No.6

Nezumi's Return

Rain poured down on West Block, just like when they had first met, it had been a typhoon in No.6. But now No.6 was no more, the people lived in the crumbling city or in West Block, it was each individuals choice. Shion stood outside in the storm, his white hair whipping around his face, his cardigan flapping in the wind, his head turned up eyes closed, arms spread wide in the wind.. And he screamed. It was lost in the winds of the storm, no one heard it, but Shion kept on screaming until he ran out of breath, his throat going sore. He was soaked, but he didn't shiver in the cold rain and winds, he stood his ground. Shion loved this weather, it always reminded him of... of Nezumi.

Ever since Nezumi had left him, Shion had cried to sleep, he hardly ate, and he never visited Inukashi, his mother, no one. It got worse when there was a storm, he would go out from the moment it started to the moment it stopped, he would cry, his tears mixed with the piercing rain. Shion had broke so much to the point he couldn't be happy unless Nezumi came back, and everyone, even Shion knew that would never happen. Shion was all alone in the world, his heart torn in two, his happiness drained away, depression surfacing.

So Shion stood out in the blistering storm, shivering but not feeling cold, tears streaming down his face, making another red streak that matched his red tattoo from that day Nezumi had saved him from the parasitic wasp. Standing there in that rainstorm Shion fell to his knees, sobbing his heart out. It was the pain you get when the person you love the most, the person who makes you happiest leaves. Shion sobbed, realizing he couldn't keep going like that, so sad all the time, he couldn't bear it any longer.

Shion slowly stood and walked towards what was his and Nezumi's home back when everything had been fine. But mid stride he stopped, feeling the cold silver of his switchblade against his waist. He turned directions and slowly walked, slowly stumbled towards Inukashi's. After a long while of walking through the freezing rain, Shion reached Inukashi's place, the lights were still on which was a good sign. Inukashi never had been much of a sleeper, especially since the correctional facility. His mother had moved in with Inukashi to be closer to Shion, also because she didn't want to be alone or live in what was No.6.

Shion slowly opened the door and stepped inside the warm stone house. He slowly made his way the the winding staircase that led to the second floor of their house. He heard laughing above and assumed they were talking about old times. He stopped before going onto the second floor, trying to collect what was left of himself. He took one final breath and took the last steps onto the second floor landing, from there he trudged to the door at the far end of the hall. Once there he slowly lifted his hand to open the door. Slowly his hand closed over the knob and he pushed down, the door creaking open.

Everyone Shion had known so well was there. Inukashi and Karan sat on the sofa against one wall, Rikiga sat in the other sofa against the other wall, tea was sitting in cups on the wooden table between them. At once, as if on cue, all three of them looked up at the soaking Shion. Karan was the first to stand, rushing to take her son's hand, leading him to the couch, sitting him next to Rikiga. Everyone was in shock, Shion never left his own place unless there was a storm, none of them had seen or heard from him since Nezumi had disappeared and that was nearly two years ago. Inukashi was the first to speak to him.

"Shion... what's happened to you, your soaked." She didn't say it as a question, she already knew the answer. "My Shion, you've been gone for so long, look at you..." Karan couldn't even finish, she was happy he was there, but sad he wouldn't talk, wouldn't look at them.

Rikiga spoke up, "You'll be alright, son. Have some tea..."

Shion slowly lifted his white head, his face as pale as his hair, except for his red tattoo. He looked at each one of them in turn, all of them looked away when they saw the sadness in his red eyes, but Shion didn't look down or away. He slowly stood and went by the door. His eyes were bottomless pits of nothingness.

"Karan, Inukashi, Rikiga, I'm sorry for myself. I've caused you all so much worry, so much pain and sadness. So I'm going to go to Nezumi. I'm going to disappear and be with him in the after life. I love you, and thank you all."

Shion took his switchblade from beneath his shirt and flipped it open. Everyone gasped, no one dare stop him, they knew he was serious. He put the knife close to his throat, and it fell from his shaking, cold hands. A rat. There was a rat standing by the knife.

Shion plucked up the knife and ran to follow the rat as it darted out of the room and down the stairs, Karan, Inukashi, and Rikiga shouting after him. The rat darted from the house and into the storm, Shion could barely see it as rain fell down in sheets, but none the less he ran after the rat. 'Nezumi! Nezumi where are you!' Shion thought as he ran through the storm after a black rat. He soon realized where that rat was taking him and he ran faster. The old and abandoned park Nezumi had shown him, it was their place.

Out of breath, Shion stopped at the entrance to the park, he made it. But the little black rat was no where in sight. Shion fell to his knees in the park and he screamed the loudest he ever had, and he finally broke, what was left of him slipped away in a quick instant. He flipped open his knife again, accepting defeat. It wasn't real, he had been kidding himself. He put the knife to his throat and gently pressed down, he felt the skin break, the warmth of blood flowing down his neck, staining his white shirt.

"Nezumi!" Shion tried to shout. "I give up! You aren't here, you're gone..." It was too hard for Shion to keep talking, the blood was oozing from the wound. Shion lifted the knife once more and put it to the left of his neck, ready to drag it across his skin, when he heard something.

"'The course of true love never did run smooth.'"

Time slowed to a stop, the knife dropped and clunked against the wet stone, everything zeroed out, sounds faded, nothing was real. Shion looked up at the person standing in the storm before him, the only thing he could see. Nezumi. Nezumi stood in the pouring rain, water rolling off his leather jacket, his hands by his side, his hair had grown a lot and it wasn't put up so it lashed around his face, the gray of his eyes stared into Shion's red ones. Nezumi was the only thing that mattered, the only thing.

Shion was trembling and he felt the cold of the rain on his body, he was freezing, he could feel the blood on his skin, the tears sliding down his face. Nezumi. Nezumi was standing in front of Shion, not affected by the raging storm surrounding them. Nezumi walked closer and stretched out his hand to Shion, slowly and shakily Shion took it and was hoisted up from the cold, wet ground. Nezumi put his strong arms around a shaking Shion. Blood smeared against Nezumi's exposed green shirt, but he didn't care. The only thing that mattered to Nezumi was Shion. Only Shion mattered.

"'When he shall die take him and cut him out in little stars, and he will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun.' But if you were to die, I would not be able to love you with a long stronger than all." Nezumi's voice was soft and smooth, the sound calmed Shion's own stormy mind.

Shion tried to lift his head to look into those moonlight gray eyes, but it hurt his neck too much, sending a new rush of blood down his neck. Nezumi unwound his arms from Shion's and picked him up bridal style, carrying him through the storm, back to the house, to their home. Shion tried to keep his eyes open, but he couldn't. He was so very tired, so worn out. He passed out in Nezumi's strong and solid arms.

The next thing Shion knew he was lying on the bed in his home, his neck felt stiff and sore, it was bandaged. He tried to sit up, but couldn't, he was too worn out. He looked around the room, trying to find him. He was no where, then Shion felt the warmth besides him. He slowly turned his head and saw a patch of gray hair and a pale face. Nezumi. Nezumi was sleeping besides Shion. Shion lifted a hand to Nezumi's face, caressing his cheek, taking in his warmth. Nezumi stirred in his sleep and opened his stormy eyes, peering up at Shion. Nezumi sat up and looked down at Shion, his white hair and red snake tattoo, into his red and puffy eyes. His Shion was alive. Nezumi's eyes crinkled in a smile, he was back and Shion was alright. Shion smiled back at his Nezumi, oh how he had missed him.

Nezumi leaned over Shion, pressing his body against Shion's. He leaned his face down and whispered three words into Shion's ear. "I love you," Nezumi whispered.

Shion lay next to Nezumi and they hugged, getting as close as possible to the other. Soon enough they were a tangle of limbs under the blanket, they were as close to each other as possible. Nezumi cupped Shion's pale face in his hands and put his lips to Shion's. They stayed like that, limbs tangled, lips on lips for the longest time. They didn't care about anything else, only each other and the others heartbeat pressed against their own. Nothing mattered anymore. Nezumi was back, and Shion was alive. They stayed together like that, whispering sweet words and sharing kisses, they wouldn't ever leave.

Nezumi had returned to Shion just in time to save his life, and he always would, because that's how much Nezumi loved Shion. Because Shion loved Nezumi so much he would rather die than not have Nezumi.

End