The early morning sunlight lit the house with a radiant glow as Shion hoisted the bag onto his shoulders. He had intentionally only packed a few items, knowing that his body could no longer handle the weight if he packed for every scenario that he might encounter. In it was only one spare change of clothes, enough food to get him through four days, and a light blanket.

Sunday mornings were usually quiet for Shion's family, but, since the visit to the doctor, Karan had been toiling nonstop in the kitchen, completely stocking the front of the store and then promising the rest to be delivered around town. Many people were sympathetic to her situation and bought what they could, but it would never come close to what she needed to pay for Shion's medical bills. Shion wistfully listened to her smacking baking sheets around. He knew what he was about to do was going to cause his mother immense pain, but it would be nothing compared to what she would have to go through these next few months. He had to make a clean break now, while he still had the strength to get away.

"I'm so sorry, Mom." he whispered. He heard Little Shion giggle from the front room. "I'm so sorry."

He straightened his bedding and looked around his room one last time. Impulsively, he approached his bookshelf and took down his copy of Much Ado About Nothing. He'd tried reading it many times, but he could never get used to how it felt to read a play. It hadn't been something they'd taught them to do in No.6, especially not Shakespeare. The archaic words confused Shion, and the underlying jokes that Nezumi had told him where there went right over Shion's head without someone there to explain it to him. Regardless, it was all that Shion had left of Nezumi, and to leave it here, unfinished, felt wrong. He tucked it into his backpack.

"Boys! Come get breakfast already!" he heard his mom announce, "I'm coming, hold on!" he yelled. Shion opened the window as quietly as he could, coughing at the loudest part to cover the sound. He climbed outside and blinked up at the sun. This was it. His last journey.

Not that he had been on very many, he reminded himself as he walked away from the house, bound for the edge of the city. Besides his escape from certain death in No.6, he had never travelled anywhere, and even then he'd had Nezumi to show him the way. And so Shion found himself clueless as to where he would go.

Away, he thought, just away. Even if he wandered aimlessly in the desert, going nowhere, at least he wouldn't be hurting anyone. This thought consoled him as he walked on, adrenaline making up for his lost stamina.

It was late into the afternoon and Shion hadn't seen a building in a few miles; instead, he saw the remnants of them, rubble and bricks strewn across the rough dirt. Here and there, shrubbery and weeds attempted to grow, sprawled out beneath the sun, accepting the harsh heat and lack of rain. Shion was panting, and he knew he couldn't make it much farther without resting for awhile. He spotted a lone wall, leftover from whatever structure that crumbled long ago, and decided that he would rest there. As he approached, he saw a dark figure leaning up against it. It wasn't until he was ten feet away that he recognized that it was Nezumi. Shion felt the panic build up in his chest.

"Nezu-" he began.

"Finally!" Nezumi exclaimed, exasperated. His expression wasn't angry; instead, his smug smile and raised eyebrows gave him an air of mischievousness. "You walk too slow, Shion."

"How did you know I would come this way?" Shion asked, dumbstruck. Nezumi chuckled.

"I followed you. But the rate you were walking at was just too painful."

"Why are you here?" Shion asked. "Don't make me go back." he begged. Nezumi looked at him incredulously.

"Take you back? No." he said, scoffing. Shion sighed. "I was just waiting here to let you know that we need to turn soon." Nezumi pointed in a different direction. Shion looked at him suspiciously.

"That's towards No.6." Shion stated.

"Yep." Nezumi responded coolly, pushing himself off the wall. "Now, are you going to be able to keep up, or am I going to have to carry you?" He was closer to Shion now, and his voice had become almost flirtatious. Shion began to feel the familiar butterflies in his stomach. Nezumi was distracting him from his original plan.

"What makes you think I want to go back there? Or that I'd want to go with you?" Shion said indignantly. Nezumi shook his head. He took out his knife.

"I think you'll find it in your best interest to come with me." he said quietly. "It's not good for someone like you to be out here alone." Shion scoffed at him.

"Put that away." he said condescendingly. Nezumi ignored him.

"Look Shion. I get it. You had to get away from them. Do you think I don't understand?" he said. "But how long do you think you will last out here? Just come along with me. One last time." Shion narrowed his eyes.

"But why towards No.6?" he asked. Nezumi shrugged.

"Do you have a better idea?" Shion looked away. "What do you have to lose? Your kidneys?" he joked. Shion gave him an annoyed look.

"Fine." he gave in. Nezumi gave him a half-smile.

"Let's get going. Are you alright with walking?" he asked. Shion moaned. Nezumi turned and looked at him. "Because I wasn't kidding about carrying you."

They walked mostly in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. That was how it had always been when Nezumi was around; when he did speak, it was with purpose, and Shion soaked in the feeling of his presence. The sun slipped down towards the horizon, washing the sky in pinks and yellows that took Shion's breath away. The path they were on intersected with a small canyon, and they followed along the cliff's edge. He glanced sideways and peaked at Nezumi, who faced forward determinately. Shion thought less and less about his illness as the sun disappeared and more about how right it felt to be with him.

Shion felt his foot slip along the side of the cliff. He yelled out in panic, helpless as he teetered towards the canyon. Before he could think about anything, he felt Nezumi's arms catch on to him, and they both rolled down the side of the cliff, wrapped in Nezumi's cloak. They landed with a thud on a ledge at least twenty feet from where they'd fallen. Nezumi was crouched over him, breathing heavily as cradled Shion in his arms. Their eyes were locked on each other.

"Is anything broken?" Nezumi asked. Shion groaned.

"I'm fine." Shion said. His heart was racing.

"You could have died!" Nezumi hissed. "You could have-"

"Nezumi-"

"What were you-" Shion cut him off by pulling his head upwards and kissing him. Nezumi's body tensed, but then he relaxed, closing his eyes. Shion pulled away.

"I'm really fine." Shion assured him. Nezumi responded by kissing him again, harder this time. Shion was surprised by his earnestness, but he went along with it, wrapping his arms around Nezumi's waist while Nezumi ran his hands through Shion's hair. They were both getting excited beneath the cloak, their kisses like sparks between them. Shion's hands wandered. Nezumi pulled his face away and moved towards Shion's ear.

"Are you sure?" he whispered. He looked into Shion's eyes. Shion nodded. Nezumi moved down to kiss his neck. Shion looked up at stars, then closed his eyes, letting all of his thoughts melt away.