….. SORRY! I have an excuse:

A) I had to spend time with my cousin who is from out of town (even though he's three and I could have easily worked on this after he went to bed).

B) My friends pulled me out to like… shop (even though I have a virtually imaginary social life).

C) I had to study for tests (that are still weeks off).

Yup, my excuses are full-proof! But I do have good new. I got my braces off this week, and I am so happy! And I also have an update on what I an currently enjoying. I love watching people play Slender! Its so funny to watch people get the crap scared out of them, and when they scream I scream. Not much can scare me, so it pretty freaking awesome! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It will have some plot twists in it! Yay, suspense!

A/N: Not Sion, not Nezumi, not Dogkeeper… NONE OF THEM BELONG TO ME! Because if they did, then I would have let Rikiga and Karan meet again, and do a flashback on the creation of No. 6. Wouldn't that be a great idea-er! :D

Anyway, on to chapter six.

Chapter 6: Developments

After the kiss, Sion and Nezumi continued to walk through the ruins of West Town. Nezumi still had a slight blush to his cheeks, and Sion was still grinning like an idiot. To Nezumi, he still felt as though the world was spinning. Sion had kissed him. HIM! He had never dared to think that Sion liked him, let alone love him. But now… was it possible? Or had Sion just hit his head really hard against the wall? Anyhow, he had kissed him, and from the expression he had on his face, he didn't regret it. But what did it mean?

To Sion, the kiss had been an action that he didn't regret, but he hadn't thought his actions through. What did Nezumi think of him now? Did he want to be in a relationship? Sion just couldn't see Nezumi being in a relationship, let alone with him, and anyway, while he had been travelling, he had probably met someone who he liked. It had been three years, Sion reminded himself. And besides, other than that 'good-bye' kiss he had given him three years ago, he hadn't given even the slightest hint that he liked/loved Sion. Oh, why am I thinking this? Nezumi is probably thinking I'm a fool for kissing him. I probably am a fool…

Without realizing it, the pair of men had wandered back to their old home. "Well, I never expected to come back to this hole on the ground" Nezumi said quietly to Sion, and smiled. "I'm glad I did. I miss Macbeth". Sion smiled. Nezumi would always be Nezumi, no matter how far away or how long he'd been gone. Together, they walked down the crumbling flight of steps that lead to the underground complex of rooms. Ducking under, and jumping over broken beams and the crumbling ceiling, they made their way into the old room, where the adventure to destroy the city of No. 6 had started, and where Nezumi and Sion had made so many memories.

They stopped when they came to the old door. The years had done little to the old door, and It stood straight in the door frame. Nezumi reached towards the door, and pushed slightly. The door didn't budge. He pushed again, harder this time. Again, the door was stuck. Nezumi looked around to see if anything was causing the door's inability to move, and he noticed that the door frame crumpled in slightly. He turned to Sion. "I'm going to need your help with the door. If both of us push, it's sure to open" Nezumi said after explaining why the door wouldn't move. Sion nodded, understanding the predicament.

They both leaned against the door, getting ready to push the door. Nezumi paused for a moment, and looked at Sion. He blanked. Their faces were inched away from each other. Sion looked up to, closing the distance another few inches. They both stopped moving. Staring at each other, Nezumi neither dared to breathe or to move. He didn't know if he should move towards Sion, or to move away. He was so confused. Did Sion like the kiss earlier, or did he… not? Nezumi had learned a lot in his three years away from the ruinous No. 6, but he hadn't learned shit about how to read people.

Sion, on his part, felt that Nezumi was a complete idiot. He still loved him, Gods yes, but still, he was a total idiot. Hadn't he thought that after Sion had kissed him, he would want to be kissed again? I mean, I was the one who kissed him! Sion looked into Nezumi's eyes, and then, just as he thought Nezumi was going to kiss him, he moved away, blushing slightly. Sion sighed inwardly. Does this mean that he didn't like it when I kissed him? Sion just said "Come on, lets open this door". Together they pushed the door, and after straining to budge the door inward, the beat-up door pushed complied, and both the men entered their old living space.

Once again, the inside of the room had changed little since they had left and gone their separate ways. The bookshelves still had the books on them, and the table still had the small cooking pot. The only difference was the layer of dust on everything. If they had looked inside the piano (AN: That thing that was in the corner of the room… I'm not sure if it was a piano, but I think it was), there would probably be dust covering the keys and the strings. Sion and Nezumi walked into the room, and gazed at the rows of books. Nezumi remembered all the times he had picked up random books in the city, either buying them or just finding them.

Sion, on the other hand, thought of all the times Nezumi had read these novels and plays to him. He remembered waking up after Nezumi had saved his life (For the second or third time, Sion thought to himself), and when he had woken up, with his stark white hair and the snaking tattoo on his body. He remembered when he had kissed Nezumi the first time, a goodbye kiss, and all the times they had just spent being lazy. Sion smiled at the memories, and looked at Nezumi out of the corner of his eyes. What feelings did this room bring back to him? Probably just relief to see his books again, Sion thought to himself.

They both looked around the room for nearly ten minutes in silence, each thinking about different times they had spent in the space. Finally, Nezumi broke the silence. "Do you think the phonograph still works?" he quietly asked Sion. Sion looked up, a questioning look in his eyes. Nezumi moved towards the phonograph, and looked through his old records. He found the right one, and, picking it up ever so carefully, he blew the dust off it. He placed it on the turn table, and moved the needle onto the record. Sion's eyes widened, as he recognized the music. It was the song they had danced to, on the moon-lit night years ago. Nezumi gathered his courage and stood. When he turned and saw Sion's astonished expression, he smirked. His smile softened, and he said "Would you give me the honour of this dance?". Sion nodded, and moved slowly towards Nezumi.

Mean-while, in Nezumi's brain:

Holy crap, I'm going to dance with Sion. Stay cool, smile. And above all, act natural.

Fuck, am I BLUSHING!

Sion looked up at Nezumi face as he took his hand in his. The was a slight dusting of pink on his cheeks, and his head was turned ever so slightly. Sion smiled, and thought Why is Nezumi blushing? Could he like me? Sion closed his eyes and decided that he would just take things as they came.

As it turned out, they had spent more time in their old room that they had thought. Once again, they waltzed out from underground, and took random turns when they felt like it. The moon was a shadow in the sky, and the sun was nearing it's setting point they both continued to dance until they came to the outskirts of town. They stopped, and sat on the rocky chairs that were there naturally. Sion turned and smiled at Nezumi, and was about to say something when Nezumi blurted out "How do you feel about me? If you think back to that night, seven years ago I think, would you change any thing? Would you still help me?". Sion smiled at Nezumi and said "Yeah." His answer was so prompt, Nezumi was caught off-guard. "You don't regret it? Even though you got thrown out of your pristine house, and moved to the… well the slums?". "No."

Nezumi stared at Sion in wonder, and asked once again, "Not even a bit?". Sion's smile grew larger and larger with each question, and once again replied "No". "Why?". Sion was silent for a moment, before turning and looking Nezumi in the eyes. He had a serious expression on his face, and said "Nezumi, I don't really understand what you're trying to ask. But I've done a little thinking myself since No. 6 was destroyed back then. I wondered, if I were to go back in time, and return to that night seven years ago ― if I were to return to before I met you, what would I do?"

Sion smiled sheepishly, and turned back to look at the stars. "I thought about it, over and over again. And every time, there was only one answer. No matter how many times I'd return to that night, I'd do the same thing again. I'd open the window, and wait for you." Nezumi stared at Sion, and suddenly felt the courage to say something else. "You didn't answer one of my questions, though". Sion turned and looked at Nezumi, and smiled. "Well, then ask again". Nezumi gathered his courage, and said "How do you feel about me?". Sion looked at Nezumi with a mixture of disbelief, and also happiness. He turned away, and said (once again in a serious voice) "I'd have to say that I think I love you".

Nezumi was speechless. Then, in a moment of perfect unison, they both turned to look at each other. Sion smiled at Nezumi, and Nezumi smiled back, and then they both moved slowly towards each other. Nezumi hesitated a moment before their lips met, and Sion, noticing the hesitation, smile. "Kiss me, you idiot". And with that Sion brought his lips gently onto Nezumi's.

This kiss was different. They weren't in an alley, where they had just defeated (and in Sion's case, got beaten up by) thugs, and there was no anxiety or worry. Sion was safe, and Nezumi relaxed into the kiss. Their lips moved in tandem, and they only stopped when they needed to breathe. Then their lips started the activity again, and they rejoiced in the bliss of being able to hold the one they loved.

Needless to say, they didn't go home till late that night.

The next day, when they walked to the market, they held hands, and were shoulder to shoulder. Sion was grinning like an idiot, and Nezumi was smirking his normal smirk. They thought the day would be perfect… that was until the saw the posters strewn throughout the town.

"Zalachenko and his party would like to thank you for your support in the recent elections. Thanks to you, Zalachenko recently won in a landslide victory against the Rehabilitation Party. Get ready for a brighter future. Once again, many thanks from your Mayoral party, the Futuristic Party, and Zala."

A/N: AH-ha! Betcha didn't expect me to bring politics into this! Sorry if this chapter is a little shorter, but I decided against some original content in it, and thus it was shortened. Also, sorry if I take while to post. I need to think about where my story is going to go from here. But don't worry, I might write a few one-shots. SO, I hope you're enjoying the story so far, and will continue reading! Thanks, and luv u! Please R & R! Also, if you guess where the modified version of the actual manga is in here, I'll send you a virtual cookie. If you're someone I know, I buy you a real cookie (FallingforWerewolves, MacLoudy, I'm looking at you!)

Animecookie13!