Disclaimer: Not mine

Notes: Post series, spoilers apply. This is supposed to take place in the Changed Tomorrow verse, but I think this works as a stand alone also.

--

Whether Sion liked it or not, this was his home again.

He had moved into the one-bedroom (which had subsequently been turned into an office) apartment two days after first escaping from the lab, paying rent and other expenses with lab funds that had conveniently disappeared along with him. And as wonderful as it was just knowing that he was finally free, that his room didn't have windows big enough for men in white coats to peer at him anymore… there was also the terror in knowing that he could go back to all that if he wasn't very, very careful. Inbetween all that, he'd never really had the time to start thinking of his apartment as his home.

I suppose I have all the time in the world now. Sion hung up his jacket as the door swished shut behind him. He had honestly thought he'd have no apartment to go back to after returning to 3000 (what with not paying rent for a little over a year), but after filling out a few forms, it was his again. Let it never be said that accepting a promotion at the Time Bureau didn't have it benefits.

Sion gave the white jacket a wary glance as he booted up his computer. Even if he was staying to try and turn the Bureau back into what it was created to be… it wasn't going to be easy, for obvious reasons. That reason being that he still hadn't officially told his friends that he was still working with the organization that had tried to wipe their memories.

The only one who knew so far was Domon (he'd come to pick him up, and heard someone call him 'Lieutenant Sion'). It had taken the entire shuttle ride back to Domon's house… but Sion had finally gotten him to understand. He doubted that most people would count sighing heavily and grumbling, "I get what you're saying, but the second I smell something shady I'm dragging your ass away from there" as understanding, but at that point Sion was willing to go with that.

So here he was, one year later, back home… even if he didn't really think of that as that. Probably because his home-- his real home-- had been so much crowded than where he lived now, and there'd been a lot more noise. Tatsuya would laugh at something Domon had said, and then Ayase would join in with a pointed comment at poor Domon's expense…

Sion forced himself to focus on his work. Once thing he'd learned in 2000 was that he could make anyplace his home. If he'd done it there, he could do it here.

He just didn't now how.

The door chime brought him out of his thoughts. "I'll be right there!" It was probably someone from the Bureau with some forms that needed his approval before the next day-- it was amazing how much paperwork was involved in time travel. Sion punched in the code to open the door…

And Yuuri was there.

"Yuuri-san." Sion was frozen as he took in the sight of her, not sure what to do. They'd only been back for a couple of days now, she should still be with her family, not--

"I couldn't go back," she said hollowly.

Suddenly, he understood everything. "…Come inside. I'll have dinner ready in a bit." To his surprise, she did.

"I was just going to re-heat what I had last night," he said as she took a seat, his voice a little higher than usual. "But if you want, we could order out or I could go to the grocery store or--"

"Leftovers are fine." She sat up a little as she spoke. "If anything, I should be apologizing to you for bothering you at this hour."

"Yuuri-san, you're always welcome here." He poured the tea as quickly as he could without spilling it. "Would you like some?" She nodded and took the glass he had offered her. He was silent as he watched her take a sip. In situations like this, he had always let Tatsuya (who despite being from a different century, always seemed to know what each of them was thinking) talk to her… but Tatsuya wasn't here anymore, so he would have to do.

"Um, Yuuri-san… obviously you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, but if you do, I'm more than willing to listen--"

"I tried going back. I even made it to the front yard." Yuuri stared at her tea. "But then I started thinking."

"About what?"

"The day when it happened." She didn't go any further than that… but she didn't need. Sion knew exactly what she was talking about. "And how I still see them lying there when I close my eyes… even if they aren't dead anymore."

"Yuuri-san…"

"It's funny in a twisted sort of way: now that they're back, I feel more alone than ever." Yuuri finished her tea in a final, bitter gulp. "And I guess that I thought… that out of all of us, you would understand how that felt. Although your case is admittedly much more extreme."

It probably wasn't the most appropriate time, but Sion couldn't help but smile at that. "That's true. I guess our situations are pretty similar right now." He took her cup of tea to rinse it out… and then it hit him.

"Come live with me."

"Sion, I can't impose on you like that."

"But you wouldn't be imposing! You'd be adjusting. And I want you to stay with me. Yuuri-san, I love you--"

She blinked at him. "Excuse me?"

"A-and so does Ayase-san, and Domon-san… and Tatsuya-san." He left the glass in the sink as he made his way back to her. "I understand why you feel alone… but I know that the last thing you need right now is to be alone." He had to stop for a second to catch his breath. "Yuuri-san, please."

"… Okay. But only for a little while." She leaned back in the chair.

"Right. Only for a little while." Sion couldn't stop grinning as he went back tot the kitchen. "So are you ready to eat?"

"Sure. I'll bet you are too, after a long day at the Time Bureau."

"How did you--"

"I decided to check on the current state of the Bureau today at work." She gave him something almost like a smile. "The fact that you're still in your uniform is a bit of a clue also."

"Oh. That makes sense." He smiled again as Yuuri entered the kitchen and helped him make dinner, asking him about work. It was nice to be home again.