(Giriko/Justin) If there was something there... it's there now.

Justin's gloved hand touched the large doors. He slowly pushed it open, his black sleeve brushing the highly decorated designs and paints.

The air shifted and snow swept by his black dress shoes.

He slowly closed the door behind him and started for the cross that was illuminated at the end of the aisle. He wasn't here for a business visit.

Justin knelt once and crossed himself before he slid onto the pew. As he settled down, he took his music out. He listened to the silence and felt it vibrate with a stillness he couldn't get anywhere else. He closed his eyes and breathed deep, his chest expanding to an uncomfortable fullness before the breath hissed out between his teeth.

He didn't know it, but Giriko was standing beside the doors.

Giriko had come to see this church in the finally abandoned city. He hadn't felt the calm in here before, but this church had given him a clamness that he'd never felt before.

Right now, though, his eyes were on the back of Justin's head, watching the sheen on his golden locks, listening to his steady breathing.

Giriko closed his eyes and took a deep breath himself. Quietly, he followed Justin's lead, but at the pew behind Justin. After he was settled, he put his foot on the back of Justin's pew and waited.

Justin was praying, Giriko could hear that. He was praying for something.

Giriko leaned forward, quietly.

"I pray he'll find his happiness, my Lord. I want to be sure he is quite well before I can move on. That's all I ask. Let him find that place that accepts him and doesn't turn away as others do." Justin suddenly touched his face, over his mouth. A tear slid down the side of his face Giriko could see. "Please, do his soul some justice. Let him be free of those chains and be freed."

Giriko reached over, he couldn't help it! He used his thumb and took the tear off Justin's chin, being careful not to touch his skin.

Justin gasped and turned. At first, he looked appalled, but then his eyes widened and he covered his mouth with both hands.

Giriko couldn't help himself! He had to!

His hand shot out and around Justin's shoulders, tangling into those blond locks. His left hand, which was free, reached over and gently rubbed the tears away. "What're you cryin' for?"

Justin's eyes became full of sorrow and he began to cry. He lifted his hands just enough to say; "How much did you hear?"

Slowly, he took one of Justin's ear buds and put it in the designated ear before he took the other one and put it in Justin's other ear. "Calm down." He slowly let go of Justin, making sure that the younger boy was able to sit upright. "I'm not here for a show."

Justin looked away. "But you are here. Why." He pulled the ear buds out again. He used his sleeve to start rubbing the tears off.

"I was here first!" Giriko yelled. He had stood up and his right hand had slammed down on the back of the pew and the other hand gripped the top of Justin's head. "I was all calm and stuff! Then you came thundering through town! I was content with having this place to myself! Why'd you come here?"

Justin's eyes widened and he slowly turned his head. Giriko's hand messed up his hair as he turned his head to Giriko. For the first time, his eyes were full of emotion that he'd never shown Giriko before. This time, only one tear escaped, but the look in his eyes was full of happiness. He suddenly started crying with a smile on his face. "I came here because I wanted to see this church for myself."

Giriko sat back down and leaned on the back of Justin's pew. He sighed and ran a hand over Justin's shoulder. "Stop crying." He looked away when he said that.

Justin suddenly laughed.

A chill ran down Giriko's neck.

Turning, he listened to that whimsical sound.

Justin's laugh echoed through the church. It sounded more like a child's laugh, but there was a soft crystal "ching" to it. It sounded like the laugh had reverberated through a crystal container before exploding outwards. But there was something so human about it.

Giriko's left hand slowly moved back up Justin's shoulder to his neck. His hand felt that smooth skin and then to the cheek. The chill continued when Justin's laugh came from the tickling sensation he seemed to have gotten from being touched on his neck.

Justin suddenly grabbed Giriko's hand when it had touched his cheek. The smile was gone, but he did hold onto Giriko's hand. It wasn't a firm grip, it was more like he'd been startled by something. Justin turned and smiled at Giriko. "I have to be going."

Giriko nodded and rose to his feet with the Shibusen associate. "I'll see you again."

Justin nodded. He picked up his gloves and slid them over those smooth hands. Justin's blue eyes met Giriko's soft, almost hazel-brown eyes. "I wonder if you would always have been like this."

"Like what?"

Justin shook his head. "Never mind. I'll see you soon." Justin turned away and Giriko saw it, for a moment. Justin had tears on the brim of falling.

Giriko's hand shot out and he grabbed Justin's elbow. He couldn't stop it, he wanted to make Justin stop crying. But what he was about to do was going to make the tears worse, probably. But he wanted to try. Maybe it would stop the pain in Giriko's heart when Justin cried like that.

He pulled Justin towards him.

"Wha-?"

His right arm wrapped around that thin waist and pulled that black-and-white-clad boy towards him. Giriko used his left hand and touched Justin's face. At first, just with his fingertips, and then his palm rested against the hollow of his cheek. Slowly, his softened eyes met Justin's curious and shocked ones.

The cold air let his breath mist out. He brought Justin closer.

Justin suddenly realized what was happening, but a moment too late.

Giriko's lips touched his own. The smooth, softness of Justin's lips gave Giriko a reason to close his eyes. The smooth feeling against his rough, chapped lips felt good. But at the same time, he was trying to not imagine the age gap between them or which side of the battlefield they were on or what they were doing right now could compromise what they were really trying to do.

Justin's shocked eyes traced the lines of Giriko's face before he gently kissed back, enjoying the roughness of the texture. He wound his arms around Giriko's neck. His left hand traced down Giriko's back while his right gently held the back of Giriko's head.

This was their moment.

Finally, they had to come up for air and Justin's knees buckled and he pulled his arms back in, putting some space between his chest and Giriko's.

Giriko's grip held when Justin buckled and he laughed. "You're so inexperienced!"

"Sh-shut up!" Justin knocked him on the head. "I-I..." Justin's face was flushed and he smiled at Giriko. The smile and the redness of his cheeks made him realize he wasn't even sure what had just happened, but that he truly enjoyed that. "Thank you."

Giriko smiled and kissed his forehead. "Sure. Just one thing."

"Don't mention it, right?" Justin gave off that strange laugh again before he curled into Giriko's warmth. He stared at Giriko's chest, where the heart of a human would beat, but where he knew an engine revved. He put his hand there and then smiled again. "Let's just keep it between us."

Giriko leaned his head down and his hot breath whispered; "Meet me here next time." He stood up straight and slowly let go of Justin. He took a step back before he bolted.

Justin felt the wind kick up and looked out into the white-washed city as his jacket swung about his legs.

He touched his chest, holding the cross to his body and he smiled like a little girl. Justin walked out the door. He stopped and looked back at the cross.

'Thank you, my Lord. He smiled.'