New York always smelled like several things: street food, smog, rust, and someone who didn't exactly know how deodorant worked. Not my favourite combination of smells, but it was nostalgic.
At least today, I wasn't alone. Mitsuri bounced beside me, pink and green hair swaying, her smile practically its own sun with how warm it was. People stared like she was a magical being from heaven, which… honestly wasn't wrong.
"People are taking pictures of us again Darling." Mitsuri whispered, cheeks pinkening.
I slid my sunglasses down just enough to wink at her. "Let them, it's not every day that New Yorkers get to witness the universe's most beautiful couple."
Her face went red instantly, like comedic anime red with steam proofing out of her ears. "Da- Darling! I'm not that beautiful!"
"You absolutely are," I said, leaning down to brush my finger along her jaw. "If there was a contest for most adorable woman alive, you'd win every time. Even if you aren't in the contest."
It really was adorable. After all these years she wasn't like her old shy self, she still had her moments though.
"Moh… you always say things like that in public." She giggled.
"Mitsuri I've been in love with you for years, I'm allowed to say things like that whenever I want." I replied.
A couple walking past us heard what I had said and swooned. New Yorkers never swoon, that alone should have gotten us a medal or something.
As we continued to walk, Mitsuri latched onto my arm and sighed in contentment. "All our dates always feel like the first one."
"Minus the demon interrupting us… yeah." I hummed.
"Where are we going Darling?" She asked.
"I'm introducing you to Pizza… hopefully one that isn't shaped like a sad clump of depression."
She titled her head, "Pizza can be shaped like depression?"
"Mhm, There's been crimes against humanity with certain ways people have made pizza."
She laughed again… gods I'd bottle up that sound if I could. Then again, given the way several bystanders clutched their chests dramatically, maybe her voice counted as a lethal weapon of cuteness.
[Scene Break]
We found a pizzeria tucked on a corner of a street overflowing with honking taxis and hollering pedestrians. The windows were smudged with decades of grease, advertisements for dollar slices plastered all over the storefront, and the guy running the place was shouting in Italian despite probably being born and raised in Queens.
Perfect.
"This," I said, pulling the door open for Mitsuri like I was revealing long lost treasure, "is probably going to be the best pizza in town."
"Is it famous?" Mitsuri asked.
"No idea," I grinned, "but it smells amazing, and the guy behind the counter looks like he's been making pizzas since the Roman Empire."
The owner, a heavy set man with more chest hair than shirt buttons, looked up. His eyes widened when we stepped in. "Holy Mother of… you two famous?"
"Nah," I said, "we won the genetic lottery though."
Mitsuri bowed politely, and in perfect English, said. "Hello! We'd love to try your food."
The guy melted, like he had just been struck with a nuke of adorableness. "Anything… anything you want you angel!"
We ordered two slices each.
Fifteen minutes later Mitsuri had somehow managed to eat seven more slices.
"You good?" I asked, leaning on my elbow.
She nodded cheerfully as she took a big bite out of her eight slice. "So good!"
The owner stumbled back in disbelief. "You want to enter the eating contest?"
Mitsuri's eyes shimmered in excitement. "Eating contest?"
Five minutes later, I was sitting on a countertop watching my wife demolish seven whole pizzas while a crowd had gathered in and outside the shop. The crowd was chanted her name as she enthusiastically tore into the final slice of her ninth pizza.
"YEAH!!!! THE PINK GODDESS HAS TOPPLED THE PREVIOUS RECORD FOR MOST PIZZAS EATEN IN ONE SITTING BY A STAGGERING SEVEN PIZZA PIES!" The owner shouted.
The crowd went wild. Mitsuri blushed as she wiped her mouth clean with a napkin.
"Thanks everyone! That was really delicious." She smiled at everyone.
The crowd went from cheering to clutching their hearts and swooning. I grinned as my wife unknowingly won the hearts of every New Yorker present with her charm.
I snuck up behind her and hoisted her up onto my shoulder. "Give it up for the champion of New York everyone! The Pizza Empress!"
The crowd exploded again.
"I just wanted more lunch," she whispered, mortified.
"You're incredible," I murmured back as I set her down so I could kiss her cheek.
A group of tourists outside the restaurant filmed us like we were shooting a movie. Someone shouted. "I SHIP THEM!"
This city was absolutely insane.
[Scene Break]
We wandered around Central Park after leaving Midtown. Hand in hand. Mitsuri's eyes sparkled at everything… the little duck boats, the street performers, the guy painted silver pretending to be a statue, even the weird guy in a pink morph suit screaming at pigeons.
"Darling," Mitsuri said softly, squeezing my arm, "thank you for today."
"You say that like I'm never going to take you out on dates ever again. The day isn't over yet Love… I'm planning on doing some very naughty things with you later tonight." I gave her a smirk.
She slapped my arm, blushing furiously and glancing around to see if anyone overheard. "Satoruuuu!"
"What? I'm just stating facts, there will be plenty more dates like this."
She looked up at me with that soft expression… the one that made my heart do things it shouldn't be able to do.
And then…
A voice.
'Lord Satoru… please help my brother find his way back safely.'
It sounded small. Scared. Like a prayer from a small child.
My eyebrow twitched, Mitsuri noticed and looked at me with a worried expression.
Another voice followed:
'Thanks for saving us the other day… man I really thought we were gonna die, you're the best Lord Satoru.'
I inhaled slowly.
'Well okay then, that's new… am I actually hearing prayers?'
Mitsuri was still staring at me with concern. "Darling?"
"Nothing…" I lied, though I felt the energy inside me shifting strangely. "Just thinking about how beautiful you look in the sun."
Her eyes softened again, there was still a hind of concern behind them but she let the matter go. "Darling, you're so cheesy sometimes." She muttered as she buried her face in my chest.
'Somehow I doubt that…'
"Im trying to live up to the 'husband of the century award'," I said.
"Theres no such thing!" She looked up at me.
I booped her nose, making her giggle. "There is now."
She leaned her head against me again, a comfortable silence falling between us. We sat down at a bench, I put an arm around her shoulder as she rested a hand on my lap.
"Darling… do you ever regret anything?"
I thought about it, like REALLY thought about it.
"No," I said quietly. "Everything that's ever happened and all the things I've ever done have led me here. To you and our kids."
She squeezed my hand. "Me neither…"
"What brought that on?" I asked.
She hummed, "Sometimes I wonder if things would have gone differently if we didn't meet that day. Maybe you'd be married to someone else."
"Nah," I kissed the side of her head. "I'd probably still end up with you somehow. Call it my spectacular intuition, but I think no matter what we were destined to be together."
"Darling you're so bold…" Misturi chuckled.
[Scene Break]
We ended up at the waterfront for sunset, golden light glittering across the river, skyscrapers glowing like ego-sticks. Mitsuri leaned over the railing, hair dancing in the wind.
"It's so pretty." She whispered, eyes shimmering as she watched the sun set over the skyline.
"Not as pretty as you."
She puffed her cheeks adorably. "Moh, you always say that!"
"Because it's true."
I slipped behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and resting my chin on her shoulder. Her body warmed against mine.
"We should do this more." She murmured.
"Already planning the next one Love."
Then her stomach growled.
She froze.
We looked at each other.
"…Ice cream?" I suggested.
She nodded very seriously. "Ice cream."
So we ended up getting two scoops each.
Then four.
I lost count after that. At one point Mitsuri had convinced the vendor to give her a 'sample' of each flavour but clearly each one was just another scoop.
I loved her.
But I was also scared of her.
"This is so good." She said, taking a big chomp out of the cone.
"How do you not have a brain freeze, isn't that like the seventh serving?"
"It's the tenth." She corrected gently.
"Ah, of course. My mistake."
I kissed her nose, she beamed happily and went back to eating the remainder of her cone.
Then, just as I was about to steal a bite from her cone, a shimmering golden light flickered beside us. No one else seemed to notice it, I raised an eyebrow.
'This is the first time I've seen and Iris Message… kinda cool I guess.'
Mitsuri looked up from her ice cream cone. "Ooooh, pretty."
I silently accepted the message and Hades appeared on the shimmering distortion as if it was a divine FaceTime call. He looked like he hadn't slept in weeks… then again, he was the god of the dead, so I didn't know how much of it was his natural parlor.
"Lord Satoru."
"Sup, Unc Death."
He stared, "…Please don't call me that."
"I'll think about it."
"I somehow doubt that."
"You'd be right." I grinned.
He sighed, then pinched his nose. "I take it that you're still set on descending down into The Pit."
"I am, maybe even making a sort of safari cruise out of it. See how many monsters I can bag to have taxidermied and mounted on my wall."
Mitsuri elbowed me lightly. "Satoru, behave. Can't you see you're stressing Shinigami-sama out?"
"I hardly think he's—
She gave me a glare with little heat.
"Fine…" I wrapped an arm around her and glanced back at the Iris Message. "Sorry, what's up Hades, I take it this isn't a social call."
Hades cleared his throat, "I owe you for ensuring that my helm was returned to me. I'm calling to let you know that I know of a way to safely traverse down into The Pit."
"Is it a hole in the ground in your backyard?" I asked.
"It is… wait how do you know?"
"I know everything." I hummed.
Hades just sighed again, "Whatever you say, safe passage should be possible with some preparations. I can arrange that for you should you wish."
"Nah… I was thinking of just jumping feet first into hell."
"You'll die."
"I doubt that."
Mitsuri looked between the Iris Message and my smug face. "Is it dangerous?"
"Incredibly so." Hades responded without hesitation.
"Not for me it isn't." I crossed my arms.
"I trust you." Mitsuri smiled.
"Good, but let's not worry about that for now. I'll take you up on that offer Hades, I'll be at your front door tomorrow evening, I plan on spending some time with my wife and kids."
"Very well, I'll make the arrangements and please do enjoy your time together. Peace may be scarce once you descend into The Pit."
"Great pep talk." I waved a hand through the message making the shimmering golden screen vanish.
Mitsuri leaned close, "Darling… promise me you won't get into too much trouble."
"I'll try," I chuckled, "though I think this trip just may be a little more fun and exciting rather than dangerous."
[Scene Break]
We eventually began walking again. The sun had long since set. Street lamps cast a soft orange glow on everything. Mitsuri still pointed excitedly at everything: more street performers playing music, a hotdog vendor in a Spider-Man costume, some guy in a blue button up eating raviolis out of his shirt pocket.
"This place is amazing." She whispered.
"No you're amazing." I corrected.
"Satoruuuu."
I chuckled.
We found a quiet spot on the steps outside of the New York Public Library. The two stone lions watching over us like grumpy guardians. Mitsuri leaned her head on my shoulder as we sat on the steps.
"Satoru… I heard you muttering earlier." She whispered, "did something happen?"
I hesitated. Then I told the truth.
"I heard voices… prayers."
Her breath caught softly, "Prayers… like someone praying to you?"
"Yeah."
"Do you know who?"
"Campers, the kids from camp." I exhaled slowly, "a few of them prayed yesterday. I thought I was just imagining things but… today was clearer."
Mitsuri turned to me fully, both worry and wonder shining in her eyes. "Darling… does that mean…?"
"That I'm becoming something I never planned on becoming? Maybe."
She stared at me for a moment. "Does it scare you?"
"No," I said honestly, "but it does surprise me. I don't feel any different. I still just feel like… me."
She smiled gently, "I'm not scared either… I know you'll use that power for good."
I chuckled, "Define 'good'."
She rolled her eyes.