Destructive Desires: Give Me Your Secret Epilogue

One Year Later

The sign on the glass door on the Jade Dragon read "closed" for the night, which was a particularly early time in the evening to be closed, especially on a Saturday night. However, through the glass door, the restaurant looked anything but vacant; quite the unusual crowd was urgently preparing the restaurant for a certain special occasion.

Yao and Li Xiao were seeing to it that enough food was being cooked, and making sure that it was a batch of their best, most scrumptious gourmet, authentic Chinese food they had ever whipped up. While they were in the kitchen, Ludwig was furiously wiping down the table tops, until they were all but sparkling and free from any miniscule particles of dust and dirt. Feliciano followed him from table to table, also holding a paper towel, though not helping much, excitedly gushing about how he couldn't wait for dinner to start. The two had flown in from Europe yesterday night, just to help ready for this novel event that would take place tonight, and to be moral support for Kiku. Matthew swept the floor gingerly with a straw broom, though he too gave a small smile in anticipation. Alfred and Arthur were in charge of the decorations, but that meant mainly lighting the scented candles and organizing the centerpieces of the tables. However, Arthur was practically doing everything since he didn't trust Alfred's artistic capabilities, nor did he trust him with using the lighter on the candles. Jaidee and Michelle had taken it upon themselves to hang paper lanterns along the back wall stylistically, practically radiating enthusiastic joy. Antonio was carefully setting the table for two in the middle of the room, placing the napkins and the silverware next to the plate in an orderly, fancy fashion. Lovino stood next to him, his hands in his jacket pockets, with nothing to do, since prep wasn't really his thing. Antonio, Lovino, and Arthur, along with Francis, had also made the visit to America to be here tonight, and Jaidee and Michelle had even flown up from Florida together.

Kiku stood at the back of the room, standing perfectly still as Mei, Elizaveta, and Anh perfected his striking, dapper outfit: a black blazer over a white collared shirt with a scarlet tie and nice, black slacks. Mei was on top of a chair, fixing his hair until it was positively flawless. Anh held a crimson tie in her hand, trying to decided whether she should swap out the scarlet one for this one instead. Elizaveta also had a hard choice on her mind, whether the blazer should be buttoned or not. While the Hungarian girl was staring at the blazer intently, as if it would somehow give her the answer, the Vietnamese girl was holding up the crimson tie next to the scarlet one against Kiku's chest, frowning in uncertainty.

"I-I don't think it will matter either way..." Kiku tried nervously, knowing he was treading on dangerous waters between girls who were meticulous when it came to fashion.

"Hush! You need to look absolutely charming when she gets here," Elizaveta snapped, unbuttoning the blazer, and then buttoning it up again. "Hmm...there, that's good!"

Anh nodded in agreement, "You need to be stunning the entire time. And I think the scarlet one looks better, don't you think?"

"Yeah, the scarlet one," Elizaveta concurred, and to Kiku it was strange that they were considering this as if it were a life-or-death situation. "But make sure the tie's not too tight. Don't want him to choke up because of it or something."

Meanwhile, Yong Soo, Gilbert, and Francis revealed themselves from the back room, where they had been working on something for the past hour. In one hand, Yong Soo held a beautiful red rose, and in the other was what seemed to be a small radio device. "It's finished, da ze!"

"What is?" Arthur asked, turning to see them, and Alfred grabbed the lighter while he wasn't looking so he could take a turn lighting candles.

"Yeah, what have you three been up to this whole time?" Michelle asked curiously.

Instead of replying, Yong Soo headed straight to the center table, where Antonio was still setting it. The Korean placed the rose into the vase that held multiple other flowers that served as the centerpiece. "Awesome! Now we can hear every word of the conversation!" Gilbert chuckled.

"Wait...is that rose...?" Anh tilted her head, puzzled.

"It's not just a rose, isn't it?" Jaidee guessed.

Yong Soo nodded triumphantly, "It's a recording device! So we can hear everything from our hiding spots in the back room. I already tested it out, it sends live feedback to this little radio right here."

Francis gave his trademark laugh. "Oh, this is going to be so magnifique."

"Dude, that's so cool!" Alfred cheered, waving the around the lighter, that happened to be on, and Arthur frantically snatched it back before he could set something on fire, muttering "bloody moron!" under his breath.  

Kiku wanted to say something, but wasn't sure how to object, "Really?"

"Maybe that's not a good idea," Matthew pursed his lips, seeing Kiku's discomfort with the notion.

"Aw, c'mon," Yong Soo insisted animatedly, "We already can't watch, at least let us hear what's going on!"

"Yeah, you might as well let them do it," Mei exhaled, "Or one of them might try to sneak a peek and get caught."

Kiku sighed in defeat, and Yong Soo grinned broadly, "Don't worry, da ze! Just make sure you don't get cold feet or anything. My little cousin can really smell fear, seriously!"

Just before Kiku could open his mouth to respond, but then Li Xiao bounded out of the kitchen, waving his phone, "She's almost here! Everybody get out!"

In a quasi-frenzied scramble, everybody but Kiku rushed out of the room and into the restaurant's hidden back room that was mainly for storing ingredients, but had barely enough room to fit them all inside. Within two seconds flat, Kiku was the only one standing in the now-empty room, with one table in the center standing out from all the others because of its fancy, red table cloth and extravagant decor, and not to mention it was the only table prepared with silverware and plates. Candles glowed from the other tables, giving the room a tender, quixotic air about it. He considered removing the red rose that Yong Soo had added, but decided against it, since the others in the back room might get too curious and poke their heads in the room.

Then her familiar two-door Lexus pulled up in front of the Jade Dragon. Maria stepped out, wearing a dazzling, one-shoulder, red satin dress that hugged her body nicely. Her long, deep brown hair tumbled past her shoulders, swishing slightly as she made her way up to the front door. At first, Kiku was so lost in her breath-taking splendor that he didn't even register the confused expression on her face when she came inside. "Kiku?" she blinked, raising an eyebrow, then taking a good look around to see the restaurant's temporary embellishment change.

Kiku had to take a moment to recall what was going on again. Oh right, Li Xiao had told Maria that tonight his family was holding a special dinner party. No wonder she was so befuddled, since she had been expecting to meet Li Xiao, Yao and Mei along with some of their other family members for a lavish banquet. He gave her a warm smile, "Surprised?"

Catching on, she giggled, practically lighting up the whole room with that bright smile of hers, "That's an understatement! Is this all just for us?"

"Hai," he nodded genially as he pulled her chair out for her to sit, then took his own seat just across the small table. "Just the two of us."

******
Yong Soo had to resist the urge to burst out laughing. Just the two of us, he had said! Little did Maria know that they were all hiding in the back room tapping into their conversation. Everyone was huddled around the small radio device, trying to stay as quiet as possible. Elizaveta and Mei could barely contain their excitement. Francis murmured that they should have installed a hidden camera somewhere on the ceiling, but Arthur shushed him. Alfred was having a hard time sitting still, but manage to control himself for the couple's sake. Jaidee wished he still had enhanced hearing, but as expected, his senses and physical abilities returned to that of a normal, healthy human. Giddy anticipation was practically bubbling up inside Michelle as she listened. Anh had her fingers crossed, hoping that everything would turn out just as planned.

******
Yao came out of the kitchen carrying an enormous silver platter with their delectable dinner. He set down dishes that he knew were some of Maria's favorite, and her eyes lit up at the sight of them. Li Xiao also followed his father to pour them some steaming tea, and before they returned to the kitchen, he threw a quick wink Maria's way with a knowing smile. Her first move was to go for the xiaolongbao, flavorsome soup-filled  dumplings, biting into the warm bun and sucking out the broth that left a satisfying taste in its wake. Kiku began to divide up the roast duck while Maria scooped enough fried noodles onto both of their plates, along with the steamed rice.

And the courses were simply amazing. There was definitely more than enough food to eat, but Maria wished she could scarf it all down, it was that good. As they ate, the two conversed lightly, blowing through topic after topic, just following the flow of the conversation smoothly. Secretly, Kiku wondered if the others in the back room were still listening, since they hadn't talked about anything "scandalous and interesting" yet, but then again, they were all probably trying to get as close to the radio's speaker as possible. But, he soon found, as they drew closer to finishing their little feast, Kiku grew more and more on edge, and it was almost as if his nerves were working on overdrive. Fortunately, Kiku had mastered the art of masking his inner feelings, and outwards remained calm. This reminded of him of the time when he had lied to Maria in London, and had tried to pretend to be detached and out-of-love with her, but back then, she had figured him out right away with only a simple kiss.

Then, almost as if she had read his mind, she said wistfully, "You know, it's been a over a year since the incident with Teramist, but I still have dreams about it."

A tiny bit startled, Kiku frowned, "Nightmares?"

Maria thought about this for moment, but slowly answered, "I wouldn't say that they're all nightmares, but some of them are. More like the memories just keep replaying themselves in my head." She wanted to say more, but she didn't want to totally wreck the mood of the room, though she felt she had to at least mention it. The worst part of the memories was when she saw Kiku collapse after being shot, and seeing him on the verge of death and covered in blood. Every single time the remembrance was so realistic and intense that she became nauseated, but she also knew that it was the kind of recollection that was forever burned into memory.

And in fact, Kiku had similar feelings. Often, his own dreams or thoughts would e plagued by that same night, over a year ago, but instead, it was the image of Maria after she had been injected with the Acid Death concoction that destroyed her body from the inside out. Whenever he recalled this, he had the overwhelming urge to see Maria in person, to make sure she was still alive and well, and each time, a huge feeling of relief relaxed him. "I know what you mean, but it's over now. The Antidote doesn't exist anymore, and we survived. We're stronger now," Kiku affirmed confidently, his butterflies fading away.

"You're right," she smiled softly, "We are stronger." Losing Laura had had another enormous impact on Maria; she took up a moral obligation to help those around her, and especially to protect her friends. Though her friends didn't need much protecting these days, she realized how easily their lives could be taken for granted, and she promised herself she'd cherish every second with all of them. "And I also made a lot of new friends back then," she added thoughtfully, "I haven't seen some of them in a while now. Even though we're all still in touch, I miss them. I know! We should all get together again for a special reunion or something, and I mean all of us! You, me, Yong Soo, Yao, Alfred, Matthew, Arthur, Francis, Jaidee, Michelle, Gilbert, Elizaveta, Antonio, Lovino, Ludwig, Feliciano, Ivan, Natalya, Katyusha, Vash, Lili, Feliks, Toris, and Anh, Li Xiao, and Mei too! All of us who know about Teramist."

Kiku had to force back a knowing grin, since more than half of the people she just listed off were actually just beyond the back wall, and he knew the perfect, jovial occasion which to invite the others too. "I'm sure we'll see them all sooner than you think."

*******
In the back room, Elizaveta, Feliciano, and Michelle were holding back tears from hearing Maria's touching words about friendship. All of them were moved by the heartfelt meaning to her anecdote,  especially since they knew those words were true. Maria still had no idea they were even listening, after all.

"That's just awesome of her to say," Gilbert whispered.

"That's my little cousin for you," Yong Soo agreed, beaming.

"There's always something about her that so sincere," Jaidee nodded. "I wish more people were like that."

Antonio nodded, "Sí, simple and selfless."

"She's going to be so happy when she sees everyone at the wed-" Alfred started, but then Arthur covered his mouth, irritated.

"Sh! Not so loud, or she'll hear you," the Brit said in a low voice.

"Everybody shut the hell up, I'm trying to listen," Lovino muttered.

*******
Yao came back out, this time holding only two small trays, each with their own fortune cookie, as Li Xiao took their finished plates away. Once the tabled was clear, Yao removed the centerpiece and  placed one tray in front of Maria and the other in front of Kiku. With that, the two quickly vanished back into the kitchen, playing the role of normal waiters for tonight.

"Good, old traditional fortune cookies," Maria grinned, taking hers in her hands as Kiku did the same.

She broke the cookie in half, and ate the half without the fortune inside first, before taking the small slip of paper out of the other carefully. She straightened it out, and it read: Look up.

Maria blinked. Look up? What kind of fortune was that? What was that supposed to mean? It was more like a command than a fortune. But when she glanced up from her slip of paper, her heart skipped a beat.

Kiku had just broken his cookie in half, revealing what was definitely not a fortune written on a piece of paper. Instead, a lustrous diamond ring spilled out onto his palm.

It was the most gorgeous, shimmering ring she had ever seen. And she was star struck.  

As Kiku stood up from his seat and knelt on one knee before her and took her hand gingerly, she found herself utterly speechless, her heart swelling inside her chest, beating twice as fast as usual.

"Maria, these past few weeks I've been doing a great deal of thinking, and then I realized before I met you, I was doing everything wrong with myself. But then you stepped into my life, and suddenly, I had something worth fighting for, and you became the one thing in my life that I looked forward to for months. When I found out about the Antidote's ingredient, it hurt so much, I can't even begin to describe it in words. I knew that if I wanted to stop Eden I would have to leave you behind to protect you, and to be honest, I almost didn't go because I didn't want to leave you. But then I realized that I couldn't be with you if I let something as wicked and cruel as that happen, because that would have made me a coward, and how could I have asked for your love as a coward who didn't even remotely come close to being worthy of you? I wrote you that letter, thinking that you would move on and that it was for the best, since the chance that I would come back alive was small. But now I see that if you hadn't been there for me, I'd have died and Teramist would have won. Ever since then, I realized that there is nothing this world could offer that was more precious to me than you. I love you Maria, because of everything that you are, and it's you who's inspired me to become the best that I can be. And now, I just can't imagine moving forward without you by my side. And I want to always be by your side. So, Maria, will you marry me?"

Joyous tears sprung into her eyes, and a genuine, jubilant smile grew on her face instantly. She nodded elatedly, trying to find her voice in her throat again. "Yes! Yes, of course," she finally answered, letting him slip the platinum band on her ring finger, and once he was done, he drew her close to give her a passionate, sweet kiss, so absorbed by one another that it seemed like everything around them had faded away, and it was just the two of them, forging their eternal bond.

********
Emotions sky-rocketed in the back room when their whole-hearted exchange was sent live to the radio. Elizaveta and Mei were wiping away tears, and Yong Soo, Gilbert, Francis, and Alfred were giving each other high-fives. Anh put her hand over her heart, eyes watery. Michelle was almost jumping with joy while Jaidee grinned involuntarily. Feliciano was so happy he couldn't help but share it by hugging his best friend Ludwig, surprising the German. Arthur nodded to himself, satisfied, while Matthew chuckled quietly, partly out of cheerfulness, partly from seeing everyone else's reactions. Antonio made a fist in the air exultantly, but he was so close to Lovino that the Italian had to recoil backwards to avoid accidentally being hit. Unfortunately, the room was so packed, that he ended up knocking against a very unstable set of shelves containing numerous wares and ingredients for the food. Two big bags of flour sitting on the top shelf toppled over, practically exploding upon impact with the ground, the white power flying up in to air, filling the small back room.

But that wasn't all. Apparently Li Xiao kept some of his special fireworks on those same shelves. A batch of firecrackers also fell to the floor, this time literally exploding upon impact. They were only small explosions, not strong enough to do much but make a loud POP!

********
Maria and Kiku pulled apart, startled. "What was that?" Maria asked, blinking in surprise.

"Er..."

Suddenly, Francis and Gilbert came running out of the back room, covered in white powder, coughing slightly and trying to get the stuff out of their eyes. They were soon followed by the others, flour all over all of them. Yong Soo cried, "It's all the way down my throat! It's so dry!" and immediately went for Kiku's unfinished tea as soon as he saw it, chugging it as fast as he could, ignoring the fact it was still a little hot.

"Aw, it looks like I have dandruff or something," Michelle sighed, examining her pigtail.

"That's one way to clear a whole bloody room, even better than smoking it out," Arthur grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

Yao and Li Xiao burst in from the kitchen, jaws dropping. "You idiots!" Yao scolded crossly.

"What is everyone doing here?" Maria tilted her head. They all fell silent, afraid that they had completely screwed up big time, fearing the Filipina's reaction. No one said a word for a moment, and not even Kiku could think of something to say that would explain all this.

Finally, Alfred piped up, "Surprise! We're here for your engagement party!"

"...Really?" she asked.

"Oui, we just decided to make ourselves look terrible with the flour so that you two stand out more," Francis added, "That way, when we look back at the pictures, it'll be obvious who's the newly engaged! Most people just get the happy couple crowns or something but that's so overdone."

There was another pause, but finally Maria cracked up, "Life without friends like you guys would just be so boring!"

Grinning excitedly now, Yong Soo placed his radio down on one of the tables, and switched it to a real station, turning up the volume. "Then let the engagement party begin, da ze!"

******
They partied for hours in the Jade Dragon, until finally it was time to call it a night. But instead of going back to their apartments, Kiku and Maria ended up taking a really late night stroll in the park. As they sat down on the tranquil bench, Maria, who was already wearing Kiku's blazer over her dress, drew close to him and he put his arm around her gently. The ring fit on her finger snuggly, as if it were always meant to be there. She smiled when she thought this, and rested her head on his chest, feeling the steady heartbeat of her fiancé, reassuring and profound.

"You know," she murmured whimsically, "About what you said earlier, I always want to be by your side, too. Scratch that, I always will be, whether I'm standing two inches away or if I'm on the other side of the planet, I'll be there for you. That's my promise." As she spoke, they laced their fingers together affectionately.

"I don't care where this path takes us," Kiku whispered back, "It doesn't matter as long as you're with me. It'll be our promise."

Maria smiled, all her doubts about the future vanishing completely, because he was right, nothing else mattered. She'd rather live one lifetime with him than a million without. "Our promise."