For all of Grady's interest in combat and his generally aggressive nature, he was rather violently opposed to conflict with Kat. So the fact that he could not find a way to address their growing distance bothered him more than it probably should have. They would go days at a time without seeing each other, and that was when he was at the house in Japan. When he was out on some errand for Cern, their time apart was even longer. Not that there weren't opportunities. His errands tended to end in death, with was her bailiwick.

Yet, somehow, they were growing apart. Sitting on the porch, his feet hanging over the edge, he was trying to figure out where it had all gone wrong. Unfortunately, he was drawing a blank, past being sure that his having sold his soul was part of it. Why would she want anything to do with a man who had become a petty servant to someone who held so little power.

As though summoned by the mere thought of him, Cern appeared in the field and approached the house. Grady knew what was coming. It would be another pointless run into some war-torn country, to kill some unimportant person. When the deity was close enough, Grady stove off any comments by asking for the information. Cern, unused to this type of response, sputtered for a moment before producing the file.

After Cern was gone, Grady made his way through the house, gathering up the things that were his. It all fit in a single suitcase. He placed a call down to the town at the base of the mountain, arranging a car to come and take him to the airport. While he waited, he wrote Kat a note, which he left on the bed they so infrequently shared. When the car arrived, he made sure the house was locked up before leaving.

He did not look back as the car pulled away.

Aijin,

I wish that things had been different between us. We have both given up so much to be together, only to find that we must not like each other's company. I have not seen you in days and have not shared your bed in longer.

Maybe it was my mistake to think that if I gave you forever you would want to spent it with me. Maybe it was naive of me to believe that either of us would actually want marriage, especially when we do not even have death to give us peace. We are different, you and I, and, as such, not meant to spend eternity together, outside of the thing which is your purpose and my trade.

I have suffered from the vanity that exists inside all men who hold power over the life and death of other people. I actually believed myself worthy of someone else's love. In this case, however, the person I chose to love could never truly be mine. You belong to everyone, my love. And I was a fool to ever think that I could hold you close.

I hope that you do not think ill of me, now that I am gone. I know that our paths will cross again. They have crossed for so long that you will always know my handiwork. Please know that I will miss you, that I will miss laughing with you and holding your hand. I will miss our attempts to be normal, to be humans without a care in the world. But we both know, have always known, that what we had was merely a dream.

I love you. I will always love you.

-Grady