Three Stages of the Collapse

by Milaya Milen Zeal

What is one to do when the person they love is in a happy relationship with another? What is one to do when they cannot let go? Is it possible for someone like that to learn to love someone else? Or is such a person cursed to live forever in despair? NeJo, one-sided ?/Neku, mentioning of Joshua/Rhyme and Shiki/Eri. Rated M to be safe. -WARNING- Make time for the last stages.

2. Stage beta - The Buildup

Three Stages of the Collapse

Fandom: The World Ends With You

Pairing(s): Neku/Joshua, one-sided ?/Neku (try to guess the identity), past Joshua/Rhyme and Neku/Shiki, mention of Shiki/Eri.

Setting: AU

Summary: He feels like he had been abandoned, and yet he remains ever trusting of Him. He told him to wait for Him, and so he waits… and waits… and waits…

Writing style: Third person thought perspective. Present tense, no names mentioned unless spoken. (Style first used in "Once Upon A Me")

WARNING!: This stage is LONG! Make some time free to read it.

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Stage beta - The Buildup

A pair of deep green eyes stare down at him when he awakes in the morning, with a small smile playing along the face that belongs to them, as they are leaning on one elbow and watching him as he struggles against the sleep that is trying so hard to keep him under. His head hurts, and he is confused about why they are here, as he finds that his memory is more than a little fuzzy, but then his memory returns and he feels his stomach twisting in dread, which, he soon discovers, is not a good idea. His stomach twists and turns so violently that it forces all his stomach still holds upward along his throat and to his mouth, forcing him to cover his mouth to keep it in.

He tries to get up and get to the washroom, but his head is still spinning and he can barely stand. They help him to stand without anything being said and move to the washroom, not fast enough that he will throw up immediately because of the motion but still fast enough for him to make it so he can safely eject all the alcohol he has taken in only the previous night, as well as some of his meager dinner. He coughs and whines as they rub his back and shoulders gently while he gasps and chokes on his own breath.

They place a soft kiss on his temple to comfort him and as much as he wants to say something about it, he does not trust his voice at this point in time, so he remains silent and attempts to get his breath back. He can smell his own breath and he chokes at the rancid stench, as he slowly moves back, still gasping to get the air back in his lungs.

"There… are you feeling better now?"

"…why're you still here…?" asks he instead, because he cannot shake it off so easily, and he needs to know why it is that they decided to stay there.

"Hm? Did you wish me gone, then?"

Yes, he wishes to say, but his voice dies almost the instance he wants to say it as he struggles against a cough when his stomach attempts to throw out more, but he has nothing left to throw up, and thus he dry-heaves almost painfully, and he tells himself, as he does every time he wakes with a hangover as painful as this one, that he will never drink again for the rest of his life. But he knows very well that that is a promise he cannot keep, because the next time he is asked, he will still come with and he will still drink until he drops into a coma.

"Shush, shush, now. It is okay, so just relax," they say as they gently rub their hands over his back. "Sshh… come now; shall we get you washed up?"

Washed up… that certainly sounds good, but he has a feeling that this will include having them in the shower as well, which is not something he is looking too forward to, yet he also knows that he will be unable to properly support himself for a little while, at the very least, which means he has no choice if he really wants to be thoroughly clean again after such a long night.

"…nrgh… wh… whatever…"

A chuckle is their only response, before he is lightly tugged up to his feet, and he stumbles into them, and yet they manage to keep standing, and guide him to the shower, and he has to hold onto their arm which is placed along his waist for him to keep standing on his own two feet. He cries out when the chilly water hits his skin and he attempts to move back, but he hits them instead and they chuckle when he almost loses his footing. He cannot object as they lead him into the cabin, under the spray of water that is gradually heating up, but he allows a small groan of satisfaction as the water begins to soothe all of his sore muscles and soak him throughout.

"Oh? This is interesting…"

"…huh?"

"Your hair," they say, reaching out and moving a lock of hair from his bangs out of his eyes. "It does not seem the slightest bit affected by the water."

"…yeah I know… 's weird…"

"Oh no, I do not mean to say it is weird. Actually, I think it is rather endearing."

"I-it really isn't!"

They merely chuckle and run their long fingers through his hair and he cannot stop the moan that comes from his throat as they drag the finger pads along his scalp. He wants to pull away from them so badly, but he fears that if he does, he will end up flat on his face, and in the washroom, that really is not a good idea to do, so he stays silent and lets them help him, despite how much it hurts his pride to have to accept help from someone whose name he does not even know in any way shape or form.

"What is the matter, dear?"

"…don't call me–"

"Ah, right, my apologies. But really now, are you all right, Sakura-kun?"

Is he all right, they ask, of course he is not, is that really so hard to understand? Do they not realize what he and they have done last night and how much impact this has on his life? Do they not understand the pain of his heart being crushed beneath the guilt he feels over breaking a promise that has always meant so much to him?

The answer comes within a second to him; of course they do not, and why would they, after all? He is not worth any sort of attention, and in the end, no one really knows or cares about his problems, because there is no reason for them to do so.

"…Sakura, ssshh… it will be okay…" they say, and he does not understand why he is pulled against them until he blinks and feels his own hot tears rolling along his cheeks, as a sob wrenches itself loose from his throat and his legs quiver under his own weight. "Hush, hush… ssshh, it will be okay… go on, just take a deep breath… go on… there we go… steady breaths, Sakura-kun… steady… breathe in… and breathe out… in… and out… good. Just like that… just relax…"

He sniffles and reaches for his eyes, wiping away his tears wordlessly, too embarrassed to speak of them, because boys do not cry, after all…

"Sakura-kun… it is okay to cry," they say tenderly, running a hand through his bangs as their other hand rests over his heart.

"No it's not… boys don't…"

"Ah, but you are not a boy anymore, are you?"

"…"

"It is true; all say that boys do not cry… but no one ever speaks of men not being allowed to cry, do they?"

"…n… no…"

"Do you see now? There is really no need to be embarrassed over shedding a few tears."

He supposes that they have a point, and this has always been something that has often given him pause; boys do not cry, is what everyone says, but he is not a boy… does that mean that he can cry whenever?

"Sakura-kun…" their voice whispers softly, then, drawing him from his thoughts. "What I am about to tell you might seem heartless of me, perhaps even cruel, but please hear me out, okay?"

He does not expect to hear words like that from them, but the way they say the words make him hesitate, and he almost says that he does not want to hear, but they sound almost sincere when speaking, and he wants to believe so badly that it is real… that someone truly cares, that he allows his head to tilt down in a small nod.

"Thank you… I do not know what it must feel like, to love someone who loves another, but I can tell just by looking at you that it must be so painful… though perhaps excruciating is a better word for it… And, while I admire your devotion, I cannot keep this to myself; it is better for you to move on, to learn to love someone who can love you in turn. Ah, I am not done yet," they say, using a finger to keep him from speaking, "I know I may sound cruel, but I am saying this for your own sake; you are only hurting yourself by continuously pining over a love that will likely never be. And I do not wish to see someone like you destroying themselves; you do not deserve such torment, no one does."

He wants to speak, but he does not know what to say anymore, for all they say is truthful; it is painful, it is excruciating, but it is also so very difficult to let go, for he has been in love for almost eight years and yet his love had not shown any signs of weakening, as it had appeared to have done the exact opposite and had only grown in strength until it threatened to consume him whole. He knows that what they say makes sense and that he needs to stop pining over something that cannot be, but his heart will not allow him, or is it his mind that is keeping him from moving on? He does not know the answer to this question, but he does know that, even if he is able to move on, it will be virtually impossible to love a person as he has come to love Him.

"Sakura-kun…"

The call is quiet, but they do not seem to expect an answer and merely place a soft kiss on his temple, and he feels his body shiver in response to the tender gesture, unused to the gentle touch after so long of being unnoticed and alone, and when they run a hand through his hair, he almost starts to cry again, but he holds his tears in, with a lot of difficulty.

"Come… let's get you dressed properly, shall we?"

"…sure…"

They lead him gently into the living room, and sit him down on the bed before they start to looks around for something to wear for them both, but he really cannot bring himself to care about what he wears now, because it really does not matter to him right now. He does not even pay attention to them, even though he should, because they are still a complete stranger to him, and they could just rob him blind and he will never know until they are already long gone, but that is because, for a reason he cannot explain even to himself, he feels like he can trust them to not betray him, though perhaps this also has to do with how he is just so tired of being alone for so long that he is willing to accept the company of anyone, even that of a total stranger.

"There we go," they say when they are finally done, and he looks to what he is wearing and is slightly happy that it does not clash, though with his wardrobe, it is pretty difficult to do so, because the majority of his clothes are all from the same brand. "Sakura-kun…" they say then and rest their hands upon one of his own on his knee, and he looks to them where they are crouched before him, wearing the same clothes as the night prior, having no change of clothes here and with the lipstick and eye shadow washed away because of the shower, but he finds that it makes very little difference in their appearance; their lips are so pale that it almost seems like he still wearing it, or maybe that is just a trick of the light, and his eyes only seem to be brighter because of it. "I apologize."

"…for what?"

"Well, for two things, truthfully. Firstly; I wish to apologize for my actions last night. It was… how to say… inconsiderate of me to not take your feelings into account, but I could not hold myself back, and while I wish I am capable of blaming the alcohol in my system, I will not even try. I am well aware that a mere apology will not be enough, but–"

"It… it's okay…" he says before he can stop himself, and when the words are out, he feels like kicking himself to his shin, hard, because he had not been planning to forgive them for last night until they had opened their mouth about it and thus he damns them for screwing not just with him but also with his head.

"…Is it really?" they ask him, but their tone of voice says they see through to his thoughts and that they know that they are not forgiven so easily, and possibly never will be. "Well… thank you. And, secondly; I wish to apologize for saying what I said in the shower. I do not know in what kind of situation you truly are, but I, as an outsider, have no business in your affairs. However, I do not regret saying them, for I do not wish to see you saddened much longer."

"…? Much… longer? Wh… what do you…?"

"…I have been watching you, Sakura-kun. For the past month and a half, I've watched you whenever you and your… friends?"

"…co-workers…"

"Ah, my apologies… But yes, I've watched you for so long, and I saw that haunted, almost tormented, gaze in your eyes… and it ripped me apart to see you tear yourself to pieces as you did." They pause to move his bangs out of his eyes with just his fingertips, but the strands fall right back into place. "Approaching you last night, I almost did not dare to, but you seemed so vulnerable, that I could not leave you alone as you were…"

He has never heard anything remotely like this; surely, there were girls who would say they have watched him for a while, but none would ever say precisely what they had just told him. And it hurts so badly, that a random stranger has been able to see how terribly unhappy, hurt and lonely he felt, when those whom he had once called his closest friends have not been able to see beyond his wall of silence, have been unable to hear how his heart has been screaming to them to notice him, to pay attention to him. He almost wants to cry again, but he holds the tears in, because he has shed too many tears already, and he refuses to shed even one more.

"Sakura-kun…" they say softly, as they cup his face with one slim, soft hand. "Please do not think ill of me for springing this question upon you so suddenly, but I must ask; would you consider to give 'us' a try?"

"…'Us'?" he asks of him, not understanding what they mean, but his heart clenches soon as he feels that he knows what they mean, but he waits still for them to confirm or deny what it is they mean.

"What I mean by this, is if you would like to go out with me," they say kindly, still cupping his face, but before he can recoil away, they speak again. "Yes, I know that this is sudden, and possibly also unwanted, but do you recall what I said earlier? It would be better for yourself if you found someone else; someone who could hopefully learn to love you in turn." They then run a hand through his hair before speaking again. "I do not need to know your answer immediately, but, please, I wish to ask you to at least consider it."

What is one supposed to say to such words, he wonders to himself, as he looks down to his hands pointedly, making it clear that he has no answer right now, as much as he would have wished he can just tell them that he can never consider it. He cannot say those words, however, because they have been nothing but kind to him, even last night, ever mindful of his pain, even if it had only been the physical kind, and he wonders absently if, perhaps, it would indeed be better for him to accept what they have offered him…

"…I… I'll think about it…"

They smile in response, and they do not appear overly worried, even though his answer can still end up becoming a no, before they say: "Very well. Shall I give you my number so that you can reach me when you have thought of your answer?"

"…sure…"

It takes him a few seconds to relocate his phone, which he soon realizes is still where he has left it last night, in one of his shoes hidden under his bed, and when he finally finds it, he gives it to them after flicking it open. They give him a soft smile as they take it and move to sit beside him, expertly maneuvering their thumb over the buttons, and he cannot help but lean a little sideways to look over their shoulder as they type, and when he sees their first name, he cocks his head and repeats it softly. They smile and say that they think it is a name that suits them, though they will not say explicitly why, though he can guess why they think so, really, because one look at their current wardrobe makes him think of the bird after which they are named.

He gets his phone back and a small kiss to his right temple, which is something he did not expect, but he does not say anything about it as he tucks the purple gadget into his pocket as he and they climb up to stand and move to the door. They watch the door with a half-smile and reach for the handle and turn it upward, saying: "I've got it now," but they do not open the door immediately, and instead turn to face him. "Sakura-kun, I know that what I have asked is not an easy decision to make, and I understand you may need some time to think it over… All I ask is that when you have reached your decision, whether you accept or decline, that you will call me."

"…yeah…"

What is he supposed to say, he asks himself as they smile at him, then slide the door open and leave with a small wave to him, which he, weakly, returns before they disappear down the staircase and he allows himself to shut the door. He leans against its frame and he clenches his eyes as his heart pounds so hard and fast that he can feel its pulse in his throat, as it almost feels like something is ripping the organ out from his chest by slowing twisting it loose from its safe haven.

Their words keep echoing in his head, and he is so confused and lost that he does not know what to do any longer. He is not hungry or thirsty, but he is not sleepy either, and he hates to walk around with no purpose, so where does that leave him?

Unable to reach a decision, he eventually just lets himself fall back on his bed and searches around for a while, before he finds what he was searching for by the left side of the bed, on the floor, just where he has placed it before. He hugs it close to his chest and curls up into himself on the bed, not to go to sleep, of course, but he is merely trying to push aside the loneliness that once again starts to form in his heart, and he shuts his eyes, wishing quietly for some sort of sign, anything at all, to tell him what he is meant to do now. He does not want to be alone any longer… but he does not want to lose the love he has nurtured for so many years, either… so… what is left for him?

No answer comes to him, and, despite his best intentions, he falls to sleep as tears roll from his eyes to soak his pillow through.

When his consciousness returns, it is to the shrill beep of his own alarm, the one he has set in his phone on days he has to go to university once again, and he cannot help but be surprised that he has fallen asleep and has slept for so long, but he gets out of bed anyway, drowsy and hardly as well-rested as he would have expected himself to be, yet he proceeds through the day as he always does.

The days go by in a blur for him, as they tend to do, and nothing exciting happens that can quite possibly add a dash of color to his otherwise dreary week, and as he has already suspected, He does not even take notice of him any longer, all His attention directed to her. By the third day of the week, he almost fears that nothing will change at all, that no one will speak to him or take notice of him, but it is on that day that he goes to shop for both groceries and supplies for school, and also a new notebook because he has come to the final page, finally.

He has just come out from the shop when he takes notice of a small stand outside the shop, ringing a bell behind a small barrel and shouting for people leaving the shop to try with their receipts to win a pair of movie tickets for the marathon that is coming this weekend. When he hears those words, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his receipt and he wonders to himself if he dares to dream, just this once. It takes him a few long seconds of merely standing there, before he tells himself to go for it, because he really has nothing to lose with this small, childish game.

And so, when it is finally his turn, he spins the barrel around and round and round by its handle, watching its swirling patterns almost absently, and almost misses as the small ball rolls out from the barrel, though when the attendants cheer and wave their bell, he will not deny he is surprised at the sudden noise, and he is unsure what has happened, until one of the attendants congratulates him and slaps a pair of tickets in his hand before sending him off before he has the chance to truly realize what has just happened. When he is walking home, he is finally able to understand what has just happened as he looks down to the tickets he is now holding in his hand. There are just two of them, but in any normal situation for him, it would have been one too many, and he wonders if, maybe, he can make someone else happy with them, but before the thought can really formulate properly, another thought comes to him, one that quickly squashes the first.

For a long time, he wonders to himself if he dares to do what he wishes to do at that moment, as he sits on his bed, looking down at the tickets and then to his phone that rests in his other hand, and finally, he begins to scroll through the small list of names and selects the only name written in full English text and then he dials and places the object to his ear, waiting. And, finally, an answer comes.

"Hello, Sakuraba-kun."

"…Kiryuu-kun, hey…"

"I wasn't expecting to hear from you at this time. Is everything alright?"

"…Yeah, I'm alright… just… I was wondering… I got these tickets for a movie marathon this weekend… and… well… would… would you want to come with me?"

When he has finally said it, he has to resist the urge to breathe out in relief, for it is as close as he will ever get to asking Him out on a date, even if He will never see it as such and will only see it as a friendly day out between he and Him. To Him, it will never be any more than that, but to him, it will mean the world and so much more.

"A movie marathon? You mean the one everyone has been going on about?"

"Yes…"

"Ooh. Interesting… I had actually been planning to go with Rhyme-chan, but I'm afraid she isn't much of a movie-fan."

That is something he never knew of her until now, and he is secretly rejoicing at having one up over her, even though it is a minor victory in comparison to the prize she has taken from him long ago.

"So… d-do you want to go… with me?" he asks, adding the last part as an afterthought so as to not let there be any confusion on what it is he wants, though when he thinks about it, he realizes that it may just scare Him off.

"Hmm… soo tempting… hold on, let me see if I've no plans this weekend…"

"Kay…"

His heart is pounding so hard now that he fears it may just burst like a sud bubble, but he keeps his breathing steady and attempts to calm the pounding organ before it does just that and kills him before he is able to hear His answer.

"This Sunday is packed, unfortunately… but Saturday night should be just fine. Shall we say… 8 o' clock by the theater?"

When He says that, he cannot help the small, fragile smile that slips on his face, as he holds the phone in both hands and shuts his eyes in a small moment of bliss.

"Y-yeah… sure… that's fine."

"Hihi. Okay then, it's a date," He chirps, unknowing of the effect this has on him in the slightest for the words make his cheeks flare hot and he is glad that He is not there to see him or he would have been much too embarrassed to ever look His way ever again. "I'll see you on Saturday, then, Sakuraba-kun. Wait for me, okay?"

"Uh-huh… s-see you there…"

He stays on the line until He has closed the connection for several long moments before he closes his phone again, and he cannot help himself as he cries out of happiness, repeating over and over the two phrases "He said yes" and "I have a date" as he rolls over his bed in his excitement, the happiest he has felt in what feels to him like forever. He feels like giggling and smiling until the expression sticks on his face, and he cannot stop his heart from pounding against his ribcage. He is so excited, in fact, that he has already completely forgotten the events of his previous weekend.

As he lays there, he wonders absently to himself if He has gotten over his silly little fear of ghost movies, but if He has not, he does not even mind, because He has always had the tendency to cling to the nearest person in range when, to Him, the movie became scary. And more often than not, that person was him, because the stories have never honestly scared him at all, and he fails to understand why everyone seems to think they are frightening. And, while it may be just a little bit mean, just a little, you know, he hopes He has not gotten over it so that he will have a reason to hold Him close and to soak in His presence.

He falls asleep that night, still smiling, and he dreams only of Him, unable to even think of anything else. He is not even aware of the passage of time as the morning comes, and he goes through his daily routine without even being fully aware of it, but when he stops to check, he realizes it is already Saturday.

And, while it certainly does not show on his face, he cannot help but be anxious as he chooses his outfit carefully, for he does not want to appear too casual, but he also does not want to appear too daring, for fear of scaring Him away from him forever. After much debating, he finally selects his white shorts with black belt and dark purple and black sleeveless shirt, which has a funnel-shaped collar that can easily hide his mouth from view, and it is a design he has always liked, and the shoes he picks match the shirt perfectly, and to finish his look, he wears a yellow sweatband on his left wrist and he places his headphones and music player around his neck, not with the intent of using them, but merely to add to his casual appearance. He looks at himself in the mirror and he absently wonders if this is what girls feel like just before their first real date as he adjusts his clothes properly.

It is almost seven in the evening when he heads out, and he knows he will be really early like this, but he is too nervous to sit around in his apartment, so he places the tickets in his pocket, makes sure to put his phone on silent as he places it in his other pocket, and then he is heading for the theater. He walks, for once, since this will help him get rid of his nerves, or so he hopes, and also to help him prepare for what he will say to Him when He arrives.

It is half past seven when he arrives there, and yet his nerves have not gotten any better, and he is still unsure of what he will say when He comes, but he still has a while, and so he walks inside to look at the movies they are showing tonight. There are a lot of them, he soon discovers, and a handful of them he has been wanting to see very desperately, but he has never been able to, because he has never had the time or the spare change to do so. So, to be able to see the movies he wishes to see so badly, he already feels a little more at ease, and he smiles just a little when he notices that there is also a ghost movie in there.

When he looks at his cellphone to check the time, he is a little surprised to find that it already fifteen minutes past eight, and, when he looks, he does not spot Him anywhere yet. But he does not worry too much, because He tends to be a little late at times, because He likes to be "fashionably late", as He calls it, so he goes to one of the seats in the lobby and sits down to wait for Him. He is sure that He will come, and so he waits… and waits… and waits…

A lot of people walk in and out… but He is not among those people, and when he looks to his phone again, it is half past nine, much later than he expects it to be, but he remains where he is. But as he continues to sit there, he feels like he has been abandoned, and yet he remains ever trusting of Him, for He told him to wait for Him, and so he waits… and waits… and waits…

Seconds turn into minutes, and minutes turn into an hour, and when he looks to his phone again, there is only half an hour left to the day. In a mere thirty minutes, Saturday will have come to an end and Sunday will begin, and still He is nowhere to be seen. His heart begins to hurt then, as worry gnaws at his thoughts and his stomach churns and twists and turns until he fears he will be sick, but he keeps it down, and instead, he goes to his list of contacts and selects His name, then presses the connect button and places the purple item to his ear. Maybe something has happened… he tries to tell himself that, as he waits for the connection to be established, but it rings for so long, that he fears it will not connect, but then there is a click.

"Hello?"

He flinches, for the voice he hears is not the one he has been expecting to hear, but it is still a voice he knows well enough.

"…Biito-san?" he asks slowly, unsure of what he is supposed to address her as without letting it be known what he truly feels for her.

"Oh! Sakuraba-kun! Hi, it's been a while! How've you been?"

He clenches his fist tightly, because he has to stop himself from saying anything he should not be saying, and he breathes carefully before he dares to speak again. "I… I'm doing okay, I suppose… hey, um… is… is Kiryuu-kun there?"

"Kiryuu-kun? Ah, no, he's left for home a little while ago, but he's left his phone here it seems. Sorry."

A little while ago, she says, and He appears to have gone straight home, as well, if what she says is correct, and this news sends a jolt of pain through him, and he clenches his fist so tightly that his knuckles go white. He does not want to ask, but he has to know, even if it will only end up destroying him from the inside-out.

"Oh… around what time was that?"

"About fifteen minutes ago."

"…oh… well… thanks anyway, Biito-san…"

"It's okay. I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful, though, Sakuraba-kun. Oyasumi."

"Oyasumi…"

Slowly, he lowers the phone and he feels… numb.

Fifteen minutes ago He has left from her house… which means He has left at… fifteen past eleven, roughly… which means… He was at her house all along…

He does not know anymore what to think, but slowly, bit by bit, it all begins to sink in and he breathes a little heavier and almost chokes on a sound that he believes is a sob, but boys do not cry, he knows, but… he is not a boy any longer, even though there are times when he feels like one. He has been old enough to be called a man for a long time, now, but he has never felt like one, why, he does not know…

But… it does not matter…

Nothing matters anymore…

After all, his own fears have just been confirmed, the fear he has been harboring for a long time already yet has never wished to acknowledge, and the confirmation of that fear is what drives those burning hot tears to run down his cheeks in a never-ending stream…

He has been forgotten once again… forgotten and abandoned… alone…

His breath comes out as gasps now and he has his eyes shut in a desperate attempt to stop his tears, but they do not allow him to stop them and they continue on and on as his heart feels like it is being twisted out of his chest, the pain numbing his senses until he can only shake and sob quietly from the intense agony rushing through him. It hurts so badly, hurts so much that he almost wishes for it all to end, for the earth to just open up and to swallow him whole.

He had been looking forward to this so much… had wished so deeply to be with Him, alone, for just one day and not have to worry about anything… and it has only given him a pain greater than any he has ever been forced to endure…

He trusted Him… and his trust has been broken… shattered beyond repair… leaving behind only dust…

Mindlessly, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out the two tickets he has kept close with him for only a few scant days, all with the hope of seeing Him, being able to be close to Him, hearing His giggling laughter when the movie shows a segment He finds hilarious, calming Him when there was a particular frightening scare in the movie. All of that and so much more he has dreamed of doing, has been looking forward to those small moments so much… but now he never will…

His hands are already on both sides of the tickets and he is only a breath away from ripping them clean in half, useless as they are to him now, they have lost their once priceless meaning to him, but he does not, and he does not know why he does not and just end it, for these tickets have only caused him pain, so what reason does he have to keep them, really? And yet he does not rip them, as his gaze moves to his phone, still in his hand and flipped open, displaying his list of contacts, and just visible at the top, is a name that has only been listed there for a few days and has never been called before that time.

For several long, breathless minutes, he looks to the screen and he begins to think back, begins to recall the words spoken to him only a week ago, and he wonders if he dares to act on the thought that now runs through his head as he holds the phone up properly, scrolling up when the screen threatens to go dark. His finger hovers over the connect button, as he considers carefully if the thought going through his head is a wise one or if he has completely lost it.

But his painfully throbbing heart pounding against his ribcage is hurting so much, and he just needs to know that someone cares, that someone wants to be around him and spend time with him, or maybe only someone who will listen to him so that, maybe, he can feel better after letting all this pain out. And thus, his thumb pushes down on the button, and he brings the phone up to rest against his ear once again.

It takes forever to connect, even longer than when he tried to call Him, but finally there comes a click and he hears a groan that is accompanied by a sleepy "Hello?" spoken by a voice he has only heard once in his life, but one he believes he will not soon forget.

He speaks their name slowly, but it sounds choked and he almost does not want to speak again as he feels his sobs rising to the surface again.

"Sakura-kun…?" they say, but they sound like they are still half asleep and they almost seem a little bit annoyed, just a little, but he is sure anyone will be if one is awoken at midnight. "Ngh… do you know what time it—Sakura-kun? Are you… are you crying? What's wrong?"

"I… I… y… do you… hic… do you want… c-could you… I mean… I… I…" he tries to speak, but he cannot say it as the entire situation hits home and he sobs, unable to hold the tears in check any longer. "I… I… I c-can't take this anymore! Please I-I… I don't… I…"

"Ssshh, Sakura-kun… ssshh… calm down, sssh… come on, dear, deep breath, go on… breathe in… out… in… out… good… just like that, good…" they murmur soothingly, and he manages to calm his breathing just enough to be able to talk again. "All right… listen, do you want me to come to you?"

"Ye-yes… yes please… I… I don't… don't wanna be alone an-anymore…"

"Okay… are you home?"

"N… no… I'm… I'm at the… the theater…"

"Which one, dear?"

It takes him a few moments to recall the name, but when he recalls it, he gives the name, choking a few times on his breath.

"All right, dear… I will be there in 15 minutes. Wait for me, okay?"

"Y-yeah…"

"Just stay there and I shall be at your side soon, I promise you."

He is not sure if he believes those words after having his promise broken once today, yet he agrees to wait for them despite himself, and he remains where he is, but this time he watches the clock on his phone, and he counts every minute that passes by, both afraid and hopeful, his eyes still leaking almost continuously as he watches his screen, unblinking. Ten minutes pass, and his throat feels constricted as he waits breathlessly for them to appear, but he does not truly expect them to come to him merely because he requested them to come, even though he wishes so very badly for them to come.

Eleven minutes…

Twelve minutes…

"Sakura-kun!"

His head snaps up so fast that he almost fears that his neck will break, as he looks up at the shout to watch them approach him, out of breath and more than a little frazzled, their hair tied back in a ponytail, but it appears windswept, as though they have been running as fast as they possibly could have run. They do not stop running until they are right in front of him and immediately grab his hands in their own and drop down to a crouch before him as he chokes out their name amidst his tears.

"Ssshh, Sakura-kun… tis all right now… I'm here…" they say soothingly, reaching up one hand to wipe away the tears. "Shush now ssshh… tis okay now… ssshh…"

He can barely utter a word, he is simply that surprised to see them there, and within the time they promised him over the phone, something he has only dared to hope of yet has been fearing to have his hopes shattered in the same way his heart has only just been shattered only a few minutes ago. He can only stare at them quietly for a few long moments as they wipe away his tears, before he is able to work his voice once more.

"…y… you came…"

"Yes, of course…" they say, reaching up with their other hand and placing it on his face as well. "Did I not say so? I gave you my word I would be here for you, and here I am."

He can only blink, and he knows he must look stupid, with tears running down his cheeks and he is sure his eyes are red and puffy, because it surely feels like they do, but he cannot look away.

"…you… you re… you really came…"

"Sssh… shush, Sakura-kun… tis okay now… sssh I'm here for you… I'm here now, don't worry…" they murmur over and over again, wiping his tears away before they rise up slightly to use tender kisses instead and threads their fingers lightly in his hair.

Is this true, he wonders slowly, and he reaches up with his hands and takes hold of their hands, and he whimpers almost when he discovers that his hands do not pass through theirs and that they feel warm, sweaty, but oh so tender, and he whispers, over and over and over: "…you came… you came…"

They look to him so sadly, then, but they only whisper to him so softly, telling him that everything is going to be okay as they sit down beside him and gently pull him close, their arms placed along his back gently with only comfort as their intention, one hand resting in his hair. He is so afraid, so deathly scared of them leaving him, so frightened of being alone again, and he reaches out slowly, hesitantly, and he holds them tight, praying quietly to not let them disappear from his side as well and for them to stay as the dam of his emotions shatters and he sobs and bawls, unable to keep those feelings inside any longer. And they stay by his side and hold him close, never letting him out of their sight and rocking him like a mother would a child, their voice so soft and tender and caring as he cries endlessly.

"…Sakura-kun, tell me, dear…" they whisper softly when his sobs have finally lessened and he feels capable of speaking properly again, running a hand through his hair, "what happened? Who did this to you, dear?"

He sniffles, and he wants to talk, but his nose is not letting him this time and he sniffles in an attempt to clear his nose, until they pull out a handkerchief and hold it to his nose gently, telling him softly to blow, and so he does and he feels better almost right away. Again, he sniffles, but he can finally speak again, though he does hiccup a few times, and any other time, he supposes that would have been funny.

"I… I got… got these t-tickets… an-and I… hic… I asked a… a fr-friend to… to go wi-with me… hic… h-he… he said to… to wait for him… hic… a-at e-eight… b… but h-he…"

"…He never came for you, did he?" they ask slowly, and he shakes his head no, because it is true, and it is pointless to deny that fact.

"I… I waited… a-and waited… hic… be… because he asked m-me to… but h-he… I-I just… wh-when I called him… j-just to see if… h-he was okay… hic… he… he left… left his phone with… hic… with h-his… his g… hi-his…"

"Dear god…" they murmur, holding him close, still. "That is… that… sigh… I do not even have words to justify what he has done." They place a soft kiss upon his temple, and murmur: "I am so sorry, Sakura-kun…"

He shakes his head, sniffling a few times as he blows his nose again, unable to speak with all his pent up emotions of so many years that he has fought to repress so desperately for so long. "It… it's not your… sniff… your fault… it… it's not…"

"Ssshh… sssh now…" they murmur, running a hand through his hair, gently tugging him to rest with his head on their shoulder, and they lightly take hold of his hand. "…I know it is not truly my place to ask… but I need to know… the one you were waiting for… was… is he the one who…?"

He tenses slightly when they speak those words and while they do not finish what they wish to ask, they do not have to for him to understand, for that is why he tenses to start with. They sigh and pull him slightly closer, as though this will pull him inside of them, because they feel they can protect him there, maybe, but they do not say anything more.

For a time, he remains there, in their arms, soundlessly crying and sniffling, holding onto them in hopes that this can somehow ease his pain, even though he already knows it is a lost cause, for he cannot fathom of a way to make this any less painful than it is. And they stay by his side regardless, holding him close and letting cry onto their shoulder without uttering a word of complaint.

"…Sakura-kun," they say softly then, and he tenses briefly, but he soon relaxes as they continue speaking, "Do you want me to take you home? Or do you want to stay and use those tickets you have?"

Go… or stay… his first thought is to go, but he does still have the tickets, because he has not ripped them into pieces like has thought of doing a few times already now, and if he does not use them, it will only be a waste, right? There are still some movies he wants to see so badly, and while he can go alone, he does not want to be alone anymore, because he has been alone for too long already…

"…I… I don't… want to go, yet…" he finally whispers, and they nod softly, squeezing his hand to let him know they are not upset about his decision, but it also feels like they are trying to reassure him that he does not have to be alone anymore. They help him to stand and lead him further into the theater, never letting him go and letting him know he is not alone anymore, and he really appreciates it, so much that he cannot put it into words.

They walk him along the path, holding his hand gently and refusing to let him go and he cannot help himself as he leans up against their side, his cheek on their shoulder, wanting to be as close to them as he can just to ensure he will not be left on his own again, and they give not a peep and instead they only lightly squeeze his hand as they approach the counter. They order drinks and some snacks, and a lot of chocolate, why, he does not know, but he does not question it and accepts a few pieces of the sweet substance from the bag, munching quickly and swallowing before he has completely chewed them up which results in him almost choking. Not that it matters; his throat hurts enough from all his crying earlier anyway, so what is a little more pain to his throat?

He follows after them, holding their hand and walking into the first movie room where the movie has not started yet, and he moves along down the aisle to some seats right in the middle, both of the room and of the row, from which one has the best view in the entire room, he believes, and he and they sit down just as the lights begin to dim.

Whatever the movie is about, he does not even know, nor does he much care, and even as people around him laugh at the antics of the movie's heroes, he barely registers what is happening throughout the movie. All he is truly aware of is the bag of chocolate in his lap, his drink in its stand on the chair in front of him, and their hand, still lightly clasping his own and rubbing the thumb along his skin. He only realizes after the movie has ended that it is a movie he has been wanting to see so badly that he had set some money aside to go later, but at this time, the realization comes too late and he finds that he no longer cares. He has dreamed of going to this movie with Him, too, and he had been certain that that dream could have come true today… and yet that dream has been shattered along with so many others…

"Sakura-kun…" they murmur softly as the movie ends. "I think tis better I bring you home now…"

"D… dun wanna…" he complains softly, squeezing their hand back. "I dun wanna go back yet… please…"

"Sakura-kun…"

"Please…"

"…Okay, dear… we'll stay a bit longer."

"…thank you…"

"Anytime, dear…"

He does not even object to the kiss on his temple as he is pulled up to his feet, he merely follows them through the theater soundlessly. He just wants to forget, wants to erase this pain that is ripping him apart from inside, and wants to move on with his life. But the pain just will not let him, and he cries silently, unable to ease the pain that is hurting him both physically and mentally.

He thinks they walk into three or four more movies, neither of which he remembers even slightly when he comes out, when he starts to rub at his eyes, not just because of his tears, but also because he is tired. This time, when they offer to take him home, he does not object and allows them to lead him outside. He does not fully remember how he responded upon seeing their ride, but he recalls how he was given a helmet to protect him, and a warm, thick jacket they keep in it, before they put their own helmet on and climb on, telling him quietly to climb on and hold tight to them, and he does not object and does as he is told.

The wind that rushes by him is cold and he winces and clings tightly to their waist, resting his head on their back and they do not say anything of it and keep their focus on the road. That is fine, though, because he cannot bear to think of anything right now, as he just wants to forget all that has happened tonight.

The trip home is much shorter than he remembers it to be, and when they stop, he is actually hesitant to let go, and so he does not, and they say not a word about it and only wait for him to say something, to let them go, to hold them tighter… he does not know what… but… it does not matter.

How long he sits there, he does not know, but after a long moment, so long, he whispers only a single word, but he shifts that single word into a question that is punctuated by how his fingers grip tightly to their clothes…

"…stay?"

"…Only if you wish for me to, Sakura-kun…"

"…yes…"

"…then I shall do as you wish."

They park in one of spaces for visitors, lock it and secure it and set the alarm, and then join him back at the entrance, taking his hand and walking after him as he steps into the building, to the elevator and then up to the proper floor. They do not speak the entire way, same as the way over, but he supposes that it is fine for now, because, really, he does not want to speak right then, for all he truly wants is to fall asleep and pray that this horrible nightmare will be over soon so that his heart can heal from the pain and the terrible wounds inflicted upon it.

Finally, he and they reach his apartment, and he unlocks and opens the door, stepping inside and they walk after him, still refusing to speak, but they do shut the door behind them before they join him where he lays to sit upon the bed, a tender hand resting upon his head to let him know he is not alone and he cannot begin to explain how grateful he is for their presence, for them not leaving him and for coming when he asked them to even though it was well past a normal person's bed time. He wishes that he can tell them the strength of his gratitude, but there are no words that can truly express what he feels, and so he remains silent, his eyes staring ahead, unseeing, as their hand plays in his hair, rubs the pads along his scalp and lets him know that they are not leaving unless he wants them to. They do not ask and he does not offer, but he does not reject them either when they move over and lay down behind him, keeping their distance, but still close enough that their heat flows into him, and he wonders vaguely if things will be the same as last week, but he does not speak of it, too frightened of the answer as he is.

As they lay there in silence, still stroking his hair so tenderly, he thinks back… back to their words of last week, and he ponders… about the decision he was requested to make and he hesitates… for despite the pain it has given him over the years, he does not really want to give up the love that has been grasped so securely by his heart… and yet…

Enough was enough…

His heart cries to him, and, silently, he listens to its cries begging him to stop the pain… and he slowly shuts his eyes and speaks their name, a mere whisper in the night…

"…yes?"

"…I want to try…"

"Hm?"

"…'us'…"

They do not respond right away, and he almost fears that the time to speak those words has already passed, but then a soft touch on his arm, not a request to turn, but merely a reassuring gesture.

"…are you sure…?"

No, he wants to say, because a small part of his heart still clings to his love for Him, but he cannot heed it now, does not want to heed it, afraid of only causing himself more grief. And so he says, softly: "…yes…"

They do not speak for a long time, but after what feels like minutes, while it has only been half a minute, they scoot over and wrap their arms around him, lightly pulling him into their body. He shuts his eyes, unsure of how this will turn out, but they merely reach up to tangle a hand into his hair, tenderly, and they say nothing more for a long time, and merely hold him, not speaking and unmoving with the exception of their fingers running through his hair. He knows what is likely to come, and so he merely lays there and waits for it to happen, because he does not have the strength to say no at this point in time after all that has happened.

"…I shall not," they say suddenly, and he blinks his eyes open curiously, because he has not said anything, he knows, and he looks back over his own shoulder. "A healthy relationship is not constructed upon what happens within the bedchambers, Sakura-kun," they explain without being asked. "And after tonight especially, I cannot bring myself to request such a thing from you."

He cannot say anything in response, for with only so little said, they were able to quench his fears and put his mind at ease, and he has not needed to speak even a single word to receive the consolation, and so he rests his head back down and he whispers: "…thank you…"

"Anytime, Sakura-kun… anytime…"

He falls asleep slowly, and they remain by his side throughout the night, he knows this because he wakes up in cold sweat and hot tears a few times, and they are right there every time, shushing him softly and gently kissing his tears away, before they hug him close and murmur soothing words into his ear, lightly pulling him back into the realm of sleep and dreams. Sometime during the night, he turns onto his other side and he coils into them, clinging to them and asking, begging, for them to not leave and stay by his side, and they say they will stay every time, again and again, and he is somehow able to sleep a good number of hours despite his constant stream of nightmares, and when he wakes, finally, they are right there, already awake and stroking a hand through his hair.

"Good morning," they whisper to him softly.

"…g'morning…" is all he is able to get out, for his throat feels hoarse and dry, and he really wants to drink something, anything.

"Do you want something? I fear my cooking is not too good, but I can always make you some sandwiches, or…"

"…just… just water… please…"

They look at him sadly, but they say nothing of what they think and only nod, slowly getting up after they place a tender kiss on his temple, murmuring that he will be right back and that he should just relax for the moment, and he nods in reply as they climb off the bed. He shuts his eyes for a moment longer, as though his body desires to sleep a few more hours, but he soon opens them again and he resists the urge to curl into a ball on his bed, for that will not do him any good after all. His head is too much of a mess now for him to be able to rest peacefully, especially alone as he currently is. And when the bed creaks and dips low, he looks up to them as they hold out a glass of water and he nods as he pushes up, taking the glass and slowly sipping from the cold water.

His throat is parched, so the water tastes almost divine to him, but he says nothing of it as he sits there, holding the glass in his hands and staring out from under his eyelashes to the wall before him. He does not feel hungry, only thirsty, though maybe that will change soon, or so he hopes, because he does not wish to waste himself away, despite how desirable the solution appears to him sometimes.

They do not speak, and remain silent as he sips his drink as though he is waiting for something, but he is not in the mood now to speak, and so he sits and merely drinks, letting the cool liquid run down his throat. He wants to forget last night, but his mind will not let him and keeps rewinding to what has happened last night, and every time, his heart aches in pain and his body tenses and his eyes begin to fill with tears.

"Sakura-kun…"

He blinks and looks over when they place a hand on his wrist tenderly, and they look… what is that look? Worried? He hopes so… because he really needs to know that someone out there gives something about whether he is alright or not, someone who will stay by his side and actually see him, not stare through him like his… friends have been doing for so long already.

"…Look, I'll not request you not think on last night, for I know how the human mind works; the more you try to forget, the more you remember," they admit, and they run their thumb along the inside of his wrist. "Therefore, I shall ask this instead; I have rehearsals today, and I would be honored if you would come with me today to get your mind off of last night. Will you come with me?"

Rehearsals? Rehearsals for what?

That is what he wants to ask, but he still has difficulty when it comes to forming words properly, and perhaps, really, it does not matter, because even if he had been asked to go visit a brothel, then he had a feeling he would still agree, as long as it was guaranteed to get his mind off of what happened to him. Anything was fine, anything at all, and so he merely nods his head in silent consent, and they allow a small smile that shows both gratitude and what he believes to be concern.

He does not feel like eating just yet, so he changes into something easy to wear and follows them out the door, leaving his phone inside because he is not expecting anyone to call him, for who will call to someone who has been abandoned? They lead him down the stairs and back outside, where they parked their motorbike and then hand him a helmet as they begin unlocking it quietly. They do not speak, and he does not mind as he stands there and watches as they remove all the locks and place the items away where they belong, before they place their own helmet on their head.

They get on first, and he climbs on shortly after, once more wrapping his arms around their waist and holding on tight as they drive away. He does not keep track of where they are going, because he really does not much care, as nothing really matters to him anymore. He just wants to forget…

After a long time, they stop the motorbike at what he believes is their destination and shut off the engine and he climbs off slowly, still a little weary, but they say nothing about it, for which he is grateful, as they climb off and park, before they remove their helmet, putting it and his away for safekeeping, after which they lightly take his hand and lead him away, but he does not care. They can drag him off the side of a cliff if they so wish and he will not bat an eye at the very concept.

They walk inside of a building, but he does not care enough to find out what kind of building it really is, nor does he care about the people who seem to be staring at him, or at them, he does not know which, nor does he care. They do not seem to care much, either, as they just walk without really acknowledging anyone, never releasing his hand from theirs.

It reminds him of his childhood, when he and Him would go to school together, hand in hand because he had always been the shorter of the two, and thus He would say that He was afraid to lose sight of him and never see him again. It was not until middle school that He stopped holding his hand as he and Him walked to school, and, come high school, He stopped picking him up from home altogether. The first time that He did not come, he actually came to school two hours too late, because he had waited for Him to come for him. It just happened suddenly, without warning, and he could not explain it, nor was he brave enough to question Him about it, and so he had remained silent, as much as he had wanted to say something about it at the time.

He simply had not dared, just as he did not dare to speak to his… 'friends'… about how they had abandoned him…

"In here," they say suddenly, shaking him from his memories, for which he is glad, because he does not wish to think about his past any longer, for he fears he will start to cry yet again, and that is not something he wishes for when he is surrounded by so many people he does not know, and he follows them into a room, which they close behind him quietly. Once they are inside, they turn to him, and they appear to be almost worried, though he cannot say for certain if what he sees is correct, as he still finds it hard to say whether that worry is really there or if he is making it up, and they ask him: "Are you all right, Sakura-kun?"

He does not know what to say to this question, because he certainly does not feel fine, but he does not wish to say so, a small part of him claiming that he cannot show weakness to anyone, despite how he so wishes he could, and so he remains silent instead. They seem to understand his silence, however, and they kiss him on his lips softly and briefly, a soft murmur of comfort passing over their lips as they caress his cheek with one finger and squeeze his hand briefly.

"…where are we…?" asks he after a moment more of simply standing there as he looks around the room finally that appears to him as some sort of dressing room.

They smile, almost cheekily, and then say softly: "The kabuki theater. This is my dressing room."

"…kabuki?"

He has heard of that before, and he knows it is an ancient type of play, but he has never seen it before, because shows were always much too expensive for him to even consider going to, even if he were to save up for several years. He also knows that in traditional kabuki, there are no female actors, because that was something that women were forbidden to do so long ago, and that is why many it became almost natural of the men of kabuki to take on the roles of the missing women that were meant to be there during plays, though if he is honest, he is not certain how it is possible for men to pass as women, and he has long believed it to be impossible. But he has to admit, if he looks at them closely, and takes into account their lithe form and long hair, perhaps it is possible to a certain degree, and, really, who is to know when most people in the audience will be removed so far away that they cannot make out a person's face?

"Yes, dear? Is something wrong?" they ask him, but he has a feeling, which is enhanced by their small smirk, that they already know what he is thinking.

"…have you… played females as well…?"

"I assume you mean 'female roles', correct?" they chuckle out, and he will never admit that, in hindsight, his earlier question sounded really really wrong, even to himself, so he only nods in response, blaming the heat on his cheeks to the room's temperature. "Yes, I have actually played a few of them. In kabuki, I suppose it is a must for all of us. Though, thankfully, I was not born in an earlier time period, or it would have been the only type of role I could perform."

Neku nods, as he has also heard that, long before, to ensure men could speak as women on stage, they were castrated, often at young age, thus allowing their voices to become high enough to sound female. It was a thought that had left Neku with the chills the first few times he had heard of such practices.

"…you… came to practice…?" he asks after a while, to take his mind off of that subject, and they smile to him.

"Yes, I did. Perhaps it will not be so interesting to you, but it may just get your mind off of things for now. At least for a moment."

"…thank you…"

Their smile seems to brighten up, and they kiss him again, just as softly as before, before they say to him that they should be getting ready, and they begin to gather clothes that he is sure have gone out of style several centuries ago, and yet they put the clothes on with such ease and grace that they make it seem like they have either never worn anything else or have been wearing such clothes since childhood, and he thinks that either option is possible, really.

Of course, people question his presence when he joins them at the rehearsal, but no one dares question them as they give a look that he cannot see completely, but it is not a nice look, he is sure, and he hopes to never have that aimed at him. He is eventually told to sit and relax and to watch carefully, and he only nods and follows them with his gaze as they move to get ready. As he sits there, he sighs briefly, just to get some air from his lungs that he has to spare, when he spies a notepad, unused except for a single page that has already been torn off, as well as a pen and, on instinct alone, he picks both items up and sits back, the pad on his lap and the pen in hand. After he checks to make sure the pen still has ink, he finally turns back to the rehearsal, just as they get on the makeshift stage to practice their lines.

He can only watch as they speak in such refined tones, using almost ancient Japanese words that he is certain are never used again in modern day Japan, and despite the monotony that would have made any other student his age yawn in sheer boredom he finds himself enthralled and hanging onto every word spoken, and not just their words, but also those of their co-workers, or is that co-actors? Either way, he cannot look away, and he almost does not notice how, as though possessed, his hand begins to trace lines upon the notepad, gradually taking shape and becoming more and more distinct.

They have to redo one particular scene several times over, and not just because they make a mistake, but also because their co-actors mess up the lines and say something entirely out of context by saying one "ki" instead of "ji", and he can tell it is tiring them out, but they do not show it in the slightest, which amazes him beyond words, because he knows he will never be able to stand such long sessions, regardless of how little he wishes to speak.

And so the time passes slowly, and while they are allowed to have a break every so often, it tends to be just enough to take a glass of water, and maybe a cracker or two to briefly stave off the hunger, but never any longer, and it is not until noon that they are finally told they can take a longer, and in his opinion, well-deserved, break. They breathe out heavily as they drop themselves on the seat next to him, nursing what smells like a cup of coffee, and a strong blend, no less, which they gulp down in two large gulps. Only when they have finished the entire thing do they turn to him, finally.

"Are you holding up well?" they ask him gently, as they rest a hand upon his knee, and he nods once in response, his hand still moving the pen across the pad even though it is beginning to slow. They seem to notice this, and they tilt their head slightly to try and see the pad, as they ask: "What were you writing?"

He has not expected the question, and it startles him because he himself is not entirely certain what it is he has worked on, despite it having been his own hand that did the work, and so he brings it up to his chest to hide it. "I… I wasn't… writing anything…"

"Oh? Then what were you doing?"

"N-nothing… nothing, really…"

A lie, of course, and he is certain that they know, but he is just too embarrassed to show something to them that even he has not had a good enough chance to see what it is he has been unknowingly drawing so intently. Despite his best intentions, he has a feeling that his thoughts are showing up on his face crystal clear, because they squeeze the hand that rests on his knee, and say: "Sakura-kun, I am not going to bite your head off. Will you please show me?"

How is he supposed to say no to that when they ask him to see his work in such a tone? He really does not want to show, but the look they are giving him, not to mention their soft request to see it, cause his resolve to gradually crumble. Why can he not say 'no'?

Slowly, he lowers the pad and slides it to them, but he does not dare look at it himself, for fear that whatever he has drawn will only embarrass him even further. They offer him a reassuring smile as they take the pad from him, before they turn their gaze to his drawing and he feels his face grow red. Their smile seems to fade as he looks at the drawing, and he cannot help but feel anxious and fearful for whatever it is that has them sitting so still, staring at the pad in silence.

It hurts him almost physically to wait for the verdict on his work, and when they turn to him again, he cannot help himself and he tenses, so sharply that he is well aware it is visible. They seem to pick up on his anxiety, because they smile at him once more and say: "Sakura-kun… this is… it is…" They struggle for words, and he is not certain what to expect, but he doubts it is a good kind of expression that is now playing on his face.

When they fail to speak for almost an entire minute, their mouth opening and closing like a fish gulping for air, he dares to voice what he can only imagine has to be going through their mind. "…horrible?"

"What…? …! No no no!" they say immediately, their expression appearing to be one of shock, though he cannot understand why. "I apologize. I merely…" they start, and then pause to sigh briefly and run a hand through their hair. "I did not expect you to be a fan of CAT… nor did I think you would be able to replicate his style so well."

Ah, so he has drawn something in his idol's style again, he realizes, and he finds himself a little startled at this, because he has not done so in a long time, but he looks away to not have to look at them anymore, because he is not sure where this conversation will go. However, they reach over and lightly take his chin in their fingers, and turn his face again so that he and they are looking eye to eye, and he finds this to be more than a little uncomfortable.

"Sakura-kun…" they say then, breaking through to his thoughts. "This picture you made… it's beautiful."

"…wha…?"

He must have misheard them, he must have, because he is very certain that no one has ever called his sketches in his idol's style 'beautiful', for either fans of CAT would say he is copying the art, and all others would say it was merely 'acceptable'. To have someone, anyone at all, call his own variation of his idol's work 'beautiful' was both a first to him and, with that, very surprising.

"…you… you like it…?" he dares to ask slowly, unable to look away from them.

"Like it? No…" But before he can start to fret, they smile and move forward to kiss him lightly on his lips, and then murmur: "I love it, Sakura-kun… I honestly do."

He can barely utter a sound as they speak those soft words, in fact he feels like he can barely breathe, as he feels his heart skip a beat, as its beat pounds against his chest as though it wishes to fly away. No one has ever told him those words before, has told him that his work is beautiful and that they love it… and it makes those words so much more precious to him.

"…really…?

"Really really," they whisper, and then they move in to kiss him again, but this time he sees it coming and, rather than move away, he moves to meet them, shutting his eyes if only to prevent himself from openly weeping from the joy that seems to be overflowing in his heart now, even though it still aches from what it had been forced to endure the night before, yet he pushes it aside to focus on now, moving back against their mouth slowly, unsure, but they are patient and gentle, guiding him the whole way. He does not know for how long he and they stay as they are, but when the kiss has finally ended, they scoot closer and wrap an arm around his shoulders and hold him close, and he sighs softly, keeping his eyes shut and letting his head rest on their shoulder. With the little amount of sleep he has had last night, he will not be surprised if he fell asleep right then and there, and even if he did, he would not have cared; he just wished to forget as their soft fingers run through his hair, lulling him to sleep slowly.

He does not know if he has really fallen asleep, or if his memory is merely fuzzy along the edges because of the overload of feelings that are almost foreign to him, but when he can focus again he is laying on his side, with his head resting snugly on their thigh, which is remarkably soft despite the muscle he knows must rest underneath and he cannot help but let his mind wander as they pet his hair soothingly while they read through what he believes is a script of some kind. He feels… content, almost, like he is a kitten getting attention from its owner, and he wonders if what they have said to him before is true; if it is possible to love another person when one knows without a shadow of doubt that their true love would never return the love they held for them.

He moves his fingers along their knee, and they chuckle a little as the muscle under his cheek twitches lightly, and he makes a note of that for later, because he believes it may prove itself to be useful later on. They move their hand and lightly scratch just above and behind his ear in a way he believes is meant to be affectionate, but he cannot be fully sure of that, having rarely experienced anything similar to that, but he does not mind the small gesture and relaxes into the motion as he lets his eyes slip closed yet again.

"Heheh… comfy, are we not?"

"…mmhmm…"

Lazy as well, to be brutally honest, but he is feeling much too lazy to care enough to voice his own thoughts, and so he just remains where he lays, one hand placed upon their knee, but then he scrunches up his face when he realizes he is almost crushing his own ear, and so he briefly shifts to fix that. When he does just so, though, he hears them suck in a sharp gasp and feels them tense under his hand, and it makes him pause briefly, a little unsure, but as his awareness begins to once more creep up on him, he begins to have an idea of what is wrong and he begins to debate on what he must do, as he feels their fingers rest against his scalp, a subtle tremble against his skin.

He is not certain what it is that prompts him to do what he does next, maybe it is a small part of his brain that has been demanding something akin to payback for what happened the week before, maybe it is just his curiosity, or maybe something else entirely, but he finds himself opening his eyes a crack and dragging the pads of his fingers along their knee and steadily higher, and this time their breath is sucked in with a soft hiss to try and keep quiet, but he hears anyway, and so he lightly turns his head and places an open-mouthed kiss along their clothed thigh, a move that earns him a barely concealed moan.

"S-Sakura-kun… h-hold on just a–" they start to say, only to choke on what he believes is in fact a whimper, as he shifts his attention elsewhere, licking and suckling through the material as he can feel it clinging to them tighter and tighter.

He sits up then and he immediately throws his leg across their lap to straddle them while he takes the script and puts it away, tagging the page they were at with only one hand even as he latches onto their mouth like a man possessed, and he briefly wonders if perhaps he is, but only for a total of two seconds before he rests his hands on their shoulders and theirs come to rest on his waist, pulling him closer as he hears a moan that he soon realizes is his own.

After a breathless moment, they are able to push him back, just enough to break the kiss and allow for them both to regain their breath, and they whisper out amidst their labored breathing: "Sakura-kun… you… are you sure you…?"

He considers the question for a long time, and a small part of his mind is shouting that this is a bad idea, to which he has no intention of listening for once in his life, before he moves in and briefly kisses them again, and then he murmurs, almost as if to confirm the fact to himself: "We're… dating now… right?"

"…well… yes…"

There is a 'but' coming, he can hear the word as it threatens to roll of their tongue, so he denies it its passage with his own, and when he finally breaks away, he whispers: "Then it's fine…"

"Sakura…"

They look like they want to say more, but they keep their mouth shut, until he lets his hand slide down and they let out a slightly startled yelp that soon shifts into a deep moan as they throw their head back against the back of the sofa he and they had been laying and sitting on respectively and with their eyes shut tight and he feels the corners of his mouth twitch ever so slightly in an attempt to show his amusement, as he moves his hand slowly and presses down harder, or he loosens his hold and moves faster, or the exact opposite, whichever he really feel up to, since they certainly do not complain. He hisses in surprise when their hand rakes its long nails along his clothed chest and slips down, beginning to duplicate his movements gradually, and he is now trying very hard to not whine or cry or whimper or scream or all of the above.

It really is fine, he tells himself firmly, because this kind of behavior, surely it is very normal for couples to do, he is certain, especially for couples that are around his own age, so this should not be something to be getting himself all worked up over. He keeps these thought anchored in his mind as he slips his hand past the loose material of their hakama, and they groan as his fingers make contact with their bare flesh.

"Nnnrgh… foul play, dear…" they choke out breathlessly, trying to focus weary eyes on him but having quite some trouble with it. "You… you've twice as much… covering as I…"

He tilts his head a little to the side in question, before he begins to place soft open-mouthed kisses along their throat, drawing another groan from them, before he deems it needed to voice a response to their words. "How is that… my fault? You… you decided to… wear only one layer…"

They chuckle softly, before tipping their head forward and licking up along his throat so languidly that it almost makes him whimper, and he barely notices that they are undoing his pants until their hand is already slipping inside and he gives sound he believes is closest to a mewl. "Treacherous little Reynard… here you had me thinking… I'd have to drag it out of you…"

He hears the chuckle that underlines their voice and he feels his lips curl up just a little as he nips on the lobe of their ear, before he murmurs back in response. "Then it seems… you don't know me… as well as you thought you did…"

"Mmmnnn… you make a good point… I truly… know very little about you.. but in return… there's only so much… you know of me, hm?"

"Y-yeah…"

How strange, he thinks to himself, for this is the kind of conversation he was sure he would be able to have with Him at any given point, when he and Him had still been on proper speaking terms with each other.

As quickly as the thought has formed in his mind, as quickly is it banished as he shuts his eyes tight, fighting back the tears that threaten to flow at the mere thought of Him, and he takes a deep gulp of breath as he does all he can to focus on the here and now, reprimanding himself of what he almost did. If they notice his thoughts, which he does not doubt because his hand had briefly tensed when he had banished his own thoughts and had made them hiss briefly, they do not speak of it at all and instead tilt his head around to kiss him, winding their free hand in his hair, and he is quick to return the gesture, winding his hand into the long locks and enjoying how soft they felt between his fingers, almost like feathers tickling his skin ever so lightly, so unlike his own naturally coarse spikes.

He breaks away briefly to catch his breath and he breathes out their name, as he feels his muscles bunch together almost painfully, and they gasp out his own name as their hand tightens only a fraction before he and they tip over the edge with cries that become lost down each other's throats.

When he finally breaks away from them, gasping and choking for breath, he removes his hand and looks down at the limb as though it has just done something it should not have, and he shivers softly as the liquid slides across his flesh, the sensation both strange and oddly arousing. As he looks at them then, he almost whines when he sees that rather than staring at the liquid, they are busying themselves with licking up every drop from their own hand, and the look they give him makes him feel like his blood is on fire.

"Dear me…" they murmur, as they pull him in and ghost their lips across his own, and he shivers at the taste that is transferred from theirs to his, knowing fully well he is tasting himself, "quite the mess we've made… we truly should clean up… don't you agree?"

He cannot speak in response, despite how he so wishes to, because his voice has abandoned him and so he is only able to nod softly, and as they help him to his feet he stumbles a little when his legs tremble beneath his weight as though they are about to give away at any given moment, but they catch him before he can and hold him up as they guide him through their dressing room and into the adjoining washroom, of which its presence makes sense he supposes, given the type of work they do.

He does not recall undressing, though maybe that was merely because he is still busy attempting to wrap his mind about what he just did barely a few moments ago, but when he blinks again, they have him pinned against the cold, tiled wall, which is a pleasant counter to the heat of his own skin and the water that begins to coat them both, their mouth firmly covering his own and he realizes that he is moaning and whimpering then, his arms slung along their neck and keeping them as close to him as he possibly can. He is no longer thinking and he can barely form any coherent thoughts when they slip their hand along his back, fingers slick with sweat and water both as they slide down his back yet stop short as they whisper again if he is sure, and he merely nods two times, forcing his body to relax as their fingers move in slowly, playing, teasing, leaving him wanting more.

They kiss him again as they bring him down to his knees and onto their lap, and he groans as they use both their hands to lower him further and he breaks away with a gasp as they slip inside so smoothly that he barely feels it and he finds himself wondering briefly why that first time had hurt so much more, but the thought disappears in an instant as they move him slowly and force a long almost desperate moan from his mouth. He whines and begs for them to move faster and they obey almost immediately and he almost shouts out when fireworks explodes behind his eyelids, but he covers his mouth barely in time to subdue the sound, because he recalls at the last second that this place is not the most private of places, and they only chuckle softly in his ear and he finds it to be a bit unfair that he has to contain his voice and they have no problems containing theirs, but he can barely think as is and that thought is soon dissolved into air like the rest of his thoughts.

When they pull him down by his neck and lock his mouth with theirs while simultaneously grabbing hold of him, his scream is swallowed in their mouth as every muscle in his whole body bunches together and he feels their own cry more so than he hears it and he almost fear that the heat that follows it will burn him up from inside before he collapses onto them, gasping to get the air back into his lungs. They hold him gently, breathing heavily in his ears before they lift him up before they bring them both up to stand again as they run a hand through his hair before they kiss him again, but only briefly for he pulls away again before he can respond to it.

"You really are a piece of work, are you not, dear?" they murmur softly, raking their nails gently along the side of his face, a small smile playing along their face, but he feels his own face twist into a small frown.

"…don't call me–"

"Ah, yes, my apologies," they say with a small sigh as they peck him on his lips again. "That one just slipped out. I apologize."

"Just… don't do it again… you sound like–…"

He stops his own sentence short and looks away from them, because he does not want to see the look on their face when they realize whom it is he had been about to mention.

"Like… him, by any chance?" they murmur softly and he tenses sharply and he believes that to be answer enough, but he still inclines his head in a nod anyway. "…I see. I apologize; I did not mean to make you recall that…"

"…no… it… it's alright…" he says softly, as he gasps a little for breath to mask the sobs that threaten to spill from his throat. "…but it's… it's not just that…"

"Sakura-kun, you don't have to–"

He looks up again and reaches out to the side of their head, and tugs a lock of their hair over their shoulder and wind it around his finger, albeit a bit absently and he watches as the locks have gained a slightly darker hue because of the water now weighing it down.

"…when I… when I saw you the first time… I… I thought you were him be… because your hair was… is the same… only longer…"

"Sakura-kun…"

He shuts his eyes as he brings the lock to his mouth, almost as though to kiss it, as he murmurs softly, as though he were speaking and confessing his own sin to himself.

"I was… confused… because I always thought… that he was the only one like that…" He opens his eyes again and looks up to them and they regard him with an expression he does not recognize. "I… almost said his name… but… your eyes were the wrong color and I knew that… that you were not him…" His voice cracks and his fingers tighten around the lock of hair he still holds so firmly. "I… I felt so stupid… I knew it couldn't have been… because he'd never… he–"

They kiss him suddenly, possibly to make him shut up and he is so grateful for it, even if he has no opportunity to say it when they pull back.

"Enough, Sakura-kun… enough…" they whisper to him before they kiss him again. "You have to stop this. Stop tormenting yourself like this… you will only make yourself miserable if you this."

He bites his lip and he shuts his eyes tight while they kiss him all over his face and at the corners of his eyes to stop the tears from joining the spray of water, and as he whispers their name softly, they kiss him on his lips once more.

"Sakura-kun… perhaps, I am not the only one similar to another person," they say then, and this makes him blink his eyes in confusion. "When I saw you… I almost thought you were a friend of mine." They smile a bit as they place their forehead against his, whispering softly. "He actually works here, as a stand-in, and you are similar to him in so many ways… except your eyes; they are the wrong color."

He is startled upon hearing not just their admission but also the fact that their situations were by far more similar than he could have ever imagined possible, as they run a hand through his hair.

"…His hair is longer, though… it reaches his waist, easy."

"…his hair is shorter… chin-height…"

"Really? Heheh… perhaps we are more alike than we believed…"

They gently kiss him again and he leans in to them in response, and he wishes to himself then, wishes for his life to pick up from now on, for things to become better and for his heart to recover from the pain it had endured for so many years, and he wishes to be able to fall in love with them, so that maybe, just maybe, he can be happy again.

Time passes quickly and for once he is unhappy that it does because he wants to stay with them for longer, to spend time together but they tell him that they have enough time, because he and they are dating, after all, so it is no problem to see each other whenever, and so, in a moment of bravado, he asks them if they wish to come to his school during lunch, only to realize too late that his school may not accept that, but they say it will be okay and they will be there. They take him home as the day comes to the end, and they wish him goodnight with the promise of seeing him tomorrow at lunch, and he can only whisper a soft goodnight to them in turn before he goes in, for they wait until he is inside before they leave for their own home.

As he walks up the stairs to his floor, he cannot help but feel slightly better as his heart feels so much lighter than ever before, and, for the first time in ages, he feels he can safely say he is smiling, something he feels he has not done in years. When he reaches the safety of his room, he leans back against it and begins to think, wondering about what he will do the next day when they arrive, though he cannot help but be apprehensive, for many people at his school are opposed to relationships that involves two people who are the same gender and regardless of their beauty, the fact that they are male will not suddenly change, which leaves him to wonder what they intend to do.

"Caaalling, you hear the caaalling

Caaalling…"

The sound is sudden and it startles him back into awareness, though it takes him almost a minute before he can place the sound and he picks up his phone, flipping it open just before he knows the phone will disconnect, and he does not even look to see who is calling when he brings it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"…Sakuraba-kun?"

"…! …Kiryuu-kun?"

He has not been expecting this, has not thought of the possibility of Him calling at all, and yet he knows without hesitation that it is Him calling, because there is no way he would mistake His voice for that of anyone else.

"Phew, thank god you picked up… I was almost afraid I'd have to go through this twice in as many days…"

"…what do you mean?" he asks, confused over what he is hearing as he sits down on his bed.

"Before we cover that, I have to say this; I am so sorry about last night. I was going to call, but with Rhyme-chan being hospitalized I… I forgot. I'm sorry."

"…hospi… is… is she alright?"

"Yes, she will be okay… she and her brother both. Some drunk driver hit them when they were going home by car."

"I see… that's… that's good…"

Was that the truth, he wonders to himself, or is this just some kind of excuse He thought of to try and make it seem more serious, because it does seem like something He would possibly consider.

"Yeah… and by the time I thought to call you, I realized I'd left my phone with Rhyme-chan. I actually went to the theater to see you but… I think I missed you."

"…yeah, probably…"

"…Sakuraba-kun… are you angry with me?"

"…no."

Angry, He asks, and he almost wants to laugh, but he cannot bring himself to. No, he does not feel anger, only pain when he has understood he would always be second when it came to her and even now it still hurts so much that he has to grip at his chest in hopes that this can override the pain of his heart.

"Are you sure? I mean I did–"

"No. No, I'm not angry…"

"Is that so? Whew… I'm glad…" He sounds almost relieved, but he is not sure if he can trust his own intuition anymore. "Hey, I know it's a little late now to make up for it, but do you want to go out for dinner today?"

"…excuse me?"

For a reason he cannot explain, the entire situation is turning strange on him and He is suddenly eager to speak to him after many months of silence and even wishes to hang out with him on the very day he has decided to let Him go.

…why?

"Yeah, I mean, like it or not, I stood you up last night, so the least I can do is try and make amends, right?"

It is so tempting to tell him yes and agree to the offer and his heart feels like it is about to leap right out of his chest, but he shuts his eyes tight and takes a deep breath, preparing himself to say what he does not want to say but he knows he has to, because he cannot be with Him anymore, since he will never be as important to Him as she.

"I'm sorry, Kiryuu-kun, but I… I already ate."

"…oh."

And now comes the most difficult part, the part he is dreading to say, but perhaps, in a way, it can be called as retribution, so if he is honest with himself, he has every right to say the three words he has been forced to endure for months.

"Maybe next time?"

"…yeah… next time… I'll… I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay?"

"…sure. Ja ne."

"Ja ne…"

He wordlessly flips the phone shut, and then proceeds to stare at the contraption as though it has committed some form of heinous crime against him, before he gives a soft sigh as he comes to the realization that he cannot fret for long about it, because he still has to go to school tomorrow and he has no time to be contemplating about ifs or buts. And so he sets his phone on his nightstand and gets changed into his sleep clothes and he prepares himself to go to bed, spending only a few moments in the washroom to brush his teeth, and he barely spares his own reflection a glance, for he does not want to know what kind of expression is on his face.

When he comes back into the main room he is more than a little surprised when he sees his phone blinking its light at him to signal he has just received a new mail and he worries that it may have been Him, and yet he opens his phone anyway to read it.

What he reads then is enough to make a smile play over his face again.

"As the sun sets beyond the field

To make place for the long night

I wish upon you a peaceful sleep

'Til the rise of dawn's light"

"Ha… haha…"

He is not even aware he is laughing until he covers his mouth to stop it and he quickly shakes his head as he moves his fingers and begins to type a small response to the silly little rhyme they have just sent him.

"Just shut up and go to sleep, dummy. -chu-"

Before he sends the mail however he debates on removing the last part, because he does not wish to appear overly excited over such a little thing, but after a long debate with himself, he presses the send button and flicks off the lights before he lays down to both try to sleep and to wait for a possible response, and the wait takes only a few moments as his phone gives a small beep to let him know he has another mail, which he opens right away.

"And good night to you, too, "dear". -chu-"

Once again he feels himself breaking out into a smile and he closes his eyes as he flips his phone shut once again, his earlier feelings of worry and anxiety washed away with only two short messages, and as his consciousness slips into the realm of sleep, he feels as though his life will finally turn around for the better.

Until the dawn of morning he has slept, slept until his phone rang by his ear to inform him it was time to wake for the day and he merely sits up with a weary yawn and begins to try and banish the sleep from his body, rubbing it from his eyes and splashing his face with water before he gets dressed just as he would have done every other day, but there is one thing he does not do because he feels like there is no more need and that is that he refuses to stand before the mirror and study his apparel. When he is done, he merely eats breakfast, fixes a bento for lunch and after a moment of thought fixes one more and only one more, both which he places inside his shoulder bag along with the rest of his supplies and then he grabs his phone and keys and leaves his apartment behind.

He arrives at school well before the first bell has rung and only a small handful of students is there as well that he does not bother with as he parks his bicycle in the corresponding area, setting his bag on the luggage rack as he always does so he can properly lock it. But as he gets up, he accidentally hits it and it tips over and he reaches for it quickly, but he is not quick enough…

…but He is…

"Careful there, Sakuraba-kun," He says with that giggle of His, and he freezes.

He has not even heard Him approach and His presence has him both anxious and fearful, because he cannot comprehend his current situation in the slightest as He holds out his bag to him, still smiling that small, infernal smile he has learned means only trouble…

"…Kiryuu-kun…" he says warily as he accepts his bag and slings it over his head again, "…thank you…"

"Hihi. Anytime, dear, anytime."

He does not know what kind of response he has been expecting but the one he has been given was certainly not it and his fingers tighten along the strap of his bag as his mouth almost immediately opens in response to the endearment he has not heard from Him in years as though nothing has changed from when he and Him were mere children.

"I told you not to call me that!"

"Aww, but why? It's sooo fun seeing you get flustered about it."

His heart skips a beat when those all too familiar yet so foreign words filter into his mind and he feels himself grow tense, because this entire situation is just too unreal and he feels like any moment he will wake from this dream and find himself being ignored once again, and he does not think he can stand to have that happen again, and yet he also does not wish to speak to Him anymore, because if he does, he fear he will never be able to let Him go.

He keeps his face indifferent as he turns away and begins to walk away to the school building with his plan being to ignore Him for the rest of the day because he is sure this is just a fluke and will never happen again…

"Ah, Sakuraba-kun, wait!"

When His hand grabs him by his wrist he feels his entire frame freeze up for a few scant seconds, but then he reacts faster than he had thought possible and he pulls his hand loose as he spins around and opens his mouth and he speaks in a voice that sounds alien even to himself.

"Don't touch me!"

He watches as He backpedals in what he can only assume is alarm, staring at him with a look that one would use if a person had just sprouted an extra limb of some description, and he is shocked at himself that he has actually said anything like that, and so he quickly looks away, confused, tormented, unsure and haunted, because this situation cannot possibly be real, right?

"…You're still mad at me, huh?"

He blinks and looks to Him, but He is looking down and fiddling with His hair, twirling it around his finger in what he knows is a small nervous gesture He has apparently never gotten over, and his confusion keeps growing greater by the second as He sighs softly as though He is resigning Himself to some sort of fate.

"…mad?"

"About Saturday."

"I already told you I'm not!"

"Then why are you yelling?"

"I am not yell–…" he pauses his own words to run a hand through his hair, trying to understand just what is suddenly going on, as it is almost as if he has jumped into one of those overdramatic series he recalls his mother watching often as a child and it was beginning to scare him. "Look… what does it even matter? Even if I was mad–which I'm not–it isn't going to change anything, is it?"

"…I suppose it doesn't…" He admits with His arms crossed over His chest, which he knows means that He is either thinking very deeply or truly anxious or nervous about something, though His expression is making him think more and more that it is the latter of the two options despite that he does not understand why He is either anxious or nervous, because He certainly has no reason to, he believes. "But still, it's because of that fact that I need to make it up to you somehow. …I just don't know how yet…"

That last part is quiet, as though He has not intended to let him hear, and so he does not mention that particular part as he says: "It's fine already… there's no rush about it, so just take your time."

He does not respond to his words right away, before He takes a breath and looks up to him again, His expression becoming almost determined as He relaxes his stance somewhat by placing His hands into the back pockets of His jeans, a sign that means He is trying to appear calm and collected while he is anything but, and in the back of his mind, he realizes that he knows Him and His behavior much more than he has originally thought possible and it is almost frightening him to the point where he is visibly shaking.

"Then… how about I start by treating you to lunch today?"

"…say what?"

"Hihi. Mother finally admitted she is a lousy cook so she's been giving me money to buy lunch from the cafeteria. I got her to give me some extra today so I have plenty to spare for us both."

Had this been any other day, any other day at all, he would have jumped upon the chance, possibly would have been so thrilled he might have fainted… but…

"I'm afraid I can't today. I already made plans with… s-someone else…"

He cannot say their name to Him he realizes, because their name is a name that is most definitely not the name of a woman and not a name of anyone He may know by chance and while he is absolutely not ashamed of being in a relationship with them, he does not want Him to know of them just yet even though He will most likely see them when they come to the school like they have promised him, but he cannot lie to Him either, no matter how much he tries to.

He simply cannot lie to Him…

"…someone else?"

When He repeats those two words, as though to Himself, His eyes narrow into slits and he feels his body shake subtly as he takes in the expression on His face and realizes that He is very much displeased and he attempts to suppress it by gripping the strap of his bag tightly enough that he feels his joints crack from the force exerted on them. He knows he needs to speak fast if he wishes for this to end without any form of argument, but there are only so few words he can say to Him without invoking His wrath, something he has never done and he is not inclined to find out exactly what happens when He is as angry as He appears to be getting, but he opens his mouth anyway…

"…yeah, sorry… Maybe next time?"

And again, he speaks the only words he has never wanted to say to anyone before, and yet they come from his mouth as though it is only natural for him to be saying them, and that fact alone is enough to scare him.

"…yeah, sure…"

He is saved from any further discussion when the first bell rings and he takes this chance almost immediately and turns away as he starts to walk to the building, though he does pause for one step to speak to Him again with a barely noticeable turn of his head.

"Class is starting, let's go…"

He does not respond, but he has not been expecting much of one, and so he merely walks ahead, maintaining a firm grip upon his bag and refusing to look back to Him, for he does not wish to see what kind of look He is giving him right then, but he fears it must be one that will likely terrify him if he dares look to Him as he can feel His gaze upon the back of his skull, and it makes him bite his lip until he almost draws blood, but he forces himself to ignore it and keep going.

Because all he can do now is keep moving forward…

He refuses to stand still and dwell on something he knows will never be any longer…

The day progresses slowly, much slower than he is used to, and he cannot help but feel like He is watching him throughout it all, but he does not dare to look up to Him to check if He really is, because in all honesty, he does not even want to know. It seems to take forever for English to come to an end and it is time for lunch to start and when it finally does, he is not aware he is already halfway out the door until he is and he hears his name being called.

"Sakuraba-kun!"

He frowns a bit in confusion when he does not recognize the voice right away, but when he looks back he remembers that the voice belongs to his ex-Stalker and that she is the one who has just called out to him.

"…Misaki-chan…"

His ex-Stalker smiles at him, but he does not smile back because he is now even more confused than ever before as he does not understand why she would suddenly talk to him after so long and while he knows it is true that he and his ex-Stalker have vowed to still be friends she has not addressed him much like his other friends.

"Sakuraba-kun, are you okay? You seem… different, somehow…"

Different, she says, but he fails to understand what his ex-Stalker is talking about, because the only things that have changed since the week prior are his determination to try and move on with his life by giving up on Him, though it is beginning to crumble already from the second thing that has changed; the fact that He has talked to him and seemed more than content to pretend like the last few months have never happened. He does not understand why now, when he has finally decided to give up on Him, He wishes to speak to him again.

"…how am I different?"

"Well… I'm not sure… you just look, well, a little lost, or something…"

Has she really not noticed in how much pain he has been these last few months…?

Has anyone noticed at all…?

While he admits that he has been attempting to hide his anguish from everyone, does that justify why no one has sought him out before?

"…I don't think anything's changed since last week…"

"You sure?"

"…yeah."

"Misaki-chan."

His hand immediately tightens along the strap of his bag when he hears His voice speak solemnly and he watches with a gaze that seems almost detached though he doubts that anyone will notice this look at all as He approaches them, His hands placed once more in his back pockets.

"Sorry to intrude, but I do believe you're keeping Sakuraba-kun away from his little date."

"…date?" he whispers to himself in confusion but his words are drowned out by his ex-Stalker's overly loud exclamation.

"What?! What do you mean 'date'?!"

"Precisely as I said," He says with a giggle as He twirls His finger through His hair again. "It would seem our dear friend has a date during lunch."

"…it's not a date…" he murmurs softly, but his words go unheard as his ex-Stalker gives a startled cry.

"What?! Is that true, Sakuraba-kun?! Why didn't you tell us you had a girlfriend?!"

He wants to say so badly that he has not told anyone because he had believed there would be no one who would care enough to hear the news but also that he saw no need to give such news because he does not have a girlfriend but instead a boyfriend, but he is unsure of how either of these comments will be received, and so he pushes his hand into his pocket and looks away from Him and his ex-Stalker. He does not understand from where this sudden interest in him has stemmed from, but he wishes it would stop before he is unable to keep his determination to throw aside his love for Him…

Beep

He blinks as the sound comes from his pocket and his phone which is in fact the source of the sound as it buzzes softly against his fingers but he feels he does not even need to check to know who his latest mail has come from and so he pulls it out and flips it open immediately without paying attention to what He and his ex-Stalker are saying about it.

"Like the guards of Her Royal Highness

Out here I shall wait

For you to join me

At this iron wrought gate"

"…hah… hahaha…"

He quickly covers his mouth and shuts his eyes to contain his laughter and smile, and he does not even care if He and his ex-Stalker are staring at him in what he believes is surprise or confusion, and instead turns and leaves the room, though he does remember to tell quickly that he has to go and he ignores how He calls out for him to wait and instead he writes a quick response to let them know he will come out soon and also asks them where exactly they are waiting for him, though he can guess from the small mail alone. When the response comes barely a minute later, he is already halfway down the stairway though he is not expecting the call that he receives instead and yet he still picks up, whispering their name as he does.

"Good afternoon to you, too, Sakura-kun. How are you this fine day?"

He pauses briefly in his steps as he suddenly becomes unsure of how to answer to that question, because he really does not know what it is he feels right now, and so he sighs as he looks sideways out the window of the staircase, before he answers their question with his most honest possible answer.

"I… I don't know… I'm… I'm just so confused…"

"Why, what's wrong, Sakura-kun?"

"…I'll tell you when–…?"

He pauses suddenly as he squints and tilts his head to the side in silent question for he just realizes he can see the school gate from his position upon the staircase but he is not entirely sure if he is actually seeing what he thinks he is seeing or if it is just merely a trick of the light in some way or another.

"…hey."

"Yes?"

"Could you raise you left hand?"

"Hm? Whatever for?"

"Please?"

He holds his breath for a few long seconds and is almost expecting nothing to happen, but then the person he is watching casually brings up their left hand and waves it once in the direction of the building.

"There. I just waved, too."

"…Yeah, I saw."

"Oooh, so that is why. Heheh."

He tries to keep a smile at bay, but he fails as he asks them: "What are you wearing?"

"Heheh. What does it look like, dear?"

"Don't call me that… and it looks like a skirt…"

"Well, 'tis called a 'dress', Sakura-kun."

For what has to be the first time in quite possibly years, he wants to hit himself to his head as he is having more and more difficulty keeping his laughter under control while shaking his head.

"…haha… I… I'll be downstairs in a few minutes."

"Very well, dear. Don't keep me waiting long, though… I'll be lonely."

He lets the endearment slide, just this once, and he hangs up with the promise of being there soon and then he is almost running down the staircase and he somehow avoids hitting any other people as he goes to the shoe lockers to collect his outdoor shoes and he pulls them on quickly before he finally goes to meet them at the gate, where they are still waiting in the same spot as he had just seen them, and he calls out, though not with their name, and they look up curiously and then smile to him. They step up to him quickly and immediately hug him tight and kiss him in the same moment that he comes in range and this makes him give a small yelp of surprise, but then he melts into the embrace and kisses them back before they finally move back.

He licks his lips curiously as he realizes there is an odd and foreign taste on them now, but it is a taste he vaguely remembers having tasted elsewhere before, though certainly never on another person's lips and he thinks about it for only a few seconds before a small smile plays on his mouth when he is able to place the taste and he asks: "Cherries?"

"Mmhmm. Do you like it?" they ask him with their lips as red as the fruit they taste of curled up into a small playful smile.

He thinks about answering with words for a moment, but shortly after he determines that there is a better way to reply and so he closes the distance between his and their mouth and makes it a point to run his tongue along their cherry red lips lavishly before he finally pulls away and whispers to them: "Is that answer enough?"

"Mmm, yes, I believe it is," they purr softly with their mouth only a small space away from his own, and they grace over his lips one more time before they pull away and ask him softly: "Come… let us go somewhere more private, shall we?"

He does not object when they take hold of his hand and lightly tug him along, away from the school building and to the park resting just across from it, and he takes note of the fact that even their nails are painted a deep red like their lips, with light red painted around his eyes like that first night het them and it matches perfectly with their white dress with its layered skirt and the easy red step-in shoes, jacket and hair ribbon folded into a bow they wear and he soon also notices they are even wearing stockings that make their legs seem much darker than its normal pale appearance and he begins to wonder something in the back of his mind that he is not sure he wants an answer to.

After a little while of walking they pause by a bench and move to sit on it, being mindful of their dress and he joins them shortly after and once he has done so, they move in closer and lean against his side with their head resting on his shoulder while they reach out to hold onto his hand.

"Sakura-kun… do you want to talk about it?" they ask him softly as they squeeze the hand they are holding.

He considers the question for a while, not sure if he should really tell them about what has been going on all day, because really it is not their problem, but as they run their thumb over the back of his in circles in a way he knows is to sooth his nerves, he gives in and begins to speak softly as he rests his head against theirs.

"I'm… just so confused. Last week… none of my… friends… seemed aware of my presence, and… suddenly… everyone's started approaching me again…"

"Just like that? And you don't know why?"

"…no."

"Have you asked them?"

"…no… I… I'm not sure I want to know why…"

"Hm… I see… most confusing indeed…"

Their fingers rub along the back of his hand for a moment longer before they slowly flip his hand over and takes hold of it gently with his own, and he squeezes back when they squeeze gently as though to let him know without words that they will listen to him.

"…I don't understand…" he confesses softly as he shuts his eyes and lets a sigh pass through his lips, before he continues to speak to them quietly, "I've kept hoping… kept hoping that he would see me as… something more… or at least talk to me again… and the moment I've decided I was moving on… he…"

"Ssshh, Sakura-kun, sshh, 'tis okay… it will be okay…" they whisper to him as they place a brief kiss on his cheek, before they murmur in a soothing way, "I know it must feel like an impossible task to replace him, pardon my phrasing, but you cannot let him get to you. You've decided to let him go, so do not let him urge you into clinging on tighter than ever."

He does not like to hear those words, but he knows that they are right and that he cannot continue to wish for something that will never be, something that never can be, and he is well aware that he has to learn to let go of his feelings of love for Him, but that is something that is much easier said than done and especially if He decides to speak to him again like he and Him once used to talk, as it will make him want to keep the love he feels for Him close and not let go, but he knows that he has to.

He has to…

A sound that is actually very familiar to his ears makes them tense for a moment, and he blinks once before he turns to them in silent question, and they allow a small chuckle of what can only be embarrassment when he does, before they murmur: "I apologize… I've been busy rehearsing since this morning, thus I haven't had much time to eat yet."

He smiles a bit at the apology and sits up straight while letting go of their hand to reach into his bag and he feels their eyes on him as he carefully fishes out the two boxes he has prepared that morning, before he turns to them and holds out one of them while saying to them: "Then… take this."

They blink at him rather oddly as though they have never seen a bento in all their life and they take several moments and another grumble from their stomach before they slowly accept the offered box with a quiet thanks before placing it on their lap and almost cautiously opening the lid and looking inside.

"…wow…" they say almost immediately though still quietly as they set the lid under the box itself while examining the contents with a small hint of what he believes is curiosity and some surprise, before they speak again to say; "This looks… really good, Sakura-kun."

"Maybe, but it's meant to be eaten, so maybe you should stop staring and start eating."

The words leave his mouth before he can even consider them in his head and a pang of nostalgia hits him when he recalls a time when he spoke those same words to Him a long time ago, but he tries to shove the feeling out of his heart before it can take root and he thinks he has managed to succeed at least a little bit at that as they allow a small chuckle.

"Right, of course. Pardon me," they say as he also opens his box and removes the chopsticks he has placed in it as they do the same with their own and start to eat and he does not mind if they do so ahead of him because he already knows that they must be hungry after what he can only assume were hours' worth or rehearsing without getting the chance to either take a break or allowed to eat much more than a cracker. Despite that they are clearly starving, they keep eating politely while occasionally telling him in-between bites that the food tastes just as it looks and better, a comment that has him looking away with his cheeks tinted red while he pushes a piece of rice ball in his mouth to justify why he is looking away though he is certain they already know.

Other than the occasional compliment from them lunch proceeds in a silence that he finds he does not mind as much because he knows it is not a silence that means he is being ignored, but rather a silence in which both simply appreciate each other's company as they eat, let alone it would have been rather rude to speak while eating. And yet, as they continue to eat, he cannot help himself as he comes to the realization that they eat almost exactly the same way He does, from the way they lightly twist their wrist to place the food at the end of their chopsticks in their mouth to how they lean forward with one hand held up in a bowl-shape when something threatens to spill from their lips, never mind the fact that they look more like a girl than a man in that dress.

He just cannot help himself but notice these subtle similarities and it makes his heart ache painfully at the constant reminder that, despite these similarities, they will never be the same as Him no matter how much he wishes that they were deep down and he tries to shake the thoughts away and focuses instead on his own meal, but he finds he is not feeling that hungry and yet he forces himself to swallow everything for he refuses to waste away from lack of nutrition.

They finish a few moments before he does, but he is not really surprised at that, given that they started much earlier, let alone he had been staring at them for a while as they ate, so really it was not so surprising if you thought about it logically, and they smile and sigh contently, before they look to him with that same smile.

"Thank you, Sakura-kun. That was very delicious."

He smiles a bit back at them, but even to himself it feels forced, and so he stops it and looks away from them, not understanding why his emotions are being so overly conflicting with each other but not liking it because it almost feels like he is betraying their trust by continuing to think about Him instead of them. While it is true he cannot help thinking about Him when he looks to them not just because of their physical similarities but also because of how they move in such a similar fashion to Him.

It was almost scary just how similar they truly were to Him and if he does not know better he is almost willing to say that they are in some way or another related to Him.

When they lightly touch his hand and squeeze, he looks to them in silent question just as they move forward and place a soft kiss upon his cheek without saying anything, and then they lay their head upon his shoulder again with their eyes shut delicately while remaining poised like the girl they are posing to be. They speak not a word and so he decides for the moment to leave the matter be and lets his head rest against theirs as he flips his hand around to link his fingers with theirs and like that he and they stay in silence, quietly enjoying the company of the other, and he wishes to himself to never let this end and to allow him to live once more.

Of course such joy will never last forever, he knows this, but that does not mean he is happy when he checks his phone for a moment and realizes he has to return to the building before he is late and they do not seem overly thrilled to say goodbye either, but they do so anyway with a quiet promise to text him later tonight as they squeeze his hand softly and then leave him to head back to the school and of course he does even though he really does not want to.

The person whom he meets upon reaching the school gates is the one person he has not been expecting nor wanting to see however, but he knows he has no choice but to move ahead as he cannot not go to the building in a lame attempt to not have to see the only person he does not wish to speak to for fear of his heart ripping itself apart.

"…Ah, Sakuraba-kun."

"…Kiryuu-kun…"

Why is He here…?

"I was about to come find you… just… in case you lost track of time…"

It is an excuse and he is certain that He knows that he can see through it, but he does not know why He would even need to make an excuse in the first place and he is uncertain about how to ask or if there even is a way to ask such a thing, and so he does not bring it up and instead goes along with the poor excuse as though it was something that has been said with complete sincerity.

"…I see… well… thanks… I guess…"

"…you 'guess'?"

He only shrugs his shoulder once before he starts to walk again and wordlessly walks past Him without really looking Him in the eye because he fears his carefully erected walls that he made to protect himself will be torn down in an instant the moment that he does.

"…Sakuraba-kun."

He pauses despite the fact that he does not want to do so and he already knows that he is going to regret the conversation that will follow his response, but he also knows that there is no escaping it and that he will be forced to have this discussion at one point or another anyway.

"…yeah?"

"…are you happy with… that person?"

He does not know why He refers to them like that but a small bubble of fear begins to grow in his gut when a possibility presents itself that He may just already know and that He has seen through their disguise despite how perfect it is and how it is almost impossible to tell that they are in fact a man because he is not sure he wants to know what He is thinking about them…

"…I suppose…"

"…you 'suppose'?"

"…yeah…"

"…I… see…" He says the words quietly, and he is unsure whether He intends to say more or if that is it, but when he mentally prepares himself for the step forward so as to return to the building, when He decides to speak again, "Hey… Sakuraba-kun…"

"…yeah?"

"…no, it's nothing. Never mind… Let's just go."

"…sure."

He does not want to talk about them anymore and especially not to Him, because he is still afraid of what His reaction will be when He learns that he is in a relationship with another man rather than a girl like he is sure everyone believes now and so he does not question why He has decided to drop the subject and merely accepts that it is dropped and finally begins to walk forward, and he hears Him following close behind, but he cannot allow himself to dwell on it for long, because he has to learn, the hard way if needed, to let Him go…

And as he gradually builds up the fragile house of cards that has become his life, he continues to live on and on as he builds up a new pattern in his daily life and he learns to balance school with both his work and the little free time he has to spend as much time as he can with them, even though his… friends… are continuously trying to get him involved in activities they can do together even when she returns from the hospital which he realizes makes him more confused than ever as he was almost certain that things would return to what he has considered to be normal for the last few months once she returned to school. And yet he always turns his friends down, saying that he has already made plans and always finishes with the very words they have used with him so many times before;

Maybe next time

He is not sure if they understand the significance of how many times he says those words, but he is beginning to suspect that He is starting to realize the reason because every time he speaks those words His body goes tense and His left eyebrow twitches subtly to inform anyone caring to watch that he is feeling less than perfect at that specific moment though it will likely take the jaws of life to get Him to spill what it is He is currently feeling. But he no longer has the time or the desire to think about Him, because he knows he can no longer let Him hold control over his heart and he knows he has to move on and forget about Him so that he can find a place where he and Him can both be happy, and the only way to do that he has realized is to widen the gap between himself and Him.

As time passes, he also comes to meet their friend that they mentioned before, the one who he reminds them of, when they become ill and are unable to work but he is unsure if he sees the connection between himself and their friend as their friend has eyes that are the color of ice and long hair of deep red fire only one shade different than his own and because of this he feels that their friend is nothing like him as far as he can see but he has decided to not question it and he simply goes along with it though he can say without thinking about it that their friend is a kind person. Their friend only helps them on the side as they have already said and he is more than a little surprised when he realizes that their friend is a freelance artist who has based his style upon that of his idol and one other who he recalls is another famous artist from when he was still a child and their friend seems to enjoy treating him like a younger brother and he does not mind in the slightest since he has never had a brother to speak of and the thought of actually having someone like it leaves him feeling slightly giddy, something he has only experienced a few times before in his life.

So he is a little sad when he hears that their friend is leaving for a few months.

"…to Canada?" he asks when their friend comes out with the news and even they seem a tad surprised.

"Did you not say you were not likely to go, though?" they ask their friend just as he takes a bite from his donut.

"Yeah, I did… but see, Kamui's offered to pay for the hotel and the costs for the con, meaning I'd only need to buy the plane ticket," their friend explained after swallowing the bite he had taken and then paused to take a long gulp of his coffee. "Ticket, hotel and con is expensive… Ticket alone I can manage."

"My my, what a very generous boyfriend you have there, Kurenai-kun," they say with a small smirk as they sip their cafe au lait and then they add with a cheeky smile, "I don't suppose there is any chance he would consider treating us as well, hm?"

"Stuff it, Birdy," their friend growled out, but he was smirking as well. "As if you have time to waste in the cold north."

"True… but a man can dream, ne?"

"So just grow wings and fly. That'd be cheaper."

"I do believe I've mentioned my tail grows too long to allow me flight, Kurenai-kun."

The only response they received was an amused chuckle.

"…your… I mean, Kamui-san, he… doesn't like coming with us… does he?" he asks slowly, a bit unsure still at addressing their friend's lover, for he has never met him, but he has seen pictures and from what he can tell he is a very tall person, thus addressing him formally seemed almost natural.

"Oy, Neku, I told you it's fine calling him 'Kamui'. He's only a few months older than me, after all," their friend says as he points to him with the remains of his donut before he pops it into his mouth, speaking again once he has swallowed, "And nah. He's not much of an outgoing guy. Prolly would've ended up cooped up in his room all day if I didn't drag his sorry ass out every now and again…"

When he hears those words he cannot help but blink and tilt his head, because something about that statement strikes him as strangely off but he is not certain what it can be, though he has no chance to find out as their guardian approaches casually to take their empty cups and chuckles out while adjusting his sunglasses, though he still does not see the point of wearing sunglasses if you are going to wear them almost on the tip of your nose anyway but he supposes it is part of the barista look: "Heh. If he's such an 'indoor' type of guy, why is treating you to a long weekend out of town?"

"I don't know, I was surprised 'bout that, too," their friend says with a small grumble as he finishes his drink and passes their guardian his cup before he continues speaking, "but oh well. I ain't complaining. Saves me some cash, plus I get to hang out with 'm without having to force him out the door."

They allow a small chuckle of their own and then speak with a casual around surrounding them: "'Tis times like this that I wonder whether or not you actually forced him into a relationship with you, dear."

"Do. Not. Call. Me. Dear, beak face!" their friend hisses out dangerously but it only causes them to laugh, and he supposes that that is one point where he and their friend are the same and that is the fact that they both hate to be addressed as 'dear' though he is not sure of their friend's reason.

Time passes and only seven days later, he and they are seeing their friend off at the airport and their friend leaves with a promise of bringing back some good souvenirs when he finally returns and then their friend is gone and he cannot help but watch the large contraption fly away into the heavens, and briefly he finds himself wondering what it would be like to fly through the skies like a bird, unrestrained and free to go wherever without anyone telling you where you can and where you cannot go. He watches the large contraption go and he wishes softly to himself, wistfully because he is sure it will never happen, to let him grow wings and allow him to go wherever he so wishes, and when he finishes his silent wish they place their hand along his upon the railing as he and they remain standing right there to watch the sky in serene silence and he wonders briefly to himself as he recalls His question;

Are you happy with that person?

Even after months of being together he does not have an answer even to himself because he is unsure if he even remembers what it feels like to be happy, but he will be lying if he says that he wants to break with them in any way shape or form because he can no longer imagine how to live if they ever leave him alone to fend for himself again.

He does not want to be alone anymore…

"Ne… Sakura-kun…"

"…hm?"

He is feeling rather sleepy despite the cold wind that is brewing and he does not really want to go anywhere even though he is well aware that he probably should so as to not freeze to death, but really he cannot care much.

"This weekend… I believe we will have been together for three months, now…" they whisper softly as he rests his head lazily on their shoulder and they respond to that by briefly kissing the top of his head before speaking again, "Do you want to go somewhere with me this Saturday?"

He is both sleepy and lazy but that does not prevent him from answering the question honestly because there really is only one answer to give to them.

"Mmm… sure."

He can feel them smile against the top of his head as he shuts his eyes to rest a little even though he has barely done anything today and then they squeeze his hand softly and he responds by winding his thumb around theirs as he does not want the back of his hand to rest against the railing because that will surely hurt and he wonders if this is happiness because he really likes being like this and he wishes that it can stay like this from now on…

And yet he finds himself wishing also for something else entirely… finds himself wishing feverishly for His presence beside him, but he knows that he cannot make that wish, because he no longer has that right, in fact, he is willing to go far enough to say he may have never had the right for it and so he suppresses his desire to make that wish, suppresses the urges he feels to shout out His name instead of theirs whenever they touch him because he knows he cannot do that to either Him or them. But he does not understand why those feelings persist because he has been doing everything in his power to banish Him from his heart in the hope of getting his life back on track again and yet all it appears to have done is make him cling onto Him tighter than ever, the exact opposite effect he has been aiming for and he has no idea how he has to handle his own emotions anymore because whenever he thinks on them too long his head will begin to swirl and pound with a headache that leaves him dizzy and in pain.

He does not speak of this to them and instead stays by them as close as he dares as though their presence will make his thoughts his own again even though he already knows it will not help but he does it regardless because it will distract him at least for the moment from the swirling mass his mind has become.

They bring him home when the day has come to an end and kiss him goodbye with a quiet promise to mail later before they leave as he walks into his apartment again and absently he wonders if perhaps they already know of his inner turmoil and if he thinks about it carefully, he supposes that it is highly likely because they always have seemed more in tune with what he feels than even he himself has, and maybe that is why they came with the idea for the outing this Saturday and he begins to wonder if maybe he should get them a present to celebrate his and their relationship lasting as long as it has and so he takes out his phone when he arrives in his apartment and slowly scrolls through his list of contacts before he dials as he sits down on the bed.

"Hello, WildKat Cafe."

"Ah… hello Mr. H…"

"Aah, Phones. Wasn't expecting to hear from ya, kid," their guardian chuckles out from the other end and he does not know how or where their guardian heard of that nickname but he has been unable to get it to go away but he supposes it really does not matter too much, and he refocuses on the conversation as it continues, "I'm afraid K's not in yet. Would be better if you called a little later."

"Um… I… wasn't actually looking for him…"

"Oh?"

"Well… um… y-you see…"

A little bit unsure he begins to relay his problem to their guardian and the man listens with only an occasional hum to let it be known he understands and when he finally asks the question he has been meaning to ask, the answer he receives from their guardian is a simple one;

"Phones, you worry far too much. Really, kid, it'll be a'ight. I'm sure K will be happy with whatever you get 'im."

"…you think so?"

"I know so. So stop worrying about it, a'ight? Enjoy the moment."

"…! …what?"

He remembers that phrase well, because it is a message that his idol has poured into the works he loves so very much, but he has always been sure he was the only person to truly know that the message was hidden over and over again in his idol's work.

"Hm? Something wrong, Phones?"

"N-no… just… what you just said… it's… …no…never mind… it's nothing…"

It cannot be, he determines with a small hint of disappointment audible in his voice. Surely their guardian cannot be the same as his idol, because really, how big are those chances, really? It was much easier to think that their guardian was also a fan of his idol and maybe that was even how they knew of his idol in the first place.

"If you say so, kid. Just remember what I told ya and it'll be fine. A'ight?"

"…y-yeah, okay… thanks Mr. H."

"Heh. Anytime, Phones, anytime."

He has given up on trying to correct their guardian and so he merely says goodbye and hangs up and finally just drops backwards to stare up to his ceiling, deep in thought about the words that have just been spoken to him and wondering what to do with them since they have not given him the slightest clue about what he is to do now, even after the words of encouragement that anything he can give will be fine…

"Caaalling, you hear the caaalling

Caaalling, someone is caaalling"

The sound startles him and he almost bolts upright as he looks to his phone in confusion because he has not been expecting anyone to call him today because he had said already to his "friends" that he had had different plans today and would more than likely be unable to answer and yet the screen on his phone read his ex-Stalker's name and this makes him a little curious as to why she of all people is calling him and that is why he answers the call.

"…hello?"

"Ah, Sakuraba-kun! Guess I've got good timing… Hey, are you free next weekend?"

"…next weekend…? Why?"

"Well there's a carnival coming into Shibuya next week and we were thinking of all going together so I thought–"

"…sorry, Misaki-chan…"

"Huh?"

"As… as much as I'd love to… I can't. I already have something planned next Saturday."

"Well… Sunday then?"

"I… may be out late the day before… late enough for it to be 'early', I guess… so… no… I'll probably spend Sunday in bed. Sorry…"

"…oh… is that so…?"

"…yeah… maybe next time, okay?"

"…yeah… okay…"

"…ja ne, Misaki-chan," he says and hangs up before she can give a reply in return, and he knows that it is not a nice thing to do, but he supposes it is only fair, considering the circumstances from before.

"Caaalling, you hear the caaalling

Caaalling, someone is caaalling"

He almost drops his phone in surprise when it rings again only a few short minutes after he has hung up on his ex-Stalker and he looks to the gadget in question before he answers the call, this time forgetting to check the screen for the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"…hey, Sakuraba-kun."

His hand tangles in the sheets when he realizes the voice belong to exactly who he has already been thinking of and did not wish to speak to, but he supposes it makes little difference now that he has already answered the call.

"…Kiryuu-kun…"

"…Misaki-chan said you were busy next week. That so?"

"…yeah…"

"…are you… going out with…"

"…Neko-chan? Yes…"

He still does not comprehend why they have told him to use that nickname for them when he is talking to his friends, or how they even came up with something like that, but they promised to explain it one of these days and so he will trust their word.

"…why? Didn't you two go out this week already?"

"…not really… because Neko-chan's friend was flying out today we… we didn't get much time alone after…"

"…oh."

He hears a sound in the background and it is a sound he recognizes very well and because of that he is speaking before his brain has the chance to catch up to his mouth.

"…are you okay?"

"Huh?"

"You're standing on the balcony… aren't you?"

"…! …how did you…?"

"The wind is blowing in your phone… it always does that when you're on the balcony."

"Oh… I… I see… …I'm okay, though. Nothing's wrong."

"…'liar liar pants on fire'."

"…eh?"

"You only go to the balcony for two reasons; stargazing and when something is bothering you. It's too early for the stars to be out… so why are you out there?"

Again, he is startled by how much he truly knows about Him and his behavior and it is now really beginning to scare him because he is almost starting to feel as though he has been stalking Him which of course he is not, but it certainly feels like it.

"…sigh… how do you always do that?"

"…? Do what…?"

"How is it you always seem to know that something is wrong with me before I do? Am I… really that obvious…?"

"…obvious… no. Just… we've known each other for… almost nine years now. So… well… I… guess that should be enough time to get to know a person… right?"

"…yeah… you have a point…" He responds softly and he can almost swear He says something else but the words are lost in the wind. "…ne, Sakuraba-kun?"

"…yeah?"

"Do you… can we meet sometime next week? In the weekend, I mean…"

"…Kiryuu-kun… I can't. I promised–"

"I'm not asking you to not meet Neko-chan, just… if it's possible to meet. Maybe after?"

Why why why does He have to make it so terribly difficult for him to let Him go? He knows that he cannot lie, knows that he cannot refuse if He just keeps pressing because eventually his stubbornness will collapse in on itself and he will say yes…

…but he just cannot do that anymore…

"…I'm sorry… I… really don't think I can make it…"

"…oh…"

The single syllable causes a flash of panic to rise in his chest and as much as he wishes to deny its existence he is aware it is something that will not go away until he has explained to Him why he cannot meet with Him after his meeting with them, but he also knows that he cannot tell Him exactly why either and so he chooses a middle road in which he does not lie but where he does not tell the complete truth either.

"…I'm sorry… it's just… since it's been three months since… since we started dating… I… I just…"

"No… no, it's okay… I understand. …maybe next time?"

"…maybe next time…"

"…okay… ja ne."

"…ja ne."

He hangs up after he has said those words and he scoots back to lay on his bed quietly and he takes deep breaths to try and calm his raging heartbeat though he is well aware that it is something that is not so easily done and so he remains silent as he tries to steer his thoughts away from Him.

Just as he makes that decision, his phone beeps and buzzes and he absently flips it open.

"As day passes to night

I shall safeguard your light

So that it shall be your guiding ray

Until night has passed to day"

He cannot stop himself from smiling at the small rhyme that they have sent to him to wish him good night and it still surprises him even after so long how easily they can come up with those small rhymes, both in English and in Japanese and he recalls a day when, just to see how long they would be able to hold on, they had spent an entire day speaking in nothing but rhyme. They had been able to last until nightfall, when he had decided to keep them occupied in a different and much more productive way.

Though he has to admit that it had been a little… awkward that time, because they had, once more, been dressed up in a girl's clothes, and they had insisted then, since he had been the "man" in their little relation with how they were then, for him to take charge for once. Of course he had been nervous, about that, given that they had, generally, been the one actually in charge if you do not count that one time in their dressing room, a feat that even he was having trouble explaining to himself.

"…I wonder…" he murmurs softly to himself as that day replays in his head, but before he can finish it, he hits himself to the head with both hands and lets out a cry of frustration. "No! No no no no no! Dammit just… no!"

He shakes his head and gets up to get washed up before he goes to sleep because he fears the track his mind insists on following if he does not and so he steps into the shower and sighs in relief as the water almost seems to wash all his worries away. Like that he stays there for a while until the water begins to cool and he begins preparing for bed, laying down in the center and he breathes softly as he shuts his eyes and gradually falls into a dreamless sleep… or so he hopes…

If he has dreamed at all, though, he does not remember what it was about when he wakes again, for which he is slightly grateful though he still fears to know what his dreams that night have been about yet he does not take the time to think about it and he instead focuses on preparing himself for another long week. He does not have the time or leisure to do so anymore.

The days come and they like whispers of the wind, but he does not much care anymore, and he thinks only of how his life will go from now on, and before he is even properly aware of it, Saturday has rolled in and he is carefully wrapping his present to them and securing the wrapping with tape to keep its contents a secret for as long as possible, before he starts to work on his apparel. They have already said to dress warmly with winter approaching steadily but also because they will be taking him someplace that is primarily located in the open air, though this still leaves him in a bit of a bind regarding what he has to wear.

When they come to pick him up, he has finally decided on loose jeans, shirt and sweater, covered by his jacket and his dark purple scarf secured around his neck, because he knows it will be quite cold on their motorbike, and they greet him with a kiss to his cheek, which he returns after only a brief moment of hesitation. He clicks the helmet shut around his head and climbs on behind them silently and only once they are sure he is holding on tight do they start off and he lightly ducks away into their back to preserve heat during the ride.

It takes only a short while to reach wherever they have decided to take him to and when he sees where they are, he has to confess that he is a bit surprised when he realizes where this is, because this can only be the carnival that his ex-Stalker spoke about to him last week. They notice, of course, and ask him if something is wrong, but he says no, nothing is wrong, even though a small bubble of panic enters his mind at the thought of running into anyone he knows while he is with them, but they pops it almost immediately by kissing him briefly, murmuring to him to calm himself and just enjoy.

How can he say no to that?

They guide him all the way, but they always ask at every attraction or game if he wants to try it and every time he says yes, of course he would like to, and they smile every time and he cannot help but wonder to himself if, with enough time and patience, he can come to love them like he has fallen in love with Him. He does not know the answer to that question yet, but he hopes to find the answer soon and he hopes that the answer will be a powerful, resounding "yes".

"…? Wait…"

"Hm? What is it, Sakura-kun?"

"We missed one," he says softly, and he gestures to the attraction they just walked past without them asking him if he wants to go in it, oddly enough, since thus far they asked him that at every game or attraction.

"…! You… you want to go in there?" they ask, but something in their voice sounds almost strained and he soon realizes that they seem almost a tad pale.

"Yeah… I think it's fun…"

"F… fun? Really…?"

"Yeah…" he says, and he waits a few moments for any kind of response, but when none comes, he asks: "Are you scared?"

"What?! No! No of course I'm not scared! Let's go!"

And then they are marching to the attraction with a slightly indignant huff, tugging him along by his hand, but he cannot help but smile softly when he feels their hand shaking and clutching his like a lifeline, and he cannot help but wonder if maybe they have even more in common with Him than he had already believed. They purchase the tickets and he and they proceed to wait in line, but they look like they are ready to bolt at any minute, and he lightly squeezes their hand in an attempt to calm them.

Once they are sitting in the cart and he settles beside them, he whispers as the bars are secured that they can hold him if they get scared, but of course they deny vehemently that they will be scared at all, but he believes otherwise. And when the cart begins to move and he feels them tense sharply beside him, he cannot help but be even more certain.

It is dark when the cart enters the attraction and he is not surprised that it is, nor is he surprised when he feels their body trembling beside him, and even when the first "scare" appears he does not look up or make a sound, as all he can think of is how fake it looks, but they scream and immediately latch on to him tightly and it almost makes him laugh, but he does not and instead rubs their shoulder to try and calm them, though it obviously does not work too well. They whimper almost pathetically as the ride continues, and they scream and latch on even tighter to him at least three more times before the ride comes to an end.

Once away from the ride, he turns to them and asks, doing his best to sound as innocent as he can: "I thought you said you weren't scared…"

"Sh-shut u-up…" they choke out amidst their labored breathing, and they almost pout when he can no longer stop himself and laughs. "I-it's not funny, Sakura-kun!"

"Sorry, I know, I know… Just… that's the first time I've heard you scream like that. I almost thought you were being killed."

"That's mean, Sakura-kun! You're mean! I thought I was about to have a heart attack!"

He cannot help but laugh as they continue to pout helplessly, but he holds himself in and kisses them softly, a quiet apology both for laughing and for making them go through the ghost house with him, promising to make it up to them when the date is over, and they murmur that they will keep him to that and he smiles absently. He likes how being with them feels so natural and, in a way, right, but at the same time he cannot stop comparing them to Him with every similarity he finds and that is what makes him feel terrible despite how much he wishes he could just let it go and be happy again.

There are many more rides to see, but he and they both agree to skip the bumper cars, because both really do not like it all that much, and go in search of different entertainment. It does not take long for them to spot a small food stand that is selling a type of food he has never even heard of, but they claim that it is delicious, especially when it is covered in hot chocolate sauce and he is sold immediately for that as there is no sweet on the planet he likes better than chocolate, and he allows them to guide him to the stand.

It only takes a few moments for them to hold out a paper sack with the long treats literally coated in chocolate sauce and, without delay, he removes one and begins to munch away, though he has to suppress his urge to moan as the delicious flavors of melting chocolate and something belonging entirely to the fried goodness nearly overwhelm his taste buds.

"…That's good," he is able to get out between bites, and he ignores their chuckles as they munch on their own while he pulls out three to five more for himself, being careful not to spill the sauce on his clothes as he munches on the sticks.

"Heh. Yes, I can see that. How about you hold it, then, Sakura-kun?"

"…um… b-better not… I uh… um…"

"Heheh. I'll just get more if I want some, Sakura-kun. Don't worry."

How is he supposed to reject that offer now?

It only takes him three minutes to finish the entire thing and they have only been able to grab a single handful to munch on, but they do not say anything about it even as he finishes the last one and proceeds to lick the chocolate sauce off of his fingers. There is only one downside to eating so much chocolate and that is that you get extremely thirsty afterwards, so he does not object when they offer to go get something to drink and ask for him to wait on the nearby bench.

He watches them go quietly from where he sits and he wets his lips and swallows his saliva briefly in an attempt to ease his thirst, but that definitely is not something easily done. He briefly checks his clothes just to ensure he has not spilt anything on them, because a chocolate stain is not easy to remove from cotton fiber, as he knows from experience, when a voice he has not been expecting shouts his name and makes him look up in alarm like a deer caught in the headlights of a car.

He speaks her brother's name with a slight hint of apprehension in his voice as the owner of the voice approaches him and beams down at him.

"Yo, dude! The hell ya doin' here? Thought you weren't gonna be here today 'coz you's was goin' out with your girl, yo."

This was exactly what he had feared would happen, but he had been hopeful that, somehow, he would have been able to elude his friends while he was out with them, but it seems that luck is not on his side tonight, and he cannot help but curse his rotten luck.

"…I… wasn't expecting to be here…" he says, and it is as honest as he can be without telling his friend why he is really there at this specific moment in time and also without giving away that his 'girlfriend' existed only in his friends' heads.

"Whuh…? Wait… did ya get dumped?!"

"No," he says with a sigh, shaking his head as he thinks that only her brother can jump to that conclusion so rapidly. "I'm just waiting… that's all."

"Ne, niisan, why did you–oh! Hello Sakuraba-kun!"

He revises his earlier statement about his luck and concludes that his luck has now completely abandoned him, because he knew without a doubt that if she was there then it can only mean that He is also there and he almost does not want to look over but he does it anyway and he feels his entire body freeze up when he spots Him standing by her side, looking rather surprised though he cannot possibly understand why.

He does not dare to speak, because he fears his voice will give out halfway through the greeting, and so he merely nods quietly with his hand clutching at the hem of his jacket, trying to not appear like he does not want to be there lest he give them the wrong impression, because despite how they have been ignoring him for so long, they are still his friends, his only friends, and he does not want to lose them.

"Oh! Sakuraba-kun!" says his ex-Stalker with a bright smile. "What are you doing here? …oh! Were you with Neko-chan on a date?"

"…yeah…"

"Oooh. But… where is she?" she asks curiously, a little bit unsure. "Did she leave already?"

"…no…" he answers softly as he looks down to his feet again as he remains where he is, and he does not know if he wants them to be here faster and get him out of this situation or if he wants them to stay away so he does not have to explain why the person he is with is not of the gender everyone has been expecting, because he still does not feel like he is ready to inform his friends of that fact. "…Neko-chan just… went to grab a drink…" he adds, and he blames his slightly scratchy voice on all the chocolate sauce he has had, instead of the fact that it was getting more and more difficult to speak by talking in half-truths.

"Oh? Leaving you by yourself? Isn't that a little cold, Sakuraba-kun?" He asks with a small giggle and he wants to bite his lip to keep from saying anything and he absently wonders why he did not go with them to get the drink.

"…not really…" he says softly as he twines a finger through one of the elastic strings of his jacket and fiddles with it anxiously, wishing that his friends just leave him be and let him be alone for now because he does not want to be with his friends today now that he was here with them.

Her brother hums a bit, as though in thought, before he gives a small shout of "That's it!" and before he can ask anything about what his friend means, he is grabbed by his arm and pulled to his feet, which is so sudden that he believes he yelps in alarm. "Let's go find yer girl and say what's what, yo! Gf or not, ya dun jus' leave people in the dust, yo!"

As much as he wishes to say that his friend should not be talking about such things, the pain in his arm takes priority as her brother tries to drag him away and he digs his heels into the ground as he attempts to not get dragged off.

"St-stop it, Beat…! Th-that hurts…!" he gasps out as he tries to pry his friend's hand off, but her brother is too strong for him and is already starting to drag him off.

"Beat, stop that!" his ex-Stalker cries out as she moves to jump in between.

"Yeah, well someone's gotta say it ain't right to just leave someone like that, y–BWAAAAH!?"

When the pain in his arm disappears when his friend shouts in surprise and pain, he almost stumbles as he is released and he looks up in slight confusion, until he sees just what has happened and his mouth moves before he has time to consider it…

"K-Kuja…?"

They remain standing for a while, keeping her brother's wrist secured in their own hand, and by how their long nails are digging into his friend's skin, he can only imagine that they are holding his friend very tightly, and the look on their face is less than pleased.

"Perhaps someone should also inform you that if someone says 'let go, it hurts', it is most polite to let the person go before you cause permanent damage such as… shall we say… a broken bone," they say in a way that could have been called casual if it had not been said with a deathly cold undertone while they tightened their hold on his friend's hand, making her brother cry out in pain.

"K-Kuja stop it!" he shouts immediately, taking hold of their other arm to make them look at him. "Please, it's okay! Just… h-he just tends to act before he thinks. I mean… I…"

They look to him for a few moments, and he almost fears they will rebuke him for trying to defend someone who, in their eyes, had been intent on harming him, but instead, their expression softens and he lets go almost immediately which makes his friend back away, clutching his wrist with a hiss.

"I shall take your word for it, then, Sakura-kun…" they say, and he breathes softly in relief before they turn to him fully and ask him: "How is your arm?"

"My arm…? …oh! I-I'm okay… just… just a little startled, that's all…" he says, briefly rubbing his arm where his friend had grabbed him before. It does not really hurt anymore, but the tingle running through his limb is a little annoying.

"Good," they say with a small smile that seems almost relieved, before he holds out a can of soda. "Here. I was unsure which to get for you, hence why I took so long. I apologize."

"Ah… it's okay…" he murmurs as he takes the can, clicks it open and immediately downs half of the can in one gulp because he really needed that to wash away the chocolate sauce, as delicious as it was

"Ch… what the hell?!" his friend suddenly roars out and he almost drops his can in alarm. "The hell you think you are, yo?!"

They hum in thought, placing one hand to their chin whilst the other rests on their hip as they seem to consider how to answer, before a smirk passes over their lips and they say with a small shrug of the arm that is not poised on their hip: "Well, I do believe my name is Hanekoma Kuja. Unless you believe a name can be changed in the span of a few hours, naturally."

His friend splutters indignantly and he tries his best to not smile at how they are able to rile up her brother, though he admits that it really does not take so much to accomplish that, but at the same time, there is a pang in his heart when he sees yet another similarity between Him and them.

But before the thought can be shaken away…

"…what the hell are you doing here, Kuja?"

When His voice calls out, colder than the frigid airs of Winter, he almost jumps in alarm, but they do not even blink and instead only turn to Him, their expression perfectly calm, but he feels as though it is only an act from how rigidly they rest their hand against their hip and how taut their jaw is set. But as His words filter into his mind, he feels a sense of dread running through him for a reason he cannot explain.

"…Nice to see you, too, Yoshiya. I've been well, thank you very much. How have you been doing?" they say, and any bystander would have believed it was meant as casual banter, but their eyes are as cold as ice and he cannot shake the growing feeling of dread in his gut.

"…you… you two know each other…?" his ex-Stalker asks in an almost confused tone, but he does not blame her for the question.

He looks like He wants to say something, but they beat Him to it as they smirk and say with a casual wave of their hand: "I suppose you can say that we do… in a way. Oh right… how are Mother and Father doing?"

"Don't you–" He starts, which covers his soft gasp even as they chuckle casually.

"Ah… that's right. I do apologize, I almost forgot; I'm no longer allowed to say that," they say with a small smirk, before their expression turns into something that he can only call hostile, "not since you all disowned me, that is."

Their words, of course, get their share of shock and surprise, and He looks almost ready to lunge at them like a cat would jump a helpless mouse, and he does not even know what to say, and as much as he wishes he could say something, nothing seems quite right given the situation.

"…What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" He grinds out from between His teeth, and he feels almost as though all warmth has been sucked out of the world and while he hates to admit it, He is beginning to frighten him, as His reactions are making him less and less certain about ever confessing what he feels or about his relationship with them.

"Hmph. Am I not allowed to be here? We had agreed I'd never approach any of you again… I never said I would leave Shibuya altogether."

He wants to speak, he can tell, but He grinds His teeth together and His eyes appear to be burning, and if it was possible to kill with looks alone, then He would have done so right there. The entire situation has suddenly taken a turn for the worst and he is almost certain that things can only go worse if he is to say anything about his and their relation, and it is why he keeps quiet, because he is just so afraid of a rebuke from either Him or them that his voice abandons him as he prays for this to end quietly.

"Um… sorry, but um… could you um… you know, could you leave? I mean, Sakuraba-kun's girlfriend should be…" his ex-Stalker begins and he tenses sharply as he looks up to them, hoping that they do not say anything.

They do not, but they do not leave, either, and they seem to be thinking it over, before they sigh and turn to him with an expression on their face that is almost sad, but not quite there. Exasperated, maybe, but he understands what it means and he slowly shakes his head.

"…no…"

"They will learn one way or another, Sakura-kun… I fear that it is better if you come clean with them now, rather than have them find out the hard way."

He knows that… of course he knows… but that does not mean he wants it to be now, either…

But… what choice did he have…?

"…Misaki-chan…" he starts slowly, and his ex-Stalker turns to him in question. "I… don't have a girlfriend…"

"What?! But you said that–"

"I never said I had a girlfriend… you all just assumed I did…"

"But… but then who…? You said you were going out with Neko-chan…"

"Nyyyaaan," they mewl with a small, lewd smile and their eyes shut halfway, and when all eyes are on them, they say simply, explaining the thing that even he has had difficulty understanding: "Have you already forgotten? My name is 'Ha-neko-ma'. If you change the emphasis just slightly, then 'Neko', becomes most prominent. Though I suppose that will not be enough to convince you, so…"

Two seconds, one to have his head turned and one to have his head pulled forward, that is all it takes for them to connect their mouth to his own, and he cannot say anything, not only because his mouth is more preoccupied with other things, but also because he knows there are no words that can make this gesture seem any different than what it really is.

He has already anticipated the chorused cries from his ex-Stalker, his friend and also from Him, all in varying degrees, though she is strangely quiet when compared to the others, but as they pull away he merely shuts his eyes and lowers his head so that he will not have to look at his friends. Most of all, he cannot bear to look at Him now, afraid of what type of expression is on His face now and he is almost physically shaking, but their arm around his shoulders manages to suppress it enough so that it is not visible, or so he hopes.

"Sakura-kun?" they ask him softly, as they squeeze his hand and he nods once, minisculely, only enough for them to pick up, and he takes a long breath before he speaks.

"I… am dating Kuja."

Silence follows, and he is so afraid, so afraid of what his friends will say, and he does not dare to look up and he squeezes their hand so tightly that he fears in the back of his mind that he may break some of their fingers, but they squeeze right back, quietly reassuring that he is not alone. He has difficulty to breathe slowly, because his madly beating heart needs much more oxygen than what his slow breathing is providing it, but he holds on, praying for someone, anyone, to just say something and to get it over with…

"Ooooh… well, I guess it's a little late, but… congratulations, Sakuraba-kun!"

He blinks, confused, and looks up to her, as it was she who had just spoken, and she is smiling brightly at him with her hands behind her back, despite how her brother is gawking at her with one of his infamous shouts.

"BWAAAAH?! The hell, Rhyme?! Whatchu sayin' tha for so suddenly, yo?!"

"Well, why not?" she asks, tilting her head to her brother. "I don't see the problem. If they like each other, shouldn't they be allowed to be together?"

"Well… yeah, but…"

"Urgh! Enough already, Beat!" exclaims his ex-Stalker just before she marches toward him and, without warning, hugs him tightly, which makes him gasp softly in his surprise but before he can ask she is already speaking again: "I'm so happy for you, Sakuraba-kun!" before she steps back and smiles, then plants a small 'kiss' on his nose with that silly black stuffed piggy or whatever it is she always carries as she makes a kissing sound and then smiles. "Don't worry 'bout that big lug, kay? I got your back, alright?"

"Bwaaah?! The hell, Misaki?! I didn't mean it like that! Dude, course I got his back, too, yo! I was jus'… yanno… didn't expect that, 's all."

While he does not understand from where all this comes from since he had always been certain he would be cast out if he were to speak a word of his true feelings he is not saying the surprise is an unpleasant one and he feels like he wants to smile in relief and his heart has calmed itself considerably and that in itself is like a weight off of his shoulders. But he cannot bring himself to smile even as she and his ex-Stalker turn to them and start to ask them twenty questions all at once because just as he wants to his mind comes to a sudden realization that had him look over and this time his heart almost ceases to beat entirely when he sees the look on His face…

Even without ever having seen the expression before on His face he already knows that He is displeased, though he supposes maybe angry is a better word, or, an even better word, positively livid and it frightens him, because this is exactly what he has always been afraid of and his hand clutches theirs in a feeble attempt to calm himself down and they seem to catch on immediately and they squeeze back as well after firmly linking their fingers with his. As they answer all the questions that are asked without a hitch, though, they never release his hand, offering him the support he seeks without being asked.

"Ah, if I may be so blunt, ladies," they say after answering yet another question, "I do believe that Yoshiya-kun has something to discuss with me, which, I do believe, he rather not say with you here. So…" Rather than finish what they were about to say, they turn to him and say softly, "Sakura-kun, why don't you spend some time with your friends, hm? I promise you I will be right back, okay?"

He does not like where this is going, does not like it at all, but he cannot say anything in return because he is just that afraid of Him and what He might say if he even says one thing wrong, and so he is only just able to nod, and they lightly squeeze his hand one more time, before they let him go and, after a quick, brief kiss to his temple, they walk away from the group, and He seems to bristle angrily, but finally He shoves His hands into His pockets and stalks after them and he cannot help but be afraid. Something about His behavior is just wrong and he while he wants to believe that they will be fine, the knot of worry and fear in his stomach will not abate and he has to suppress the urge to bite his nails.

He is certain that something about this whole situation is not right, and because of his worries, he is unable to focus on what his friends are talking about, and all he really wants is to run after them and Him to make sure that nothing bad happens, but he cannot just leave his friends like that because he is sure they have much to ask him now that his secret yet not so secret relationship has been exposed for what it really is.

"…Sakuraba-kun," she says suddenly and he turns in surprise, worried that she may have been speaking to him before and he has not heard a word of what she was saying, but she merely smiles and she says: "If you're really so worried, go."

He blinks, confused, surprised but above all unsure, but as he looks to his friends, they smile back to him and give him a firm nod which h believes to mean that they agree with her, but when her brother spins him around and pushes him while telling him to get moving, he finds himself running. He wants to shout back something to his friends but his worry has only grown and thus he only runs as fast as he can to catch up to Him and them and he hopes that nothing has happened and that all will be fine, but he knows that asking for a miracle will not help.

"Leave him alone?" calls their voice suddenly and he pauses in alarm when he hears them laugh quietly. "I fear, brother dear, that your head may be made of solid bone. What was achieved by him being on his own? Surely you have seen how much he has grown. Did you really think it was because he was by himself, when you and your friends banished him to the top shelf?"

Though he wants to smile at how they are speaking in rhyme, yet again, he cannot help but worry about the words that were spoken. He could hear from their voice that they were not overly pleased yet they were acting like there was nothing wrong whatsoever.

"Shut up!" He says then, and he can hear the anger in His voice but he cannot understand why. "He doesn't need you! You or your sick desires!"

"Does he not now?" asked they slowly. "And you know this exactly how? Do you really know him so well, that his thoughts and dreams you can spell? I think not, for if that were the case, you would have looked him in the face rather than let him rot."

"Would you stop that dumb rhyming already?! It's annoying! And what are you getting at anyway!?"

"…sigh… You really are dense. Do you honestly not see? Because of your own offense, you have made him come to me. The 'fault' in this matter lies solely with you, because of a single mistake you cannot undo."

When he hears those words he freezes for a moment as he comes to the realization that they know now whom it is he has been in love with for so long, but maybe it really was not so difficult to realize if He and they really were related in one way or the other, because there surely could not be so many with silvery colored hair like He and them. Of course they would have realized by now, and if not before then, then at least when He and his friends had appeared today.

"…! Wh-what are you…?!"

"Did you already forget? There was a time when you and he should have met, but that never came to be," they say then, and he bites his lip because he wants to speak but he finds that he cannot. "And so he called for me."

"Sh-shut up! That wasn't even my fault! Rhyme-chan was in an accident and-"

"And you chose to not call Sakura-kun, why?" they ask, and he winces when he realizes their tone becomes what he can only call hostile, but he is not certain if He knows this. "You promised him something that day, Joshua. You promised him something and you failed to keep it, AND you failed to inform him why you couldn't show! In fact, this fact makes me quite sure you forgot about him!"

"…! No! I'd never forget him! I went there but we just missed each other!"

"You went? Hmph. Don't make me laugh… If you went, you would not have missed each other. Sakura-kun and I were there until well past five in the morning. I do believe it would be rather hard to miss either of us, would you not agree?"

"Y-you…! Guh! Okay, whatever! I'm not even going to discuss this with you! None of this gives you any right to-to… to seduce him! Sakuraba-kun isn't-"

"Oh I beg to disagree…" they interrupt and he realizes then that this has to stop and it has to stop now and so he leaps forward just as they open their mouth again, "for you see–"

"Kuja!" he shouts out and they immediately stop to whirl around, with His and their faces sharing a similar look of surprise.

"Sakura-kun? Why are you…?" they start slowly, but they stop short for some reason.

"Please… that's enough already…" he gets out, and he almost does not recognize his voice, because it sounds so strange, even to himself. "Just… just stop already… this… this is…"

Enough is enough he wants to say, he wants to say that he does not want Him to know that which they have already figured without needing to be told, he wants to say that it is a secret he is prepared to drag with him into his own grave if need be because he does not want to endanger His happiness in any way, but the words never make it out. He can only choke and wheeze as tears pool from his eyes when he understands that his greatest fear is a reality; the fact that He does not approve of his choice in life.

They are immediately by his side before He can say anything and they are kissing away the tears while gently shushing him and holding him close, murmuring soft words of apology as well as pleas for him to stop crying, something that is easier said than done.

Once he is able to stop crying somewhat, they move closer and whisper words to him that make his cheeks flare red, and he turns away quickly while he mumbles, more to himself than anyone: "Pervert…" but only a spit second after he does he remembers about His presence as well as the fact that He can read lips.

But the realization comes a split second too late and before he can react or correct himself, He is suddenly right there and shoves them aside with enough force that it would have made an ordinary man stumble and fall. They only stumble, though, but they are still caught by surprise at the move.

But no one can possibly be as surprised as he is when He says in a cold voice: "I swear, Kuja… you had better stay away from Sakuraba or I will kill you!" only a moment before He reaches out, grabs him by his wrist and then runs off while pulling him along with Him.

He is surprised… stunned even… but above all else…

He is confused…

Because he knows now, that He does not approve of his lifestyle, as he had already feared long before then, and yet, now that He knew, had even seen it to be true, He had grabbed him by his wrist and dragged him off just like He had done when they were still nothing more but toddlers and His mother would not give Him His way. He would grab his hand, and would start to walk, sometimes run, away, without speaking or any form of explanation, even when they had stopped, oftentimes so far away from home that they would have to be brought home by other people.

The situation is so strange, so utterly confusing, that he cannot speak up and can only allow himself to be dragged off by Him, because it is so nostalgic that he feels almost like a child again. Every now and again, he would ask Him: "Where are we going?" and the answer would always be "Away from here…"

Deep down in his heart, the small part of him that still loves Him does not want this fragment of nostalgia to end…

But…

…but…

…he cannot do it…

Enough… enough is enough…

And so, he stops, and He stumbles when he does, likely in surprise at the sudden halt, before He turns to him in question.

"Why did you stop, Sakuraba?"

"…" Instead of answering His question, he asks his own question, softly, similar, yet different from the question he would have asked Him as a child. "…where are you taking me?"

No response comes from Him, or at least not right away, except for His grips on his wrist tightening just slightly, but finally He looks away, as though the question was somehow weird. It takes a long time before He responds to the question, but when He does, it is not the answer that had been given to him years ago.

"Away from him. Isn't it obvious?"

The answer leaves him confused, and he does not know how to respond at first, before he realizes that only one kind of response is possible in the current situation, and though he dearly wishes from the bottom of his heart to not let it be so, he has made the decision to do so already a while ago.

He reaches out and pries His hand loose to release his hand again, but he does not give Him the time to reply as he tells Him without looking up: "I have to go back."

But when he turns to go back like he has just said, He grabs his hand once again and it makes him stop, though not stumble, as He says: "Wait! Why do you have to go back?!"

"…I already said why, didn't I?" he says slowly, not looking back to Him for fear that he will give in like he's done so many times in the past. "I'm-"

"Why?! You don't even know-"

"…why does it matter?" he asks as he tugs his hand loose again. "It's my life, and it's my choice. It has nothing to do with you."

"Of course it has something to do with me, you idiot!" says He suddenly, and what He says next makes him tense. "We're friends, aren't we? I'm worried about you, Sakuraba!"

"…"

"Sakuraba, I don't know what it is he's got over you, but you don't have to do this!"

"…!" The implication of those words does not escape him, and, he cannot explain why, it causes his heart to hammer against his ribcage, brimming with an emotion so alien to him that he almost starts to hyperventilate in his attempt to supply his heart with the high amount of oxygen it is demanding, but he refuses to admit to it. He turns to face Him slowly, and he asks, trying so very hard to keep that alien emotion out of his voice and off of his face: "…what do you mean?"

"I know you, Sakuraba; you're… you're not like this! Whatever it is he's using to get you to do this… you don't have to do it!"

"…shut up…"

"And he… Kuja doesn't care! The only thing that matters to him is the moment he lives in! The moment he's had enough he'll move on to the next!"

"…shut up."

"So… you don't have to go back! He's only–"

And then it snaps; the alien emotion known as "anger" takes him over entirely.

"I said SHUT UP!"

"…!"

Now that the words have been said, he cannot go back any longer, but he finds soon that he does not even want to go back. He has had enough, more than enough, of everything, and he cannot keep his troubled thoughts back anymore as he speaks again, his words gradually growing louder until he is almost shouting.

"'Don't have to go back'?! 'Not like this'?! What kind of bullshit is that?! What gives you the right to tell me how I should lead my life?! Just because we're… 'friends' as you like to call it, doesn't mean you get to decide what the heck I want to do and how I choose to live, nor does it give the right to decide for me who I decide to go out with, whether it's romantically or not!"

"But I–"

"Shut up! Let alone how would you even know what I'm like?! You never once asked me anything about my preferences! Well, guess what! Newsflash; I've been 'like this' for years! You just apparently never cared enough to even ask me about it!"

"That's not true, I–"

"Don't even try to deny that! If you'd asked me then you would've known! You've no right to judge me based only on what you never bothered to ask about!"

"I'm not judging you! But you don't even love him, do you?!"

That question should have given him pause, it should have made him reconsider his plan of action, but his anger has taken over entirely and is no longer allowing him to thin rationally..

"What does that matter?! Isn't that the whole point of dating someone?! Trying to find out if you're compatible with each other?! If you know ahead of time if another person is your 'significant other' then it'd be better to just get married instantly, wouldn't it?!"

"But what's the point if you don't love or at least like someone?! Why didn't you pick someone closer to you?!"

He had been sure that there is a limit to a person's anger, and he had been certain that he had already reached that limit of his anger, but no, His words cause his body to physically shake and he grits his teeth before he loses the last bit of control he has left.

"Someone closer… someone like who?! The only ones close to me have been ignoring me for almost half a year! Hell, maybe even more, I don't know and rightfully I don't give a damn! But obviously none of you guys cared enough to even consider me an option!"

"Sakuraba, you know that that's–"

"Shut up…! Shut up shut up shut up shut up SHUT UP!" he roars out in what can only be called "fury" and it makes Him stumble back in alarm. "Why… why the hell do you keep calling me that?! Why are you always using that name?!"

"I-I… b-because… th-that's your name… isn't it?"

"My name… oh, yeah, sure! The fact that it's my name makes it all better doesn't it?! Of course it does. Don't I feel stupid!"

"S-Sakuraba, I–"

"STOP IT! Stop calling me that! Why… what's wrong with my first name that you can't call me that anymore?!"

"…! Th-that's not… I mean… we… w-we're not kids anymore, Sakuraba! We can't just–"

"Why not?! What's wrong with calling friends by their first names?! …oh wait, I get it… that's why. Because I'm not a friend. That's it, isn't it?!

"What?! No! No no no no! That's not true! Sakuraba, I just–"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" he shouts as He tries to hold his arm, but he shoves Him backwards with enough force that He stumbles and falls back on His back and at any other time he would have been apologizing for what he has just done, but his anger is overriding everything, is turning everything around until he is unable to see anything past his own suffering. "You say we're friends… bullshit! You goddamn stopped calling me by my first name, you stopped talking to me, hell, you even stopped paying attention to me! What?! Was it so difficult to keep track of your best friend?! Or was that spot never reserved for me in the first place?!"

"I-I…"

"It probably wasn't, was it?! Since the moment I finally approach you for once, what do you do!? You leave me in the dust to fend for myself!" He bites his lip as he pauses in an attempt to get his breath back, as his heart pounds hard enough that he can feel it in his throat, and it is becoming difficult now to keep shouting, but he does it anyway. "I trusted you… I fuckin' trusted you, you son of a bitch! I goddamn well waited for you for four hours only to hear through Biito that you were with her the entire damn time!"

He tenses sharply and He gulps down whatever it is that is blocking His throat. "Y… you're still angry about that…?"

"'Angry'?" he repeats coldly, and for a moment, it is like time has frozen. He has never been angry with that incident before, just horribly, horribly disappointed, and he had felt like he had been betrayed and left to die in a battlefield where he knew no one and could not rely on anyone, but now… now… "I'm not angry, dumbass! I'm fuckin' furious! Why wouldn't I be?! You left me there for four hours without contacting me at all! Did you ever stop to think what that would do to me?! Or does the world revolve around only you?!"

"I-I never said–OOF!"

By the time he is fully aware again, his body already moved on its own and had Him pinned to the ground by his throat, threatening to crush His windpipe at any moment but he cannot move, because his anger continues to control his every move as well as his voice.

"I hate you! I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I… I FUCKIN' HATE YOU, YOU BASTARD!"

He does not know what kind of face he is making, but he suppose it is far from a pleasant one, because He is looking up at him with wide eyes that he knows can only mean that He is absolutely terrified as He tries to lift His hands, but He appears too afraid to touch him for fear that he will push his whole weight down and kill Him, and he finds that, deep down, he is equally terrified of himself. This is not like him, he knows this, but he cannot stop, because he has always locked away his emotions, always locked himself out and made himself appear like he did not care and that nothing bothered him, but now that his anger has gotten free reign, he can no longer hold himself in check and he fears that he will actually kill Him like this.

"…S… Sa…" He starts slowly, but He bites his lip, stopping Himself and then speaks again, speaks the words he has never believed he would ever hear come from Him. "Ne… Neku, you're… you're scaring me… pl-please stop… please, I'm sorry. I didn't… I didn't mean… I… I'm sorry…"

The words are enough to give him pause, though he refuses to remove his hands from where they are placed, ready to push down at the slightest provocation, but he finds his anger dissipating as his heart pounds so hard that his fear it will crack a rib or maybe even compress his lung, and it is becoming so very difficult to breathe now. He wants the pain to end, wants his torment to end and wants the control over his own life back, and he is well aware that the only way to permanently fix this problem or to end His life… that is the only sure way…

But…

…but…

…he cannot do it…

Because in his mind's eye, he can still see His smiling face of the time when He first approached him, can still see His teasing expression as He tries to coax any sort of response from him, can still see the small worried frown that causes His forehead to wrinkles, can still see that sincerity that had eventually capture his heart and stole it away. He could not forget that, and this makes it impossible for him to want Him dead, no matter how much anger he feels for Him.

"…I…hate…you…" he breathes out, and he is unaware of the burning of his own eyes, and he does not care that salty drops of water fall down with every blink of his eyes. "…I hate you… I hate how you always look down on me… I hate how you never pay attention to me… I hate how you ignore me unless I talk first… I hate how you always act like such an insufferable prick just to be annoying… I hate how you always mess with my head… I hate how you're never on time and always make me wait… I hate how you never consider what I think… I hate how you never treat me seriously… I hate how you think you know me when you know nothing about me…" He chokes on his breath, but he does not care anymore as red hot tears flow down his cheeks to land on His face, because it really no longer matters now…

"Neku…"

…just once… just once…

He does not understand where the words come from, but the longer they stay floating in his head and he realizes that unless he give in to his urge he will never be able to find peace, because, as painful as he knows the truth will likely be, he has to know for sure… he has to…

"…but the thing I hate the most…" he says softly as he shifts his hands to place them flat on the ground beside His head, and he can see Him looking to them and then looking back up, but the look on His face is still that of a terrified deer caught in the headlights of a car.

"N-Neku…? Wh-what are you…?"

"…the thing I hate the most…" he mumbles softly, so softly that his words are barely audible, "…is that… despite all that… I just can't stop myself from loving you…"

And then he moves in and covers His mouth with his own before He can say anything in response, and he feels Him freeze up, but he does not move back, because he knows that this will be the only chance he will ever have, the only time he will be able to do this, the only time that he will be able to be one with the person he loved…

And so he sets down the last card of his life's house of cards and he can only sit back to watch and wait to see if it can survive…

—

…Uh… yeah, why'd it take so long…? Gee I wonder… Sorry it's so crazy long, guys, but I hadn't even realized it got THIS long when I was writing it since I was doing this on my tablet in between work when I had the time… This may also mean there are likely a few grammatical errors I missed/overlooked. If you saw any while reading, let me know and I'll fix it ASAP.

For those of you waiting for the update on Wishes and/or Atonement as well, well, that might be a little longer since I have a few other projects that I want to work on and (hopefully) finish sometime this month. So please bear with me for a bit, okay?