Dlbn: Hey everyone, back for another chapter!

Nbld: It's almost Christmas Eve so we're gonna hurry and get this posted before that day hits. Review Corner! Thank you to Anonymous and Maki-Sensitivity for reviewing! Candy canes for you both, any flavor you want!

Anonymous: Thanks for pointing out that typo for me!

Maki-Sensitivity: It made me laugh, too. I couldn't resist XD

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Asitai, Kimiko, Mirai, and doctors and such in flashbacks. Everything canon belongs to Yun Kouga. I make NO money off of writing in this category!

000

Three weeks after Mirai had fallen into his coma, a weary Asitai made his way to the fourth floor of Gora General Hospital where his boyfriend was located. His eyes burned from hours of staring at college medical textbooks and doing online classes while simultaneously helping Nana adjust the security system to the school to perfection. They'd won against the last Septimal Moon and were just starting to get people used to being ruled by a bunch of teenagers. Uniforms were abolished at the school, the strict visitor's code was being tightened for any holes or knots in the system, and the automatic expulsion rule that had started this mess was shredded in an assembly in front of hollering and cheering students and faculty. As he reached the fourth floor, Asitai stepped out of the elevator and made his way to the nurse's station.

"Excuse me, I'm here to visit a patient." He informed.

"Who is it, hon?" A bubble gum pink haired nurse wondered.

"Shenai Mirai, age sixteen…I'm sorry, age seventeen today…"

"Are you family?"

"I'm his boyfriend and healthcare proxy." He dug his ID out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Kunugi Asitai."

"Ah, yes, I've heard great things about you from Yotsu-sensei."

"Who?"

"A female doctor in the ER? She said you might be coming by to see him."

"Oh…she remembers me…?"

"You and your friends made quite an impression on all staff." She replied. "Your boyfriend is in 495, sweetie." She handed back his ID. "You'll need to decontaminate. A quick shower in the showers right next to his room. You can put on a hospital gown and a rear facing yellow gown, gloves, and a helmet with a face mask. If he was here a little longer, I'd let you go in without one. You can take it off once inside, but no physical contact without gloves, alright?"

"Alright."

Man what a process.

"Arigato." He stated.

"You're welcome, hon."

He left down to the room. Warm water washed over him in the decontamination room. He sighed against the spray before ending the shower, drying, and dressing in the clothes he'd been told to. The helmet was bulky and annoying. He pressed a button next to a keypad on the wall and heard a buzz signifying that the nurse had received the call and opened the door for him. The sight in the room shocked him. The curtains had been pulled shut so he hadn't been able to see his boyfriend's fate through it. A breathing tube was shoved down his throat, the one with the oxygen tank was still in his nose, and numerous IVs were attached. He read some of the codes and noted that one was for nutrients, one was for some stabilizing medicine to be given ever six hours, and the rest were for various medicines and hydration. Machines beeped and whirred around him as he sat in a chair next to the bed and took off that ugly helmet. He smoothed out his red hair, which had knots in it from weeks of not bothering to take care of himself while he worked with his friends and studied for school. Mirai still looked peaceful there, even with all the wires and tubes attached to him. His hair was a tiny bit longer and he was less pale than before.

Asitai ran his fingers through the brunette's hair.

"Mirai…?" He wondered. "It's me, baby…I wonder if you can hear me…?" He sighed. "We did it…we took over Septimal Moon…we don't have many survivors on either side. We lost Kofai and Katashi the day we lost you, but I won't go into details. The funerals are this weekend. Everyone's invited from the school…they're getting used to us and all the changes…sort of. Some of the staff and security have a problem with us, but they'll get over it. We're all doing schooling still. Private classes at the school for the others, and online classes for Nana and me. She's studying to be a programmer. Figures, right? Computer geek…I'm going to be a doctor…I decided what I want to do with my life to make a difference, Rai, like we talked about." A smile tugged at his lips. "I'm going to do everything I can to find a way to bring you back to me…and along the way, I'm going to help other people. I'm specializing in neurosurgery. I'll know all kinds of stuff about the brain and be able to all kinds of nerve based surgeries and procedures. I know it's a far cry from what we talked about, but I'm saving that dream for when you wake up. I know you'll wake up, Mirai…"

He kissed his temple. "I know, no skin to skin contact, but you're my boyfriend. They can go to hell. It's your birthday today, you know. Did you know that?" He stated. "You're seventeen now. You're legal. Now I can't go to jail for this." He tugged Mirai's hair where his ear was. "Ha, remember…? I could walk the next day. God, I'm a pervert, talking about this with you…Hey, Mirai…? When you wake up, I'm going to marry you. Just like we promised. After we win, which we did, you were going to marry me…now I just have to wait until you wake up and we can be married."

He pulled a ring out of the hospital gown pocket.

"I know everything has to be decontaminated, so I did that in that shower with myself and this. It's stupid, I know, but it's my promise to you, okay?" He slipped the ring on Mirai's left ring finger, the hand that didn't have the oxygen sensor on its thumb. "My promise that I'm going to marry you when you wake up. I'm your proxy. Your life is in my hands, just like mine was back then…we're a Unit. Soulmates. We can't be parted. I'll never find or try to find another. You're the only one for me, my love…you know…Ritsu isn't such a bad guy…and Aidien's a wise guy. Not like a ha-ha you're so funny kind, but like a real intelligent kind. He knew exactly how I was feeling. We mourned you and Kofai together that night. He's going to have some big time job one day, you watch." He stated. "Once he's over Kofai. He's still taking her death so hard…he's not strong like you and me. We resigned ourselves to our possible fates the day of the carnival, when we shook Ritsu's hand and joined him. But Aidien? I'm not sure he fully understood the magnitude of what he was doing. Little ass…speaking of little, Nagisa wants to be a doctor, too. Not neurosurgery, though. She's not sure what to specialize in. I feel like she'd be a better scientist. She always wants to know how and why things go or work the way they do. She should specialize in Fighters and Sacrifices. I'll tell her that later…"

The machines were the only sound in the room as he caught Mirai up on what was going on at the school.

"I love you, Mirai. Happy birthday. I'll be back this weekend." Asitai kissed his temple. "Please don't forget about me, my love…"

He left, blowing Mirai one last kiss. The door shut ominously behind him as he hung up the helmet. Once he got dressed again, he walked back to the nurse's station.

"I know I'm not supposed to be in there more than an hour, but thank you for not kicking me out." He stated.

He'd been in there about two and a half hours.

"Of course." She stated. "He's…had no other visitors…"

"Our friends may stop by, but it's the beginning of the school year, you know?"

"I see." She nodded. "You look like you could use some rest yourself."

"Yeah, I guess so." He laughed.

"You're eighteen, are you in college?"

"For neuroscience, yes." He stated. "Online only for now."

"If you need an internship, call the hospital's neuroscience department and ask for Doctor Kigaru." She wrote down a number and the name. "It would let you see him more and give you experience at once. Tell him your boyfriend is a patient here during the interview. I'm sure he'll be excited to meet you."

"Thank you, very much." He tucked the phone number into his pocket. "Oh…um…"

"Yes?"

"I decontaminated it in the chamber…but there's a ring on his finger…left ring finger…please don't take it off him…"

"I'll make a note of it." She smiled.

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome. If you get the internship, let me know. I'm nurse Katsuko." She stated.

"Thank you, I will definitely let you know."

She smiled and nodded as he left. In the elevator, he read the piece of paper she'd given him. Good luck, hon was written in messy letters underneath it, along with her name. Asitai smiled. That internship would help him when he wanted a job here. He could only hope that Dr. Kigaru accepted it.

000

"You know, Kimiko, I never got your last name. I didn't hire you, and you never told me." Asitai stated.

"Oh, it's Shenai." She replied.

"Shenai?" He blinked.

"Like Mirai?" Ritsuka wondered.

The others had gone for food, leaving the neko and his sort-of mentor alone. Helping him was what little he could do to pay back Aidien for what he had done for him the night Mirai landed in his coma.

"Exactly like Mirai." She sighed. "That's my big brother…"

"You're…you're his sister? That little girl with the dolls in the backseat of the town car when we got expelled? That's you?"

"You seem surprised, Asitai." She stated.

"Of all places, I didn't expect to see you here…"

"I don't agree with what my father did. It was horrible. Mother divorced him three years ago when he started on her cousin, too. It's disgusting that she couldn't do that for my brother…I did some research as a teenager and found that my brother was here. I've done everything I can to be here with him. When you've left before I have, or it's your day off, I visit him."

"You're never on the log."

"I don't sign for a reason." She stated. "I didn't want anyone knowing and giving me sympathy. Yes, that's my brother in there, but I'm not unfortunate. He's the one they should be sympathizing for."

"Hai…"

"Do me a favor and don't tell your buddies, alright? They're an odd bunch."

Nagisa had spent twenty minutes arguing loudly with Ritsu about food while Nana had been showing Ritsuka some new outfit on her computer for Wisdom Resurrection; a game they played together. Kimiko had gotten to see the stranger side of the group in those twenty minutes.

"They're not bad people when you get used to them." Ritsuka shrugged. "My brother died because of him. Well, according to his will that said if he died then it was their fault. But I can't hate them like I thought I would. Seimei died because he's Seimei and he did things he shouldn't have done. I get along with everyone, Tai here in particular, but they're all okay, to a degree."

"I see…" She blinked. "I'm sorry about your brother."

"Thank you. It was two years ago. I'm okay now."

"You're a strong little boy, you know that?"

He flushed. "So I've been told."

The others returned, Nagisa and Ritsu still arguing. Nana sighed as she handed Ritsuka chocolate milk and a tuna sandwich he'd asked her.

"No change?"

"Now they're arguing over something else. I'm not listening." Nana handed Asitai and Kimiko their food.

"Any change?" Ritsu asked, breaking the argument with Nagisa to give Asitai some attention.

"His blood pressure has risen a bit, as has his pulse." Asitai stated. "But if you're asking if he's any closer to waking up, I'm not certain."

"Are we wasting our time sitting around?" Nagisa wondered. "I mean; he may wake up tomorrow when we're not here."

"If you think you're wasting your time, then go." Asitai snapped. "But I'm staying."

"Me too." Ritsuka nodded.

"As am I." Kimiko added.

"I didn't mean it that way, Tai." Nagisa changed her tone. "I mean that waiting isn't going to help him."

"Leaving won't either."

"I know…"

"Doctor?" Kimiko wondered. "Look…"

Asitai joined her at the window.

"I don't see anything." He stated.

"Left hand."

Ritsuka joined them, barely able to see over the bottom of the glass.

"His hand moved!" He announced to the others.

The other members of Septimal Moon rushed up behind them. Sure enough, his finger with the ring on it was twitching under an unfamiliar weight.

"Get a nurse. Now." Asitai ordered, breaking code and swiping himself into the room without decontaminating again or redressing.

Nana rushed off, being the quickest. Kimiko and Ritsuka followed Asitai in, Ritsu hobbling in last after Nagisa.

"Mirai?" Asitai wondered. "Babe, can you hear me? Move your finger if you can hear me!"

Mirai's eyelids fluttered as one of his fingers moved.

"I can't believe it…" Kimiko muttered through her hands that were covering her mouth.

Yue and a nurse came in.

"Alright, it is way too crowded in here!" She complained. "Who are you people?"

"My friends." Asitai stated. "He's responding to me."

"You're aware that one of your friends is a child?"

Ritsuka's ears twitched. "He's an old friend of my dad's. Dad went home but I stayed here with Nagisa-sensei."

"Not my problem." Yue sighed. "Are you certain he is?"

"Do it again, Tai." Nagisa urged.

"Mirai…? If you can hear me, move your hand."

Mirai's eyelids fluttered again as his hand twitched.

"I don't believe it." Yue checked his eyes. "He's waking up…whatever your words did, Asitai, it's working. Try something else."

"Mirai…if you can hear me, babe, please…open your eyes…please…?" He leaned close to the Fighter, whispering. "I love you, Mirai…please…open your eyes for me…"

He watched as eyelids fluttered. One slipped open enough to let a slit of crystal blue shine through.

"Please, Rai…come on…you can do it…open your eyes…"

What sounded like a groan escaped Mirai's throat and his eye slid open a bit more. He made some kind of sound around the tube. He blinked in some sort of confusion at the redheaded doctor a few inches from his face. His left arm weakly twitched as he brought it up to rest his hand on the doctor's cheek.

"Tai…?" He muttered around the tube, the word muffled.

"It's me, baby…I'm here…I'm really here…" Asitai pressed his forehead to Mirai's, not breaking their eye contact. "You're awake…it's been twenty-seven years…"

"Mm…?"

"I don't believe it." Yue muttered. "He's still got the oxygen tank, but we can take him off the breathing tube."

She gently moved around Asitai to shut off that monitor. The machine stopped compressing. Mirai pulled in an audible breath through his nose as his eyes left Asitai's face to blink at the doctor in confusion.

"You have to hold still for me, alright, Shenai-san?"

He nodded. Asitai looked away while the doctor and nurse removed the tube.

"Take a breath. Gentle." She ordered as Asitai's eyes went back to him.

Mirai took a slow breath through his nose, chest rising and falling.

"Good…" Yue muttered in disbelief. "I'll keep the one in your nose in for now, alright?"

Mirai nodded.

"Mirai?" Asitai wondered, getting the brunette's attention back to him.

Mirai looked at him.

"Can you say anything…?" He wondered.

"You…got old…" A deep voice he wasn't used to hearing informed him.

Asitai laughed and practically flung himself at the patient.

"Doctor Kunugi!" Yue complained.

'Doctor' was the only word Mirai could get out before Asitai silenced him with their first real kiss in twenty-seven years. The Fighter relaxed into the kiss, a hand on Kunugi's neck pulling him closer.

"I'll be doing paperwork while you all get reacquainted…" Yue muttered, leaving the room with Kimiko's eyes boring into her back.

The nurse muttered something incomprehensible before leaving as well. Asitai pulled away from his lover to press his forehead against his.

"I thought you'd never wake up…" He muttered, tears silently falling. "But here you are…you're awake…"

"Y-Yeah…" Mirai muttered. "How long…?"

"Twenty-seven years." Kimiko answered.

Asitai pulled back as Mirai looked over at her.

"K-Kimi…ko…?" He wondered.

"He knows you?" Nagisa wondered.

She nodded, biting her lip. She made her way over and hugged him.

"I never thought I'd find you!" She wept into his hospital gown.

"You…looked for me…?" He wondered. "You both…?"

"I've been here since day one." Asitai admitted.

"I just started here ten years ago as his assistant." She said. "I didn't know who he was…but I knew you were here…"

Mirai laughed once. "She's my sister, Nagisa…" He informed the female doctor.

"Oh!" She grinned. "Well, how sweet."

"They're all here?" Mirai looked around the room. "I…don't recognize you…"

"Oh, I'm Ritsuka." Ritsuka explained. "Aidien is my father."

"Aidien…Aoyagi…?" He looked to Kunugi. "I guess he made it…"

"Kofai didn't."

"Neither did Katashi." Nana offered.

"Iyani did but she died in a car accident twelve years ago." Ritsu muttered.

"What's with the cane?" Mirai wondered, cocking a smirk. "You give bad acts the hook…?"

Asitai chuckled. "He was blinded…"

"By my brother." Ritsuka muttered, looking at his feet.

"But I did an experimental eye transplant of sorts. I'll let him know next appointment if he still needs the cane."

"Who else…did we lose…?" He wondered.

Asitai rattled off a list.

"Oh…" He coughed. "Can I get a drink…My throat…?"

"I'll get it." Ritsuka stated.

"I'll go with you." Ritsu offered.

Ever since he joined, the others had done everything possible to keep him for being killed until he could get Soubi back for protection again. Reluctantly, Ritsuka allowed the principal to follow him.

"I'm glad you're awake." Ritsuka stated. "Tai really missed you."

"Rit-chan!" Asitai flushed and called the boy by the nickname the Zero boys had called him often.

Ritsuka laughed and left.

"Welcome back, Mirai." Ritsu stated. "I'm sorry." He left as well.

"Why is he sorry?"

"His plans almost got you killed." Nagisa answered.

"You grew up nicely…"

"Thank you." She flushed.

"Ugh, is that my voice? I got old, too…"

"You're forty-three."

Mirai groaned, throwing his arm over his eyes.

"My whole life…wasted…" He muttered.

"Not wasted…" Asitai stated. "Years lost, but not wasted. You were alive…that's no waste to me."

"Aw." Nagisa cooed, sticking out her tongue at him.

He rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Nagisa, let's give them some privacy. They're got twenty-seven years to catch up on."

"Right." She hugged him. "Welcome back. We missed you."

"You, too, Nagisa. Thank you…" Mirai hugged her back.

"I'll come by later to see you one on one, okay?" Kimiko stated, kissing her brother's temple and giving him a hug.

"Alright…thank you, Kimiko…"

"Of course." She pat Asitai on the shoulder before closing the curtains for them and leaving.

Silence filled the room for a few moments.

"So…you're a doctor, hm…?"

"Y-Yeah…" Asitai stated. "Neurosurgeon." He sat on Mirai's bed.

"I always knew you had a brain hidden somewhere in that mess of hair." Mirai joked, running his fingers through it. "Though I'm disappointed it's so short now…"

"A male doctor with long hair isn't taken all that seriously." Asitai admitted. "You don't like it? I'm not too fond of your hair being so long either."

He held up a lock of brown.

"Damn, what the hell? Didn't I get a haircut in twenty-seven years?"

"No…"

"Shit…"

Asitai grinned. He kissed Mirai again, putting all of himself into the single kiss. He barely registered Ritsuka dropping off the bottle of water and saying they'd be back tomorrow. Mirai pulled the doctor closer by his neck. Asitai moaned, entangling his fingers into silky brown locks of hair as Mirai's tongue invaded his mouth ever so slightly. They only parted when the formerly comatose patient needed more air.

"I love you." Asitai informed. "I love you so much…"

"I love you too, Asitai…"

Another kiss.

"You kept me alive for twenty-seven years…you became a neurosurgeon for me…you never gave up on me…" Mirai muttered. "Why?"

"I couldn't let you go…maybe I'm selfish, maybe I knew you'd wake up one day. But something wouldn't let me give up on you."

"Love?"

"You really are a hopeless romantic."

"Better than just being hopeless like you."

"Hey…"

Mirai chuckled. "Sukidayo, watashi no masut a…"

"So formal." Asitai kissed the tip of his nose. "Nagisa's right. We have a lot to catch up on…"

He gripped his end of the bond and let it light its way down. They both watched as the glowing ended on Mirai's skin, just on the outer layer of his skin. Laughing, Asitai pulled him into a kiss.

"Will you marry me…?" He muttered.

"Of course…" Mirai flushed. "I see you've already got a ring." He held up his hand.

"Your seventeenth birthday, I gave that to you. When I promised I'd stay single and wait for you so I could marry you when you woke up."

"You never gave up hope…"

"No, I didn't…" Asitai stated. "And here you called me hopeless."

Mirai laughed, pulling him for another hungry kiss.