"Shion? Shion?" Nezumi coughed, and rolled back onto his knees. He couldn't see Shion in the dark. He could only feel a warm body underneath him. "Shion, are you all right?"

Shion didn't respond, he only groaned and squirmed until he found a way to sit up. Then he began crawling across the room.

THUMP

"Ouch!"

CREAK, RUSSLE, FLICK, FLICK, SIZZLE

A light appeared on the other side of the room as Shion lit a candle and then turned around, his shadow stretching out darkly across the floor until it reached where Nezumi's was kneeling.

The shadow didn't touch him, and Nezumi couldn't see Shion's face in the shade.

"Are you hurt?" Shion asked, his voice trying desperately to stay level, but Nezumi heard the worry there. The sound of it warmed him through the chest.

"No," he replied slowly, almost regretting that he wasn't. Would Shion forgive him, if he were hurt?

Nezumi shook his head to clear it.

"Good," Shion's voice relaxed. He picked his way carefully over the mattress toward Nezumi, and Nezumi stiffed in surprise. But Shion stepped right passed him towards the door.

Nezumi turned, "What are you doing?"

"Assessing the damage," Shion replied, stepping up the stairs to where the wall was lying over the opening. He braced himself on the stairs and started shoving. The wall didn't even budge.

"Here," Nezumi offered, "let me help you,"

He rose, and moved to the stairs. He started to brace himself on the wall, next to Shion, when Shion's elbow brushed against his bare chest.

Shion hissed in surprise and stumbled backwards, nearly falling over the mattress before he righted himself.

Nezumi turned back towards him to stare.

"What's the matter?" He demanded, "I thought you wanted–,"

Shion shook his head sitting down against the wall on the far side of the room.

Nezumi saw it then, that Shion was barely holding it together, and he felt guilty. Not because he felt it was entirely his fault, but because he hadn't seen it coming. Shion could only take so much before he broke down.

Everyone breaks down eventually.

Nezumi sighed internally, pretending he had not noticed and turning back toward the blocked door.

Maybe if he just gave Shion a moment. A little bit of space.

Nezumi shoved.

The wall not only didn't budge. It barely creaked.

Nezumi sighed.

He knew better than this. The wall was too heavy–too wide spread a weight. They had a better chance of piercing through it then they had of lifting it. Even together.

Nezumi pressed his lips together. So they were really stuck here after all.

Nezumi stepped backwards– still looking at the wall as if hoping for a weak spot– when suddenly his foot bumped something sitting near the wall.

He turned, hearing something slide across the floor and assuming he'd spilt something. What he saw surprised him.

It was Shion's bag, he'd kicked it, and tipped it over and something fell out onto the floor– the book that Shion had chosen off his self before they left. Nezumi hadn't gotten a good look at it before, he didn't think it really mattered. But when saw the cover he realized that it did.

The night that he and Shion met, Nezumi remembered being envious of all of Shion's books. Stacks upon stacks of them all over the floor.

Most of them were non-fiction books, which Nezumi found disgraceful. But when he woke up early that morning, and was getting ready to leave, he saw one book, one book among a hundred that was different.

"A collection of theatrical works by William Shakespeare"

Nezumi had half been teasing Shion when he'd done it, opening the book to his favorite play and laying it a top the others. He was just trying to mock him for his complete lack taste by showing him something real for a change. Even as he left, Nezumi didn't think that it would really matter.

It took four years to realize he was wrong.

Nezumi still remembered.

~ Eight Months Earlier~

"Eve! Eve!"

Nezumi groaned. He was still hungover from the night before, and he wasn't equip for this level of excitement first thing in the morning.

"What?"

"We got a break!"

Nezumi rubbed his eyes, sitting up so he could look the stage-hand in the eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Ichigan just told us. We got a Royal Contract! They want us to preform the Prince's favorite play at his birthday party in a few months. It's going to be huge!"

"Wait what?" Nezumi felt something fluttering in his stomach, something he didn't totally recognize or appreciate. "The prince? Seriously? We're going to the palace?"

"Yeah!" The boy beamed, "See! I knew even you would be excited about this, Eve." The boy grinned as he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Nezumi called, causing the boy to turn around.

Nezumi raised an eyebrow. "Did you say the Prince's Favorite play?"

The stage hand nodded, "Yeah, that's what the queen says. Apparently he's a real lover of the arts these days. That's why she hired us."

Nezumi blinked, and a half smile pulled at his lips. "Oh, really? Interesting. So what is it then?"

The boy tilted his head. "What's what?"

"The play," Nezumi said, "What's the play?"

"Oh," the boy laughed. "I can't believe I forgot to tell you that. You'll love it. His favorite play is same as yours. Hamlet."

Nezumi's eyes widened, and he felt like the pressure in the air had changed.

Hamlet….

Nezumi stared at the book. It had aged decades since he'd seen it last; gone from brand new to worn with use. Years and years rubbed into it's pages by the touch of someone who read it frequently, who kept it with them; like a child with an old stuffed toy.

Just like people, the love of a thing is always seen in the wearing on them. Undamaged things had never been loved at all.

Nezumi bent down and slowly picked it up, feeling the softness of the cover in his hands. It wasn't love for the book, though, that he saw this time. When he looked at the frays and marks and the faded colors…. he saw Shion's love for him.

Nezumi closed his eyes. "Shion?"

Shion didn't respond. He was sitting against the wall with his hands too his mouth, blowing on them, trying to keep warm. He didn't even look at Nezumi, and he hadn't noticed what Nezumi was holding.

Nezumi sighed. "I was the bartender."

Shion's eyes shifted then, bright red in the flickering light. He narrowed them with suspicion. "What?"

"At the tavern," Nezumi continued, sitting down on the edge of the bed and continuing to stare at the book. It was easier than looking at Shion. The book seemed to make him stronger. "I'm just the bartender."

Shion snorted, "Oh really," He asked indignantly, glaring at Nezumi as if he were a liar. "Shirtless?"

Nezumi let out a breath, "Not tonight. Before. Every night that I've been bringing home money it was from the bar. Not the way that you saw tonight. That isn't what I've been doing up until now."

Shion hesitated, as if reluctant to believe him, but wanting to all the same. "Then when did it start?"

"Tonight." said Nezumi firmly, shaking his head. "Just tonight. I made a deal with him–,"

"With who?" Shion demanded, looking suddenly more angry.

"The owner," Nezumi explained, "Sal. I made a deal to dance for him, just this once, in exchange for leaving early yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Shion repeated, "Why did you–,"

And then he paused. His eyes going wide.

Nezumi waited, watching as the information slowly sunk in. Shion blinked his eyes. "Rikiga…"

"I thought you deserved to know." Nezumi sighed. "Maybe it was stupid, looking back on it. But honestly, once Sal turned me leaving into some sort of challenge I wasn't going to back down. It would have made me look afraid."

"Oh and that would be just terrible, wouldn't it?" Shion sneered, almost laughing. "Looking like a whore, no big deal, but looking afraid–,"

"I don't care if I look like a whore, Shion." Nezumi snapped, his voice coming out like a whip lashing. Shion jumped, and at the look of fear in his eyes Nezumi made an effort to calm down.

"I told you," Nezumi murmured, running a hand repeatedly through his hair, like it would sooth him. "I don't care what kind of trash people think I am. They'll think I'm trash anyway. What I do care about is letting them think they can scare me."

There was silence in response to that, for a while. Nezumi leaned his forehead against his palm and waited, not wanting to look at Shion just yet. Shion took a few long moment's to locate his voice.

"Well…" Shion began, his voice weary and light, as if he were tired. "I don't think I can really understand that."

Nezumi flinched, but didn't look up. Shion watched him carefully before he continued.

"I'm sorry, Nezumi." Shion murmured. "I just don't think we're much a like. Because the truth is, I don't care if people scare me." Shion tilted his head back against the wall, looking at the shadows dancing on the ceiling. "All I care about is that they don't think you are trash."

Nezumi stiffened, jerking his head around too look at Shion's face.

When he did, the boy was smiling.

"God, I hate how much I love you." Shion said, half chuckling as he shook his head. "I feel like you make me go insane."

Nezumi smirked, "Yeah, well…" he breathed, leaning back onto his hands. "I have that effect on people."

Shion laughed, "You know I don't forgive you right?"

Nezumi raised his eyebrows. "No?"

Shion shook his head. "No. You touched that girl. I would never do that to you. So no."

Nezumi tilted his head, "You would never touch me?"

Shion blushed. "You know what I meant!"

Nezumi chuckled. "So you're still mad at me?"

Shion nodded. "Yes."

"And there's nothing I could do to change your mind?"

"Nothing I can think of…." Shion raised an eyebrow as Nezumi slowly approached him from across the room. "What are you doing?"

Nezumi shrugged, sitting down on the side of the bed that was alarmingly close to where Shion was sitting. "Nothing."

"Oh?" Shion eyed him suspiciously.

"Really." Nezumi said, laying down and stretching out on the bed in a way that showed off all the taut muscles in his stomach. Shion tried not to notice. He was failing. "I was just thinking."

"Thinking about what?" Shion asked, without really meaning to. He was still trying to tear his eyes away from Nezumi's bare chest.

"About all the ways I could touch you to make you forget all about it."

Shion jolted, going bright red all the way to his ears. "Nezumi!"

Nezumi laughed, grinning brightly in the dim light. "You know we're stuck in here, right? It's going to be a really long night if you stay mad at me."

"Yeah, well." Shion sighed, leaning back against the wall again. "I think I'll live."

Nezumi chuckled. "Someone's stubborn."

"Yep."

"What if I let you choose something?" Nezumi asked, staring up at the ceiling with a smile, "Something to make it up to you."

"Hmmm," Shion hummed as he thought. "What kind of something?"

"Anything within reason," Nezumi replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Anything I can actually give you."

Shion thought about it.

"All right. I think I might have something."

Nezumi turned his head to look at him. "Really? That was fast."

"It's something I've wanted for a long time," Shion explained, "So I didn't have to think about it much."

"All right," Nezumi agreed reluctantly, "And it's something you can get from me?"

Shion nodded, "Though I'm not sure you'll be able to do it right away. I think I might be sort of difficult for you."

Nezumi's expression contorted with alarm, "You think so, huh? Well what is it then?"

Shion moved, shifting so his was leaning over Nezumi where we was laying on the bed. He looked into Nezumi's eyes, staring straight into them for a few moments before slowly raising his hand and putting a finger to the center of Nezumi's chest.

Nezumi froze.

He searched Shion's eyes nervously, looking for something that would tell him this was a joke, but there wasn't anything. Shion's eyes were steady.

"What are you trying to say?" Nezumi asked– slowly, cautiously. "You've already…. had me."

Shion shook his head. "I don't mean it like that," He said, and for once he didn't blush. "I want you. All of you. You already have all of me. I would do anything for you. When I know you feel the same way about me, that's when I'll forgive you."

With that Shion leaned away, moving off Nezumi and sitting by the wall again. Nezumi stared blankly at the spot he'd just left.

"I–," Nezumi swallowed, closing his eyes. "I have no idea how to do that, Shion. I'm not like you."

"I know," Shion whispered, "But you asked me what I wanted. That's it."

Nezumi turned his eyes on the white haired boy, bright and unsteady. He took a deep breath. "And what if I can't do it?"

Shion smiled. "This isn't an ultimatum. Nothings going to happen. I'll still love you. Always. I'll just know…" Shion's eyes seemed to glaze over, and he sighed. "I'll just know. That's all."

The expression on Shion's face then, the deep pain that seemed to cross it, made Nezumi's chest tighten so much that it hurt. Nezumi closed his eyes.

"I'm tired, Shion." Nezumi whispered. "Do you mind if we go to bed?"

Shion nodded, "Sure," he murmured, reaching for the candle and blowing it out. Then he stumbled over to the bed in the darkness, and curled up against Nezumi's side.

"Goodnight, Nezumi." Shion whispered in the dark. "Don't worry so much, okay? I have faith in you."

"I know Shion," Nezumi whispered back, closing his eyes and wrapping an arm around him.

but I don't.