Eiji knew that Shingo knew. Shingo himself had even said that he was watching Ankh all this time. It made him ridiculously nervous around Shingo. The detective wasn't Ankh. It was slightly embarrassing. He wanted to distance himself from Shingo as much as possible to avoid feeling like that. The way that the detective looked at him only added to his discomfort. Eiji found himself thinking more and more about the embarrassing moments he had with Ankh. When he had shown his weakness and Ankh had put his arm around him. When they had accidentally, or maybe purposefully, kissed. When Ankh sat on top of him and looked at him. The time he expressed his real feelings to Ankh. Eiji shook his head, feeling upset thinking about it. Despite knowing about all of these things, Shingo still wanted to help him, and Eiji could barely understand why.

Eiji couldn't let him try to help. He couldn't do that to the detective, or to Hina. It was better if it was only him in harm's way.

"Are you leaving?" a voice- Ankh's! Eiji turned around, his smile faltering. It was the detective. Of course it was. Eiji looked around, he didn't know how to answer the question.

"I know that you don't know me, but I think I know you well enough to understand that you're leaving," the detective said quietly.

"Sorry," Eiji managed a smile for him. Shingo shook his head.

"Hina wants to repay you for helping. She loves you," Shingo said. Eiji's lips quivered. He had always been completely clueless in love. He hadn't realized.

"Sorry," Eiji shook his head.

"I know how much you worked for me," the detective said softly.

"You should go back with Hina," Eiji smiled at him. Shingo shook his head.

"I know that you want Ankh back," Shingo said. Eiji didn't know what to do. He was really feeling cornered by the detective. He supposed that's what detectives did. Shingo took a step towards him.

"I understand all of Ankh's feelings," Shingo said. The expression on his face should have been enough for Eiji to understand, but Eiji didn't want to know. He ignored it.

"You and Ankh are not the same person," Eiji shook his head.

"I know that I'm not Ankh! I just... I've been watching you all of this time, everything! I've... me too, I love you too. On my own," Shingo was slightly hesitant confessing it, "As Shingo."

"Detective..." Eiji breathed. Ankh was the one he had worked with all this time, it wasn't Shingo. However, underneath Ankh, Shingo had been consciously thinking as well. Could they have influenced each other, even by something so small as sharing experiences? Eiji blinked. He knew that the experiences that Ankh had were not small. Even the small ones, maybe Shingo also thought he enjoyed popsicles.

"It's the same body," Shingo pointed out suddenly. Eiji looked over at him, his train of thought ruined.

"What?"

"You don't have to think of it as someone else, it's the same body."

"But Ankh... I'm sorry about it. I wasn't thinking that you would experience it too," Eiji felt embarrassed again. The physical contact he shared with Ankh could be counted on less than a single hand, it wasn't anything near scandalous, but it was more than enough to make Eiji blush at it.

"I didn't mind," the detective replied. Eiji looked away, feeling almost dizzy.

"What is it you like about Ankh, anyway?" Shingo asked. Eiji knew better than to answer that question. Shingo couldn't replace Ankh for him. He shouldn't let Shingo try to, right? Wouldn't it be betraying Ankh? Wouldn't it also be betraying Hina?

"It's the spot Ankh fills in my life, you won't be able to copy it," Eiji shook his head. Shingo seemed to understand that Eiji was right. He watched Eiji be nervous for a few moments more.

"Everything you ever said to him, I watched it. Like you were saying it to me," Shingo said, "I know all of your feelings, all of your worries and sadness. I care about you too, I've just never been able to convey it. You don't want to give me a chance because you're upset that Ankh is gone now."

"I'm going to get him back," Eiji replied with conviction.

"What if you don't? Are you going to live in loneliness forever?" Shingo asked quickly, having anticipated Eiji's reaction well. Eiji looked down, suddenly feeling terrible. Shingo's presence was only making the loss of his friend hurt more. It was likely he wouldn't be able to get Ankh back in time. He was going to be lost forever. It was a lot of pressure, on top of the grief he already felt. Eiji slowly crouched down, physically overtaken by his emotions.

"Eiji?" Shingo seemed surprised. Eiji almost laughed at him. Shingo didn't understand him like Ankh did, after all. Shingo rushed to him. Eiji closed his eyes. Shingo even smelled the same as Ankh did. Eiji reached out to him, only from desperation. It would be easy to pretend that the detective was his Greeed lover. Eiji felt a tear fall as Shingo hugged him tightly. It was different from the way Ankh had held him before.

"You're not Ankh, but you can still be my friend."