The doctor said it's pneumonia. It's probably nothing. I'm the only one who is really worried. Why would they care as much as I do? They get worried, am sure. But they don't take the brat as seriously as I do. Yeah, right, Eiri, the fever is getting to you. You throw him out of the house on a regular basis. 'Cause he's a brat. But he is mine. MY BRAT and I love him so much. Maybe I should get my prescriptions checked, maybe I need a stronger dosage. Maybe I need to take it easy on the boy. Yuki sighed as he watched Shuichi sleeping, with all those tubes and tapes all over his body. And he looked at his single IV. Pathetic. I'm pathetic. What did I do to deserve you, Shu? I can't believe I'm so lucky to have you. I reached out and touched his hand. A tear escaped my eye.

Oh, please. Please. I beg of you. Whatever you are, a god, a Buddha, a supreme being. If I need to atone for my mistakes don't take it on the innocent. He's got nothing to do with my sins. My mistakes. If you need me to suffer more, I will bear it. I will suffer for it. I don't deserve him I know. But why would you give him to me if he's not meant to be mine? If it's for him and not for me. Then, please, God, Allah, Yahweh. Let me make it up to him. If I'm not worthy of such being I understand. But please give me a chance to show him how much he deserves love and attention. He had given so much. Done for me so much. Let me make it up to him.

Yuki laid there. Crying and praying to all the gods that he knows. He had never done so much of both in a long while. Not even when he had taken a life. But for the first time in his entire life, he is important to someone. He had never thought he could be that to anyone. And no matter how he push, no matter how he tries to deny Shuichi his love, he is still there, loving him.

He fell asleep holding Shuichi's hand. He was only awaken when he felt someone tugging at his hand. He opened his eyes. He could hear a strong monotonous beeping sound and then it died. Shuichi? He looked around and found nurses and doctors all over Shuichi, they were pumping his chest, checking his vitals and they are rushing to do things to Shuichi. Shuichi's eyes were closed, his mouth hanging open. What's gong on? What's happening? And they are wheeling him away in a rush.

Yuki started to call out to them to ask them what's going on. But they were in a hurry to take him somewhere before Yuki could have a chance to come to fully awake. Yuki called for a nurse. No one came. Where did they took Shuichi? Why did they take Shuichi? Yuki buzzed and buzzed, no one came. What kind of hospital is this? Such poor service. He thought. He sat up and reach for the phone, no dial tone. WTF. He reached for his IV and yanked it. Pain coursed through his arm. When the throbbing and the vertigo subsided. He got out of bed and walked slowly to the door. Taking small steps, and would stop when the spinning would hinder him for taking another step.

When he reached the door, and stepped out. He glanced at the nurses station. It was empty. No wonder. He thought. But he found that peculiar, that it would be empty after the commotion he witnessed earlier. Another strange thing Yuki noticed is, it's so quiet, no sound, no anything anywhere. Hospitals are not usually quiet, he knows, no matter the time, there would be machines beeping, there would be quiet footsteps and voices everywhere, a groan, a whisper, little noises, anything not this. He checked his ear, if someone put a stopper on it, he couldn't even hear the paper slipper he is wearing he was dragging across the floor. This is weird. Then he saw then, a few meters away, he saw pink being dragged in the elevator. "Shuichi!" his voice sounded flat, there's no echo or anything. He touched his head, is it the medication they gave him, what is happening? Everything is strange. He dragged himself to the elevator to check where they are taking Shuichi. He watched the numbers going down and down, his heart stopped when it stopped at the basement. Usually the floors down there is where the morgue is. "Shuichi!" "No! No! It can't be!" he said, finding strength to keep pressing the button until it goes up, it was taking so slow, he looked for the stairs, and with renewed strength, Yuki ran down the stairs, crying all this time, but his hazy gaze didn't stopped him, somewhere along the way down, he lost his slippers. "Shuichi!" he kept repeating to himself, over and over again.

He reached the basement at last, with a glimpse of a door closing. He stopped. Trying to catch his breathe. He didn't know if he can go on, now that he is here. He dread to read the sign on the door. There's only one door in the entire floor, one room in this entire floor, swinging doors where there's no beeping sound, where there's a strange odor emitting from the room within, where everyone taken there never goes out the same way but taken somewhere else.

Yuki slumped to the floor, crying so hard, "I thought they said you exist, I thought they said you are forgiving and kind, I thought that if you believe you will have your reward, that if you give your penance you will be given your forgiveness. I only asked you one thing, one person, why can't you give him to me? Why can't you hear my plea? Not for me, I know I don't deserve him, but those others who believed in him, those others who can love him." Yuki cried. He stayed like that for a long while, not knowing if he can find the strength to get up. He wanted to go to him, to hold him for the last time. He wanted to capture those lips for the last time.

Slowly he got up, still sobbing. But feeling numbed. He walked towards the swinging doors. And there he is. Shuichi. Laying there, as if he was sleeping. Yuki let out a whimper and ran to the gurney where his brat lay. He hugged him tight, and hold him so close, "Shuichi, Shuichi. I love you Shuichi." He whispered, over and over again. Kissing the soft lips for the last time, absorbing the last of Shuichi's warmth. He didn't know how long he stayed that way, holding Shuichi's lifeless body. He must have passed out.

Someone was calling him. Someone was shaking him. That voice sounded so familiar. "Yuki, Yuki! Wake up already, am here now." The voice called.

"Shuichi." He whispered. The person took his hand back, surprised at the name that came out of Yuki's lips.

"Yuki." The voice softened in Yuki's ear. Shuichi's scent filled Yuki's senses, he can smell him, hear him and can feel him. All those things that reminded him of Shuichi. He cried. No, he is gone.

"Shuichi, I love you, Shuichi!" Yuki cried, not wanting to open his eyes, if this is the only way he can have his brat, he will just lay there and smell him and feel him.

"Oh, Yuki! You really mean it? You love me?" The voice continued, sounding so much like Shuichi, Yuki could feel the bed bouncing, he smiled imagining Shuichi bouncing on the bed, with that wonderful smile on his face, he had never seen anything so beautiful.

"Yes brat, I do love you." He whispered again, when he felt the familiar touch holding him, embracing him. Shuichi. He whispered, his eyes filled with tears. Someone wiped his tears with kisses as it rolled down his face, he wanted so much to open his eyes, and see if Shuichi would be the one holding him, but he didn't dare for fear of losing him. If he is dreaming, he didn't want to wake up.

"Wake up, Yuki. Wake up, you're dreaming wake up." The voice called. Yuki shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

"No, don't want to lose you again, Shu. I want to be with you." Yuki said, crying this time.

"Hey…am here, Yuki. You know I will never leave you, I would always stay with you forever. You wished for me, remember? You prayed that I would be yours, right? So here I am." The voice that sounded Shuichi said. Yuki stopped crying, no one knows that, only him, and the gods that he prayed, too. Slowly, Yuki opened his eyes. He can see Shuichi, he can see their room, they are home. How could that be? "Shuichi?" he called, reaching out to see if he is real. Shuichi reached out and took his hand and kiss it. He felt that, he was real. This is real.

With a sound at the back of his throat, he grabbed Shuichi in a tight embrace, raining his face with kisses.

"Yuki, are you okay? Why are you crying? I came home as soon as I can." Shuichi said, deliriously happy and worried about his lover acting strangely.

Then Shuichi can feel him shaking, "Yuki." What now? And then he heard laughter, another first from Yuki, laughing, Yuki laughing. "Yuki, are you high or something? Did you miss eating again?" Shuichi asked, looking at him, feeling his forehead. Yuki smiled and kissed him tenderly, saying a silent prayer of thanks, I owe you one.

Touching his face, that face that a couple of hours ago was cold and rigid, he had been given a second chance. And this time he will fulfill what he promised. "Nothing, brat. I just miss you, Shu." He said, and kissed him again. Shuichi's minded clouded, he didn't want to ask anymore, whether it's divine intervention or a very strange dream, this is the Yuki he had always asked and prayed for and he got what he wants. He melted in Yuki's arms and swoon over his sweet kisses.

Owari