me. It is weird," I tell him, sighing a little. "Can't you go out there and somehow revive Saki?"

"I would if I could."

"Are you okay with me mentioning her now? You know, since you weren't before, Hiiro?" 

"I am okay with you saying it because I know how things are right now. Besides, we're pretty much like siblings. I'm the annoyingly cold older brother you hate so much for being cruel to you and you're my sister who is a fan girl of a hot idol group. Instead of it being an idol group, it is fictional men she can suddenly be with."

"Hiiro, that is so not true!" I whine, frowning. How can he say that about me? I do not fan girl over all the hot guys in this show!

"Says the woman who was thirsting over the Bugster first and then the Intern."

"Hey, I'm only going to admit to one of those things and it is about my boyfriend. I'm not super thirsty for him, but I am thirsty for him." Is it wrong for me to be thirsty for the one I'm with?

"Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to take it to the next level with him?" Hiiro asks me point blank.

I look away, my face starting to burn. "Hey, I'm not that kind of woman!" 

"I'm not implying that you are. I'm just wondering how far you would go with him and if you have given it a thought yet. Knowing you, Elkie, I'm sure that you have many times. Stop pushing it off and avoiding it."

"But I haven't been super intimate with someone before. I put off all that because it didn't seem right at the time." And it wasn't. It will feel right with someone like Emu.

"Is the Intern not hot enough for you?"

"What?" I look at Hiiro, tilting my head a bit. What in the world is wrong with him?

I'll have a great love making session with Emu when the time is right and it isn't all crazy around here. Knowing Parad, he's going to make things get really crazy. Then everything is going to be all complicated and go to crap. 

"Is he hot?"

"Emu isn't super model hot, but he's hot in his own way. He's different from Parad," I answer, being completely honest. "Emu's personality is what is very desirable to me and he's honestly...he's just cute. Okay? He's really cute when he's doing something he likes to do and he smiles."

When Emu wants to help someone, he smiles joyfully and makes sure to let them know he'll treat them well. I've seen him doing stuff for his job here and he is just precious. I know he pouts a bit and hates doing too much work, but he'll smile at the end of the day and know it is worth it once he gets home.

"So, Parad is the hottest?"

"Stop being a bully!" I shout, rolling my eyes and looking away. "You're seriously annoying  to me right now, Hiiro."

"I would laugh, but that would make you win. Anyways, let's go to work on figuring out what to do. Don't tell anyone anything, Elkie."

"Alright, Hiiro," I reply, smiling as my eyes go back to him. "I will not tell a soul and I will forgive you for being annoying."

~.~

"I just wonder where Poppy went," Emu says, shutting the door to our place. I am allowed to think that it is mine too, right?

I shrug my shoulders as he looks me in the eyes. "I have no clue where she went to. Maybe something popped up for her?" 

It doesn't make sense for her just to vanish all of a sudden. I would question Parad on it, but I'm not exactly on good terms with him right now. He'll just go "I can find out for you if you come back to me" and I'll be all like "No, I am good" and move on with my life. Why did I have to date him first?

He sighs a bit. "I miss her."

"I miss her too." I know he feels for sure.

Poppy isn't super close to me, but we're close. She's the only female friend I have other than Jennie in this world. She helped me out with my hair and if I needed female friendly advice, I'm sure she would try helping me out as well as she possibly could for a Bugster female who is bubbly as heck.

He steps closer to me and wraps his arms around me, embracing me tightly. "I am just glad that you're okay, Ellkie. When Parad took off with you, I was so upset. I cried over two things after that."

"Kuroto and me, right? You really wanted to save his life."

"I did want to save his life. He wasn't a bad person at all, Elkie."

"I know. He just wanted to be a game maker and he took it too seriously." I can't just say he isn't bad because he wanted to save this world. Emu doesn't know about that yet. 

I put my arms around Emu and place my head against him, closing my eyes. He's such a warm person inside and out. I want to stay here because he is my safe place, but I know that it is wrong for me to. Kuroto has made it pretty dang clear that I have to go, but I don't want to believe that I do.

"I love you," he says softly, making my heart pound.

"I love you too, Emu." 

I don't want to lose him at all and I hope I don't have to.

A/n: A nice, light read for you all. I didn't want to hop straight into the action again since I don't want to make it too sudden. We just lost one person :')

I will be writing another chapter tonight and I'll try to get it out soon. I can't promise that I will. Senseless Abyss will be updated by Sunday or Monday. I don't know when it'll be yet for sure. I am ready for the new episode of Zero-one later (it is Saturday for me). 

Luckily a few chapters for Senseless Abyss are written already since I have a dentist appointment Monday (hurray! I sooooooooooo want to go to the dentist). So, no issues updating then. I can say (with almost complete certainty) that I won't be actually writing anything that day.

Thanks :D