I seem to have strayed from my roots as a fluff writer. But when I was playing Tales of the Abyss the other day I remembered something I saw when I spoiled the ending for myself. (Yes, it's a bad habit of mine, don't judge.) What if Luke HAD told Tear that he loved her before the final fight? How would that affect the rest of the story? Thus, this romantic oneshot was born. So although there are similar stories to this one out there (in which we learn about what happens immediately after Luke's return at the very end of the game), no other gives you a slightly AU look at the whole idea through Tear's eyes. (Which reminds me- if Tear seems slightly OOC, let me now so I can fix it.)

Shout outs to Konpeki Rei for betaing (as always, you did a fantastic job!) and my friends Pokapoka and InuNaruPokeAlchemist for encouraging me to get this game.

All characters and rights © Namco.

"Tomorrow..." I say quietly. I stare at the moon. Luke's sitting down near me on the hood of the Albiore, looking at the night sky as well.

Tomorrow we go to Eldrant. Tomorrow, we save the world. Tomorrow, Luke will fight Asch. And it's possible that tomorrow will be the last time I ever see this boy... man.

"... Yeah. I hope my body holds together until then," Luke adds.

I walk over and get down beside him. I hold my knees to my chest. "It will."

"Tear..." he whispers.

I hear my voice cracking. "Tomorrow... and the day after... and on and on..."

"Tear... I..."

I turn to face him. "What is it?"

He focuses his gaze on the white orb ahead of us. He grabs my hand.

"Tear... I... I love you."

My heart stops. I can't breath. Did he just say that he loves me?

"I understand that by telling you, it's just going to hurt even more when I leave. But I just can't go without you knowing," he explains.

"... You idiot," I gasp. I don't know what else I can say.

He looks at me. His eyes are filled with disappointment.

"So... then you don't...?" he asks.

I close my eyes. "You're an idiot because it took you this long." I open my eyelids and smirk just the tiniest bit.

I can see his brain working out my words. Then he smiles.

"Tear," he says. His voice has a new tone to it, one of desire and compassion.

"Luke... I love you, too," I choke out. My limbs have turned to Apple Gel.

That's when he kisses me.

I feel my resolve weaken. You're a soldier, Tear, and soldiers have no time for love! But I ignore my training and let myself fall into his kiss. He has changed. Not only himself, but he's changed me, too. He's destroyed all of my barriers and revealed the helpless, lost girl within.

He pulls away with as much tenderness as he can. He places his hands underneath my eyes so that he's holding both of my cheeks. I can feel them burn into his skin.

"I guess everybody else was right. I AM dense," Luke laughs. All I can do is nod. "This whole time, they've been teasing us... telling us... and we just now get it," he continues. "Tear, I can understand why I didn't get it, but you... you're not stupid like me. Did you really just figure it out?"

I reach out my shaking palm and finger his bangs. He has really soft hair, even softer than mine. Must be one of the perks of being a noble. "I knew that I cared for you for a long time. I just couldn't tell if you liked me back. I thought maybe you still loved Natalia."

He sucks in his breath. "Asch was the one that proposed to Natalia, not me. Besides, I think she and Guy are getting along pretty well."

I giggle, shocked at how girly I sound. "You have a weird way of showing affection," I comment.

"Well, so do you- calling someone an idiot every ten minutes isn't exactly the same as a pet name," he retorts. I grin and he does too. I pause for a second then lay my lips on his. He kisses me back with abandon. As a reply I up the intensity so much that I knock him flat on his back. He lets slip an "ow" into my mouth, but continues to hold my lips against his. I'm lying on top of him, his arms wrapped around my waist. I run my digits through his crimson locks. I don't care who sees. I don't care what happens tomorrow. I just care about him and now.

Eventually we break away again. Just staring into the other's eyes. I push myself off of him and return to an upright position. He follows suit.

"We can't tell the others," I say, looking down. "It'll just make things too awkward."

"I agree. They'll make a big deal over it and then when tomorrow comes, and we fight..." Luke trails off. Then he takes in a big gulp of air. "Tear, I'm sorry I told you this. I know that when I finally die- and don't interrupt me, because I know I will- it'll hurt even more because you're losing the one you love. But I had to tell you. I probably would've died on my own, no thanks to the Fonons, if I never told you and then you got hurt."

"It's OK, Luke. I would have done the same thing," I say. We turn away and look to the moon once more.

"It's weird. I'm really happy right now. I have friends... and you... I can finally think of myself as... me. This is probably the happiest moment of my life. I mean, I wish I could think it wouldn't be," he sighs.

"It's not weird. This is probably the happiest moment of my life, too."

. . .

Goodbye... my beloved brother...

Luke's done it. He's killed Van. Lorelei is almost free. But the ground... it's shaking...

"All right. Everybody hurry up and escape," Luke tells us. He's turned away from me. I can't see his face. "I'll stay here and free Lorelei."

"Luke!" I protest.

He looks back to me. "It's my promise to Lorelei. This is what I need to do." His hand is over his heart.

I can hear and see everybody else tell Luke goodbye. They move past me, go to him, say words. But I can't comprehend any of it. I don't want to.

I don't want to leave him. I can't leave him. Not now.

Everyone else has finished, even Mieu. I shake myself back into reality and run to him, but turn away at the last second. I think over my words before returning to face the redhead.

Despite my time running over my thoughts, I can't think of anything to say, so I just blurt out the first words that come to my mind: "Come home!"

"Tear..."

"You have to come home. You have to! I'll be waiting... always," I cry.

He nods. "I will. I promise... I'll come home."

But that still isn't enough. I sprint into his arms and bury my face in his chest. "Come home, Luke... so we can be together... forever."

He struggles to keep back a sob. "Tear... I never told you that you're beautiful..."

"Then tell me now! Tell me everything you've ever wanted to tell me! Just don't leave me!" I blubber. "I don't want to hear those words from anybody but you... the most wonderful man in the world."

"Look at me," he whispers. When I don't comply, he grabs my chin and forced my face up. "I want you to be strong. For both me and you. And I want you to know that since you never went back on your promise to watch me, I won't go back on mine to return." I've been schooled to show no emotion on the battlefield, yet here I am, acting like nothing more than a weak child while this naive noble puts on a brave face. He kisses me gently. As he parted lips with me I let out a final weep and turn away from him. My heart hurts so much...

I take a few steps forward. "Luke... I love you," I whisper.

I watch him take his sword and plunge it into the ground. I start to walk away. Each movement of my foot sends pain through my entire being. I look back for one instant, to see him almost completely gone except for his head. He sees me and gives a sad smile. He mouths a few words. "I love you too, Tear."

"Tear!" Guy calls. I return to the group.

He's gone.

I'm a soldier. I've experienced pain before. But never anything like this.

. . .

I sing my hymn. Everyone else stands behind me and enjoys the view. I suppose the Selenia flowers were exceptionally pretty tonight.

The words of Yulia flow out of me. I know this song by heart now. I've been singing it every night for the past three years, hoping that he'll hear it and return.

"You didn't come," Natalia says behind me. "I believe your presence was requested at Luke's Coming- of- Age Ceremony at the Duke's manor."

I shake my head. "I'm not interested in some ceremony in front of Luke's grave," I tell her. Because he isn't dead. He promised me he'd come home.

"That's why both of you came here, isn't it?" Anise asks.

Guy sighs. "He said he'd be back, so let the others sit around and tell stories at his grave." He holds his head high. "But I won't be joining them."

Silence. It hurts my ears to be subject to so much of it as of late.

"We should be heading back soon," Jade advises. "The valley is dangerous at night."

I lower my head in defeat and get up. Luke... you idiot... you promised me you'd come...

But then I notice something out of the corner of my eye. A figure standing a distance away.

A figure with flaming red hair...

I gasp. Luke... my heart beats faster.

He comes closer, and I see that it's not him. The hair is too long, the clothes are all wrong- it's only Asch. How dare he come. Doesn't he know? Doesn't he get that all I want is Luke?

I walk towards him just a bit. "Why are... you here?" I ask slowly. He better have a good reason.

He opens his mouth and speaks. The voice isn't the same as the one I remember. "This place has... a nice view of Hod. And also..."

The voice is kinder, gentler, somewhat familiar. It sounds like... it can't be...

"... I promised someone."

His words wash over me. "I promise... I'll come home." Moisture dots my eyelids. I try to blink it away but fail. I let out a gulp of air I hadn't realized I was holding.

I run to him. The wind blows his fringe out of his face and I see his green pupils. There's an emotion in them I never thought I'd see again.

Love.

I land in his warm embrace. He holds me tighter than I ever thought possible. His breath causes my bangs to flutter.

"Lu- Luke?" I cry.

"I'm sorry it took so long," he whispers. "But Asch and I had a few things to settle." He notices my fingers intertwined with his scarlet mane. "Like how long my hair should be. I think I look better with it short, but Asch said that the longer it is, the more sexy you are."

I let out a wet laugh. "You came back..."

"Of course I did," he says with a serious voice (unlike just a second before, which was light and cheerful), cupping my face. I look into his eyes, the eyes I haven't seen for so long. They're as bright as emeralds. "I promised I'd come home. I promised I'd come to wherever you were, Tear. Because that's my home. With you."

I sob uncontrollably. "It's really you," I manage to squeak out. "Luke, I've missed you so much."

He has tears too. "I just can't believe I'm holding you again."

"You are. We're both real. We are both real, right?" I question, suddenly afraid he'll vanish in an instant.

He mulls over this possibility. Then he kisses me. I kiss him back with as much feeling as I can muster. He's real. I'm real. This is real.

Eventually we pull apart, but only because we need oxygen. But before we continue, I sneak in a few words.

"I love you, Luke fon Fabre."

Luke- the only person that I've ever showed emotion to- brushes his lips against the tip of my nose, making every pore in my body tingle. "I love you, Tear Grants." We resume our embrace.

He is wrong. Luke isn't the only one that's come home. I have too.

The End

On the whole, I think this turned out pretty well. Fluffy, but not too much as that I'll start puking fuzzy pink bunnies. It's a nice change of pace from Pit and Viridi (because let's face it, they're relationship boils down to hug, punch, talk, kiss, hug, punch, talk, kiss, and repeat endlessly). I may write more for these two, but it all depends on your reactions. Do you want for LukexTear? Or do you just want more Piridi? Let me know and thanks for reading!