Tsuki's POV

I am such an idiot, I thought as I landed on Ren's balcony. As I jumped down from that door that led to Earth, why didn't I just use a portal that teleported to his place? That would have been quicker than jumping off and into space, trying to remember where Japan was on the map.

Forcefully, I carefully entered the living room without triggering any alarms. I completely forgot about using the door and used a window instead. Heh, go figure.

As I entered the living room, it seemed quiet. Too quiet...

"Now, if I remember correctly, they should be both in the guestroom..." I said.

I staggered myself to the door, not sure if I wanted to interrupt them if they truly were kissing. After all, if Keiko was kissing Ren, then did that mean she remembered that she was in love with him? Did she get her memories back? A bowl of possibilities of what could have made her kiss Ren was mixing in my head, making me confused. Unless... she knew she loved him the moment they met.

I grabbed my head. This is too confusing for a guy like me to comprehend! And I wonder, is this what it feels like to lose your cool when you are deeply in love with a girl?

"I'm sorry I did that, Tsuruga san... I am such an ungrateful kohai..."

Huh?

I pressed my ear on the door. Did Keiko just say... Tsuruga san instead of Ren? And did she just say... kohai?

The door wasn't locked so I didn't had any troubles going in. In a calm matter, I walked in. There were some things I didn't get:

1. Keiko had her head down on the floor. Was she doing a dogeza?

2. Ren was just staring at Keiko, looking a little paler than usual. Didn't he want to lift her up and not embarrass herself?

And finally, 3. Why wasn't I bothered that Keiko was kissing him?

Now, the third question stayed in my head the most, echoing its wonder as it swirled to the back of my head. Not like I was annoyed but it did make me wonder. Keiko was, more frequently than she wanted, always having men steal her lips, wanting to taste them. By accident, she would take their souls because their lips were in contact. But, she never remembered them since she wasn't that close to them or it was too terrifying for her to want to remember. Her wings... grew every time someone kissed her.

But it was never her initiating the kiss. Never.

I don't think they even heard me open the door. I guess Ren is too stunned for words when Keiko said she was an ungrateful kohai. No surprise there. Except, Keiko stood her ground, keeping her head down and almost looking like she didn't want to look at him, even though she couldn't really see him.

As I walked and patted Keiko on the head, she finally turned. She looked at me with teary eyes. With one sniff she broke into a smile. "Tsuki, is that you?"

Trying to cheer her up, I laughed. "You are getting good at your sense of smell. Yes, it is me."

I opened my arms, thinking she would immediately go into my arms, crying all she wanted, but she just padded her way into Ren's lap. I was even more shocked when she licked his ashen face, acting like a protective mother who was worried of her kit.

"I kissed Ren..." she said, reverting back to his name rather than his surname. "And now he is cold like the crevasses that fall into the water to turn into icebergs. He is no longer warm like the Sun or warm like," She bent down and softly let a tear out, "a tomcat."

Now that made me forget about forgiving Ren. "A tomcat... A TOMCAT?"

I saw Ren weakly chuckle at this. "She is part cat so it is no surprise that she would-"

"ZIP IT!" I yelled. I didn't know what was going on with me. First, I was thinking of giving Keiko to my brother and now I want her back? What were my real feelings for her? "Keiko, you can't just-"

You probably will never love the guard dog that watches over you...

I sighed, agreeing my thoughts. Keiko, Kyoko, whoever she was right now, probably wanted the cute puppy of a brother that I have rather than a big, scary dog like me. And... even though she was more like a kitten, she could turn into a lustful cat that converted Ren into a lustful dog. Both grown up.

I sighed once more. I was the same age as Ren yet it felt like I was older.

"I'm sorry, Keiko," I said, touching her trembling ears. I went and lightly pressed my lips on her wet cheek. I didn't even get a single blush. I sighed again. "It's just... you..." I scratched my head. How could I explain to her what I felt about this? I started all over. "I... I guess since I was the one with you the most, I wanted to be the one you loved."

I saw Keiko lift herself off of Ren's chest. I even saw Ren surprised but... he smiled at me? I just confessed to the girl he loved and he wasn't even angry? Jealous even? Was he trying to piss me off, saying that he won anyway so I stood no chance of winning her hear-

"Loved? Don't you mean love?" asked Keiko. She lightly touched my cheek before giving the same lick she gave Ren. "I love you too but not the same way as with Ren. I'm sorry, Tsuki..."

I groaned. "Are you trying to break my heart into more pieces?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

"Then what are you trying to do?"

"She's trying to tell you that her heart belongs to everyone."

I looked at Ren. Even with his weak game face, he seemed to be able to pull off his dazzling smile. Now that... was creepy. Was he even human?

"What do you mean, "Her heart belongs to everyone"? That is impossible. Only one man can-"

"There are many different types of love in the world. Don't you know?" Ren tilted his head, still holding his smile in place. Now that... really creeped me out. Why did I get the feeling he really was angry at me?

Ignoring it, I tried to chuckle. "So what you are saying... is that she only sees me as a friend?"

That's an even lower status than a lover! Is he trying to rub it in? Why that little-

"But you are my second most favourite person!" Keiko cried out.

"Second... but isn't he your first, second, third, fourth, and so on?"

I saw Ren groan at this. What? Did I say something wrong? Wasn't that true when you love someone that they were your everything and there wasn't anyone else that was even in the second position?

"I love you... as..." She sat there, wondering what to call me.

Finally, I just gave up. "You just see me as a friend, don't you?"

She shook her head, but slowed down. She really did just see me as a friend. After all I did so I might have a chance for her to love me, it went down into the drain and into the alligator-infested sewers...

My fists were curled, turning my knuckles white and digging my nails into my skin. The suspense was killing me. What did she think of me? Was she not denying that she only saw me as a friend and nothing else?

"I think of you as..." she continued, "my important person." Her hands went to her chest, pressing against her heart as she continued on. "It's true that love would be like being lovey-dovey to someone but you can also love your parents, your friends, people you work with..." She looked up at me. "And the people that take care of you even though they could have left when they saw a blind girl on the streets."

I blinked.

She laughed at my silence. "I will never forget the time you saw me that rainy night. Water was splashing and pouring everywhere. I was cold but not from the freezing liquid that lapped around me. It was because I was already dead."

I stared at her, almost surprised that she could calmly say this in front of Ren so casually. Did she have to?

But she went on. "You saw me when you were going on patrol, even though shinigamis can't see spirits as they are souls—the food we eat. If we were able to see them, then the souls wouldn't be able to find themselves at peace. You could have eaten me but you didn't. You brought me to Heaven and made me a shinigami." Her tears, glistening with that warm memory, made me almost want to cry myself.

No... I only did that so you could be near me more often. I didn't think that when you went through the Gate of Heaven, you wouldn't be able to go to Heaven. I was just finding you, so it wasn't coincidentally that I did!

I wanted to say all that but not in front of Ren.

Not in front of him.

Finally, I smiled. "I am... like your adopted father?"

She shifted nervously before nodding her head.

I sighed but not in regret. I was actually happy.

I went and saw that Ren was smiling at that small conversation (or long depending how you want to look at it). Without no hesitation, I went to Ren and gave him a hug myself. It felt weird at first, a man hugging another man, but I just went ahead with it. A brother hugging another brother is normal anyway.

Then, I sank my sharp fangs into his pure white skin, relishing the cold that Keiko gave him. He jerked violently a little, kicking but not wanting to kick Keiko by accident. He soon relaxed, letting down the tension in his shoulders, and continued letting me hurt him some more. He even gave a sigh in relief at what I was doing.

Why? Because I was giving him some of my soul— and my soul was huge from devouring all of those innocent lives.

Ren's POV

This was very confusing to me. When Tsuki came over to hug me, I felt like he was suddenly becoming gay or something. Not to be rude but it seemed odd when right after Keiko shot him down, he would suddenly hug the man that stole his girl.

But... that was until I heard a sharp tinging sound. I looked at Tsuki and saw his eyes sharpen like a mad dog. His teeth became sharp, frightening me of what was going to happen. His wings opened, suddenly falling onto the floor the moment he started to save his hunger for me. Was he going to suck all of my soul? Was this payback for kissing Keiko?

I muffled, tightening my jaw, and riveted myself, trying to get away from him. But it was too late, he already sank his teeth into my neck. I moaned in pain, how awful it felt.

But... I kinda felt... fine?

My body began to sweat, and I could feel my cheeks warming up. I looked down at my clammy hands, surprised how a moment ago they were freezing. I carefully turned my head, not wanting to turn too much that Tsuki would bite into my wind pipe. Was he... giving me his soul?

His wings were shrinking in size, giving up their feathers as they pooled on the ground surrounding me. My epithet of him?: A kind... soul. He could have just sucked my soul completely, leaving me dead but instead, he was giving some of his.

I smiled as he released his hold of me, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He glanced up at me but turned away. He was... blushing?

He suddenly stood up and pushed Keiko into my arms (shoving her was more like it...). He still was red-faced when he said, "Sleep with Keiko while I go back to work. I kinda missed a lot when I was checking up on you two..." He dismissed himself, flying to the ceiling and left only the trace of his descending feathers as they fell down onto the floor.

I looked down, seeing the feathers combine to turn into a necklace. The charm was the exact same one as mine except it was black instead of silver. I was going to wonder it some more until I heard Keiko's soft mewling purr, nuzzling her head into my chest. She wrapped her fingers around my neck, giving me a genuine "Kyoko" smile instead of a "Keiko" smile. Was she beginning to remember who she was?

I kissed her forehead, giving her a good night kiss. I didn't bother to take us both to my bed as it was already night time so I might as well sleep with her in the guestroom.

Wrapping the fluffy blanket around us both, I saw her bounce a little before smiling again in my arms.

I smiled back and gave her a second kiss. She did the same, but instead of a kiss, she bit my neck.

I groaned when I felt the same process again, but instead, she had fangs. I guess she was mature enough to get fangs when she kissed me. She suck a little rather than giving me but... it still felt nice even if I did feel weaker. She didn't take too much, just a tiny bit. Her tongue swirled on my neck as she gulped, causing me to shiver with pleasure.

She popped her fangs out, leaving droplets of blood on the pillow and blanket. I glanced back and felt my neck. On both sides, both shinigami bit me. It felt like I was connected to them now...

Again, I am grateful for the reviews that I am getting that motivates me to write and the less homework I am getting at school. Except, I kinda think I failed my Social Studies quiz (it was just a quiz!) since I was typing up that last chapter yesterday... or was that two days ago? Anyway, I have no regrets since I kinda am the person that doesn't care too much about school. I get A's all the time but I get sick of being called a nerd all the time. So now, I don't really care too much about getting a good mark. I got good marks before, so why can't I stop now?

Sorry for my laid-back attitude. I just hate school but hate SS the most. The subject just never gets in my head! And because of the Job Action (some strike in Canada...), I can't see my report card till the end of the school year rather than each term. That sucks! But I really couldn't care less since I don't really like awards too much. Every time I get them, my parents go boasting to my relatives. I rather be dumb than be the center of attention.