Yea, it's a lot shorter but I didn't wanna end it in a dumb place so I just ended it where it should be ended.

This is a mainly fluffy chapter but there's still male x male relations.

Chapter 8

"I think we gotta tell Prissy." Beat broke the awkward silence blanketing the empty apartment. Neku agreed with a hesitant nod as he listed off the numbers – almost too well – to Joshua's cell.

"Beat, dear ~ How expected!' a horrendously pleasant voice answered.

"Woah, how'd you know it was me!?"

"Caller I.D., genius. What's up?"

"We got a problem, yo…"

"I know."

The heavy silence fell upon the room as those words were heard by both teens.

"How – " Beat was cut off.

"Who do you think planted those visions in your head, silly ~?"

Beat cringed at the thought of Josh messing around in his head.

"By the way, nice going with Neku, you lucky goose!" a playful giggle pierced through the already awkward situation.

Beat twitched and began shouting all sorts of vulgarities, forcing Neku to pry the red phone from the enraged skater's hands before he drop kicked the defenceless object.

"So you knew all along." Neku bluntly stated as Beat continued to rage in the background.

"Yes." was the simple reply.

"Why didn't you tell me!?"

"I couldn't, Sho added an irritating feature to my phone that blocks your number. I can't call you, you can't call me. Beat was my only connection. Strange he only got the message in his mind now."

"When did you send them?"

"Around the same time you two were getting busy. I must say, Neku, I never pictured you to be the one to take control like that. I'm impressed ~" Joshua giggled.

"Cut the crap and tell me what the hell I'm supposed to do about these taboo markings!"

"Don't you think if I knew I would've told you by now? Sanae and I are working on it. Until then, stay with Beat. Do not leave his sight. I cannot emphasise that enough."

"What's stopping him from kidnapping me?"

"A handy thing called a reaper barrier. I put it up around Beat and his apartment complex. As long as you're in the building or making physical contact with him, you're safe."

"Are you sure?"

"Would I lie to you, partner?" Josh giggled.

Neku winced then hung up. He returned the phone to Beat, who was still muttering profanities in the corner. The smaller teen snapped him out of it and summarized what Josh had told him. Beat calmed down and nodded.

"So you gotta stay wid me?" Neku nodded and smiled.

"Hey, Beat…" he said, dropping his eyes to the floor. "I need to ask you something…"

"I'm, listin', yo."

"Do you really think I'm too good for you?"

Beat's cheerful expression fell as he asked "Where'd ya hear dat?"

"Sho told me… He said you told him he was the – " Neku was cut off by the, once again, enraged yells of Beat as he cursed and threatened the name Minamimoto to the darkest depths of hell.

Neku merely watched the show bemused by Beat's reaction. After witnessing such a sight, the red – head was sure there was no way Sho told the truth.

Maybe Beat is telling the truth.

It slightly pained him to admit it, but the evidence was piling up a great deal. Joshua was the key factor in this deadly math equation. Hearing him confirm the visions, the markings – everything – lead him to believe all suspicions. Such precautions like a reaper barrier were never taken unless in serious situations. This knowledge saddened but relieved him.

With that, he approached his friend's backside and wrapped small, pale arms around the skater's solid frame, calming the raging beast.

"I believe you…" was all that needed to be said.

Unfortunately, the last few moments spent were, in a sense, boring as hell. Beat had already kicked Neku around on both Naruto and Soul Calibre – even Pokémon. The red – head wasn't lying when he said he was terrible at video games.

After countless thrashings, Neku gave up and flopped over on the bed, soon being subjected to the skater's playful taunts before he was silenced by a pillow to the face. Neku grinned and took another shot at the stunned teen's face. Slightly enraged, Beat picked up a flattened pillow and started to wail on the smaller man below, both erupting in fits of laughter.

The battle of cushions continued until both were completely spent from beating the stuffing out of each other – and the pillows. Sides hurting from laughter, the two fell onto the bed to rest. Neku moved close to cuddle into his friend's heaving chest,

"Ain't tabooty gonna get mad?" the skater breathed.

"Don't care…" He lied. Neku cared very deeply for the ex reaper, despite having the truth revealed to him.

Confliction surfaced as he re – traced all the memories the two shared as both friends and partners. All the lies somehow felt meaningless but knowing the plains Sho had confused Neku about what he really wanted.

Obviously Beat would be the healthier partner to be with and that was perfectly fine for the both of them, but there were still those few strong feelings that were hard to let go of.

Neku was too tired to exercise his already exhausted – emotionally and physically – brain. With those closing thoughts he sighed and closed his eyes, feeling himself drift off while still lying atop the incredibly comfortable torso. The apparent "living pillow" smiled, kissed orange strands and followed his friend in falling asleep.