A/N: This is THE END, are you ready?!

He waited, but he never heard the door. He wondered if maybe his mind had refused to hear the sound, when he felt something brush against his fingers, and he jerked upwards, his eyes shooting open. She crouched before him on the floor, resting her hand over his. He was unable to meet her gaze, hastily wiping the tears he couldn't fight off on his sleeve.

"You don't ne-"

"Shhhhhhh."

Her eyes were so soft as her thumb brushed his cheek, taking his hands and pulling him into her. He obeyed without question, his self-hatred blossoming inside him as she opened herself up to give him comfort, even now. She cradled him in her arms and he sobbed like a child, clinging for dear life while he still could, and releasing the flood of pain that he'd been drowning in for almost five years.

It was amazing that he could break her heart in an entirely different way, the desire to soothe his hurt greater than any other feeling inside her. This secret guilt he carried so close to his heart for so long, he'd finally been able to let it out. No matter what the outcome, his intentions had probably been good, just like hers with Bo, and she wasn't so petty a person to want him to suffer like this, no matter how badly he'd hurt her.

She wished she could have been there for him, the Corn that she never knew about, who lost the light he had as a child. It explained his sadness in Guam; the curse he'd said had been placed upon him. This was the truth hiding beneath the mask of Tsuruga Ren, what she'd only really seen glimpses of until now. It all made sense, the hatred of himself and the way he would disappear somewhere inside himself, lost. She really, truly was a foolish woman who thought only of love, because just then, she wanted to know this person, the real him.

When she tried to stroke his hair, the wig he was wearing shifted, and she lifted her hand in surprise. He reached up and pulled it off, letting it fall to the ground. She gasped at the mussed, golden strands, that must've been part of the reveal he'd planned for her. Now, she was a little disappointed that she'd missed it, but that was just the fairy tail obsessed, stupidly romantic part of her brain talking. Hesitating, she reached out, almost afraid to touch it.

"It's alright," he told her, voice dry.

Her fingers moved forward tentatively, until finally making contact. She couldn't help the small tug, testing to see if it was real. Remembering the first time he'd lied in her lap, Karuizawa now seemed like a lifetime ago. How much she'd enjoyed secretly petting his head as he slept, indulging in that innocent little pleasure. She couldn't help the small smile, running her fingers through his blonde locks, but the feeling was tarnished by the weight of emotion that separated the present and the past. So much had happened in just that short amount of time that divided the two.

They were both emotionally exhausted, especially after sleeping only a few hours, though she thought Ren might be more tired than she was at this point. Ren… but he wasn't really Ren at all, was he? She wanted to ask, but she could wait until he was up to it. It didn't seem like he planned to move anytime soon, and she wasn't sure if she wanted him to.

Being so close to her was a heaven he had no right to enjoy, but he couldn't have pulled himself away for anything in the world. Let the earth swallow him up, before he could be moved to let go of her. It was only a matter of time, of course, until he'd be forced to. He wouldn't try to keep her against her will, despite how much he'd have liked to. Even after everything, she was still saving him from himself, his fairy princess. But she wasn't his anymore, he had to remind himself - had to keep reminding himself.

The hand in his hair soothed him, relaxing him more than he thought possible, her nails gently grazing his scalp. He could've spent an eternity like this, if only he wasn't such a careless fool. No, there would be a lifetime worth of self-recriminations ahead of him, and he wouldn't waste these last few precious moments that way. Instead, he would bask in the feel of her touch, of her scent, and commit all of it to memory.

Under other circumstances, he'd have drifted off peacefully to sleep, but the imminence of her departure kept him fully alert. She couldn't be comfortable, sitting like that for so long, but he didn't want to risk her getting up. Still, he'd been selfish enough, and she'd indulged him far more than he was worthy of.

"If you're uncomfortable, you..." he trailed off, unable to get out the rest of the traitorous words.

His voice startled her, snapping her out of her reverie, and bringing her back to truth of their situation. What exactly that was, she wasn't sure she even knew anymore. So much had happened, and her brain was more a mess than ever.

"I don't mind," she admitted, "though my legs are falling asleep."

Wanting to less than he'd ever wanted anything in his life, he regretfully lifted his head and sat up. He hadn't noticed before just how painfully stiff his own body was, and he winced, carefully stretched out his limbs. He chanced a cautious look in her direction, and noticed her immediately turn her head away. Had she been looking at him?

"You… really are him."

He suddenly felt so self-conscious, as though the reality of him would inevitably fail to live up to the fantasy in her head. After all, he was only a man, and not a very decent one at that. How could he compare to a fairy prince? Silly, since it hardly mattered now, but he hated to think of her seeing his big reveal as a letdown. He always had been jealous of his other self.

"I know it must be disappointing. I… if there was a way I…" but he trailed off, realizing the futility of saying those pointless thoughts out loud.

"Who are you really? Are you Ren or Corn or Kuon? How much of Tsuruga Ren is real, and how much is just acting? I feel like I don't know you at all."

Had she meant that line to be an arrow flying straight into his heart? Probably not, but he had to give her points for accuracy, because that was definitely a bullseye. Then again, it was a fair question, and one he didn't really know the answer to himself.

"I don't… I'm not... really sure. I became Tsuruga Ren when I came to Japan, and I've played the role for so long that sometimes I think it's who I am, but I guess underneath it I'm still Kuon, even when I'm not aware of him inside me."

He ran a hand through his hair, finding himself increasingly confused. It wasn't something he spent much time thinking about before now, and in fact, it was a train of thought he'd intentionally avoided, just like everything else having to do with the part of himself he'd hated for so long. It was such a surreal conversation to be having, talking about these things was something he'd never done with anyone, but to be doing so now, in this situation, it was profoundly strange.

"Isn't it funny how easy it is to be honest when you're no longer afraid? To think that I was so worried about losing you, that I lost you, and now that I have, there's no reason to hold back."

Was it her fault he couldn't reveal himself? Had she not made him feel sure enough, secure enough? If he hadn't found her out, would she have ever told him about Bo? Was the situation really so different, or was it basically the exact same thing?

"I'm sorry," she admitted, blinking back the tears.

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"That's not true," she insisted. "I lied to you, and I knew you were lying, but I never asked because I was too afraid! I didn't want to know, because I… I thought I'd lose you."

He couldn't help but laugh, struck by the incredulity of their situation; their being broken apart by their desire to hold onto each other at all costs. Maybe they had been too damaged by the past for any hope of getting things right. Still, the lion's share of the blame rested squarely on his shoulders, and he wouldn't let her minor guilt act as clemency for his failures throughout their relationship. The lies she told him paled in comparison with the truth of his identity; that fact was incontrovertible.

"Hey, it's not funny!" she huffed.

"Yes it is," he argued, meeting her eyes and smiling sadly, too timid to caress her face like he wanted to.

She caught herself in his gaze, sparkling like emeralds, and just as beautiful as she remembered. How many times did she wish she could see Corn, and here he was, beside her this whole time. It was hard not to be happy to see her fairy prince again, even if he was really just a con artist. Did that mean she'd forgiven him, could forgive him? There was so much they'd done wrong, and everything was so confusing, her feelings most of all.

She still loved him, maybe more than ever; there was no denying that. It was funny, she still did trust him, even though almost everything he'd told her over the past year had been a lie. Even though he was so mean to her, despite knowing who she was, and that it would've meant so much to have him in her life! Then again, she hadn't given him a reason to respect or even like her, and then he'd been fighting against letting his feelings for her develop. That, she could understand only too well.

He didn't know how long they'd been looking at each other, but he couldn't pull himself away. Was there a ghost of a smile on her lips, or was he just imagining it? A thousand emotions seemed to run across her face, but harder to read than they usually were. Though she was sorting through everything, and it all was a lot to process, he didn't think it would make much of a difference in the end. Still, he couldn't help the tiny kernel of hope lodged deep in his heart.

It would be so easy to reach out to her, to pull her into his arms, but he was rooted in place, as still as a statue - afraid even to breathe, lest the moment be ruined. He'd use this opportunity to record every detail he could, memorize each shifting expression and subtle change in her eyes. It was a sharp pain, the thought that he'd never get to look into them again, or to be this close to her. He wanted more - wanted everything, but he would eventually learn how to keep going without her, no matter how hard it was or how long it took.

A loud rumbling gave them both a start, effectively pulling them back to reality. Her face flushed and he smiled, appreciating just how cute she was. Would her angry stomach be what compelled her, at last, to leave? Should he offer to order something, or would that offend her? Did she plan to go back on her own, or would she accept a ride home? She'd probably refuse to let him pay for a taxi, but maybe if he insisted…

"Do you feel like eating?"

He turned wide eyes on her, surely she didn't intend to stay even longer, not that he was complaining, of course. Honestly, he felt less favourably about the prospect of a meal than he normally did, but if it meant postponing the inevitable, then he would eat until he exploded.

"If I say yes, you'll know I'm lying, but I do want to."

She searched his eyes, not certain what she was looking for, but satisfied with what she found in them. Despite everything, and all the reasons why she should leave, including that it was probably the smarter thing to do, she wanted to stay. What it meant, she didn't know, but even if it was only occupying the same space, being near him felt like being home. Maybe after they ate, things would be different, but the longer she delayed, the less she could stand the thought of walking away from him.

"Then I'll go see what's in the fridge."

He got to his feet, shaking his head when she moved to stand.

"Let me order something instead."

Normally she'd have protested, but instead she just stretched out her limbs and went to set the table. The silence between them bore a pregnant tension, but was somehow companionable in a way they'd never been before, now that everything was out in the open. What they had was broken, and what they currently were she had no idea, but it was something they both needed to figure out. How long that would take was anyone's guess.

They'd barely said anything to each other, and he wasn't entirely sure if that was a good sign or a bad one, but she adopted an innocent facade while piling his plate full of food. That especially was curious to him, as it didn't seem to be a last punishment before running out the door. She couldn't possibly mean to stay? He desperately wanted to know what she was thinking, but he was afraid to ask, certain his thoughts were betraying him.

By the second plate, he longed for death, but was more than willing to keep going if that's what she wanted. It brought to life uncomfortable flashbacks from his childhood, of being force fed by his mother, but at least everything here had a pleasant taste. He shivered, pushing that memory aside, and took another bite.

"Re-Kuon? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he assured, his name on her tongue exquisite; managing to simultaneously be the best and worst sound he'd ever heard.

"You don't have to keep going! I was just seeing how long before you told me to stop."

He laid his head on the table, the cool surface soothing in his considerable discomfort.

"Unnnghhhh," he groaned, relieved and defeated.

At first she was curious, but now she was just concerned. He looked like death, and had clearly pushed past his limits. She ran to get some stomach medicine for him from the bathroom cabinet, and rubbed soothing circles at his temples and the back of his neck.

"Can you make it to the bed?"

"...I think so."

He made a pitiful sound when she helped him to his feet, and though she did feel bad about the situation, he wasn't acting tough like he normally did, which made her glad. Once he was settled in relative comfort on the bed, she went to get a cooling pad for his forehead.

"Thank you for staying as long as you have," he murmured, trying and failing to lift his head from the pillow.

"I'm... not planning to leave," she admitted, the words somehow freeing and a heavy burden all at once.

He wanted to sit up; to be able to speak to her properly, but he truly didn't have the strength.

"You… you're not leaving?"

"Why," she teased, "did you want me to?"

"Not even if you made me eat this much every day."

"Then I guess it's settled."

With her understanding of the world broken, she'd been drifting in a sea of chaos, caught in a whirlpool and swept up in the waves. He was the one thing she knew, existing both as the eye of the storm and also a life preserver. His love was real, had always been real, and she couldn't bear the thought of being without him. For better or worse they seemed fated to be together, and because she was a fool for love, she was willing to take the risk. If he ever hurt her again, she knew she probably wouldn't survive it, but this was the path she was on.

To say that he was shocked would be an understatement of hyperbolic proportions. While he'd wished for this in the smallest part of his soul that had the audacity to dare to hope, he never imagined it could be possible. She was forgiving him, at least enough to give him some kind of second chance, and he would absolutely not waste it. Anything she wanted, he'd do, and he was done with secrets and lies, at least as far as she was concerned.

Still, could they start again, just like that? He wondered if she was actually okay or just pretending, but then she'd always gotten over things terrifyingly fast. He thought of her sobbing in his arms when he'd returned from Guam, and smiling moments later, seeming completely fine. Was it really possible this could be the same? No matter what, he knew it would take time to reestablish trust, and build back the intimacy they'd lost. He'd make sure to take it slow, doing things the right way, and spoil her like a princess.

It was awkward at first, and felt a lot like starting over from scratch, familiar with each other but also shy. In some ways, they were getting to know each other truly for the first time, and there was a lingering anxiousness with being so vulnerable, but it was also liberating to not have to hold anything back. The price of doing so was a very potent deterrent, that would hopefully prevent them from repeating past mistakes. If love was enough, they would weather the storm.

A/N: Welp, at just under 30k words, the story is now officially finished! The ending isn't conventionally happy, but they're going to build their relationship from a much healthier place, and actually be honest with each other. Hopefully it's a satisfactory conclusion even though there's no smut haha.

I know a lot of people wanted a piv sex scene, but *deflowering* scenes squick me out too much to write them. Suffice to say that after the awkwardness wears off, and they become more comfortable with each other again, I'm sure they'll engage in lots and lots of coitus. Though, am I the only one that sees Ren being more sub than dom? He strikes me as the kind of person who would enjoy being tied up and tortured, and I think Kyoko could get really into the role of Mistress Kyoko (or maybe Lady Kyoko?), which would probably be great for her confidence. Just me? Okay xD

Anyway, though this is THE END, there will be at least one bonus chapter, eventually. Maybe more, maybe not, but so far I have three different scenes planned under the premise of 'getting caught', (one will resolve the thing with Sho). Thanks for sticking with me through this rollercoaster and I hope you enjoyed the ride! 3