Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own No. 6.
I love this couple way too much. Like, seriously. But anyway, please read and review! Reviews make me happy.
Nezumi leaned his back against the rough bark, wishing he still had his superfiber cloth to ward away the chill of the night. He was exhausted from being chased by Eve's hoard of fans, and it was in moments like this that he finally let himself remember the warmth he left behind.
There was a cruel irony, he supposed, in the fact that the warmth, the family he'd yearned for as a child was in the city that had taken it away from him in the first place.
And he'd left it behind.
There wasn't a night that passed that he didn't curse himself for leaving him, but by the time that sun rose, he always managed to convince himself that he was better off alone.
Shion stumbled into Karan's bakery while supporting a half-conscious Nezumi, blood trailing behind them both. Her face paled as she rushed to the aid of the two boys who'd come seeking shelter.
"Hot chocolate. Would you make some, Mom?"
Karan startled a bit at his words, but instead of a tearful, heartfelt reunion, she merely nodded and put some water on to boil. The bakery was silent except for the boys' labored breathing.
Shion limped over to a nearby chair and let Nezumi slide from his grip. He landed a little harder than Shion wanted, but they were both too exhausted to care much.
Letting his head rest against Shion's side, Nezumi let out a relieved sigh. An arm wrapped around his shoulders, careful of the bullet wound, but he couldn't find it in himself to shrug it off.
The hot chocolate was soon ready, and Karan handed both boys a mug. Nezumi raised his to his lips and let out another sigh as the warm liquid slid down his throat. "It tastes like home."
Karan watched the two, noticing how much Shion had changed in the months since he'd been taken, and she attributed much of that change to the mysterious boy – Nezumi, she assumed – who her son seemed so protective of. It was more than just his physical features (though the colorful changes would take some getting used to, and he was much too skinny.) Nezumi had taught him how to be a human being – there was more emotion coming off of him than she'd felt in all sixteen years of his life.
She decided she'd like to get to know this new Shion.
After they finished their hot chocolate, Shion managed to get Nezumi – now slightly more aware than when they first stumbled in – into his bed in his room. They collapsed on top of the threadbare sheets and drifted off into a dreamless sleep, curled around each other's warmth.
"Shion. Shion. Hey, wake up already!"
Shion groaned and rolled away from the irritating voice that was trying to convince him to leave his cocoon of warmth.
"Shion! Come on! You're mom's making cherry cake; I can smell it! Hurry up, you airhead." He felt a couple of drops of cold water hit his face as Nezumi leaned over him.
With a sigh, Shion have wiped off his face and gave up on getting anymore sleep that morning, unraveling himself from his sheets as he turned to face Nezumi. "She's a baker. The bakery's downstairs. Of course she's making cake."
Nezumi's eyes were sparkling, and Shion just couldn't resist his pleading look. "Fine. Let me get dressed and we can see if she'll give you a piece."
A smile crossed his face as jumped up from the bed and crossed the room to Shion's dresser, pulling out shirts and pants and socks. He threw them in the general direction of the bed, Shion flinching at every item that hit the floor.
"I got it, I got it, Nezumi. You can stop destroying the room now." With a sigh, Shion reached down and grabbed what was closest and headed into the bathroom across the hall.
"Come on, Your Majesty. It's not like there's anything I haven't seen before."
Shion blushed a deep red as he shut the door behind him, not bothering to respond. Instead, he twisted the shower on before stepping cautiously in, unsure if the water was still warm from Nezumi's shower.
A hard knock sounded through the room. "Shion! Get your ass out here. I'm too hungry for you to take a shower!"
Completely ignoring Nezumi, Shion nonetheless took one of the fastest showers of his life, knowing that Nezumi was likely to burst into the bathroom if he took too long.
As he finished scrubbing off the dried blood from the day before, Shion shut the water off and dried his hair, just barely managing to pull on a pair of pants before Nezumi opened the door, a scowl on his face.
"Shion, I'm hungry and your Mama's cake smells amazing."
He smiled, reaching down to grab his shirt. A pair of arms wrapped themselves around his waist, and warm breath ghosted across his neck. "Of course, I could always just have you."
Shion felt warmth spread through his body at his words, and a soft sigh passed through his lips as Nezumi peppered light kisses on his neck.
A loud grumble sounded through the room, and Nezumi let out a light chuckle, releasing Shion from his grasp. "Seems like I'm not the only one who's a little impatient."
"Oh, shut it."
Nezumi let out another laugh and led the way downstairs, greeting Shion's mom as he grabbed a muffin from a plate set out for breakfast.
Stopping at the foot of the stairs, Shion let a wave of incredulity wash over him. It was strange – but not at all unwelcome – to see Nezumi in his kitchen with his mother. Shaking his head a bit, Shion took the last few steps into the kitchen and was immediately pulled into a hug. "I'm back, Mom."
Tears ran down Karan's face as she embraced the son she'd thought she lost. "I missed you so much."
Shion felt tears pool in his eyes as he hugged her back. "Me too. I'm so sorry I was gone for so long."
As mother and son finally got to have their reunion, Nezumi leaned against the counter, a gentle expression on his face. Just as he pushed away to give them some privacy, Karan pulled him into the hug as well. He froze, having no idea what to do, before he felt Shion's hand find his, and slowly let himself relax.
"Thank you for bringing him back to me."
After a moment, Nezumi pulled away and asked, his face carefully blank, "Do you have any cherry cake?"
Both mother and son started laughing as Karan cut them both a slice of the best cherry cake she'd ever made.
"So, are you two together yet?"
Shion started coughing as he attempted to dislodge the bite of cake that had gotten stuck in his throat. Nezumi merely shook his head at the question, calmly taking another bite before answering the question.
"No, we're not. But her son here is completely in love with me. It's not like he can help it though. I mean, just look at me. I'm beautiful."
Karan started laughing and watching as her blushing son was finally able to clear his throat and glare at Nezumi.
"You know, I always figured he would fall for you. Ever since he let you into his room all those years ago."
Shion's eyes widened. "You knew about that?"
Karan merely smiled and started boiling water for tea. "Of course I did. You were acting so strangely that night – you didn't even have dinner with me on your birthday. And with your reaction to that VC news… well, I put things together fairly quickly."
"So when he sent you that note…"
"Yes, I figured he was the one from four years ago. Who else would have the name of Nezumi? Besides, you're not exactly quiet when you sleep. You've said his name several times."
Nezumi snickered as Shion's face turned bright red. "Mom!"
"Besides," she continued, completely ignored her son's embarrassment, "you weren't really the same after that. You never would have made it in the gifted curriculum, even if they hadn't kicked you out. You questioned things too much."
At her words, Nezumi started truly laughing. "You were always an airhead, weren't you?"
Shion would have been more upset at Nezumi's teasing, but he was too happy at seeing a side of him he'd rarely seen in the West Block.
"There was this one time, perhaps a year after you met, that he came home completely covered in dirt and blood. When I asked him what happened, he merely looked up at me and told me that he'd seen a new kind of bug in the park. I think I still have a picture of it somewhere around here…"
Shion's eyes widened as he realized what his mom was implying. With a loud screech that impressed even Nezumi, he lunged across the kitchen to a bookshelf that housed his mom's recipes, a few of his ecology books, and the photo albums. Grabbing as many of them as he could, Shion shuffled into a corner, protecting the pictures from Nezumi's eyes.
Nezumi could nearly imagine the boy hissing at him as he approached them, far too curious about what was hidden in the books Shion had grabbed. "Come on, Shion. I want to see these pictures now, and we both know how this is going to end." Nezumi stopped inches from him and bent down, a smirk playing on his lips. "You'll hand them over or I'll have to get them by force."
Terror shot through his eyes, but Shion's grip only tightened on the photo albums. Reaching out a hand, Nezumi ran his fingers through Shion's hair and tilted up his chin. "My dear child," he crooned, "what are you so afraid of?"
Shion squeaked and his fingers lost their death grip, causing the albums to clatter to the floor. Grabbing the first one his hand touched, Nezumi darted back towards Karan.
"Ooh, good job Nezumi. That's one of my favorites." Pulling the book of photos gently from his hands, Karan proceeded to tell Nezumi all of the embarrassing stories that went along with each picture. Shion merely groaned and wished the floor would swallow him whole.
"I'm going to go open the shop now, since it seems like you'll be here a while," he eventually said, pushing himself up and heading towards the front of the bakery. Nezumi just waved him off, far too engaged in a picture of Shion streaking across the room.
A few days later, Nezumi and Shion had healed enough from their wounds to roll out of bed to explore the area.
"Hey, Nezumi? There's a place I'd like to show you."
After receiving a nod of consent, Shion's face broke into a smile, and he grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the center of town. It made him uncomfortable to be walking through the city he hated more than anything, but as warmth spread from Shion to Nezumi through their interlocked fingers, he felt himself relaxing.
And that terrified him.
After about fifteen minutes, Shion came to a stop. "This is my favorite place in No. 6. I mean, I wanted to show you a real forest – this one is merely a park – but it was the best I could do. Though, I don't know why the leaves aren't green. It's only spring after all; fall's still a long way off. Maybe it has something to do with El-"
"Shion."
"Yeah?"
"Shut up."
The boys just stood there, hands grasped tightly between them, neither wanting to let the other go as they watched leaves of red and gold and bronze spiral gently to the ground. It was quiet in the park; the only sound was the rustle of leaves in the light breeze.
And then Nezumi began to sing.
The words washed over Shion, calming the beating of his heart and giving him a sense of peace. The trees rustled their leaves, and the birds' sweet tune joined Nezumi's soft voice.
Shion had never felt more at peace.
Nezumi hadn't sung since that day, choosing to only take roles that didn't require it of him. Although it had been several years since he'd seen the boy, Nezumi wanted to keep something that was just for him. As much as he hated to admit it, there was a very sentimental part of him that refused to let go of the airhead.
But he knew that they were both better off if he kept his distance. Shion had a city to rebuild, people to save, and he was just the sewer rat that had destroyed his life. Whatever they may have had, whatever feelings the boy had deluded himself into thinking he felt for Nezumi, no longer mattered.
Shion was in No. 6, and safely away from him. That's where he was going to stay. And somehow, Nezumi knew he was just fine with that. He was meant to travel the world, be a free spirit. It was in his blood.
And while yes, he was absolutely fine without Shion by his side, he was far from happy.
Nezumi crossed his arms and hunched up his shoulders, wishing that the nights weren't quite so cold.
But as his mind slipped into unconsciousness, he couldn't help the warmth that slipped into his bones from thoughts of Shion.
The night Nezumi left, he knew he would likely die before he saw Shion again. But there was still a part of him that wanted to leave something of himself behind with the boy who'd saved him. So, after making sure the airhead was properly asleep, he penned a letter and left it folded on top of his superfiber cloth, placed a feather-light kiss on his forehead, and slipped out the door.
The sun was just cresting over the ruins of West Block when he heard someone running up behind him. He whirled around, knife in hand, only to slip it back into its hiding place when he saw the idiot's white hair shining in the weak sunlight.
He bent over double, chest heaving from exertion. "You – you didn't even let me say goodbye," he accused in between breaths.
Nezumi stayed silent for a moment before crossing the distance between them. "Look at me," he demanded, pressing two of his fingers beneath Shion's chin.
Tears pooled in his red eyes. This is why I didn't want you to see me off. "Airhead. You should never cry for someone else." Guiding his head up, Nezumi pressed a light miss to Shion's lips. "Besides, this isn't goodbye. Reunion will come, Shion. I swear it."
The words had come without his permission, but when he saw the smile cross Shion's face, he wouldn't have taken them back for all the world.
Sometimes that promise was the only thing that kept Shion going. The apartment he'd bought sometime after the wall fell was old and half-empty, waiting for Nezumi's return almost as much as its owner. Every night that he spent curled up on half of his bed with only the sound of the wind whistling through his open window to keep him company, Shion felt another piece of hope wither away.
Logically, he knew that Nezumi, as dramatic as he tended to be, would wait to return on a day that was special to them. But as birthdays and anniversaries passed, he felt as though Nezumi would never return.
Shion sighed as he unlocked the bottom drawer of his dresser and pulled out the superfiber cloth. It was only on nights when he felt his hope diminishing that he allowed himself to pull out the worn-out cloth so he could sleep surrounded by the fading hints of Nezumi's scent.
As he gathered the cloth, Shion heard the scratching of paper against the bottom of the drawer. He sighed once more, deciding that if he was going to be miserable anyway, he might as well finally read the note Nezumi had left him. If he wasn't coming back, then at least he would have his words to keep him company.
Nezumi woke up in the middle of the night to the screeching of bats beside above him. Groaning, he stretched out his arms and yawned. He hadn't slept nearly long enough, and his mind kept giving him memories of the white-haired boy.
With a slight smile that he would have denied had anyone seen, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a beat up picture. The moon was just bright enough for him to make out a face he hadn't seen in several years, and he'd nearly forgotten what it felt like not to miss him.
Nezumi sighed, his fingers absentmindedly folding and unfolding one of the corners. The picture itself was nothing unusual - just a picture of Shion in a suit for one function or another, but it had been given to him just a few days before he left No. 6.
He pocketed the photo and climbed down the tree. There's wasn't any way he'd be able to get back to sleep. So instead he let his feet guide him to wherever they wished to go.
Shion startled awake as he hit the floor with a jarring thud, both the letter and the superfiber cloth slipping from his fingers. "Ow," he complained, rubbing the forming bump on the back of his head. "Great job, idiot."
He sighed and pushed himself to his feet, picking up the cloth and wrapping it around his neck to ward off the nip in the air. After a moment's consideration, he sighed and picked up the letter as well. He had a feeling he wouldn't be getting much more sleep that night, and at least he would have Nezumi's words to keep him company. He made his way to the kitchen to get some ice, wiping away the salt that his tears had left behind on his face as he went.
Just as he reached for the freezer door handle, he heard a tapping coming from his balcony doors. He was several stories up, and there were no trees on that side of the apartment complex. He waited a moment to see if the sound would repeat, and when it didn't, he turned back to the freezer and grabbed an ice pack, holding it gently to his head. He walked into the living to curl up on the sofa, figuring he might as well be a little comfortable as his head throbbed in pain.
Thunk.
Shion knowing he hadn't imagined it that time, placed Nezumi's letter on a side table, and rushed towards the doors, hardly daring to hope. He threw them open, waiting with bated breath.
Thud.
He stumbled backwards, a hand to his forehead, and fell down, dropping the ice pack on the process.
"Damn it. Shion, are you okay?"
He must have hit his head harder than he thought when he fell off the bed if he was hearing Nezumi's voice throwing up colorful curses.
A head popped up over the edge of the balcony before Nezumi hauled himself over the railing and kneeled in front of him. "Shit. I'm so sorry. For the record, I was supposed to be all smooth and start reciting Romeo and Juliet." he brushed aside his bangs and gently ran his hand over the scrape. "You're bleeding. Come on, I'll fix you up."
Nezumi grabbed his hand and hauled him to his feet before leading him back into the apartment. After sitting him down on a chair in the kitchen, Nezumi headed straight for the bathroom and came back with a first aid kit. Shion, who figured he must have knocked himself out when he fell, didn't bother to question how Nezumi knew his way around so well.
After several moments of stinging pain from an antiseptic wipe, Nezumi blew on the scrape and grinned. "Well, Your Majesty, I don't believe you will be requiring stitches this evening."
Shion smiled back and went to grab the discarded ice pack lying on the floor, choosing to wash it off and put it back in the freezer. Although the bump on his head was still rather painful, having Nezumi there distracted him.
As he stood in front of the freezer, he felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around him and a head drop to his shoulder. "Dance with me," Nezumi murmured, his voice muffled by Shion's shirt.
Sighing, Shion turned and wrapped his arms around Nezumi's neck. "Of course." A gentle smile crossed his face as he began to lead Shion in a simple waltz. The only source of light was the still-open freezer, but neither minded. Shion didn't want to break the peaceful moment between them, not when Nezumi just returned, but there were a million questions running through his mind.
"Nezumi?"
"Hm?
"... Are you staying this time?"
Nezumi didn't respond, but stopped their dancing to raise his hands and cup Shion's face. "Shion, I swear that I will never leave you again. It took me far too long to realize that I needed you, and I don't want to go through the loss of the one real thing I've ever known. I won't do that to myself, and I won't put you through that again."
Shion's eyes filled with tears as a stunningly bright smile crossed his face. "I love you, Nezumi."
He smiled gently at the boy in front of him and pulled him into a tight hug. "Airhead. I love you too."
Shion had never felt happier.
Shion woke up alone in bed, his head throbbing painfully. Tears rolled down his face as he realized that once again, Nezumi's return had merely been a dream.
With a sigh, he stood up, wobbled a bit on his feet (exactly how hard did he hit his head?) and stumbled his way to his closest, where he pulled on a suit for the day. He was tempted to call in to work, but he knew he would just be miserable all alone in his apartment. Maybe he could go visit his mom's bakery…
"Shion, I have breakfast ready. What's taking you so long?"
His hands froze on the tie he'd been attempting to tie as his mind took a moment to process the voice coming from his kitchen. Without another thought, he raced towards the kitchen and threw himself at Nezumi, wrapping his arms around his neck and kissing him with everything he had.
After several moments of this, Nezumi pulled away with a smirk on his face. "Not that I'm complaining, but what's with the greeting? I would've thought you'd had enough for a while after last night."
Shion mumbled something into Nezumi's shirt, refusing to let go for even a moment. He decided he really was going to call in to work. There was no point in wasting away the day behind his desk when he finally had Nezumi back.
"I didn't hear that."
Pulling his face away long enough to say, "I'd thought I'd dreamed everything," Shion quickly snuggled back into the warm hardness of Nezumi's chest.
Nezumi turned off the stove – the eggs were already a little overcooked – and guided Shion to his sofa in the living room. After pulling of his suit jacket, Shion curled up beside him, his head resting on Nezumi's shoulder and his hand in his.
"I told you last night. I won't leave you again, Shion. Four years was too long without you. I'd regretted walking away the moment I turned my back on you. I love you, and I swear that I'll be here no matter what. Even if you get sick of me, I'll still be here."
A tired smile formed on Shion's lips as he curled in closer to Nezumi. "I love you too," he murmured as he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
Nezumi just looked down at him in disbelief. "You just woke up! At least give me a little more time than that." But there was no bite to his words and a smile crossed his face as he leaned down a pressed a gentle kiss to Shion's injured forehead. "Sleep well, my prince."
Looking around for something, anything to read while Shion slept beside him, Nezumi's eyes found a piece of paper lying on the table beside the couch. Figuring it to be a love letter that he could make fun of Shion for or something of that nature, Nezumi reached out and snagged the harmless-looking paper.
And found himself a bit more flushed than he would like to admit.
Shion,
I know that leaving in the middle of the night like this will probably make you cry, but it's better for both of us if I leave without saying anything. We're two different people – I'm a wanderer and you're meant to be stationary. It's just the way things are.
But I do wish things were different.
It isn't often that I let myself think of the future, but I've found myself dwelling on it more often these last few days with you. I'd almost let myself belief that I could be happy in the city that had taken away everything I'd ever known. But you were a part of it, and you wanted me to be a part of it as well – that third option you'd yearned for so desperately. And I so desperately want to make you happy.
But I destroy everything I touch. I don't think you've realized that yet, or you're too stupidly naïve to believe that anyone can bring such misery with them. I don't want to taint you, and I don't want my influence to change you more than it already has.
I know that we had some unspoken agreement not to talk about what happened in the Correctional Facility, but I still think it needs to be said. You killed for me, Shion. And I know from experience what that does to a person. I can't be responsible for that happening again. I can't destroy you any more than I already have.
These last few days with you were like a dream. A beautiful, wonderful dream that was such a change from the nightmares that plague me. For the first time, I let myself believe in a future where you and I were happy, a future where my past was nothing but a vague memory. I was truly happy being by your side.
And that terrifies me.
I'm sorry that I'm not your typical boy-next-door, the one you grew up with and relied on. The one who didn't wake up every night drenched in sweat because he was dreaming of the fire that destroyed his village. The one who could love you wholeheartedly.
I'm sorry that I couldn't save Safu. If it was possible, I would have, if for no other reason than it would make you happy. And I lied, back when I said I had planned it all from the beginning. I think you knew that, behind all that anger, and you needed someone to hate at that moment. But if saving her meant sacrificing you, know that I would never have chosen the girl.
And I'm sorry that I love you, Shion. I'm too broken inside to be able to love you the way you deserve, but there's a light inside of you that I'm drawn to, even as I curse myself for wanting you. I am truly sorry for that. More so than I could ever relay to you in words.
I doubt that I'll ever be whole enough to come back to you. No. 6 destroyed everything, and nearly took you away from me as well. I can't ever forget that. But, if there comes a time when my past stops haunting me, I swear I'll come back to you. Because, no matter what else, you are the only one I have ever and will ever love.
Your most loyal servant,
Nezumi
Nezumi ran his fingertips over tearstains both old and new after he finished reading the letter he'd left Shion so many years before. It had taken time, and he wasn't quite sure when it'd happened, but he'd done what he'd thought impossible – he'd finally allowed Shion to be more important to him than anything that had happened in his past. He wasn't quite whole, but he'd finally realized that the only way he could fix himself was to be by Shion's side. For he was the part of him that had been missing for so long.
He leaned over and placed a light kiss on Shion's forehead.
"I'm home."