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Chapter Thirty-Seven: No Ordinary Love:

"Asato-kun," Anna spoke up. "Can I ask you something?"

Tsuzuki turned his head. "Hm?"

Anna gulped. "Would still love me if I wasn't me anymore?"

He gave her a strange look. "What you mean?"

"You know, if I changed… would you still love me?"

"Yes, why?"

She felt her heart drop to her stomach. "My kitsune."

"What about her?"

Anna pressed her lips together. "She's trying to get out."

"What?"

"It's gotten worse."

Tsuzuki sat up, startled. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I didn't want to worry you." She lowered her eyes. "But now…"

"But now what?"

Anna's eyes shifted away from her beloved. "That's not an option anymore."

"Why didn't you come to me sooner?"

"I didn't want to upset you."

"Too late for that now!" He gave her a sharp look. "Why keep it to yourself? You're not alone anymore!"

Anna didn't speak; she knew this would happen. The woman frowned. "You can't save me all the time!"

"Well then let me try!"

Anna tilted her head at him. "Huh?"

Tsuzuki held her waist. "You are not alone anymore. You have ne now. We will fight this together! Do you hear?" That alone made her heart hurt. He still wouldn't listen. She tried to look away from her.

"I'm worried you can't handle it."

Tsuzuki gave her a puzzled look. "Huh?"

Anna clenched her left fist. "Kitsune are powerful creatures."

Her lover raised an eyebrow. "Okay, so?"

"They can be so demanding."

"Okay."

She frowned at him. "You don't understand." Anna clenched her fists. "It's a burden!"

"I can take it!"

"No, you can't!"

"And why is that?" he asked. Anna drew her mouth closed. Reason won't work here. Tsuzuki gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Anna-chan, look at me," the shinigami said in a low voice. She was reluctant at first.

"Look at me," he said again. Anna still looked away.

"Look at me," Tsuzuki said again. She finally surrendered and did so. Tsuzuki placed his hand on her stomach.

"I won't leave you—no matter what," he said. "I'll fight to keep us together. Got me?" Anna pressed her lips together again. She didn't want to come to this. The woman closed her eyes as she clutched his hand.

"Promise me this," Anna said. "If I lose myself to the kitsune…" She paused to breathe. It hurt to say this part, but it had to come out. She paced herself before talking. "You have to promise that you'll kill me."

"Anna-chan…" he murmured.

"No, listen!" she said. "We don't know what my kitsune's capable of! She could take over me completely and I would be gone. I don't want to think about the aftermath of that!" She gripped his hand.

"If I am to die, I want to die by your hands," she said. Tsuzuki clasped her hand.

"I can't," he said. Anna looked on at him.

"Asato-kun…" she said.

"We'll worry about that when we come to that point," he said. Anna lay there with a renew pain in her heart. The shinigami still didn't get it, but what could she do? He loves her and she loves him. They promised each other that after all. To have and to hold… Yeah…