A Different Fate

by Musal

What if Train didn't know Creed killed Saya? What if he believed it was Chronos? What if Train helped Creed create the Apostles to get revenge on Chronos? What happens when Train learns the truth? CxT

40. What The Heart Wants

Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat or its characters.

---

Creed was trapped in a small, dimly lit, empty room with dark red walls, but was unable to see what was creating the light. He looked all around for some source of the light, but found nothing. The ceiling and floors were just as red as the walls, completely vacant of anything except the sinister color. However, there was something about the color that was off putting to Creed. Something that told him to get a better look.

Not feeling safe getting any closer than he already was, he squinted at the walls, wanting to make sure he was as far away from them as possible for the time being. As he stared, he could have sworn he saw the paint move, like a wave in the ocean just before a storm materialized. Feeling vulnerable, but needing to figure out where he was, Creed leaned forward a little to get a better look at the frisky red, then jumped slightly when he saw a rather large bubble erupt from the location he was staring at.

Creed frowned and looked down at the ground, deciding maybe it was safer to look where he was standing since nothing had happened to his feet yet. He kneeled on the ground slowly, watching as the floor vibrated lightly from his small movement. As he stared, he realized that he was able to see his own reflection and felt his heart shake a little at what he saw. It was difficult to make out fully what was on his face, but as he leaned closer, he could see there was blood slowly falling down his forehead.

He delicately dabbed the spot where he saw the blood, pulling his hand away with a confused frown when he realized there was nothing here. He poked at the spot a few more times, able to feel the substance slowly falling down his forehead, but not able to wipe himself free of it. It seemed as though the liquid didn't want to stick to his fingers. Getting frustrated, he wiped his fingers across his forehead, applying more pressure in an attempt to remove it. When he pulled his hand away and saw nothing, he growled and ran his fingers violently through his hair, trying to find where the wound was that caused his phantom blood to appear.

Creed pulled both his hands back and stared at them, watching as they began to shake fiercely but still seeing no blood. He also did not feel any pain when he attacked his own head, which led him to believe that he was not injured. That thought caused him to look up at the ceiling and his eyes widened at what he saw. Train was hanging in a cocoon of blood, eyes shut as he hovered lifelessly above the silver man's head.

"TRAIN!" He shouted as he tried to reach up to grab his beloved. As soon as he did, the cocoon pulled Train higher up, just out of Creed's reach.

Creed cursed loudly and growled savagely as he jumped in the air, trying to reach his Kitten once more. The cocoon that held his love pulled Train even higher, as if mocking him and his helpless situation. As he leapt again, his fingers barely grazed Train's hair and as he did so he noticed the ceiling was moving away from him. Growling again, Creed squatted down as far as he could and threw himself in the air, grabbing onto Train's shoulders and sighing in relief.

"It's okay, Train. I've got you. I'll get us out of here."

He tried to pull down, but the blood surrounding his beloved was relentless. He kicked and flailed his feet widely, pulling his arms as hard as he could to dislodge his love. Sweat began to fall down his face and mix with the blood that stained his face as he struggled to free Train. After a few minutes, the ceiling moved even farther away from him, yanking his beloved out of his grasp and pulling him even higher up.

Creed fell to the floor with a loud splash, but was on his feet immediately to try and leap towards Train again. However, as he looked up, he noticed Train and the ceiling were no longer there. Now when he looked up, all he saw was a large vastness of black, the nightfall seemingly infinite as Creed desperately tried to search for his love.

"TRAIN!"

He leapt as high as he could again over and over again, but each was more pointless than the last. Creed tried to jump one more time, but as soon as he tried to shoot himself off the ground, he felt his ankles being held in place. He fell face forward back to the ground, then looked at his feet to see what happened. He growled and yanked his feet forcefully out of the blood that wrapped around them, then looked back up at the ceiling.

"TRAIN! TRAIN, CAN YOU HEAR ME!"

His cries for his beloved left his mouth powerfully, but disappeared immediately as they entered the dark void hanging perilously above his head. He clenched in fists in rage mixed with desperation, then looked down quickly when he felt the warm liquid wrapping around his legs. He pulled them out and stood up quickly before it could grab him again, then searched the room for some kind of exit. He needed to find Train and he couldn't do that if he was trapped in this room with this possessive, thick blood.

As he took a step forward, he felt his foot get stuck again. He cursed once more and pulled his foot out, having to repeat the motion with each step he took. It seemed like the more he moved, the more alive the blood became and acted as if it wanted revenge on Creed for some kind of offense he had caused it. He worked out that the best way to prevent the spiteful substance from absorbing him like it had his beloved was to keep moving. It didn't have a chance to hold him hostage when he was jumping to save Train, so he believed that was the best course of action to get him out of there.

"I'm coming, Train! Whoever is doing this won't win! They can't have you!"

He made sure to move himself quickly, relieved to see his hypothesis was working. The quicker he moved, the less time the blood had to try and trap him. Feeling that his feet were completely free, Creed picked up the pace and ran even faster towards one of the walls. However, the faster he moved, the farther away the wall seemed to be. He sprinted towards the wall, ignoring the blood that was slowly starting to cover his face and blur his vision. All he could think about was Train. He needed to get to his Kitten. He needed to save his beloved.

"I'll find you, Train! No matter what!"

His lungs were beginning to burn with how fast he was running towards the wall, but it seemed like the faster he ran, the faster the wall moved away from him. When he took another breath, he choked slightly on the blood that entered his mouth and slid down his throat. He had to stop and regain his composure, then cursed loudly as his standstill gave the blood time to wrap around his feet and pin him to the ground.

Creed wrenched his feet from the liquid and started his sprint over. It took a while to build the speed he had before since he had to fight the blood all over again. He wiped his forehead free of the sweat, but the blood did not move. Instead, it fell even faster down his face, as if the blood was his sweat and was trying to cool him off. With each swipe of his arm, Creed's hand was soaked in his sweat, but not an ounce of blood had left his face.

He screamed loudly at the wall that was still moving away from him, as if taunting him in his impotent state. Deciding he could not reach it on his own, he reached to his hip to grab his Imagine Blade. He figured if he could extend it long enough to reach the wall, maybe he could fling himself forward or stop the wall from moving. His heart froze when his hand touched his hip, feeling his legs beginning to grow weak from how hard he was pumping them.

"GOD DAMNIT! WHERE IS IT!?"

His Imagine Blade was not there. He stopped and turned around quickly, running back where he came from to search for his sword. Creed made sure to kick his knees up high so his feet would not touch the blood, but that only tired him out faster. As he ran, he kept his eyes on the ground, watching the bubbling and rippling blood beneath him for any glimpses of his sword. Every time his feet fell back to the ground, he noticed how deep the blood was getting, as if it was slowly rising.

He cursed again and looked back up, his lungs burning with lack of oxygen and his body coursing with adrenaline as the blood continued pouring down his face. His vision was beginning to blur from how tired his body was and the blood that was covering his eyes. Again, he tried to wipe it away, but to no avail as it clung selfishly to his face. He looked around the room, trying to figure out where he had originally come from and realized the room's moving walls and the rising blood made it impossible to know which way was which. He was completely disoriented, but knew he couldn't stop moving. If he did, the blood would trap him.

Creed screamed in a furious rage and took another deep breath, trying to get oxygen in his lungs. Each time he took a breath, more blood entered his mouth and he was beginning to feel his lungs fill with the ominous, red liquid instead of the auspicious, clean air. He coughed loudly, trying to remove the substance from his organs and checked his hand to see if anything came out. Creed cursed again when he saw nothing but his own spit and looked up to see if Train had made an appearance again. As soon as he looked up, he heard a distant voice that made his heart skip a beat and stop in his steps.

"Train?! Train, is that you?!"

He heard his beloved's voice call out to him again, his whole body shaking with exhaustion as he searched frantically for Train. Creed looked to the left where he thought the voice was coming from, then darted off in that direction. It was getting harder to wade through the blood since it was now halfway up his shin, making it impossible for him to run anymore . Even if the liquid wasn't slowly rising, his body was too weak from his constant sprinting and slow suffocation of the blood that he didn't think he'd be able to if he tried.

Creed pushed his legs through the blood, watching as certain spots around him erupted and bubbled violently, either warning or daring him to stop. He didn't care what the avaricious blood's message was since the only thing that mattered to him was finding Train. His beloved's voice was getting louder as he moved, giving Creed the strength and courage he needed to keep pushing forward.

"Train! Where are you?! Just tell me where you are and I can find you!"

Each time Train spoke, the blood around his legs became even higher and the blood on his face clung tighter to his skin. He was now waist deep in the substance and his face was almost completely covered. Creed could only see what was directly in front of him, since the red liquid had begun to completely engulf his entire face. He tried to take another deep breath, desperate to get air into his body so he could keep moving forward to find Train. That was the only thought he had in his mind as he trudged ahead, squinting as he tried to keep his body upright which was becoming an arduous task the more he moved.

He heard Train call out to him again, but the only thing he was able to make out was his name. Everything else his love said was mumbled nonsense, as if Train didn't know himself what he was saying. As if he was just talking to Creed for the sake of talking. It didn't matter to Creed. All that mattered was that Train kept talking so he could find him. He felt like he was getting closer despite how high the blood now was.

"Just keep talking, Train! I'll find you!"

The blood was now around his chest and he had to raise his arms up so they could continue to help propelling him forward. At that point he was completely blinded by the blood that adhered to his face, replacing his pearly, white skin with a deep, malevolent red. He could barely breathe and knew if he didn't find Train soon, he was going to be completely taken by the liquid. Again, Creed didn't care. Despite not being able to see and barely being able to breathe, he could still hear Train and as long as he could hear Train, he would find him.

"I've always been able to find you, Train! I won't let you leave my grasp again! I won't let you disappear from my life!"

He heard Train call out to one more time, his voice despondent, yet loving as he spoke and the blood rose to Creed's chin. Creed made a few more forceful movements towards his love's voice before the blood rose to his nose, then his eyes. Creed reached his hands out and clawed at the top layer of the blood, trying to free himself as it rose to the top of his head. He tried to pull himself up, but the blood rose even higher, filling the room completely and giving Creed nowhere else to go.

As darkness slowly overtook him, Creed heard Train call out to him one more time, finally able to make out what he had been saying. He felt his heart break at his beloved's sweet, somber words, wishing he could cry, wishing he could say the words back to Train, but finding that he couldn't do any of those things. The only thing he could do was curl up in a ball and shut his eyes, wrapping his arms around his knees as he floated desolately in the tank of blood.

Unable to speak, Creed thought the words as loud as he could, praying his love would hear them, wherever he was. "I love you too, Train…"

---

Train watched as a Chronos issued doctor inspected Creed's unconscious body. It was the fourth day after their run in with the Apostles and Creed still hadn't woken up. He followed Sephiria's purposefully vague orders and brought him and Creed to the mansion they were at the first time they were hiding. However, Train was smart enough to realize that Sephiria wouldn't have been able to send someone immediately after he left the fight since she had her hands full with the Apostles, so he made a pit stop to their house first.

It was a difficult and stressful decision to make, but he knew Eve would have been able to do something for Creed until Sephiria could send a doctor. He had to be careful that none of their new strays saw him, which meant he had to be precise about where he landed. Train was in a lot of pain, but he managed to flash himself outside of Eve's room and wake her up before anyone else noticed he was there or the shape he and Creed were in.

While Eve jumped out the window to tend to Creed, Kyoko kept watch outside their room to make sure no one woke up and caught them. Train was relieved to have the teen girl helping them in such a mature manner, since she had been staying in the bio-girl's room and he was concerned about her being too loud upon seeing the shape he was in. However, over the last two years he learned that as annoying as Kyoko was, she was actually quite useful in a crisis. She was able to put everything else aside and work on what mattered, just like when she helped him escape the Apostles.

Eve was able to use her nanomachines to check Creed's body and make sure there was no more blood in his lungs. Train was alleviated to hear there was none left, but shaken to his core when he Eve asked him how long Creed had gone without oxygen.

"I know it's hard, Train. But I need to know." Eve watched as Train cradled an unconscious Creed in his arms, tears staining his bruised and cut cheeks as he rocked the silver man back and forth slightly.

Train gripped Creed tightly and kept his eyes on the silver man as he spoke. "I don't know! I kind of had my hands full so there's no way to properly judge how long he couldn't breathe for! I also don't know at what point he had even started suffocating!"

Train rested his head against Creed's chest, trying to comfort himself by listening to the swordsman's steady heartbeat. "It felt like an eternity…"

Eve sighed as he looked down at Train, then back at the night sky, wrapping her arms around her body to try and keep herself warm. Even with the warming temperatures, it was still a bit chilling at the late hour Train had woken her up. "Are you sure you don't want to get him inside? Maybe I can have a better look in there…"

Train shook his head and looked up at the girl. "No. Sephiria is going to be sending a doctor to the mansion we were staying at before. As much help as you've been, we both know they're capable of more."

Eve nodded, not willing to argue with the unhinged cat especially since she knew what he said was true. "Train, please… I know it was crazy and I know it felt like an eternity, but I also know you're smart. Try to think. As best a guess you can make… How long was Creed not receiving oxygen for?"

Train stared at her for a minute, then looked back down at Creed. He unwillingly played through the moment he saw Creed being pummeled with blood to the moment he knew Charden had released him. He tried to watch it as an outsider looking in so he could properly judge how long it had been. While he was in the middle of it, it felt like aeons had passed, but as he watched it unfold from a advantage point above everyone else, he knew that wasn't true.

"I would say it couldn't have been any longer than five to six minutes. Seven at a most."

Eve nodded, her heart sinking, but making sure her voice sounded calm as she spoke. "He could have an anoxic brain injury."

Train blinked back up at her. "What's that?"

"An anoxic brain is caused by a complete lack of oxygen being provided to the brain, which results in the death of brain cells after approximately four minutes of oxygen deprivation. It also causes an initial loss of consciousness, which can be short-term or long-term depending on severity and length of oxygen deprivation. You say Mr. Diskenth was out for about six minutes?"

Train nodded his head at the doctor. "But I don't know if he had a complete lack of oxygen that entire time. It's just a giant guess. He was even able to speak to me for a brief moment to let me know he couldn't breathe."

The doctor nodded as he pulled his stethoscope away from Creed's chest. "Speaking while not being able to breathe doesn't necessarily mean oxygen was getting to his lungs. He could have been using whatever was left of his breath to say those words."

Train clenched his fists. "You could be a little more compassionate with your information..."

The doctor sighed and pulled out a chart. "Ms. Arks sent me here to help Mr. Diskenth recover and give you the facts. You should know from your time with Chronos that we are not paid for our bedside manner. You either get the best help the world can offer, or sacrifice knowledge and skill for sympathy. What will it be, Mr. Heartnet?"

Train glared at him, then nodded and gestured for him to continue.

The doctor wrote a few things down on Creed's chart as he spoke. "As I said before, an anoxic brain injury can result in initial loss of consciousness and may even result in a comatose state which appears to be what we see in Mr. Diskenth right now. This is the start of the fourth day he's been unconscious, correct?"

Train nodded his head and looked back at Creed, wanting to cry but knowing he needed to keep it together for now.

The doctor nodded at Train, then looked back down at his chart. "A coma is just one symptom of an anoxic brain injury. Other symptoms may include slurring and difficulties with speech, confusion and disorientation."

He closed the chart and looked back at Train to make sure he was still paying attention. "Upon regaining consciousness, the effects and symptoms are often similar to that of a traumatic brain injury, depending on severity of the injury. More severe anoxic or hypoxic brain injuries may leave the patient in a vegetative state."

Train's heart stopped at that last statement and he sat up quickly. "Vegetative state?!"

The doctor nodded his head. "I don't think we need to worry about that. It's normal for him to be unconscious for a few days, but if he doesn't wake up soon, we might need to consider that option then."

Train suddenly felt cold, a sensation he didn't often get due to his Tao as he stared at Creed's peaceful face. "How… How likely do you think that is?"

The doctor glanced at Creed, then back at Train. "Has he had any seizures?" Seeing Train shake his head, he nodded again. "That's a good sign. Also, based on the fact that he's in impeccable shape and already had an incredibly powerful brain to begin with, I don't think it's likely. I actually suspect he'll wake up any moment now. Added to all that, he has the healing benefit of the Tao."

Train blinked at him, almost forgetting the Tao had healing properties and felt his heart beat a little faster and he looked over at Creed, as if expecting him to wake up right away. "What do I do when he wakes up?"

The doctor gave him a frustrated look. "You call me, of course."

Train nodded his head. "That's not exactly what my question was. Other than calling you, what should I do to help him?"

The doctor gave him an understanding nod and explained himes. "As I said before, that depends on the severity of the injury, which I was just about to get to. So, if you would allow me to continue, I can get to his test results."

Train wanted to strangle the man until he had an anoxic brain injury, but he kept his cool and nodded his head.

Seeing Train was complying, the doctor slipped a folder out from under his clipboard and held them up to the light. Chronos was able to get the proper equipment needed to test the extent of Creed's injury to the mansion which Train was grateful for. Any anger he had towards Sephiria about her not trusting Creed had completely disappeared after he saw how far out of her way she went to make sure the silver man was okay.

Not only is this the best doctor they have on staff, but she was able to get all these machines here to scan Creed. Now I can only hope it's not too bad…

The doctor frowned at the pictures as Train's knee began shaking wildly. He cocked an eyebrow at the cat, still holding a picture in the air as he spoke. "Mr. Heartnet, please, you're making it hard to concentrate."

Train sighed and pushed his hand down on his knee to stop it from moving. The doctor looked back at the last picture, then put them all back in the folder. "Based on this, I would say the injury is just above mild, but not severe."

Train nodded his head a bit too rapidly. "What does that mean?"

The doctor rolled his eyes, seemingly annoyed at Train for all his questions. "A mild cerebral anoxia could mean there will be problems with concentration, attention, coordination and short-term memory, which may be relatively subtle to begin with. There may be headache, light-headedness, dizziness, an increase in breathing rate and sweating."

Train nodded, not happy with those side effects, but not hearing anything they couldn't live with. "And what if it's severe?"

The doctor rolled his eyes and continued. "As I just said, it's not severe, it's in the middle leaning more towards mild. But, if you really must know because you want to stress yourself out even more, I'll try to summarize it for you. Severe cases include the person to feel confusion, agitation or drowsy, along with cyanosis which is a bluish tinge to the skin, reflecting the lowered oxygen content of the blood, often most apparent around the lips, mouth and fingertips. If the anoxia is severe, it will result in loss of consciousness and coma."

Train felt his heart drop again. "But… Creed is unconscious right now… Doesn't that mean it's severe?"

The doctor sighed and rubbed his eyes. "No, it doesn't. His coma actually seems pretty light, I wouldn't be surprised if he can actually hear us right now."

Train blinked at the doctor. "Really?"

The doctor nodded. "While the brian injury very well may have caused him to slip into the coma, his consciousness could also be protecting him from something else. Sounds like you guys had a pretty rough night and have been having a rough time in general, so his body may just be telling him to take a break for a while." He looked at Creed and frowned. "The human body is still an enigma to the science world. There are a lot of things we can't explain fully, and comas are one of them. While we have a lot of facts of what causes them and the after effects of them, all of them turns to dust when we get a patient who wakes up after a ten plus year coma and is completely fine."

Train heart rose again as he looked at the doctor. "Does that mean he's going to be fine?"

The doctor sighed again. "No, not necessarily. His coma doesn't seem severe, nor does his injury, and while we've had miracle cases like the one I just explained to you, we've also had cases where it seemed like nothing and the person ended up dying just when we thought they'd wake up."

Seeing Train's worried face, he rolled his eyes. "Worrying won't get you anywhere. If you want my opinion, he's going to wake up soon with little, if anything, wrong with him. If there's anything I've learned about the people Chronos has in their organization, it's that you are not normal humans. Number X is proof of that. He should have been dead ten times over and now he's been discharged and cleared for active duty."

Train felt a little of his anxiety leave him at the doctor's uncharacteristically positive words, but also at the fact that Lin had been cleared. "Lin's coming back?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes. And if he can survive and completely recover from his injury, then I don't see why Mr. Diskenth can't. Especially with the help of the Tao."

Train frowned and sulked in his seat as he watched Creed's chest rise and fall. "Brain injuries are different… Even I know that…"

The doctor seemed to be annoyed with Train's depressed, negative attitude and he reached over the bed and smacked him on the head with his clipboard. "Who's the doctor here? Me or you?"

Train pouted at him and rubbed his head. "I thought you came here to give me the facts, not good bedside manner."

The doctor shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think hitting a patient's partner on the head is good bedside manner. And just because I'm here to deliver facts doesn't mean I'm also here to convince you jumping off the roof of this mansion is a good idea." He smirked when he saw Train's guilty look. "Although, based on the fact that you're the Black Cat, I think you'd survive that fall. Just like I'm confident Mr. Diskenth will survive this. As I said before, Chronos members are not normal people. And you two go far beyond any Chronos personnel I've ever met."

Train stared at the man as he wrote a few more things down on his chart, shocked that a Chronos doctor was able to make him feel better, despite how cold and uncaring his words sounded. "Are you sure you're with Chronos?"

The man glared at him and snapped his clipboard shut. "Of course I am! I just hate negative people and negative thoughts. I believe to be a good doctor, you need to keep the negative thoughts in mind so you can prepare for it, but you can't expect that to be the case. If you do, that will only assure that it happens. And wipe that grin off your face! I'm not saying this to make you feel better! I'm saying this because your pessimistic attitude and asinine questions are pissing me off!"

Train wasn't sure how he was able to grin in the situation he was currently in, but he found the doctor to be hilarious. "You're the meanest optimist I've ever met."

The doctor rolled his eyes and packed up his case. "Yeah, yeah, whatever… Do you want to hear what to expect when he wakes up, or do you want to keep annoying me so I leave?"

Train grimaced. "There's that callous sentiment I've come to accept from Chronos… What should I expect when he wakes up?"

The doctor sighed and began listing off more symptoms. "Since you're so eager to know about the worst case scenario, I'll list them all. But keep in mind, these are all the scenarios, not just the mild case symptoms: Headache, difficulty coordinating balance, vision problems, trouble speaking or communication and swallowing, changes in sleep pattern, difficulty forming sentences, difficulty with reason, focus and logic, memory impairments, mood swings, and personality changes."

Train's heart froze again with that last symptom. "Personality changes…?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes. But, that's in a severe case which, as I've stated multiple times now, is not the case with Mr. Diskenth. The ones you should keep an eye out for are headaches, sleep pattern changes, memory problems, and maybe forming sentences."

Train nodded, feeling a bit relieved, but still concerned nonetheless. "Are those… permanent problems?"

The doctor shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe, maybe not. Again, I would say based on who Mr. Diskenth is, I don't expect his issues to be anything he can't eventually work past. In all honesty, I really expect him to wake up and be completely fine. Other than headache. No amount of positivity or medicine will be able to make him wake up without a headache."

Train breathed a sigh of relief, then nodded. "And… What if he doesn't wake up soon?"

The doctor seemed to be growing more and more impatient with him. "You really just want to live in his gloomy, pessimistic world, don't you?" Seeing the stubbornness in the Black Cat's face, he continued. "You call me. Just, call me if there are any changes, okay? Good or bad. And do not hesitate. Chronos can have me here in the blink of an eye. You have a phone, right?"

Train nodded and held up a spare phone he found in the mansion since he hadn't gotten his back yet and they left the party without Creed's. While Creed was getting his tests done, the first call he made was to Sven, glad that he had the green man's number memorized and let him know where they were and what was going on even though he knew Eve would have told him by now. Sven was able to come up with an excuse for his and Creed's extended absence so as not to raise suspicion with their new friends. He even told Sven he could use their room while they were gone, which the green haired man declined, but would not go into details why.

He either doesn't want to think about sleeping in the same bed Creed and I share, or he wants to keep spending the night with Nica. Either way, I don't care, as long as none of them are asking too many questions as to where we are.

"Before I leave, let me have a look at you." The doctor said as he made his way around the bed and over to Train.

Train blinked and looked down at himself, forgetting how terrible he still looked despite having had time to recover. It was mostly due to the stress he had been in than anything else. He was a little achy, but otherwise okay. When he met with Eve, she offered to fix him up as well, but Train turned her down in favor of getting Creed safe and comfortable at the mansion. It was just a few scratches and burns, nothing he couldn't deal with and recover on his own, so he didn't see the big deal.

"I'm fine, Doc. Can't you see I handled it myself?" Train gestured to the bandages he had around himself, as if that was proof of the good job he did.

The doctor frowned and slowly pulled back the bandages on his shoulder. "Again, who's the doctor here? Ms. Arks told me to make sure you were both okay and you know I can't ignore her orders."

Train sighed and allowed the man to inspect him. All Chronos agents were given training in first aid, so he knew he was fine. He had bandages on both of his shoulders and on his back and chose to leave his shirt off so as not to accidentally peel off any of the gauze. The doctor moved to check out his other shoulder which was a little worse off since that's where Aztec bit him, then the man inspected his back. He then gave Train a general physical check up, just to make sure he was functioning as normal.

After a few minutes, he wrote down a few things on a new clipboard and nodded. "Alright, other than the emotional drama you've endured, you seem to be in good shape. Your blood pressure is a bit high, which is normal considering the stress of the situation. I'd like to say I'm shocked to see how unharmed you are after what you went through, but again, you Chronos people are abnormal. Sword through the gut or clawed on the back by a monster, you always seem to get back on your feet."

Train smiled slightly at him. "Didn't you know cats always land on their feet?"

The doctor rolled his eyes, but Train saw a bit of amusement behind his face, signaling that he actually kind of liked the Black Cat, despite how annoyed he sounded the entire encounter. "That's not a too far off comparison… Sometimes I wonder if Chronos members even are humans."

Train gave him a tired, cheeky smile. "Creed and I are not Chronos anymore. Shouldn't that mean our human traits came back?"

The doctor sighed, but Train still saw the small smirk on his face. "Superhuman powers don't go away. And you both have the Tao to help you as well."

Train nodded and sighed. "I guess that's true..."

The doctor gave him a frustrated look. "Did you really think your first aid skills were that good that you were able to almost completely heal yourself after just a few days? Did you really think the Tao had nothing to do with it?"

Train felt his heart lift a little. "I was actually wondering about that… If the Tao can heal me... does that mean-"

"-Yes, that means Mr. Diskenth has them too which is yet another reason why you shouldn't be all doom and gloom now. I don't know much about the Tao, but I wouldn't be surprised if it could help heal a brain injury." The doctor slipped Train's file into his bag, then stood up to face the cat once more. "Keep your wounds clean and keep an eye on him. You both need all the rest you can get. Seeing how secluded you are in this place, I don't think that will be an issue."

Train nodded his head and looked out the large bay windows that were behind the doctor. "Maybe this is a blessing in disguise… We needed to get away from the chaos of our normal lives for a while."

The doctor smiled at him. "There you go! That's the positive attitude that will make me not hate you!" He walked towards the door, then stopped to say one more thing before he left. "Ms. Arks and Number X will be stopping by today to check on you both. Before you ask me how soon, the answer is I don't know. I'm just relaying the message."

Seeing the Black Cat was about to ask another question, he opened the door and stepped out of it quickly. Train watched the door and listened to the man as his footsteps slowly disappeared, then turned back to Creed.

"Did you hear that, Creed? That bully of an optimist said you're going to be okay." He frowned when he heard the silence of the room, reminding him his companion was still not awake. "Now all you need to do is wake up and prove him right. Just wake up, Creed… Just wake up…"

Seeing nothing from the man, Train choked back a sob and leaned forward to kiss Creed on the forehead. He stayed where he was, resting his forehead against Creed's as he stroked his hair with one hand and caressed his arm with the other. Despite the doctor's optimistic outlook, Train was still grief stricken. Not only was it difficult for him to accept that Creed was going to be okay, but he was blaming himself for someone he cared about getting hurt yet again.

Creed didn't want to go to the event… He only went because I persuaded him too… Because I needed to find the Apostles to make it up to Lin… Because Lin was also hurt because of me...

Train kissed Creed's forehead again, then nuzzled his face next to the silver man as he spoke. "I know you're going to tell me not to feel guilty, so I'll try to work on that before you wake up. The last thing I want you to deal with when you wake up is my annoying self hate…" He chuckled as he rested his head next to Creed's on the pillow. "I seem to blame myself for a lot, don't I?"

He waited a minute as if Creed was going to respond, then sighed when he did not. "I know I shouldn't blame myself for this and I know you're going to find some way to blame yourself for my injuries as well, so maybe we should just skip past that part and just be together."

Train froze a little at his own words, realizing what he had just said and knowing it was his heart's truth.

I wonder if he heard me telling him I loved him? It looked like he was pretty well encased in Charden's damn blood, so I'm not sure how he could…

A part of Train was hoping Creed had heard him and he could stop acting like he didn't love him, but another part of him was still worried that he wasn't ready to admit that out loud. After everything they had been through lately and after all the clear signs from Saya, he wasn't sure what was holding him back anymore.

I feel like I'm running out of excuses to not be with Creed even though I have the number one reason to never be with him again.

He knew he didn't really need to have a reason not to be with Creed after what he did, but as more time passed, he was starting to think there was more of an argument to be with him than to not. They had not only been acting like they were a couple, but Train was finding it harder and harder to deny his feelings and hide what had been going on between them. His avoidance of the relationship was creating more harm than good.

And not just for me and Creed. I can tell everyone else around us is sick of me continuing to keep Creed at arms length despite spending every night with him and accepting almost every bit of his affection. Honestly, the only one who has been patient about my hesitancy is Creed… And he's the one that I know is hurting the most from it.

Train kept his eyes locked on Creed, running his fingers continuously through his hair and against his arm, resting his chin on the silver man's shoulder as he nuzzled his face a little closer. When he felt his heart beat even faster as he stared at Creed's face, he gave into his desires and climbed into bed next to the swordsman. He had been sleeping in the chair next to the bed the last few nights to make sure Creed had enough room, but now he was beginning to wonder if that was the reason he hadn't woken up yet.

Maybe he's searching for me and can't wake up because he can't find me…

Train sighed and wrapped his legs and arms around Creed, snuggling as close as he could to the other man as he spoke in a loving tone. "I'm right here, Creed… All you have to do is open your eyes and you'll find me…"

He looked at Creed' face again, then leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips, hoping that would work to wake him up. Seeing it did not, he let out another quiet sob, then settled back in next to him. "I wish I could accept what my heart really wants from you… And I wish I didn't still feel this nagging guilt at the idea of being with you… I wish life was simpler, Creed. I wish we could just be together without me questioning if it's the right thing to do…"

He sighed again as he caressed Creed's cheek delicately, his eyes never leaving the silver man's face just in case he woke up. "Maybe I can get Sephiria to answer my question when she gets here… If I can hear for sure about whether or not Chronos was drugging us, then I can finally give us what we both want."

Train kissed Creed's cheek and nuzzled into his neck. "Yes, Creed, I want what you want. And it's not even that I'm not ready for it. I am ready for it. I've been ready for it for a while. That's just another excuse I've been using to keep you away from me. It's just a lie I've been telling my heart…"

He sat up a little and pulled the blankets up so they were wrapped around Creed's shoulders, then laid back down next to him. "Maybe if you wake up, we can talk about it more openly and find a solution together. Maybe there's something you can say or do that will make me feel better about it…"

Train knew that wasn't true since Creed had tried that a thousand times. It also wasn't possible for Creed to make him feel better about the pain Train was in since he had been the one to cause it. Creed already apologized as much as he could and had proven time and time again he would never do something like that ever again. Creed also made it up to him in more ways than one and had been nothing but patient, loyal, and loving to Train through every step of the cat's journey towards forgiving him and moving forward from what happened.

"Train… Just forget about me, okay?"

Train jumped a little at the sound of the voice, sitting up quickly and drawing Hades as he scanned the room. "Who's there?!"

There was silence for a minute before the voice spoke again.

"Forget about me Train… Live free and happy…"

Train blinked and looked around the empty room again. "Saya?"

Silence, then another statement from the ghostly voice.

"You can't do that if you don't forget about me…"

Train frowned as he looked up. "How the hell am I supposed to forget you? I owe everything to you! I owe you my life, my freedom…" He looked at Creed and felt a tear fall from his eye. "My happiness… I never would have found any of them without you."

Another few seconds of silence before the sweeper's voice spoke again.

"Then just forget about me, Idiot."

Train growled at the invisible girl, pointing angrily at the ceiling as if she could see it. "That didn't answer my question, Saya!"

Another moment of silence before another ghostly reply.

"If you forget about me and move on, you'll be able to be happy again… Truly happy."

Train frowned and lowered his hand. "What does that mean…? What do you mean forget about you? I… I can't do that… And you know it…"

He felt another tear leave his eye, allowing the room to be silent before Say spoke again.

"You can be free and happy without me. You don't need me. Just forget about me."

Train punched the bed, careful to avoid Creed as he did so. "WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?!"

"Yelling at visible women again?

Train's annoyed eyes shot towards the door where Lin was standing, leaning against the door and giving the cat an amused look. Train sighed and relaxed into the bed, resting his back against the headboard as he slowly scanned the room one more time. "I guess I was…"

Lin smiled adoringly at Train, his eyes full of love mixed with anguish as he spoke. "I missed you, Train…"

Train tried to return his smile, but found it difficult with how emotionally drained he was. "Blame Sephiria for not letting me visit you anymore."

Lin frowned at Train, seeing how exhausted he was and knowing it wasn't just because of the inherent stressfulness of the situation.

I guess Train looks as good as I can expect considering the situation… I just hope I can make him feel better… I've been so worried about him.

He held a small box behind his back and took a step into the room. "Have you not been sleeping again?"

Train sighed in exhaustion, putting Hades away as he responded. "What gave it away? The fact that I have so much baggage under my eyes they need their own flight, or the fact that Creed is lying next to me in a comatose state?"

Lin sighed and walked over to the chair Train had abandoned, taking a seat, but making sure he continued to hide the box. "Both, I guess… Other than being tired and stressed, how are you? Physically."

Train sighed and lifted his arms slightly, gesturing to the bandages on them. "As you can see, I took a bit of a beating, but I'm already almost completely healed. I almost forgot the Tao could help with that."

Lin blinked at him. "Really?"

Train nodded. "Yup. Although it's small, nowhere near as much as nanomachines heal Eve or those beasts the Doctor has following around him, but it's enough to clear up a few cuts, burns and bruises."

And maybe a brain injury…

Lin nodded in understanding, his eyes full of concern as he looked his Sweetness up and down. He stood up and moved closer to Train so he could have a better look. "Can I see? I've scored high in the Chronos first aid classes."

Train rolled his eyes as Lin began slowly removing the bandages, the number's hand lightly caressing his muscle as he inspected him. "Are you sure you aren't just using this as an excuse to touch me?"

Lin shrugged his shoulders as he leaned over Train to check his other shoulder, resting his hand on his Sweetness's chest. "Yes, but that doesn't mean I don't want to make sure you're okay. I was worried about you…"

Train sighed as Lin delicately re-taped the bandage on his shoulder, then allowed the man to lean him forward so he could look at his back. He could tell Lin had been trying to hide how worried he was, so he was hoping if he let him look him over with his own eyes, he'd see that he was fine and would calm down.

"Like I said just, the Tao is healing me up pretty well and the doctor said I was fine. I'll probably be completely healed soon, so you can stop groping me."

Lin frowned as Train lightly pulled his hands away from his back and stomach, sighing longingly as he looked down at his sweet love's bare torso. "I know you're half joking, but I really was worried about you, Train… I wanted to come here sooner, but Sephiria wouldn't let me. I haven't been able to sleep either… I needed to see with my own eyes that you were okay…"

And that the Apostles hadn't tracked you down and taken you while Creed was incapacitated.

Train sighed as he held Lin's wrists, allowing the man to rest his head on his chest, feeling a single tear wet his bare skin. "Lin… I'm fine. See?"

Lin let Train push him away slightly and watched as his Sweetness gestured to his body so he could see he was okay. While he enjoyed the beautiful view Train was providing him, he also had to fight the urge to kiss him to caress him again. However, when his gaze fell on the bandages and small cuts that graced his normally perfect muscles, Lin felt his lip quiver and he threw himself forward again to snuggle against Train's chest.

"I'm sorry, Train! I know I shouldn't be doing this, especially with Creed laying right next to you, but I can't help it… Not only did I miss you, but when I heard you were ambushed by the Apostles, I couldn't think about anything else! And hearing how close you got to going with them…" He let out another sob, then punched Train in the chest lightly. "Don't ever do that again! If you do, you may end up being my first kill!"

Train chuckled lightly at his friend's last statement and gentle punches, then gave him as platonic of a hug as he could. "I'm sorry I upset you, Lin. I didn't mean to. I just… I didn't know what else to do… Creed was dying and there was no one else there to talk me out of it like when they almost killed you."

Lin gripped at Train's chest, burying his head into the man he loved more than anything else in the world, allowing a few more tears to fall from his eyes. "I'm still mad at you for that too! You keep blaming yourself for us getting hurt when you should really be blaming yourself for constantly trying to be a martyr! Our lives are not worth more than yours. No one's life is worth more than yours. And if Creed were awake, he'd agree with me too!"

Train sighed and pet Lin's hair lightly, trying to make the gestures seem as friendly as possible, but it was hard with the man attached to him so tightly. "I know Lin… And I'm sorry, but I disagree. What is my life worth if I can't protect the people I love?"

Lin sighed shakily at hearing him use that word, knowing Train didn't mean he loved Lin the way Lin loved him, but not caring. He decided to cling to whatever bit of affection Train was willing to give him. "I don't want to argue with you about that right now. I just want to be with you. I just want to keep you company since he can't right now."

Train smiled at Lin, finally deciding he had given him enough time in his arms and pulled him away gently. He wiped a tear from the number's eye and smiled cordially at him. "Thank you, Lin… You're a good friend."

Lin whimpered a little at the use of that word, his heart racing and breaking at the same time as his gaze went from Train's eyes to his lips. Without thinking, he leaned forward again and kissed his Sweetness, placing his hands on either side of Train's face as he pulled himself so he was sitting slightly on the gunman's lap.

Train's eyes widened the moment their lips met and jumped a little when Lin crawled onto his lap. He immediately, yet delicately pushed Lin away, making sure the man knew his advances were not wanted, but he did not want to hurt his feelings.

He held Lin by the shoulders and gave him a stern look. "Lin… You can't do that… Especially with Creed right here…"

Lin gave Train an ardent look, then nodded his head. "I know it was wrong, but I couldn't help myself…" He glanced back at his sweet love and fought the urge to kiss him again. "I'm sorry…"

Train sighed, but managed to give him a kind smile as he slipped the man off his lap. "It's okay…"

Lin allowed Train to move him, despite how badly he wanted to stay where he was, and moved back to the chair he sat on before. He pulled the chair a little closer, then glanced at Creed's sleeping face. "How is he?"

Train frowned and patted Creed's head. "The doctor is frighteningly optimistic, but he still isn't showing any signs of life. He's not even talking in his sleep like he usually does."

Lin took a deep breath to calm himself down since he was still a bit worked up after throwing himself at his Sweetness, then gave Train a curious look. "What do you mean 'frighteningly optimistic'? Isn't that a good thing?"

Train nodded tiredly. "It is. And I guess I should feel better based on his prognosis, but…"

Lin made a loud, frustrated noise, the sad, worried longing he was feeling before replaced with annoyance at his sweet love. "Are you seriously blaming yourself again?!" He watched Train for a second, then growled a little under his breath. "Why am I surprised? Alright, let's just have this conversation right now before Creed wakes up and you force it onto him. It's not your fault, you adorable idiot!"

Train winced a little at the anger in Lin's voice, scared of what the number would do if he disagreed, but did so anyway. "This is my fault though… Creed didn't want to go to the party. He only went because I convinced him because-"

"-Because you feel guilty about what happened to me and wanted to rush in there to avenge me?" Lin smirked at Train's quietness, knowing he was right. "If you keep blaming yourself for everything in life, eventually you're not going to be able to tell when something is someone else's fault."

Train sighed and slumped a little next to Creed. "But if I keep blaming myself, I can make sure no one else is hurt again by learning from my mistakes."

Lin sighed in escasterbation. "And just exactly what was your mistake this time? Going to a party?"

Train glared at him a little, but it wasn't a harsh gesture. "Going to a party that I knew was run by a crime boss…"

Lin rolled his eyes. "Which is something you and Creed have been to many times before. You may have understood you might have found information on the Apostles there, but you didn't know they actually would be there."

Train frowned at him, still unwilling to not accept blame. "I could have been prepared for it…"

Lin smiled warmly at Train, then leaned forward and rubbed his knee gently. "Even Creed didn't expect it to happen. You weren't even sure you'd find anything about them let alone be ambushed by them." Seeing his Sweetness still did not look any better, he reached out and took a light hold of his chin, making sure Train saw the love in his eyes. "It was a trap, Train. You couldn't have prevented it and no one could have predicted it. Not even Sephiria knew it was going to happen and you know how careful and logsticial she is."

Train still wasn't ready to accept blame in the situation, since he knew the same scenario kept repeating. "This is the third time Creed has been injured this badly because of me, not to mention it happened to you as well. The only difference this time is Creed didn't almost die because he was trying to protect me."

Lin sighed and rubbed his eyes a little, annoyed with his Sweetness for constantly blaming himself. "And just how is it your fault that we keep getting hurt to protect you? Our feelings for you are also not your fault. We both fell in love with you without you even trying and originally didn't even want our love."

And you still don't want mine… But there's nothing anyone can do to change that. I'm doomed to die still hopelessly in love with Train.

Train grimaced a little at the heartsick look Lin was unknowingly giving him, then sighed and tried to explain it guilt more. "I'm not saying that part is my fault, even though I'm pretty sure if you gave me enough time to think about it, I'd figure out how it is. What I'm saying is my fault are my impulsive and rash reactions. The first time Creed almost died was to protect me from Chronos which would have never happened if I didn't want revenge against them in the first place. The second time was to protect me from the Apostles, which would have never happened if I didn't come back. The attack on you would have never happened if I was paying attention, and the party never would have happened if I just agreed with Creed to wait on tracking the Apostles down."

Lin stared at him for a minute, then gave him a sweet smile. "Are you done?"

Train pouted at him. "Yes…"

Lin rolled his eyes and laughed a little. "Are you sure? Because all those reasons you listed were extremely lame. I also thought they were all in the past now."

Train's pout did not leave his face as he spoke. "How are they all lame excuses? They make total sense!"

Lin pinched his sweet love's nose, then leaned back in his chair. "No, they're lame excuses made up by the sweetest, kindest man in the world who never wants anyone to ever be hurt. Creed chose to go after the Chronos with you. You can say all you want that it was your fault, but Creed is a grown ass man and can make his own choices. It was his choice to start the Apostles, you just went along with it because you thought it was the best way to get revenge."

Train opened his mouth to object, then closed it when he realized Lin was right. The Number smiled and nodded, then continued. "Just like it was his choice to put his life on the line to protect you from Chronos, and it was his choice to go after you when the Apostles tried to track you down to bring you back. It was also his choice to take all those attacks to protect you and your friends, and even though you were the reason for him doing all that doesn't make any of it any less of his choice."

Train stared at him for a second, then spoke again. "But I convinced him to go to the party…"

Lin pinched Train's thigh and glared at him. "I already covered how that isn't your fault, I'm not doing it again." Train sighed and nodded, then grabbed his knee lovingly as he continued. "And all the same applies for me. I am a grown man capable of my own choices. I'm actually a little offended that you think because of my love for you, I cannot make my own choices. Stop blaming yourself for my injury. That was my choice, not yours. Stop trying to take credit for my hasty, yet loving actions.."

Train sighed and nodded his head, patting his hand briefly before gently pulling it away. "Thanks, Lin. I don't know how or why you put up with my constant self-loathing."

Lin shrugged his shoulders, sad that Train wasn't letting him touch him anymore, but happy that he was able to make his sweet love feel better. "That's easy to do after you see how amazing you really are. However, it is impossible to understand how anyone, let alone you, could feel anything by undying love for you."

Train sighed and leaned his head back, looking at the ceiling so he could avoid Lin's adoring gaze. "How are you feeling? I wasn't expecting to see you today. I thought they wanted to give you a few more days."

Lin nodded, his eyes still locked on Train as he made sure the box was still sitting behind him on the chair. "I'm back to normal. I passed all my physical and endurance tests, so they really had no reason to keep me. After I found out what happened with you and Creed, I told them that unless they had a better reason to keep me other than paranoia, I was leaving. I wasn't about to let my sweet love wallow in his own self pity."

Train chuckled bitterly. "So, what I'm hearing is that you're biased."

Lin gave Train a confused look. "Biased about what?"

Train sighed. "Biased about it being possible to hate me or understand why I can constantly place blame on myself."

Lin frowned at his Sweetness. "I'm not biased. If anything you're biased because you think everything is always your fault no matter what. As long as I've known you, you've never done anything wrong." He reached out again and pinched both of Train's cheeks. "And don't bring up how our relationship ended. I already told you I didn't blame you for that and even if I did, I forgave you."

Train rubbed his cheeks and stuck his tongue out at Lin, but smiled a little. "I don't know how you always manage to make me feel better."

Lin shrugged his shoulders as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. "I'm cute and charming. It's pretty hard to be sad when you have someone like me around."

Train laughed a little, a gesture he hadn't done since before the party. "I'm glad you're here, Lin…"

Lin's heart skipped a beat at Train's words and he beamed reverently at him, able to forget about his earlier sadness with just a simple laugh from his Sweetness. "It warms my heart to know I can make you feel better with just my presence."

Train nodded and smiled cheekily at him, even though he knew his exhaustion was still showing. "You're one of the closest relationships I have in my life. Of course I'm happy to have you here." He groaned as he stretched a little, making sure not to hit Creed's head as he did so. "Besides, I was starting to lose my mind all by myself. The only person I've seen the last few days is that doctor and I only think he just started to tolerate me."

Lin chuckled. "As I said before, I can't imagine anyone feeling anything other than complete adoration for you."

Train smiled at Lin, then looked back at Creed and frowned, rubbing his forehead and hair gently as he sighed sadly. "I assume the battle with the Apostles didn't go exactly how Sephiria had hoped? Considering she is supposed to be stopping by today as well? Honestly, I was expecting you two to arrive together."

Lin watched his Sweetness for a second, his heart cracking slowly at the despondent, wistful warmth the cat had in his eyes as he stared at Creed. "Sephiria knew how anxious I was to see you, so she told me to go ahead. I'm sure she'll give you more details when she gets here, but I can try to summarize for you what she told me. The battle with the Apostles didn't last long. They jumped into a portal almost immediately when Chronos arrived. Just like you weren't ready to fight them, I don't think they were ready to fight Chronos."

Train rolled his eyes, adjusting his back against the headboard slightly since it still kind of hurt, but making sure his movements were subtle so Lin wouldn't worry. "Sounds about right. I didn't see much because I ran out of there so quickly, but I believe it. What's really been bothering me is how Sephiria found out what was happening. She called off her dogs following Creed for the night, none of us had working phones, and Rinslet was the only one who made it out."

Lin smiled proudly at Train. "You owe our thief friend and Number VII a lot! Apparently a while back, Jenos set up a location where Rins could go to and send out an emergency message to him. She somehow managed to make her way there and send word to Jenos about what happened. He told Sephiria and she rounded up the troops immediately."

Train gawked at Lin. "Really? Rins did all that? How?!"

Lin shrugged his shoulders. "If I knew that, I would tell you. It's a mystery to me and Jenos won't tell me about this secret location either. I think he believes I'll either steal the spot for my own use, or try to pull some kind of prank on him."

Train couldn't help but laugh at that idea. "Is he really that far off?"

Lin gave Train a coy smile. "Guess not…"

Train shrugged his shoulders and looked back down at Creed, caressing his face gently, trying to make the gesture subtle so Lin wouldn't see. "Can't say I'd be much better. I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to surprise them during their 'alone time'."

Lin saw his sweet love's hand touching Creed, as if he couldn't keep his hands off the sleeping swordsman and felt his heart crack even more. "Maybe we can track it down together one night and pull a prank together."

Train smiled at Lin. "It's a date."

Lin giggled sadly at Train's cheeky smile. "No, it's not. Don't get my hopes up like that."

Train frowned, then turned his attention back to Creed, trying to avoid the number's dismal eyes once more. "Sorry…" He pulled his hand unwillingly away from the silver man's face as he looked at Lin and asked another question. "Did she hand everything over to Sephiria?"

Lin nodded. "I'm pretty sure she did. I don't know exactly what it all was, but Sephiria told me to tell you she had to talk to you about what you found. She said it was really important."

Train gave the man a confused look. "What's so important that she needs to talk to me specifically about it?"

Lin shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, but she made it clear it was important and to make sure you were prepared to have a conversation with her. She's hoping Creed will be awake for it as well since it apparently has to do with both of you."

Train frowned, feeling a bit nervous. "With both of us? Did we do something wrong? We told her we were going there and she didn't have a problem with it."

Lin could sense his sweet love's apprehension, and reached out to squeeze his knee again. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. If anything, it sounded like she thought that she did something wrong."

That only made it worse for Train. "That's even more confusing. It's not like I found much…"

Except for the syringe. But what could be so important about it that she needs to talk to us about it?

Feeling a bit anxious, Train brought his attention back to Creed, trying to use the unconscious man to distract himself from his fatalistic thoughts.

Number X sighed as he watched the man he loved continuing to love on another man , doing his best to make sure it didn't sound as brokenhearted as it did. "Did you tell him yet?"

Train turned his gaze unwillingly off of Creed and back on to Lin. "Tell him what?"

Lin rolled his eyes, mostly to avoid the urge to cry. "Did you tell Creed you love him yet? It's been a few days since we've seen each other… I wasn't sure if anything had changed between you two."

Train could hear the sadness in Lin's voice, hurt that he was still causing the man so much pain, but knowing he wanted the truth, so he gave it to him. "I… Kind of did…"

Lin tilted his head in confusion at Train, biting his lip to stop himself from whimpering. "What do you mean?"

Train sighed as he looked back at Creed, doing his best not to touch the sleeping man for fear of causing Lin more pain. "When we were fighting the Apostles just before Sephiria came and Creed was completely covered in Charden's blood I told him how I felt… because I didn't know if I was going to see him again…"

Lin watched the fear and sadness in Train's eyes and knew it was the same emotions he felt when he first heard Train had almost been taken by the Apostles. "So then what do you mean by 'kind of'? That sounds pretty definite to me."

Train frowned deeply at his friend, his heart sympathetic for Lin. "We don't have to talk about this, Lin… I know how much it hurts you."

Lin shook his head and took a deep breath, then rubbed his thighs with his palms as if he was preparing himself for the worst. "No. I want to. Not only do I need to get used to seeing you two together, I need to start accepting the reality of your love. If I want to be in your life, which I do more than anything else in the world, then I need to be able to hear you talk about your feelings for Creed."

Train's expression did not change. "Are you sure…?"

Lin nodded and attempted to give his Sweetness the happiest smile he could muster despite the shattering of his heart. "Yes. And don't give me that crap about not wanting to hurt me. Again, this is my choice. Don't take my choice away from me."

Train sighed, then unwillingly nodded. "What I mean by 'kind of' is I said the words to him, but I'm positive he didn't hear them because he was becoming unconscious underneath all that blood. He couldn't breathe or see anything, so I also don't think he could hear anything either."

Lin nodded, grateful to Train for not saying the specific words they both knew he meant. "Then what are you going to do when he wakes up? Are you going to tell him?"

Train felt his heart shake at the number's question, then looked down at Creed's sleeping face with confusion. "I… Don't know…"

Lin was actually surprised at how genuine his annoyed growl was as he gave his Sweetness an exhausted glared. "Why? What's stopping you?"

Train blinked at the shorter man, shocked to see how legitimate Lin's frustration was. "I…"

Should I just be brutally honest? I've never actually said these words out loud before… Maybe if I do, it'll finally help lay all my emotions out.

Train took a deep breath, looking down at his fists clenching at his lap as he spoke. "Every time I think about being with Creed, there is still a part of me that thinks about being with the man who murdered Saya."

The room was silent for a minute, allowing them both to absorb his powerful words. Lin stared at Train, watching as an angry tear fell from his eye and frowned deeply. "...But haven't you said yourself that he isn't that man anymore?"

Train nodded, then wiped away a tear with the back of his hand, but did not move his gaze from off his lap. "Yes, and I know it's true, but… That doesn't change that he physically still is that man."

Lin again allowed silence to pass between them, knowing Train was more speaking to himself than to him. He was really there to help guide him where everyone knew Creed and Train were destined to go. "If that's what's holding you back, then there's nothing anyone can do to change that. Creed can change who he is, but he cannot change the hands that took her life."

Train felt like acid was slowly being poured down his chest. "Then that means… I can't be with him anymore… Or every again…"

Is that really the conclusion I'm supposed to be making, Saya? Is that really what I'm supposed to do?

"Is that what you want?" Lin asked, knowing that was what Train was battling with in his head.

Train shook his head. "No. It's not… But, I can't get past it. No matter how strong my feelings are or how much I want to be with him again, I can't get past the fact that no matter what Creed does, no matter who he becomes, he is still the man that murdered Saya."

Lin stared at his sweet love, then reached out to wipe his tears away and pat his cheek lovingly. "Train… All anyone in your life wants is for you to be happy… Why don't you just choose happiness? Just choose Creed."

Train looked into Lin's dark eyes, then glanced back down at Creed. "Like I just siad, I don't know how to do that…"

Lin sighed and caressed Train's cheek with his thumb. "All you have to do is listen to your heart. Happiness for you would be so easy since what would make you happy is more than willing to give you what you want."

Train stared at Lin for a moment, then thought back to what Saya said to him before the number walked in. "Before you came in, I heard Saya's voice telling me to forget about her. She said I could only find happiness if I forget about her…"

Lin blinked at his sweet love, then pulled his hands away and sat back down on the chair. "She said to forget about her?"

Train nodded. "Why would she say that? Why would she think I could ever forget about her?"

Lin watched as Train stared at Creed's face, thinking about what the dead sweeper girl said to his sweetness. He never questioned Train when he said he felt Saya's spirit with him or heard her voice. He knew that wasn't something the cat would just make up and Lin was a believer before he fell in love with Train. Besides, with how close he and the woman were, he knew it wasn't a relationship that could be broken simply by death. A bond like the one they had transcended the realms of normal human mortality.

I also know Train believes in soulmates since he thinks Creed and I are both soulmates of his. And he thinks Saya is one too. Honestly, it's comforting to know he bonds with people that strong since that means even death won't separate us. I get to have Train in my life even in death.

Lin smiled wistfully at that thought, then finally came to a conclusion about Saya's words. "I don't think she meant to forget about her. I think she meant to forget about what happened to her. Forget about how her life ended. I think she's trying to tell you if you cling so tightly to her death, you'll never be able to find true happiness. Whether you loved Creed or not, if you can't move on from her death, then you'll never truly be happy."

Train turned his gaze to Lin. "I… I don't-"

Lin put up a hand to stop him. "Let just, pretend for a second that you didn't love Creed. I won't even create a scenario where you loved me instead, no matter how much I would love to live in that fantasy. Let's just pretend Saya was killed by some random mugger that you were never able to track down. How would you feel?"

Train blinked as he thought about that. "I guess… the same?"

Lin nodded, then gave him another scenario. "Now let's imagine she died of natural causes. Maybe she had an incurable disease. How would you feel then?"

Train sighed. "Again, I guess the same…"

Lin nodded again and went on. "Now let's pretend she died of an accident. Like, she was hit by a car or something. Would that change how you feel now?"

Train shook his head. "No. I don't think the manner of her death would change how much it hurts and how much I miss her… Or how empty I still feel without her."

But those scenarios would change the fact that Creed took advantage of me… But I guess with how desperate he was and how much he's beaten himself up and showed he cared I might actually be able to forgive him for that. Who am I kidding? I did forgive him for that a long time ago.

Lin pointed at him. "That. That right there. That is why I think she said to forget her. Because she knows remembering her would only cause you pain because you'd only be thinking about the fact that she's gone. You wouldn't remember the happy times you had together. The lessons she taught you. The friendship that you shared. The life she lived. When she said to forget about her, I think she meant to forget about what happened to her and remember who she was as a person. Do you really think she would want you to be holding back from something that makes you happy because of her?"

Train stared at Lin, then at Creed, then back at his lap. "No… She'd actually probably be really mad at me…" He chuckled a little as an image of Saya smacking the back of his head and yelling at him appeared in his head. "She'd probably scold me until I did what made me happy… That's how she lived her life. She did what made her happy. For her, it was freedom."

Lin nodded. "And for you, it's Creed, isn't it?"

Train felt his heart skip a beat, slowly beginning to accept that he could be with Creed guilt free. "Well, it's not just that but… I guess I already achieved my other goals… Or at least am in the process of becoming truly free."

Lin smiled warmly at Train. "Which is just another way you've honored her memory. By living in her footsteps and fighting for your freedom. However, I think her message is loud and clear: It's fine to want to honor her life, but it's not healthy to obsess over her death. Hearing how full of life she was, I actually think it's disrespectful to deprive yourself of something that would make you happy just because of how she died. After everything you've told me about her, I think she'd be hurt to hear you were choosing misery when happiness is just a kiss away."

Train didn't say anything to that, since he didn't know what to say. Everything Lin was saying made sense. It was almost as if he had met the girl and knew who she was.

I guess I've talked about her enough that he probably does feel like he knows her… But, I think he's right… This whole time, I've been trying to honor her memory and I thought keeping Creed at a distance was the way to do that, but...

"Have I been dishonoring her all this time?"

Lin smiled at Train, holding back the urge to cry as he watched acceptance flush across his sweet love's face and concentrated on the small, blissful smile that was slowly sliding onto the Black Cat's beautiful lips.

All that matters is that he's happy… And it's finally starting to look like he's ready to accept that happiness.

Lin responded to Train's question even though he didn't think it required one. "If you're asking me, then I'd say yes. However, only you can truly come to that conclusion. I've led the cat to milk, but I can't make him drink."

Train laughed at Lin's joke, his chest feeling a bit lighter as his mind finally started to agree with his heart. "I'm not sure how good that analogy is since I'd never say no to milk."

Lin's heart was confused at hearing Train's laughter, since he knew that meant his Sweetness was most likely going to tell Creed how he felt when he woke up.

And after that, they'll officially be together and I'll never have a chance to win his heart ever again.

He knew even without Train being with Creed he didn't have a chance since the gunman didn't love him. The confirmation of his relationship with the silver man would only solidify the futility of his feelings for the Black Cat.

Seeing Train was feeling better and now wanting to get off the topic of his love for Creed, Lin reached behind his back and grabbed the box he had been hiding. "I didn't come just to see how you were doing or have these deep conversations, I came to give you your birthday present as well."

Train blinked at the small box Lin offered him. "That's right, my birthday was yesterday… I completely forgot." He frowned at Lin. "You shouldn't have gotten me anything…"

Lin made a frustrated noise, then took Train's hand and wrapped it around the box. "Shut up and open it."

Train smiled kindly at his friend, then did as he was told. When he opened it, he smiled a bit brighter. "Is this a new choker?"

Lin nodded, relieved to see Train seemed to like it. "I noticed that the one your wearing was getting pretty worn out. I thought you could use a new one. There's an inscription on the bell as well."

Train took the choker out and squinted at the small bell. He chuckled at what it said. "Is this your way of telling me you let me go?"

Lin gave Train a stubborn look and crossed his arms against his chest. "I can't let go of something I never had in the first place. As I've said hundreds of times, my love for you will never end, but I can at least acknowledge that you aren't mine."

Train gave his friend a sympathetic look, then read the inscription again.

"Train Heartnet: Free Cat"

It was simple, yet profound. It looked exactly like his old choker, except for the inscription. He placed it back in the box so he could take off the one he was wearing. As he did that, he noticed Lin was giving him an eager look and rolled his eyes. "I don't need help putting it on."

Lin pouted. "Is it that obvious what I was thinking?"

Train nodded and smirked at him. "My emotions show in my eyes, yours shows all over your face."

Lin frowned then leaned back in his chair. "I'm glad you like it. I just wish I could have been with you on your actual birthday."

Train shrugged his shoulders as he put his old choker in the box and set the box aside. "It's not like I did anything anyway. The doctor came and checked on Creed, then left. Like I said, I completely forgot about my birthday until you reminded me."

Lin giggled lightly. "I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less. You probably would never remember it if you didn't have people like Creed and me in your life."

Train shrugged his shoulders and laid down in the bed a bit more, his back a little sore from leaning on the hard surface of the headboard. "You're probably right."

Lin smiled fondly at is Sweetness as he stretched, then turned his attention to the door when a light knock reverberated from it. Without waiting for any confirmation of entry, the person behind the door entered. When they saw who it was, they weren't surprised why she didn't wait to be told to come in.

Lin stood immediately to greet her, mostly out of force of habit and Train rolled his eyes. "You got them trained well don't you, Sephiria?"

Sephiria gave Train a stern look, then gestured for Lin to sit down. She looked at Creed with a blank face, despite the concern she felt in her chest. "How is Diskenth?"

Train frowned and looked at Creed, running his fingers through his hair lightly. "The doctor is hopeful and the brain injury doesn't seem severe… but he still won't wake up."

Sephiria noticed the sadness on Lin's as he watched Train caress the sleeping man and sighed. "Number X, please step outside so Heartnet and I can talk."

Lin nodded, then stood up quickly, glancing wistfully at Train before stepping behind Sephiria and out the door. Number One locked eyes with Train, as if she was waiting for him to start the conversation.

Train rolled his eyes. "I thought you came here to talk to me. Why do I have to start?"

Sephiria nodded. "I did. And you don't have to."

Train sighed and put his hand out. "Seems like I do. Can I have my phone back?"

She nodded again, took a few steps forward and handed the cat his phone back. She then reached under her long coat and handed him the hilt to Creed's Imagine Blade. "We managed to recover this as well."

Train blinked in shock at the hilt, taking it quickly and clutching it to his chest. "I-I didn't even notice…"

I guess in the chaos on the night and my rush to get Creed out of there, I didn't realize he wasn't holding his sword.

"Do you know anything about the items you found in Jollin's basement?" Sephiria wanted to get straight to business.

Train frowned as he set the Imagine Blade aside, shaking his head as he turned his phone on. "Not really. The files looked like they were about providing weapons to the Apostles, but I didn't really get a chance to look at them in depth. There was the Tao drink as well, but that was destroyed. Sorry about that. I don't know anything about the syringe and the paper that explained what it was lost in the fight. Sorry about that as well."

Sephiria nodded, then watched at Train for a moment before walking over to the bay window and staring outside. "The Tao drink isn't really important. We've learned everything we can about it and the files were pretty much what you just said. The only exception is the syringe."

Train frowned at her back, hearing the slight change in her tone of voice and beginning to feel uneasy. "Are you mad at me for losing the information on the syringe? I'm sorry, but I kind of had my hands full, Sephiria…"

Sephiria shook her head, then turned around to face Train. "I understand what the situation was. If anything, I'm angry at myself for not being there. I should have never pulled out my watch on Creed and I should have made sure the numbers were ready to attack."

Train gave her a sympathetic look and repeated Lin's words to her. "There was no way of knowing they'd be there. You had the sweep out on Jollin to find out what control he had over the city he's in. You didn't even know he could have possibly been involved with the Apostles until we brought it to your attention. And even then, it was only a possibility, not a guarantee."

Sephiria sighed. "Belze said something along those lines as well…"

Train smiled at her. "Then you should know it wasn't your fault, so what's the problem?"

She stared at Train for a second, then took a seat on the windowsill. "The problem is the contents of the syringe."

Train frowned. "You found out what it was?"

Sephiria nodded. "It wasn't hard considering it was our drug."

Train blinked at her. "What do you mean?"

Sephiria was quiet for a second, avoiding Train's gaze as she watched Creed's chest rise and fall slowly. Guilt slowly began to take over her as she thought about what was in the syringe and how much of it was her fault.

I let my guard down and ended up giving the Apostles the upper hand… When did they even have the chance to get their hands on our drugs? And if they can so easily break into headquarters, why haven't they done it again?

Finally, she locked eyes with Train again, making sure her face and her tone of voice were calm and collected. "Do you remember when you went to the Apostles mansion to save Creed?"

Train sulked at the memory, then looked at Creed and caressed his face. "How could I forget…?"

Sephiria watched Train tenderly touch the silver man, then continued. "The drug they gave Creed was a product of Chronos drugs. We believe it's more refined since they gave it to Diskenth, but it's the same drug nonetheless."

Train blinked at her. "What do you mean?"

She froze for a minute, not sure how Train was going to take her next statement, but knowing she needed to be honest with him if they were going to be allies.

No more secrets, no more lies. Holding back from each other is what got us all into this mess in the first place. My secrets and lies have especially gotten them into trouble… I've caused enough pain. I need to be truthful.

She didn't know how to be subtle about it, so she decided to be blunt. "For years, Chronos has been controlling the more unruly and undisciplined assassins with a drug known as Wyvern Xp. The intention of the drug was to make those who consumed it not only more agreeable to complete missions, but more blood thirsty. A drug we used in both yours and Creed's food while you were with Chronos."

Train's entire body went cold and his heart stopped. He stared at Sephiria for a minute, not sure what to feel since he still wasn't entirely sure what that meant. "Are… Are you saying when we were with Chronos… Creed and I didn't really have a say in what we did?"

Sephiria nodded, despite how much she hated admitting it was true. "Yes. I am aware you stopped eating the food soon before you left which was probably a contributing factor in your departure, but during the times you were at your most agreeable and bloodthirsty was when you were consuming the food."

Train's heart started to beat again as he realized what the news possibly meant for his relationship with Creed. "Does… that mean Creed wasn't himself while we were with Chronos?"

Sephiria frowned. "That's not… entirely true… The drug doesn't change your personality, it's just supposed to change your temperament."

Train shook his head. "Our temperaments were completely different while we were with Chronos… Creed was completely unhinged and killed for pretty much no reason. I only killed who I needed to."

Sephiria nodded. "Yes, but the drug reacts differently to each person that consumes it. Some handle it better than others."

Train frowned. "But we fought you every step of the way. We didn't follow orders perfectly."

Sephiria cocked an eyebrow at him. "Yes, but you still listened, which meant it was working. I have to say, I thought you'd be more upset by this news."

Train sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm still working on how I feel. I'm really just trying to figure out how exactly this drug was supposed to work."

And if it confirms what I've been praying was true… That Creed wasn't in control of himself when he killed Saya.

"Creed used to see our missions as a free for all, but I was still able to find restraint. I never killed a woman or child, but Creed killed pretty much anyone he could. I know you said each person reacts to it differently, but why would the drug affect us on such opposite ends of the spectrum?"

Sephiria shrugged her shoulders. "We weren't sure, but at the time we didn't need to know. No matter how it affected the killer, the drug had the same result of getting the assassin to obey either without question, or with very little question."

Train gave her a curious look. "How has it affected other people?"

Sephiria was relieved he didn't seem upset, but was still a bit weary of his unusual calmness about the situation. "We've seen people react to it how you did, which is the desirable result of having an obedient killer, then we've had people like Creed. Granted, Creed took it to an extreme level, but that probably has to do with the fact that we doubled his dose."

Train's eyes widened at that statement. "What?! Why?!"

Sephiria frowned. "He was… extremely docile when we met him. He had the skills it took to be an assassin, but after killing his mother he was so distraught it was nearly impossible to get him to kill again. We tried the regular dose at first, but still refused to kill anyone. Then when we doubled the dose we got the blood thirst we wanted, but he became unstable and we could hardly control him. We tried several different combinations with other drugs, but nothing worked. He was either too unhinged and violent, or too docile and rebellious. That's when we decided to partner him with you. We thought your calm, clean style of killing and stern loyalty would help balance him." She sighed and looked at Creed. "It worked…"

Train glared a little at her. "Did it? Or did you mess with his brain so much it took him years to get the drug out of his system?"

Sephiria remained calm as the cat glowered at her. That was the anger she had been prepared to see. "You're... Probably right. After speaking with our science team, they said the average amount of time it would take for the drug to leave your system would be a few months. However, in Creed's case, it would have been a couple of years. He probably only started to outgrow its influence about six months into creating the Apostles, then a full year until it was completely gone."

Train's heart lifted and beat a little faster as he glanced back down at Creed. "So… He wasn't in complete control of his actions back then…?"

Sephiria was starting to figure out why Train wasn't entirely upset by the news and frowned. "We didn't order him to kill that sweeper girl, Train…"

Train nodded. "I know, but… Is it possible he was so completely unhinged that he was incapable of making any rational decisions when he was upset? Didn't he flip out over the smallest things? Especially when it involved me?"

Sephiria thought about that, then nodded. "I see where your logic is going and I can't say that you're wrong."

Creed used to go on a rampage when he couldn't find Train or when Train was on a solo mission which we knew was due to the drug.

"Did the drug do anything with self control at all?"

Sephiria blinked at the hope in his voice, then nodded. "Yes. It had to. If it didn't, then the assassin would start to think for themselves and we wouldn't have control over them. We needed them to be as blood thirsty and susceptible to our orders as possible."

Train nodded in understanding, a small smile on his face as she pretty much confirmed what he had been hoping was true for a while. "And like you said before, you couldn't get a good combo of how to keep Creed exactly where you needed him…"

Sephiria cocked an eyebrow at him. "What are you thinking about, Black Cat?"

Train smiled a little at her despite the fact that he should be furious with her right now. "I think you know what I'm thinking: Creed wasn't in control of himself when he killed Saya."

Sephiria stared at him for a second, taking in his words slowly to see if she agreed with them.

...It makes sense. His feelings for Train was the one thing we could never truly get control over. If he went on a killing spree for simply not being able to find Train, I can't imagine what he'd do if he thought someone was trying to steal him. And that's absolutely what Creed thought Saya was doing.

She noticed how elated Train was becoming and even saw how sanguine he had been looking at Creed. The ex-assassin's hands were caressing him a bit more lovingly and desperately, as if he was trying to wake Creed up to tell him the good news.

I never thought telling Train that we drugged him and Creed in order to get them to be assassins would make him happy.

Sephiria looked at Train again. "I… Think I'm going to agree with you. While I'm not a scientist, I do know enough about the drug and Diskenth to see that as a completely plausible notion. Especially knowing how he was before we recruited him and seeing he's returned to that docile state now, there isn't a doubt in my mind that, while we didn't order him to kill Saya, the drugs we gave him did. They probably made him think he didn't have another choice since he thought he was saving you from someone he perceived as dangerous."

Train nodded enthusiastically as he continued touching and caressing Creed's entire face. "Yes, I agree."

Creed wasn't in control of himself! While no human gave Creed the order to kill Saya, the drug did. And after hearing how messily and unorganized they had been drugging him, it's no wonder he acted so impulsively and anything back then let alone something involving me.

His heart started to beat even faster, euphoria beginning to take over as he looked earnestly down at Creed.

This knowledge combined with the conversation Lin and I had along with hearing Saya's words just cements everything in my mind...

Train leaned forward, forgetting Sephiria was in the room as he kissed Creed gently on the lips.

I can be with Creed again.

Sephiria watched Train's tender display of affection, noticing the difference in his demeanor immediately and feeling a small smile slide against her face.

I was concerned he'd hold this against me, but it seems like my news has allowed Train to accept what his heart has been telling him to do.

Train pulled away from Creed for a moment to ask another question. "Wait, how do you know that was the drug they gave him back when the Apostles took him?"

Sephiria locked eyes with him again. "It's really hypothetical, but based on how you described his actions and what you told us the Doctor said, we're pretty sure that's what it was."

Train nodded, then looked back down at Creed, smile never leaving his face despite the seriousness of their conversation. "And how did the Apostles get the drug in the first place?"

Sephiria sighed. "We don't know… but it's concerning to know they can break into our headquarters whenever they want. We've started taking extra precautions because of that."

Train nodded in understanding. "Why haven't they tried breaking in again?"

Sephiria rubbed her eyes. "Again… we don't know…"

Which is just one more worrisome thing I have to deal with… The Elders are not happy...

She was about to speak again when she saw Creed sit up quickly, screaming loudly as he scanned the room frantically for his beloved. "TRAIN?! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

She blinked at the silver man, then jumped a little at Train's loud and excited exclamation.

"CREED! YOU'RE AWAKE!"

Train wrapped his arms around the swordsman's body and held him tight causing Creed to blink a few times, panting wildly in the cat's arms as he tried to make heads or tails of the situation. "T-Train…? Is that you?"

Train laughed between tears and nodded his head. "It's me, Creed… I'm right here…"

Creed sighed in relief and wrapped his arms around his Kitten, snuggling his face deep into Train's chocolate hair. "I thought I lost you… I couldn't find you anywhere… I heard you calling out to me and looked so hard, but I couldn't find you anywhere."

"Shh, Creed, it's okay… It was just a dream…" Train caressed his partner's hair, sighing in relief that the man was finally awake.

Creed shivered a little as the dream still lingered in his mind, trying to use Train's presence as a reminder he was no longer in it. "Where did you go…?"

Train pulled away so he could look at Creed. "I didn't go anywhere, Creed… I was right here the whole time. All you had to do was open your eyes." He smiled at the silver man, then kissed him deeply, causing Creed to choke back a sob, then smile as he returned the kiss.

Sephiria could already tell their romantic reunion wasn't going to end any time soon and rolled her eyes.

Judging by the way they're embracing, it'll only get worse. I should leave before I have to witness that.

Sephiria stood, not bothering to address either of the men who were kissing passionately and left.

Neither Creed nor Train noticed when Sephiria left, since they were too lost in each other to care. When they finally broke apart, Train did not remove his hands from Creed, holding the silver man close to his chest as he buried his face into the swordsman's shoulder.

"I love you, Creed."

Creed blinked in shock, his heart stopping for a minute before picking up speed quickly. He pulled Train away just enough that they could make eye contact as he stared into Train's adoring golden eyes. "Say that again, Train?"

Train smiled behind his tears, then kissed Creed once more. He pulled back and placed both his hands on either side of Creed's face, resting his forehead against the silver man's as he stared deeply into his eyes. "I love you, Creed."

Creed grabbed Train and pulled the gunman onto his lap, dipping him slightly as he kissed his beloved yet again. He remained like that for a minute, enjoying the way Train caressed every inch of his face, the way he lovingly pressed his lips against his own, and the way he fit perfectly in his arms.

He unwillingly pulled away, nuzzling his face against Train's as he spoke. "I have to confess, I already knew, but it means the world to me to hear you say those words again…"

Train smiled warmly at Creed, pulling his face a little closer to the silver man as he brushed his lips against his as he spoke. "Then allow me to say them again and again to make up for lost time. I love you, Creed."

Creed sighed wonderfully, then kissed his beloved again, pulling Train fully onto the bed as the cat wrapped his arms around his neck. Creed twisted his body so his chest was on top of Train's, but his legs were next to his beloved's. When he pulled away again, he shivered zealously at the way his love's breath washed against his cheek, rubbing his face into Train's cheek.

Creed let out another enchanted sigh as he buried his face into his love. "What happened that made you suddenly decide to tell me how you really felt?"

Train smiled and squeezed Creed a little, enjoying the way the silver man snuggled against him. "Can we get into that later? I just want to be with you right now…"

Hearing that statement from his beloved set his heart on fire and he decided to be blunt with his next question. "Does this finally mean we can be together again? That we can finally reclaim the label we lost so long ago?"

Train smiled at him deviously, and slipped one of his hands a little lower and against Creed's chest, sliding underneath his shirt to get a better feel of the man he loved. "That depends… How are you feeling?"

Creed moaned longingly at the mere touch of his beloved, quivering with want when he felt Train's hand massage the muscles of his chest and stomach seductively. He tried to concentrate on how he felt physically, but found it impossible with Train's hands and lips brushing against him so tenderly. All he could feel was pleasure rushing through his body as his Kitten's skillful hands traveled around his body, melting into his beloved's touches, euphoria taking over when his love kissed him again.

My head hurts and my body is a little sore, but how can I say no to this? How can I say no to Train? I could have a sword through my chest right now and I still don't think I could say no to my Kitten's enticing offer.

Creed returned his love's smirk as he lowered his hands on Train's body as well. "Well enough to know not to turn down this opportune moment…"

Creed kissed Train as deeply as he could, diving his tongue into his beloved's mouth as he massaged every inch of his Kitten's mouth. He moaned deeply as Train purred at the kiss, the Black Cat's hands still outlining every curve of every muscle on his chest, lowering even further towards his stomach. When he felt Train's hands reach his boxers and finger eagerly at the elastic, Creed moaned voluptuously and pulled Train underneath of him.

However, as he was moving his beloved into a more desirable position, Creed groaned in pain and fell to the side a little, resting his head against the pillow beneath his beloved's head. He clutched at his head and shut his eyes tightly, feeling the world spinning around him as he tried to desperately regain control of himself so he could make love to the man he had been dying to be with his entire life.

Train frowned at his Stallion, then reached out to massage his temples lovingly. "Is it your head?"

Creed sighed blissfully at his Kitten's touch and nodded his head subtly so as not to hurt it more. "Yeah… Why does it hurt so much?"

Train sighed, helping Creed lay back down on the bed and pulling the blankets up around both of them as he rolled over so he could keep massaging the silver man's temples. "How much do you remember from the party?"

Creed opened his eyes and frowned at his beloved, moving a little closer so he could rest his head on Train's chest. "I think I remember most of it… I remember the Apostles were there and we fought them, but… I don't remember much of the fight, nor do I remember leaving."

Train made a sad sound as he wrapped Creed tightly into his arms, caressing the back of his head gently to try and alleviate some of the pain. "The doctor said you might have some memory problems…"

Creed winced a little as he tried to look up at Train, then blinked as he slowly started to remember a bit more of the night. He sat up quickly, pulling himself out of Train's arms as his worried eyes and hands began scanning his beloved's body, ignoring the pain that shot through his head as he inspected his Kitten. His heart stopped when he saw the bandages around his Kitten, fear shooting through his body immediately as he clung desperately to Train.

"Are you okay?!" He looked his beloved up and down, trying to cover a painful wince as he moved his head.

Train gave Creed a confused look, then rolled his eyes and growled in frustration as he pushed the man back onto the bed and into his soothing arms. "I'm fine, jeez! It's just a few scratches and bruises and the Tao has already healed most of it. You should be more worried about yourself."

Creed whimpered a little at his beloved's harsh words and his headache, then frowned as he looked down at himself. "...I don't look too bad off…"

Train sighed and kissed Creed's head gently. It was true. Creed's body was in fine shape. He hadn't sustained many injuries from the fight, but the way it ended is what made his condition worse than Train's.

He kissed Creed's head again and again, overjoyed the man was awake and he could tell him how he really felt, but heartbroken over the news he had to give him. "That's because you weren't beat up that bad. I also cleaned you off and gave you a fresh pair of clothes."

Creed blinked at his beloved, then looked down at himself to see what he was wearing. It was a plain, silk pajama set that was similar to the ones he normally wore. As he felt Train run his fingers through his hair, he could feel it wasn't tangled which sparked another question in him. "Did you brush my hair while I was out?"

Train nodded his head and massaged the silver man's scalp a little. "I did. I tried to keep you as clean as possible while you were out. I couldn't give you a full shower, but I was able to keep you hygienic."

Creed smiled peacefully at his beloved's touches melting into Train's embrace as he sighed wonderfully. "How long have I been out for?"

Train frowned, knowing Creed wasn't going to like the news and held him a little closer in hopes it would brace his partner. "Three days. This is still the start of the fourth, so I don't think we can count it."

Creed felt his heart stop and he sat up quickly, looking down frantically at Train as he spoke. "DOES THAT MEAN I MISSED YOUR BIRTHDAY?!"

Train rolled his eyes again, then sighed as he saw Creed wince in pain from the sudden movement and gently pushed him back onto the bed. "Stop making such violent movements, you're going to make your headache worse."

Creed whimpered as Train pushed him back down, cuddling close to his beloved as he felt Train kiss and massage his head again. "Fine, but can you at least answer my question? Did I miss your birthday?"

Train frowned, realizing that while Creed was able to figure out approximately what day it was, he was still disoriented enough to not know what day it was even after he had been told.

There's no way he wouldn't normally be able to figure out that yesterday was my birthday. He must not be entirely cognizant of the situation yet.

Still seeing that sad, stubborn look on his Stallion's face, Train sighed and nodded his head again. "My birthday was yesterday, Creed."

Creed's lower lip quivered and he buried his face into Train's chest. "I'm so sorry, Train! I

I'll make it up to you. I promise. I just need to get to-" He looked around the room slightly, trying to figure out where they were. "Wait, are we at one of the old mansions?"

Train nodded, kissing the man gently on the lips to comfort him, then continued caressing his head lovingly. "Yes. Sephiria told me to bring you here so she could send a doctor to look at you without having to deal with the rest of our friends…"

Creed heard his love's voice trail off and frowned. "A Chronos doctor looked at me? Why?"

Train sighed and rested his head on the pillow next to Creed's head, tucking his silver hair behind his ear as he caressed his cheek with his thumb. "What was the last thing you remember? Or does it hurt to remember?"

Creed tried to remember, his head hurting just a bit more as he thought, then sighed as Train rubbed his temples again. "No… No, I can't remember…"

Train nodded his head in understanding. "Then stop trying. But, I want to make sure you're ready to hear what happened to you. I'd rather be the one to tell you than the doctor."

Creed frowned at his beloved, moving his face closer to Train so their lips barely touched as they spoke. "I think I'd rather hear it from you too if it's as bad as you're starting to make it sound."

Train smiled warmly at his Stallion, then leaned forward to kiss him tenderly in hopes it would prepare him for the news. He remained like that for a moment, waiting to feel Creed's body relax in his arms before he pulled away. When he did, he made sure his face was still close to Creed's, his hands still touching and massaging every part of the swordsman that he could in hopes of making him feel better.

Once he saw he was physically ready, he decided to explain everything as straightforward as he could. "Charden almost suffocated you with his blood attack. He slipped the blood inside of you and filled your lungs with it. You… Almost died, Creed…"

Creed blinked at his beloved.

That explains the dream, I guess...

Creed heard the sadness in his love's voice, then kissed him again. When he pulled back, he smiled, his face still close to his Kitten as he spoke. "I'm right here, Kitten… I didn't go anywhere."

Train sighed and kissed Creed again and again, reveling in the heavenly feeling of being able to express how he truly felt about the man both physically and vocally. "I know, Creed… But you almost did… I watched you slowly die in my arms, covered in blood that he controlled. He literally drained the life out of you with his Tao. I thought I'd never see you again… It was just like that dream I had..."

Creed frowned, knowing that tone of voice his love was giving him too well and reaching out to cup his cheeks adoringly. "What dream, Train?"

Train felt a tear fall down his cheek that Creed wiped away quickly and shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it. Like I said, I'd rather talk about all this shit later. I just want to be with you right now."

Creed sighed, knowing that while Train may have meant what he said, the poignant ache in his voice told him otherwise. "I'm not going anywhere, mon amour. Tell me what ails your heart so that I may mollify it…"

Train smiled zealously at Creed, nuzzling his face close to the other man's as he let out a harmonious sigh. "Guess you're brian is still able to form proper sentences… We can check that symptom off the list"

Creed blinked in confusion as he caressed Train's cheeks. "What?"

Train sighed again and shook his head. "We'll… get into that in a minute. Are you sure you're okay? Are you sure you can handle hearing my drama with your head in such pain?"

Creed smiled and kissed Train tenderly, pulling away and brushing his lips against his beloved's as he spoke. "Just being here with you like this, knowing that you love me and want to be with me again is enough to make me forget if my body was on fire. Tell me about the dream, mon chat."

Train smiled, unable to refuse the man anything anymore as he opened his heart up to the man he loved once again. "A while back, I had a dream where… the Apostles killed you and Lin. They killed Lin with that wolf beast's swordtail and they kill you through… suffocation…"

Creed nodded in understanding. "And that made the whole situation seem more certain to you, didn't it? That's why you were so relieved to see I was alive, wasn't it?" He heard his beloved whimper, knowing he had hit the nail on the head and wrapped his arms around Train's back and pulled his cat against his chest. "Amazing how a terrifying fantasy can seemingly turn into a grim reality… But that's all that dream was, Train, a terrifying fantasy. And now, we are living in a beautiful existence. One where we can be with each other again… One where you don't have to hide how you feel about me anymore…"

Train sighed as he felt Creed caress and kiss him lovingly, chuckling bitterly behind the tears he didn't want to fall anymore. "I find it more amazing how you always seem to find a way to comfort me after you're the one who was knocking at death's door… yet again…"

Creed flicked the back of his beloved's head making Train yelp and glare cutely at him. The swordsman kissed him again, allowing his lips to linger for a second before he pulled away and spoke. "We're partners, Train. And I don't just mean sweeper partners anymore. Your confession means we're romantic partners, again, right?"

Train's frown changed into a smile, his heart beating fast as he was finally able to accept what the man was offering him. "Yes, Creed. That's exactly what it means…"

Creed swooned his Train's arms at the look his beloved was giving him, kissing him deeply once again as he squeezed the cat tightly. When he felt his love's tongue twirl around his own, he moaned delightfully and returned the eager excitement Train was giving him. He pressed his face and body a little harder into his cat, lowering his hands so they wrapped around Train's waist, massaging the small of his love's back as he continued kissing the gunman as deeply and passionately as he could.

After a few minutes, they finally parted and Creed sighed breathlessly, holding his Kitten's lower body as close as he could to his own, desperate to feel every part of Train as he could. "If we're partner's in every sense of the words again, then you can't feel bad anymore about the love I give you. You're not allowed to feel guilt when I comfort you even if I'm dying as I do it. Okay?"

Train nodded, his heart racing even faster as he felt the other man's hips pressed earnestly against his own, wanting nothing more than to tear Creed's clothes off and jump on his lap. "Can you promise to stop dying at least?"

Creed chuckled and smiled deviously as he felt his and his love's excitement rising, the proximity of their bodies making it impossible for either of them to hide. "I can't promise anything. If your life is ever going to be on the line again, then I can never promise not to shove my neck into the guillotine if it means I'll spare yours."

Train sighed in frustration, then moaned as he felt Creed move his hips a little, the small bit of friction the motion created being enough to make him forget whatever he was about to say. He moaned and applied pressure on his own, wrapping his arms around Creed's neck as he latched his lips back onto the silver man's. As soon as he felt Creed's tongue massage his own, he moaned loudly, his entire body bursting into flames at the intimate embrace, the heat in his groin building to an incredible level at just the mere thought of feeling his Stallion inside of him again. They allowed the warmth of each other's love and devotion to engulf them entirely as they kissed deeply and intensely, their gyrating hips never stopping as they moaned into each other's mouths.

When Creed finally pulled his lips away, he nuzzled his face against Train's as he spoke, but his lower body did not stop its movements against his Kitten. "Is all this why you're so freely telling me you love me? Did my near death finally push you over the edge to say those words again?"

Train moaned at the feel of the other man's growing member brushing against him, pushing himself even harder onto Creed as he kissed him again. "One of the reasons…"

Creed was intrigued by his beloved's statement and decided to push the subject a little further, but not at the expense of the sensation that was boiling in his lower body. "Oh? What were the other reasons?"

Train gasped with each of Creed's eroctic thrusts, not wanting to ruin the mood of the moment as he kissed his Stallion's jawline eagerly. "I'd rather talk about that later so we can fully enjoy our time together..."

Creed smirked a little and slipped his hands into Train's pants as he spoke, his member thrusting amorously against his love's as he spoke. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

Train moaned as he kissed Creed's neck, allowing the man's hands to wander to his ass and caress it as he sucked longingly at his Stallion's warm flesh, almost forgetting how good the other man's skin tasted. He moved to his hands Creed's and stomach, sliding them lower as he searched for the area between his legs to give his Stallion the pleasure he had been longing to give for so long. However, as soon as he heard Creed moan in pain, he pulled his hands back from their sensual action to relieve the pain in his head once more.

Train sighed and kissed Creed's forehead. "It'll happen whenever you're ready, Creed…"

Creed whimpered longingly at the idea of Train's hands not being able to reach their desired location before he pulled them away. Creed pressed his lower body so it was flushed against Train's once more, trying to prove to him that he was ready. "I am ready, Train. Right now. Take your clothes off."

Train sighed as Creed grimaced in pain again then kissed his Stallion, caressing his chin as he nuzzled his face closely. "I'm not going anywhere… We'll truly reunite as lovers whenever your head stops attacking you, my Stallion."

Creed moaned hungrily at his Kitten's words, then sighed longingly at his kiss, returning it eagerly in hopes that would be enough to stop his head from hurting. When Train pulled away, he squeezed his cat's ass a little more, again trying to prove to his love how ready he was. "Just give me a chance and I'll be able to fix my headache with your body."

Train sighed again as Creed kissed his neck then moaned in pain, knowing his partner's lack of ability to keep his seductive gestures going was a sign of how ready he was not. "Creed… You have an anoxic brain injury due to the suffocation… You need to rest."

Creed gave his love a shocked look as he spoke. "Wh-what…?"

Train ran his fingers through Creed's hair, making sure to massage his head as he spoke. "I'm sorry, Creed… It's my fault… I should have listened to you when you said we shouldn't have gone to the party… I should have-OW! WHAT THE HELL?!"

Creed used one of his hands over Train's mouth immediately after he pinched his rear violently, grimacing slightly in pain at the volume of his love's voice. "Shhh, not so loud! It feels like someone marching in my head…"

Train frowned and kissed Creed's forehead. "Sorry… It's just-"

Creed pinched his love's lips shut and glared at Train. "If you say it's your fault again I'm going to shave your head." Seeing his beloved's pout, he giggled, but did not remove his hand from his lips. "If I let go, do you promise not to blame yourself again?"

Train nodded and Creed let go. The Black Cat rubbed his lips for a second before wrapping his arms around Creed's back and holding him close. "That was rude…"

Creed sighed and allowed his body to mold into his beloved's arms. "That's what you get for self-hating. I thought you wanted to enjoy my company before the doctor came back."

Train frowned and kissed the top of Creed's head over and over again. "I haven't even called him yet. We have time."

Creed smirked at his beloved. "Is it enough time to prove to you I'm ready to fully bond with you?"

Train was able to stop Creed before he got too worked up. "Creed… I want you to make love to me just as much as you do, but I refuse to if that means it's going to hurt you."

Creed pouted at his beloved, then began to massage Train's ass as he spoke. "So, if I started doing this, you'd stop me?"

Train moaned a little as he left Creed's fingers groping at him, feeling his body getting worked up again as his Stallion pressed his lower body against his once more. When he felt Creed move his hips a little up and down, he pulled the silver man closer and kissed him deeply, every carnal feeling he had been bottling up coming out as his hands once again move to down his silver love's chest and stomach, slipping his fingers under his clothes and between his legs to grab the area organ he wanted so badly to feel inside of him again.

"Creed…" Train moaned as he felt his Stallion kiss his neck, leaning his head back a little as his senses slowly left him, his desire for the man taking over as he felt Creed's fingers slid between his cheeks.

Creed smirked, his head pounding, but pushing through the pain in order to receive and give the pleasure he desperately wanted. "I don't care about my physical state and I don't care what could possibly be wrong with me. All I care about right now is creating the bond we once had. All I care about is being inside of you again. All I care about is being your lover again."

Train moaned as he felt Creed's hardened member brush against his own over and over again, moving his hips in sync with his Stallion's as he spoke. "I want to, Creed, but I don't want to hurt you…"

Creed chuckled a little, ignoring the pain in his head in favor of the pleasure he felt of his love's eager hips thrusting in sync with his own. "Your body could never hurt me, Kitten… It gives me nothing but pleasure…"

Train moaned as he felt Creed's fingers slowly poke at his entrance, his legs shaking with anticipation as he finally wrapped his fingers around his Stallion's member. "Oh, Creed... I want to feel you inside of me so bad…"

Creed shivered with pleasure as he felt Train's fingers wrap around his shaft, then moaned at his love's words. "Then let's keep going…"

Train gasped loudly as his Stallion entered a finger inside of him, the digit sitting still as if waiting for him to give it the go ahead. The cat moved his hands back and forth against Creed's cock, nodding his head vigorously, no longer able to hold back the floodgates of his animalistic desires for the man. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Creed sucked at his beloved's neck, moaning at the feel of his cat's fingers gripping tightly between his legs, sticking his finger inside Train even more. "For you, my love, I'll be anything…"

Those were the last words Train needed to hear lock his lips with Creed's, diving his tongue deeply into the other man's mouths to taste every inch of each him, excitement coursing through his body as he knew he was about to become one with the man he loved. Train moaned fervently and returned the fierce kiss, moving his hands a little faster against his Stallion's penis, the heat in his body growing when he felt Creed twitch a little at his touch. He purred longingly as Creed's finger poked teasingly at his entrance, readying him for what was to come as their tongues danced and twirled together.

As they lost themselves in each other's bodies, they heard someone clear their throat, causing the men to jump and look over in alarm at whoever had entered the room. Train felt his eyes widen and his face pale, but his body froze, making it impossible for him to move his hands. "I didn't call you yet!"

The doctor rolled his eyes and put his hands on his hips. "Jeez, I can't imagine why…"

Train glared at the man and Creed growled in anger at being stopping. However, the resentful motion made the swordsman grimace in pain which caused the cat to turn his attention back to Creed. He reached out and massaged his Stallion's temples, frowning as he rested his forehead against Creed's. After a few minutes, he saw the pain begin to subside, then kissed Creed gently before turning back to the doctor.

"What I mean is I didn't call you yet so why are you back so soon?" Train addressed the doctor, but kept his fingers rubbing at Creed's head.

The doctor sighed and crossed his arms against his chest. "Ms. Arks called me. She told me to give you guys a minute alone, but seeing as I was already halfway back to headquarters when she called me and knowing I had to check on Mr. Diskenth right away, I decided I couldn't wait and came in."

Creed glared at the man, the pain in his head being alleviated by his Kitten's loving touch. "You couldn't knock?"

The man sighed again. "I did, but you two were clearly too busy to hear me."

Train blushed again, but managed to ignore his embarrassment enough to ask the doctor a question. "Where are Sephiria and Lin?"

Creed frowned at his beloved. "Lin was here?"

Train looked back at him, continuing to rub his temples. "Yeah. He came to check on us."

Creed rolled his eyes, holding back a grimace the gesture caused. "Yeah, right…"

Train frowned at his Stallion. "He did, Creed. He was worried about you too. Stop it." He turned back to the doctor who seemed to be annoyed at being ignored. "Are they still here?"

The doctor shook his head. "No. Ms. Arks told me to come back and check on you, then leave immediately so you two could be alone."

Creed couldn't help but smile at Sephiria's rare act of kindness, not caring about what she and his beloved had talked about yet as pulled himself out of Train's arms so he could sit up. "Alright, then let's get this over with so we can get back to what we were doing."

Train sighed and rubbed his face, scooting over a little so the doctor had more room to work. The doctor rolled his eyes, then began examining his patient. After checking his vitals and doing a quick physical, he nodded and stepped away from the bed, watching as Creed settled back into Train's arms and smiled blissfully.

Train held Creed and addressed the doctor. "Well? How is he?"

The doctor pulled out his clipboard and wrote a few things down as he spoke. "He's doing remarkably well. While I'll have to do another scan on his head to check on the damage, based on his reflexes, blood pressure, heart rate, and clearness of his lungs, I'd say the Tao was already doing its job."

Train felt his heart skip a beat. "Wait, so are you saying the Tao fixed his brain injury?"

The doctor shrugged his shoulders, but did not look up from his chart. "As I stated before, I think it's possible that it can do that, but I can't say for sure yet since we still don't know everything about the Tao. We have no evidence that it can heal injuries like that, but we also have no evidence that it cannot. So, it's not out of the realm of reality yet."

Train smiled at the man, relief taking over as he felt Creed snuggle deeply into his arms. "Ever the optimist, huh, Doc?"

The doctor rolled his eyes and shut his clipboard. "It's the best way to be in my line of business. Otherwise I'd go insane." He slipped his notes back into his bag, picking it up as he addressed the couple on the bed. "I'd ask how you were feeling, but based on what I walked in on, I'd say you were doing pretty well."

Creed nodded, then grimaced a little at the pain. "My body feels fine, but my head hurts."

The doctor frowned. "That's pretty unavoidable, but considering you don't have a concussion, you don't need to worry too much about it. Here-" He dug into his bag and pulled out pain medicine, tossing it at Train who caught it easily. "-This may sound cliche, but take two of those and call me in the morning."

Train nodded and poured two into his hand, giving them to Creed then reaching over to the side of the bed where he had a glass of water waiting for his partner. While Creed took the medicine, the doctor asked another question to Train. "How has he been with the other symptoms we talked about?"

Creed blinked as he swallowed the medicine and set the glass aside. "What other symptoms?"

Train sighed and kissed Creed gently on the forehead. "I'll explain later…" He turned back to the doctor as he caressed the silver man's hair. "So far he's just seemed to have memory problems and a headache. But, he hasn't been awake for very long and we haven't left the bed yet. I figured we'd test the waters later."

The doctor nodded. "Probably for the best. I wasn't kidding when I said call me in the morning. After he rests for a little longer, have him walk around and let me know how he is. If there is anything abnormal or not one of the symptoms I described, call me immediately. Even if your hands are… let's say full…."

Train blushed again. "Is there anything we should be doing or not doing while he recovers?"

The doctor gave him a knowing smirk. "Are you asking for a doctor's permission to have sex?" Train blushed brighter and Creed nodded. "He needs as much rest as possible, but as I said since it's not a concussion, there's no reason you can't continue what you were doing when I walked in. As long as Mr. Diskenth feels well enough and you're able to be careful, I won't tell you that you shouldn't."

He turned on his heel, heading towards the door as he waved to them both. "But, like I said, make sure when you finish he gets plenty of rest and call me with any issues. Have fun!"

As soon as he closed the door, Creed pulled Train back onto the bed, latching onto his beloved's neck as the Black Cat gasped wildly and arched his back slightly. Train moaned and ran his fingers through Creed's hair as he spoke. "You sure you're up for this?"

Creed made an annoyed sound as he licked and sucked every inch of his love's jawline, his hands sliding back into Train's pants and grabbing his ass again. "You already asked me that question. Just shut up and take your pants off."

Train moaned and nodded, moving his hands down to pull off his pants and boxers. As soon as he was done, he reached out and slid off Creed's as well. "I guess if you're that sure, then I should be requesting the same of you…"

Creed chuckled as he sucked at his love's neck, moaning as Train's hands moved back to his hard shaft, his strong fingers wrapping eagerly around them and moving back and forth slowly. The silver man shivered in excitement as he slipped his fingers back between Train's cheeks, poking at his entrance earnestly.

When he heard Train let out an eager moan, Creed shoved his fingers inside his love, searching for the spot he knew would let his Kitten see fireworks. Train gasped loudly as he felt Creed's finger enter him, then grimaced slightly at the lack of lubrication. "Is there something here that will help us become lovers again?"

Creed was trying to avoid nodding so he wouldn't be reminded of how much his head hurt, but gestured towards the nightstand with his free hand. "Assuming my memory isn't totally shot, there should be lube in the drawer of the nightstand. Hurry up, I need to be inside of you right now."

Train nodded and pulled his hands away, ripping the drawer open and grabbing the bottle quickly. His entire body was shaking with anticipation since he had been waiting for this moment for far too long, nodding his head in agreement with Creed. "I couldn't agree more, mein Hengst…" (1)

Once he properly greased his hands up, he passed the bottle to Creed and began to move his hands more eagerly against his Stallion's hard cock. He cried out loudly when he felt the silver man enter his lubricated finger inside of him again, arching his back as Creed easily found the pleasurable spot inside of him instantly.

"Oh, my Stallion…" Train moaned, moving his hands quickly between Creed's legs. "I missed you so much…"

Creed felt his legs shaking as Train moved his hands even faster, inserting another finger into his beloved as he moved his mouth from his love's neck to his lips, kissing the cat deeply. "I missed you too, Kitten…"

He inserted yet another finger, poking and tickling the spot deep inside of beloved as vigorously as he could, reveling in the feel of Train's hand jerking him off eagerly. Creed gasped loudly the faster his love's hands moved, massaging Train's tongue either his own, nibbling at his Kitten's bottom lip gently before plunging his tongue back inside his mouth. He moaned enthusiastically as Train's hand gripped a little tighter and moved a little faster, beads of sweat beginning to pool on his forehead, the pain he felt leaving his body as pleasure slowly took over.

"Oh, Train…" Creed moaned, sucking at his love's tongue eagerly, his body vibrating wildly in ecstasy. "I love you, Train…"

Train cried out as he felt himself ready to climax, but not wanting to until he knew Creed was ready as well. "I love you too, Creed…"

Train cried out loudly as Creed's fingers wiggled against the sensitive spot in his ass, poking, prodding, and teasing it as quickly and powerfully as he could. The Black Cat arched his back, pressing his chest harder against Creed's as his legs quaked in bliss as his partner's fingers worked magnificently inside his ass. He gasped and moaned over and over again, making sure his hands never stopped as the heat in his groin grew to a level he had been longing for so long. Train felt himself convulse wildly when Creed wiggled his finger even faster, his body almost no longer able to control itself as the semen inside of him begged to explode out.

Train gripped a little tighter at the hard cock between his fingers and moved his hands even faster, licking and sucking at Creed's tongue eagerly as he pressed his chest even harder against the silver man's. "I love you so much, my Stallion…"

Creed cried out when he felt Train's chest pressed harshly against his own, his beloved's electric fingers working wonders against his penis as he stabbed passionately at the pleasurable spot deep inside his beloved. "Faster, Train… Faster!"

Train compiled and moved his hand even faster, shouting out savagely as Creed inserted another finger, practically being fisted by the man as he devoured every inch of his mouth. "Harder, Creed!"

Creed obeyed, knowing he wasn't going to last much longer and feeling as though Train wouldn't either. He could feel his beloved's body sparking with an electric passion, heightening the level of pleasure they were receiving as Train's Tao flickered against him. Creed could feel the sweat building around his Kitten's ass, knowing he was no better off as he felt a bit of the salty liquid fall down his forehead and onto his nose. The swordsman screamed loudly, completely forgetting his headache as he thrusted his fingers further into Train, arching his back with his beloved as he readied himself to explode into his Kitten's grasp.

"Train! I'm going to-"

Train nodded and kissed him again, swirling his electrified tongue around Creed's quickly before pulling away and responding. "Me too! Don't stop!"

Creed licked his love's tongue and moved his fingers even faster, preparing himself to come with Train as the Black Cat's fingers worked hard against his shaft. After a few more thrusts and pumps, both men cried out madly, knowing no one was around to hear them, but also not caring. They screamed out each other's names in unison, cumming onto each other's stomachs, then panting violently.

It only took a few seconds for Train to regain himself as he pushed Creed onto the bed, climbing on top of him as he grabbed the lube again. He wrapped his legs around the silver man's hips as he sat earnestly on his lap. "Are you still feeling okay?"

Creed panted and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The throbbing of his head seemed to non-existent as he stared lustfully up at his beloved. "Yes, my love. I want to be one with you again."

Creed sighted passionately as Train smiled down at him. His beloved's bare body hovered seductively over him and he moaned as the cat adjusted himself over Creed's cock so it was poking readily at his ass. When he saw the lewd look in his beloved's eyes, Creed reached out and grabbed Train's ass again, thrusting his hips up a little, begging to be inside of his Kitten again.

"Oh, Train… Please let me in… I can't bear to look at such a beautiful sight without being able to feel how marvelous it is as well..." Creed purred as he massaged his love's ass, trying to move his hips in a way that would easily allow him to slip inside of Train.

Train smirked and leaned forward, kissing Creed deeply as he re-lubed his silver love's still hard cock, lips brushing against the silver man's as he spoke. "And we will be soon, my Stallion… And I'll make sure to protect you so you can forget the pain your beautiful head is causing you…"

Creed's entire body lit on fire as Train spoke, then he cried out loudly as his Kitten lowered himself on top of him, inserting his penis inside of him slowly as his cat sat on his lap. Train moaned as he felt his Stallion enter him, taking his time and reveling in how it felt to be one with the man he loved. Once he inserted Creed fully into himself, Train leaned forward and kissed him deeply, smiling seductively as he pulled away and began to unbutton Creed's shirt as well.

"You may be the one inside of me, but I'll be the one fucking you, Stallion…" Train smirked as Creed hissed longingly when he slid his hands down his chest, the tips of his fingers sensually tickling the silver man's silky skin. "I have a feeling this is going to be pretty easy…"

Creed moaned and bucked his hips, causing Train to throw his head back and gasp loudly at the reflective motion. "I already feel like I'm already about to burst inside of you, my love… All you have to do is give me that look and let me gaze upon your glorious, naked body and I'm a goner… However, feeling the tightness of your ass helps as well..."

Train cried out again as Creed thrust up, his body beginning to shake with excitement as he slid his hands back up his partner's chest and moved his face closer to the swordsman's. "Then allow me to try and make this better than you could ever imagine… I do have more experience now, can't you tell by the way my fingers move?"

Creed gasped and moaned as Train's fingers reached his nipples, twirling around them before pinching them delicately. "Oh, Train…"

Train smirked, then sucked at Creed's neck, his ass staying where it was on his Stallion's cock, enjoying the way it throbbed expectantly inside of him. "Oh, Creed… We haven't even started and I can already remember how amazing it feels to have you inside of me…"

Creed moaned as Train licked and nibbled at his neck, then purred intensely when he felt his beloved's lips trial down his neck and to his chest. He arched his back a little and thrust his hips upwards again, the gesture inadvertent, but enjoyable nonetheless as Train gasped loudly once more. Feeling his Kitten's hot breath brush against his nipple, Creed grabbed at his love's ass again and moaned loudly when Train wrapped his lips around the protruding, pink skin.

"I love you, Train…" Creed whispered, thrusting his hips up again as Train twirled his tongue around his nipple, his fingers digging into his beloved's rear as he thrust up again.

Train gasped with each thrust Creed made, making sure to keep his composure enough that he could continue working at his Stallions nipples, gripping tightly at the pillow underneath Creed's head as he worked. "Oh, my Stallion…"

Creed thrust up a few more times, trying to match the twirls of his love's tongue with each motion, the heat in his groin building up the more Train caressed and kissed his body. After a few more thrusts, the cat pulled back and pushed his shoulders down, pinning Creed to the bed as he moved his face so it was inches away from his.

Train smirked and kissed Creed deeply, then pushed away and sat up straight, hands still keeping the silver man in place as he spoke. "Are you ready?"

Creed had been trying to avoid nodding, but found it impossible with the look Train was giving him. Even if his head hurt, he didn't feel it. All he could feel was the tight warmth of his beloved's ass engulfing his hard cocked tightly, Train's eyes and his words igniting a level of carnal behavior he didn't think was humanly possible as he allowed himself to become submissive to his unusually dominant Kitten.

He slid his hands to Train's hips as he settled his body deeper into the bed, ready to let his beloved do whatever he wanted to him. "I've been ready for you since the day I met you, mon Chaton…"

Train smiled and leaned forward to kiss his Stallion one more time before he started moving his body up and down. "Then let's get this party started…"

Creed moaned loudly as Train slowly raised and lowered his ass on top of him, allowing the silver man's penis to thrust slowly into him as he watched his beloved swordsman throw his head back in ecstasy. Train moaned and gasped quietly, moving his body up and down again, still making sure his motions were slow so he could feel every inch of his lover's hard cock.

"Oh, Creed…" Train moaned as he moved himself up and down over and over. "You feel so incredible, my Stallion…"

Creed squeezed Train's hips, helping his love move up and down again as he stared wondrously at his face. "And you feel just as marvelous and magical as I remember, Kitten… You are the most stunning creatures I have ever seen… This sight of you bouncing above me is more astounding than I could have ever imagined…"

Train laughed a little as he bobbed himself up and down, sparking his body purposefully as he increased his speed just a little. "That's the goal, Creed… I blow your mind and pleasure your body beyond its wildest dreams…"

Creed gasped and moaned as Train moved faster, his hands moving along with his Kitten's bouncing motions, arching his back as his love moved even faster. He gazed up at Train, his heart beating out of his chest as he watched his beloved's body shine brightly with an electrical blue, the sparks Train's body created making the feeling of his tight ass feel all the more unimaginable. As incredible as it felt to have Train enter Creed in and out of his body, the vision of his beloved's panting, sweating face and his sparking, bouncing body was almost more than his heart could stand.

Wanting to be closer to his Kitten, Creed sat up and wrapped his arms around Train's back, pulling his beloved against his chest as he spoke. "Don't stop… Keep going…"

Train gasped with each bobbing motion he made, then pushed Creed back onto the bed, keeping his hands on his Stallion's shoulders so he would stay on the bed as he smirked and moved himself up and down again. His bouncing began to speed up as he stared down at Creed's face, relishing in the carnal look the silver man was giving him, encouraging him to move his body even faster as he gripped firmly at his lover's shoulders.

The Black Cat caressed his Stallion's cheek with the back of his hand, making sure Creed stayed on the bed as he moved his body faster and faster. "Why would I stop, il mio amore? However, I want you to stay there. So we don't move your head too much..."

Creed moaned blissfully as Train leaned forward and kissed him, nodding his head as he gripped at his love's hips. "Whatever you say, meine dominante Katze…." (2)

Train moved up and down against him again and again, tightening his ass as he picked up his pace even more, but not so much that he knew he or Creed would cum yet. He wanted to make sure they had more time to remember what one another felt like before they decided to completely give in to each other's corporeal desires. Train gasped with each movement he made against Creed, his body beginning to spark even brighter with anticipation as he guided his Stallion's cock to brush lightly against the pleasurable spot inside of him.

"Creed…" Train moaned, brushing against the spot inside of him again. "I love you so much, Creed…"

Creed moaned with his beloved, his fingers digging deeply into his cat's flesh as he arched his back slightly at Train's motions. "I love you, Train… I love you more than anything else in this world…"

Train cried out and threw his head back, one hand resting on Creed's chest to give him leverage on his motions, the other running through the silver man's hair eagerly. "I missed feeling you inside of me so much, Creed…"

Creed arched his back even more as he threw his head back as well, feeling Train move himself up and down his cock even harder, tightening his already tight as he bounced himself up and down. "Faster, Kitten! Faster!"

Train complied and bobbed himself even faster up and down, gripping tightly at Creed's chest as he leaned forward to kiss his Stallion again. As he caressed the silver man's tongue eagerly, he pulled back and latched his lips around Creed's neck, sucking eagerly at the skin there as he moved himself even faster up and down his silver love's hard shaft. Train gasped loudly, squeezing his ass even tighter as he kissed Creed over and over again, knowing he was almost ready to climax as he adjusted Creed inside of him slightly once more so the man's cock was hitting him directly in his pleasurable spot. When he hit it, he screamed loudly and clawed at Creed's chest, repeating the motion again and again, crying out louder with each of his bounces.

"Creed…! Creed…! Oh, Creed…!" Traid moaned over and over again, kissing his Stallion deeply, then throwing his head back and screaming loudly as he sat up and bounced harder on the silver man's cock harshly.

Creed screamed with Train when he sat directly on his cock, thrust his hips up as he dug his nails deeply into his beloved. "Do that again, Train!"

Train did as he was told and shoved himself onto Creed's member over and over again, making sure to hit the spot inside of himself forcefully and precisely, shouting avidly with each motion as he gripped his Stallions chest strongly. He bounced himself even faster, making sure his ass was tight and his body was sparking with passionate electricity, wanting to make it as pleasurable for Creed as it was for him.

"Does it feel good, Creed?" Train asked as he bounced himself eagerly on top of the swordsman, running his hand up and down Creed's chest as he spoke. "How does my body feel around you?"

Creed felt a tear fall from his eye as Train spoke, the pleasure of the moment combined with the words of his beloved doing wonders against his body, mind, and soul, healing his broken heart entirely. Train was everything he needed, everything he ever wanted and as he watched his beloved's glowing body flare with dazzling blue sparks and felt his firm ass encasing his large shaft, he knew his life was complete. He knew in that moment, he had achieved true happiness once again.

"You feel perfect, Train…" Creed moved his hands from Train's hips to his face, outlining his beloved's jawline as he tried to memorize the statuesque scene forming above him. "Vorrei che questo momento non finisse mai…" (3)

Train smirked and moved himself even faster, feeling himself ready to explode again as he stated ardently at Creed's euphoric face. "Finirà, Stallone mio, ma ti prometto che succederà ancora e ancora ... Per il resto delle nostre vite …" (4)

Creed squeezed his fingers around his beloved's hips as the heat inside of him boiled over, the electric sparks his lover's body was creating only making it even harder not to cum as he stared lustfully into his Kitten's eyes. Wanting to add to the pleasure his partner was feeling, Creed grabbed the abandoned lube at the side of the bed and greased his hand up. He wrapped his fingers around Train's cocked and began moving them quickly back and forth, crying out with his beloved as he jerked the gunman off in rhythm with his bounces.

Creed screamed again, one hand clawing at his silver love dearly as he tried to prevent himself from cumming too soon, the other pumping at Train's hard shaft eagerly as he kept his eyes locked onto his Kitten's ravishing face and sweating body. "Do you mean what you said, Train? Will you really never leave me?"

Train's entire body was a ball of flames as he moved himself even faster, making sure his ass was as tight as it could be as he tried to hold in his cum. "Never again, Creed… I'll never leave you again."

Creed cried out again and matched his hand's movements with his beloved's bouncing, the heat between his legs pleading for release as he held on for a bit longer. "Do you promise, Train?"

Train nodded, bobbing himself up and down on Creed cock as fast as he could, hitting his pleasurable spot with each bounce, knowing he was ready to explode, but wanting to wait before he fully gave in. "I promise, Creed…" He bounced himself up and down again and again, hitting the sensitive ball of nerves in his ass over and over, gripping at Creed's chest as he spoke. "I'm never going to leave you again… I love you… I love you, Creed..."

Creed arched his back and cried out, shutting his eyes as the heat in his body begged for release, but he was still unwilling to give in. "TRAIN! TRAIN, I'M GOING TO-"

Train nodded empathetically, knowing exactly how his Stallion felt as he threw his head back as well and let out an animalistic scream. "Me too, Creed! Are you ready?!"

Creed screamed again and again, the sparks, heat, and tightness his love was creating too much for his body to bear as he cried out into the large room. "I'm ready, my love!"

Train moved his body as quickly as he could, making sure his ass was tight as he bounced up and down on Creed's penis, crying out loudly as he gripped tightly at the silver man's chest. He gasped and moaned as his lover pumped eagerly at his cock, the gunman's other hand clutching at the pillow beneath Creed's head as he leaned forward, kissing the man he loved one more time and gazing longingly into his eyes.

Train smiled and moved himself even faster, making sure he Creed's cock never missed the pleasurable spot that resided deep in his ass. "Together?"

Creed cried out again, nodding his head as he completely forgot about the pain that was once there as his hand continued moving back and forth against his Kitten's pulsing cock. "Always, il mio gatto…" (4)

Train nodded, and kissed Creed deeply one more time, spinning his tongue around the silver man's while never stopping his bouncing motions. The Black Cat sat up again, threw his head back, and screamed the most salacious scream he had ever released, his body tensing and tightening for a moment as he finally exploded on top of his lover.

"CREED!" Train screamed fiercely as he clawed at Creed's chest, his body convulsing wildly as he shouted into the ceiling above him.

Creed watched as his love convulsed and matched the intensity of Train's scream, arching his back frantically as he twitched and exploded inside of his love. "TRAIN!"

As he released his seed inside of Train, the Black Cat collapsed against him, panting wildly as they felt hearts beat as one against each other. They remained like that for a while, Train making sure Creed stayed inside of him as he snuggled against his lover's body, kissing his neck and chest adoringly as he tried to catch his breath.

"I love you so much, Creed…" Train whispered as he nestled his head into the silver man's neck.

Creed panted fiercely and wrapped his arms around Train's back, kissing the top of his Kitten's head as he spoke. "I love you, Train… I love you more than words can say…"

Train sighed blissfully, still unwilling to remove the man from him as he slowly caught his breath. "I'm so happy we finally did that… I've been dying to do it again…"

Creed laughed loudly and he breathed in his love's hair. "You've been dying to do it again?! How do you think I've felt?!"

Train snorted. "I've wanted it just as badly, Creed. I was just able to control my desires better."

Creed rolled his eyes, not sure if it was the medicine the doctor gave him finally kicking in or the pleasure Train just gave him, but his head no longer hurt. "Whatever…" He trailed his fingers down his beloved's hair and towards his back, pausing when he got to the choker around his neck. "Is this new?"

Train felt Creed's fingers tracing the choker, not sure if he should bring up where it came from, but also wanting to be completely honest with his partner. "Lin gave it to me just before you woke up… As a birthday present."

Creed felt his heart sink a little. "Oh…" He continued fingering it idlying, then sighed regretfully. "I'm sorry I didn't get to give you your gifts. I'll get them to you as soon as we get home."

Train rolled his eyes and sat up, placing his hands on Creed's chest and gave his lover an annoyed look. "Stop it! I don't care about that! What did you tell me on your birthday? You just gave me the best present I could ever ask for. And I don't just mean the love making. I mean the fact that you're still alive. Your life is all I needed any day let alone my birthday."

Creed smiled adoringly at his Kitten, reaching out and caressing his cheek fondly, overjoyed that he was still inside of the man he loved. "Beautiful words spoken by a beautiful man… However, you will be getting your presents… As soon as I remember where they are, that is…"

Train frowned at his silver love. "Did you forget?"

Creed furrowed his brow as he thought, then felt his heart sink again as realization hit him. "I… I think I might have…"

Train watched as his Stallion slowly began to panic, then leaned forward and kissed him lovingly. When he pulled back, and ran his fingers through his hair and gave him a reassuring smile. "Considering how close you are to Eve, do you think she might know?"

Creed thought about it, then nodded in relief. "Yes… I think she does." He sighed and leaned into Train's caresses. "Do you think there's going to be more I forget…?"

Train shrugged his shoulders, kissed Creed again for he had a chance to panic again. When he pulled back, he made sure the love he felt for the man shone brightly in his eyes. "I don't know, but we'll find out. Together, right?"

Creed returned his beloved's devoted look and ran his fingers through Train's hair. "Always…"

Train finally, but regretfully slid Creed out of him, then laid down next to his silver Stallion, snuggling against Creed as the swordsman turned over to wrap his arms around the Black Cat. "I'll have your back no matter what. Like true partners."

Creed nodded and kissed Train lightly before snuggling his face close to his love's. "Partner's in every sense of the word now…"

Train smiled wonderfully as he settled into Creed, then frowned a little as he thought of what else Lin did while he was there. Knowing he needed to be honest with his lover, he let Creed know. "Lin also… kissed me while he was here… I pushed him away immediately and he apologized. It seemed like an instinctive reaction, but I don't want to lie or keep anything from you. Not if we're going to do it right this time around."

Creed was surprised at how composed he was upon hearing that, probably because he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Train was his now and there was nothing anyone could do to change that. "It's okay, Train. I'm not upset. If you can still love me after what I did to you, I know something that small won't split us up. But, thank you for telling me. I want to do this right this time too. So, I promise I will never lie to you or keep secrets again."

Creed thought about how he had said that before to Train and clung to him a little tighter, burying his face completely in his beloved as he spoke. "And this time I'm going to keep my promise. No matter what. I will not jeopardize what I have with you ever again."

Train smiled peacefully. "I believe you, Creed. I really truly do." He sighed as he thought about how easy Creed was able to forgive Lin and decided to question his partner about it. "You've really gained control of your emotions, haven't you?"

Creed shrugged his shoulders. "I guess so. Honestly, other than the moments with you in Chronos, a lot of it has slowly started to become foggy. And I know it's not the brian injury since it started happening a few months ago."

Train cocked an eyebrow as he rested his head against Creed's chest. "Really?" Feeling Creed nod his head and hold him closer, the cat sighed and melted into the man. "Probably has to do with the drugs…"

It was Creed's turn to blink as he pulled back and looked down at his beloved. "What drugs?"

Train grimace, realizing he was about to ruin the mood of the moment with his next words. "That syringe that I got… That was the drug Doctor gave you when we saved you a year and a half ago. A drug… the Apostles stole from Chronos…"

Creed felt his heart freeze a little as he put some pieces together. "What are you saying, Train?"

Train took a deep breath and sat up a little so he could look at Creed. "Creed… Chronos was drugging us while we were with them and… they were messing up your dosage really bad…"

Creed frowned up at his love. "What do you mean?"

Train ran his fingers affectionately through his lover's hair, hoping that would console the man. "They were doubling your dosage, then dialing it back, then doubling it again, then combining it with other drugs. They messed with your head really bad, Creed. They said if they didn't give you enough, you'd refused to kill, then if they gave you too much, they couldn't control you. That's why you killed Saya, Creed. You weren't yourself. Chronos messed you up and it took at least a year for it to fully leave your system."

Creed could hear the conflicted sound in his love's voice, but understood what he was saying. "That's why you started to change sooner than me. Because you stopped eating their food. And that's why I didn't start to calm down after we left, isn't it?"

Train nodded and smiled warmly at his partner, caressing his cheek as he rested his forehead against Creed's. "I like to think I had a hand in that as well…"

Creed returned his love's smile, wrapping his arms around Train's back as he pulled him back onto the bed and kissed him deeply. When he pulled back, he pulled his cat against his chest and settled back into their relaxing position. "Of course you did, Train. You were the reason I left them at all." As he felt Train settled in his arms, another thought occurred to him. "Wait, is that another reason you were finally able to confess your feelings to me again? Is that why you want to be with me again?"

Train sighed as nuzzled his face as close to Creed's chest as he could. "Partially… I wanted to be with you for a while, but… I couldn't… I couldn't…"

"...You couldn't find it in your heart to be with the man that killed your best friend?"

Train blinked at Creed's statement, looking up at him with a stubborn look in his eyes. "How do you always know what I'm thinking?"

Creed giggled and kissed his love, pulling away so he could nuzzle his face. "Because I know everything that's going on in that cute little head of yours. That's how I knew you loved me before you said it."

Train pouted up at Creed, then rested his head back against his lover's chest. "So… You're not mad at Sephiria or Chronos for what they did?"

Creed sighed. "Are you?"

Train shrugged his shoulders as he smiled at Creed's fingers moving up and down the non-injured parts of his back. "Maybe a little for her lying to us, but… I guess I can forgive her considering she probably couldn't tell us and probably didn't know exactly what it was doing to you. And-"

"-And you can forgive her considering this is now the reason we can be togeth-HEY, DON'T DO THAT!"

Train snicker as he let go of Creed's cheek, returning to his snuggling position as the silver man smacked him playfully on the head. "That's not the only reason I was finally able to tell you how I feel again."

Creed sighed as he rested his chin on top of Train's head. "What were the only reasons?"

Train held up one finger in Creed's face. "There was one other reason: Saya."

Creed blinked at the finger as it retreated back to his chest and Train cuddled against him. "Saya? Did she send you a sign or something?"

Train nodded. "Several. For a while now. But, I kept ignoring them since I let my guilt take over… Like it always does…"

Creed smiled lovingly at his Kitten and kissed his head. "What signs did she give you?"

Train sighed and began counting off in his head. "One time I caught you singing her song in your sleep. That was after I was trying to talk to her on the roof, but I thought she was being silent. Then, I saw her at the recital hall before we… well, you know. And just now before you woke up… she pretty much told me to be with you again. Hearing about the Chronos drugs from Sephiria after that was just the final nail in the coffin…"

Creed nodded and smiled brightly, his whole beaming with joy at the way the events unfolded. He lifted Train's head up by his chin, gazing adoringly into his lover's eyes for a moment, before pressing his lips fondly against the gunman's. Train returned the kiss zealously, wrapping his arms around Creed's back as he slid his tongue into his partner's mouth, delicately massaging and tasting his Stallion as he tickled the silver man's back. When Creed pulled away, Train remained where he was, whimpering quietly at the loss of the other man's lips against his own, pulling him closer as he pressed his body flushed against the swordsman's.

"Are you upset with Sephiria for what she did?" Train had a feeling the smile on his lips would never leave him again.

Creed sighed reverently at his Kitten, brushing his lips against Train's as he spoke, relishing the goosebumps that popped up all over his beloved's flawless skin. "How could I ever hold a grudge against them if they've given my precious, beautiful, sweet, rose the reason he needed to be with me again?"

Train smiled, keeping his lips close to Creed so he never had to be without their warmth. "Even if it took so long for it to happen?"

Creed nodded and kissed Train. "Yes. Because, as much as this time apart hurt, I think we needed it… both of us."

Train gave Creed a confused look, but kissed his partner nonetheless. "What do you mean?"

Creed kissed Train over and over again, answering his question with his body and his words. "Because we both needed time to grow as individuals. As glorious as our love was at the beginning and as much as it pains me to say this… I think our relationship was a bit toxic before. I was too controlling, insecure, and possessive and you were too naive to see that. I think I needed you to break my heart so I could see how unreasonable I was being and to fully get Chronos' drugs out of me so I could become myself again. Looking back and comparing it to what we have now… I think what we've built over these last two years is not only more healthy and strong but… more real and will definitely be longer lasting."

Train thought about what his partner said, then snickered. "And I guess I needed to gain more 'experience'?"

Creed smirked and kissed his beloved a bit deeper this time. "Well… the sexual experience didn't hurt, but I know you cared about Lin as more than just a rebound. But, I also think you needed that to help you understand what your heart really wanted."

Train nodded in agreement, returning Creed's kiss and starting a new one of his own. "If everything you say is true… then I guess we have an even more amazing road in front of us…"

Creed nodded and kissed Train again and again, pulling his beloved as close to his chest as he could, wrapping his legs around his Kitten's as he spoke. "I guess so…"

Train nuzzled his face against Creed's. "Do you want to hear more about what Sephiria and I talked about?"

Creed kissed Train again and again, never wanting to stop now that he had the Black Cat's heart again. "Not now. Right now, all I want to do is lay next to you in post coitus bliss."

Train smirked and kissed Creed a few more times, overjoyed that he could finally be with the man he loved. His heart felt whole again, his soul complete as his mind finally accepted what the rest of his body had been begging him to accept. As he nuzzled his face against Creed's, he looked over the silver man's shoulder and saw Saya standing there, smiling warmly at him as she nodded in approval. Her spirit disappeared in a wisp of air, leaving his sight, but never leaving his heart as he heard her cheerful laughter echo against his ears.

Train sighed blissfully as he shut his eyes and snuggled into his lover, reveling in the heated sensation Creed's body created around him. "I can't wait to see what the future holds for us… But for now, my Stallion, you should follow the doctor's orders and rest. We have the rest of our lives together."

Thank you, Saya… I won't forget you, but I'll make sure to honor your memory correctly from here on out.

---

Translation:

(1) "My Stallion."

(2) "My dominant cat."

(3) "I wish this moment would never end…"

(4) "It will end, my Stallion, but I promise you it will happen again and again... For the rest of our lives…"

(5) "My cat…"