Epilogue

Love has a strange way of finding you when you least expect it. It can come in many forms- and trust, there are many clichés to run alongside it. Rima and Nagihiko were a cliché. The I-hate-you-I-love-you cliché. But does that really make there love any less real? That's for the readers- ah, I mean for the universe to decide.

Rima sighed heavily, tapping a high-heeled toe against the floor in frustration. There was a spark of excitement in the air, the end only hours away. This was what you waited for, for fourteen years. Nevertheless, Rima looked as exasperated as she always did. That is, until a pair of strong arms wrapped around her middle, a flash of purple entering her peripheral vision as he boyfriend of five years rested his chin on her white clothed shoulder. Rima smiled at him, her face lighting up for just a moment before it darkened in annoyance.

"How much longer do we have to wait?" Rima whined, giving Nagi her best pout-y face. He tsked at her, capturing her mouth in a brief kiss that was all to soon interrupted by their friends playful jeers. Breaking away, Nagihiko straightened with a wide grin, wrapping his arm around Rima's shoulder in one smooth motion.

"We've been here ten minutes, Ri," Nagihiko pointed out, giving her a playfully serious look.

"Ten minutes, ten hours, I want to go home."

As her fellow soon-to-be-graduates milled about, Rima let a small smile play at her lips, happy despite her protests to just be here with the people she had fought beside as a child, cried with when their chara had went back to their hearts, laughed with as they reminisced all that happened to them in only eighteen years of life. To be with her friends. To be with Nagi.

It is amazing, thinking back on it, that their relationship might never have happened. And look at them now. Madly in love five years after almost never truly knowing each other.

When they all finally lined up, the names being read off one-by-one, Rima Mashiro had the pleasure of seeing each of her friends take that final step into adulthood.

And soon enough, it was her turn. She looked out over the crowd, saw Nagihiko out there from his position, his diploma in hand, and felt a rush of absolute happiness. This was the way it was meant to be. Stepping into the unknown with the one you love.

I hope you don't hate the ending, and thank you all so much for those that stuck with me until now. I don't know how a Japanese graduation ceremony is conducted, if it's the same or different, so forgive if its inaccurate (not that it was very detailed to begin with). If you know, tell me and I'll fix it.

Time for the final review reply :(

(I will reply to yours if you review on this chapter, but it will be a PM)

M-fuzzTheGuardian: Darn :( No dreamy face…. Thank you :)

Yours Truly98: Thanks so much :D

thelovelaced: Your welcome :D Thanks for trying, anyway :P And here, have some complimentary milk :D And a new cookie. The old one must be stale by now.

I'm sorry for ending it so suddenly. I wanted to continue, but I've lost the muse and I wanted to end it on a good note. If you have an idea for an epi-epilogue(?) feel free to speak up. This is the end, and I want to make it the best I can. All ideas will be taken to heart and I'll try to write an ending you all truly deserve.

Thank everyone so much for taking the time to read my first romance-y fan fiction. This was Aourie, with her final words of heartfelt gratitude for my readers as I close off my first completed multi chapter.