"Wait! I wish for the Sultana to be a genie!" Tohma told K, clapping his claws together and shrinking back down to normal size.

"TOHMA!" Mika shrieked, glaring at Tohma and then running for the door. If the genie couldn't catch her, he couldn't perform the magic.

"Sounds good." K said, snapping both hands again and capturing Mika in a vortex. As long as Tohma used the wish on something, he was free to do as he pleased with the vizier.

"NOO!" Mika screamed, holding onto the door frame with a death grip. "NOOO!"

K shook his head and laughed, snapping again to help out his magic. It succeeded in ripping Mika from the door, and as she spun by, Shuichi jumped up from the bucket in shock. Sensing that his captor had let his guard down, Caspian crawled out from under the bucket and ran for all he was worth towards Tohma.

"TOHMA! YOU'RE DEAD!" Mika screeched as K's spell pulled her into her own lamp, feet first.

Tohma screamed like a schoolgirl and ran for it, recognizing Mika's angry face. Caspian grabbed his coattail with his beak and the duo skidded out of the room before anyone could think to stop them. K's spell concluded, and Mika's lamp fell to the ground, her furious screams still echoing around the room.

"Well, that takes care of that. Now, where's the other one?" K said, dusting his hands together and dissolving his tornado. He looked around the room for Tohma, intending on subduing the vizier as soon as possible now that he was free to do so. "Damn, he's loose…Shuichi, you still have the parrot? Shuichi?"

Shuichi had run over to where Yuki was sprawled on the floor as soon as he'd realized that the street rat was seriously hurt, his attention having been previously occupied with the rampaging dragon and the snippy conure.

"Eiri?" Shuichi asked softly, kneeling beside the unconscious street rat and giving up the fight against his tears. He kept wiping the blood off of his face, not wanting to get help, as that involved leaving Yuki's side. "Please wake up…"

K blasted a path through the rubble as he ran over to Yuki, worried that the street rat might have died for real this round. All thoughts of going after Tohma and Caspian were replaced with concern for Yuki, and the strangled sobs issuing from Shuichi were ripping him apart. When he reached the street rat, he jerked his head at Hiro, signaling for him to take care of Shuichi while he assessed the damage. He pulled Shuichi up and touched a few fingers to his face, healing the cut enough to suffice, wanting to get to Yuki.

He pulled a pillow out of thin air and put it under Yuki's head, checking his pulse as he did so. Even though it was faint, it was still there, and K breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He didn't know how he would've told Shuichi that he was gone for good this time, especially after seeing the concern in the boy's eyes.

"Alright you, wake up…" K muttered, whispering out an old spell and rousing the street rat. He rarely used his real powers, but if any time was the right time to do so, this was it.

"Hiro, let me go, he needs me!" Shuichi said, fighting against Hiro yet again. Hiro had wrapped him into a tight hug as soon as he'd reached him to prevent him from getting in K's way. "Please, I have to get over there!"

"No, you don't, Shuichi, breathe, let K help him." Hiro said softly, putting his hand on Shuichi's head and giving him a squeeze, wanting to comfort him more than anything. He pulled him away from Yuki and K, not wanting to disturb the process. He stroked Shuichi's cheek, running his fingers over the scarred cut. He'd left thinking that Shuichi hated the man, and he was shocked that they'd become this close in such a short amount of time with that kind of animosity starting things off. "Just stay with me."

"But…" Shuichi moaned, ceasing his struggle. Hiro wasn't going to let him go, and even if he had, he knew deep down that there was nothing he could do to help Yuki. He let out all of his air and collapsed into Hiro's chest, shaking with the force of his crying.

"You're a pain in the ass, you know that?" K said to Yuki, finishing up his spell and waiting for the street rat's eyes to open. "Seriously man."

"You don't have to help me…" Yuki replied softly, opening one eye and staring up at K a few minutes later.

"Yeah, I do." K returned, giving Yuki a small smile and prepping his next spell. The street rat had a few cracked ribs and a broken arm from his encounter, and K was flabbergasted that he hadn't ruptured something when Tohma had a hold of him. There were a few bruised areas from limited internal bleeding, and he was coated in scratches and a few more serious cuts, but he'd once again managed to cheat death at the hands and talons of Tohma and Caspian. "You didn't have to come back."

"Yeah, I did." Yuki answered, smiling back as best he could. As soon as he'd realized that Shuichi was in real danger, he'd accepted his choice as the right one. Hearing his lover scream when Mika was torturing him had flipped a switch in his head, and all thoughts of removing himself from Shuichi's life had vanished. In that terrible moment, the only thing that had mattered was saving the one he loved the most, and if that cost him his life, then so be it. He'd never once valued someone more than himself, and it was a turning point for him. The sense of panic he'd felt about staying in the palace had changed into one about being away from Shuichi, and he was grateful that the carpet had made him come back, to his home, and to the people that he loved.

"I guess you're not that bad…" K whispered, pulling up Yuki's shirt to get closer to the more serious injuries. "Alright, this might sting, and it's going to take a minute or two, hold still."

"OK." Yuki responded laconically, closing his eyes and thinking of what he was going to say to Shuichi. After their discussion earlier, he wasn't sure how to approach him, but he could only imagine a happy ending. He was the one that Shuichi wanted, he'd made that perfectly clear, and now that he had his priorities straight, he was ready to be there for him for as long as he needed him.

"Shuichi?" Hiro asked after a stretch of silence, worried about his friend. "Are you alright?"

"Not if he's not…" Shuichi whispered, his voice hoarse from crying. He pushed away from Hiro and looked over at where K was still bending over Yuki, his eyes shut tight and lips moving rapidly over the complicated facets of his healing spells. "I don't know what I'll do if he dies…"

"But I thought you hated him?" Hiro asked, taking a breath to calm down. He'd been waiting to ask this question since he'd realized how attached Shuichi had become.

"What? No…I love him." Shuichi responded, returning his eyes to Hiro's face. "He's…someone I used to know, he's not really a Prince, he's…my Yuki."

"Your Yuki?" Hiro asked, starting to get confused. He put his hand against Shuichi's forehead, wondering if he had a fever boiling his brain.

"Mmm hmm…" Shuichi nodded, tears welling up in his eyes again. He glanced back over to Yuki, and when the street rat still didn't show any signs of life, he started bawling again, throwing himself at Hiro. "No…he can't die…"

"Why is he yours?" Hiro asked, keeping his question simple and hoping for a coherent response. It was bothering him that Shuichi had chosen someone else so entirely, so quickly, and he was curious as to how it had happened. He'd only been gone for about a month after all. He hugged Shuichi harder, wishing that he could make his pain go away.

Shuichi took a ragged breath and stared up at Hiro's face, his brow furrowed. He was too disconnected to care about the reasons behind Hiro's inquiry, and his eyes were too clouded to see what was really written across Hiro's face. He couldn't fathom that his friend had come back for anything other than that friendship, and he didn't think twice about answering his question.

He took another breath and closed his eyes, laying his cheek against Hiro's chest, making sure that he could watch his lover while he told Hiro the story of the last weeks, all about how he'd found the love of a lifetime, and lost it for what seemed like forever.

K kept mumbling out his gibberish spells, concentrating to ensure his success. He kept going for almost fifteen minutes, unwilling to miss any of the injuries. Once he'd finished, K ran his hands over the surface of Yuki's torso, making sure that he hadn't missed any wounds.

Shuichi had almost finished his explanation, having skimmed over some of the details from the beginning, and was taking his time with the days when he'd been the happiest, the weeks that Yuki had lived with him and hardly left his side. He sighed and a slight smile graced his face, giving him an angelically sated look.

"I think we're done here, you can open your eyes now." K told Yuki patting him on the shoulder and standing up. "Need a hand?"

"No, I got it." Yuki replied tersely, his entire body still stinging from K's magic. "I think you overdid it a bit…"

"Nope, you're just a pansy." K shot back, adding a manly grunt to the end to make sure that Yuki realized their tender bonding moment was over.

"Right…" Yuki responded half-heartedly, more concerned about finding Shuichi. Ryuichi was still locked in his cage, but he was amusing himself by swinging back and forth as fast as he could, and he seemed in no real hurry to get out. The guard captain was sprawled next to a wall, still wearing his donut costume, and the carpet was nowhere in sight. Yuki sighed and shook his head, glad that Hiro had shown up and tricked Tohma into his and Mika's doom. "Where's Shui-"

Yuki stopped mid-sentence and stared at Shuichi, taken aback. He was wrapped around Hiro, clearly very happy to see his friend. Hiro had his arms around Shuichi's waist and his face in the shorter of the two's hair, and Yuki could see the out of place determination in his eyes. Shuichi's eyes were brimming with tears, and he had a small smile on his face that Yuki didn't know what to do with.

As he looked on, still reeling from emotional, physical, and K-related trauma, Hiro kissed Shuichi's head and ran the back of his hand down his cheek, making Yuki's stomach do flips. He could remember the fight he'd had with Shuichi over Hiro, and the jealousy that had overwhelmed him then was returning tenfold. Shuichi pushed off of Hiro's chest and looked up at him, giving the usurping prince a chance to kiss him on the forehead.

It felt like he'd had the wind knocked out of him. If it had just been a hug or two, he would have been fine but it was tearing him apart to see the tenderness in Hiro's actions. Even someone as dense as Shuichi could see that there was much more than friendship in his embraces. It was clear as day to him now why Hiro had really come back; he wanted Shuichi. Comforting someone was one thing, but the way the combination of how Hiro was looking at Shuichi and how he was holding him painted another picture. He took a few strained breaths and turned way, biting down on his thumb to keep from saying anything.

He could have expected something like this from Hiro, but to see Shuichi accepting his advances was a shock. He didn't know why Shuichi was staying so close to Hiro when he, the one he said he loved, was in the same room, and Yuki wasn't sure he wanted to know. If Shuichi didn't want him, and decided to take his earlier advice about Hiro, he had no idea how he'd handle it.

Ever since his conversation with Shuichi before the conference, he'd been on an emotional roller coaster from hell, and right about now, he was at the high point. Now that he felt ready for commitment, and wanted to be with Shuichi for as long as the prince wanted him, he felt utterly betrayed.

He'd been ready to give up his life for Shuichi's, all in an instant, and he was still raw from that startling discovery. His entire life, he'd never felt that way, and now that he had chosen his course of action, he felt extremely vulnerable.

Part of him realized that he was overreacting, that K had probably told Shuichi to stay out of the way, but it was still hurting him. He'd come back, fought off a dragon, and decided to stay, all for Shuichi, and the first person he'd run to was Hiro.

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, reassuring himself. Shuichi would fly away from Hiro as soon as he realized that he was awake, and everything would be fine. He'd tell him how he felt, that he wanted to stay, and Shuichi would be happy with that. He opened his eyes, his petty jealously shoved aside and his game face on.

"Shuichi?" Yuki said, just loud enough for Shuichi to hear him.

"Eiri? Eiri!" Shuichi said, his eyes wide. He shoved Hiro off and ran towards Yuki, slamming on the brakes before tackling his lover, afraid that he might break him if he didn't stop.

"It's alright, I'll be fine." Yuki told Shuichi, losing the fight to keep the smile off of his face. The wave of relief that was washing over him was incredible, and he felt instantly lighter.

"Thank Allah…" Shuichi whispered, launching himself at Yuki without anymore hesitation. He wound his hands through Yuki's hair and wrapped his legs around his love's waist, shaking with tears of happiness. "You came back."

"Obviously." Yuki replied, kissing Shuichi on the cheek and hugging him. He closed his eyes and put his face into Shuichi's shoulder, holding back his own tears.

Hiro stood off to the side, watching the sweet reunion with a weight in his stomach. Shuichi had finished his story right before the faker had called his name, and Hiro was filled with nothing but skeptical hate for Yuki. He'd weaseled his way into Shuichi's life, mooched off of his status for too long, and then broken his heart, only to show back up and ruin Hiro's chance to make the broken-hearted prince truly happy. Hiro was sure that Shuichi would have eventually accepted him, even after falling in love with the liar, if Yuki hadn't come back to finish what he'd started.

He sighed angrily and shuffled his feet, glancing over at the genie to distract himself from his love interest. The genie was wandering around the room, snapping his fingers to undo the damage and tacky decorating, and slowly but surely the throne room was being returned to its former glory. As his surroundings became more familiar to him, he groaned in frustration and started pacing, remembering all the times that he'd been in the room before, the times that he'd had a shot to be with Shuichi.

Now that he'd heard the whole story, he was sick to his stomach. This Yuki was a street rat, a liar, and a thief, and it drove him crazy that such a person had treated Shuichi like he had. He'd been lying from the start, and in Hiro's eyes, he'd done nothing but make a mess of everything. Sure, he'd come back to fight Tohma, but Tohma never would've had the lamp if he'd just kept it and stayed away from Shuichi. Because of him, Shuichi had been thrown into Tohma and Caspian's line of sight, and had had his heart broken.

Hiro swallowed his anger and paced faster, trying to calm down. If Shuichi wanted to marry the street rat and run off into the sunset, as Hiro was sure that the council members would never allow him to marry so below his station and keep his title, then that was his choice. He knew that he could take care of Shuichi better than the imposter ever could, especially as he wasn't even a prince, but he also knew that it wasn't his place to arbitrarily step in and arrange Shuichi's life for him.

The longer he paced, the harder it was for him to accept his passive stance. If Shuichi married Yuki, he'd end up on the streets with his new husband, and the myriad of dangers and troubles that festered in the lives of the poor were nagging at Hiro.

"What if he can't take care of him, what if he can't protect him…" Hiro thought to himself, scratching his head rapidly and glancing over at Yuki and Shuichi. Shuichi had returned his feet to the ground, but he was refusing to release Yuki, and the latter seemed pretty satisfied with the situation.

The streets were filled with mindless thugs, people that stole from whomever they could, rich or poor. Most people turned to illegal practices or begging, and Hiro was certain that this would be Shuichi's lot too, given that Yuki had already gone down that path. Once he factored in the disease, the poverty, the starvation, and the other woes that plagued the street people of big cities, he was genuinely worried about what would come of his friend. He kept telling himself that he had to let Shuichi make his own choices, that he had to stay out of it, but the more he thought about the horrors waiting for his companion, the clearer it became to him that he couldn't. If Yuki took Shuichi away to the streets and ended up being the cause for the prince's death, Hiro would never forgive the street rat, or himself.

Besides, it wasn't fair to Shuichi; Yuki had been his only option once the Sultana had forced him to leave and denied his suit. Shuichi deserved someone that was willing to really fight for him, not someone who had taken advantage of the situation and gotten lucky. To stay truthful to himself, he had to admit that Yuki had made Shuichi happy while they'd been together, but he'd still left him torn apart and broken, and had been ready to walk away and never look back. He, on the other hand, was ready to give his life for Shuichi, had raced back to be with him, and had fought to save him.

He would do anything for his friend, anything except give him up to a life that he didn't deserve to be dragged into. Part of him knew that he shouldn't get involved, and that he needed to respect Shuichi's wishes, but he couldn't stand the thought of Shuichi hurting anymore. There was no guarantee that the street rat wouldn't leave him again, wouldn't abandon him as soon as he realized that none of the wealth of the palace was coming with Shuichi, as soon as he got bored with his plaything. Thinking along those lines made Hiro feel like he couldn't breathe, like his heart was being squeezed of all feeling, and it was terrible to think that that could happen to Shuichi again.

Shuichi had gone through hell at the hands of the street rat, and he'd stayed by him the entire time. Hiro knew that he was the better man for Shuichi, not Yuki, but he also respected that Shuichi was the one to make that call. After thinking over the possibilities, he'd realized that as someone who loved Shuichi dearly, he couldn't let him go without saying a word. At the very least, he had to test this Yuki, to make sure that he really did care for Shuichi, that he was willing to take care of him the way he deserved to be taken care of, the way he deserved to be loved.

He gulped and repeated his convictions over and over again in his head, trying to convince himself that he was doing the right thing. Even if Shuichi ended up hating him, he knew that he had to do this. He absolutely could not live with himself if he let Shuichi slip away without knowing all of his options, and he couldn't walk away until he had made sure that Yuki loved him like he did, and that he could be the man that Shuichi thought he was.

"Listen…we need to talk." Yuki said quietly, releasing Shuichi and trying to take a few steps back. The prince refused to loosen his grip on Yuki's waist and burrowed in, fearing that the end was coming. "Shuichi, I'm not going to run away, you can let me go."

"No, I can't." Shuichi answered bluntly, unsure if he could lose Yuki twice. "And let's not talk, just…shh."

"You're shushing me?" Yuki asked, raising an eyebrow and silencing his second guessing. "And trust me, you want to hear this."

"I do?" Shuichi asked, the worry in his gut lessening. He trusted Yuki with his life, and if he said that it was OK, then it was. "What is it? What is it?"

"Hmm, not sure I should tell you now…" Yuki replied, startled that Shuichi had recovered so quickly. He'd sounded like he was on his last breath before Tohma and Caspian had brought the house down, and here he was, bubbly as ever. His paranoia set in instantly, and it was telling him that this was all because of Hiro. If he had stopped to think it over more, he might have realized that Shuichi was happier about him coming back then his friend, but all he could see was the two of them embracing. Without warning, his jealousy had returned yet again, and this time, he didn't know how to fight it. Shuichi was in his arms, refusing to let him go, and all he could think about was the likelihood of his lover leaving him for the brunet.

"Yuki!" Shuichi whined, hopping up and down, his arms still locked around Yuki. "TELL ME!"

"Hey guys, I hate to interrupt, but I need a hand…" K called out across the room, kneeling beside Tatsuha. He'd left Ryuichi in the cage, afraid to unleash him on the world in his current state. He'd figured out how to spin the cage and swing it around simultaneously, and K had almost lost his head trying to get the unconscious guard out of harm's way. It appeared that Ryuichi was perfectly content to act a fool now that he knew that his rabbit companion was safe from lava and conures.

"Not now, K!" Yuki yelled back, shouting over Shuichi's head. "Busy."

"Not busy, you won't tell me anything!" Shuichi chirped playfully, relinquishing his hold on Yuki and bolting away before the street urchin could grab him.

"Shuichi, come on, I'm serious!"

"So am I!" Shuichi replied, striking a pose and heaping inflection on each syllable to goad Yuki on. He flashed a wide smile to make sure that Yuki knew he was kidding and then ran the rest of the way to K, wondering what was going on.

"I'll keep you busy." Hiro said, airing out a friendly tone and sidling up to Yuki. "My turn to talk."

"Hmph." Yuki replied simply, crossing his arms and glaring at Hiro. He kept telling himself to be nice, to be civil, but images of Hiro holding Shuichi kept popping up, and he found it impossible to ignore them.

"I'm not going to play with niceties, or beat around the bush, I'm just going to come out with it." Hiro warned Yuki, putting up his hands and nodding seriously for emphasis.

"Then cut the crap and spit it out." Yuki told Hiro, barely breathing. He didn't know what kind of tactic this was, but he could see that something was up, it was written all over Hiro's face. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up, and he couldn't shake the feeling that whatever Hiro had to say concerned Shuichi.

"Fine. You need to leave." Hiro said, raising his chin to look Yuki in the eyes. He had no idea if the street rat would take him seriously or not, but this had been the best test that he could think of. If Yuki didn't fight for Shuichi, then he didn't deserve to keep him, and if he was looking for a way out, then this was his chance to run without consequences or fear for what would become of Shuichi.

"Excuse me?" Yuki asked, almost choking on his words.

"You heard me."

"I am not leaving, not again." Yuki replied tersely, staring down Hiro. "I don't care how much you want me to, I'm staying."

"Listen you, I know all about you. I know why you came here, I know you're not really a Prince, and I know that you don't really care about him." Hiro hissed at the speed of light, not wanting anyone to overhear or interrupt before he could finish what he needed to say to Yuki.

"Then enlighten me." Yuki returned, narrowing his eyes at Hiro and maintaining his defensive stance.

"You never really cared about him, you only wanted to screw him, that's why you came here in the first place."

"True." Yuki admitted, looking to shock Hiro. He wasn't going to lie about why he'd come to the palace in the first place, but if Hiro wanted to apply those feelings to his entire stay, he'd have a fight on his hands that he would never be able to handle.

"So you admit it?" Hiro asked incredulously, afraid to get his hopes up too high; there was no way that it could be this easy.

"Sure. But that's not how it is anymore. And don't even think that you didn't come here for the same reasons. You'd never met him, you didn't have any real feelings anymore, you were ready to just-"

"Stop, you don't know what you're talking about." Hiro snapped, feeling infringed upon. This was supposed to be his lecture.

"Oh, and you do?"

"Yeah, I do!" Hiro managed to spit out, keeping his temper simmering below the surface. "You don't belong here, street rat!"

"I belong with him." Yuki answered, wondering what demon spirit had possessed him to say such things to stranger, but glad that they had taken control of his mouth nonetheless.

"No, you don't, you belong in the streets."

"I repeat, I belong-"

"You don't deserve him!" Hiro said loudly, taking a step towards Yuki and earning himself a reproachful glare.

"I love him." Yuki responded, cursing his emotions. He hadn't even said these things to Shuichi, and here he was, baring his soul to the one trying to steal him away.

"If you loved him you'd leave, I'm the better man for him." Hiro continued, pressing Yuki to what he hoped was the breaking point. He was starting to lose hope that the street rat would up and leave, but at least this way he could rest knowing that Shuichi had someone that genuinely wanted to be with him.

"You can't say –"

"I can say what I want, especially when it's true. You admitted that you came here with, at the very least, questionable intentions, you admit that you lied about your past, you're not a Prince, you're just a common thief! And while you were here, mooching off of him, you put him in Tohma's crosshairs! That man, or his ghoulish bird, could've killed him, and it would have been your fault!" Hiro ranted, his eyes probing Yuki's face for a reaction that would tell him something.

"Tohma would've noticed him eventua-"

"No! He wouldn't have! If you would've just kept the lamp and stayed away from Shuichi, he never would have been in danger! He never would've had to worry about you being off'd by that maniac and his bird, he never would've fallen in love with you, and when you cowardly decided to run out on him, he never would have felt that pain!" Hiro frothed at Yuki, struggling to keep his voice down and sensing that he was starting to crack his rival. He cleared his throat and prepared his next attack, waiting to see what Yuki would do.

"I came back, didn't I?" Yuki spat back, his eyes leaving Hiro's and skimming the ground instead. He could feel the guilt bubbling up inside of him, and he didn't know what to do about it. He couldn't tell himself that he'd done nothing wrong, because he clearly had. Hiro was exactly right; if he'd never shown up, Shuichi would've been better off. He could have made a life with Hiro, he would have moved on, he could have been happy. Yuki gulped and took a few deep breaths, not wanting to lose his composure in front of Hiro.

"Yeah, after you abandoned Shuichi to Mika! She could have killed him, you know her temper! Would you have even cared, or had you washed your hands of him by then? Huh?" Hiro questioned menacingly, gesturing to Shuichi this time.

"That's not fair! Of course I cared, that's why I came back!" Yuki responded, but even as he said the words they felt hollow. His guilt was eating him from the inside out, and even though he'd admitted to himself how he felt, and even though he wanted to stay with Shuichi more than anything else, he realized that he wasn't the one that Shuichi should be with. All he'd done was hurt him, and even if he had come back to save him, and even if he loved him more than his own life, he had to accept that he wasn't right for Shuichi, and that he couldn't be the someone that he really deserved. He struggled against these thoughts, refusing to acknowledge them fully, praying that he could find a way to dispel them and to be with Shuichi.

"Don't lie! You came back because you had to fix the mess you'd made! None of it would have happened if you'd stayed away! You should never have come into his life, and you should leave it before you hurt him again!" Hiro said, keeping up the assault.

"I…"

"You couldn't even save him from Mika! You just stood there and let me do it! You couldn't outmaneuver a man that considers feathers to be a vital part of any wardrobe!" Hiro pressed, wondering if he'd pushed too hard or too little. Yuki looked like he was about to snap, but Hiro still couldn't tell in which way.

"I…" Yuki tried to say, but now that Hiro had mentioned the fight, all he could hear were Shuichi's screams echoing in his head, and they were making it impossible for him to think straight. He could see Mika throwing the daggers at him, he could remember his helplessness, and he could picture Hiro saving the one he cared for the most. He kept trying to take deep breaths, barely managing to stay on his feet. Before today, before his realization, none of this would have mattered, he would have left again without looking back, but now that he knew how he really felt, he hated the thought of giving Shuichi up again. But the longer he stood there, watching Hiro spell it out for him, the clearer it became that he had to walk away again, no matter how much he wanted, and needed, to stay. "You're right."

"I am?" Hiro asked, taken aback. He had been partially expecting Yuki to get defensive, to fight for Shuichi a little more violently, but he hadn't expected complete surrender. He cleared his throat and recovered, not sure how he felt about the result of his test. "Yeah, I am."

"Take care of him, alright?" Yuki said, taking a last look at Shuichi and knowing that he wouldn't survive another goodbye. The youth was dancing around K, attempting to be helpful while the genie roused Tatsuha and avoided getting beheaded by Ryuichi's wild cage antics. He ripped his eyes away and faced Hiro, steeling himself.

"I will." Hiro answered, nodding solemnly at Yuki. He knew that Yuki really did love Shuichi, he could see that now, but he also knew why the street rat was leaving. To some extent, the arguments that he'd used against Yuki were right; he wasn't the best thing for Shuichi, and it was admirable that he could accept that. Hiro watched Yuki turn on his heel and walk quietly out of the door, filled with respect for the man that loved Shuichi as much as he did. He didn't know if he could have made the same decision if their positions had been reversed, and he was forever grateful to Yuki for seeing that this was better for Shuichi, and for having the strength to walk away, even if it meant being miserable. "I promise."

Well, folks, here it goes, it's the end. I don't know how many chapters I have left in me, but I do know what I want to accomplish by the time I call it quits on this tale. Thanks for sticking with it this long, and I hope you're still getting a kick out of it.

-Amaya