Author's Note: Well, readers, this is it. The final chapter of Incinerate. It's been a fun month and a half with all of you. I hope everyone enjoyed the story. I'll still be around, writing To Sear the Sky, and don't worry, I'm staying in the DanShun fandom for awhile. Can't let this show go.

As always, thank you to everyone who has been leaving feedback, and to everyone who will leave it for this chapter. Please leave a review if you liked the chapter and the story. Tell me your thoughts! I'd love to hear them.

Plus One: Dan

No matter how long Dan stared at it, the ceiling of his bedroom in the Bakugan Battle Brawler headquarters didn't get any more interesting. It was flat, white, and shrouded in shadow. Dan sighed.

The last few weeks had been strange. First they'd found out Gunz was Wiseman. Then they found out Gunz wasn't Wiseman. Then the world had basically ended. But now, everything was calm and the world was safe again.

And Dan? Dan had no idea what to do. The only real thing he had to focus on was Shun's strange behaviour just after they'd saved the world again. The way Shun had looked so relieved and terrified – both at once – when Dan had reappeared after they'd saved the world. The way Shun had kept his distance afterward, only to hug Dan when they were alone.

The way Mira and Julie had looked at Shun with the same kind of look – knowing, sad, but understanding all at once. Dan knew that look. His mom gave it to him whenever he was being an idiot.

But Shun wasn't an idiot. Stubborn, sarcastic, and way too quiet, but not an idiot. So why had they given him that look?

Dan stared at the ceiling with his arms behind his head. He scowled at it, like it was hiding all the answers from him.

And, now that he thought about, Shun did that sometimes. Those weird actions that garnered looks from other Brawlers.

He'd taken up midnight baking again – the crumb-covered plate on Dan's nightstand would attest to that. Shun'd also taken up a lot more meditation lately. Dan didn't know why. But Shun was spending more and more time alone. It couldn't be good for him.

Dan frowned more deeply. Thinking back on some of Shun's weird actions the last few years. The way he and Runo had once been at each other's throats daily, but now were decent friends. The way Shun always went out of his way to make sure Dan had his favourite foods after a rough day. The way Shun sat in Dan's window seat at night, watching Dan during his nightmares. It should have been weird, not comforting, but Dan found he had less when Shun was around.

And then there were the gifts. The bicycle when he first moved to Bayview. The baseball from their little league days – signed by every member of the Blue Jays, Dan's favourite team. Or the cards for Valentines' Day, Christmas, even New Years', once. Dan had all those cards stacked in one of his dresser drawers.

Runo had commented once that most friends didn't give each other Valentines' Day cards. Dan had shrugged her off. But now, in the middle of the night, staring at his ceiling, he found he agreed with her.

Dan glanced sideways at the picture on his end table. It was of him and Shun at the beach. Shun had his chin resting on Dan's shoulder and his arms thrown around Dan. They were both grinning broadly at the camera. It was probably the happiest Shun had ever been caught on camera.

That had been Dan's sixteenth birthday. The two had had a private party with just Dan, Shun, and Dan's mom. She'd spent most of the day reading under an umbrella, while Dan and Shun had wreaked havoc across the beach.

In fact, now that Dan thought about it, Shun was usually less reserved around Dan. He smiled easier, laughed louder, even let himself relax. It wasn't something Dan saw often, with how much time they spent with Mira and Marucho lately. And, looking back, Dan didn't think he'd seen Shun that happy since his sixteenth birthday.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't miss it.

But why was Shun more relaxed around him? Why did Shun get him gifts when he didn't have to? Why did Shun care so much about his well-being – more than any other friend of theirs? None of it made sense.

Unless…

But no, that was ridiculous.

But then again.

Dan thought about his mom and dad. About how they were usually laughing and relaxed around each other. About how his mom worked with his dad's weaknesses and eccentricities.

And the more he thought about it, the more he realized how similar his and Shun's relationship was to his mom and dad's. How the two of them fell into similar patterns of domesticity when they weren't saving the world.

And how, no matter how angry Shun was at Dan, Shun always looked after him. Shun always kept an eye on him. Shun always had his back, even when the rest of his friends thought Dan should get a taste of his own arrogance.

But why?

"Drago?" asked Dan. He shouldn't have said anything. He didn't want to make his thoughts – this – real by saying them aloud.

"What is it, Dan?" asked Drago, unrolling from sleep.

"Is Shun…" He bit his lip. "I mean. There's no way." Dan shifted. "Is Shun in love with me?" There. The words were said aloud. Now Drago would laugh at the ridiculous of them and get rid of this heavy weight in Dan's chest.

Except, Drago didn't laugh. In fact, Drago was weirdly silent.

Dan sat up. "Drago?" he asked.

Drago sighed. "Dan, I shouldn't answer that."

"He is," breathed Dan. Realization dawned. All the pieces slid into place in his memory. The smiles, the looks, the gifts, the touches. Shun had been telling him for years how he felt – all without ever saying a word.

Dan wanted to curse. Wanted to bang his head against a wall and scream to the skies. How had he not noticed? How had he been so blind?

And what should he even do about this?

"Do I like him?" Dan asked himself. And he honestly didn't know. He'd never thought about it before. Never thought about Shun beyond anything like a friend. Or had he?

He remembered the first time he'd blushed upon seeing Shun shirtless. Remembered the way he'd stuttered the first time Shun had caught him on Gundalia. Remembered the way Runo had wanted to get back together when she'd arrived in Bakugan City, but he'd hesitated. And he hadn't known why.

Slowly, piece by piece, things slotted together.

"Oh my god I'm such an idiot," said Dan, scrubbing his fingers through his hair.

"That's nothing new," said Drago, drily. "What did you just realize?"

Dan groaned and flopped back on the bed. "I'm pretty sure I fell for Shun without even noticing it."

"I could have told you that months ago," said Drago.

Dan shot up again and glared at Drago. "Then why didn't you?"

"You two have been dancing around each other for months. I wanted to see how long you could remain oblivious to each other. Besides, I needed to beat out Julie," said Drago.

"Julie knows?" asked Dan.

"That you love Shun or that Shun loves you?" asked Drago. "Because the answer is both. So do Alice and Fabia. Mira, Keith, and Gus know how Shun feels, but I doubt they've figured out how you feel. You're that good at being dense."

Dan groaned and swung his legs out of bed. He leaned forward – elbows on his knees and head in his hands.

"What do I do?" he asked.

"What do you think you should do?" asked Drago.

And just like that, Dan knew.

He stood, headed for the door, and marched down the hallway in his boxer shorts and t-shirt. Ten steps, then twenty, then thirty. He stopped in front of Shun's door. Dan took a deep breath, reached out, and knocked.

The door swished open. Shun stood there. He blinked tiredly at Dan. He was shirtless – the tattoo that encircled his upper left arm and shoulder was illuminated by the soft light of the moon.

"Dan?" asked Shun, concern lacing his voice. "Is everything okay?"

Dan took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

He stepped forward, cupped Shun's face with his hands, and pressed their lips together.

The spark was instant. It shot through Dan like lightning. He gasped against Shun's lips. Shun's arms wrapped tightly around Dan's waist. Pulled them flush together. Dan tugged Shun closer and closer. Shun stumbled back a step.

The door swished shut behind them. They pulled back, breathing hard, arms still around each other.

Shun stared at him with wide eyes and flushed cheeks.

Dan grinned. "Hi," he breathed.

"Hi," replied Shun in the same breathy voice, a similar grin tugging at his cheeks.

"I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you," said Dan. Shun yanked him in for another kiss. Dan entangled his hands in Shun's hair and hummed against Shun's lips.

"Good," said Shun as they pulled back. "Because I am too."

Dan grinned. Rested their foreheads together. "Awesome."

And they stood like that for a while, wrapped in each other's arms with their foreheads together. There was no rush. No other words to say. Everyone was safe, the Bakugan were free.

And they had all the time in the world.