This is it. This is truly the end. Youji could feel his body is on fire and his skin felt like it was melting, feeling the liquid of blood and entrails sliding down his limbs. His eyelids felt too heavy to open but he knew where he was. Tetsuo gripped onto his mid torso and had his head buried in Youji's chest. Youiji let out a whimper with the utter despair he was feeling. These last few days, he felt for the first time connected to a person and can say he felt love. He loved his sister but Tetsuo untapped something more. He visited his house. He met his mother. He found out he wears glasses. He works at a bar. He was adopted. He has a soft spot for cats. He was the only one who had the same body as him. He loved Tetsuo so so much. But this is the end. This body - I hate this body - its because of this he couldn't have found out more about him. What does he like to eat. What does he want to study in college. He's never been to my apartment or seen my room. I haven't introduced him to my sister. He hasn't seen my baby nephew.

This is our fate and our bodies are engraved of this ending. Youji's burning skin stung as his fingers gripped Tetsuo's golden hair desperately, wanting to burst into tears. In that moment he could see flashing red; blood and meat flickering and his form melting, fusing with Tetsuo's - I'm together with him at the end I'm happy and heartbroken -

Youji suddenly gasped loudly and his eyes flew open. His chest stung on how strongly he in took air. His eyes stared at a cream ceiling with a fan slowly spinning and humming. His eyes fluttered, feeling dizzy. But his skin felt cool and not searing hot. Youji felt his hands gripping on bedsheets and slowly let them go, feeling around him. Surprisingly, he found himself on a large white bed. No blood. No meat. No anything. He slowly rose, being weary of what state his body could be in. But no, he looked at his hands and down his body. He was nude only with a thin blanket over his waist but his skin was glowing and clean and not have a sickly tint. Utterly confused, Youji looked around the bed - it was dark, at night so he couldn't make out much besides the above humming of the fan. This definitely isn't my own room, my bed isn't this size. Youji found himself breathing loudly, clutching and unclutching his hands. He could still feel the heavy sensation of that nightmare a minute ago. That was true horror, he could feel his body distort and lose form. He bit his lip with the thought and held his sides with his hands.

An outside noise pulled Youji out of his trance and his head snapped up. A toilet flush and water running from a tap. It was almost foreign to Youji how normal these sounds were. He could hear footsteps on wood and he gripped the sheet under him. His panic spiked with the thought it could be someone like Zenya's father or those people who wanted him to create the Pure Breed coming after him again.

The door creaked open and a large body walked towards Youji.

'T-Testuo?' Youji's tiny voice cracked as he asked in the dark. He heard a click and the lamp beside the large bed illuminated the room. Tetsuo's room. With Tetsuo's low table they worked on before. The ground where Youji slept and found Tetsuo leaning on his shoulder. Tetsuo stood in front of Youji in his powerful and masculine demeanour, his tanned skin glowing in the small light. His dominant golden eyes stared at Youji as he curled up on himself.

'Hm? Something wrong?' He spoke in his low voice. He sat down on the bed next to Youji and rubbed his eyes sleepily. Youji was speechless and could only make choking small choking noises as he stared at Tetsuo with wide eyes. His hands hovered towards him and touched his bare muscular chest.

Its...really Tetsuo. This is Tetsuo. This is his body, his face, his eyes.

Tetsuo stared at the slightly smaller boy with one brow raised and held one of his hands. He peered into Youiji's bewildered face, scanning to see what's wrong. Youji shook his head and threw himself against the familiar comfort of his chest and wrapped his arms around his torso. Tetsuo automatically returned his hold by framing Youji's with his bigger arms, staring down at his dark, silky hair.

'Are you really Tetsuo? Are you real?' Youji's voice was muffled, being buried into the dark skin. Tetsuo didn't respond immediately but hummed in agreement. He leaned slowly backwards into the bed, one arm holding Youji's frame and one clicking the lamp again. He twisted them both and pulled the blanket over their bodies. Youiji squeezed his eyes in sheer happiness of this comfort he knows so well. This position echoed the terror he felt previously but his body wasn't in pain or burning. Tetsou's heat wrapped around him like a pleasant thought.

This is a beautiful and miserable dream. I get to see what a normal life I could've have with Tetsuo. Sleeping in his bed and being together

Youji let his mind wander and felt his conscious slip slowly as he was held tightly by his beloved.

Youji was surprised when he woke up in the same room, same bed. The room was warm with the sunlight shining through the window, he could even hear birds outside. Youji ran his hand through his hair and looked around again. Tetsuo was gone again so Youji couldn't believe that peaceful moment last night still actually happened. He decided to get up from the bed, his face immediately flushed when the sheet fell to the ground, a reminder that he's still nude. He found a shirt on the ground and a pair of shorts and put them on quickly. The shirt was big on him and hung on his shoulders a bit. He walked out of the room and if he remembered correctly, turned left which would led to the kitchen. He pushed the door quietly, peering into the extending gap - Youji was still uneasy. But there was Tetsuo standing near the counter, pouring hot water into two mugs. He turned around and stopped when he noticed Youji hiding behind the door.

'Good morning. You woke up later than usual' A slight teasing tone was in his deep voice as he casually greeted Youji.

'...good morning.' Youji replied as he walked into the kitchen. Tetsuo carried the two mugs and brought them to the table where they ate once before with his mother. Tetsuo looked at Youji and gestured to him to sit down. Youji pulled out the chair opposite and stared at the mug. It was tea and from the smell of it, it's one of the same ones he owns in his own apartment.

'You look good' Tetsuo commented

'W-what?' Youji's head rose to look at his face in confusion.

'In my shirt. You look good' He nodded at him while he sipped at his tea. Youji felt his cheeks flush at the compliment. Tetsuo never really directly commented on his appearance before and he felt a bit shy about that.

It was strange, this type of scene, the two of them in Tetsuo's house drinking tea in the morning. Youji's mind was bursting to tell him to enjoy this and be happy but in the back of his head he still didn't understand why this was happening. Youji recounted his memories of the past few days where it was him being called to the school alone, Zenya's father, Zenya, Tetsuo arriving and saving him. They ran, all around the school. Completely surrounded by rotting smells and blood dripping from the walls. It was a nightmare that he knew that was happening because Tetsuo held his hand as they tried to escape. He could almost feel the throbbing pain in his legs with the thought of all the running they did.

But here he was, unharmed in Tetsuo's kitchen. Did any of that happened at all?

'Your tea is getting cold. I thought that one was your favourite' Tetsuo's voice cut into Youji's thoughts. Youiji suddenly felt guilty that he barely acknowledged Tetsuo at all.

'S-sorry, I'm still just...a bit sleepy. But thank you, this is my favourite tea...how did you know?' Youiji asked in genuine curiosity.

'You told me yourself. So I bought a box for you to have in my house' Tetsuo's eyes seemed to scan Youji's face again and he couldn't help but to break the eye contact. He wasn't sure why he felt so embarrassed and shy around him right now. There was a slight silence for a few minutes until Tetsuo spoke again.

'Is your...body ok? From last night?' He asked, still staring.

Last night? What? It clicked then and Youji felt stupid not putting two and two together quicker. He woke up nude in Tetsuo's bed. What else could've happened.

But on that thought he did feel slight strain in lower back. Youiji let out a little laugh and Tetsuo's face perked up from the sound. Youji picked up the mug and blew on the tea.

'Regardless, nothing stops you.'

Youji turned on the shower and took off Tetsuo's shirt and his boxers and gingerly stepped into the tub. He closed his eyes as he felt the hot water rain on him.

Tetsuo hasn't mentioned anything from what happened at the classroom or the rooftop. Or anything about the ritual. If anything he seems to be chattier than usual and more relaxed. Youji was always happy to see new sides of him, see different glints in his eyes. But he was frustrated that he couldn't quite relax with him. His thoughts were still nagging at the back of his mind. Is that cult and its' followers around? Are they looking for him and Tetsuo right now? With that thought he looked at his chest. His scar from the accident was still there. He lightly touched around it - the car crash happened. His parents were still dead. But does that still mean his father sacrificed himself for Youji?

Youji rinsed his body quickly and stepped out. Youji looked at himself in the fogged up mirror as he slicked his dark hair back. He's going to ask Tetsuo. He's going to ask his sister again at the hospital and see Makato too.