A/N: Right, so I was looking forward to giving you guys this fanservice chapter, but it appears some people don't like it when fanservice goes to deep. I'm gonna say again: don't like, don't read. I love to make you guys happy with my stories but if you're not into what I write, that's really. Not. My. Problem. If you don't like it, ignore it and leave, it's that easy. You're allowed to have an opinion but it doesn't help me nor you when you leave a useless review critisizing the contents of my stories. I'm not going to change my stories just because you don't like what's in them, I write for myself and for the people who enjoy my writing. Many people are sensitive and can't just get over hurtful reviews, no matter how small they are. This chapter doesn't contain sex but it does contain intimacy, so if you have a problem with that, turn back now. You've been warned. To the lovely people who've enjoyed the story up till now, enjoy the last chapter, everyone!

Burn was still sitting on Gazel's bed when the other boy returned. He perked up with a smile when he saw the bowl of cereal and remarked: "About time, I'm starving!" He happily took over the plate and placed it on his lap, about to dig in, but then noticed the distance in Gazel's eyes. He looked like he wasn't completely there.

"Uhm… Gazel? Is something wrong?" Burn asked, tilting his head at the other boy.

"O-oh… No, nothing," Gazel replied with a weak smile as he sat back next to him. "Enjoy your cereal," he told the floor.

Burn was about to do just that and brought a spoon of cereal to his mouth, but then put it back in the bowl. Gazel's well-being was more important than his breakfast. "No. Something's bothering you," he concluded stubbornly.

The awkward look Gazel gave him only confirmed his thoughts. "Nothing's wrong," he insisted nervously, "is the pain of your injury getting to your head?"

"I'm more worried about what's going on in your head," Burn answered with a frown. He raised his eyebrows when Gazel turned away and began to blush, seemingly as a result of his remark. Had he said something embarrassing? Aside from… oh crap, he just admitted he was actually worried about Gazel.

"—I-I mean, not that I care, you know, you just seem off," Burn quickly added, and then avoided eye contact as well. He wasn't going to lie to himself and claim he didn't care about Gazel, but he didn't want to give him the wrong impression either. Still, when he thought about it… what Gazel thought of him seemed to matter more to him than he'd imagined.

"I'm fine," Gazel persisted, snapping Burn out of his thoughts. He apparently wasn't planning to share his problems with him, which annoyed Burn for some reason. He was here and he was listening, so what could be so embarrassing that Gazel didn't dare tell him?

"Gazel," he started, but he stopped when Gazel started to cough. It wasn't just a little cough; it went on and on, as if the boy was choking on something. He put his hand over his mouth and got up, sending Burn a quick look. "I'm going to the bathroom," he managed to say in between coughs.

Burn watched him enter the bathroom with worried eyes. That cold seemed to be really bugging him. After thinking it over, Burn figured it was probably just the cold troubling him in the first place. He frowned, hoping he hadn't been the one to cause Gazel stress with his pushing and thus causing the cough.

As he waited for the other boy's return and had a bit of cereal to kill time, Burn decided he should do something to repay Gazel. After all, he had let him sleep in his bed, taken care of his injured foot and brought him breakfast, and Burn had basically forced all those things on him out of nowhere. When Burn felt a sting of guilt in stomach, he quickly tried to push it away with a big spoon of cereal. Gazel had been so nice to him, willingly or not, that it was only normal Burn repaid his debt to him. But what could he do while his ankle was in his state…?

Just when Burn came up with an idea, Gazel emerged from the bathroom. His face looked pale and his eyes worn out, as if he had thrown up. And it was only morning, poor kid.

"Oi, Gazel," he drew his friend's attention, blushing slightly. "How about I give you a… a massage?"

Gazel stared at him in shock. "Excuse me?"

Feeling intimidated by his stare, Burn quickly looked away and muttered: "You know, since you've done some stuff for me… and I can't really go anywhere at this rate… I was thinking a massage would make you feel better."

"O-oh," Gazel stuttered. He hesitantly moved back to the bed, and Burn noticed he was still blushing as well. Was it really just the cold that troubled him…?

"Well, how about it?" he asked when Gazel didn't answer.

"… uhm… It's a nice offer, but… I don't think you should come near me right now," Gazel admitted with a frown. "I don't want you to catch this cold."

Burn let out a snicker and joked: "Hey, if I catch your cold, at least we can have more days off and wait for our colds to run themselves out together." He instantly regretted his remark when he noticed it only made Gazel blush more. Damn him, what was he saying?

"W-well, if you insist," Gazel muttered. "I guess… it would make me feel better from my cold, so…"

"Great," Burn chimed, inwardly relieved that Gazel had given in instead of taking advantage of his offer by daring him to do something more humiliating or difficult. He waited for him to take off his shirt and sit on the bed, but once Gazel did the first, Burn forgot about the second. Now that he was allowed to view this boy in a more pleasant light, he couldn't help but notice that his chest was all-around… attractive. It looked pale as snow, befitting its owner, and even though Gazel was sick and his skin was probably as cold as his personality, Burn wanted to place his fingertips on him, experience how it felt to caress his skin and—woah. Stop right there. Burn was just giving him a simple massage, as a way of repaying his debt to Gazel. What was this stuff about touching his chest?

Burn tried to keep it together as Gazel sat down with his back facing him. He felt bothered both by the fact that he was attracted to him and that he didn't know how to give massages in the first place, but he tried not to regret his offer. It couldn't be so hard, right?

Hesitantly, Burn moved his hands forward, waiting for them to touch Gazel's back. He felt the other boy flinch under his fingertips and automatically muttered a "Sorry", but he didn't pull back. Gently, very gently, his hands began to explore Gazel's soft back, caressing every inch of skin they could find. Even though Burn was the one giving the massage, he himself found he quite enjoyed feeling Gazel's bare back, and the sensation it gave him only made him more attached to his friend.

"… h… how's it feel…?" Burn asked awkwardly, after reminding himself Gazel was supposed to be the one enjoying the massage.

Gazel didn't bother to turn his head to him, but Burn could tell by the tone in his voice that he was smiling. "It feels good," was his answer, which made the other boy smile as well.

"Good," Burn commented, and he continued to lightly massage Gazel's back, using only his fingertips. Eventually, he felt he was allowed to expand his limits a bit and moved his hands upwards, leaving them to squeeze Gazel's shoulders as well. Burn could swear he heard a satisfied sigh when his thumb crossed the edge of his neck, which encouraged him all the more.

While his hands stayed on Gazel's shoulders, Burn slowly moved his face closer to his neck, and his lips connected with his skin after struggling with his thick hair for a moment. Gazel flinched again at the kiss and turned his head a bit this time. "B-Burn-?"

Burn quickly sat up straight, a blush crossing his face. "Sorry," he mumbled again, flashing an awkward smile. "Did that bother you?" While anticipating Gazel's answer, Burn wondered what the hell he was even saying, and doing. He had just given Gazel a kiss in the neck. Why would he want to do that, and why did it give him such a pleasant feeling touching his bare skin? This was meant to be a simple massage, and yet, Burn constantly longed to get closer to Gazel. He didn't understand this feeling at all.

"… n-no."

Gazel's answer made Burn's heart skip a beat. He didn't mind it. He didn't think he was crazy or made a run for it. He had actually green-lighted Burn's neck kiss. Did this mean… that Gazel shared this strange feeling with him?

Burn's smile automatically widened, even if that made him feel more awkward. "G-good," he repeated, and he waited for Gazel to turn back his head so he could continue. But when Gazel kept his head in profile and sent him what appeared to be an actual suggestive look, Burn began to understand what he wanted. More quickly the second time, he leaned in again and gave Gazel's neck another gentle kiss, this time unbothered by his hair due to the other boy's position.

Burn continued to plant tender kisses on Gazel's neck, moving his hands back down in the meantime. As he continued the massage with both his fingers and lips, Burn peeked at Gazel's face every once in a while, curious to see how his actions affected him. Gazel wasn't looking at him, but his face clearly showed enjoyment. His eyes expressed the pleasure he felt, and his mouth, curved upwards, spelled out how he might be wanting even more.

Burn had no idea what Gazel was thinking, allowing him to be this intimate. All he could figure out was that they shared feelings that crossed the boundaries of friendship and evolved their mutual respect into even more. They both wanted to be close to each other, and even though Burn hadn't intended this outcome, his massage had provided them the perfect reason to do so.

Burn shifted closer to Gazel on his knees, until he was close enough to wrap his arms around his chest. This was exactly what he did: hesitantly at first, but then more confidently, Burn let his fingers slide across Gazel's skin from his back to his front. Gazel let out a small sound and quickly turned his head back, seemingly embarrassed. This motion only made Burn smile, and not the least bit awkward anymore. He breathed in the scent of Gazel's hair as he continued to kiss his neck, swapping from soft and gentle to passionate and daring. His hands also become more assertive, curiously exploring Gazel's chest without hesitance.

"B-Burn," Gazel stuttered, clearly affected by Burn's touch. He seemed to become more excited, which in turn excited Burn as well.

"Gazel," he answered in a whisper, as he moved up his head and gently began to nibble on Gazel's ear. This caused Gazel to let out another sound, a sound Burn found he quite enjoyed hearing. Eager to hear more, he kept on teasing Gazel's ear and chest, no longer caring about what he was doing. It didn't matter what Gazel was to him; whether he was his rival or his friend, it felt good, and it felt right, to give him pleasure like this, and Burn saw no reason to stop. Especially since Gazel appeared to be thinking the exact same way.

Burn was surprised when Gazel suddenly turned his entire body, forcing him to pull back. Gazel was now sitting face-to-face with him and sent him a serious look, not saying anything. At first, Burn was afraid Gazel had come to his senses and was about to tell him off for his inappropriate actions, but his fear quickly faded when the other boy took him by the cheeks and gently pulled him closer, as he leaned in himself.

Silence fell over the room and lasted a good couple of seconds. There were no sounds, no words, there was just a simple kiss, shared between two boys who had finally acknowledged their feelings for each other. Eventually, they ended up in each other's arms, and Burn let his balance slide in order to lie on the bed and let Gazel lean on top of him. The kiss grew more and more passionate, and Burn used the freedom of his arms to continue and touch Gazel's back, vividly, excitedly. He ultimately felt courageous enough to move them downward and gently squeezed Gazel's butt.

This caused Gazel to break the kiss, probably out of surprise rather than anything else. He was now panting slightly, obviously not having calmed down since Burn started touching his neck. He flashed a whole-hearted smile, and Burn sent a similar smile right back.

"Gazel," he said again, but he was abruptly silenced by one of his Gazel's fingers pressing his lips shut.

"Shh," he ordered Burn, his smile widening. "No talking. Just… take off your shirt too."

Burn blushed a little at his comment, but then he sent him a grin. "If you want it off so badly, do it yourself," he told him smoothly.

Gazel rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine," he gave in, still with a smile. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, giving Burn space to sit up as well so he could fulfill his request. Gazel then tugged at the shirt and quickly pulled it over Burn's head. After throwing it on the floor, he instantly glued his gaze onto Burn's bare skin, almost seeming hypnotized by it. He hadn't even put his hands on him yet, and his chest still managed to look smooth, soft, beautiful…

Burn snickered at his expression. "Like what you see?" he teased, and he gave Gazel a gentle poke on the nose.

Gazel blinked in surprise and then turned his head away, pouting grumpily. "It's… it's nothing impressive," he muttered stubbornly. "I just took a quick peek, that's all."

"Sure, sure," Burn replied casually, rolling his eyes as well. His smile then reappeared as he placed his hands on Gazel's shoulders and pulled him down again, sinking back on the bed with him. They kissed each other a second time, confidently and passionately, and while Burn's hands ran across Gazel's skin, Gazel caressed Burn's cheeks and hair. They enjoyed each other's every touch, not thinking about how wrong it was or what might happen after this. All they really wanted right now was to feel each other, be close to each other and not let go.

Eventually, the kiss was broken, and Gazel resorted to leaning his chin on Burn's shoulder, automatically burying his nose in his hair.

Burn smiled at this motion and shut his eyes, enjoying Gazel's closeness. He was still stroking his back, albeit in a calmer fashion. He managed to turn his head a little and reach Gazel's neck with his lips, and he used the opportunity to plant a few more kisses on his skin. He froze and opened his eyes, however, when the words Gazel spoke caused his heart to stop for a moment.

"Burn… I think I love you," Gazel whispered, almost inaudibly.

Burn could feel his cheeks redden against his shoulder, and he figured he was probably blushing just as much. He didn't know why, but that one sentence Gazel had just uttered filled his entire body with a pleasant warmth, as if the feeling came out of a cage that had finally been unlocked.

Burn squeezed his eyes back shut and embraced Gazel tightly, pressing their bodies together. He figured he must be smiling like an idiot right now, but he didn't care. He repeated Gazel's words over and over in his mind, until he found the courage to answer him.

"Me too, Gazel… I love you too," he whispered back.

A week had passed, and quite a few things had changed.

Burn was now able to access his room again, after he had finally informed Father about the malfunction. His foot had healed up and returned back to normal as well, which meant Burn could have started playing soccer again if it weren't for one little detail: he was as sick as a dog. A certain thing he had done in Gazel's room, in Gazel's bed and in Gazel's arms a little while ago had caused him to catch the other boy's cold. He was often seen sneezing or coughing as he walked through the hallway, and judging from his facial expression, the kids passing him figured it better if they left him alone instead of angering him with a get-well wish.

Gazel, while not having experienced anything particularly cheerful, tended to whistle a happy tune as he made his way through the base. He was completely healthy again and had been welcomed back with open arms by his friends in Diamond Dust. Gazel had been delighted to see his team had only improved under Rhionne's command, and he happily continued training with them, confident he'd grow stronger every day.

While Burn and Gazel's different states and moods were clearly visible, there was one thing they kept a secret and shared only with each other. Almost every night, they would meet in one of their rooms, using their spare time in each other's presence. While the two pretended to hate each other's guts in public, they confirmed their feelings in for each other in private, and they enjoyed every minute of it.

"ACHOO!"

As his sneeze echoed between the walls of his bathroom, Burn sniffed deeply and cursed his cold out loud. "Damn you, Gazel," he growled.

Gazel sat behind the stool Burn was seated on, scrubbing the other boy's back with a sponge. "Don't be such a baby," he grinned. "I'm helping you wash your back, remember?"

"You're the one who wanted to take a joint shower so badly," Burn muttered, staring at the wall with a blush. "And I could've easily done this myself. The only reason you're in here is because you have the ho-" He let out a yelp and almost jumped up when Gazel interrupted him with a poke in the butt. Burn turned around to glare at him, but Gazel flashed him such a charming smile that he was unable to.

"Just enjoy it," he told him, and he sent Burn a wink that caused him to blush even more.

Burn let out a sigh, but he couldn't help but return the smile. He was surprised Gazel still managed to get him off-guard with his teasing, seeing as it had gone on for years. But he knew this was a different kind of teasing: a teasing Gazel meant no single harm with, a teasing he used only to express his affection. And since Burn did the exact same thing when he saw the chance, he couldn't complain.

"I am enjoying it," he confirmed, and he leaned in to give Gazel a kiss on the lips. He was suddenly halted by Gazel's finger, which pressed against his mouth. He had seemed to enjoy doing that since one week ago.

"No kissing," Gazel commented strictly. "I don't want to catch that cold again."

"Your body probably already adjusted your immune system to the cold," Burn retorted and stuck out his tongue. "I doubt you'll get it twice in such a short time."

Gazel exhaled a sigh, pretending to be annoyed. "Fine, fine, gimme that ki-" The kiss was stolen before he even got a chance to finish his sentence. He stared at Burn with wide eyes, who just grinned and told him: "That's payback for that butt-poke earlier."

"B-Burn…!" Gazel stuttered, blushing with embarrassment. He clenched his fists for a moment and then resorted to washing Burn's back again, seemingly in a hurry to finish the job. "Let's just get this over with."

"You're just eager to get me in bed," Burn remarked, and he let out a laugh when he got the sponge thrown at his head. Gazel finished his back soon after, and now that the two were both covered in soap and shampoo, all they needed was a good rinsing.

As Burn and Gazel stood under the showerhead and let the water wash them clean, they enjoyed each other's soft embrace, sharing a gentle kiss every now and then. Everytime they pulled apart, they fixed their eyes on each other, reading the happiness inside them with a smile.

"Burn," Gazel whispered, pulling back his hands just so he could place them on his chest.

Burn tilted his head slightly, always happy to hear Gazel say his name with such affection in his voice. "Gazel," he replied just as lovingly, and he leaned in to softly rub his nose against his. This caused Gazel to let out a giggle, and Burn felt how his heart sped up for a moment. So cute…!

The two boys had been washed completely clean by now, but they pretended not to notice. They ended up in a tight embrace, both caressing each other's backs for a little while. Their eyes were shut and the two didn't say anything, as they felt they didn't need to. Burn and Gazel had only been together for a week, and in secret to boot, but everytime they met and could enjoy such closeness together, they wished for nothing more. While their story had started with a major annoyance, they could now only thank Burn's door for being broken and bringing them together. Regardless of whether it worked or not, they would sleep together many more times.

A/N: So yeah, that's the end! Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review and until next time~!