Inside the church, (Y/n) found herself reading a book Louis had given her a few days prior. She's been hooked on the book ever since she began reading it and couldn't put it down. It was about a gentleman thief named Arsène Lupin and his many acts of thievery around France. It was an older book as the pages had turned yellow due to the flow of time and the leather cover was crinkled and cracked in various places.

Halfway through the fourth chapter, (Y/n) felt someone sit down beside her. Looking away from the book, she saw Louis claimed the seat next to her on the sofa. Using her thumb as a placeholder, she closed the book. Crossing her legs, she sighed. "Don't tell me you finished that comic already..."

Louis smiled. "It was a much better read than the previous issue. I let my training slack due to being absorbed into the story." He glances at the book in her lap with a chuckle. "It looks like you've also become a victim of a literary work."

(Y/n) smiled back at him, giggling. "I have. Guess we both let our training slack due to reading too much. Then again, there's no such thing as too much reading."

"Yes, there is," Yakumo said as he walked by. "You two read way too much. A book's not going to save your life out in the Gaol."

"Reading can help you just as much as any weapon can," the girl retorts. "Expanding your knowledge allows you to come up with new tactics that could mean the difference between life or death. Maybe you should read more often, Yakumo. I'm sure Louis has something you'll find interesting."

"I'll pass and leave the reading to you and Louis," he said before vanishing into the hot spring.

(Y/n) rolled her eyes before deciding she'd read enough for today. She replaced her thumb with a small sliver of paper so she would know where she left off. Placing the book on the table, she glanced outside at the setting sun. The different hues scattered across the sky, creating a canvas of beautiful colors. For some strange reason, she was reminded of the time she first met Louis in the natural cavern located in the ruined city underground and giggled.

Having heard her laughter, Louis gave her his full attention. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, just reminiscing about the first time we met," she clarified. "I thought you were some kind of creep or murderer looking for his next victim."

Louis' brows furrowed in confusion. "You thought I was a creep?"

"Well, yeah!"

"Why would you think that?"

(Y/n) stared at him in amazement. "You're not serious, are you?" She crosses her arms as she tries to mimic his voice. "It appears you're alone. I'm on my own at the moment, too. Don't worry. I'm not going to stab you in the back." She stared into his only visible eye. "You couldn't have found a better way to say that without sounding like a creep or a murderer?"

Louis reflected back on what he said and understood where she was coming from. "I...now see why it would come across as creepy or murderous. It seems my choice of phrasing was terrible." A question popped into his head and he unconsciously scooted closer to her. "If you were uncomfortable with my presence, why did you let me be your partner, (Y/n)?"

She lowered her head and gazed down at the floor. "At the time, I'd only awoken as a revenant a day prior. My memories were missing and the only person I could trust was Io. Then I was thrown into the tunnels by some wandering revenants who were trying to find blood beads with someone else. It wasn't long before we were attacked and I had to leave him behind. Before I came across you, I was...scared. I barely knew how to wield a (w/c) at the time and the Lost were everywhere in those tunnels. When I met you, I did feel unsettled by your presence. But at the same time, I was relieved I wasn't alone anymore regardless of how creepy your words came across."

Louis stared at her, eyes wide open in shock at her honesty. "(Y/n)..."

She combed a few stray (h/c) locks behind her ear, her other hand tightening into a fist. "I know it's childish to act scared especially since I'm a revenant. But...I was so frightened that I was going to die down there and nobody would know."

Reaching out his hand, Louis took her clenched fist and unfurled her fingers. Gingerly, he gripped her hand and gave it a squeeze. "There's nothing childish about being scared, (Y/n). We may be revenants, but that doesn't mean our ties to our emotions have vanished. Feeling fear is a sign you haven't lost your humanity. I, too, have experienced fear."

(Y/n) smiled warmly at him. "Thank you, Louis." She sighed in relief before giggling again. "Thank goodness you didn't turn out to be a creep or a murderer."

He chuckled. "I will be more careful with my words from now on."

"What were you doing in the underground that day, anyway?" She questioned.

"Searching for bloodsprings. But unlike you, I was doing it of my own volition."

"I guess it was fate that brought us together."

"Fate, huh?" Louis hummed in curiosity. "Perhaps. I do believe even if we hadn't met that day, our paths would've crossed eventually. Without you, we'd still be struggling with the miasma."

"And if you hadn't come along that day, I'd be dead," (Y/n) replied. "I'm glad I've been able to repay you and the others by helping you all achieve your goals. It's the least I can do after you gave me a place to stay and some much needed friends."

Louis glances down at their connect hands and murmured gloomily, "Only friends?"

She snickered at his sudden change in attitude. "Now, now, Louis. You know you're more than a friend. There's no need to be all gloomy." Releasing his hand, she moved toward him and maneuvered her body so she was now straddling his lap. Grabbing his cheeks, she pulled at the skin and manipulated his expression. Once she made a smile, she giggled. "A smile suits you better than a gloomy frown." Louis placed his hands on her hips, caressing his fingers against her sides. Her body tensed at the ticklish sensation and she released his cheeks in order to grab his hands. "L-Louis...! Don't do that! You know I'm ticklish."

He huffed out a chuckle, grinning slightly as he gazed into her (e/c) eyes. "That's exactly why I did it." Turning his eyes away from her, he glanced over his shoulder at the bulletin board. "We should go over the plan once more to ensure we've covered all the basis."

(Y/n) hung her head with a sigh. "And you're back in work mode..." She eyed the pictures pinned to the board before grabbing Louis' face with both hands and forcing him to look back at her. "We'll go over the plan in a little bit. For now, I'm going to relax in the hot spring." She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Feel free to join me." Removing herself from his lap, she hopped off the couch and sauntered toward the hot spring.

Louis watched her leave, placing a hand over his racing heart. Inhaling deeply, he calmed down before pursuing (Y/n).

Coco, who had been watching the couple, chortled when Louis vanished through the door leading to the hot spring. "Those two have no shame."