I pull my coat around me tighter and exhale, watching my breath in the air. It's definitely getting colder out and I'm not exactly a big fan of the cold but Tomoki loves it. It must have something to do with being the Warrior of Ice. Well, he doesn't like being in cold water but cold air, like at an ice skating rink or Siberia, is fine with him.

It's been quite some time since everything has happened, a few weeks actually. And it was one hell of a ride. Most of it being not really smooth but I don't think I would have ridden it any other way.

I turn around when Tomoki steps out of the apartment and beams at me. I pull him close to me and smile when I feel his body heat even through his winter clothes. I kiss him softly and he returns the kiss and when we pull away, our hands are linked together.

"Are you cold?" Tomoki asks.

No point in lying since he would just figure it out. "Yeah, a little bit."

Tomoki reaches into his bag with his free hand and pulls out a handmade scarf and loops it around my neck. It feels warm and soft. He uses it to pull me closer to him and kisses me again. "How about now?"

"Much better," I grin.

"It's a late Christmas present," Tomoki explains as we start walking, hand in hand. "I was working on it during my free time and when I was alone so you wouldn't see it. I wasn't really sure what to get you and I definitely wasn't expecting it to take so long to make."

"I love it," I reply. Tomoki is one of the few people of the world who would put so much time and effort into a gift. "And I love you."

Tomoki blushes and smiles. "I know… I love you too."

We pass by a trio of girls who smile and waves at us, seeming to be very approving, and giddy, of our relationship. We also pass by Maehara who grins as we walk by, acknowledging each other with a quick 'hey'. We even passed by a small family of three. The father seems indifferent, the kid asks his mother something and she only grins and responds. The little girl looks back to us and starts waving enthusiastically. We returned her adorable gesture, though admittedly, not as adorably.

"Why were we so cynical again?" I ask.

Tomoki laughs a little. "I wasn't as cynical but it probably had something to do with your suffering. Still, I'm glad you're not just a sob story."

I scoff. "No one who's been bullied or discriminated against is just a sob story. Even gay people get frustrated after hearing so many people bitch about their suffering. They don't realize that they're not just a sad story… They're an inspiration. So what, they suffered? Guess what they're doing right now… They're surviving, so keep living."

"I like that," Tomoki chuckles. "Have you ever thought about being a motivational speaker?"

I smirk and we continue walking. Obviously, we don't just pass by supporters on our way to our destination, there are plenty of people who frown or even spit at our feet but we keep moving along. But most either smiled or ignored which are both good reactions in our books.

We stop at a modern-looking café and step inside. Normally, the place would be closed this late at night but the owner's staying open for a little longer for friends of his. That included Tomoki and I as we greet everyone inside.

It's too bad that everyone else was busy today. Takuya already made plans with his co-workers at Raira Academy. Kouji's working on some important case since the statute of limitations is going to be over in about three days. Izumi's off in New York doing some modeling work for a magazine. Junpei's just finished his latest project and he ended up being dragged off to a party by his superiors. And Kouichi simply doesn't have the time to drive all the way out here to join us.

But despite being just the two of us, we still feel that everyone is experiencing the same joy right now as we count down the minutes.

The café owner leave our orders with us and we each take a sip from them. We both laugh when we see our coffee mustaches on each other's upper lips. We look up when we hear one of the regulars, a close friend of the owner, suddenly say that there are only ten seconds left.

"Ten… Nine… Eight…"

Tomoki and I have been together for a little more than a month and it's been a wonderful journey getting here. I'm actually not so sure how we survived everything we had went through but it's been absolutely fabulous.

"Seven… Six… Five…"

In four more days, Tadashi comes back from his suspension which means I have to survive about three more months of him until he graduates which is perfectly fine with me. I'll survive. There's no way I'll let that dick take away my happiness. I'm done being ruled by fear because of people like him.

"Four… Three… Two…"

Besides, I should really focus on all the happy things in my life and my loved ones. Like how Tomoki got that call a few weeks ago and hugged me, saying that he had got the internship. He's one step closer to achieving his dreams and everything he deserves. I couldn't feel happier or more proud of him. I don't even care that it means we would spend less time with each other.

"One!"

The noisemakers and the confetti blasters sound through the café at the same time Tomoki squeezes my hand and leans in close.

"Happy New Year…," we whisper to each other and kiss again.

My New Year's resolution is to make Tomoki as happy as he can be. I might make mistakes that will cause him some sort of pain or sadness but I want to show him my gratitude somehow. After all, it's this boy, the very same one that I'm kissing who made me realize the difference between love and lust.

He's also the very same boy to make me realize what gay pride really meant. No more shame in that because… I am absolutely, completely, and hopelessly in love with Tomoki Himi. And I plan on enjoying every single day of it.

-X-

A/N: That was the official end of Love or Lust! I know it's really short compared to other chapters but I felt that this was the best way to end it. But do not fret because I am thinking about making a sequel on this story. But before that, I'm going to be making a spin-off starring Junpei, Kiraya, and a third mystery character. Any last words, Shinya?

Well… I guess I would just like to thank everybody who had supported my relationship with Tomoki. I know it's been smutty but at least there's been some fluff here and there, right? So, thanks for putting up with all of this. Maybe I can convince Zero Unit to make a PG version of this story where the sex is all implied though I don't think that'll be possible since I was a pretty big whore before Tomoki.

Anyway, I'd also like to tell anyone in the LGBTQ community that you don't have to be afraid to be yourself. Obviously, if you have conservative parents who are going to pay for your college tuition, you might want to wait a bit before coming out. But just remember that there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You're far from perfect but you're more than amazing and ten times more beautiful than you think you are. Please note that this message was not for narcissistic people because I'll just be inflating their egos to comically larger proportions.

Thanks again, my heart goes out to all of you. The same for Tomoki, we love you guys but not as much as we love each other. We hope to catch you guys again if a sequel does come out.

Well, I guess that's it… Until next we meet! Sayonara minna!