A/N: I think we all need a wish every now and again, even if it never comes true.

Teito&Mikage

Wish

One-Shot

The day had been long and grueling. There was so much work to be done in preparation for an upcoming festival. Booths had to be made, floors had to be washed, monuments had to be dust and smudge-free. The gardens needed extra tending and the canal needed to have a thorough cleaning.

Teito had volunteered for that chore. Seeing that he wasn't all that smart with a hammer or plants, and he really didn't want to be on his hands and knees as he cleaned the floors that were constantly being stepped on. And, lastly, he was too short to reach the high places of the monuments. The rest of the chores were either too simple or too difficult. But cleaning the canal was just the thing for him, especially since Razette was more than willing to share a scale so he could breathe underwater and he found her company better than the ever pompous (though he means well) Hakuren, and also the perverted bishop that would never go a second without cracking a joke or two.

Being in that water, isolated from the world above, felt like a dream. He would swim the depths of the canal and explore all its hidden tunnels with the eye fish. He would race with Razette through the labyrinth of pillar supports; he could never beat her though. He guessed it was because of his lack of tailfin.

So still dripping wet, Teito "finished" his day's work just as the sun was beginning to set over the horizon. It burned a deep orange, with a faded red trailing behind it before it dissolved into soft lavender then finally dark. He sat himself on a stone bench just near the outskirts of the church grounds, watching the sun disappear.

It was times like these, he thought, that were always the loneliest.

He purposefully isolated himself, Teito knew that, but he just couldn't help it. Though everyone believed he had moved on from the death of his friend, a sharp pain still inflicted his chest whenever he thought of all the things Mikage had done for him.

His friendship was something that could never be duplicated. And that just made the loneliness even bitter. He no longer had that friend he could share his secrets with. He no longer had that friend that would know how he felt without bothering to ask. Mikage was a Teito expert, the cafeteria lady at the Academy had once said, joking of course. But Teito thought it true. No matter what the blond did, Teito could never stay mad at him for long. And Mikage knew this. He knew it but never took advantage of it.

They could sleep in the same bed together and neither thought it "strange" or "wrong". They just enjoyed each others company. They could sit together, hours on end, doing absolutely nothing and never get bored. Teito always loved hearing about Mikage's family and looked forward to the time when Mikage had promised to invite him to a family dinner so he could meet everyone. The blond would even joke that Teito just might fall in love with his little sister, if he did, then they would be brothers.

Then there was the vow that they would stand by each other no matter what. One would not abandon the other, not even if death was trying to separate them. But Mikage had broken that vow. Broken it just to save Teito's life.

"It's not fair…" Teito brought his legs up to his chest and hugged them tightly, his throat burning with unshed emotions.

Life was never fair, he was told repeatedly by many different people. But did that mean he could never be happy? When his life was finally beginning to seem promising: he was a top student at the Academy, Chairman Miroku personally ensuring his education, and with a friend like Mikage, it made his troubled past something irrelevant. So what if he used to be a slave? As long as the present was pleasant, it didn't matter.

But someone, somewhere, decided that he was not meant to have that.

Not meant to be a military soldier, not meant to have a friend.

No longer able to hold back the tears, Teito looked up to the darkened sky. Twinkling lights flickered off and on, blurring slightly by the accumulated tears around Teito's eyes. With a sniff, he ran his fist across his eyes, forcing himself to take a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. He turned back to the sky

It just wasn't fair.

Mikage was innocent. If only the stupid brute had told Ayanami where Teito was, then it wouldn't have mattered. Mikage had a family, Teito didn't. There were people that were mourning him still, but if it was Teito, there would be no one. Everyone would go along their happy little lives, none-the-wiser.

Teito narrowed his eyes, trying to force himself to keep from crying. He couldn't. He just couldn't anymore. He didn't want to cry for Mikage forever but if he didn't stop now, he knew he never would.

Through his blurred vision, Teito watched a twinkling light fly ever slowly across the dark sky. He forced his eyes shut and clamped his hands together as if ready to pray, his head bowed. He concentrated with all his might, with everything he had.

"Please, Mikage, wherever you are, please tell me you're still here… please tell me you're somewhere here…"

Everything remained silent, the frogs in chorus with the crickets were the only things sounding. Teito choked back a cry as he concentrated harder.

"Mikage…please, please, show me that you still care about me. That it wasn't my fault what Ayanami did to you. I want your forgiveness, please…"

Something warm and soft wrapped around Teito, causing him to shudder at how cold he truly felt. He wrapped his arms tightly around himself and looked to his shoulder to find a blanket over him. He trailed his sight upward and caught sight of Frau looking up at the sky.

The blond bishop pointed a gloved hand upward. "Airship."

Raising an eyebrow, Teito turned his sights upward as well and saw that the star he was praying to was nothing more than an airship, blinking red and blue now that he could see clearly. He blushed slightly at that fact and took hold of the blanket, drawing it closer around himself.

"Kid, you're going to get a cold if you stay out here in your wet clothes. Besides, we're having Wink Farms for dinner today. I know how much you looove those."

Teito looked over his shoulder and half-heartedly glared at the bishop. Frau just chuckled.

"Oh," the blond reached behind himself, gave a small grunt and presented Teito with a pink fluffy dragon that still had part of Frau's robe in his mouth. "This guy kept bothering me; I think he was looking for you."

The corners of Teito's lips pulled upward slightly as he watched the fyulong open his mouth and give a long yawn, dropping the ripped fabric of Frau's robe. Teito turned around and caught the pink dragon as Frau dropped him into his open hands.

"Well, you going to come eat or what?"

With a sigh, Teito forced himself to stand and followed after the blond bishop, keeping the fyulong close to his chest. The small creature attempted to purr, which caused Teito to laugh quietly. A bit put out at his owner's reaction, the dragon squirmed out of Teito's hold and perched himself on his shoulder, licking his cheek and cleaning away his tears.

"Mikage, stop it," he laughed, trying to be as quiet as possible. "Your breath smells!"

The dragon stuck out its tongue as Teito took it around the middle and held him just within the brunet's sight. Teito laughed quietly once more before he cradled the dragon on his shoulder, which Mikage promptly moved to nuzzle the brunet's neck with a very wet and cold nose.

Frau looked over his shoulder and smirked as he turned away, placing his hands behind his head.

"One of these days we need to get out of here and have some real meat. The snails aren't cutting it."

A/N: Ew. I used the word "harder" inappropriately. Forgive me. Either way, isn't this story cuuuuuuuuute? :D You know it is. My respect for Mikage will never falter! He was the whole reason Teito didn't turn out to be some heartless military weapon. –hearts hearts–