"Yoh…" he calls out to me.

Don't look like that, you look like you're about to cry. He drops his weapon, and collapses onto his knees. His eyes are wide, confused and scared.

"Ren?" I feel some chord struck.

"No… I…!!" He clutches at his head, and begins to shrivel his body up, screaming. "I…!!!" I feel panic rising, alarmed at the way Ren's acting. "STOP IT!! I… DON'T…STOP!!!" he starts yelling, clawing at his forehead.

"Ren!" I feel myself moving towards him, not thinking about anything else. I'm right at Ren's side, and pick him up off the ground. Kneeling, I have Ren shivering in my arms. I can't see his face. Hao seems to have become slightly unnerved, and was standing a few feet away from me, maybe, concerned. He had a slightly dark expression.

"You've made your choice. I'm impressed."

"Get away from him." I spit. I have no idea what the hell he's on about. "How dare you even think that you could come near him… you didn't just clear him memory, what the fuck did you do to him?"

"That needs to be known only by me." He replies coldly, looking down on me.

"…Hao!!"

"It seems that he remembers you little brother. Are you happy?"

"…"

I kneel there, looking at Ren. He has his eye closed, unconscious now, but breathing shallowly. He's curled up like a little kitten, vulnerable and weak. I bite my lip, and slowly put Ren down.

Hao got out of the way. Just. I oversouled the quickest I ever have, and threw a cut at Hao's face. I don't know if I was aiming to kill him, but I got a small, clean cut on his left cheek. Slowly bleeding. Hao's face stayed indifferent.

"You're quicker when it comes to matters involving others, don't you?" Hao says after a moments silence. He either doesn't realize the cut, or is choosing to ignore it. He then shrugs, and turn away, but I can hear his voice carried by the wind.

"He may have remembered you, and you may see that as some kind of victory, but there's a part of me that he'll never forget." I was about to ask him that the hell he meant by that, but he continues.

"Maybe all this stupid competition between us is quite useless Yoh, because you'll eventually lose your form and the spirit will return to me."

"Fuck you." I bite out. I can't believe how aggressive I feel.

Hao ignored the later statement, and disappeared.

As soon as he did, I could feel everyone around me relax, as the tension melted away. I realize I'd been holding my breath, and sigh out. Oversoul released, I return my attention to Ren.

"Faust…"
"It is alright, he's just been released from an incredible amount of stress. Just keep him comfortable for a while, and he should be fine." The doctor reports. I nod, and smile at Faust in gratitude.

I carry Ren, and all the others follow us to our lodge. Horo was silent the whole time, while Manta and Ryu were trying to figure out what had exactly happened. I look over at Anna, who's been averting my eyes the whole time. I wonder…

"Yoh." She finally says, and comes up beside me. She has her face down cast.

" "

"?"

I didn't quite catch what she said.

"Anna…" I try to ask her again, but she's gone ahead. I frown slightly.

----------------------

His eyes open. "Ren…" I sigh in relief, as a smile naturally cracks my face. A day later, he finally wakes up.

"Yoh…" he says, looking at me, then observes the surroundings. A small lodge room provided by the Pachi. Nothing flash. I internally sigh out in relief as I see that Ren remembers who I am. I guess this means his memory has returned.

"Ren, how do you feel?" I ask him cautiously. "Are you hungry?"
"No, I feel like shit." He scrunches up his nose. I laugh. This is Ren.

"Do you…do you remember anything?" I ask again, slightly nervous. What if…

"I… I think I was dreaming…" he whispers, unsure. He lies there limp, like a vacant china doll. He frowns slightly, eyes unfocused, trying hard to recall something. Dreaming? "I… think… Hao was there…" he started slowly. A chill struck my spine. I took a sharp breath, and was about to say something, I don't know what, but something. But I stopped myself somehow. Ren continued.

"Hao…was there…and I was with him… and his allies… but most of the time, it was only him…" Ren's eyelids droop over his eyes, but then flutter open again. "It was Hao, and I was always with him, and…" his eyes widen slowly, and he sits there frozen. "I…I may even have…"

I suddenly hug Ren tightly. I can't see his face, but I'm sure his eyes are wide open with shock. Hell, I'm even shocked at this sudden turn of events. I bite my lip and hug him tighter. I don't want to know what he was about to say. I slowly release Ren, and look at him carefully.

"Don't think about him anymore." Ren looks at me, slightly confused. I kiss him gently on his forehead.

"Don't think about him, because you're back with us. This is where you belong." This time I look at him and smile. Because what I said then, is exactly what I meant. I don't like the thought of Ren being trapped by the memory of Hao, even though Ren himself seems to be unsure whether all that happened.

And I can't forgive the fact that Hao had tried to make Ren kill again, against his will. I silently vowed then that I would eventually deal with Hao.

Ren averted his eyes slightly, but even in this light I could see the faint blush he had across his cheeks. I smile and hug him again. Ren's back, and he should try and forget anything that happened between himself and Hao. But a slight part of me wondered, what had exactly happened between the two.

But I shouldn't really worry, because now he's back here.

….............

I don't know.

All I remember was, that I felt unwanted.

Yoh had his fiancée. There was no place for me.

Then he came.

I felt at peace. There was a place for me, I was needed, wanted.

But then why did I discard it?

What prompted me to return?

I… I think I was dreaming. I… think… Hao was there… Hao…was there…and I was with him… and his allies… but most of the time, it was only him…It was Hao, and I was always with him, and I…I may even have… slept with him?

Some things are better best forgotten.

*end?*

----

Yayaya! Vacant is now finito! XD Wow, I had NO confidence in finishing this fic, because I usually can't finish longish projects. But this…hmm… what do you think? I made it out to be all Haorenish, but then tada~~~~ it ended up being Yohren… for some reason… *eyes swim*

Yeah, the reviews I got seemed more Hao sympathetic, so the last bit I added were Ren is somewhat still tied to Hao emotionally (Yes that last segment is Ren's POV). I think my version of Ren has a slight dilemma in that he loves Yoh, but Yoh's taken, and Hao fancies Ren, but Ren is basically opposed to Hao…hmmm… Yoh seemed to get off a bit lightly in this one, doesn't he? In retrospect, I feel that absolutely nothing's been resolved. Except that Yoh chose Ren over Anna (in a weird way). It's nothing dramatic like the two eloping or anything, but I think it's a start…(for me…gah! *dies*) I think I feel slightly sorry for Hao… Ren got awaaaay…. Bahahaha. >:3 (I am feeling very random at the momento).

Stupid comment, but Hao bleeds randomly in this fic… (ala bitten by Ren, cut on the face… maybe that's slightly OOC. :D)

And that bit that's left vacant, the phrase Anna said to Yoh, shall remain a mystery. ^_~

Yay, finished! Now I'll start on the AU. ^o^