"Good morning, Antonio," Manako greeted with only a hint of nervousness, bowing her head slightly. "Um... it's good to see you. Though I guess we only saw each other yesterday, didn't we?"

"Good morning to you too, Mana," Antonio greeted back, smiling widely. "Good to see you too. And I feel like I see you less than you see me thanks to the bodyguard work," he said with a chuckle.

"Heh, that's true," she admitted shyly, her lips quirking upward.

"Oy, there ya are!"

Manako let out a startled "Eep!" and Antonio made an incredibly masculine yelp when an arm wrapped around his neck, yanking him over into a crushing embrace.

"'Bout damn time I found ya," Zoe said, squeezing the man in her vice-like grip once before pulling away. She hadn't changed an ounce over the years; her grin was as wide as ever, and her green and gold eyes were still filled to the brim with life. "I half-expected ya to be at the expo buildin' already!"

"I'm not in that much of a rush to get working," Antonio huffed, though he neither sounded nor looked all that upset by the rough contact. "Besides, how could I miss my dear friends Potemkin and Sebastian coming to visit?"

Zoe let out a hearty laugh at that, shaking her head. "Sure, sure! How could I forget! You guys have always been super tight!"

"Naturally," Antonio snorted. "Isn't that right, Mana..." He looked to the side, and frowned. "Huh, she left."

"Ya know how she is with big social stuff," Zoe offered with a shrug. "Just the way she is."

"True. I'd rather her be comfortable than not," Antonio replied, shrugging as well.

"Mm." Zoe looked him over, then turned her head around as if scanning the area. They were off to the side, with everyone else chatting animatedly toward the center. "Hey..." she began, leaning a little more closely with a muted expression on her face. "Just so ya know... that offer is still open."

They were lying in her bed, both breathing heavily and sweating. Both seemed content to simply be there like that in the darkness, listening to the sounds of their own ragged breaths and beating hearts.

It had been Zoe who broke the silence.

"Hey..." she began, tracing one of her fingers in a circular motion across his chest. "So I know this ain't easy for ya to talk 'bout, but..." She hesitated, a very un-Zoe action. "Ah, to hell with it. Do you wanna become a zombie?"

Antonio, who had been rubbing his thumb along her bare shoulder, froze. Blinked a few times. Waited for his brain to catch up with her words.

Eventually, it did, and all of the implications hit him at once.

"I-" Antonio floundered on his words. "I, um. I don't know."

He hated how weak of a response that was. But it was all he could conjure in that moment.

All the same, Zoe nodded. Her red hair brushed against his shoulder at the gesture. "I guess I... just kinda decided I wouldn't mind bein' like this for a long time," she admitted, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "We been doin' this for three years now. Couple rough patches here and there, but... it's been good overall, ya know? So... yeah," she ended, losing the words herself.

"It... really has been good," Antonio agreed. His thumb resumed its rubbing motion. "It's just... what if I find my family again, Zoe? I see them again, and then I just... watch them grow old around me, while I stay the same. They'd..." He had to take a breath. "I'd have to see them all die, eventually. I can't... I don't think I can do that."

"I know. It ain't like me and Romera," Zoe murmured. "We're all we had from the beginnin'. It's... selfish, I guess. I dunno," she grumbled. "You don't have to answer now."

Antonio took a long, deep breath. Gave the offer serious thought. Pondered potential outcomes.

"If..." he started, forcing the words out. "If I can't find them, if there's no chance..." The very thought was painful. Terrifying, even. But it had been three years of nothing. Something like that ate away at the man. "Then... I'll take you up on that."

A kiss on the cheek.

"Don't force yerself just for my sake," Zoe whispered, her face now so close her nose was pressing into his cheek. Her eyes were closed. "All I thought was just... maybe, eternity wouldn't be so bad, if I spent it with you."

That moment where he and Zoe had been dancing wildly and joyously at Kimihito and Miia's wedding, laughter on their faces and free of care, was preserved on the photo at his desk.

"... Even though I found my family?" Antonio asked quietly, hands in his pockets.

"Yup. Things change, ya know. Except for me, anyway," Zoe said with a somewhat bitter chuckle and a shake of her head. "I'll keep remindin' ya, until you start to get a bit too old that unlife might as well be hell for ya."

"How considerate of you," Antonio drolled.

"Heh. What can I say? Maybe the silver fox look'll suit you better," Zoe offered with a wink, but then her eyes caught something behind him. Her face softened, then she shook her head. "But who am I kiddin'. I could never hold a candle to her in your heart."

Antonio's bushy brows furrowed. "Huh? What're you-" He turned to see what she was talking about, then stopped in his tracks.

She had stopped appearing as a child for some time by then, taking on the form of an adult woman. Her suit was the genuine article, as opposed to the false clothes she'd make with her own shapeshifting, and appeared entirely unaffected by the slime that made her body. The way she carried herself was professional, mature, yet still held that strong vitality she'd had ever since the day they'd met ten years ago.

"Hi Dad," Suu said, her emerald eyes filled with love and warmth.

Antonio didn't say anything. Instead, he walked up to her and tenderly wrapped his arms around her, his face overwhelmed with emotion. She reciprocate with her many feelers.

No words were said. They didn't need to be. There was only the pure connection of emotions between them. Pride. Joy. Love.

Father and daughter stayed that way for a few minutes, communicating whatever thoughts they had silently. Eventually, they pulled away.

"Come on," Antonio urged, beckoning her forward to the others that had gathered. "They're all waiting for us."

"Suuuu!" Papi cried, flying over to the woman in question with happy tears in her eyes. "I missed youuuuuu!"

"I missed you too, Papi!" Suu laughed, catching the harpy in her arms and twirling her around.

"My my, you look so sharp," Rachnera observed with a smirk. "Daddy's little girl all grown up, huh?"

"It only makes sense," Cerea offered, looking down at Suu with pride. "After all, she is responsible for the slime race finally signing the Cultural Exchange Bill today."

"It's incredible! All of that hard work finally paid off, huh?" Miia asked excitedly, tail thumping against the ground.

"I daresay it is nothing short of miraculous," Mero agreed. "Why, it was less than a decade ago that most thought slimes as mere beasts. How wrong everyone had been!"

"A lot can change in that time," Kimihito pointed out, hefting Lia in his arms. "Back then, we spent so much time just playing games together. Now look at us."

"All who gathered here have answered a greater calling," Lala agreed, dusting off her trench coat. "I never once doubted that such individuals were worthy of the heights they'd reach."

Antonio was beside himself, seeing them all together.

Miia, the Chief Photographer of the Cultural Exchange. Lala, the key ambassador from the Senate of the Far Side. Rachnera, the lead manager of the Cultural Exchange. Cerea, the commander of MON Second Squad. Papi, the free spirit famous across the entire Cultural Exchange for her morale-boosting visits. Mero, the Queen of Neptunus. Kimihito, the Cultural Homestay Chief. Suu, the ambassador of the newly-formed slime government.

And there was him. The Vice-Director of the Cultural Exchange.

To think the Kurusu household would grow so much.

Suu was the first to notice Antonio being silent. She smiled, urged him forward. His family was waiting for him, after all.

He stood on the sidewalk, staring at his childhood home.

It had changed little over the last four years. The only real difference was the absence of the basketball hoop. No one had ever really used in recent years, anyway.

But now, he was here. Finally. His family would be inside, unaware of his presence until he stepped forward and rang the doorbell.

And yet, he couldn't move.

"I'm scared," Antonio whispered.

Suu's hand tightened its grip on his own. "I know," she said.

"I should be sprinting up there to meet them."

"I know."

"But now I'm here... and I can't move, and I don't know why."

"Because you've dreamt about this happening for years now, but you had started to believe you would never get this far." Suu's voice was calming, guiding. "Because now you can finally have peace."

"Peace," Antonio murmured. "I don't feel like I'm at peace at all. I feel..." He sniffled, tears falling down his face. "I don't even know anymore."

"You will," Suu assured him. "You'll figure it out. You always have."

Antonio's breathing was shaky, his hands trembling.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She let go of his hand. "Now tell them that."

He nodded. And then, he stepped forward. He put one foot in front of the other, until he was standing at the door. His finger nearly missed the bell, and his ears were filled with a nostalgic sound.

Antonio's entire body was tense, overwhelmed. His mouth flapped open and closed, choking sounds pushing themselves outward as footsteps drew closer from within the home.

The door opened.

And he said-

"Your mom and dad were with Grandma and Grandpa and the rest of Dad's family," Suu told Kimihito. "They should be at the expo now."

"Oh, good," he breathed in relief. "In that case, we should get going." He turned to his wife and child. "Work's gonna start kicking in real soon here."

"That's right," Miia nodded. "I need to be there for the big opening ceremony to capture the whole thing!"

"Can I nap after..." Lia murmured, resting her head on her dad's shoulder.

"Of course," Kimihito laughed.

"That's right, I need to track down Polt to make sure the rest of the equipment is here," Rachnera sighed, pulling out a tablet and already tapping away at it.

"Would you mind if I joined you?" Mero asked hopeful.

"My queen, you cannot be-" Potemkin began, but one look from her ceased all protests. "... We shall begin preparations upon your return."

"Thank you, Potemkin," Mero said sweetly.

"There's that dangerous streak of yours again," Rachnera chuckled. "Alright, strap yourself in, Mero. It's gonna be a little rough."

"I don't mind," the queen giggled as Rachenra picked her up and began to create the familiar silk saddle on her back.

"MON Second Squad, prepare to escort your VIPs as we discussed," Cerea ordered.

"Ma'am!" replied Beiste, Draco, and Lilith in unison. Being around First Squad tended to keep them from acting up too much.

"I'm gonna go say hi to Kii before stuff happens!" Papi declared cheerfully.

"And we must confer with the greater powers that continue to guide us ever forward," Lala informed Suu, tossing her hair dramatically. "The good work must always continue."

"Okay," Suu replied, nodding once before turning to Antonio. "See you soon?"

"Of course. For now, I gotta meet with my boss," he told her. "See you guys in the workplace!" he called out to them all, waving goodbye.

"Until next we meet, dear sir!" Mero called back.

One by one, they parted ways. Everyone had places they needed to be, wanted to be. As Lala said in her own way, the work never ended.

"Goodbye, for now," Antonio said. They would all see each other again soon enough. They always did.

A slight nudge in his side pulled him back.

"Best not keep the boss waitin'," Zoe advised.

Antonio nodded, and walked toward the limousine. He slid inside, shutting the door behind him. Once he got himself settled, he looked to the woman across from him.

"Didn't feel like seeing them?" he asked, crossing a leg.

"You know I'm terrible with the sappy stuff," replied the Director of the Cultural Exchange. "Besides, I'm gonna be seeing them all constantly for the next week. Hardly a rush, wouldn't you say?"

"For you, maybe," Antonio retorted with some amusement. "You know I live for the sappier parts of life, Kuroko."

"Of course. It makes you a perfect fit for the job," Kuroko Katsuragi snorted, removing her sunglasses and setting them aside. The woman had aged from stress over the years, but her strength had never once faltered. Every action was, as ever, deliberate and confidant. She smiled at the man across from her. "You know, this makes me nostalgic."

"How so?"

"Ten years ago, we were in a car just like this, and you had a different name," she began, reclining in her seat. "And you wouldn't stop whining. Not to mention you had all of the pressure going on up here," she tapped a finger against her head, "Talk about a sorry sight."

"I can imagine," Antonio said, his expression growing thoughtful. "... Jesus. That was a long time ago. Weird to think how it all ended up."

"I'd hardly say it ended," Kuroko commented. "Everything just kept going on. Who knows how we'll be in another ten years." After a pause, she spoke again. "You don't look so sorry anymore, though. In fact, you look happier than ever, even though your workload's increased a hundredfold."

"Well, I have a lot to be happy about," Antonio told her.

And it was true. He had many loved ones. He had been reunited with his family and friends across worlds. He had gained a second family, stranger yet just as strong. He had a job he loved and made a difference in the world. Nothing grandiose or dramatic, but... still good.

"After all..." he said, his smile small but genuine.

The man who had once been called Akihiro Bando, who had finally found peace with his everyday life, uttered the same words he had when he finally saw his mother again.

"I'm home."

The end.

A/N: Wow, the end I can't believe y'all have rocked with me this long I appreciate it truly. Thank you all for getting this story over 1K reads that is insane to me! There is a sense of bittersweetness though, primarily because well the sweetness is I fulfilled one of my goals which was to complete a project it took 7 Months of consistency but we got here to the end of the road and I feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment but the bitterness comes in where I've been writing these characters and I will miss writing them! But my journey is far from over I have bangers come in the following weeks/months so stay tuned in for those and thank you all again for the love you've shown this story I appreciate it immensely and hope you all continue to support my future projects.

But I've kept you all long enough until next time, drive the speed limit; love one another, and in case I don't see you... Good afternoon, good evening, and good night.