Disclaimer: All Bust-A-Groove elements belong to Enix. I own nothing.

Notes: Well, here it is, peeps. The last chapter of Shades. Tell me if you like it, kay? It's actually pretty short.

SHADES

Final Take: Ai

by ArchFaith (formerly known as the ArchPrincess of Saturn)

"Strike?"

He sat on the roof, on one of the ugly steel slabs always found at the top of buildings in big cities.

"Strike."

His dreads swayed against the wind. It was night now; the lights of Tokyo had just turned themselves on.

"Strike..."

His dreads, clinging halfway down his back, swayed against the wind. He was silent as the wind swept over him.

"Strike!"

He felt sick to his stomach.

"Miguel-chan, you still upset?"

"The hell?" Strike burst, surprised. He hadn't noticed anyone calling his name.

Hiro, sighing, stood behind him. "Do you have any idea what time it is? Everybody's gone home already. We all practiced, but no one could find you."

"Good."

"...Kitty went home pretty early. I think she was crying."

"Good."

"I...I told Shorty I loved her."

"Good."

"And I really did mean it. I realized that...well, maybe we really were meant for each other."

Strike tipped his shades down to stare at Hiro. "Say what?" he asked. "So...you're not using her?"

Hiro quietly sat down next to him. "I hope not," he answered.

They sat in silence for a while, watching the dark streets light up down below. The sidewalks suddenly filled with people, heading out to the nightclubs and bars. Easygoing, no worries.

"I wish it was that way with us," Hiro commented sadly.

"Que?"

"Nevermind. It's nothing."

"Y'know, it's only been 24 hours since we began dis."

"Has it? Seems like much longer."

"Yeah..." Strike leaned back and looked up at the stars. They glistened and twinkled. So peaceful.

So full of shit.

"So...where are we gonna go from here?" Hiro inquired. "Are we gonna pretend nothin' happened? Are we just gonna go on like we used to?"

"Would ya want it ta be dat way?"

"I dunno."

Finding no reason to say anything else, Strike stretched himself out full length on top of the slab, finding it wide enough to accomodate him. Hiro stayed sitting, his eyes half-closed. The two sat quietly once more, Strike's mind ablaze.

You have another.

What?

What did Fireboy mean?

Another...it couldn't be Kitty. She was long gone.

Any other person? Who the hell could that be?

And...

"Ya know...I was talking to Heat a few minutes ago," the brown-haired boy began. "He asked me to stay behind and look fer ya."

Strike promptly sat up.

"I don't think he's angry at ya anymore."

Strike inched towards Hiro keeping his eyes low.

"He told me ta tell ya that he'd talk to ya later."

Strike very slowly placed his arms around Hiro. Hiro reached for Strike's shades, which slipped off. Blue met grey; two versions of heaven met two versions of hell.

"He told me to tell ya," Hiro continued, in a whisper, "that you were lucky because you had 'another'."

"Another...?"

Their lips met. It was a deep, dark kiss. One that sent shivers up their spines, penetrating their souls. It lasted for years; it lasted for seconds.

"We can't be," Hiro whispered into Strike's ear. "I don't LOVE you."

"Are you so sure of that?" Strike answered, not wanting to let the moment go.

"I don't know..." What about Shorty? Didn't you tell her you loved her? Now about this...goddammit, Hiro-kun, how do you get yourself into this?

"I guess that's just da way it is, huh?" Strike said, bracing himself to accept the truth. "Yeah...I guess so." You were refused twice, Strike. What now?

Silence again. There's getting to be too much silence in this story.

Hiro, making up his mind, broke free of Strike's embrace. He rose and headed to the door. Strike looked after him, with neither sadness nor anger on his face.

Hiro turned the knob; but he couldn't open it. He couldn't bring himself to open it. He turned around.

"Strike... ancora en su per quel basamento di un-notte?"

Strike, surprised, stared at him. He smiled sadly. "Sí... definitivamente."

He got up and walked towards Hiro.

-

Strike...you still up for that one-night stand?

Yeah...definitely.

Owari

Notes: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

I'm stuck in fanfiction hell, peeps!!! HELP ME!!!!

PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!! I know this chapter really sucked. It's the end too!!!