I just…like bodies. No, not like that! I mean, I like the feeling of someone's skin against mine. I like to feel the muscle, fat, and bone when I press my body against theirs. I like that I can hear their heartbeat, their breathing. Everything works together, forming a complex symphony of sounds and textures, even smells and tastes. I think that's why I like kissing so much. It's kind of a combination of everything. Aren't bodies wonderful?

Of course he would use a musical analogy. Just like Gaius couldn't stop talking about the winds, Elliot couldn't stop talking about music. Did Crow have something like that? Girls, maybe.

But, no. Back then, he couldn't have told anyone—not Elliot, not Machias, not Alisa, and certainly not Rean—about what was truly important to him.

The "common room" downstairs was the same as he remembered it. Apparently, the middle-class furniture here was good enough for whoever had used this building after Class VII. It seemed to serve its purpose for Elliot, who was making notes on his sheet music. His work ethic was impressive.

How much pain had Elliot had to endure by himself, with everyone fussing over Rean? He and Crow hadn't really been dating, but their time together had been more special than Crow had been willing to admit at the time.

Crow had never stopped thinking about Rean. That much was true. But he had never stopped thinking about Elliot, either. Those nights they had spent sleeping in the same bed, Elliot's warm, smaller body curled up in Crow's arms; those conversations they'd had about music and girls (and guys); those kisses they'd exchanged more times than they should have, especially with Crow telling himself that getting this close to his fellow students could only lead to disaster.

By all rights, Elliot shouldn't even want to look at Crow. But just like Rean, Alisa, and all the rest, Elliot had been overcome with joy to see him again.

Elliot had put his sheet music away, and was now apparently staring into space. Crow approached him from behind and threw his arms around his shoulders.

"Elliot," he said, in an overly cheerful voice, "let's sleep together!"

"Geez, Crow." Elliot, who had jumped a little (much to Crow's delight), placed his hands over Crow's arms. "Don't scare me like that. By 'sleep together,' what exactly are you proposing?"

Crow gave an exaggerated yawn. "I mean that literally. I know you've been saving yourself for me, but I don't know if I could be in top performance tonight."

"Saving myself?" Elliot shrugged out of Crow's loving embrace and stood up. "You wish. My bed's too small for both of us, but sharing yours does sound nice."

"Awww." Crow pouted. "But I wanted to see what kind of magazines you keep under the mattress."

Elliot chuckled, but when he looked up at Crow, he got a wistful, faraway look in his eyes. "Your hair's gotten longer, Crow."

"So has yours," Crow said, gently tugging on Elliot's ponytail. "It's really adorable on you. Less so for me, I think."

Elliot smiled sadly. "A lot has changed. But it suits you in its own way."

It really did feel better to be in bed with someone.

Elliot had grown, but it was mostly in height, so it wasn't at all difficult for Crow to hold him like he used to. "Hey." He tapped Elliot's nose. "Wanna make out a little?"

"Hm?" Elliot sounded like he had been falling asleep. It must be nice to not have to lie awake for forty-five minutes.

"I might not be that horny, but I admit, I had ulterior motives in inviting you to my bed." Crow's fingers traced Elliot's jawline, and he couldn't help but envy the softness of his skin. "I'll explain it to you afterward. I mean, if you don't have a problem."

"No, I don't have a problem." Crow wasn't sure, but he thought he heard a smile in Elliot's voice. "I was wondering if I'd ever get to kiss you again."

When their lips met, it was as though the two men had never separated. Elliot responded to the gentle caresses of Crow's tongue with the same eager whimpers as before—God, but he loved the sound of those moans—and gripped the back of Crow's tank top with the same intensity that he had clutched at Crow's uniform.

However, it was clear Elliot had learned some things since the last time. He met and matched Crow's passion with his own, nibbling along Crow's jawline, kissing his neck and collarbone, even finding some sensitive spots Crow hadn't even been aware of. At one point, he pushed Crow onto his back and straddled his waist, just like Crow used to do with him.

"Wow," Crow panted when they were finished. "Who taught you all that?"

"Oh, you know. I picked it up here and there." Elliot sounded pleased with himself. "Having multiple partners will do that."

"Guess so." Gelica had taught him a few things about kissing—in theory, of course, not in practice. "So…" He cleared his throat. "Did anything about my body seem…strange to you?"

"Not at all." Elliot placed his hand over Crow's heart. "You have a wonderful body, Crow. It's warm—"

"Most bodies are."

"—and solid. Like Rean's, but more confident." He moved closer and rested his head against Crow's chest. "Your heartbeat has a rich, healthy sound to it. Your breath comes clear and passionate, like a heavy gale on a summer night."

Crow shook his head. "Now you're starting to sound like Gaius." He wrapped an arm around Elliot's shoulders. "But you're more cuddly than he is."

"I wouldn't say that," Elliot said. "But why did you think your body would feel strange to me?"

Elliot's patience was impressive, for he said nothing as Crow took his time in putting his thoughts together. After about a minute, he answered, "After all I've done—and especially after that—I wonder if I'm even human before. Sometimes, I feel like I haven't really crossed back over from the land of the dead. It's like there's this..this barrier between myself and everyone else. I don't know. Maybe it's not that different from before. My time in Class VII was a lot of fun, but I felt detached from you all, because I knew that I would betray you soon.

"I told myself I shouldn't, but when I kissed you, Elliot, or lay down with you—it was like an addiction. It felt so good to feel your lips against mine, to run my hands through your hair and over your skin. I thought it was cute that you kissed me so passionately, but weren't ready to go past that."

"But you always respected my boundaries," Elliot reminded him. "I loved that about you. You never made me feel like you would coerce me into anything."

Crow kissed the top of his head. "I still used you. Just like I used Towa. I can't think of it as anything else when I was so dishonest with both of you. And I'm sorry." He could barely make out Elliot's silhouette in the darkness, but something told him that Elliot was about to protest his words. "Elliot, don't make a fuss. I haven't been beating myself up over it. I know I'm forgiven."

"Good." Elliot tapped Crow's nose. "Because I thought I'd have to inform you that I don't share beds with anyone I haven't forgiven. I'm not that kind of guy."

"It's just…" Crow swallowed, and his next words came out with a slight tremor. "After all I've done—both before and after—sometimes I just want reassurance from someone that I'm still human. Do you ever feel that way?"

Elliot interlaced his fingers with Crow's. "Yeah," he said softly. "I do."

And he gave Crow a gentle kiss.

Crow couldn't remember what time he fell asleep, but when he woke several hours later, Elliot was just…staring at him.

"Good morning," Crow said.

"Hey," Elliot greeted him. "Sorry for staring, but I was wondering something. Doesn't it seem like Rean's eyes looked a little brighter yesterday? Just a little. But I think maybe Towa said something that helped him."

"Hmm." Crow considered Elliot's words. "Now that I think about it…he did seem to be eating those fish burgers I made with more gusto than usual." He patted Elliot's head. "I don't think it's just Towa, though. We did good. All of us."

Elliot was grinning from ear to ear. "I think so, too." Then, his expression changed, and he removed Crow's hand from his head and pressed it against his cheek. "And in case you didn't get the reassurance you wanted last night…You're human, Crow. As human as any of us. And we love you. So don't get any ideas that we don't, all right?"

Crow rolled over, turning his back to Elliot. "Yeah, yeah. Any more of that mush and you'll start to sound like Rean. One guy like him is bad enough."

But it wasn't that he was embarrassed by Elliot's words. He just didn't want Elliot to see him, beaming like an idiot, with his face strawberry-red.

Because that would be embarrassing.