~*Sips*~

I watch Sjin working, and where normally he`d be smiling and talking to me, now he just sits there, watching the dirt fly by. I can`t stand to see him so forlorn-looking. "Hey, Sjin?" I ask, a worried smile on my face.

He mumbles in response, but doesn`t turn to look at me.

"Sjin." I say again, walking over to him, and hesitantly placing a hand on his shoulder.

Sjin tenses up at my touch, and he inhales quickly.

I slowly pat his shoulder, then rub it a couple times, before awkwardly moving my hand and standing there uncomfortably.

Sjin turns to look at me, and he looks confused. "What do you want, Sips?" He asks softly, not aggressively, but more like he just doesn`t understand.

"I-I just... you looked so... lost? I don`t like you looking so sad." I stumble.

"Sips, don`t worry about me. I`ll be fine." Sjin mutters.

"No, Sjin. I`m not going to stop worrying about you. You`re my friend, my best friend, even. I know that what happened with Nilesy really-"

"Don`t you f**king talk about him!" Sjin yells.

Startled, I jump, and put my hands up defensively in front of me.

"Oh, shit. I`m sorry, Sips. I-I didn`t mean to." Sjin apologizes.

"It`s fine, Sjin. I-I`ll leave you alone." I tell him quickly, backing out of the dirt production facility and, slightly embarrassed, quickly walk back to the house.

~*Sjin*~

'Ah, crap.' I think. 'I`ll need to amend this. But how?'

I look around me, thinking, then it hits me, and with a smile, I go about setting my plan into action.

LINEBREAK OF EPICNESS!

I enter the house, and hear rustlings from upstairs. I walk slowly up the stairs, and see Sips laying on his back in his bed, just staring up at the ceiling.

"Hello, Mr. Underscore." I say quietly, hiding my gift to him behind my back.

Sips looks over at me. "Yes, Sjin?" He sighs.

"I have something for you, Sips." I say, a smile on my face.

Sips glares at me. "Sjin, I`m flattered, but don`t you think it`s a bit soon?"

I stop. "Really, Sips? Really?" I ask him.

Sips shrugs. "Okay, so if it's not that, what is it?"

"It`s a..." I whip the gift out from behind my back. "Golden crown!"

Sips chuckles, then takes it from my hands, and plops it onto his head. "How do I look Sjin? Sexy?"

I laugh. "Yes, Sips. You are totally sexy in that." I joke.

"You bet your ass I am." He jokes back, grinning.

Right then, I thought about Nilesy`s smile, and it reminded me of that something he had slipped into my pocket on the night he... died. That was only two weeks ago, but I had been so deep in my depression that I hadn`t even remembered it was in there.

I reach into my pocket, and pull it out. It feels like a stone of some sort, and when i look down at it, I see that it is a chunk of obsidian. It has diamond lettering on it, and when I read it, I feel my heart break all over again, or is that the pain of healing; of moving on?

I stare at the words, and read them over and over: "I hope you can forgive me. I love you."