March 20th to 30th

Rita could only watch as Lily wriggled in her hospital bed, struck with fever and moaning in her sleep. Pat, in the next bed, wasn't in a better state. The two kids from the orphanage had seen their states worsen considerably in the past few days and were starting to show the same signs as most patients who were terminally ill. The doctors couldn't tell why some people were more affected than others.

"They'll get better, won't they?" Karol asked with a tone that indicated that he already knew the answer.

After two seconds of silence, Rita replied, her fists clenched: "I'll find something. I'll definitely find something in time." She chose not to let Karol see her eyes, for fear he would see the doubt in them.

They soon left the room and climbed upstairs, where Pia's room was. The doctors had said that she was one of the rare patients who had managed to drag it so far, and Rita and Karol could only pray that it kept being that way. There were other beds around, none empty, but the faces changed often. Way too often, to Rita's taste.

"Yuri told me he hasn't been visiting much, lately." Karol observed as he changed the flowers on the table next to Pia's bed.

"That idiot has been doing nothing but stupid things." Rita declared dryly.

"You think it's gonna be fine with Flynn?"

"Don't ask me. Those two are big enough to deal with their own problems themselves."

"Still, I'm a bit worried about Yuri."

Rita didn't answer. As cruel as it may sound, Yuri was the last of her concerns. Right now, her main concern was Pia, and the kids, and all the other patients. Amid the whole mess that had ensued because of Alexei, she hadn't managed to find much time to focus on her research, and Duke hadn't gotten in touch with her either.

"OK, I'm done with the flowers." Karol announced as he finished arranging daisies in the vase. He laid his eyes on Pia and sighed. "Too bad she can't see them. Hey, how far are you with your cure?"

"I'm still searching." Rita replied, slightly annoyed that she had to confess her own slow progress.

"You're going to the uni today?"

The girl nodded. There were still no classes, but it didn't mean that Rita didn't have access to the school facilities. It was actually a good point for her, as it was much quieter than usual, and she could work without being interrupted.

Both students remained by Pia's side a few more minutes before taking their leave to their respective destinations: Rita at the university, and Karol back at the orphanage to take care of the kids with the remaining assistants. Another point that they had noted was the absence of Judith. Normally they would at least cross paths in the corridors of the hospital, but today there was no sign of her. They had tried to inquire about her to another nurse, but the latter had merely shook her head impatiently, telling them that the staff was too busy to record the movement of each nurse and doctor there.

On their way out, Karol asked:

"By the way, have you tried that super expensive perfume Estelle's mom gave you?"

"As if." Rita scowled. "You know I never wear that kind of stuff. It's still in my pocket, I forgot to leave it in my room yesterday."

"How about selling it back? This thing costs a lot!"

"It's a gift, you moron." Rita snapped. "Even if I don't like it, it'd be rude to discard it."

"I was kidding." Karol mumbled. "Anyway, don't forget to come back tonight."

"Yeah, yeah." Rita waved him off as they parted ways.

The bus trip from the hospital to the university took twenty minutes, during which Rita was plunged so deep in thoughts she almost missed her stop. As expected, the school was practically empty, save for some students who were most likely doing research as well. Her fear that someone could have touched her things in the lab proved fruitless; the place was in the exact same state as when she had last left it.

Dropping her bag on the floor, she gathered a few papers and settled in front of the computer. There was no message from Duke.

Well, it was up to her to roll up her sleeves and find the precious cure.

Flynn's mobile rang for the fourth time of the day, and it wasn't even noon. The boy already knew who it was. It was the same person that had tried to call him earlier the three other times. And the last thing he wanted right now was to talk to that person. He was in a sore mood enough after another unpleasant night – despite the sleeping pills – and a shoulder which was still shooting bolts of pain through his body whenever he moved too abruptly. The only activity that could have soothed him was the violin, and though he considered himself a rather good player, he still hadn't reached the level where he could play with one hand only.

The one good point he found in his misery was that his mother had finally stopped badgering him. That put aside, Flynn was definitely in the middle of those periods when it could be dangerous to annoy him too much.

That was why he had no intention of picking up that call. He ended up switching his phone off, irritation painted on his face. I need coffee. And painkillers. Suiting the action to the word, Flynn headed for the kitchen while cursing mentally at how unhandy it was to prepare coffee with one invalid shoulder. The doctors had told him that it would be completely healed in a month, but he would normally be able to use his right arm again within two weeks, if everything went fine. Two weeks is already too long. Being right-handed, Flynn had found himself unable to carry out many daily-life tasks, much to his annoyance. It was during those kinds of times that he wished he had a domestic to help him.

Well, too bad.

As he was about to walk back to his room, someone knocked at the door. With a sigh of annoyance, he pondered on whether to open or not, given that no one ever knocked on his door – he had never particularly befriended his neighbours. He went to check through the peep-hole. Most likely it was some door-to-door salesman, who was the last person Flynn wanted to see.

Wrong, he thought when he saw who it was standing behind the door. Now this one is the last one I want to see. How he had even managed to enter the building, Flynn didn't know and didn't care. He simply wanted him to go away.

And yet, as he was about to ignore the knock, some subconscious part of him rebelled against his will and he found himself opening the door; his irrational side would have called it pity.

"Hey Flynn." came the almost timid yet deep familiar voice.

"Good morning, Yuri." Flynn replied, impassive.

"I... came to see if you were all right. You weren't replying on your phone so I was wondering if everything was fine."

Damn it, at least have the decency to lower your eyes when talking to me, Flynn thought, trying to convince himself that Yuri needed to show some humility. It was definitely not because he feared deep inside that those piercing onyx eyes could somehow make his will waver. "Everything is fine. I had my phone turned off in order not to be bothered." Flynn replied, emphasizing on the last part of his sentence.

"Oh." Now Yuri did look away. "Sorry for disturbing you." He rose his eyes again. "If you need anything..."

"I'm fine, Yuri." Flynn was certain he spotted some faint signs of annoyance on Yuri's face, but he paid them no mind. He had always forgiven Yuri too easily at each of his stupid actions, but not this time. This time, Flynn was fed up, and he intended to show it well.

"Alright. Then I won't bother you any longer."

"Goodbye, Yuri." Flynn merely replied as he closed the door behind him.

Was it too harsh? Maybe. But it was necessary for Yuri to understand that he had gone overboard. Or was it? Flynn kept repeating to himself that he didn't want to have anything to do with Yuri anymore. If it was really the case, then why did he even bother trying to have Yuri understand his current feelings?

Flynn dismissed the thought with irritation. Now wasn't the time to dwell on philosophical reflections. Grabbing his cup of coffee, he sank himself in the sofa, staring absently at the black TV screen and brooding.

On the next day, there was neither phone call nor knock on the door. It surprised Flynn a bit as he had expected Yuri to be more insistent on the matter. Or maybe it only meant that much to him? Something tightened in Flynn's chest, ever so lightly, but he ignored the feeling. He didn't want to have anything to do with Yuri for now.

For now.

Flynn shook his head. He didn't want to have anything to do with Yuri anymore. Now that was better. And yet the tiny, annoying feeling that nagged him at the back of his head wouldn't leave him alone. Which irritated Flynn even more. Yuri had brought him nothing but problems, the blonde boy repeated to himself. And he definitely thought too high of himself if he imagined that Flynn would let go of each and every whim of his. Flynn had been patient, understanding, supporting even, and Yuri had only repaid him with more problems.

He flipped a page of the book he was reading, realizing a bit late that he had no idea what he had just read for the past few pages. Why am I distracted by him even when he's not there? Flynn shut the book angrily, moving his right shoulder inadvertently and cursing silently as pain shot him.

He was done with Yuri, damn it! Why couldn't his own brain understand that?

The answer to the question may lie somewhere in that very same brain, within the tiny voice that Flynn refused stubbornly to listen to.

Weekend arrived with no news from Yuri at all. Flynn had received several messages from Karol, Rita and Estelle – the latter had even come and paid him a visit – but there was nothing from Yuri. Apparently Flynn was right: it was all their relationship meant to him. Flynn had been the first to reject Yuri back then at the clinic, therefore he shouldn't be surprised that Yuri was reacting the same way.

And yet. It was the same hassle all over again. Why couldn't a single day pass without Flynn hating and missing Yuri at the same time? Why couldn't a single hour pass without Flynn expecting his phone to buzz or his intercom to ring? Gosh this is a real pain. He strode to the kitchen for sleeping pills. He pondered about painkillers but decided to be reasonable. For once, Lady Luck took mercy on him and allowed him to sleep dreamlessly through the entire Saturday afternoon.

He was woken up by the sound of his phone. Stretching his arm to the table next to his bed, he read the screen. One message from Karol. What had he expected? Or rather, who? Resigned, he read the message asking for news, typed a short reply and lay back on the bed with a sigh and his phone still in his hand. He scrolled down the list of names to the bottom, to the letter 'Y', and stared at the name displayed there. It would only take a few seconds to select the name, type a message and press the 'send' button. It took Flynn several minutes to decide against it. Putting the phone back on the table, he looked at his wrist. A triple cord of black leather was wrapped around it, with a single silver pearl set with a small turquoise. Flynn shut his eyes. The last thing he saw was a vague silhouette with long, raven hair.

The university opened its gates again on the next week, and as Yuri crossed them, he could have almost believed that the events from the previous week had never occurred. Again, hundreds and hundreds students were walking the alleys in the parks and between the buildings. Again, the surrounding chatters and laughter filled his ears. Everything was going back to normal, as if the riots in the lower quarters had occurred years ago. To Yuri though, everything was different. Starting with the plain obvious, Alexei was dead. Whitehorse was dead. Raven was probably dead. Judith's whereabouts remained unknown. The lower quarters were partly in ruins. And Flynn...

Yuri followed after a column of students inside a building and to his lecture hall, glancing continuously around him with the faint and futile hope of catching a glimpse of blonde hair somewhere. He had no idea what Flynn's schedule was and though the university wasn't huge, it wasn't small either. Two weeks ago, he knew they would have simply met at lunch time either in the park, or at the cafeteria. Perhaps Flynn would be at the cafeteria today. It wouldn't hurt to go and see. He was supposed to meet with Karol and Estelle there anyway, and a message from Rita had informed him that she would stay in her lab.

At noon, Karol and Estelle joined him and the three of them headed for the cafeteria. It was good to have Estelle back, and the girl was as happy as ever to be able to resume classes as well; the remark had earned her a grimace from Karol. The girl's bright mood somewhat lightened Yuri's own, and he allowed himself to laugh along with her. Apparently she was recovering well; her mother had insisted that she stayed at home but Estelle had managed to convince her that it would do her more good to go out a bit rather than remain shut in a house. They soon arrived at the cafeteria, where the queue was already long, but it was of no importance to them since Yuri had brought lunch boxes. As they settled down at a table, some noisier-than-usual chatters drew Yuri's attention. His face darkened.

"Isn't that Flynn over there?" Karol asked, confirming what Yuri had already suspected. The blonde boy had apparently just arrived and several girls were flocking around him, obviously inquiring about the sling around his arm and neck and offering to help him carry his tray. With a grunt, Yuri focused back on his own food, earning a surprised look from Karol. The latter then frowned.

"It's still not settled between you two, huh?" A shrug was his reply. "Have you tried talking to him again?" No answer. "Maybe now is a good opportunity. You could go and save him from the girls over there."

Estelle tilted her head on the side, giving the two boys a questioning look.

"He seems to be faring quite good enough." Yuri commented.

"But..."

Estelle stood up abruptly, interrupting Karol. Without another word, she strode with determination to where Flynn was, under Yuri and Karol's surprised eyes.

"No, wait! You don't have to..." Yuri started, but Estelle was already far. He saw her call out Flynn's name, and as the latter spotted her, a smile of relief appeared on his face. This made Yuri's heart sink a bit. He was ready to bet that if it had been him instead of Estelle, Flynn would have never smiled like that. Nevertheless, the other girls stepped aside grudgingly when Estelle offered to help Flynn, and much to Yuri's reluctance, the both of them soon walked toward the table where Karol and himself were seated. He didn't miss the second of hesitation that made Flynn freeze a bit when their gazes met. But Estelle decided with authority to put Flynn's tray next to Karol, giving the blonde boy no choice but to take a seat there.

The atmosphere during lunch was awkward, to say the least. Estelle and Karol were doing their best to put some animation, bringing various topics of discussions, while Yuri was forcing himself to participate to the conversations. Flynn would merely nod politely and reply with short answers, no matter Estelle's effort to get him and Yuri to talk to each other. At some point she got visibly enough of the masquerade.

"This is ridiculous." she stated, and it was the first time Yuri actually heard annoyance in her tone. "I don't know what happened between the both of you, but you are obviously unhappy about it. So how about you settle your problem and be friends again?"

The sudden declaration took everyone by surprise, and for a second Yuri was at a loss for words. Naturally his only reaction was to shove his lunch box in his bag and stand up. Before leaving though, he turned to Estelle:

"Thanks for trying." he merely said.

The girl blinked as Yuri walked out; she was about to go after him but Karol stopped her:

"Drop it." he said, shaking his head.

"But..."

"He won't change his mind." he sighed before turning reproachful eyes at Flynn: "You didn't really help either." he said.

"I'm not the one who broke a promise and lied." the blonde boy replied lightly.

"What happened exactly, if I may ask?" Estelle inquired.

"That's too long a story, I fear." Flynn replied.

"But he apologized to you already." Karol added.

The remark didn't please Flynn. "And then what? Does he think that he can do whatever he wants and simply get away by apologizing once? What does he take me for?"

"Huh? Just once? And afterwards he didn't try to talk to you anymore?"

"Well... He did come to my place a week ago." Flynn admitted reluctantly. "But after that, nothing."

"Oh... But that's normal." Karol replied. "He doesn't have any time at all." Given Flynn's frown, Karol judged it better to explain. "He's started a part-time job again. He said he absolutely had to find money for his rent and so he spent a whole day looking for a job. He found one no problem, but he told me that his shifts are from 5pm to 11pm, every day but Tuesday and Sunday. And during day he volunteers to clean up the lower quarters or goes to school. I thought you knew."

And how the hell was I supposed to know? Flynn wanted to ask, but his pride prevented him from doing so. Was it a pang of guilt that made him lower his eyes? Or was he simply trying to think all over again about his opinion on Yuri? Still, it didn't take much time to leave a message on the phone. Right, especially after having me tell him that I keep my mobile turned off not to be disturbed. Good job, Flynn. The mention of the rent made him stiffen. He had offered to pay it for Yuri, but that was before Yuri decided to play hero.

The blonde boy sighed, but there was still a hint of irritation in the sigh. "I didn't know. Thanks for telling me. I should go now." he added as he stood up.

"Wait, I'll help you with your stuff." Karol offered, which Flynn accepted gratefully. His mind was bothered with another issue now.

Who's the bigger idiot here?

There was a point that made Rita uneasy just thinking about it; something that was making her look at Duke under a very new angle. She had nothing conclusive, but the more time she spent on her tests, the more doubts filled her head. Even now as she stared at her results, she was still wondering whether she had made a mistake somewhere. After identifying that the disease was caused by a specific molecule, she had tried to find the origin of that molecule, for she was convinced that it was definitely not natural. And the more she dug into it, the more troubling her findings were. She hadn't mentioned it to Duke yet for she needed to confirm a few more facts, but somehow she was beginning to have a bad feeling about it. That was the part of her research that she didn't want Duke to find out; at least, not until she was 100% sure.

For the implications of her results could be very different depending on Duke's reaction to them.

She glanced at her watch which displayed 4.30 pm, meaning that she still had plenty of time before going back to the orphanage.

But today she would not continue her research at the lab; the topic she was currently investigating required her to find information at the town's library. She shoved her notes in her bag and left the school. At 4.50 she crossed the library's doors and went directly to the 'science' wing. There, she scanned the shelves meticulously, her finger following the lines of books and shaking her head from time to time as she read the titles. Finding nothing, she headed for the science magazines and newspapers shelves and skimmed through the covers. Her face finally lit up.

A few minutes of inspection found her with a pile of magazines in her arms which she dropped on a nearby table. She then sat down and opened the first one, flipping the pages until she reached the article she wanted. The title displayed in bold letter: "Duke Pantarei: from science to cosmetics." She readied a paper and a pen, and began reading.

"Yuri! Three coffees for table 6!"

"Right away!" Yuri replied behind the bar. It wasn't even 8 pm yet the pub was already buzzing with activity. Waiters and waitresses were almost running from a table to another, and into the kitchen, and at the bar. The rush reminded Yuri of when he was still working at the Square 9, and he had actually kind of missed it. He had to work non-stop for several hours every evening, he would go to the lower quarters whenever he had free time, and would come back home pretty much exhausted every night, but in fact it wasn't so bad. At least it kept his mind busy from less pleasant thoughts and allowed him to pay his rent.

Yuri let out a small sigh as he prepared the third cup of coffee. The drawback was that he had no time left for Flynn, though apparently the latter didn't seem to mind it that much. I have to go see him soon, he kept repeating to himself, to apologize again until he decides to talk to me again. However, his determination to win Flynn back was greatly undermined by the lack of time that his new job induced. And if he was honest with himself, he had to admit that he was a bit pissed by Flynn's behaviour. Maybe it was stubbornness, yet Yuri couldn't help but feel that it wasn't completely fair to be the only one apologizing. Of course he was the one who had made the most mistakes, but it didn't give Flynn the right to ignore him so blatantly, did it?

Or was their relationship so shallow that one blow was all it took to end it? No, no way. He put the three coffees on a tray and brought it to table 6. As far as relationships were concerned, Flynn was his first and only one, leaving Yuri completely ignorant of whether it was normal to give up on someone so easily. Still, despite his inexperience, something deep inside him kept telling him that this wasn't how things should end with Flynn. The latter hadn't mentioned anything about breaking up either, which was about the only string of hope Yuri could cling to. He brought back the tray to the bar and resumed washing the glasses. The past few days had been too time-consuming for Yuri to dwell long on the matter, but every night, right before going to sleep, he would find himself feeling terribly lonely and void inside, as if a significant part of him was missing.

But it was only Flynn who was missing.

"Yuri! Two martinis and a home special, table 9!"

"Coming!" he replied.

No matter how hard he tried to lie to himself, the truth would always come back at him like a slap at his face: he needed Flynn badly, so badly it left him with a constant bitter taste in the throat. And every time, he would swear to go and see Flynn on the next day. And then on the next day, he'd be too busy again. His fingers contracted unconsciously around the bottle of martini he was holding; this wasn't good at all, he was being distracted too much.

The door of the pub opened, and Yuri's heart failed a beat when the new customer stepped in. He could have recognized that blonde hair and those lagoon eyes anywhere. What the hell is he doing here?! was the first thought that crossed Yuri's mind. What was he supposed to do? Flynn didn't seem to have seen him yet though he was obviously looking for something – or someone. It could be a mere coincidence, Flynn could actually have an appointment with someone else, and it just happened to be at this pub. 'Sodia' was the first name that came to him. He focused back on preparing his cocktail, shaking his head. It was ridiculous. Flynn never went to pubs, except when Yuri was still working at one.

In spite of himself, his heart started beating more quickly as a foolish hope budded in him. Yet, that hope seemed like the most probable explanation to Flynn's presence there.

"Yuri."

The mere fact of having his name called by the voice he had secretly hoped to hear almost made him leap of joy. Raising his head, he found himself staring straight into Flynn's eyes, those very same eyes which never failed to trigger a whirlpool of emotions in him. Tonight wasn't different. None of them spoke nor moved for a while, until Flynn finally sighed, looking away.

"Karol told me where to find you. I see you managed to find a new job." the blonde boy said casually.

"So now you deign talk to me?" As soon as those words slipped past his lips, he felt like biting his tongue. Idiot! Damn it, you idiot! "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." he added hastily, but it was too late. The scowl on Flynn's face was eloquent enough. However, much to Yuri's surprise, he didn't snap back.

"It's fine." he said instead. "It's true that I did ignore you, after all."

Awkward silence settled between them, making Yuri nervous, especially as some waiters had started glancing at them. "Listen, I've got a lot of work to do tonight, so if you could be quick and just tell me what you want..."

Flynn opened his mouth as if to say something, but he changed his mind at the last second and shook his head with irritation. "Nothing." he replied dryly. "I won't bother you any longer if you're so busy."

On those words, Flynn turned round and stepped angrily towards the exit. At that moment, Yuri knew he should have called him back, he knew he should have prevented the other boy from leaving, and yet he found himself unable to let any sound go past his throat. Perhaps it was because he didn't want to attract too much attention, or perhaps he was simply too coward. In any case, when the door closed after Flynn, Yuri could only curse silently at his own stupidity. Flynn had gone so far as to come here and talk to him, and the only thing Yuri had found to do was to chase him away. If this wasn't the epitome of idiocy, then he didn't know what was.

"Yuri! One expresso for table 12!"

The long-haired boy sighed again. "Coming!" he replied.

The next day was Tuesday, and afternoon found Flynn trying to take his clothes out from the washing machine, fold them and put them in the cupboard. The task proved difficult with one arm bound in a sling and a headache dizzying him about. He hadn't checked yet, but he suspected a beginning of fever as well. And to top it all, someone just had to ring at the intercom in the middle of the process. Clicking his tongue of annoyance, he soon found himself biting his lip when he heard Yuri's voice through the device. However, he only hesitated a mere second before pressing the button to open the door. Why did he even do it? On the previous night, Yuri had made it clear that he was too busy to talk. Flynn could find a similar excuse.

But maybe he was tired of that game. Maybe he was tired of the pointless hassle that would be brought up whenever he thought of Yuri. Maybe he was actually tired of lying to himself and pretending that he didn't care about Yuri anymore. It didn't mean that he was ready to forgive him that easily.

When Yuri finally showed up at his door, Flynn noticed the bag in his hand and the sweet smell coming from it.

"Hi, Flynn."

"Good evening, Yuri. Not working tonight?" the blonde boy asked more dryly than intended, though he already knew the answer. Karol had told him before that Yuri didn't work on Tuesdays.

"I'm free on Tuesdays." the latter replied. With a hint of hesitation, he went on: "I won't bother you long. I just wanted to give you this. For dinner." he said as he handed the bag to Flynn who made no gesture to take it. A small sigh escaped Yuri's lips. "I suppose you don't want it. It's fine, I'll–"

"I'll take it." Flynn cut him in and grabbed the bag with his valid arm. "Thank you." His throbbing headache convinced him that he could do with some good food.

"You're welcome." Yuri replied, visibly happy that Flynn had accepted the present. His eyes lingered for a heartbeat on Flynn's wrist, where his bracelet was, and the blonde boy could have sworn he saw relief in Yuri's eyes. "Also... I wanted to know how your shoulder is doing."

"It's healing." The migraine is another story, though.

"Oh, that's good to hear." Yuri paused for a second. "Listen, Flynn... I'm really sorry about yesterday."

Flynn looked at the boy who had now lowered his eyes, and in spite of himself, sympathy seized him. He could see that Yuri was trying hard, that he was doing his best to make amend. He could see how desperate he was to make it up to him. How could he ignore that? Flynn's heart was not made of stone.

"Come in." he finally heard himself say after a while, even though the only thing he wanted now was to finish folding his clothes and get his leaden limbs to rest. Still, he stepped aside and let Yuri in, then went to put the bag on the table of the kitchen. When he turned back to Yuri, he'd expected the latter to be on the sofa, but no, he was still standing in the middle of the living room like a polite guest who came for the first time to this place.

Flynn sighed silently. "Have a seat." he said as he took place on the armchair in front of Yuri, pinching the bridge of his nose. He should have taken some aspirin. The dark-haired boy was looking at the floor, his fingers laced.

"I'm sorry about yesterday." he repeated after a few seconds of plain silence. "It wasn't my intention to drive you away. I was... busy. It's no excuse, I know, but–"

"It's fine." Flynn interrupted him with a neutral tone. "I understand that you had a lot of work to do."

"I was actually happy that you came. I really was. So I must apologize for being rude yesterday."

"There's something much more important about you I'm upset about. You had made a promise to me, and you broke it." Flynn decided that there was no point in delaying the most delicate topic. The quicker the matter was settled, the quicker he'd be able to go sleep. "I trusted you to act reasonably, and you proved my decision to trust you wrong."

"You weren't the most reasonable one either." Yuri retorted, now staring into Flynn's eyes.

Touché, Flynn thought, but he wasn't going to let Yuri put all the blame on him. His mood was already bad to begin with, he didn't need Yuri to worsen it. "I don't remember promising anyone not to go to the lower quarters." he replied dryly.

Yuri pursed his lips in annoyance. "Listen, I'm really sorry I lied to you. I know I shouldn't have, I know you trusted me and I know I've failed your trust. For all of that I apologize." Cooling down his tone, he went on: "I... just want to make up for it somehow. But I don't know how. I don't know what you want me to do to show you that I'm honestly sorry. If you need me to apologize a hundred times to you everyday, I'll do it. If you want me to starve for a month, I'll do it. If you want me to cook for you everyday, I'll do it. Hell, if you want me to ace all my exams, then I'll do it too." Yuri's gaze hadn't left Flynn a single second, and the blonde boy could see all the determination – and the despair – in his eyes. Under other circumstances, it could have almost been amusing. For now thought, Flynn chose to remain sceptical.

"What value should I put to your words? You already broke your promise once, you could do it again."

"Flynn, no... Please believe me. I know that I did you wrong. But can't you understand even just a bit why I did it anyway?" Yuri let an exasperated sigh. "The lower quarters were my home for three years, I owe the people there a lot, there was no way I couldn't go and do whatever I could to help them back. And I knew that if I told you about it, you'd have tried to convince me not to go – and you'd have probably succeeded." he added bitterly.

The last part came as a surprise to Flynn. He managed to conceal his surprise, though. "I don't remember your ever listening to anything I'd say to you."

Yuri seemed not to know what to answer. His face hardened, a crease appeared between his brows. "This is getting nowhere. If you have already decided that you won't ever believe a single word of what I say, then I don't see why I should keep going. I've told you I'm ready to do whatever you ask to prove you that I really want to make it up to you, but if you won't even give me a chance..."

"What if I ask you to never show yourself to me again? What if I want you to leave me alone and forget about me?" Flynn interrupted him, and his own words felt like a hundred blades stabbing him inwardly. The tiny voice in his head was shouting at him to stop this immediately before it went too far. "Would you still do it?" he continued anyway, ignoring his body tensing up in spite of himself.

Yuri's eyes opened wide, and the pain and disbelief Flynn saw in them almost made him falter. But right now, his migraine was hammering his skull and probably making his thoughts foggy. He was simply pissed, and well intended on showing it to Yuri. Despite his self-struggling, he managed to keep a composed face as he waited for Yuri's answer.

The latter had lowered his head, and after a few seconds, he stood up silently, staring straight into Flynn's eyes.

"I'm sorry, but that's the only thing I couldn't do." he replied with a low and trembling voice. "Even if that's really what you want, there's no way you can force me to forget about you. And if you really want me to leave you alone, then... sorry, that won't happen. I refuse to leave you, because... I need you, damn it!" Yuri clenched his fists. "Maybe you don't feel that way about me anymore, but I still do, and asking me never to see you again is something I can't bear! I just can't! At the very least, ask me to jump from a bridge or something, that way we'll both be content! You won't have me in your way anymore, and at least I won't have to bear with staying away from you. If that's really what you want–"

"Yuri, stop this immediately." Flynn snapped angrily as he stood on his feet, almost staggering when his head went giddy on him. He closed the distance between both boys and grabbed Yuri's collar roughly, ignoring the pain in his right shoulder. "You're an idiot if you think I'd ever ask you to kill yourself. You're even more of an idiot if you still haven't understood that you should value your life! That's what I'm the most pissed about, Yuri! You always think it's fine for you to sacrifice yourself, but you never think about how others could feel if something happens to you! You tend to forget that there are people who may actually worry about you, who may actually dread the mere idea of your putting yourself into danger and who may actually only wish for you to realize that throwing your life away is the last thing they want!" he vented his anger on Yuri, pouring out the frustration that had piled up inside of him for too long. "And don't you dare tell me that you chose to keep things hidden from me because you didn't want me to worry! If you really don't want people to worry about you, then you shouldn't start involving yourself with them, to begin with! If you decide to have friends, you have to take their feelings into consideration!" Flynn finished, almost panting after letting the steam off. He let go of Yuri's collar and turned away, his fist shaking slightly and an expression of pain mixed with irritation clearly visible on his face. Gosh, I really need some rest. I must be running a fever.

Silence settled between them, leaving a dumbfounded and speechless Yuri staring at Flynn. He hadn't expected such an outburst from the normally composed boy, and each word had felt like an ice needle on his flesh. He wanted to protest, he really wanted to, because there was no way he was going to let himself be beaten so easily, was it? And yet, his mind seemed to deny him the right to find anything sensible to snap back, and the mere sight of Flynn standing in front of him without looking at him was enough to mute any objections he may have. He felt his cheeks warm up, but it wasn't of embarrassment; it was another feeling, stronger and cutting deeper. He was being overwhelmed with shame. Shame for thinking so selfishly, for neglecting Flynn's feelings even though he had experienced the same panic when Flynn had shown up at the lower quarters.

He tried remembering exactly the moment when he had seen Flynn fall backward, when he had thought that his world was about to end. The knot in his throat loosened a bit, though his voice was hoarse when he finally spoke:

"I... I'm sorry, Flynn. I really am." he repeated sincerely. "You're right, I was an idiot."

"This goes beyond idiocy." Flynn replied acidly, still not meeting his gaze.

"Probably." he said softly, "I didn't realize how much you cared."

The last sentence triggered a violent reaction from Flynn. He promptly turned his eyes to Yuri, and they were ablaze with anger. "You're right. I cared about your life. I cared a lot, but apparently you never realized it, so perhaps it's better for me not to care anymore." he let out with clear exasperation. "It'd be much easier, don't you think? That way you won't have to worry about lying to me anymore, and I won't have to worry about burying and mourning you. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right?" he added with no compassion in his tone.

Upon hearing Flynn's words, Yuri felt like he truly understood how an icy shower could feel, for it was exactly the state his mind and body was in.

"Y-You're not serious, Flynn..." he stuttered, eyes widened in disbelief. His legs threaten to fail him while no other retort could come out from his mouth. "You don't... you can't–"

"I can't?" Flynn would have crossed his arms with disdain if he had been able to. "Since when do I need your permission to do whatever I want? You seem to have no problem with that behaviour yourself."

"I already said I'm sorry about it!" Yuri's tone was a mix of anger and despair. How long did Flynn intend to play that card? Yuri was most certainly the one in the wrong there, but what was done was done! He had already apologized countless times about it, why was Flynn being so stubborn today? He wasn't acting like the usual Flynn he knew! "Just how many times do I need to tell you? I swear this is the last time I act on my own like that!"

"You swear?" Flynn flared up. "Then let me ask you again: just how much worth can I put in your word this time?"

"I–I really mean it, damn it! But if that thick head of yours can't get it, then why even talk to me in the first place?" Yuri snapped back, not caring that the situation was degenerating quickly. "I already told you I'd do anything to prove you that I'm serious about repairing my mistakes, but if you don't want to give me another change, then just say so already and stop wasting my time."

"Then I guess this conversation is over. I wouldn't want to keep you any longer, with your busy schedule and everything." Flynn replied coldly. Just get out so I can finally get some aspirin and some sleep, he thought while cursing mentally at his headache which wouldn't leave him alone.

"Fine! I'm off!" Yuri was already storming out of the place, pissed, when Flynn's voice stopped him.

"Wait."

A foolish surge of hope seized Yuri – hope that Flynn was calling him back to apologize and resume a more civilized conversation – but it soon receded when he turned around and saw Flynn pick an envelope on the table and walk to him with a placid expression on his face.

"Here." he handed Yuri the envelope.

"Wha–What the hell is this?" Yuri frowned as he opened it. The envelope contained a check.

"I did say I'd pay for your rent." Flynn answered dryly.

Yuri's face darkened. Was it rage that rendered him unable to reply? He simply couldn't believe Flynn would bring such a trivial topic over at such a time. His shaking hand let the envelope – and the check – fall at his feet before exiting Flynn's place with one last glare and slamming the door behind him once and for all.

The blonde boy stood in front of the door for several seconds, his mind unable to decide what to do and how to feel. He gritted his teeth. Well, if Yuri's refusing his help was a clear sign that they didn't have anything to do with each other anymore.

Dropping back on the sofa, he lay on it and covered his closed and heavy eyelids with his arm, too tired to bring his thoughts to a deeper level of reflection. The only thing he wanted now was sleep.

Yuri didn't expect the hard blow on his head. "Hey, what the hell did you do that for?! Normally it's Karol you hit!" he protested as Rita snorted. The younger boy looked offended and was about to answer back but Rita was quicker:

"You deserved it, you moron." she merely said before she resumed to cut her carrots to tiny cubes. Karol was busy peeling potatoes while Yuri was preparing the meat for the kids' dinner at the orphanage. Another assistant had fallen sick, and the shortage of staff was starting to become a worrying issue. Today being Sunday, Yuri had no shift and had agreed to help his friends a bit. The conversation had quickly drifted to sensitive topics, such as how things were progressing between him and Flynn.

"How did I deserve it? He was the damn stubborn one!" The knife he was holding made a sharp noise on the chopping board as he sliced the meat. "I told him I was sorry a hundred times, but no, his Highness just won't hear a thing." Yuri said with irritation.

"I'm not saying you're the only one at fault," Rita retorted, "and rest assured that I've also told Flynn what I think of his behaviour. But try putting yourself in his shoes for a moment. He's got a dislocated shoulder, which means, to my knowledge, extreme pain, unpleasant nights, inability to do common tasks and which results in natural irritation, strain, more irritation and even more strain. Then there's the fact that you're partly responsible for his being in this state since he basically went to the lower quarters out of concern for your life. Now you arrive and you spout some nonsense about being ready to die. Did you honestly think he wouldn't be pissed at you?"

"Well I wasn't really thinking when I said that!" Yuri snapped, annoyed. "But he was being so stubborn I didn't know what I could do for him to listen. No matter how much I apologized, he kept saying he didn't give a damn!"

"That's why I also whacked him." Rita shrugged. "As I said, both of you are to blame."

"You did?" Yuri cocked an eyebrow. "When?"

"The other day, at school. Happened to stumble on him at the entrance."

"I'd have liked to see that." the long-haired male mumbled, earning himself another hit on the head.

"Ouch! What again?"

"That was for changing the topic." Rita replied sternly as Karol stifled a laugh. Yuri glared at him. "I told you he's not in the best state of mind ever and the only thing you can think of is to see him being whacked."

"I didn't say that!"

"Then what do you plan to do?" she asked sharply.

The chopping sound stopped as Yuri paused and laid the knife on the table. He then sighed loudly and sat down on a nearby stool.

"I don't know." he replied miserably. "I really don't."

Rita looked at him reproachfully, but it was Karol who spoke: "Why don't you just help him? I mean, since he can't use his arm, you could help him do various stuff at home." he suggested. Yuri shook his head.

"Nah, I'm quite sure he won't even let me step into his flat now." he said, dejected. "I mean, I'd like to, but he probably wouldn't want me to."

"We can go talk to him." Karol offered.

Yuri's eyes lit up. "You'd do that?"

"Sure!"

"Well..." Yuri hesitated a bit, "Let me try first, and then if he still refuses to listen to me, I may ask for your help."

"Works for me. What do you think, Rita?"

The girl rolled her eyes. "That you and Flynn are even more of a handful than all the kids here altogether."

And for the first time in ages, Yuri actually laughed.

It was past 6 pm when Karol knocked carefully on the door of the laboratory. Receiving no answer, he opened it even more carefully and tiptoed inside. The first thing that caught his ears was a faint snoring sound; turning his head to where it was coming from, he let out a silent sigh and shook his head when he saw Rita asleep on her working bench among scattered papers. The girl had already spent two nights at school, despite Karol's protests, but she had been so vehement on staying and finishing her "sneaking around" – as she called it – that Karol had to yield. Today however, he had the firm intention of bringing her back, even by force.

Walking closer to the bench, he was about to shake the brunette awake when a paper caught his attention. It was one of Rita's notes which she had scribbled with a pencil, and in the middle of the paper was a word which had been circled and underlined several times. Karol frowned. Elucifer, he read mentally. What kind of name was that?

Well, he could always ask Rita later. If he survived waking her up and dragging her back to the orphanage.

Saying a mental prayer, he shook her shoulder.

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A/N: O_O The coming days are gonna be a bit shaky for me so I'm updating this before I break a nerve or something. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and yes Flynn and Yuri are retards in this chapter. No one's perfect. A big thanks to the brave people who review my stuff :] You rock.