Disclaimer: Not mine

Notes: Post series, spoilers apply

The three of them had visited him so often since he had first arrived at the hospital, Ayase could now recognize them by their footfalls. Yuuri's were quick, direct. He could hear Domon thudding around well before he reached the door. The footfalls Ayase heard now didn't belong to either of them. They were light and soft, with more than a little shuffling outside the door before the door chimed.

"It's open, Sion."

"Good morning, Ayase-san!" Sion was smiling as the door swished shut behind him. Then the smile fell a little as he took a seat next to his bed. "Are you still feeling--"

"Terrible." One of the more unpleasant side affects of the medicine was that it had sapped virtually all of his strength-- but he supposed it was better than the alternative. He smiled back at Sion. "But less terrible than yesterday." Somehow, he managed to reach out and pat his young friend's arm. "I'm cured now. I'm going to get better, I promise."

Sion stared at his bag. "I know," he murmured, nodding. Then he brightened up as he looked at Ayase again. "I got you something!"

Ayase tried to ignore the desk next to him brimming over with flowers, food, and letters. "Oh, thank you. Can I see it?"

Purple bangs (he must've dyed it while Ayase was still too weak to notice things like that) fell in Sion's face as he rummaged in his bag. "I spent all morning working on it. I hope you like it," he said as he handed Ayase the data padd. "Do you need any help--"

"I'm up to reading," Ayase assured him as he turned on the padd…

It contained everything about racing during 3000. Literally everything. Stats, vids, predictions, who'd signed up for which team--

"Since you'll probably go back to pro-racing, I thought you'd…" Sion trailed off when he realized Ayase was being unusually quiet. "Except you're not, are you?"

When Sion looked at him that way, it was hard to not feel guilty. Ayase cleared his throat. "Now, Sion, I didn't say that--"

"You might as well." Sion pushed his vividly colored hair out of his eyes. "I'm sorry, Ayase-san. I just..."

"You wanted to make me feel like I have something to look forward to. I know." Ayase stared at the ceiling. "But after spending so much time thinking I knew my fate, I suppose I'm feeling somewhat… disorientated."

"I know the feeling." Sion had said it so quietly Ayase was certain that he wasn't supposed to have heard that.

And that wasn't right, Ayase realized as it finally hit him. Sion was in the same situation he was. In 3000, he'd been an escapee lab rat. But in 2000, he'd fought crime and made friends and managed to make himself a home-- an identity. But now they were back in 3000… and Sion wasn't sure how much of what he'd worked to build for himself in that past would last here.

He had to do something.

"Well," Ayase said slowly as he tried to prop himself up, "Despite that, I was still planning on seeing a race once I got out." He looked at Sion. "Would you like to come with me?"

When Sion's face burst into a grin, Ayase felt himself grinning back. Yes, they were disorientated. Yes, they didn't know what was going to happen to them next.

But together, they'd be ready for anything.