Thank you all so much for following this story! I sincerely hope that CLAMP will someday finish this series. Even if my headcanon ends up being WAY off, I would like to see how the series ultimately resolves. Hopefully it will resolve with a happy ending for both Kazahaya and Rikuou.
Anyways, here's the last chapter.
Epilogue
Five…four…three…two…
"And—time!" Kazahaya shouted, looking away from the wall clock and hopping out from behind the counter. "It's 5 o'clock! Grab the shutters, we're closed!"
Saiga laughed around a yawn as he sauntered up from the back of the counter. "You're awfully quick to close up shop, kid!"
"It's Christmas Eve," Kazahaya reminded him as Rikuou pulled the shutter down. "And I'm not a kid anymore, Saiga-san."
Saiga laughed louder and ruffled Kazahaya's hair. "You may be taller, but you'll always be a kid to me!"
"Ow—stop it!" Kazahaya exclaimed. "Rikuou, do something!"
"What am I supposed to do against the son of Satan?" Rikuou asked. He leaned against the front counter and checked his phone. "We should probably get going. They're probably already there now."
Kazahaya pulled himself away from Saiga, nursing his head with both hands. "Great," he grumbled. "Now I have to get changed AND fix my hair!"
"You'll manage," Rikuou said amusedly, giving him a half-hug and pulling him towards the door. He used his free hand to lift the shutter a little.
"Don't stay out too late, boys!" Saiga called after them, waving.
"We've both twenty-seven, can't we stay out late?!" Kazahaya demanded before Rikuou closed the shutter behind them.
Saiga whistled and looked towards the ceiling. "Twenty-seven, eh?"
"What are you reminiscing about?" Kakei said as he came from the back of the store. He was still holding a clipboard but he was ready to close up for the night.
Saiga hugged him from behind and nuzzle his neck. "Did you know the boys are twenty-seven?"
"I did," Kakei said, rubbing Saiga's nape. "Ever since the drama ended, time has really flown by hasn't it?"
"Hmm…" Saiga smiled a little and pulled him closer. "Ten years."
"Yes," Kakei said. "Ten years ago tonight, Kazahaya-kun came home to us. Ten years ago tonight…those boys had their fated meaning."
"I didn't realize how good facilitating true love felt," Saiga mused.
"Yes, you did," Kakei teased.
There was a sudden sharp tapping on the closed shutter. "Come on, let me in!"
"So rude as always," Saiga mused, but he reluctantly let Kakei go and approached the shutter. He swung it up to reveal a familiar face glowering at him. "Merry Christmas, Kouryuu."
"Don't say that!" Kouryuu snapped, brushing past Saiga and into the store. He did not have his full demonic form but he was full-sized. He brushed the snow off his shoulders. "Ugh, this time of year makes me feel itchy!"
"Please don't create a mess in here," Kakei admonished quietly.
"Both of you change back!" Kouryuu snapped, hugging his arms. "I can't take either of you seriously when you look like that!"
Both Kakei and Saiga exchanged smiles, but obliged Kouryuu and took on their true forms. "Is this better for you?" Hiusi asked.
"Marginally," Kouryuu huffed.
"You came here for a reason, didn't you?" Kokuyo asked.
"Yeah," Kouryuu said. "You both owe me big! I found them all!"
Both Hisui and Kokuyo snapped to attention. "All of them?" Kokuyo confirmed.
"All of them," Kouryuu confirmed. "There's not a lot of them; only eight left. They're meeting at a warehouse in Tokyo Bay shortly. It's all of them. All that remains of—" he gestured with his hand. "Whatever cult it was you were trying to track."
"Ship off the Moon," Hisui said. He sighed quietly. "All of them are truly here?"
"It's a pathetic bunch," Kouryuu huffed. "But yeah—it's the last of them. There's no one else left. If you want to destroy this group once and for all, now's your chance."
Kokuyo nodded. "We promised God we would protect Kohaku, and everyone Kohaku holds dear—"
"Blah blah blah, don't mention the idiot and just go!" Kouryuu spat.
Hisui shook his head sadly at Kouryuu. "I have empathy for your plight, Kouryuu. I have never experienced unrequited love, but I must imagine that it—"
"I'M NOT IN LOVE WITH KOHAKU!" Kouryuu shouted, though his face was red.
Kokuyo suddenly towered over him. "Don't raise your voice to Hisui," he said sharply.
"Okay, I'm sorry! But just go and get rid of them before they scatter to the winds!"
"This will be the best Christmas present we can ever give the boys," Hisui said. "A lifetime of true peace."
The restaurant was packed and Kazahaya glimpsed the menu on the menu as they entered. The cheapest appetizer was 7,000 yen. He gulped and tugged at his collar self-consciously. I'm glad I brought 10,000 yen, he thought sheepishly.
"Can I help you, gentlemen?" The front hostress hurried over to them but her eyes immediately gravitated towards Rikuou. Kazahaya saw the delight in her expression and her eyes became half-lidded, and he tried not to roll his eyes. Yeesh! No matter how many years pass he's a magnet for women!
"We're here for a reservation under Mukofujiwara," Rikuou told the hostess politely.
"Oh yes, they're here already! I'll show you where they are!"
"Thank you." Rikuou turned and slid an arm around Kazahaya's waist, pulling him along. "Let's go."
Was that a PURR?! Kazahaya was slightly mortified at the public display of affection by Rikuou, but when he looked at the hostess there were only a glint of disappointment in her expression. Then she looked a little thrilled as she escorted them towards the back of the restaurant and down a hall.
It was a common tactic Rikuou did whenever he was out with Kazahaya and a woman showed him interest; he would do a physical gesture towards Kazahaya that wasn't overly intimate but not platonic. It got the point across that they were more than friends to the women who were eyeing Rikuou.
But it always puzzled Kazahaya as to why these women seemed to be…happier once it was made clear to them that Rikuou was taken and was with Kazahaya.
The hostess opened the private party room door and held it open for Rikuou and Kazahaya. "Mukofujiwara-san, the rest of your party is here."
"Thank you," a familiar but deeper voice responded. Kazahaya entered the room first, but found himself flung into the wall when a body slammed into him, giving him a tight hug. "KUDO!"
"N-Nayuki!" Kazahaya exclaimed. He pulled away and looked the other man over. "W-Wow! You look so different!"
"Oh, I'm still the same!" Nayuki Satoru laughed. "I've only had a mild growth spurt since high school!"
"M-Mild?! You looked like you've grown thirteen centimeters!"
Nayuki indeed looked much taller than he had when they last saw each other in high school, though he still "sparkled" the same as he had when they were in school. Kazahaya was glad to see that he still had a luminescent smile.
"You haven't grown much," Rikuou said, ruffling Kazahaya's hair.
"Yes, I have!" Kazahaya snapped.
"Ahem."
The trio looked towards the table. Mukofujiwara Kousuke had stood up from his seat at the table. He had also grown, though he was still as tall as Rikuou. Kazahaya felt self-conscious about being the shortest man in the room."Thank you for coming, Kudo and Himura," Mukofujiwara said. "I apologize for inviting you out on Christmas Eve."
"We didn't have any plans anyway," Rikuou said.
"Ooh, let's sit down and order!" Nayuki gushed, pulling Kazahaya towards the table. "We have sooooooo much we need to discuss!"
"I will be covering the bill this evening," Mukofujiwara said, sitting back down.
"We can't allow you to do that," Kazahaya said, though inwardly he was relieved.
"I insist," Mukofujiwara said politely.
Everyone sat down at the table and ordered food. Kazahaya and Rikuou still ordered the cheapest food on the menu, despite Mukofujiwara's offer to pay.
"I first want to apologize for not keeping in contact for the past decade," Mukofujiwara said once the food arrived. "I owe you both a great debt."
"You owe us nothing, Mukofujiwara-san," Rikuou said.
"Oh, that's not true!" Nayuki exclaimed. "It's because of you both that I wasn't expelled from Suiryo! I was able to graduate and attend business school!"
"That's incredible!" Kazahaya said, smiling. "Then your father's business recovered?"
"No, it still went under," Nayuki said nonchalantly.
"O-Oh. I'm sorry—"
"No, it's fine! Kousuke really saved my family! He got his dad to hire my father, and now my father is on the board of directors of Kousuke's company!"
"That's really good," Rikuou said, impressed.
"Satoru's father is a good businessman," Mukofujiwara said. "It was the economy and not his poor decisions that caused the collapse of his business. My family's business had flourished with his assistance. Satoru has incredible business sense, too."
"I was a Section Chief in his company for a few years," Nayuki explained cheerfully. "But I just completed my MBA in March, so then I was promoted to being Kousuke's personal assistant!"
"That's truly great!" Kazahaya said, clapping. "Congratulations!"
"Well, I'll take any excuse to be near Kousuke," Nayuki added with a smile. "I have a difficult enough time keeping my hands off him at home!"
"EH?!" Kazahaya exclaimed. Both Mukofujiwara and Rikuou however looked unfazed. "Then…you two—"
"Since the Suiryo school festival," Mukofujiwara said calmly. He sipped his cognac. "I wasn't going to let Satoru after I nearly lost him."
Kazahaya flushed a little, but he also felt strangely giddy. "I'm glad for the both of you. Congratulations."
"And I'm glad to see you with Himura," Nayuki added. Kazahaya choked. "Didn't I tell you that you two were perfect together? I distinctly remembered so!"
"In more than one way," Rikuou murmured.
"But that brings us to now," Mukofujiwara said, looking between Kazahaya and Rikuou. "A few months ago my father announced his retirement. Starting January 1st I will be assuming his former position as CEO of my company."
"That's great!" Kazahaya said.
"Congratulations," Rikuou said, raising his glass.
"I haven't been in a proper position to repay you both for the help you gave us years ago, but now I am. My first order of business as CEO is to repay the debt I have with you."
Kazahaya and Rikuou exchanged a glance and then looked back at Mukofujiwara. "What do you mean, Mukofujiwara-san?" Kazahaya asked.
"I want to invest in the Green Drugstore," Mukofujiwara said. "My company will be one of your financial backers. I want to ensure that neither of you lose your livelihood, and I know that you live there as well, so I don't want you to lose your home either. I want to provide you resources to grow your business, both for your pharmacy and the "special jobs" you both take on. I have heard that neither of you take payment for those jobs anymore. There will always be a need for those types of jobs, so I want to make sure you both are comfortable."
"A-Are you sure?!" Kazahaya exclaimed, standing up. He couldn't believe his ears. "Y—You want to invest in our Drugstore?"
"We have passive income though," Rikuou said. "In addition to the profits from the store, we earn monthly interest from our savings account."
"How much do you make in interest monthly?" Nayuki asked.
"Ah—440,000 yen," Kazahaya said.
"I could turn that into 3 million yen a month," Mukofujiwara said bluntly.
Kazahaya gaped in shock at him, his breathing quickening. "And that's just for your passive income!" Nayuki added. "Your overall store profits would be triple they currently are by this time next year!"
"That's...very generous of you," Rikuou said. He was also in shock.
"You both did us a great favor," Mukofujiwara said. "I don't want to think about what would have happened to Satoru had you not taken my job. I can never thank you enough. The least I can do is give you both financial assistance, and make sure that your business continues to flourish."
"I...thank you," Kazahaya said, tears stinging his eyes. "I-I... I don't know what to say!"
"Oh that's easy," Nayuki said. "Say yes, Kudo!"
"Does Kakei know about this proposal?" Rikuou asked.
"Yes," Mukofujiwara said. "And he deferred the decision to the both of you, as you are the property owners and business owners."
"That makes sense." Rikuou looked at Kazahaya. "This sounds like a good deal. We may even be able to take that vacation without worry."
"Ooh, a vacation?!" Nayuki cooed, leaning forward. "Where to?!"
"The States," Rikuou said.
"I-I wanted to see the Grand Canyon," Kazahaya admitted.
"Oh, we went a couple of years ago! It's really beautiful, you'll love it!" Nayuki said.
"You should definitely go," Mukofujiwara agreed stoically. "With your added profits with my investment, the funding for an international trip should be nothing."
"I think we should go with this," Rikuou said to Kazahaya. "We know we can trust Mukofujiwara-san. And if Kakei had misgivings about it then he would have told us beforehand. But I'll go with whatever you decide."
Gee, thanks, Kazahaya thought. But though he didn't know how to feel about the amount of money Mukofujiwara intended to invest in the Green Drugstore, he was glad to have a connection with his school friends.
Even though I was only in school for a couple of weeks.
But he knew that Nayuki and Mukofujiwara had the best of intentions for them, and wanted them to succeed. So Kazahaya smiled and offered his hand to Mukofujiwara for a handshake. "I look forward to working with you, Mukofujiwara-san. I won't let you down."
Mukofujiwara smiled and accepted his handshake. "I'll have the contract drawn up in the upcoming weeks."
Nayuki cheered and ran around the table to hug Kazahaya. "I'm so happy, Kudo! We'll work hard to be an asset to you! And enjoy your trip to the States!"
"We will," Rikuou said.
"Oh, if you want to get married on your trip it's legal in the state of Arizona!" Nayuki added.
"EH?!" Kazahaya exclaimed.
Mukofujiwara calmly sipped his cognac. "...Satoru and I got married on our trip there."
"Do you want to do it?"
"Eh?" Kazahaya glanced at Rikuou. They departed the restaurant after dinner and were walking home. It was lightly snowing.
"Get married," Rikuou clarified unabashedly. Kazahaya stiffened and heat on his face. Rikuou shrugged. "We live together, own a business together, and have survived life and death together. Plus we're soulmates, and have been in a relationship for years. We're practically married as it is."
It was a fair point. Kazahaya rubbed at his nape, wanting to be fully honest. "Honestly, I'm a little indifferent. I think getting married w-would be nice, but I don't need to."
"Me either," Rikuou admitted. "I guess we can decide when we take the trip."
They walked together in silence for a bit. "Are you warm enough?" Rikuou asked.
"I'm comfortable," Kazahaya said. "How about you?"
"Comfortable."
Kazahaya held his breath for a moment before he said, "Hey."
"What is it?"
"What did you get me for Christmas?"
Rikuou smirked. "You first."
Kazahaya bristled, but kept his temper under control. "New sneakers for your gigantic feet. You've been complaining about your current pair, remember?"
Rikuou smiled a little more genuinely. "Thank you."
"Now your turn," Kazahaya said. "What did you get me for Christmas?"
Instead of immediately responding, Rikuou took Kazahaya by the arm and crossed the plaza with him. They made it underneath the lit tree, and Rikuou directed Kazahaya to lean his back against the tree. Kazahaya watched as Rikuou ducked his head and reached into the inner pocket of his coat. He withdrew a black box that was the size of his palm. Kazahaya watched with wide eyes as Rikuou pulled the lid off the box—and revealed two dark red rings sitting inside.
Kazahaya exhaled, and he looked at Rikuou. "I thought you said—"
"These aren't engagement rings," Rikuou said, a bit irritably. "Here, I'll show you." He picked up one of the rings. "Hold out your right hand."
Kazahaya took his glove off and held out the hand. Rikuou slid the ring onto his right pinkie finger. It fit perfectly. But Kazahaya was distracted by the symbolism and looked up. "Rikuou—!"
Rikuou was now looking at fully, and he was still smiling. He held up his right hand. "Put the other ring on my pinkie."
Kazahaya did so, and he could feel by the circumference that it fit perfectly. He gasped again. "H…How did you my ring size?"
I pay attention." Rikuou clasped his hands and their fingers intertwined. The red rings rested side by side. "For the longest time," Rikuou said. "I thought…I thought my fate was tied to Tsukiko."
Kazahaya nodded solemnly. "I thought mine was…tied to Kei."
"But I know that my fate is tied to you," Rikuou said. "Like a red string…soulmates. Even if we don't get married, we still have that connection. It's going to carry on with us to our next lives. I thought these rings…were a proper symbol of that."
Kazahaya felt tears sting his eyes. He reached up and cupped his cheek. He wanted to kiss Rikuou, but he knew that had to wait. "I love it. It's the best Christmas present ever." He choked on a laugh. "My gift for you seems lame by comparsion."
"I need the sneakers." Rikuou squeezed their hands and lowered them. "Ready to go home?"
Kazahaya nodded again. He looked their surroundings. The Christmas light and the people walking around them. "It was here."
"Here?" Rikuou asked.
"This spot." Kazahaya pointed to the ground. "Ten years ago tonight I almost froze to death. Ten years ago…we met."
"I know," Rikuou said. "That's why I brought us here. Give us both a better memory of this plaza."
Kazahaya smiled. "Thank you…for giving me my life."
"There's still more life to go."
Yes. And we'll see through together…as we were meant to.
Kokuyo sighed heavily as they took flight. "It is done. Barring an attack from the Daidarabotchi, or some other earth demon, nothing will stand in the way of the boys having happy, peaceful lives."
"But not every threat is gone," Hisui said, though he was smiling.
"Of course not. What fun would that be?"
Thanks for reading!
