—August 6th, 2025, Late Afternoon—

We woke as the sun was beginning its descent, our bodies wonderfully sore but our minds at peace. We'd been careful earlier, using protection this time—we'd decided to wait for the right moment in her cycle before taking any risks.

After another shared shower that somehow felt both routine and magical, we headed upstairs to raid the kitchen. The house was still empty—Mom's shift wouldn't end for hours.

"We should check your apartment," Eli said between bites of leftover pancakes. "Make sure everything's okay there."

I nodded, suddenly anxious about what we might find. But with Eli beside me, even the worst possibilities seemed manageable.

The walk to my apartment was quiet, our hands linked as always. My car sat untouched in the parking lot—at least that was something. But when we reached my door, we found Sarah's family's spare keys scattered across the welcome mat like accusations.

Eli squeezed my hand as I unlocked the door. The moment we stepped inside, I knew someone had been through the place—maybe just Sarah, maybe her sister too, or possibly the whole family.

But Eli's excitement quickly overshadowed my anxiety. Her eyes lit up at the sight of my collections, immediately recognizing everything that made this space uniquely mine.

"Oh my god, is that a first-edition Fullmetal Alchemist poster?" She bounced over to examine it. "And these alchemical symbols—is that the Emerald Tablet? You custom-printed this didn’t you!"

Her genuine enthusiasm was infectious. I found myself showing her my prized possessions—the custom ceramic Devil Fruits I'd had specially made: Luffy's Gum-Gum Fruit (now known to be the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika), Law's Ope-Ope Fruit, and the Mera-Mera Fruit that both Ace and Sabo had wielded.

"These are incredible," she breathed, carefully handling each one. "The detail is amazing. Look at the swirls on Luffy's—they're exactly right!"

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As we moved through the apartment, something else became apparent: all traces of Sarah had vanished. Her clothes, her dishes, even the little decorative touches her parents had contributed—all gone, like she'd never existed here at all. The realization filled me with an unexpected lightness.

Then we reached my office.

The large paper was impossible to miss, glued to the center monitor of my triple-screen setup. "HOMEWRECKER" screamed at us in angry capital letters.

The familiar nausea rose in my chest, but I fought it down. Before I could even move to tear it down, Eli had already sprung into action. She grabbed the paper and a nearby marker, quickly scrawling "get FUCKED" across it. Then she marched to the balcony, crumpled the paper into a ball, and launched it into the void with a defiant middle finger raised high.

She came back inside, shaking her hands and head as if physically dispelling the negative energy. Then she wrapped me in a hug that caught me completely off guard—though I shouldn't have been surprised. By now, I should have known she'd know exactly what I needed.

"You're perfect in my eyes," she said firmly, her face pressed against my chest. "Whatever imperfections you see are beautiful too. There's beauty in imperfections."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I hugged her tighter. This impossible girl who matched me in every way, who defended me with the ferocity of a lioness while loving me with the gentleness of a spring breeze—how had I gotten so lucky?

"This place will take longer to pack than yours did," I said when I could trust my voice again. "We could stay here while we figure out our next move."

Eli wrinkled her nose adorably. "Nah, it still smells like her in here. I don't want to live with ghosts just yet."

I laughed, understanding completely. "Fair enough."

We spent the next hour packing essentials—things we couldn't salvage from Eli's place. My Devil Fruits went into their original boxes, wrapped carefully in bubble wrap. The alchemical tools and symbols were next, followed by my most precious manga volumes and a select few pieces of clothing.

As we loaded the boxes into my car (which we'd finally retrieved), I caught Eli humming that same mysterious tune my mother often hummed. The synchronicity of it made me smile.

"What?" she asked, catching my expression.

"Nothing," I said, pulling her close for a quick kiss. "Just happy."

She smiled that perfect smile of hers—the one that made everything else fade away. "Me too. Now let's go home."

Home. Mom's house had become our sanctuary, our safe harbor while we planned our next adventure. And with Eli by my side, I knew that anywhere could be home, as long as we were together.

We drove back with the setting sun painting the sky in shades of infinite possibility, our hands linked across the center console as always. The boxes in the backseat contained physical remnants of my old life, but my heart was full of nothing but future—our future, together.

Because some things are worth keeping, while others need to be left behind. And with Eli, I was learning which was which, one day at a time.