A/N1: Looks like my "one week" was a 'little' longer. Oh well, here we go, last chapter, 3/3.

Warnings: Light shounen-ai, still. I only see this pairing working in past fics such as this, and here we go. Those two, they brought it upon themselves, I'm innocent.

A/N2: If you're reading this, and happen to have somekind of thougt about it (whether you like it or not or don't know), please be so kind to drop a review. It'll be loved and treasured.

"Touda?" Soryuu stepped inside the library, calling out his friend. He had been looking for the other shikigami a good while already. This was nearly the last place he had come to, since the serpent didn't usually spend time in the library. Even though he read quite much, especially lately. "Why are you sitting here, in the middle of books…" He paused. Something was out of place now. Closing the door behind him, not wanting anyone to interrupt, Soryuu took a better look at his best friend. If someone had asked him, he wouldn't have been able to tell why he knew something was wrong. It was just the way Touda was sitting, how he was holding the book… "Is everything alright?" the dragon asked, lowering his voice a little and gently putting his hand on other's shoulder.

Or he would have, unless fire serpent hadn't gotten to his feet, rapidly retreating a few steps. Soryuu's hand had barely reached him. "Don't touch me", Touda hissed. His stance was stiff and the red eyes refused to meet the blue ones. "I'm… I'm not what you think."

Soryuu let out a sigh, a little frustrated. It was about this again? How many times he had to tell it was alright to make the other shikigami to believe? "Look, if this is about you being a serpent…" When they had been younger, Touda had been bullied about his battle form. Today, it wasn't physical like it once had been, but it was still there. Active bullying had become less notable, it had changed it's form from punches to whispers. 'Disgusting cross-breed' was their favourite one, if Soryuu recalled right.

"It's not only that", was the disturbing answer. Just one or two steps backwards and serpent have his back against the wall. He had no space to run away, to push this aside, he had to face his best friend and lover here and now. As much as it would hurt, he had to tell the truth. "I… My fire… It isn't normal."

"What are you talking about?" blue dragon asked, not following. He held out his hand, trying to reach the other, to calm him down.

And was surprised to see the reaction to the kind gesture. "Don't touch me!" Touda nearly yelled, slapping Soryuu's hand away. He took one step backwards, now back against the wall for real. His red serpent eyes were blazing, his temper rising little by little. He had hoped the dragon would've been able to see the truth but no. Now he was forced to say it aloud. Slashing it all out would make it real, he wouldn't be able to hide in the shadows anymore. And it hurt. Like hell. "I… I'm a hellfire shikigami."

Soryuu actually backed off a little, surprised and deep inside, a little scared. His mind was processing the words. He knew what a hellfire shikigami was. Other part of him wanted to shout out loud that it couldn't be true, but the another, still with logic, was explaining how very logical it was.

It's insane, but still… it explains everything. Why Touda has been avoiding everyone for the last few days and the reason why Touda came here in the first place. My God…

Now Soryuu remembered. He had a vague memory of the night Touda's father had come to meet the Protector of the East, but he had forgotten the words, since at the time, they hadn't held any meaning to him. He had forgotten that his best friend, his lover for god's sake, was a hellfire shikigami. What kind of friend was he, forgetting something so important…

"Hellfire is meant only for one thing", Touda continued, his pain reflected in his voice, and turned his head away. He didn't want to see Soryuu's face. He didn't want to see the fear and hate there. He didn't want to see the dragon turn his back on him, like that nice lady had done when she found out he was a serpent. This was far, far worse than being a filthy snake. That he could handle, but being a snake and hellfire? He wasn't sure if he could take it, even if he'd have his friend after this revelation. "To kill. No other element is that powerful."

"Touda…" Soryuu tried.

"And the shikigamis with it... Their lives are filled with death and killing. And those killings are not righteous."

Soryuu knew all that. When it came to their world's history, he hadn't been slacking. There were some books that told about hellfire shikigamis and none of those stories ended happily. Yeah, every single hellfire shikigami has been more or less hated. That's the way they've all died as well. By the hands of families of those they've killed. Everyone has been more or less a murderer.

When the dragon looked at Touda, he felt his heart ache. The serpent had wrapped his hands around himself, instinctively trying to shield himself, cutting himself out of the cold world. No one deserved to be judged just by his powers, right? Once again, Soryuu reached the shaking shikigami, his eyes begging, trying to reach Touda's. This time the serpent only flinched of the touch but didn't push him away, nor met his eyes.

"Hey." Soryuu's voice was calm and he intended to keep it like that, despite his inner turmoil. While he moved his own hand upwards and downwards fire shikigami's arm, trying to reassure him, he used the other to gently reach other's face. Silently he sighed in relief, finding the other to lean to the touch. At least he wasn't completely shut outside. "It doesn't mean you'll be like that." Touda's gaze was still fixed to the floor, other shikigami moved his hand a little, gesturing the serpent to look him in the eye. "You can change that pattern", Soryuu told him, his own voice a little shaken. Then he placed a finger on other's lips. "Don't argue, okay? You can change that. You know why? Because I'll make sure nothing like that happens. I am here for you."

Just the look in Touda's eyes made Soryuu bite his lip. Fire shikigami, not yet a man but not a teenager anymore, had never shown fear. Even now he did his best to hide it, but the dragon could see through it. At that moment, Soryuu knew he never wanted to see fear in his eyes. Never again.

There was other thing that made Soryuu's heart ache. Touda wasn't crying, his pride wouldn't let him, but there were tears glowing in his serpent eyes. For a second Soryuu wondered if his own eyes reflected other's pain. Because he was hurting as well, his heart being stabbed repeatedly with a knife, as he saw his best friend suffering of the things he hadn't decided himself. Touda had done nothing to deserve this. To be a serpent, to be a hellfire shikigami, to be hated because of it.

Their lips met. It was a tender, loving contact. They both knew Touda needed this. Touda was a strong person but deep inside, he was as human as everyone else. There were times when even he needed something. Something to prove he wasn't less than human. That there was someone who would grieve if he'd die.

For the first time in his life, Touda let himself go. Finding out the truth about himself, the growing fear, had been eating him little by little, killing him inside. The last few days had exhausted him. He didn't have the strength to fight anymore. He melted into the kisses, light touches. He let Soryuu show the way, to carry him through this. To show that nothing had changed between them. To show there was a person who still cared, who loved him, despite what he was.

Soryuu was standing a few steps behind his best friend and lover. He was looking at the flames. They were beautiful; all shades from yellow to red, even some white spots here and there. The dragon, barely a man, glanced fire shikigami who had his clenched fist on his chest. Right where heart was, he was holding a wooden necklace. Water shikigami didn't need to ask what he was thinking. He knew it already. Though… "You sure about…" he started.

"Yeah", came the quick reply. Touda didn't want to hear the words. He had troubles with his control already, he knew it would brake if he'd let Soryuu finish. With that, he threw the necklace, last reminder if his father, to fire. It would burn there, along with his father's dead body. It's the only thing I could ever give him.

In silence, hearing only the wood cracking, friends stood and watch. They watched as the flames danced, escorting the dead shikigami to his final destination. Yesterday the message of Touda's father's death had been delivered to him; the message that the villagers wished him to burn the body. And that it had been his father's last wish, too.

Villagers had only taken them to the body, carefully placed on top of woods. There was a lake just some steps away. It hurt when Soryuu realized this place was chosen due to the fact that they didn't trust the hellfire serpent enough. Soryuu hadn't tell them who he was, he had just said he was a friend and was capable of stopping the fire if it should get out of hand. Not that even he was able to control hellfire if it would break loose, but he knew his friend wouldn't let that happen. Not even if he was breaking inside.

The serpent was the one to break the silver web of silence. "You know… Sometimes I wonder how he puts… put up with all this." He had to correct the words now. He had to accept the truth. "I mean… Dad has… had. He had no one. My mom was killed as revenge of his doings in the war and when I left… He was all alone then." Touda's voice wasn't so shaky as he had feared but it certainly wasn't as stable as he had hoped. He couldn't look his friend since had to keep the flames in control. Not that he wanted Soryuu to see his eyes, the mirror of his soul, either.

Soryuu's eyes left the flames and moved to Touda. The serpent wasn't one to talk about his past and the dragon hadn't pushed. Therefore, other shikigami's words were a surprise. What, your mom was killed? I thought… Oh gods. The realization kicked in as few certain memories popped up. When they had been kids, very young kids, Genbu had mentioned death to them. It had been the priest's way to get them to know each other better, to talk about things that had a real meaning. The way Touda had viewed death… It had scared Soryuu. Today, right now, he realized why the other had seemed so mature at the time. No wonder you knew about death and dying long before I did. Soryuu's thoughts paused as he glanced the fire, picturing a man's body burning there. Your father… He must've been really strong. "He did that to help you, you know", Soryuu heard himself saying. "To protect you."

"Yeah, from my own powers", Touda answered self-mockingly after a while. The flames were dying little by little, they had already done their work. During their dance, they had changed something once living to ashes. "There's another thing I sometimes wonder…" Touda continued and for the first time in the shore, he glanced over his shoulder to see Soryuu. He wasn't crying, not visibly, but those red eyes were full of grief and sorrow. "What he'd think of this? Of us?"

Soryuu shook his head as the wind played with his long, blue hair. He meet his friends sorrowful eyes, not realising his own nearly matched them. "I don't know. I didn't know him, Touda. I only saw him once when I was a kid. Before the day you came. But from what I remember and what I heard from Genbu…"

The blue dragon took a couple of steps until he was standing next to his friend. He looked down grey ground. Now that the flames had taken their last breath, there were a spot were nothing grew. It was autumn. The grey dust and ashes were painful contrast to the world so colourful; the world was shining with yellow, brown, orange, red... All colours. Soryuu kneeled, taking some ash to his hand.

Yeah, Genbu explained to me why you were in our house. That you were a part family. Even with that, he made me understand that you needed to be there. That your father gave you away because he cared so much.

Soryuu stood up, locking his blue dragon eyes to Touda's red serpent's. "I understood that he was a good and loving father. And with that little information I have… I think that he would've accepted us." With that, he lowered his gaze, opened his hand and let the wind gently blow away the ashes from his palm. Those ashes had once lived; now it was their, his, time to become one with everything.

Soryuu stood there, next to his first love. He didn't kiss him, didn't touch him. Because today, he was just needed to be there, on his side.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust", was the silently whispered goodbye he heard.

It was a beautiful evening. In few hours, sun would set. But now it made the woods, the waters, the hills, everything, bath in dark shades of yellow and orange, combined with shades red. Two young men were sitting on the same rock, side by side, hearing, not really listening, how the blue-white sea waves crashed into the stone, their cold droplets reaching shikigamis. They weren't far from the shore; Soryuu would've loved to be further out on the sea, but Touda preferred land. This was the half way, a place where neither of them felt unease. Just the opposite.

The day had been hard for both of them; there'd been a meeting between the strongest shikigamis, themselves included. The subject had been something they both disliked; war. Two of four Protectors believed that it would come soon; third admitted that it was probable; in short, all three thought that it'd be inevitable. That they needed to prepare themselves, at least mentally. If the war should spread it's black, blood red edged wings upon the Imaginary World, both youths would need to take responsibilities. They had come to realize what decisions would be thrown upon Soryuu, since he had recently inherited his father's position as the Protector of the East, and they also knew that Touda would be the triumph card; the killer. Knowing all this, yet being unable to do something, was eating them both.

If being an adult meant this, both wanted to go back being kids again. Instead of talking, they tried to calm themselves by searching peace from each other; simply feeling the warmth radiating from the person next to you, simply feeling the warmth of that hand holding yours. It was huge, yet welcome, contrast, to chilly wind and cold, hard rock.

The two shikigamis were so wrapped up in their thoughts that neither noticed the small approaching figure before it talked. "Feeling under the weather, aren't you, hmh?"

Both practically jumped in the air as they turned to face the Protector of the North. Neither of youngsters, kids from Genbu's point of view, knew what to say. All this time, they had kept their relationship to themselves, preferring the rumours to actual knowledge. How much had this tiny priest realized just now?

"You should cheer up", the earth shikigami continued, purposefully ignoring wide, somewhat scared blue and red eyes. "If you do what you can to prevent the war, then you should have no regrets."

Soryuu managed to regain his thoughts and ability speak a little faster than his lover. "Yeah", he agreed, noticing Touda to follow with a nod.

Genbu flashed a smile behind his white beard, enjoying the situation. An old man could have his fun every now and then, right? Especially at times like this, it was important for him to have something to laugh about, too. He pointed his finger towards two friends. "And you shouldn't worry about your relationship either. I'll be keeping my mouth shut, since I'm happy to see you two getting on with it."

The old shikigami couldn't help but laugh out loud as he looked at the shocked faces. Priceless, simply priceless. This time it was the fire serpent who got his mouth to work first. "How?"

Kind and reassuring laughter filled the air as knowing eyes fixed to red and then moved to blue. The spoken words held knowledge of many, many years. The tiny priest had seen and experienced a lot more than most ever realised. And he was very perceptive as well. "Oh, I remember a kid asking why boys can't kiss. I just wondered if you'd got past it already."

A memory hit Soryuu like wave, making him to lose every ability but staring. Now that Genbu mentioned it, he had asked that question… And gotten the answer. Without that, he probably wouldn't have made a move towards his childhood crush, which led to their relationship years after, but…

Genbu's words surprised the serpent, sure, but his mind started working. As far as Touda knew, he had been the only boy Soryuu had ever… That brief touch of other's lips on his, their first so-called-kiss. Oh, now the pieces fit together. Before speaking, red eyes searched for an eye contact. When that was found, it was time for words. "You asked Genbu if it was alright to kiss me?"

The blue dragon wanted to lean back until he'd fall into the water and then swim far away, as far as he'd become one with the sea, and not come back before the nightfall. But he did none of it. Instead, a smile spread across his lips. "Yeah."

Neither of the two noticed as Genbu made his leave. The old priest's kind look and pleased smile held knowledge that these two could survive from the weight they'd need to carry despite their young age, because they had someone to hold on to.

Touda stared his partner and shook his head, amused, as smile found it's way to his lips too. "You really are something, you know?"

Water shikigami needed no words. Instead leaned forward, put his hand behind the other's neck and captured those lips with his own. Serpent quickly responded, hand finding it's way to dragon's side, coaxing him to come closer. While Soryuu's hand played with his long black hair and tongue invaded his mouth, Touda made a note to remember to thank Genbu in the future. Without him, they might have not become this close.

And that was something neither of them would have any other way.