—August 6th, 2025, Evening—

The drive back to Mom's house felt different somehow—lighter, as if we'd finally shed the last remnants of our old lives. Eli sat beside me in the passenger seat, one hand linked with mine across the center console while the other played with a strand of her golden hair. The setting sun painted everything in warm hues, including her face, making those impossible turquoise eyes seem to glow from within.

"I can't believe we did it," she said softly, squeezing my hand. "We actually did it. Everything we own fits in these boxes."

I glanced at the rearview mirror, taking in the few boxes of belongings we'd salvaged from both our apartments. My Devil Fruits were carefully wrapped in bubble wrap, nestled among Eli's saved treasures. It wasn't much, but it was ours.

"Sometimes less is more," I replied, bringing her hand to my lips for a quick kiss. The gesture felt natural, like we'd been doing it for lifetimes.

When we pulled into Mom's driveway, the house was still dark—her shift wouldn't end for another hour. We carried our boxes down to my room, now our room, setting them carefully against the wall. The space felt different with both our belongings mingling together, like two streams merging into a single river.

Eli collapsed onto the bed with a contented sigh, pulling me down with her. I landed beside her with a soft "oof" that made her giggle—that angelic sound that never failed to make my heart skip. She immediately curled into my side, her head finding its perfect spot on my chest.

"Now what?" she asked, though her tone suggested she was perfectly content to never move from this position.

"Now we rest," I said, running my fingers through her hair. Her scent wrapped around us like a comfort blanket. "We're fed, we're hydrated, we're housed. Everything else can wait."

She hummed in agreement, tracing lazy patterns on my chest through my shirt. The simple intimacy of the moment made my throat tight with emotion. After years of feeling lost, of trying to fit into roles that weren't meant for us, we'd finally found our way home—to each other.

The sound of the front door opening upstairs made us both pause. Mom's familiar footsteps crossed the kitchen, followed by the rustle of grocery bags being set down.

"Should we...?" Eli started.

"Yeah," I nodded. "We should ask her properly."

We made our way upstairs, hands linked as always. Mom was at the counter, unpacking groceries with that efficient grace she brought to everything. She looked up as we entered, a knowing smile spreading across her face.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite lovebirds," she said warmly. "I see you've been busy today." She gestured to my car through the kitchen window, clearly having noticed the boxes through the windows.

"Mom," I started, then paused, suddenly nervous. But Eli squeezed my hand, and the words found their way out. "We were wondering if we could stay here for a while. Just until we figure things out."

Mom's smile widened as she put away the last of the groceries. "Of course you can stay," she said, as if we'd asked the most obvious question in the world. "This is your home—both of you." She turned to face us fully, her eyes twinkling. "Just try to keep the noise down while I'm home, alright?"

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She finished with a wink that made my face burst into flames. Beside me, Eli's expression turned playfully coy as she poked my side, clearly enjoying my embarrassment.

"Mom!" I protested, but she just laughed, the sound warm and accepting.

"Oh honey, I was young once too, you know. And in love." She crossed the kitchen to pull us both into a hug. "I'm just happy you found each other."

Though this was more than just 'young love,' we thanked her profusely, then practically bounced back downstairs, our hearts light with the certainty of having a safe haven. The moment we closed the bedroom door, Eli threw herself into my arms with an excited squeal.

"We did it!" she whispered against my chest. "We really did it!"

I held her tight, marveling at how perfectly she fit in my arms. "We did," I agreed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Together."

The word held all the promise of our future—uncertain but full of possibilities, challenging but facing it all as one. We had a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and most importantly, we had each other.

Everything else was just details.

Still basking in the warmth of Mom's acceptance, we lay tangled together on the bed, my fingers absently playing with Eli's hair while she traced patterns on my chest. The simple intimacy of the moment made my heart swell with contentment.

"Hey," I said suddenly, a thought occurring to me. "When's your birthday?"

She lifted her head from my chest, that playful smile dancing across her lips. "Guess."

I looked into those impossible turquoise eyes, thinking. Something in my soul told me it had to be close to mine in numerology—everything else about us seemed to align so perfectly. The number eight floated into my mind, clear as crystal.

"The eighth," I said confidently, then added, "of August," almost as an afterthought, thinking of her fiery nature that perfectly melted my armor of ice.

Eli's jaw dropped, her eyes widening in shock. "How... how did you...?"

"Wait, really?" I sat up slightly, propping myself on my elbows. "That's actually your birthday?" She nodded slowly, still staring at me in amazement. "August 8th. That's... that's literally in two days."

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Her birthday was in two days, and here we were, having just upended our entire lives. Before I could start worrying about gifts or celebrations, she pressed a finger to my lips, somehow reading my thoughts.

"Don't even think about it," she said softly. "You're all I need. You're the only gift I want."

The pure love in her voice made my throat tight with emotion. I pulled her close, capturing her lips in a long, deep kiss that said everything words couldn't. When we finally parted, I couldn't help but stare at her perfect features in the dim basement light.

"You're so beautiful," I whispered, my voice rough with feeling. "I could tell the whole world about your beauty and still not say enough. Not even the gods and goddesses of old could match you, not in a trillion years."

A strange look crossed her face—knowing yet curious. "You know," she said thoughtfully, "I'm molded in your vision."

"What do you mean?"

She shifted to face me fully, her expression serious despite her disheveled hair and flushed cheeks. "It's like... I'm exactly what you would have created if you could design your perfect partner. And you're exactly what I would have created too. We're mirrors of each other, but it's more than that."

The words resonated deep within me, striking a chord of truth I hadn't known was there. "Like we're two halves of the same soul?"

"Yes!" Her eyes lit up. "But how is that possible? I mean, what are the chances that we'd find each other, that we'd match so perfectly in every way?"

I sat up fully now, my mind racing with possibilities drawn from years of occult research. "We should look into this. Not because we need outside validation, but..."

"Because we're curious," she finished my thought. "Because there might be others like us, or at least theories about what this connection means."

"Exactly." I smiled, amazed again at how she could articulate my thoughts so perfectly. "But first, I want to know everything about you. Every little detail."

She bounced slightly on the bed, her enthusiasm infectious. "Ooh, let's play twenty questions! But like, rapid-fire style. We take turns asking and answering."

"Perfect," I agreed. "You start."