#so Nezumi believes he made Shion this way when really Shion has ALWAYS been a ticking time bomb

[mitchell-nihil]

No.6 is my favourite anime not because it's particularly good, but because the pure whiplash of going from expecting it to only SEEM like Shion and Nezumi had a thing going on and that Shion was gonna end with Safu, to suddenly "oh my god they're- OH MY GOD THEY'RE KISSING???"

100% that feeling is NEVER going to leave me

[egelantier]

Yuletide Recs

Having had two days of more or less nothing but reading fics, I come bearing recs!

First of all, my amazing gifts:

The Goblin Emperor

For Thy Principles

The nohecharei of Edrehasivar VII were unparalleled in their defense of his person, but there were limits to even their prowess. When Maia first developed the fever, Cala quickly determined that it was not the end result of a magically-based assassination attempt – and from there it had to be left to the court physicians.

Maia falls ill, and Csethiro protects him as best she can.

Beautifully gentle Maia sickfic, with Csethiro holding him together. For me all for meeee.

Benjamin January Mysteries

Dry as a Bone

“Oh. Well, I’ve been better, maestro, been a hell of a lot better to tell truth.” Shaw stared at him for a long moment, and he was stunned to see honest to God grief in his eyes. Even when Shaw had just lost his brother he had been so much more himself than this lost man currently standing before him. “Not that I mean to put anything extra on your shoulders, I’m sure you’ve got enough of your own shit going on at present moment, but it seems like I’ve just lost my job.”

Shaw loses his job, and finally confronts Ben about trust (and lack thereof) between them. It’s GREAT.

The Tarot Sequence - K.D. Edwards

A Distraction Worth Losing

They may never be together, but the gods would have to move heaven and earth to split Rune and Brand apart.

Brand, Rune and The Kiss incident. (Poor messed up babies, somebody save them.)

And fics of the collection:

17776, Astreiant, Raksura, Frederica, The Gentlemen, The Goblin Emperor, Hades, Innkeeper Chronicles, Jeeves, Kate Daniels, King Arthur the movie, My Next Life as a Villainess, Nirvana in Fire, No. 6, Psmith, The Secret Garden, The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty, Swordspoint, The Tarot Sequence, Teixcalaan Series, The Temple of the White Rat verse

17776: What Football Will Look Like in the Future

so far, so fast

When Manny gets a craving for some fancy meal he had once, over ten thousand years ago, Nick decides he’s gonna fulfill that craving, no matter how hard it is. Because real romance is about making the impossible happen for his husband.

Goddamn transcendental.

Go Get It

Sometimes you start out just planning to get some groceries with your husband, and next thing you know, you’re committing to join the most hopeless team in college football.

Nick and Manny decide to play. It’s perfect.

Afterlife

A young man dies six months before the end of human death; his loss saves five lives, which end up much longer than anyone expects. (A series of worldbuilding vignettes about original characters in the 17776 setting.)

Made me cry, in a very cathartic way.

Astreiant Series - Melissa Scott & Lisa A. Barnett

April dressed in all his trim

A quiet evening in spring.

Sweet little slice-of-life with lovely sensory details.

Books of the Raksura

The Second Consort

“When Glow arrives, be friendly and welcoming,” Ember said. “Not scary.”

“Why does everyone think I’m going to scare him?”

Chime said, “They can see your face when you look at him.” He paused, glancing over at Moon. “That face, that’s the one.”

Ember sighed. “I remember being in his position. It’s pretty nerve-wracking coming to a new court and not knowing what’s going to happen to you there - whether they’re going to welcome you or shun you, whether you’ll make new friends, whether a queen is going to claim you…” He came and put a sympathetic hand on Moon’s shoulder. “Glow is probably worried about all of those things, and missing his home and clutchmates, and it’s our job to try and help him relax.” For a moment Moon thought he was just being soft-hearted, until Ember added, “He won’t open up and tell us what’s really going on unless he’s relaxed.”

Jade takes in a new consort, on Moon’s permission, and everybody is delightfully adult about it.

Frederica

Lady Alverstoke

Frederica commences her first Season as a married woman by planning a ball, promising most straitly that her husband will have nothing whatsoever to do …

Sweet and funny slice-of-life post-happy-ending for canon.

**The Gentlemen (2019) **

Even

The week after he intercepts Fletcher, that squirrelly little cunt, outside the London Miramax office, Raymond reluctantly ventures down to Brixton.

Under normal circumstances, Raymond tends to give this part of Brixton a wide berth, but he has unfinished business that needs attending to. Of course, that doesn’t mean he has to like being accosted by the overwhelming smell of greasy fish and chips when he pushes the car door open, doesn’t mean he has to be pleased about stepping into a piece of chewed-up gum the moment he sets a foot on the kerb.

But then, he can always take a shower after an errand in Brixton. The deep-seated discomfort of unfinished business doesn’t wash off that easily.

Raymond tries to pay Coach back for saving his life, and it doesn’t quite go as planned :D

The Goblin Emperor

The Archduke’s Discovery

Prince Nemolis goes on a journey, and learns a bit more than he wanted to know.

Really great point of canon divergence, and true and precise character voices.

Hades

all the spaces between us

For a place full of the dead, crammed with ghostly shades and nothing but the endless lull of eternity unchanging, gossip sure travelled fast in the Underworld.

Or, Zagreus mulls over his relationship with Thanatos while the rest of the Underworld get overly invested.

Slow, slow, slowest of burns.

Innkeeper Chronicles - Ilona Andrews

A Quick Trip

“It’ll be a quick trip,” Maud said, more to herself than to Arland. “No one will even notice we’re gone.”

Pirates are plaguing an ally, just outside of vampire space. Maud and Arland don some aesthetically beat-up armor and try to get more information from the pirates themselves. Of course, plans only last until you meet your enemy. Or your enemy’s giant alien attack boar.

Excellent canon voice, action/adventure sprinkled with badassery and hilarity.

Jeeves & Wooster

August Thirteenth

Discovering that this is not the first August thirteenth that he’s lived through, that certainly was a head scratcher. Luckily Bertie has the stalwart presence of his man’s man, Jeeves.

Very, very great and satisfying use of the time loop.

Kate Daniels - Ilona Andrews

lookin’ like a snack (cake)

It took Barabas a while to figure it out, because he wasn’t used to not being taken seriously.

Barabas considered several ways to phrase it, and finally settled upon, “Do you have a thing for twinks?” Christopher knocked his head back against the headrest: once, then again. “Is that a yes?”

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

When Goosefat Bill finds himself in a difficult situation, the last thing he wants is the King to show up and “help”, in his own unique and unexpected way.

Goosefat Bill does not need to be rescued by his King. But he might just enjoy it a little.

My Next Life as a Villainess (Anime)

All I Have To Bring Today

Catarina and Sophia had been discussing the latest in the Devilish Count series, and Sophia had mentioned how romantic the surprise picnic the count had planned for his lover was and how she wished for someone to surprise her like that.

“What about you, Catarina? Have you ever wished for someone to sweep you off your feet?” Sophia had asked.

Catarina makes a choice! As sweet and as hilarious as the canon.

Nirvana in Fire

Adverse Event

What a pitiful man must he have become, if the only thing he could provoke in bed was a monologue on his character flaws.

: or, the famous strategist mei changsu plays xanatos speed chess against truth serum: the fic.

Mei Changsu gets hit with an accidental truth serum; it doesn’t stop him from lying to himself, but it does buy Jingyan a clue.

Records of the Land of Xiang

There was something of Xiao Jingyan there, in the firmness of his jaw, the unforgiving slash of his brows, and most clearly in the eyes that neither saw nor conveyed deception. But Long Zhan was not Jingyan, could never be, no matter how much Changsu might wish otherwise, because Jingyan was dead.

In service to a very-much-alive Prince Qi, Jingyan dons a Jianghu-typical disguise and infiltrates the Jiangzuo Alliance to suss out this Mei Changsu fellow and see if he might be useful in helping them re-open the Chiyan conspiracy case. Basically, a slightly ridiculous premise where everyone is running around the Jianghu with masks, multiple identities, and secret agendas.

Fascinating and fun AU scenario that delves, among other things, into Mei Changsu the jianghu chef, not Sir Su the court schemer.

suffering as I suffer you

The first time Jingyan stays the night at Su Manor, he discovers an uncomfortable truth about Mei Changsu.

Excellent extrapolation of Mei Changsu’s illness into his nightly routine - with Jingyan watching…

Here, In Our Arms

With the world put to rights, however briefly, Xiao Jingyan and Mu Nihuang take the opportunity to make a fuss over their beloved Lin Shu, and will not take no for an answer.

Sweet moment of comfort.

Find the Coals Amid the Ashes

Despite Changsu’s assertions, Lin Chen is a well brought up person. He would never violate his host’s privacy during a social call. It would be inexcusable, for example, to break into a marquis’s private alchemy lab in the middle of said marquis’s birthday party, in order to search said alchemy lab for certain hard to find medicinal herbs, which one has reason to believe can be found therein. These would be the actions of a man without honour, of a man who has only desperation to his name.

Lin Chen crashes a party and makes a new friend.

The best team up ever :D

Dead Letters

Mei Changsu isn’t the only schemer in Da Liang.

Fei Liu fixes things, in the most Fei Liu way imaginable, and it’s great.

No. 6

All Good Things

In the midst of a crisis for No. 6, Nezumi returns to Shion’s side.

A reunion! And cuddling.

Psmith

The Psky Is The Limit

“As this ship’s Orator, my mission is still as it was in the beginning and shall ever be, world without end. It is to hail any message sent by comrades from outer space and pass it on to you verbatim. Well! The hour, I say, has come. The Word has come into being. Here comes Psmith, bearing news of great mirth: the intercom has spoken.”

(A Mike and Psmith Space AU)

Psmith in space! Hysterically funny Psmith in Pspace, at that.

Psmith Pops In

Psmith reached over and solicitously loosened Mike’s scarf, his fingers brushing the skin of Mike’s neck, and that young man, to his horror, felt heat creeping up from where gloved fingers brushed his bare skin. Really, this blushing nonsense was getting out of hand. Ever since Psmith had tried to take the blame in the case of the painted dog, Mike had developed an inexplicable habit of turning hot and cold around him, and these odd responses had become more and more frequent.

Very funny! And then very tragique! And then jussssst right.

The Secret Garden

The Space Garden

When Meri La Nix was sent from the Mars colony to live with her aunt at Missiles Wait Manor, nobody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. But some of them thought it.

Beautifully inventive space retelling - with gardens, still.

The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty

The sky spinning above him

In which there’s a jewellery thief on the loose, Tang Fan plays dress up, gets a mild concussion and also a boyfriend.

Frothy, sweet, well-grounded and hot. Also hilarious (check the end note!)

truth in fiction

Three days after Wang Zhi leaves the capital, bits and pieces of his extensive library begin arriving at Sui Zhou’s house.

Sui Zhou is really committed to research and accuracy in Tang Fan’s porn. It’s delightful.

Time don’t fool me no more

“The electrician is a Tang dynasty spy,” he says, dumping some of his eggs in Tang Fan’s bowl.

Tang Fan nods, shovels more food in his mouth, and starts talking again.

Past or future, Tang Fan has Priorities. And Sui Zhou is weak.

Meeting at the End

Sui Zhou knew he never should have let Tang Fan go alone. He knew he should have gone with him.

Really, really great and desperate whump. Super satisfying.

clever boy

Tang Fan never spares a smile for any of the girls at Wang Zhi’s establishment, he’s noticed. That’s alright, though. It means Wang Zhi gets his attention for himself.

Wang Zhi falling, falling hard; it’s delightful.

a bold and brilliant sun

“You’re sure you didn’t do something to it? They don’t usually stall out,” Sui Zhou says. He looks away from Tang Fan, out the windshield at the endless rust-red of the planet.

Tang Fan pouts at this, and slumps down on the edge of the console, feet propped up at an absurd angle against the pilot’s seat. “You think I’d fake a mechanical issue just so that they’d send a sexy Fleet crewman out here to rescue me?” As soon as the words are out of his mouth, he giggles. “Okay, I would do that, but I promise that this time the problem is real.”

Space AU! Most excellent space AU condensing all there is to love about the canon in one perfect package.

Blind Taste Test

Wang Zhi invites Tang Fan to evaluate Joyous Brothel’s chefs — but it’s Tang Fan and Sui Zhou who are really being tested.

Wang Zhi, ever helpful :)

Authorial Intent

Sui Zhou and Tang Fan end up in hot water yet again. Kinky sex ensues.

Hilarious, kinky, heartfelt, and in character.

Swordspoint Series - Ellen Kushner

Chrysopoeia

It struck Alec that this would have been much easier if their positions were reversed. Richard would have known what to do if he’d been dragged back here with a hole in his gut. He was quite simply not supposed to be the one on this end of the equation. In fact, it was possible he had done something very bad to deserve this.

Richard is wounded, and Alex is coping. Excellent h/c and excellent bloodplay and sharp, painful slice of Alex’ POV, excellently rendered.

At first — this was just like him — he thought he was hearing god. But it was only the man in the bed, whose face had turned toward him on the ragged pillow.

The Tarot Sequence - K.D. Edwards

Third’s a Charm

Addam asks a favor of Brand.

Addam asks Brand for help, which ends up being exactly what Brand and Rune need.

Pretty good

Five times Brand crawls into Rune’s bed and one time Rune crawls into Brand’s.

Brand and Rune, through the years.

Teixcalaan Series - Arkady Martine

Also in the Act of Reaching

When Three Seagrass arrived at Lsel Station, she was, officially at least, traveling as a private personage. She had missed Mahit and the possibilities they’d both chosen to turn away from. She also had– would always have– a gaping hole in her life where Petal had once stood.

It was simply that, left on her own, Three Seagrass wouldn’t have let either absence drag her to the ass-end of beyond.

Reunion, metaphors and realigment. Subtle and clever and just right.

The (concept of the) World Was Wide Enough

Yskandr Aghavn comes to the world like a drowning man comes to shore, but he is living on borrowed time. Teixcalaan has so many wonderful things to choke on.

Teixcalaan has had his heart for all of his life, has elevated him, corrupted him, and discarded him.

It is Lsel that he thinks of as he dies.

Temple of the White Rat Universe - T. Kingfisher

If Grace Is Too Much

Zale is given a case by Bishop Beartongue which turns out to be more complicated and personal than a holy advocate-priest would prefer.

Clever and sweet and carefully shocking, but in a very right way.

Outreach

“We don’t generally assess the… cursédness… of objects, trees or otherwise,” Beartongue said.

Utterly delightful.

[redxblueihateloveyou]

This is a personal opinion but from where I see it the Given movie and the anime itself definitely was... something that I would question because somethings just.. didn't make sense to me. The development of the Characters were either super fast or super slow and it made the pacing really really weird for me idk. But I do think that a huge reason so many people love the Given movie is because of the fact that when you compare Given to OTHER JP BL animes, there's very very slight improvement in terms of the story itself of Given. Is the story poorly executed? Fucking hell, who the hell is going to say no here. But is it better then some of the JP BLs out there? That's depended on how you view BL to be. For a lot of people things like Super Lovers or Hitorijime My Hero are super unbearable to watch because it's "problematic" (which honestly okay, you do you BB) which then leads them to look for BL animes that DON'T have such "themes." Leading them to actually liking things poorly executed but just "not problematic", Given for example.

Given is “not problematic”? Debatable.

Their first kiss was right after Mafuyu finally had a courage to sing a song about his ex who commited a suicide. ???

Problematic doesn’t only mean stuff like “he’s underage”. What about using someone to get over your grief or getting into a relationship with someone who is still not over his ex death and is vulnerable at the moment? Is this suddenly “not problematic” bc they’re same age and he haven’t pushed him into a wall in throws of passion?

To me it’s not even about the fact if it’s problematic or not (it’s rarely not tho, no matter what ppl think), it’s about whether its believable and feels genuine or not. It depends on many factors: situation, characters past, traumas, etc, etc. It depends on the story and how you write it.

Change some stuff and it’s gonna be a completely different thing. Make it like Uenoyama only hugged Mafuyu after the song, even tho he wanted to kiss him, but knows that it’s not the right moment. Make Mafuyu heal first, make Uenoyama be in his own angst that he loves Mafuyu so much for example, but cares about him recover more, so he doesn’t expect for it to go somewhere, then he tries to date someone and Mafuyu first starts getting out there, when he feels like he can start trying again. Someday he gets sick and Uenoyama cancels his date to take care of him even tho it’s nothing serious and then the realization comes. Make Mafuyu kiss him first and take the first step. This would’ve changed everything so much. He should’ve made the first step when he was ready, this would’ve felt so right. Uenoyama kissing him after that song is just.. it feels, I was like ehhhmmm.. weird?

Seeing someone saying that Given is a masterpiece is hilarious to me. The fact that it includes heavy themes like suicide, doesn’t make it a masterpiece, esp when it’s handled this badly. Once again, if you pick such thing as a base for a love story, do it right then, not in a “bibbidi bobbidi boo” kind of thing. 

BL or not BL, any relationships, it depends on whether you watch it and it feels plausable or not. 

For example, if Yuu says that he can’t live with Mika, my tongue won’t even twist to call it “unhealthy” or be like “dude why”. But if some high schooler in slice of life anime who has a caring family tried to end himself bc his two weeks friend left him, I would’ve yelled “bitch go see a doctor”. 

Depending on the story you can sell some feelings or not.

Nezumi and Shion are also problematic according to ppl’s logic these days. But I 100% believe they’re each other’s true loves. Only 11 episodes and it’s sold.

In Given I didn’t believe it. Bc it’s ridiculous, ok? It wasn’t the right place or time to start this relationship. It is not a new love story, it’s just a sad story. 

Given movie is slightly better compared to other japanese BL? Why would you offend Sekaiichi Hatsukoi, Uragiri wa boku no namae, No.6 and many others?

Also better where? They kept the same old “’stop, i don’t want to’, but he did it anyway” stuff AND on top of that the story sucks.

The way he used him knowing very well that he was unrequitedly in love with him for so long is so disgusting that it leaves a much grosser feeling than many yaois combined. You’re saying “it’s slightly better” bc they’re of age or don’t have an age difference? I don’t get it. It somehow makes everything better?

No, thanks. I’d rather watch Onodera sleep with Takano in high school with them being genuinely into each other and it going great than whatever happened in the Given movie. I don’t care if they’re both 18 there, it made me feel bad.

I didn’t feel bad, when Wei Wuxian thought “why the fuck didn't I have sex with Lan Zhan back when I was 15? I've really pissed away all my days, haven't I?”. I wonder why is that.

Like what you’re saying here is that their opinion on BL is so low that they automatically would give it 10 out of 10 bc it’s slightly better than smth that they find “unbearable” to watch? What kind of evaluation is that exactly? Maybe also let’s compare each anime to “boku no pico”, then everything will look like a masterpiece.

Like excuse me for the fact that when I watch some shonen-ai and yaoi, I judge it the same way I judge any other genre and any other relationships (hetero or gay) in animes. On a scale whether I care or don’t care, whether I believe that they love each other or don’t, whether it’s a good story or not. I don’t get what it means “it’s good for yaoi”. It’s just not good. This movie is trash, I mean, the relationship in it is trash. Who the fuck cares gay or not gay. Trash relationships are trash. Bad story is a bad story. Whether it’s a bad gay story or a bad hetero story, I don’t give a shit.

The reason I’m more into boy on boy ships is because I love the relationships there more than relationships in most heterosexual couples. My fav hetero ships are either “from hate/attraction to love” stories like “gone with the wind”, “anastasia” or “pride and prejudice” or stuff like “equals without pink goo, who only see each other and don’t need no one else and would die for each other, epic soulmates” like Richard and Kahlan. In anime 99% of those fit bromances, not romances. Like I don’t find Midoriya/Uraraka appealing at all for a reason that “she said ‘hi’, he blushed as a tomato, now they’re supposed to be each other’s romantic interests” is not what I find romantic. I find romantic the fact that Todoroki is forever devoted to Midoriya bc he knows he’s amazing and is not afraid to say it; and he’ll always be there for him when he needs him, no matter what it is, him just sitting there crying, some villain trying to kill him or if he’s too late out ther grossery shopping. Uraraka most of the times doesn’t even care where he is.

Most hetero romantic animes, I just find ridiculous, too cheesy and unrealistic and I’m not ready to watch 50 episodes for them to hold hands. I’m not in that age and I also never found things like this romantic before either. Stuff like Kisa/Yukine, when you meet someone, find him attractive, wanna fuck him, then fall in love accidentally.. yeah, that’s understandable to me. Stuff like Takano/Onodera “I was an naive idiot in high school, but now life made me a sassy bitch and I can’t open up to people as easily” also yes, relatable. 

When you’re turning into a tomato bc someone said ��penis” and think holding hands will take your virginity or smth, that’s not my thing.

So when I watch BL, I expect more, not less. So if it’s bad, I just say it’s bad, I’m not gonna be like “hmm... unproblematic... then 10/10″ like what? 

1stly, even “little mermaid” and “cinderella” are problematic. 

2ndly everyone is so focused on purity these days, like storyline don’t matter at all. It’s like any great love story is automatically trash if they have age difference. Any trash love story is great, if they don’t?

Let’s then also rate “Dororo” as 1, bc it’s like 24 episodes of them falling for each other while she’s 11 and he’s 16. Wow, such gross relationships they have during the whole story. Doesn’t matter that she grew up at the end of the last episode, the whole anime she’s a child. And let’s rate Noragami 0, bc 2000 years old perverted Yato is into 15 year olds.

No one has to fuck asap (heck even in the same hella problematic “Super Lovers” you talk about, Haru refused to fuck Ren even tho he was 17 in s2 and wanted to fuck another guy) and the rule “you can only fall in love after 18″ doesn’t exist. Also underage is not BL thing, it’s all anime thing. It’s time to shut it already. There are zillions of age gap couples out there who are great. Hyakkimaru waited for Dororo to grow up, it’s fine, seriously, they love each other in the right way, he didn’t want to fuck her when she was 11, okay? They did love each other tho already then. Pls excuse them for that.

3rdly, some relationship that ppl here call unproblematic are 20 times more problematic, than what they call problematic.

4tly, why the heck it’s like couples who have an amazing character and relationship progression, who love each other to death and will do anything for each other, ppl go: “wow, at the very beginning, he grabbed his wrist, he needs to go to jail”. Meanwhile a relationship who has no base, no story, no logical progression, no anything are “yes, best love story in the world”. Yeah... who cares if it feels like it’s all been pulled out of an ass and doesn’t make sense, very healthy tho.

It sounds lately like if most ppl here had two stories in front of them and one would be about two men who just met and the next day one proposed and they lived happily ever after and 2nd would be some complicated incredible story with a natural progression of the relationship, but they yelled at each other once, they’d be like “1st is better”. Well, not to me, no.

[no6secretsanta]

I Can’t Erase You

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! To @akuthecactus, my Secret Santa giftee! With a request for angst and drama, I came up with this lovely 4k piece of work. I really hope you enjoy! I had to crank out my old angst playlist for this one. It broke me out of my writer’s block, that’s for sure. Enjoy!

~ @whims-of-insane-fandoms

I CAN’T ERASE YOU

Shion couldn’t help going to sleep and dreaming of Nezumi. He also found he didn’t mind.

It was the only way he could see Nezumi.

In his dreams, he could forget reality and instead dream beautiful things. He could be reliving the time he spent with Nezumi in his house in West Block. He could be dreaming about the two of them living in Shion’s new house between West Block and No. 6, where the walls once stood. He could be dreaming of Nezumi’s beautiful voice singing to him as they watch the stars together. He could be dreaming of the two of them dancing together. He could be dreaming of what could have been if Nezumi had stayed.

Of course, it was all a dream.

Eventually, he woke up and had to face the cold, harsh reality.

Shion curled up in bed, still feeling the lingering warmth of Nezumi – no, the heated blanket that fell off the bed – and wishing for a brief moment that he could stay in his dreams. The alarm in his bedside reminded him that, regardless of his feelings, time went on. His hurt and longing couldn’t be erased but continuing with life helped ease it.

~~ERASE~~

Nezumi was gone.

Nezumi had left him following the collapse of the walls of No. 6 almost four years ago. He had left him alone with the baby, one of Inukashi’s dog and Hamlet. The rest was a haze until his mother found him and the two of them had cried in each other’s arms. Again, that had been almost four years ago.

In all the years following the collapse of the walls and restoration of the government, Shion had not heard from Nezumi. He received no letters, no calls and there were no signs of Nezumi. Not even all the contacts Inukashi and Rikigia had had spotted Nezumi. If it hadn’t been for the empty house he returned to that was filled with books, it would have been as if Nezumi had never existed.

In the first couple of months, Shion lived in denial. He couldn’t believe that Nezumi was gone. No, he refused to believe he was gone. He would find himself going back to that small house filled with books, waiting for hours for Nezumi to come back and coming up with excuses on why he hadn’t come back. 

He’s probably haggling in the market.

Maybe he was asked to do another play.

Inukashi probably picked a fight with him.

He made up numerous excuses, everything to forget that Nezumi had left and he might not come back any time soon. Still, he would rather act delusional by pretending he was coming soon. It made the pain less strong.

Inukashi would eventually drag him out by asking for his help with their dogs or asking for help with the baby. They always had a sad expression whenever he asked if they knew when Nezumi was coming back. There were days where they went along with his delusion and said that Nezumi was coming back to the house in a few hours. Other days, they would scream at him that Nezumi was not coming back and to pull yourself together, dammit!

After that breakdown, Shion’s visits to Nezumi’s home became less frequent.

~~ERASE~~

“Good morning, Shion!” 

Shion kissed his mom in the cheek as he entered his mother’s shop and he paid for one of her pastries. She didn’t like that he paid her for her own cooking – “Shion, I would cook for you for free.” – but he thought it was the least he could do for her. She smiled and Shion hid his face from her before she could figure out that he’d had another dream about Nezumi. He didn’t want to worry her. He had already done a lot to worry his mom. 

“Morning, Mom.” Shion said between bites of the bread she had made that morning.

“Inukashi called,” She said, putting some pastries on display, “They said that there was a new litter of puppies that were born last night, and they would like you to come down to see them.”

Shion nodded, “After breakfast, I’ll go. I can’t believe that the due date was off by one day this time.”

Karan turned to look at him, “You’re skipping work today or starting later?”

“Later,” Shion answered, finishing his bread, “It’s not like the canvas is going anywhere while I go visit the pups.”

“Alright, make sure to not stay too long there. Inukashi gets too huffy when you’re around the dogs too much.”

Shion laughed, “They’re jealous that the dogs might like me more.”

His mom laughed again before glancing at the calendar. Shion could already feel her sadness and worry as she turned to look at him. Nothing needed to be said for him to understand the look in her face as she looked at him. He didn’t want to worry her and, yet, the date had done just that.

“Shion-.”

“I’m fine, Mom.”

“Today makes it four years.” 

“I know.”

His mom sighed, “I don’t want you to be alone, especially not today.”

Shion went to hug his mother, who just ran her hands through his hair in the way he was used to. No matter how much time passed, today always hurt and his mom could always tell. Even if he said nothing, she always knew he was hurting. She knew him so much and he wished that he could alleviate his mom’s pain.

“I’ll stay as long as I can with Inukashi and the pups. After, I’ll spend time with little Shion and then I’ll go back home and paint a bit. I’ll call, Mom, okay?”

His mom nodded, brushing stray hair from his face, “I’m here, okay?”

“I know, Mom. Thank you.”

~~ERASE~~

Shion would have frequent nightmares of that day following his time spent denying what had happened. He could vividly remember scenes he never wanted to remember. He would dream of Nezumi being shot, of Nezumi dragging him away from Safu, of losing Safu, of his vision going dark, of Nezumi leaving him behind. . . 

He’d wake waking up to find his mom holding him and trying to reassure him. In her arms, Shion had felt safe enough to tell her about the pain he felt. There was a hole in his heart that would not stop hurting because of that day. Not only did he lose his best friend, but, shortly after, the person he loved so much left him behind.

His mom was so kind during those nightmare-filled months. She would ask him to help out with the shop when he could, and she would try to stay awake all night with him if he was too scared to chase the nightmares away. He felt bad for making her go through so much, but she would just kiss his forehead and tell him she would do anything for him.

During that time where he was plagued with nightmares, he would wonder what would have happened if he has asked Nezumi to not leave him. If he had begged, would Nezumi have hesitated to leave? If he had begged, would Nezumi have flicked his forehead before saying that he was just playing with him? 

What could have happened if I had asked to Nezumi stay with me?

Why didn’t he stay?

Why did he leave?

Was it my fault?

Did Nezumi leave because of me?

The thoughts of why and what if ate at him. He couldn’t stare at his reflection because he had been so certain that Nezumi had left because of his fault. It was why Nezumi never tried to message him. It was why Nezumi hadn’t come back. It was all his fault. Nezumi was gone because he had done something wrong. It had to be. 

The epiphany drove him half mad with guilt and sorrow. On the anniversary of Nezumi’s departure, he ended up destroying his room. He had first started by breaking the mirror that reflected his own face, a face he hated. He had been so disgusted with his face that the rest of his furniture followed, anything to distract him. Before he knew it, it looked as if a storm had blown into his room and he just fell to his knees, uncaring of the glass shards that clung to his body.

It was how his mom had found him. 

She had gently held him in her arms as he screamed and cried about how it was his fault that Nezumi had left him and had not come back. That, so long as he was around, Nezumi would never come back. She said nothing throughout it all. 

When he had stopped being overwhelmed by his own emotions, his mom spoke. She helped him understand that Nezumi leaving was not his fault. Nezumi had left of his own accord because he wanted to see a world beyond the city of No. 6 that had caused him so much pain.

“Nezumi will come back one day. He loves you, Shion. He loves you so he will come back to you.”

It made Shion think of the promise Nezumi had made to him to return to him. If he had promised such a thing, then that meant that he was going to come back, right? It was a fleeting thought, one that Shion held like a lifeline. His mom rocked him to sleep in her arms as he repeated her words like a mantra.

Nezumi will come back one day because he loves me.

That one day became less likely to happen as days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months. 

~~ERASE~~

“So, he comes at last!” Inukashi grinned, hair tied up in a high ponytail as they often did while they were doing hard work with the dogs. They were currently rubbing the fur of one of their dogs while the new mother fed her pups. 

Shion smiled back at them, looking at the litter, “Six? My, she had a large litter this year, didn’t she? She’s going to be tired for a while, I can tell. At least the pups are going to have a lot of brothers and sisters to play with. Can I keep one this time?”

“No way.” Inukashi said, rolling their eyes, “The kids stay here.”

Shion pretended to whine, “Come on, I’ve been wanting a dog for a while now. Don’t rob me of my dreams to have a pet dog.”

“Keep dreaming, hopeless artist.” Inukashi replied, face caught in a pout, “The only thing you can do is name them, if you want. Just don’t get too attached since you’re not keeping any of them. Got it?”

“Yes, I got it!” Shion said.

As he watched the pups eat and planned their names, he felt Inukashi tap their shoulder. He looked up to see Inukashi looking fidgety. That was new. He was confused before he remembered what day it was again. He sighed. Not Inukashi too.

“Say, Shion-.”

“I’m fine.” Shion sighed again before pointing at one of the pups, “That one has a bunch of spots on their fur, it’s almost like they have stars. Maybe Romeo or Juliet because they’re star-crossed lovers?”

“Are you really fine or are you just saying that?” 

Shion turned to look up at Inukashi, “I’m fine. Really.”

Inukashi stared at him, still looking a bit awkward. They weren’t good with offering comfort. It was obvious with the way they acted with baby Shion all those years ago. It was sweet of them to think he needed comfort, nevertheless. It did make him love his friend more than he already did.

“Listen, when that bastard comes back, you bet that I am punching him right in that smug face!” Inukashi said, cracking their knuckles, “Might punch him once or twice after that. Maybe four times, after the years he’s been gone. What do you think?”

“I think that you’re getting soft.” Shion teased.

Inukashi turned red, looking away. They were so nice but Shion didn’t want to worry them too. He already worried his mom enough. He didn’t need to do the same to Inukashi. Did everyone see him vulnerable still, to the point that Nezumi’s name was avoided whenever they wanted to mention him? 

The nightmares had vanished, and he had stopped crying so much from the dreams and painful memories. All that chased him were his dreams but those never hurt him. He was fine. Really.

“I’m just. . . I heard from your mom about what happened to you during these days. That bastard did it and he’s not here to do something about. I thought I. . . You know you can stay here with the dogs, right? I won’t pitch a fit or anything.”

“I’m fine, Inukashi, it’s been four years. I’m better. I have a lot of work that I need to do. Time doesn’t stop just because today is the day Nezumi left or anything,” Shion lowered his voice, looking up at the beautiful sky, “Besides, I’m ready to just let go of that pain now.”

“Huh?”

Shion shook his head, “Let’s just focus on the pups, okay? What do you think? Romeo or Juliet for that spotted puppy?”

Inukashi made a face before finally saying, “Neither, I’m not naming them after some characters from an old book.”

“Aw, come on!” 

~~ERASE~~

Shion occupied himself working with his mom in the bakery, helping Inukashi with their dogs and even taking care of baby Shion. He eventually worked enough to get his own house, and, with a heavy heart, he left his mom’s home. His house, once located where the walls used to stand, soon became filled with memories. Pictures of his friends and family adorned the walls and reminded him of the beauty the world offered.

It was this reminder and the pictures that made him remember that he didn’t have a single picture of Nezumi. The thought had terrified him, especially when time went by so fast. He became scared of one day forgetting. He was scared that he could cease to remember that face. At least he had pictures of Safu to remember her by. He had nothing like that for Nezumi.

Shion decided to take up painting to help.

He started with crude images, ones that Inukashi would laugh about and Rikigia would chastise them about. His mom would offer support for his hobby by finding him art supplies and plenty of white canvases. It would take months of practice for him to get good and he knew when he was good when Inukashi finally praised his art. 

Rikigia sold the paintings he had done as practice and, pretty quickly, people started asking for more. His mom supposed that people longed for art to help them get over all the hurt that they had gone through. Shion understood the sentiment, and he started working as a full-time painter. He painted No. 6, West Block, people, the foliage, the animals, and the sky. 

His most famous work became a painting of Safu adorned by white lilies, dancing in the sky. The painting had been created to remember his best friend, to offer a tribute to the girl he had known most of his life. It had helped him move on from her death and find some kind of peace. People loved his work and hailed him as the greatest artist of their time. It was incredibly flattering, to say the least.

When he finally felt like he was ready, Shion began painting Nezumi.

He began with the distinctive hair and face shape before painting his eyes. In his dreams, instead of nightmares, he dreamed of being together with his mom, Inukashi, baby Shion, Rikigia, Safu and Nezumi. What he dreamt motivated to continue the painting, to dream of a reality where Safu had lived and Nezumi had stayed by his side. He painted the eyes and made a silent wish to the canvas on the second anniversary of that day.

Before I finish this painting, Nezumi will come back home.

Requests came flooding in, so he put the painting on hold. People wanted their portraits draws or portraits of loved ones they had lost two years ago. Shion obliged. If painting had helped him with Safu’s death and helped him cope with Nezumi’s departure, then he could help others do the same. 

Before he knew it, the third anniversary of that day came. 

Instead of making him be hurt, it made Shion feel angry.

He had waited.

He almost trashed his studio as he kicked his furniture and yelled angrily. He cursed at Nezumi because he kept waiting and still nothing. He kept waiting! He was angry at Nezumi because he said he would come back. Why wasn’t he back?!

“Don’t come back then, you idiot!” He had screamed at the incomplete painting of Nezumi, “I don’t care if you don’t come back! Get out of my head and let me move on!”

The painting didn’t say anything as he screamed at it. It was just a painting. All it could do was stand propped where he had placed it. The incomplete eyes of Nezumi that seemed to pierce his soul made him feel worse than he did.  

The next day, Shion hid the painting of the attic. He covered it in a white blanket and never went up to the attic to see it again. He was done chasing after a memory, crying over a memory.

Waiting for someone who was never coming back. . . it was a useless thing to do.

Only the dreams were able to comfort him.

~~ERASE~~

Shion walked down familiar roads, hoping Inukashi would not follow because they were worried about him. He didn’t like that his mom and Inukashi looked at him with such worried faces because of what today was. 

He couldn’t be weighed down by thoughts of Nezumi anymore if he was going to continue going through the day. He didn’t have that luxury during the day, during reality. Besides, he couldn’t be crying or whining like a child anymore. He was an adult. He shouldn’t be crying at this point.

Crying would not make Nezumi come back.

Shion stopped in front of Nezumi’s house, taking a deep breath before entering. The house looked like he remembered it. Well, almost. He was sure that there was a bag that hadn’t been there before thrown on the ground. He dismissed it because it was probably Inukashi’s. 

He entered, walking past the bookshelves. For a brief moment, he thought he saw someone, but he ignored it as he grabbed the copy of Macbeth that was misplaced. He put it back where it belonged before looking around the house. The familiar longing and hurt threatened to bubble out and explode. 

“Nezumi. . . I have faced reality.”

Nezumi was never coming back. 

Shion was ready to let go of the foolish thought that he was coming back. 

“I’m tired of waiting,” Shion said, heading to the exit, “I can’t believe in reunion anymore. I’m sorry, but I’m ready to forget you now. Forget that you were here, forget the time we spent together, forget that I love you. I can’t go on if I can’t erase you.”  

Four years without any word from the one he loved. Four years wishing and hoping for his return. Four years filled with tears and screams that he couldn’t get back. He was done. Even if it hurt, he was going to stop believing in Nezumi. The Nezumi that lived in his dreams only existed there. The real Nezumi. . . was nothing but a memory. 

“Goodbye, Nezumi,” He said, beginning to close the door to leave the house, “Just stay in my memories and dreams. That’s the only way you can exist now.”

The sound of books falling made him pause as he closed the door. Long enough for him to hear a very familiar voice.

“Shion!”

I’m dreaming.

The door was flung open, making him almost fall. Someone grabbed his hand with desperation and Shion’s traitorous heart began to race. His eyes widened as, before his eyes, Nezumi was standing right in front of him.

“Nezumi. . .?”

The hair was longer, but it was still Nezumi’s. His beautiful gray eyes, although filled with so much emotion he couldn’t immediately place, were the same eyes from his dreams and memories. He was slightly taller, and he was dressed in different clothes – except for that scarf, that oh so familiar scarf – but he was undeniably Nezumi.

“It is you!” Nezumi cried out, looking relieved, his grip on his hand tightening, “I was half-asleep when I heard someone come in but hearing your voice, I knew it had to be you. I didn’t know how I was going to find you this time, but you came to me. I-.”

“I’ve cracked.” Shion half-laughed, “Haunting my dreams isn’t enough anymore. Now I’m seeing him in reality. Why?”

“Shion, it’s me.” Nezumi said, slightly shaking his shoulders, “I’m real.”

“No, you’re not.” Shion said, trying to get away from the cruel illusion his disillusioned heart had created, “Nezumi isn’t coming back to me. Nezumi’s gone.”

Nezumi had left him four years ago. Nezumi had never come back to him. Nezumi, despite loving him, left him and never came back. That was the truth, wasn’t it?

“Shion, snap out of it dammit!” Nezumi shouted, eyebrows knitted as he frowned, “Don’t make me punch you in the face for me to prove it! Why are you acting like this?” 

“Why? Why? Why is this so unfair?” Shion asked, feeling a single tear roll down his cheeks, “Why did you come back into my life when I just finally decided to let you go?”

The cruel devil’s face looked hurt before pulling him toward him, enveloping him in a hug. The warmth – not a blanket’s warmth, his warmth – made the tears fall faster. Nezumi’s fingers threaded through Shion’s hair and the touch was too real. 

“I’m sorry, Shion,” Nezumi whispered with so much tenderness that it felt like a dream, “I made you wait a very long time, didn’t I?” 

“I hate you,” Shion sobbed, even if he didn’t mean it, “I kept waiting for you. Like some idiot, I waited for you and you never came. Why now?”

“You don’t hate me,” Nezumi said, holding Shion closer, “I was held up, but I managed to come back. I didn’t lie that I would come back to you. I’m sorry that I made you wait so long that it’s hurt you like this. Shion, I’m sorry.”

Shion sobbed, weakly pounding his fists against Nezumi’s chest. Nezumi made no move to stop him and Shion felt he deserved it. All the pain from before that he had hidden in his heart just flooded out. Despite it all, Nezumi did nothing but hold him.

At one point, Shion couldn’t feel the strength to continue hitting Nezumi. Nezumi put a finger under Shion’s chin and just offered him a small smile. Shion’s lower lip wobbled but he couldn’t muster any tears anymore.

“Look at you,” Nezumi said, wiping away the tear tracks in Shion’s face, “I’ve really hurt you, haven’t I? No apology can take away all those years of pain. I know that. Still. . . I’m glad that you waited and you still. . . and you still love me, even after what I did to you.”

Nezumi kissed Shion’s forehead and Shion wrapped his arms around Nezumi’s neck, burying his face in the other’s neck. Nezumi held him tighter, as if he could somehow erase the distance between the two of them. Shion’s heart ached but Nezumi was here. He was holding him, apologizing to him, kissing him. Nezumi was real and he was so warm.

“Nezumi. . . welcome back. . .”

Nezumi quietly led him to the bed and they laid down together. Nezumi cradled Shion’s head as he gave him soft kisses. For every day he missed, Nezumi said with a smirk as he got Shion to muster a smile. Nezumi softly told him about how he spent his years, but the words seemed to blend for Shion in that moment. 

Nezumi’s voice, the voice that haunted his dreams, now soothed the wounds in his heart. He didn’t care too much about what Nezumi was saying. All he cared about was that he could hear Nezumi because Nezumi was here, here after four years of Shion having to use the dreams as a way to see and hear the one he loved.

“Are you listening?”

“Mmhmm,” Shion lied, smiling weakly as Nezumi huffed. 

“Whatever, I guess I can tell you about the beach later, then.”

Shion curled closer to Nezumi, hearing his heartbeat, and feeling the rise and fall of his chest, “Just tell me about the stars you saw. I like hearing about the stars.” 

When Nezumi began to sing for him as he gently ran his hands through his hair, Shion was scared to fall asleep. If he fell asleep, he was scared that he’d wake up in the empty house and he had imagined this after all. He couldn’t take it if it happened. He wouldn’t be able to handle that hurt if it happened.

“Sleep,” Nezumi reassured him, “and when you wake up, I’ll still be here. I’m not going anywhere.”

When Shion woke up hours later and Nezumi’s smiling face greeted him, it finally hit him that everything was real. 

“I love you, Nezumi. After everything, it’s still you.”

“I never stopped loving you, Shion. I won’t let you forget that.”

It took four years but Nezumi fulfilled his promise.

[umisabaku]

Shion leaves his window open all the time, and Nezumi wants to believe that maybe that’s for him. Shion sits by the window when he reads, or sometimes while he's writing letters. Sometimes he just stares out the window, and Nezumi wonders what he's thinking.

But he looks good. That's the important thing, Nezumi figures. Shion looks alive and healthy and well-fed, and all things considered, like he's doing just fine. 

If he sometimes looks sad, Nezumi tries not to think too much about that.

*

Another robotic mouse would have been too recognizable, even if it would have been the easier thing to make. Shion would probably be expecting another robotic mouse. So Nezumi makes a small snake instead. In a fit of generalized stupidity, he makes the snake red, and only later realizes how noticeable that would be, out in the wild. But it is a dull red, and small enough to hide in cracks and secret places; perfect for spying, which is what it is designed for. 

Nezumi doesn't name it, because that was Shion's thing. He thought it was stupid when Shion did it and he's certainly not going to start being sentimental now. He just calls it Hebi and tells it to watch Shion. It records Shion's activities and avoids the mice and keeps Nezumi up to date on all things Shion.

It makes perfect sense to keep track of Shion. After all, the last time he left Shion alone, he ended up nearly getting killed by accidentally stumbling upon a government conspiracy. Who knows what Shion will do if left unsupervised this time. So Nezumi might be gone from Shion's life, but he's not really gone, even if Shion doesn't know that.

*

There's just things he has to do. That's what he tells himself, anyway. He had to leave. It was good for him and Shion both. 

*

"It's not like we could have had happily ever after," he tells the snake. "Shakespeare's comedies ended with a marriage and his tragedies ended with death. We had a lot of death. If I stayed, we probably would have had more."

The snake raises its body and tilts its head.

"It's not cowardly," Nezumi informs it. "There was never violence in his life before I entered it, and there would have been nothing but violence if I stayed."

The snake tilts its head the other way.

"Don't look at me like that. You're not allowed to judge me. I made you."

He's talking to a robotic snake he built to spy on Shion. He is aware of the levels of ridiculousness that are going on right now. But then, Hamlet talked to a skull, so perhaps he's not so bad off. (Although, considering what happened to Hamlet, probably Nezumi shouldn't be relieved by the comparison.)

*

He ends up calling the snake Yorick and feels slightly appalled.

*

And it's not like it will be forever. Even when he was ten years old and they separated the first time, Nezumi knew it wasn't going to be forever. There was something that bound them together. Like a prophecy in a Shakespeare play. They were entwined now, and it doesn't matter how much time or distance is between them. 

He really needs to stop looking at the recorded video of Shion so much, though. It's probably a little pathetic.

*

One day Yorick returns with a piece of paper tied around his—its—neck. It takes Nezumi a full two days before he finally reads it.

The snake is cute but I miss you.

Nezumi looks down at the red snake and says, "You're supposed to be more discreet."

The snake looks remarkably like it’s feigning innocence. Which is rather impressive, for a snake. 

Nezumi tucks the piece of paper in his pocket. He looks down at the snake and says, "Yes, alright." It probably is time to go—

He pauses, taken aback by his own thought. But then shrugs. It probably is time to go home. And that's probably not such a strange thought after all. 

Shion was always home.

   A/N: A long time ago a couple people wondered if I'd ever write No. 6 fic. I didn't think I would, but this certainly was fun to try out! This one is for you, long time ago anon-friends =D And for the anon-friend who wondered about it more recently. Also, I haven’t watched/read No. 6 in awhile, so I might be misremembering things.

[nezumiismissing]

why does nezumi leave shion? I’m not sure I get it entirely

Hmmm. It’s kind of a complicated issue that pretty much everyone in the fandom has considered and discussed at great length at some point. I’ll probably make a long post eventually with my whole take on it, but the basic concept is that even though Nezumi and Shion were able to form a close relationship during their time in West Block, Nezumi is still working out his own feelings about the relationship and about No.6 in general. While we see his character development at the end of the series when he realizes that simply destroying No.6 will not solve the issue, he still doesn’t really have an answer for what should be done instead, since the destruction of the city was the only thing he had believed in for most of his life. In order for him to work out his feelings, he is both unable to stay with Shion, since he had been a destabilizing force in his life, and also unable to stay in No.6, since even though it would eventually be reformed, still represented the force that had killed his family and therefore been the focus of his anger for over 10 years. The only way to avoid both of those things of course is to leave, which although is sad for us as the reader/viewer, is also the most healthy decision for Nezumi to make, since it separates him from the things that had made his life the most difficult, and gives him the chance to be alone and work out his feelings without interference.

Hopefully this clears it up at least somewhat! I’m not always the best at explaining things, so if you want anything else clarified just lmk!

[shercockadoodledoo]

ballet shoes and ice skates (1)

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5

also on ao3

Summary: Shion is a world famous five-time gold medalist ice skater who just completed his eighth season of ice skating and is already training for his ninth. Nezumi is a ballet performer at a theater in Tokyo who has just been discovered by a film producer and promptly cast in his first feature film - a film that requires him to learn to ice skate. Nezumi's agent hires Shion to coach him, and Shion agrees, swept away by Nezumi's beauty and ignoring his lack of any actual coaching experience.

**

“Absolute silence from the audience, the anticipation is tangible – Everyone at the edges of their seats to see what Japan’s four-time Grand Prix Final gold medalist will bring to the ice this time. Safe to say Shion’s gold in this year’s final is almost guaranteed. The music, You Make Me Strong… Five quads planned in his program, the most of any skater in this year’s line-up. His quad Salchow is even part of a combination jump in his program’s second half. But first up, a quad loop – that leading step sequence, eased into a lift…outstanding! Nothing but perfection from Shion! Incredible!”

**

As the tape fast forwarded, the figure skater rushed over the ice, his jumps four times faster than real time until Nezumi pressed Play.

           “I don’t feel as if I’m being dramatic when I say this is probably the best figure skate program of all time. The audience is ecstatic, flowers raining on the ice. Shion must be so proud, a true phenomenon, without a doubt he’s broken yet another world record – five perfect quads, a truly amazing sight we’ve seen tonight, this is huge, this is record breaking, this is history being made.”

           When the video paused again, it was on the figure skater’s smile, a breathless exhaustion creasing his features, pinking his cheeks. Nezumi leaned forward, examined the shine of sweat, the clumped strands of hair freed from the rest of his slicked back locks, whiter than the ice he skated on. The lips parted, a grin softening the features that had been focused for the entirety of the program.

           The figure skater – Shion – would win a gold medal. His fifth consecutive gold, his eighth consecutive Grand Prix medal overall. Like Nezumi, he was twenty-five. One of the older skaters, but an end to his career did not seem near.

           His eyes were redder than the roses thrown onto the ice. His eyelashes a startling white. Even frozen, there was something enchanting about the figure skater.

           Nezumi dropped his gaze back to the figure skater’s breathless smile for a few more seconds, then pressed Play again.

           “Ladies and gentlemen, it is safe to say that you have just witnessed a perfect performance from the most incredible figure skater in the world – Shion!”

*

“Shion!”

           Straightening up from his cantilever, Shion found Safu waving her hands by the edge of the rink. He weaved his fingers through his hair to keep them from blowing back into his eyes as he skated towards her.

           “You need a haircut. And you’re late,” Safu said, when Shion stopped inches from the edge of the rink.

           “Sorry, I got – ”

           “Distracted, which is why I came all the way here to collect you rather than wait for an hour at the diner. Come on.” Safu turned from him, beckoning over her shoulder with a curl of her fingers, and Shion hastily skated to the door of the rink to follow her.

           “I’m really sorry about that,” Shion insisted, catching up with his best friend, who wove an arm through his. “Please forgive me!”

           Safu laughed, bumped Shion’s shoulder with her own. “It’s only been three weeks since you left me at that diner on my own, I retain the right to be bitter for an entire month.”

           “That’s fair,” Shion conceded, as Safu steered them to the dressing rooms.

           “I stopped by the bakery to see your mother before I came here,” Safu said, in a nonchalant way that made Shion immediately suspicious.

           He didn’t say anything, as they’d reached the dressing room, and Shion pulled off his joggers to change into jeans. Halfway into his jeans, he peered up at Safu to find her leaning against the row of lockers across from his, eyebrows raised at him and arms crossed.

           “And when did you change your mind about this? Why didn’t you tell me?” Safu asked, as Shion had known she was going to.

           He straightened up to zip his jeans before sitting down on a bench to pull on his sneakers, glad to be distracted by tying the laces so he didn’t have to look at his friend when he replied.

           “I haven’t got time. I need to train.”

           “The last season just ended. New excuse.”

           “I’ll need an entirely new training regime if I’m going to incorporate a quad axel into my new program.”

           “Again, the season just ended. You have time to learn the impossible quad.”

           Shion pulled his laces tight and looked up, resting his elbows on his knees and again pushing his bangs from his eyes. “It’s not impossible.”

           “In that case, it won’t be difficult at all for you to master it, and therefore you have extra time on your hands,” Safu said, uncrossing her arms and lifting her chin, her grin too smug.

           Shion laughed, standing up. “Safu, it’s just not the right time.”

           “Your mother agrees with me,” Safu replied, as she led the way out the dressing room down the hall to the exit. It was Shion’s hometown rink, where he’d been skating since he could walk. It wasn’t infrequent for his mother to laugh as she told the story of how Shion’s first steps had not been on solid ground, but ice.

           “Of course she agrees with you,” Shion muttered, checking his phone to see with a cringe that he was indeed fifteen minutes late to his dinner with Safu. “She always does.”

           “You could use a break. All you do is skate.”

           Shion opened the door for Safu, followed her out into the sunlight that had him squinting, the sun always brightest right before it set. “I’d still be skating if I did this.”

           “You’d be teaching. There’s a difference. It wouldn’t be for the purpose of competition. It’d be for fun. Remember when you used to skate for fun?” Safu prodded Shion’s side gently with her elbow.

           “I still skate for fun. I find competing fun. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.”

           “He requested you specifically,” Safu insisted.

           “His agent did.”

           “So? This is the actor’s chance to break out of the theater scene and make it big in the film industry. Don’t you want to help him? I know you love helping people,” Safu said, smiling when Shion glanced at her.

           He took her hand, led her across the street after making sure no cars were passing.

           “You saw his headshots. He’s gorgeous. He doesn’t need help making it big in the film industry, his looks will easily carry him to the top. Besides, I’m not the only one who can help him. There are tons of figure skaters in Japan who could teach him. And logically, it should be a coach who trains him, I don’t know anything about teaching people how to skate.”

           Safu squeezed Shion’s hand lightly as they turned the corner of the block. “You taught me.”

           Shion sighed through a smile. “That was different.”

           “How?”

           “We were kids! And I wasn’t training for my next competition or trying to learn a new quad. And you weren’t about to star in a feature film about a figure skater’s star crossed love story with his arch nemesis on ice.”

           “The plot does sound interesting. If you helped him, I bet you could get us free tickets.”

           “A movie ticket is ten bucks. I’ll buy yours if you really want to see it,” Shion said, shaking his head as they reached the diner they’d been going to since they were in grade school. One of their many havens in their small rural town, and Shion felt a rush of warmth towards his best friend, towards the life they used to live before Shion got famous, towards the life Safu still allowed him to live between competitions, as if Shion was still the same boy she’d made dutiful flashcards with to study for their spelling tests, and years later, college entry exams, though of course, Shion had not ended up attending college.

           While Safu had filled out applications, Shion had entered his first senior division league, and he’d won each competition until landing a silver medal at the Grand Prix Final at seventeen, earning himself a fame that had only escalated in the eight years since.

           “The point isn’t the movie tickets,” Safu said, as they collapsed into a booth at the corner, glad to find their preferred table empty and waiting for them.

           Shion rested his elbows on the table and looked up at his best friend, who was pointing at him.

           “This will be good for you. A break in your routine. Since you started competing, it’s been all you’ve allowed yourself to focus on. I’ve always admired your committed nature to that which you are passionate about, but it’s not like you wouldn’t be figure skating. You’d just be doing something different for once in eight years.”

           “I’m not unhappy with my life, Safu. I don’t need change,” Shion sighed, reaching out to pick at the sugar packets beside him. “Besides, the agent’s request makes very little sense. Why pay so much money to hire me as a coach? Why not just hire an actual coach?”

           “For publicity, obviously, Shion. If the world’s number one figure skater trained the actor, it’d be incredible press for the film.”

           “I’m not the world’s number one figure skater,” Shion argued.

           “Oh? Then who is?” Safu asked, smiling around her question, and Shion was glad when a waitress came to their table, smiling cheerily at them and telling Shion to thank his mother again for the pies she’d delivered to the diner that morning.

           When she left with their orders, Safu resumed the topic that Shion had been hoping she’d drop.

           “Just give it a try. Don’t sign the contract if you don’t want to commit to it, but try at least one day of lessons. What’s the worst that could happen? You said so yourself, the actor is gorgeous if his headshots are to be believed, it can’t be that painful to have a day full of him.”

           Shion rolled his eyes and sipped the water the waitress had brought over. “My mom could train him,” he suggested. “She’s the best coach I’ve ever had.”

           “She’s the only coach you’ve ever had. And you know she looks forward to the off season where she can take a break from the ice. You can’t really suggest pulling her from the bakery.”

           Shion rested his elbow on the table and his hand on his palm. “I guess not. Can we change the subject? Tell me about the clinic. All we’ve done is talk about this actor since we got his agent’s offer in the mail.”

           “Because that’s more interesting than anything going on in my clinic. But fine, yes, we can change the topic, just one more thing,” Safu said, sliding her hand under the table, from where it reemerged holding two strips of pale orange paper. “Surprise!”

           “What is it?” Shion asked, reaching out for the strips, reading them twice before realizing they were tickets for The New National Theatre in Tokyo. “Aren’t these expensive?”

           “Nope. Your mother gave them to me, they were sent by the actor’s agent. Apparently, the agent had an idea that you might need some coaxing. We can drive into Tokyo tonight after we eat, sight see around the city in the morning, then attend his production in the evening, what do you think?”

           Shion eyed his friend’s exuberance warily. “Don’t you need to take off work?”

           “Already did.”

           “Safu!”

           “Come on, Shion. We haven’t done something together in so long.”

           “We’re doing something together right now,” Shion reminded, but he glanced back at the tickets. “It’s a ballet,” he read, surprised. “I didn’t know the actor did ballet.”

           “It’ll help for his figure skating, don’t you think? Please, will you come with me? And don’t say you can’t take a day off from training, because I know you can, don’t make me remind you that it’s only January.”

           Shion ran his finger across the side of his cup, catching dew on his fingertip that he wiped on his jeans before looking up at his best friend. He smiled at her hopeful eagerness. “All right, all right, I need to pack some stuff after we eat, and then we can go. My car or yours?”

           “Mine, of course, you’re a terrible driver,” Safu replied easily, not seeming at all surprised that Shion had agreed to her impromptu plan, but after twenty-five years of friendship, Safu must have known Shion would always end up going along with her schemes.

           After Shion’s grudging agreement, Safu allowed a change in topic, and the actor was not mentioned again as they feasted on blueberry pancakes, bacon, and eggs for dinner, settling into the worn seats of the booth that felt more comfortable to Shion than even the ice he loved to skate on.

*

It was the morning after Nezumi’s last production of Swan Lake that he got a text from his agent.

           The figure skater had agreed to a week of preemptive training, completely out of contract and cost-free, before Nezumi and the figure skater could both decide if the official training should continue as written out in the contract for the agreed upon price and timespan the agent had listed.

           I told him you agreed. Taking the train out to his hometown rink this afternoon. Pack your stuff. I’ll call around noon with details and have a car collect you at three.

           Nezumi didn’t bother replying to the text, seeing as apparently, he had little say in the matter entirely. Not that he had any inclination to disagree. He was surprised that the figure skater was even bothering to extend a week of his time to train him, amazed that his agent’s longshot plan had led to any fraction of fruition at all.

           Nezumi hauled himself out of bed, throwing his phone on the mattress and pushing his bangs from his eyes. He needed to pack, though it occurred to him, after he took a quick shower, made himself a slice of toast, and stood in front of his closet nibbling on the corners of it, that he had no idea what he was supposed to wear during his figure skating training.

           He gripped his toast loosely between his teeth, pulled his duffel from the top shelf of the closet, and threw random articles of clothing into it, thinking that rinks were probably cold and opting for sweats and sweaters, then remembering the sparkling skintight outfits Shion wore in the videos Nezumi’s agent had given him to watch, and threw in a few pairs of tights and leggings from the costumes of his previous ballets along with the sweats.

           By noon, Nezumi had packed and repacked his bag three times, and took a break to take the call from his agent, who briefed him on the schedule she and the figure skater had arranged for the next week.

           Ten-hour practice sessions daily, from nine in the morning to six at night, allowing for an hour lunch break.

           Nezumi was accustomed to longer days of practice for his ballets that often extended to late hours of the night, and didn’t protest.

           By five, Nezumi was in a train across from his agent, who rambled on until Nezumi dug his script out of his duffel and opened it to indicate to his agent that he had no desire for conversation. He did not actually read the script when his agent finally stopped talking, but flipped the pages in a lazy act, having already read through it twice.

           The working title was Hearts of Ice. Catchy enough, but Nezumi hoped it would be changed by the end of production. Nezumi had been cast by a film producer who’d come to one of his ballets and got it into his head that Nezumi would be perfect in a feature film, which Nezumi had never been a part of in his life.

           He preferred live shows. The endless toll of it, the constant labor, the back-stage crew flitting in and off the stage decked in black, invisible to the audience whose eyes followed only the spotlight and the thespians illuminated by it. There was the demand for perfection, no first, second, or third takes, no chances to redo a scene – just right then, that moment. It required precision, complete focus, and Nezumi thrived on it, living in the exact moment in which his audience watched him with bated breath.

           He could tell, watching the videos of the figure skater, that competitions were much the same as the theater. One mistake, and the illusion was shattered, the magic was gone. A second too late, a hesitation after the cue, and there was no longer magnificence.

           A film would be nothing like that. But Nezumi’s agent was insistent, and once Nezumi saw the figure on his paycheck he’d been offered even before his agent’s negotiation for more, he couldn’t rationalize refusing it.

           “Nezumi.”

           Nezumi glanced up from the script wearily, which he’d flipped to the end pages by then. He’d been contemplating taking a nap, and hoped his agent wasn’t about to go on another monologue.

           “We’re almost there, get ready.”

           Nezumi glanced out the window of the train, saw little in the darkness, and stooped down to pack his script, sitting back up to stretch while his agent typed something on her phone before pocketing it.

           “We’ll go to the hotel tonight and meet Shion in the morning. His mother works at a bakery and offered to treat us to an early breakfast before your training started in order to get acquainted.”

           “His mother? Thought she was his coach,” Nezumi said, tying his hair up and recalling the woman on the side of the rinks, beaming at her son in the videos he’d watched.

           Nezumi’s agent shrugged. “Guess she bakes in the off season.”

           The train slowed before stopping, and Nezumi stood up, followed his agent out the carriage and down the corridor until they were stepping off the train.

           His agent reached out and pulled Nezumi’s sleeve.

           “Nezumi.”

           “Kiyoko.” Nezumi freed his arm gently from his agent’s grip, and she allowed it.

           “Be nice tomorrow. Remember, Shion hasn’t yet agreed to train you, this week is a kind gesture on his part to meet you and see how you work together. So try to cooperate.”

           “I’m always nice,” Nezumi replied.

           “I didn’t score this opportunity for you to waste it.”

           “I’ll be nice, I’ll cooperate, I’ll flatter the mother, I’ll flirt with the figure skater. Happy?”

           “Don’t flirt with the figure skater.”

           “That might win him over,” Nezumi pointed out, his lips pulling up as his agent glared at him.

           “Please do not take my career as a joke.”

           “I would never.”

           “Keep in mind the paycheck you could get from this film if it gets the publicity of this guy as your coach and behave yourself.”

           “Yes, ma’am.”

           His agent shook her head, muttering something under her breath that sounded a lot like, Nuisance, before hailing a cab, the door of which Nezumi opened for her with a grand gesture.

           “Save your manners for tomorrow,” she snapped in response, and Nezumi laughed, throwing their bags in the trunk before following her into the back seat, closing the door, and watching the night slip by out the window as the cab began to drive.

*

Shion woke early to head to the rink before he’d have to be at the bakery to meet the actor and his agent.

           He was just getting warmed up and setting himself up for a quad loop when he heard Safu.

           “I knew I’d find you here. Don’t you worry you might have an addiction to the ice?”

           Shion slipped from his arabesque into his quad loop, landing squarely and closing his eyes as he skated an easy figure eight. “It’s not an addiction if I can quit when I want to. I just don’t want to.”

           “That’s what all addicts say.”

           Shion smiled, opened his eyes to find his best friend with her hands on her hips. “Why are you up so early?”

           “Like I said, I knew I’d have to collect you from the rink and force you to the bakery for our meeting.”

           “You’re coming?”

           “Of course I’m coming!” Safu said, and Shion didn’t know why he’d expected anything else.

           “I have a few minutes.”

           “That could be spent helping your mother in the bakery. Come on, let’s go,” Safu said, so Shion skated towards her, slipping out the door and pulling off his skates.

           “I felt a little jittery. I thought skating could relax me,” he explained.

           “Jittery,” Safu repeated slowly, and Shion could tell she was watching him as he pulled on his sneakers, which he hadn’t bothered to leave in the dressing room.

           “There was something about him, don’t you think? Magnetic,” Shion murmured, straightening up and recalling the actor on stage, almost glowing, almost magical.

           “That’s the nature of the ballet, Shion. He was supposed to draw you in, that’s his job. He won’t be like that in real life. It’s all lights and make-up and talent.”

           Shion left his skates on the bench, figuring he’d be right back for them, and he had the entire rink booked for the week since he’d need privacy to train the actor. “What do you think he’ll be like in real life?” Shion asked, walking with Safu to the exit.

           Safu glanced at him. “Normal,” she replied, as if surprised by the question, but when Shion tried to imagine the actor who’d been almost supernaturally beautiful on stage the night before as normal, it felt impossible.

           “Normal,” Shion repeated, testing the word, finding it didn’t fit in describing the actor at all.

           “He’s just another guy, Shion,” Safu reminded, nudging Shion’s hip gently with her own. “Don’t be so enchanted by him. If anything, he should be the one captivated by you, Mr. Gold Medalist.”

           Shion laughed at the thought of the actor who’d had Shion’s heart racing during the entirety of his production being captivated by himself. It was almost ridiculous. It almost warmed Shion from the inside-out.

*

The bakery was small and warm.

           “Stepping in here is like getting a hug,” Nezumi’s agent said, almost wondrously as she walked in after him, and Nezumi glanced at her.

           “Should you be saying such stupid things right now? I thought we were trying to make a good first impression.”

           “What did I tell you about being nice?” his agent snapped, and Nezumi smirked silently in response.

           He looked around. There were several tables of different shapes and sizes around the room, with different types of stools and chairs surrounding them. Three of the tables were occupied by customers, some talking to each other, others reading newspapers. The place smelled incredible, and Nezumi could immediately see the source of the smell showcased in the glass display counter beside the register.

           “Do you think we should sit down, or – ”

           “Oh, hello!” A cheerful voice interrupted his agent’s, and Nezumi’s attention was stolen from a row of pine tarts to a woman he recognized from the figure skater’s videos.

           The figure skater’s mother and coach. Karan.

           “Hi. You must be Karan. I’m Kiyoko, we spoke on the phone.” Nezumi’s agent stepped forward, held out a hand that the figure skater’s mother shook with both of her own.

           “Kiyoko, hi, it’s so lovely to meet you. And you must be Nezumi, it’s so great to finally meet you as well. Let me collect my son, he’s just in the back. Would you like to have a seat? Any table is fine, we’ll bring out tea and snacks.”

           “Do you need help with anything?” Nezumi asked, smiling at the woman as she shook his hand. Her palm was warm and soft enough that he was surprised by it. He smiled warmly at her, knowing he could be charming when he wanted to – or more typically, when his agent demanded it from him.

           “No, no, that’s all right, do sit down.”

           When Karan left them, Nezumi followed his agent to a table by the window.

           “Where do you think the red eyes came from? His mom’s are brown,” Nezumi asked, leaning back in his seat until his agent slapped his arm.

           “Sit up! And don’t you dare ask Shion about his appearance.”

           “All right, all right, you’re the one who should learn to be nice,” Nezumi muttered, sitting up and resisting the urge to rub his arm.

           It was not the figure skater who appeared from the back door first, but a young woman Nezumi guessed was around his age. She had shoulder-length hair, a smooth expression, and a gaze that slid slowly over Nezumi’s face like he was not a person at all, but a calculation to be unraveled.

           Nezumi watched her back until his gaze was caught by the man who walked out from the back door behind her.

           The figure skater. Shion.

           Behind Shion came his mother, but Nezumi had already met the mother, didn’t care to look away from the figure skater, who didn’t seem to want to look away from him either.

           Nezumi was used to this. He knew what he looked like. He wondered if the figure skater was used to stares as well.

           Beside him, Nezumi was aware of his agent standing, so Nezumi stood as well while their hosts walked towards the table, the young woman the one to extend her hand first.

           “I’m Safu, Shion’s best friend. We saw your production of Swan Lake last night. You are very talented.”

           Nezumi made himself look away from the figure skater to offer the woman – Safu – a quick smile. “Thank you, I’m flattered.” He had not known that the figure skater had seen his production, and glanced at him again even before he’d freed his hand from the woman’s. “And what did you think?”

           The figure skater smiled easily, the same smile Nezumi had examined longer than he cared to admit, pausing the videos his agent had given him for educational purposes. “I thought you were the most beautiful person I’d ever seen in my life.”

           Nezumi blinked, forgetting to extend his hand.

           “I’m Shion, but you probably figured that out. And you’re Nezumi. It’s an honor to meet you, you have incredible talent.”

           Nezumi was vaguely aware that this was what he was supposed to be saying to Shion, the world’s most famous and celebrated figure skater, winner of five gold medals, eight medals total. He found, however, that it was difficult to say anything at all.

           “I believe the real privilege is ours. We’ve been watching your tapes, Shion, you really are incredible on the ice,” Nezumi’s agent said, in a voice Nezumi heard vaguely. “I’m Nezumi’s agent, Kiyoko. It’s an honor.”

           Nezumi reminded himself to focus. Straightened out his charming smile, unsure what his expression had been falling into but not caring to know.

           “Shall we sit?” Safu asked, and Nezumi glanced at the table to see it covered in mugs and baked goods, a small pitcher of milk and a bowl of sugar cubes amidst the rest. He had not noticed these items being placed there, wondered vaguely where they’d come from as he sat back down.

           The figure skater was separated from him by Safu, but she had a small frame, was easy to disregard.

           “Milk and sugar?” the figure skater asked, holding out a mug of tea he’d poured, and Nezumi took it carefully, not allowing their skin to touch.

           “No, thanks.”

           “Nezumi doesn’t like sweet things,” his agent supplied.

           “Oh, really? You’re lucky. I love sugar, it makes it hard to stay in shape for the season,” Shion said, smiling again, another easy smile that Nezumi drank in as he sipped his tea, filling with warmth that he fully attributed to the hot drink and nothing else.

           “Why are you choosing to do a feature film? After seeing you in the theater, I’m surprised you’d want to leave the stage,” Safu said, and Nezumi glanced at her.

           “The money,” he replied, not thinking. He received a swift kick in the shin that he tactfully ignored, not even bothering to glare at his agent.

           “He’s joking,” his agent cut in.

           Nezumi couldn’t remember why his agent was even there. Why anyone else was there but him and the figure skater – weren’t they the only ones who really needed to be acquainted? Wasn’t everyone else superfluous?

           “Why would you agree to coach me? Aren’t you busy training for the next gold medal?” Nezumi asked, and the figure skater tilted his head while Nezumi received another kick in the shin. He’d be properly bruised by the end of the meeting, but found it hard to care.

           “The money,” Shion said, and then he laughed so abruptly he nearly cut himself off, a giggle that erupted into the palm he lifted to stifle it while Nezumi stared at him, feeling his own lips quirk up, lifting his mug to hide them.

           “He hasn’t agreed yet, this is preliminary,” Safu said.

           “A test run,” Nezumi’s agent added, and Nezumi knew it was a warning for him to behave himself, but he didn’t care to behave himself in the slightest.

           He felt reckless. That must have been what his pulse vibrating under his skin meant. That must have been what the stifling heat over his body meant.

           “I wasn’t going to agree,” Shion said, as if no one else had spoken. He’d collected himself, though his breathless grin lingered. “But then I saw you yesterday.”

           Shion spoke simply, as if the words could suffice as a reason, and he didn’t offer any additional explanation.

           Nezumi narrowed his eyes, tried to understand him, was not given a chance to as Karan was offering him muffins. Nezumi agreed, mostly to have something to do with his hands, which felt shaky, itchy, much like the rest of him.

           The figure skater was unsettling, but Nezumi found that he had no desire at all to be settled.

*

Shion expected the actor – Nezumi – to be graceful the way he’d been on stage. He ran through a few instructions as Nezumi tried on skates on the bench beside him, long fingers lacing up one after the other.

           “The balance is in your hips and knees, not your feet,” Shion said, not thinking about the words, more focused on the way Nezumi’s hair fell forward as he bent down, the way he’d reach a hand up, tuck his hair behind a pale ear every few seconds only for it to free itself half a moment later, dark as a curtain of deep seawater. “Have you been on the ice before?”

           Nezumi tightened the bows of his laces, stood up in a careful way. Shion looked up at him, the length of him. He was tall, long-limbed. He wore a baggy sweater with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows that fell loosely over the black leggings clinging to the length of his legs. The sweater was sky blue and said Cinderella on the front with pale pink letters. The back said CAST – NEZUMI.

           “No,” Nezumi said. He had a low voice, but it projected, as if he was always on stage, whispering for an audience. Shion found himself leaning forward with each word Nezumi spoke. He leaned forward at the silences between the words. He leaned forward with every breath he took and released.

           “Are you scared?” Shion asked, though he’d meant to say – It seems scary at first, but it’s not that bad once you get used to it.

           Nezumi looked at him in a quick way. His eyes were like lights in that Shion felt as though his skin glowed with every look of them, felt himself become illuminated until his entire body radiated.

           “Should I be?” Nezumi asked, though it didn’t sound like a question.

           Shion stood up as well, also in his skates. He did not answer Nezumi’s question. “You’ll have to break in the skates. Your feet might hurt, get blisters.”

           “I’m used to blisters,” Nezumi replied, and Shion thought about ballet shoes, how the dancers would balance themselves on the flats of their toes with the ease as if they walked on clouds.

           He nodded. “Good. There’s no use stalling out here then, let’s get on the ice.”

           Shion led the way to the door of the rink, pushing it open and stepping onto the ice, smooth from the Zamboni that had cleaned it that morning. He skated backwards a few feet to give Nezumi space and watched the actor come to the door, step out carefully with one foot, then the next. He closed the door behind him just as he nearly fell, his feet shooting out in front of him.

           Nezumi grabbed the wall of the rink, and Shion could see the tightness of his grip as he stopped himself from falling flat on his ass, pushing himself up as his skates scrabbled over the ice.

           “Shit,” the actor hissed, while Shion skated over, hesitant to reach out but unsure of his own hesitance.

           He had a feeling Nezumi would not welcome help, but then, he had come to this rink for that very purpose, and Shion reminded himself of this as he reached out to grip Nezumi’s arm through his sweatshirt.

           “Take a breath and steady yourself,” he said quietly, not looking at Nezumi’s face but his skates, which stopped scrabbling gradually and came to a stop.

           Shion was about to let go of Nezumi, but the actor pulled his arm away first, not jerkily, but gently, as if Shion had not been touching him at all.

           Shion stepped back, watched Nezumi’s hard breaths and narrowed eyes, the crease between them hidden when he looked up and his bangs fell over his forehead.

           “Now what?” he asked, as if he hadn’t nearly fallen.

           “You’ll have to let go of the wall,” Shion said. He’d never coached anyone, at least not professionally, and tried to remember his mother’s advice when he’d been a child, though it was hard to conjure memories from when he’d been so young.

           His mother had been a figure skater herself, making it to the Grand Prix Final only once and winning the sole gold medal of her career before retiring. Not eight months later, Shion had been born.

           Nezumi had not let go of the wall. He was looking down at his feet again, his hair falling over his face, and Shion thought about recommending he tie it up, but he liked the silk of it, how it grazed over the pale of Nezumi’s cheeks and neck, how it stuck on the sky-blue shoulders of his oversized sweater.

           “What do I do after I let go?” Nezumi asked.  

           Shion remembered his mother holding his hand. The way he’d only let go of the wall because he’d known there was something – someone – else to hold on to.

           He bit his lip, then skated forward again, closed the distance between himself and the actor, held out his hand.

           “Hold my hand.”

           Nezumi wore gloves that bared the top segments of his fingertips. He looked at Shion’s hand for only a second before reaching out with his own. Shion felt the fabric of his glove, the cool of his fingerprints where they poked out from the fabric and pressed against Shion’s skin.

           “You can let go of the wall now,” Shion reminded, and Nezumi’s hand tightened around his own before the actor released the wall.

           Nezumi’s grip was strong. Shion wanted to wince but didn’t. When he looked into Nezumi’s face, it was to see complete composure, and Shion wondered if he was imagining the feel of Nezumi’s fingernails digging into the back of his hand.

           “I don’t want you to learn anything today but how to be comfortable on the ice. We won’t bother with steps or jumps or combinations. None of that will matter unless you can trust yourself to stand,” Shion said, speaking slowly, watching Nezumi tuck his hair back behind an ear, watching the hair fall forward across his cheek again.

           “Okay,” Nezumi said, and Shion was surprised he hadn’t objected, expected Nezumi to be opposed to taking his lessons slowly.

           Shion reminded himself that he didn’t even know Nezumi. They were strangers. It was irrational to even make assumptions about the man and what he might want, what he might feel, what he might desire.

           “I won’t let go of you. Let’s take a few steps. It’s not like walking, but I doubt I need to tell you that. I expect it’s a lot like taking steps in ballet, where you glide, where you allow yourself to be weightless. I think we should start out lapping the rink, close enough to the wall where you can reach out to it if you need it, but I don’t want you to rely on it. Rely on me, I’m right beside you.”

           Nezumi nodded, and Shion pushed forward for their first step, instructing Nezumi to watch his feet, to copy him, to trust himself and not concern himself with balancing, but with going forward.

           “If you pretend it’s as easy as walking, you forget that it’s not,” he said, and Nezumi slid forward, tentative, slow, not at all graceful as Shion had expected.

           While he gave no indication of it other than the unyielding grip on Shion’s hand, Shion knew Nezumi was scared. He fell several times, often taking Shion down with him, but he never reached out for the wall of the rink, and Shion never let go of his hand.

           They did nothing but lap the rink, over and over while Nezumi continued to fall and Shion continued to encourage him. Nezumi said nothing when he fell but for hissed curses under his breath, but he always got up quickly again, was the first to pull Shion forward to finish their lap, to start another.

           Hours were spent this way until Shion felt Nezumi’s grip loosen from his, and then Nezumi’s hand was gone, and they skated beside each other, Shion telling Nezumi how to move his arms with his body for more balance, Nezumi following the instructions wordlessly. He fell only once more after that, but soon when Shion glanced over at him, it was to see hints of the grace Shion had at first expected.

           Shion had a feeling they’d long since passed the time he’d planned for them to break for lunch, but Shion said nothing, and Nezumi didn’t either. The neck of his blue Cinderella sweater was soaked in sweat, and his bangs plastered to the sides of his face, but Nezumi did not stop, and Shion matched every step he took.

           Shion was not wearing his watch, and by the time he remembered to squint at the clock on the wall as they passed it, it was to see that it was three in the afternoon.

           “Nezumi.”

           Nezumi made no sound, but Shion assumed he’d been heard.

           “We can stop. We should stop, take a break, it’s been six hours. Your feet must kill you.”

           Nezumi said nothing for a second, kept skating, and then, quietly – “I don’t know how.”

           “How what?”

           “To stop.”

           This surprised Shion, who stared at Nezumi for a moment, then laughed. “Oh. I forgot. Is that why you haven’t stopped all this time?”

           This time, Nezumi did not reply.

           “Well, all right, it’s simple. You sort of tilt your foot so that you can push the flat part of the blade against the ice, and the friction will stop you. It helps to bend your knees in order to keep your balance. Does that make sense?”

           “Sure.”

           “Okay, ready?”

           “Okay.”

           Shion stopped first, glancing at Nezumi, who did not stop at all, kept gliding forward for a few more seconds before he stuck out his foot abruptly and fell back, arms waving until he was flat on his back.

           “Ow, shit.”

           Shion skated towards him, offered a hand that Nezumi did not take, pushing himself off the ice on his own instead.

           “I guess my explanation wasn’t thorough enough, and maybe I should have given a better demonstration. I’m sorry about that.”

           “It’s fine,” Nezumi replied, pushing his fingers through his bangs before peering at Shion.

           A swiftly burning feeling jolted through Shion. To have Nezumi’s unfocused attention on him all at once was a jarring thing, shook his pulse in an unfamiliar way, an incredible way. “You did well. Really. I wouldn’t just say that, you’re a quick learner. We can work on stopping after we take a break, you must be hungry.”

           Nezumi only shrugged, turning to the wall and skating slowly towards it before stepping carefully along it to the door, where he let himself out of the rink. Shion followed him, sat beside him as they changed out of their skates.

           When Nezumi stood up again, Shion saw his wince just barely, in the slight narrow of his eyes. Shion knew he only noticed it because he’d been searching for an indication of discomfort. It did not surprise him that Nezumi did not easily show pain.          

           “My apartment is near to here, we’ll ice your feet so the swelling goes down for our afternoon practice. And we should have something to eat. Do you like sushi? There’s a place right next to my apartment where we can stop in.”

           “That’s fine,” Nezumi said, and he was silent as he followed Shion out of the rink into the cool afternoon.

           Nezumi was not talkative. When he spoke, he did so quietly, sparingly. Shion was not used to being around people like Nezumi. He was not used to stretches of silences, but he did not find them uncomfortable, and did not work as hard as he could have to fill them. He let them stretch between himself and Nezumi, wondered how long he himself could go without speaking, felt as though it was something he had to practice at, something that Nezumi would teach him while Shion taught the actor to skate.

           The rink was a block from Shion’s apartment – one of the reasons he’d moved to that particularly location – and they stopped to get sushi before Shion led them to his place, taking the elevator to give Nezumi’s feet a break even though it was only on the third floor.

           In his apartment, Shion emptied the ice trays in his freezer into a mixing bowl and instructed Nezumi to sit at the counter and shed his socks, noting that there were indeed blisters on the sides of his feet by his toes. Nezumi’s toenails were incredibly short, cut almost meticulously in small squares.

           “They’ll get worse throughout the week,” Shion said, while Nezumi dipped his feet in the bowl of ice with a murmured, Thanks.

           “I know,” Nezumi replied, and again, Shion remembered he did ballet.

           “When did you start practicing ballet?” Shion asked, grabbing plates and chopsticks for them. He knew from the file Nezumi’s agent had sent that Nezumi was twenty-five years old like himself.

           Nezumi was quiet, and Shion didn’t think he was going to reply until he did. “When I was seven.”

           Shion pushed his luck, knowing it was more likely that Nezumi would not keep answering his questions than that he would. “How did you get into it?”

           He slid a plate to Nezumi, sat beside him on a stool, and watched the top of Nezumi’s head, as Nezumi was still looking down at his feet in the bowl of ice.

           “My mother was a ballerina.” As he spoke, Nezumi looked up, and Shion froze in the midst of opening his tray of sushi.

           There was a softness to Nezumi’s expression that took Shion’s breath away. He had no desire for his breath to ever return. He would allow his lungs to be remain deflated forever, if only for the softness of Nezumi’s expression to linger.

           “Did she coach you?” Shion asked, keeping his voice gentle as if Nezumi were a deer in his path he wasn’t bold enough to coax forward but would do anything not to scare away.

           At this, Nezumi almost seemed to flinch, an expression like confusion crossing his features as if he were startled by the question, and Shion tried to think of what could be so startling about it.

           Shion himself had been coached by his mother. It wasn’t an unexpected thought.

           By the time Shion blinked, Nezumi’s features had smoothed again. No longer soft, but his usual expression of composure, calm detachment. “No,” Nezumi replied, and nothing else.

           Shion didn’t press the topic. The conversation felt completed, though Shion was left with more questions than before.

           Even so, he allowed them to eat in silence, and then their hour was up. Nezumi was the first to stand, replace his socks and shoes, and lean by the door in wait of Shion, who hurried to put on his own shoes and follow Nezumi back to the rink for the rest of the day’s lesson.

*

There was a ballet studio on the outskirts of the small town where Shion lived that Nezumi found after his third day of lessons.

           His feet were sore and blistered the way they hadn’t been since he’d broken in his last pair of ballet shoes. Even so, Nezumi ended his walk immediately to return to his hotel room to collect his ballet shoes and change out of jeans into leggings.

           On the way back out of the hotel, he found his agent at the bar, flirting with the bartender from what Nezumi could tell as he intended to walk past unnoticed.

           “Nezumi!”

           Nezumi contemplated not turning around. Was still contemplating when his decision was made for him by a hand on his arm.

           “Hey, don’t pull, Kiyoko.” Nezumi jerked his arm back to free himself.

           “Have a drink with us,” his agent said, smiling widely, and Nezumi glanced at the bartender, who winked at him.

           “No, thanks,” Nezumi replied.

           “Where are you going? Aren’t your lessons done for the day? How are they going? Are you being nice to Shion? Did he say if he would sign the contract and take you on permanently?”

           “I’m going out,” Nezumi replied, ignoring the rest of the questions and turning again to leave, relieved when he was not stopped.

           The air outside was dark and cool. It was only seven, but winter stole away the afternoons to quickly replace them with night. Shion’s lessons left Nezumi exhausted, but he preferred exhaustion to being cooped up in a hotel room. He was well-accustomed to exhaustion. His body craved it, and he found sleep nearly impossible to come by at night without it settled deep into his bones.

           He walked quickly to the ballet studio, only remembering that he didn’t have free reign over this studio as he had the ice rink after he let himself in and was greeted by a teenage girl behind a counter, chewing a piece of gum that seemed too big for her mouth.

           “Hey,” she said.

           “Hi,” Nezumi replied, walking forward slowly.

           “You’re not from here,” the girl said, leaning forward, chewing loudly.

           Nezumi didn’t argue. It was a small town. The kind of place where everyone knew each other, and everyone knew who wasn’t supposed to be around.

           “Is the studio available for open practice?”      

           “There’s two studios. One’s occupied for Seiji’s last practice, but the other is free right now. We don’t normally just let anyone come in and use it, though, it’s usually Amaya’s room, but she doesn’t have night practices,” the girl continued.

           Nezumi ran a hand through his bangs, watched the girl’s eyes follow his movements, smiled briefly.

           “Could you make an exception?” he asked, letting his smile spread.

           “I don’t think so,” the girl hedged.

           “If no one’s using the room, there’s no real harm, is there? When does the studio close?”

           “Nine,” the girl said, looking tentative.

           Nezumi smiled wider, watched her faint blush. “I’ll give you five bucks an hour. Technically, it’s seven fifteen, but I’ll give you ten bucks anyway.”

           “I’d have to ask,” the girl said, after a moment.

           Nezumi leaned forward, rested his forearms on the counter between himself and the girl. “Make sure you tell them I said please.”

           The girl stared, nodded, then nearly ran from the counter through a back door. Nezumi leant against the counter, and soon enough the girl was back, a man following her.

           “I’m Seiji, hi. Nagisa tells me you’re interested in using the free studio?”

           “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble,” Nezumi replied, straightening up.

           The man seemed to examine him. “I haven’t seen you around.”

           “I’m here temporarily. At least the next four nights. I’d like to use your studio from seven to nine. Nightly, preferably, if that could be arranged.”

           “We offer lessons, there’s room in my class.”

           “I’m not interested in lessons,” Nezumi replied, and the man crossed his arms.

           “Can I ask why you’re in town for these few days?”

           “Job research.”

           The man squinted. “What’s your name?”

           Nezumi restrained his sigh. All he wanted was to do a few pirouettes, but it hardly seemed worth dealing with all the hassle. “Nezumi.”

           Immediately, the man’s expression shifted to recognition. “Shion is teaching you.”

           Nezumi shrugged, unsurprised of Shion’s fame in the town. The figure skater was famous worldwide, of course everyone around him would know his personal business. “Guess so.”

           “In that case, that’s perfectly fine. Is it part of your training? Feel free to use to the studio whenever you want, Nagisa is here in the afternoons and will let you in.”

           Nezumi narrowed his eyes. “You don’t want payment?”

           “Of course not!” the man said, laughing, though Nezumi couldn’t see the joke.

           Still, if this idiot didn’t want money, Nezumi wasn’t about to go around giving out charity.

           “Great, I appreciate it,” Nezumi said.

           “I can show him. Can I show him?” the girl, Nagisa, apparently, asked the man, who nodded.

           “I’ll be in the adjoining studio if you need me, feel free to join any lesson you’d like.”

           Nezumi nodded at the man, who disappeared out the back door, and then Nagisa was running around the counter, beckoning to Nezumi, who followed her through another door, which led straight to a studio.

           “The dressing room is through that door back there, if you need it. Lights are here, you can dim them too if you want. That’s it, I think – Did you need anything? Ballet flats? We have rentals, but I’m sure you could borrow them for free.”

           “Got my own, thanks,” Nezumi said, lifting his bag.

           “Oh, wow, so you’re, like, a pro then?” the girl asked, leaning forward.

           “Something like that,” Nezumi hedged, stooping down to change his shoes, but also to give the girl a hint that he hadn’t gone through the trouble of getting access to this studio in order to chat with her.

           Thankfully, the girl got the hint, and bid Nezumi goodbye with another reminder that she’d be just outside the door if he needed her.

           When she left, Nezumi glanced around the studio. Small, but Nezumi didn’t mind small. The walls were lined with mirrors, the floors a smooth and shiny wood, and there was a bar across one side – all that Nezumi required from a studio.

           He tied his ballet shoes up his calves over his leggings, then lowered down to stretch, closing his eyes and breathing deeply into his stretches. With each inhale, he took in more oxygen, let out more air from his lungs with each exhale.

           If he breathed deeply enough, he was certain, he could finally calm his heart that been beating much too quickly since he first came to this rural town, since he first set his eyes on their beloved figure skater, since he first met Shion.

*

[jikook-love]

hey ami! any new anime recs?? i've watched yoi, orange, erased and death note so far and i'm planning to watch tokyo ghoul, but i need more lol. also how has you day been? i hope you've been well!

…YES! THE DAY HAS FINALLY ARRIVED WHEN I AM ASKED FOR ANIME RECS. 

WELLI’M FEELING GREAT NOW. :D :D :D :D :D

…well then. this gun be long so grab some popcorn or snacks or sumthin, I need to vent. 

fyi, personally I’m not a big fan of Tokyo Ghoul despite watching the whole first season. That being said, I did not read the manga which means I’m probably missing out on a lot, but the whole time I interpreted the moral of the story as “being good is weak”, and there was no real reasons for the characters to be punished the way they were and the SCIENCE FROM THE FIRST EPISODE UGH. Anyways, that’s just my opinion–the characters are cute and I guess they workin with a good idea…I just feel the morale of it all is weak but since I’m like the only one who dislikes it it must be that it’s just me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyways, you should probably go watch Attack On Titan/Shingeki No Kyojin, only because it’s a staple and is the it anime of this generation. Idk, the story started off strong af, with strong characters and plot and everything, but then I kept reading the manga and then it felt like the author lost track of where he was going with the story and it’s like ??!?!?!??!!?!?!? Anyways, follow it until you find yourself getting lost, and at that point you can just watch to fangirl over Levi heichou ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

s/o to my fav and og bae eren  who  keeps me here ^//o//^

(those eyes *\o/*)

Psycho Pass is another one of my always rec–it covers a dystopian society where the state of your mental stability is quantified, and those who go beyond a certain number are considered aberrant and are put away into rehabilitation or even killed. The number is used to characterize criminals…but of course since it’s all computers there are a few…anomalies which, despite being horrendous do not trigger the system at all…

…and plus every friggen person in that anime is really hot so check it out :D (season 1 is better than season 2 and I haven’t watch the movie but I heard it sucks idk)

(^ he’s mine. just so you know)

Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE! …yeah. don’t watch this one unless you feeling a really funny mood. It’s literally a satirical anime that destroys (or improves?) all your favourite yaoi tropes in the form of a group of magical boys and it’s just…idk, it’s pretty hilarious. Didn’t finish the second season but a preview of some of the scenes you’ll encounter:

…yeah, quality content. check it out plz.

Barakamon! also falls under this crack!anime category, except it probably features more refined humour than the above…although it does feature an ultra relatable fujoshi (i.e. a female obsessed with the love between men…this ones happens to be a manga artist). It definitely a quality anime though, so check it out at some point :)

OOOOH. Tiger and Bunny, which is definitely and oldie but a goldie. For a long time (and still?), I believe it holds the record for having the most doujinshis (fan-made manga, usually shipping…and R18) made between the main characters. It’s a superhero anime, but the characters are just so lovable and everyone has their own quirk and just akldjakldjfalsdkjfs it cute. It has an intense plot too actually–childhood stories, back stories…all that jazz. 

And Barnaby (dubbed “Bunny” by his partner Kotetsu) is a total tsundere so totally check it out ;)

ALSO, watch Haikyuu!!. It pops up from time to time on my blog :P (kagehina ftw, and hinata is the actual definition of cinnamon bun and i don’t call anyone a cinnamon bun) I know it’s a sports anime (volleyball) but you won’t even notice it’s a sports anime. The characters in this anime are just 200%, all well formed with their flaws and talents and it’s just akdjfaskldfj such lovable people. I’ve watched all three seasons and my heart still wells up everytime. 

And also memes, so many memes. Within the anime and the fandom. so many good memes. The dankiest. idk how they do it.

No. 6 is also a really good one which I keep screaming about. Another dystopian society trope but I think it’s a must watch for…people like us ;) ;) ;) Features staple cutie Shion and his boyfriend Nezumi. Actually. :P they cute af I actually spent money on the manga cause they so cute can you believe

And the last one on my mind atm is Owari No Seraph. It’s a vampire story (omg nuz), but it actually real tragic and dramatic and all that stuff and idk who to trust anymore and it’s a freaking mess but…everyone’s really cute and I’m pretty sure Mika and Yuu are canon boyfriends at this point so (#NEVER GONNA GIVE YUU UP) 

and…I think that’s it for now. contrary to popular belief I don’t watch tooooo much anime, just the right about. if you’re looking for some gaynime (shonen ai) I also have a few staples to suggest but this list has gone on for long enough. 

in the meantime, have a twerking captain levi. you’re welcome. 

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

BONUS EYECANDY ANIME!!!! :O !! :OOOO :O 

KARNEVAL - yeah i don’t even remember what the plot is  (it was definitely a good one though…I think). every. single. character. was just really stupidly hot O.O

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[karereiko]

Not Perfect - Chapter 27

Not Perfect

Chapter 27

The higher they climb, the harder they fall

It was week after that Cravat passed away. Shion felt like an important chapter of his life had ended. The one filled with the smell of a dusty room underground, learning about the nature of the world and trying to find out who that boy with silver eyes who had entered his room in stormy night was.

It was all in the past now.

The little mouse found its rest beside his other companions under the tree in the garden. Cravat hadn't been able to run much around the house lately but his absence during the last passing days had been painfully clear. Karan also fondly mentioned all three mice now that the last of them had found it's peace.

During that day's dinner Shion, Nezumi and Karan talked about adopting some new family member in the future. The conversation was similar to the one Shion had had with Nezumi. They asked Karan for help but woman's opinions were divided. In some matters she agreed with Shion, in others with Nezumi. The evening passed without a making any final decision and Shion's mother went to rest while both men took care of cleaning the dishes.

Karan had looked really tired during dinner which worried Shion. In his opinion she overworked herself too much. It's wasn't the first time that Shion thought about how his family opened the bakery for far too many hours each day.

„Nezumi." Shion started conversation. Nezumi hummed in answer as he walked around the kitchen with already drained dishes, putting them inside cabinets.

„I really think you two should rearrange your working hours. With your break during afternoon it's still 11 hours of you two working in the bakery. 11 hours from Monday to Friday and 8 hours on Saturday. It's too much. I can see how tired you two are when weekend comes."

„This is bit much, coming from someone who can spend 14 hours at work." Nezumi scoffed at his husband, waiting for Shion to take the dirty dishes from his hands.

„It doesn't happen often. Lately I'm working around 8 hours from Monday to Saturday. Compared to me you two are workaholics now." Shion said his opinion, drowning plates inside sink. The current situation made him feel like he's now the most lazy one in his family. He mostly sat and fought with papers at work. It was nothing compared to the physical labor Nezumi and his mother did almost everyday.

„It's not that bad, Shion. We don't even need to leave the house. One step into the first floor and I'm already at work. Believe me, working in the West Block was a lot more worse if you didn't have connections or talent like mine. Beside, does his majesty think I'm too weak to handle this kind of job?" Nezumi put his hands over hips sounding slightly offended.

„I know you aren't weak. You are still young and your body can keep up like this for many years, but mom isn't. She shouldn't overwork herself at her age. Beside, there is no need for you two to work so hard. We have enough money."

„Well, it's not my decision, my prince... Your dear mom is one in charge here. She wants to bake and maintain the doors to her shop open as long as possible. I bet if she could she would keep the bakery open 24/7. She wishes for everyone, even those who don't have time in the morning to step by, to have an opportunity to buy and enjoy her pastry. She's stubborn. There is no way she would leave the baking to me. You know she loves that part of this business. I can take care of the shop on my own, but with current selling rates she wouldn't manage to bake enough to fulfill current demand. She needs help in that field, too. Do you think I haven't noticed something off with our working hours? Hoping to please my beloved Prince, I not once asked your dear mother to end her shift early and take a break. As you can guess she kept an eye on the shop until it was open anyway."

Nezumi's explanation gave Shion even more concern. It was true that some Bakeries in the city were open until late evening but they had more than two employers who didn't need to work at baking and selling at once.

„If she wants to keep it open for so long then maybe you should close the bakery on Saturdays and maybe even on Wednesdays so you two could rest? If that's not case then you should hire someone to sell the pastry during the afternoon. This way both of you can reduce your work hours. I bet the bakery can afford for that."

„It's good idea, but you would need to reveal this plan to Karan by yourself. Maybe she's going to listen you. But remember my sweet pie... Hiring someone going to decrease the number of places for both of us to exchange our affection."

Nezumi had a point. Shion didn't like idea of hiding with their relationship even more. Yet, this was the more important than his own desires. He worked hard to make everyone lifes better and he was just a normal human being who thought about his family first before everyone else. He wanted the best for his mother and Nezumi. This situation was going on for far too long already.

„Yes, you are right. We may need to be more careful inside our house if we hire someone. I might not be able to kiss you so casually everyday but yours and mom's health are more important than anything. Beside, life is short, you two should enjoy your lives more."

„Don't misjudge the situation, you mom really loves working around the bakery. I heard her story about, quote: 'her finally starting to enjoy her life to its fullest after she started to bake', more than enough. Besides, you take care of most housework so she can visit her friends and spend weekends resting or talking with us. She's using her time in the way she wants to. No one is forcing her to live like this."

Shion knew his husband was right. He was optimistic but he couldn't help but to imagine his mother collapsing from such busy schedule one day. Nezumi had his limits too. In the end, the three of them were just humans and their bodies need enough rest like everyone else's.

„I know. Yet, I can't help but to feel bad when I see the two most important people in my life overworking themselves like this."

„Alright, alright, we're going to talk with your mom if that makes you stop to dwell on this subject until eternity. As for your concern over my modest person, I'm going to get my deserved rest during our next vacation. This should be good enough." Nezumi added with hint of happiness in his voice. He really looked forward some break from the city's crowds.

„Right." Shion nodded. He knew it wasn't solution. Simple vacation wouldn't help for long. He had probably made a very worried face since Nezumi's soft smile also faded away.

„Just don't tell me that you can't leave your work because of some important matters." The older man asked his husband, expecting bad information. Shion shook his head. It looked like acting gloomy only leaded to misunderstanding. This was getting him nowhere. Maybe it was time to approach the problem in his usual way.

„No, I already informed everyone that I'm taking two weeks off around August. We can start to plan our vacation more precisely... Talking about vacation. What would you say about buying mom a stay at NO.2 renewal centre for her birthday? A week there sounds like perfect idea for her to gather some new strength after all those years of hard work." Shion proposed. It was at least a good beginning of the bigger plan of how to make his mother's life less tough besides making Karan rearrange her work hours.

Nezumi kept quiet for a few moments, giving Shion's idea some thought. They finished doing the dishes and Shion was already preparing himself to clean the floors while waiting for his husband's answer.

„You can even buy a two week's stay for her here. She deserves it and I can handle the bakery by my own now. But, there are a few problems with your plan. Firstly, getting your mother to agree to such vacation. She might not want to leave the bakery in my hands. Second one. Shion, would you like for her to find you a new dad?"

Nezumi teased the white-haired boy. Shion stated to laugh softly at Nezumi's train of thoughts. Well, renewal centres were surely known as places for older people to jump into passions of love. Still, Shion would never think of something like this on his own. Maybe because his heart always belonged to Nezumi, he never thought about such places as romance spots.

„I wouldn't mind that as long as she's happy. Still, if that was her desire, she would already be finding someone. I never was against her finding a new love after my father left, but she never seemed to be interested. Considering such past, your presumption has low chance to happen."

„There is a still possibility, your majesty, she may still find her other half far away from these lands." Nezumi raised his hands dramatically to his heart. Shion grinned widely at such sweet performance.

„But I can agree with you that Karan deserves a good break. Sometimes, I think your mother is a robot." Nezumi added with more serious tone. Such a comment only make Shion sure that he had to talk to Karan soon.

„If you agree with me, I'm counting on you to support my suggestions. I think we can talk to mom on the next weekend once we're all having some free time. I feel like it's going to be a long conversation."

„Two against one... You're playing dirty, my prince." Shion was really taken aback by Nezumi's joke. It sounded pretty bad, spoken aloud. He was only concerned about the health of the two most important people in his life. Seeing Shion's reaction, Nezumi leaned closer and gently patted his white hair with slightly wet hands.

„Hey, don't take it seriously. This may be the best solution of eliminating the workholic drive in your blood line. My coalition with Karan worked in your case, now it's time for two of us to convince her. So, what next brave task do you need for us to complete now that dishes are cleaned, your majesty?"

„I going to clean the floors and set up the laundry, you can rest for now. I'm going to join you soon."

Taking chance of Nezumi sliding his hand about his waist Shion leaned even closer. Without thinking they found a nice position to exchange a few short and playful kisses beside drying dishes.

„If you insist. I'm going to wait for you on the couch. What do you say to hot bath together later?" Nezumi smirked asking his question while slowly moving towards the stairs.

„It sounds great." Shion hummed, happily melting at Nezumi's proposition. His muscles already started to relax at the imagination of sitting against Nezumi's chest inside a tube full of warm water. Taking the mop in his hands, Shion began his corridor cleaning at the doors of Karan's room. Seeing his mother resting in a big armchair with a book soothed Shion's worry. She seem happy just as Nezumi said, but it didn't prevent Shion from wanting to help her a little more. Employing someone at the bakery seemed to be the best idea to archive that. Having his solution, Shion started to clean the floors with a lighter heart.

Despite it being vacation time, the Restructual Committee had a quite busy schedule. The old elite attacked them through articles, conferences and other possible ways like crazy for the past few weeks. Even if members of the committee weren't occupied by them, there were still the matter of Prostitution -which wouldn't get resolved as easily as Shion had hoped- countless meetings with delegates from NO.4 and NO.5, some people's complains about the new education program and other significant topics.

Walking through Moondrop corridor, Shion sighed loudly, envying the ones who were able to go on vacation already. They were mostly service staff. The rest of the committee had to deal with all problematic matters just like him. They were all supposed to have a really important meeting that day. They had planned that one for weeks and all members of committee were supposed to attend it.

Shion didn't sigh this time, instead groaning loudly from the frustration. They had planned it for so long but almost half of the committee members were still on their way to the NO.6. They had gone to NO.2 for diplomatic missions but because of the weather their return had been delayed.

This was bad, they really needed to solve some important matters that couldn't wait. Abandoning their previous plans, Shion had no other way but to lead the meeting with only half of committee members present. If they were be lucky, the missing people might join conference later... Shion looked over a holographic list of subjects he had prepared especially carefully, sacrificing many hours.

This time he released a low frustrated groan, mentally adding all possible curses and directing them at airports and weather.

„Oh, I see Mr. President is in a bad mood today." the woman's voice made Shion turn around. Alice from the social department joined him on the corridor leading to the conference room.

„Who wouldn't be? We have important topics to work on, but everything is against us. Any words from Toya?"

„He called me last time around 4 hours ago before they got into plane. If everything turns out well they might be here in two or three hours."

„It's not what I hoped for, but better three hours than more. If we re-order the discussion topics we might get to leave the matters which require everyone be present at the end of the meeting."

„Well, it wouldn't be a problem if we had more time. I don't know what the previous elite is thinking. Every survey shows that their attacks don't work. Civilians know the truth, they can't be blinded by ridiculous arguments."

"I hope so. Yet, we can't leave all the rumors they spread around alone. By giving them enough, time they can turn into real problems."

"Uh, you can be a real pessimist sometimes Mr. Shion." the woman smiled cheerfully and Shion answered her with a small grin. If only Alice knew Nezumi better. Shion was nothing compared to the dark-haired male.

"At least I made you smile, Shion. Good. Being a dark cloud-full of worry doesn't fit your image and grave, gloomy meetings are always the worst ones. Besides I wanted to give you this..."

She handed Shion a blueish envelope. First the white-haired man looked at the piece of paper, just to rise his eyes at his co-worker, watching her suspiciously.

"You know I'm the last person who could give you bribe. Come on, open it." Alice laughed brightly. After hearing, her words Shion smiled apologetically and looked inside the envelope. He found a nice-looking wedding invitation inside.

"I hope you are going to come. Just let us know if you want to bring someone. We would book more seats in the restaurant. Oh, and if you want to come with your other half then I can find you two some quiet corner. After all, I don't want my spotlight to be taken away by Mr. President's mysterious lover." Alice joked, smiling brightly, but Shion frowned anyway. Well, maybe if he were to bring his mom and Nezumi no one would guess that Shion attended a friend's wedding with his husband. On the other hand it was frustrating. He couldn't even go anywhere with Nezumi lately. Not mention if they really did employ someone to their bakery even casual private talking with the dark haired man may also become hard.

"Hey, hey. You really don't need to make such face. It was only a proposition. You look like you want to jump through the window."

"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to. Once again congratulation on your wedding, Alice. I'm going to gratulate Toya after the meeting. I will try my best to show at your wedding."

"Thank you. Well, it looks you don't have it easy yourself. I know you don't want to say anything about your lover, but is everything alright between you two?"

Shion was surprised by Alice's question. His relationship was like dream beside the fact of decision to hide their love. He wasn't sure how to answer his to friend's concern.

Shion and Alice quietly entered the conference room and sat on their usual places around a big oval table that could fit around fifty people.

"Yes, everything is alright. You don't need to worry."

"I see. Let's say I believe you." Woman rolled her eyes and if she hadn't already been sitting she would strike a more dramatic pose.

"No, it's the truth. It's about current situation... I really can't put my relationship in the first place right now."

"I see. Just don't let someone who you love slip away. You may lose this person if you always put the city on top priority."

Shion answered his friend with a gentle smile. Her words were full of care and Shion knew they weren't only a beautiful mask she used to get closer to him. No. She was the one of the first people who joined him at Restructual Committee. He could remember how hard she had worked with him during that first year after the wall fell. When they distributed, food she even fainted from over-working but even then, she still insisted to stay and help others. She was always grateful that none from her family was taken away by Elyurias or city fights when wall fell. Because of that she wanted to somehow give her thanks to her luck or destiny which was so kind to her. She found her answer in helping those who weren't as lucky as her.

She was different than Shion, who had created the committee because of the many deaths he saw. Because Safu asked him to change the future of people like them into a better one. If that didn't happen, surely he would help NO.6, but rather from some quiet corner than sitting at the centre of the whole government.

Maybe in the end, Alice would fit being President of the city better than him.

If there was a person inside the committee who Shion fully believed, then it was her. He had even considered telling her about Nezumi once or twice, but while Alice had a golden heart, she also talked with everybody on everything. Chances for her to accidentally spit Shion's secret out were high.

Too bad, it might be helpful to have someone stand by his side when others asked him private questions.

"It's not a case. In the end it's a person who put NO.6's future into my hands in the first place."

The woman looked at Shion, lost in her words, surely surprised by such an unusual answer. Before their conversation could be continued, the other members of committee joined them in the conference room.

"Good morning Mr. Yamada, Ms. Okina." Shion welcomed his co-workers. Leaving conversation with his friend for another time, Shion turned on his holographic screen. Just like he had said, he began to reorder the list of matters of discussion before the rest of the committee members were going to show up to the meeting.

It didn't take them very long to gather, yet Shion had a moment to look around the conference room. After his office, which was placed on the same floor, this was the room he spent second most of his time. The building of the Moondrop had surely changed since he had been there for the first time. Back then, corridors looked much the same as the ones inside Correctional Facility. They used to give Shion unpleasant shivers at the beginning. Well, corridors didn't change that much, besides fact that they were now decorated with big printings of images showing the most beautiful places in NO.6, other cities and some spots of nature which hadn't been destroyed by the war. Yet, it was enough change to not have Shion associate them with corridors of Correctional Facility anymore.

The biggest transformation had occurred inside office rooms. Shion supported every individual's desire to make each room feel more personal and less artificial. Natural plants, flowers, carpeting, pictures. Every of them were welcomed warmly by Shion. The conference room still looked kind of artificial because most furniture were made from glass and cold-looking metal, not to mention that the walls and ceiling were white. Yet, to Shion's luck, the room had been kind of devastated after revolution five years ago, so when they set up inside Moondrop a good two years ago, he had been able to propose cedar wood floor, giving the space a warmer look. Two big flower plants beside the big windows helped a lot too.

Well, even homely atmosphere couldn't help that day's meeting. People were nervously arguing over every proposition. Shion tried, as always, to be a voice of reason but after two hours, he got a headache. They still had even more difficult matters planed to work on that day but the easy ones already caused them so many problems. The next few hours of such fights started to appear as a very painful and slow experience. Even Alice looked like she wanted to bite their co-workers after she had explained that such a solution would backfire to the city's inhabitants life instead of helping, for the fifth time.

Shion tiredly moved his eyes to his left side hoping to find some relief in the view beyond the windows. It was only a temporary help before Shion had to join back into the discussion. During the third time of Shion trying to scare his headache away by looking at the city's panorama, he saw something unusual. Behind the other side of window a cleaning lift with an android had arrived. This part was a normal occurrence. The strange thing was that beside robot stood some man in work clothes. He hastily rummaged in a suitcase and he started to unplug some parts from the cleaning android. Shion wondered why a man was fixing robot on such height and why he didn't have any safety lines attached to his suit. This surely was dangerous.

Somehow all conversations inside room became unimportant. Shion couldn't help but to feel something wasn't right.

Then the man on the other side of the window stopped working inside bag and raised pulling out something very similar to gun. Within seconds, the barrel of the machine was pressed to the window. Another second and the heavily reinforced glass of the conference room overlaid with a pattern looking like a crossover of spider's web and stained glass. Through the round hole created by the machine, a flashing object fell on the table. Shion stood up fast from his chair while red light of item blinked faster and faster.

"Everyone, down and cover!" Shion shouted as loud as possible to the other people in room. He only managed to cover his head with his arms before a big force pushed his body backwards, hitting the wall beside him.

When he regained his consciousness, an unbelievable sharp pain in his head, right arm and left leg blocked his mind. His scream mixed with two others in the room. He tried to calm down and open his eyes.

"Shion, Shion, are you alive?" Alice cried somewhere in room.

He once again tried to open his eyes and move his head slightly towards his friend's voice. Before he could even see them, Shion felt small pieces of broken glass everywhere. Blood was running down his cheek from a large cut above his eyebrow. He tried to clean it away but he couldn't move his right arm.

Shion looked towards his right. There was blood everywhere, big pieces of glass were stuck in his upper arm. With his hazy mind he made a note that those shards could be sticking in his head right now if he hadn't covered himself. Awful pain welcomed him once more when he tried to move his fingers. Beside blood, glass and bodies of his co-workers Shion saw clear sky where the window had once been placed. That lift outside window was hanging perpendicularly down on one line.

The seconds of silence were interrupted by another male scream.

"Mr. Umeri. Please hang on!" The new voice full of suffering came from the man on Shion's right.

Shion tried to rise up a little on his left arm, but when he moved the pain from his left hip made him scream again. It felt like something was holding his leg.

"Shi...on, don't!" Once more Alice cried painfully. Shion looked towards her to see the woman's legs being stuck under fallen piece of the door's frame. Next to her, another three people laid motionless. He unconsciously tried to move again, wanting to help his friend, yet another sharp pain from his leg stopped him. Shion finally direct his eyes to his legs. The larger piece of conference table was rising above him like some kind of umbrella with it's metallic leg stuck into his thigh muscles, penetrating his whole leg. Shion took in this view and he couldn't understand what he looked at for a moment. One thing was sure, once he moved, a little glassy piece of table started to rock on sides with it's metallic leg hurting his leg's tissue. Shion's body froze in shock. In all pain, smell of blood and dust he knew that making any motion might cause him to bleed out if his artery was pierced too.

The crimson-eyed man heard sound of running on the corridor before another female scream filled the room.

He moved his head towards the door to see his assistant Rei and another staff member from their floor. The woman was screaming hiding her face inside her hands. Mr. Kannono, who stood beside her turned white as a sheet.

"Kannono..." Alice screamed. The man ran to her and tried his best to set her free from her trap.

"Mr. President. Do you hear me?" Rei walked closer to him after she stopped screaming. Tears started to run down her cheeks.

"Rei, what happen-... where is security?" Shion tried to think straight and calm his breath. Why were those two the only ones who got to them? It wasn't right.

"Someone attacked the first floor too. We heard explosion here. Security was already on the way here when around twenty armed people stormed the first floor. They killed people. Guards focused their attention on getting here when they attacked them from behind. Through the building communication we heard they had weapons." This was the moment when the girl started to shake and cry again. "They've broken into the fourth floor already. They may come here soon too."

Shion's whole body was filled with panic at hearing this.

"What are you doing here?" He screamed at his assistant frightened. They had to run. He moved his head to see Alice frozen in fear. Not much far away from her the injured but conscious members of committee half laid on the floor. Besides those three none of the other twenty-four people moved.

"Kannono, Rei. Evacuate yourself to my office. It has armored doors with a lock, the code is 2793, repeat code."

"But..."

"Repeat code Rei, it's an order." Shion asked his assistant once more. This was a really bad situation. They didn't have much time and he didn't want to see them die.

"2793." Girl answered almost breaking into cry once again.

"Good. Take Alice, Umeri and Okina with you and hide there until help comes. If you meet someone else from staff take them to my office also, but once you close doors don't open them until it's safe. If it's possible, make announcement on the staff's private line and tell them to hide inside offices like mine on upper levels."

"We can't leave you here!" Rei shouted but her voice was lost in loud scream of Alice as Kannono freed her legs.

"You have to! If you move me without medical help I might bleed out before help comes. There is no time. Go! Help Kannono and run!" Shion screamed and another sharp pain blurred his sight. Rei started to cry louder but she nodded and ran towards Alice, starting to drag the other woman towards the destroyed doors. Kannono and Okina, who were in better shape, lifted Umari from the floor. The white shirt of the last one was crimson red around his stomach area and Shion saw a small reflection of glass there.

"Shion, hang on, we will find someone who will get you out of here." Alice screamed towards Shion before the five of them left the room.

"No! You might be killed if they made it to this floor! Don't come back. I will be alright!" He screamed but the last part could easily change into lie. The blood was still slowly leaving his body through numerous cuts and injuries. His mind was getting dizzy. He could only twist his head around without causing himself more pain.

After a minute or two everything was deadly silent. Shion saw Mr. Kiano from the security department two bodies away from him. The man had large piece of glass stuck in his eye.

Shion's breath was starting to get erratic, he was still in shock but his mind began to realize that his co-workers, his friends, may be already dead. They had pieces of metal and glass stuck in their bodies. They were burned from the explosion, too. Shion's own hands were burned in a few places. If not for his superfibre t-shirt under his elegant work shirt he might have ended like them. He knew he had to calm down even if it wasn't easy. Panic would only make him bleed out faster.

At the bakery, that day was really a boring one. Nezumi even started to consider getting a book from their room. The broadcast on TV wasn't interesting and he already checked the other channels only to find replays he saw three or four times already. He really should tell Shion that NO.6 needed some new travel shows.

The last thing he sold was one set of "heaven mix" which they called six kind of cakes that melted in your mouth, almost sending you to another dimension. Well, this catchphrase had been said by little Shion and Karan added it into their menu.

Anyway, since Nezumi had taken care of last customer the bakery was empty. Summer time was only nice for their business in the early morning when they sold pastry to people who hurried to their work and after 1PM. This was the hour the most of teenagers chose to eat something sweet during their vacation time. Karan had already told Nezumi to not bake anything more that day so he had a lot time for himself.

Having Shion's worries in his mind Nezumi had told his mother-in-law to have some rest. Not like the woman had listened to him. She used that time to clean the tables and chairs until they almost shined. Good that he and Shion cleaned everything else the previous day. Nezumi sighed at Karan's stubbornness but he smiled softly anyway. They truly needed to sent their mother on some kind of vacation and make sure she wouldn't be able to work there.

After the third repetition of that coverage about East block's crows Nezumi had enough and went for his book. He was already on the stairs when he heard the frighten scream of Karan. He ran back into the room to see the woman covering her mouth with hands and looking at the TV screen.

When Nezumi raised his eyes he saw big letters saying "the Moondrop attacked". The screen played a montage of people running in panic inside the first floor of the building. The screams filled the shop and Nezumi saw armed people shooting towards Moondrop guards. His experienced eyes could see that the attackers were holding back. Just like they didn't want to waste their bullets, but that didn't mean that they were less brutal by any means. He saw how some random Moondrop visitor was stabbed with a knife without second thought.

The images they saw on TV came from the building's security cameras and there was no way for all of this to be some kind silly joke or montage.

"Shion." Karan whispered afraid, snapping Nezumi's attention to the most important matter. Yes, Shion was working here. But he had his office on the tenth floor. There was no way the aggressors would make so far away into building when special forces of the city were going to began their counter-attack. Shion not often talked about how well-trained the city's protection was.

Then Nezumi saw something that took the solid ground from under his feet, showing him how much he was mistaken.

There was another video clip recorded from outside of the building. It was a recording of some explosion breaking the window from inside. A quick shot showing the room which Nezumi knew from Shion talks. The camera followed a man who fell from lift because of explosion impact and his lifeless body hitting the ground.

Nezumi couldn't believe what he had just seen. This must have been another crazy dream and soon he was going to wake up with Shion laying in bed beside him.

Because there was no way something like an attack on the Moondrop could happen. There were no weapons inside Shion's city. No bombs or suicide attacks or Shion being attacked like this.

And yet the images that flashed the screen didn't change, Karan stood beside him, looking terrified like never before.

"The assault on Moondrop started with a bomb attack executed by Honda Gishi ID-number Qw-60425. His target was the 10th floor of the Moondrop where the Restructural Committee held a meeting. We still don't have information regarding the state of the members after the explosion. The second wave of assault was directed into Moondrop's main gates. Our current information about losses isn't confirmed but we estimate there are 21 people killed and 40 injured. The special force just entered the building and are currently trying to evacuate the civilians." The reporter's voice filled the shop's silence, informing Shion's family about the cruel reality.

Nezumi's body moved on his own, leading him inside their room. Here, he grabbed his superfibre scarf and Shion's winter hat, upgraded with the same material. Before leaving their bedroom, he took his ID unit, old knifes and a high level access card Shion once made for him from a desk's drawer. He never used the mentioned card and he didn't know if it would even be useful now but he pushed it inside his pocket anyway.

Karan already waited for him at the top of stairs.

"Nezumi, are you going to go there?" She asked, clearly worried.

"Yes."

Nezumi didn't understand his own doings. He should just wait for the special forces to clean those assaulters away and get Shion home healthy and safely. But Nezumi knew that wasn't the case. There had probably been an explosion inside the room where his husband had had meeting. The city's building was over taken by chaos. Something deep in his soul was screaming for him to run, to not waste a single second because something bad was going to happen.

He believed in Shion. In the strong Shion who saved him from crumbling and burning in the Correctional Facility. The Shion who wore his superfibre shirt everyday even when he was literally boiling in two layers of clothes since summer had begun. His husband was a fighter and he hasn't going to let himself be killed just like that.

But Nezumi didn't know where Shion was. If Shion was alright, he would have already called him or Karan to spare them worries. This was alarming. Nezumi just hoped Shion had lost his communication unit or Moondrop's connection was cut off. He couldn't even think about the idea of something happening to Shion.

Nezumi's heart screamed, painfully afraid, inside his chest. It filled him only one thought, the need to go to the Moondrop no matter what.

"Nezumi... Try to not go in there alone, go with the special force if that's possible." Karan said, running after him towards the doors. "Please... I don't want to lose any of you... Promise me to be as careful as possible... and Shion, bring him home safe as always." the woman grabbed his arm for a moment, giving Nezumi her support.

"I will." Nezumi answered shortly. He had wanted to throw some dramatic line like 'We're going to be back at dinner' but the words died in his throat. He was simply afraid of losing the most important person in his life.

Not letting his feelings slow him down, he ran towards the garden. He jumped on his motorbike before looking at Karan who stood in the shop's doors once more.

"I'm going to call for car. Go."

Nezumi nodded to his mother in law and turned on the machine.

His mind was blank for the whole ride towards the Moondrop. Until he got closer to the crowd gathered around the building. Without wasting time, he ran towards the first policeman who tried to keep people away. He took the special card from his pocked and showed it to the man.

"I have special pass from President of the city, I need to go inside the building."

The policeman looked at him in shock, not knowing what to do.

"Hurry up, check it or let me go through, people are being killed while you hesitate." Nezumi screamed angrily. but at least his words somehow worked and the man moved in order to scan his card. When policeman saw the information, his face twisted with confusion.

"Sir, follow me."

They pushed behind safety tabs and the dark-haired man was led towards two people in suits loudly debating with heavily equipped soldiers.

"Sir, this man demands entrance inside the building. Is he one of your subordinates?" The policeman asked the armed man. The annoyed and nervous eyes glanced at Nezumi for a moment before returning to a holographic map of the whole Moondrop. Some places were black, but other shone in a blueish color and yellow dots were moving inside them.

"I don't know him. Get him out of here." The soldier ordered and policeman was about to grab Nezumi's arm but the silver-eyed boy jumped even closer to someone who looked like special force's general.

"I have an access card given by President Shion himself. I need to get inside the building if he wasn't evacuated yet." Nezumi pushed towards the big man.

"You! You are Nezumi, aren't you?" Another male joined them. Nezumi noticed it was Shion's co-worker Toya. Shouldn't this man be at the meeting with Shion? If he was here then Shion should also be around.

"Shion, where's Shion?" Nezumi moved closer to the man, skipping all honorifics. At his question, Toya's face turned pale and he looked abashed. He opened his mouth just to cover it with his hand and turn his eyes away. Once more the wave of terror washed over Nezumi's body. He wanted to scream at the man to finally speak up, while the heart in his chest beat madly from fear.

"Last time he was seen he was still inside the conference room. We got this information from his assistant. He ordered all who survived the explosion to evacuate and hide inside his office." The other male answered Nezumi's question. It was the man he had met at that festival. If Nezumi remembered correctly, he was called Tori.

"Where is he now?" Nezumi calmed down a little and cursed at Shion's heroic disorders. Well, at least it sounded like he had been save and alive after the explosion.

There was a pause and Tori looked over his co-worker who nodded his head. Beside them, the man from the special force was ordering action through his communication unit. Nezumi turned his attention to him for a second. The special force was able to evacuate other civilians but it looked like at least ten ambushers made into higher floors of the building, killing another five people. Hearing that, Nezumi started to lose his patience.

"His assistant told us... He was too badly injured to go with them. They couldn't move him because he was trapped. We got this information around ten minutes ago before general Yamato told them to end connection and stay quiet..."

At those words, Nezumi's heart shrunk again. This looked very bad. Shion had been shot in his leg once and he had still run through the Correctional Facility like nothing had happened. If he couldn't leave the conference room, his injuries must have been pretty bad. Even other people couldn't help him in leaving from that dangerous place and now Shion was like a defenseless animal against its predator.

Nezumi heard enough, he was just wasting time. Shion could get killed at any moment if assaulters got to the tenth floor. The silver-eyed male turned around towards the soldier, not waiting for Tori to finish.

"Is there a way to get on the tenth floor before assaulters would get there?"

"I cannot answer that question."

This was madness. Didn't these idiots understand that his white haired, ridiculous and dear husband was in danger? This damn special force was as special as Rikiga's ass! First they had let armed people get past the first floor and now they wouldn't let him get inside building. Nezumi was already prepared to attack the general in order to get to Shion. Yet, he knew that rushing like this would lead to him getting shot by cross-fire between the enemy's and NO.6's forces and even his superfibre cloth may not be enough to protect him.

"Your people didn't stop those damn killers. The enemy is close to killing the president of the city! So yes! You going to answer that question! I have permission to get inside building whenever I want! Or maybe you are hoping for the head of the Restructual Committee to be killed?"

"How could you?" The man moved away from his holographic map and was about to grab Nezumi's collar if Toya hadn't stood between them.

"Nezumi, please. I know Shion is like a brother to you but you must understand, it's dangerous for a civilian to go inside. You would only get yourself killed. I also want to get there because Alice is trapped inside Shion's office as well."

"Yes she's inside the office because Shion protected her and others, but he stayed inside the fucking conference room and those people have weapons! They're going to kill him! That's why one of you are going to tell me if there is another way inside the building or I'm going in through the main gates, whether you want it or not."

"You damn brat! You are no soldier!"

"I wasn't a soldier when I destroyed the Correctional Facility with Shion either. All I had was the superfibre coat you see here and a knife. This is fucking pointless. You are wasting my time." Nezumi didn't care any more. He was going to reveal all his secrets if that were to help him at this moment. He was about to ran towards the main door when his arm was grabbed by the soldier.

"Wait. I don't know who you are to the President but if you wish to die so badly, then I'm not going stop you. Give me your ID unit."

Nezumi pulled out the bracelet from his pocket and the man took it away. He clicked his own unit and after few seconds Nezumi a saw plan of the whole building on the hologram of his own bracelet.

"Here you have the entrance to evacuation stairs. You can get inside by using this card of yours. But I'm going to warm you, we don't have sensors there. We couldn't even use this route to evacuate people because it doesn't have access to all floors and we can't know if enemy units are hiding there. All my men are trying to save people through the main gate and stop the assault. I can't send anyone with you. I'm going to turn on your localization and inform my men that a person like you went inside so they doen't attack you. I'm connecting you to our channel so you can communicate and inform us about everything you encounter. If you manage to get to Mr. President, try to evacuate him. Keep us informed about your every steep."

During the time when the soldier set up his ID unit, Nezumi covered himself with his superfibre scarf and put Shion's hat on his head.

"You can't let him enter like this!" Tori screamed to the soldier.

"He have special access given by Mr. President himself. My procedures says that he can go inside Moondrop even in situation's like this. I can dissuade from going there, but I can't stop him even if he going to be killed in the end."

The fight between both men continued but Nezumi was already putting is ID unit back on his wrist and he ran towards the back stairs. He wasted too much time. Something inside him screamed that he was truly late.

Standing before heavily guarded doors, he put the card Shion made for him inside the access hole. He was welcomed by a dark corridor lighten by red lights. He looked at the map, Those stairs only lead to 3rd, 6th or 11th floor. After choosing one of them, he would need to find normal stairs or an elevator to get to Shion. If he had had the time, he would curse loudly at such amazing architectural idea.

Damn, fucking city full of idiots!

But he stayed quiet, running towards the eleventh floor since this time, Shion's life was on the line.

He didn't want to lose anyone else. He almost didn't remember his family, it had been painful when Gran died... If something were to happen to Shion Nezumi wouldn't know what to do. It was truly like a nightmare. Or maybe it was time for him to wake up from this beautiful dream that Shion build for both of them, back to cruel reality.

Nezumi's eyes burned at such thought. He blinked nervously few times. Damn NO.6! No, he had to keep himself together. He was going to get to Shion. After finding him, Nezumi wanted them to move to somewhere safe while this damn "special" force was going to clear the aggressors away. Or maybe he and Shion simply evacuate thought the route he was using now...

When it all will have ended, he was going to beat up everyone in this damn city who was responsible for security. How did those fuckers even get weapons?

This was a matter to deal with later. For now, he had to focus.

"Shion, hang on." Nezumi whispered, running up the stairs.

For around half an hour Shion struggled to stay awake. He knew that if no one helped him he was going to die simply from blood loss. His mind was slipping away like someone had stolen all his strength from him. He didn't let himself panic. Special force was positioned not far away from the Moondrop. They should arrive at this floor soon. They weren't equipped with guns because other cities didn't let them keep any, but they were trained in close combat with cold steel and their armors were resistant to every known weapon the city had once had. It may be harder for them to win against armed enemies, but once at least two or three members of the special force got their hands on the enemy's weapons it would be over for their enemies. Everything would be alright. He had survived worse in Correctional Facility.

'But back then I could move.' The quiet voice in his head tried to destroy his attempt of staying calm.

Then Shion heard heavy steps far away in the corridor. Three pairs if he wasn't mistaken.

"This should be right floor. With luck we got them all. If not, you two know what to do. Once we make sure that there are no survivors we are going to announce our victory and take the city back."

There was some kind of nervousness mixed with crazy amusement in the voice Shion heard from the corridor.

And they were getting closer.

And surely it wasn't that special force Shion counted on.

He closed his eyes. Playing dead wasn't the bravest tactic but it could buy him some time if his enemies wouldn't start to shoot at corpses anyway.

"Gentlemen, look at this. This is the Restructual Committee. The ones who took from us what's rightfully ours. A group of dirty rats who thought they are better than elite."

The unpleasant voice got inside the room. Shion tried his best to calm down and take breaths as small as possible hoping that his enemy wouldn't look much at him. It was hard since the words of the unknown man made him furious. This was one of the people who probably killed his co-workers.

Three people took loud steps on the broken glass before they stopped and looked around the room.

"There are only twenty of them." The previous voice changed into an angry one.

"But, sir, we were told that they were all going to be here today."

"I don't care how it should be! Half of them aren't here!"

"Maybe they moved somewhere else?"

There was a muffed sound and Shion somehow could guess that owner of the unpleasant voice probably kicked one of his dead co-workers.

"Then go find them!"

"Yes, sir." With those words one person ran off the room, leaving his two companions with Shion.

"Twenty of them. Fuck, it's not even half of them... But wait..."

Both people began to move once more and Shion heard their steps growing louder.

"It may be not so bad, look what we have here. This damn mutant." The cheerful creepy laugher filled the room.

"With this head over our plate we may not even need to get them all."

Shion could feel their presence hovering over him.

"Who would have thought such garbage could take away our holy city. But in the end he met the end he deserved."

The unknown man leaned closer and kicked the metallic bar which stuck in Shion hip with full force. The white haired man couldn't hold his loud scream as his body shook in pain. His eyes snapped open and from his harsh move the lost the piece of glass made one more cut on his other leg.

His scream was filling the place in duet with another wave of laugher. The solder standing beside the middle-aged man pointed his gun towards Shion.

"Oh, he's still alive. This can be fun. Let see what the amazing President of NO.6 is going to do now that he's facing the real owners of the city."

Shion's body tried to get away from the torment, but every struggle created waves of pain. He tried to calm himself down despite all the suffering he felt and his mind searched of any possibility how make it out of such a situation alive.

"So, Mr. President... You are a perfect example of what this childish committee was, a piece of pathetic garbage."

"Why are you doing this?" Shion breathed out. This question sounded so silly. Like a line from the books which Nezumi laughed at and called cliché, but at this moment when Shion's body struggled with pain he couldn't think of anything better.

"Because it's our city, you damn brat. We let you play with it for a while and now we're taking back what's ours. Well, as for a little worm like you, you made it pretty annoying. But look." The man leaned to grab Shion's face and force him to look towards the corpses laying beside him.

"We defeated you all anyway. Now I'm going to make you pay for the trouble and humiliation we have gone through because of you and your useless comrades. Since you are still alive, I'm going to make the last moments of your life as unpleasant as possible."

He let go of Shion's face with a satisfied smirk.

"My people are killing your beloved workers. It was an interesting show to watch when all this crap from outside the city screamed in fear when we entered the Moondrop. And those guards... Well, they took out nine of us before we cleaned them away. But just like you all, they were horse-shit in the end."

The man leaned in once more to grab the metal bar and started to circle it in a slow mention, causing Shion to once again scream in pain. When the man let go of the bar the heavy glass attached to the table's leg jerked against the whole thing, making Shion feel like his muscles were being thorn away from his bones.

"You are not very talkative, Mr. President, but I can say, I like you better this way. When you scream like this."

Shion's face became wet as the tears flew from his eyes, mixing with drying blood. Shion couldn't understand. How could someone torture another human like this?

"Sto...p it...!" He screamed.

"See, how little you need, to make the mighty and wonderful Shion beg?" The man laughed happily to the soldier who still held his gun towards Shion.

"And we were afraid that such a dirty mutant would stop our plan. What a joke. Well, that scientist's kid really messed up by stealing one of our weapons a few months ago. The weapons we fixed together from pieces gathered in deepest parts of the city with so much trouble and pain. There was no way to create new ones so we had to be careful and wait for a good chance to get the city back. The bomb we found this year was the last piece we needed but then this kid who was a former elite tried to kill this mutated shit. In the end it was nothing to worry about! They were just a band of brainless trash."

"The current security department didn't even check the source of the weapon that the brat had, like they should. They bought the kid's silly story about finding the gun in his parent's house. Unbelievable." The other man laughed, too.

While two people seemed to make peaceful conversation above Shion's, body something like a painful groan sounded on the other side of room. Both men fell quiet for a moment. The groan repeated.

"Oh, looks like someone else is also alive."

"Good. Let's show Mr. President what's going to happen to him soon."

The solder went towards the window where Shion's female co-worker laid on the floor.

"No..." Shion cried and his vision once more blurred away, more than previously. He couldn't feel his leg any more and it looked like the puddle of his own blood had become significantly bigger.

"Don't." Shion moaned again, but no one listen to him. Soldier stopped beside the woman and in the next moment her head was covered with red blood.

"Don't worry, Mr. Shion, we have enough bullets saved for you. You should feel lucky, they were also very hard to find."

Shion wanted to howl. They wanted to kill him just like this. One shot in the head. The panic and horror seized his entire body and he barely held on to his consciousness. He wanted to run away, but he couldn't. No one was coming to save him. He's going to die. He wanted to scream for his mother, for Nezumi.

A loud cry shook his body.

He was going to brake his promises, Nezumi was going to be left alone. He didn't want this. He had just married Nezumi. They were going to go on their vacation soon. He wanted to see that lake where Nezumi married him once more. He wanted to taste his mom's warm pastry. He wanted to hug them both once more.

Shion tried to fight, to get up but it just caused the room fill with another wave of cruel laugher.

"Ne..zu...mi..." Shion called for help. He wanted to wake up. He wanted for Nezumi to save him from this nightmare.

He could already barely see that the man above him froze and leaned towards him with anger.

"What you did just call me, you little shit?"

The hit landed on his stomach first but its energy was reduced by his superfibre shirt. The man kicked his chest a few times but after Shion didn't look like the hits worked, he moved to Shion's face. After the third hit, the white-haired man's mind started to fade into black and his mouth filled with the strange taste of blood.

The next unbelievable pain chased away darkness for a few moments. Shion felt like his right hand was being cut away from rest of his body. His face now fully covered with tears. His scream was stifled by the blood he had in mouth.

The man above him stood on Shion's right upper arm, forcing the glass pieces to drive deeper into his flesh and there break into smaller ones.

When man moved away and Shion's scream died down the gun was already back above him. The red laser of the weapon was placed at Shion's dirty and bloody forehead.

"Kill him." It was the last words the cruel man said.

Shion wanted to make any sound, but he wasn't able to form a single one. He was going to die... This mind was slipping away into darkness as fast as his tears fell from his eyes.

After loud shooting sound, the darkness finally took him away.

[no6secretsanta]

Wings

Vox ‒ Running this event with you has been an absolute pleasure and a privilege. The No.6 Secret Santa would not be the success it is without you! ~Weisel

“Nice sunset, isn’t it?”

Nezumi didn’t need to see Shion to know he was standing there beside him on the small balcony.

“Like a painting come to life,” Shion replied, his form materializing as he stepped forward and leaned his arms on the railing. The smile on his face was exactly as Nezumi had pictured only a moment before.

Nezumi breathed out a laugh. “That’s rich, coming from you.” He could see the corner of Shion’s mouth pull up more. “I’m sure the Sistine is anxiously awaiting your return.” He’d made this sort of joke at least a dozen times before, but Shion never complained. If anything, he seemed to enjoy it.

“Oh, stop,” Shion said, blushing and grinning. “I’m nothing special, really.”

To Nezumi, that was the understatement of the century. Everything about Shion was special. If anyone else could see him, they’d surely agree.

“Sorry, I forgot that everyone has wings and a fucking holy aura,” Nezumi scoffed.

Shion glanced over, his smile smaller. “We’ve had this conversation several times already, Nezumi. You know I’m not the only one,” he said.

Nezumi sighed. “Yeah, I know.”

There was no way for Shion to understand just how incredible his existence was when he was the only angel Nezumi could see. No matter how many times Shion told him otherwise, there was a part of Nezumi that believed he really might be the only angel in the universe.

Sometimes Shion made Nezumi feel like he was the only person in the universe. Those moments were completely intoxicating, like a thick wine lazily flowing through his veins. The feeling used to only come when he was about to break, like the night he’d lost everything and Shion first appeared by his side as a little boy to sing him strange melodies until he fell asleep. But now, it would happen almost randomly. He’d be sprawled on the couch with a book only to find himself an hour later staring off without a care in the world. The same feeling came on once while he was listening to music on a train, and he didn’t snap out of his daze until Shion shook his shoulder and reminded him they’d reached his stop.

“I…”

Nezumi blinked and looked over at Shion. That same feeling had been creeping back without him even noticing. “You…?”

Shion smiled to himself and shook his head, looking out at the sunset again. “It’s nothing,” he murmured. Slowly, he leaned against Nezumi’s shoulder.

“It was something a moment ago, wasn’t it?”

Shion sighed softly and looked down. “It’s… sort of silly, that’s all.”

“And you can’t risk ruining your reputation by saying something I’d think is silly,” Nezumi scoffed.

Shion at least seemed to find the comment amusing, even if he still hesitated to speak. “I… I was wondering if you’d dance with me. Ever since I saw you dance in the last play you were in, I’ve wanted to dance with you like that. It looked really nice.”

“I was acting like it was nice,” Nezumi replied. “That woman is unbearable to be around.” “But I’m not unbearable to be around, am I?”

Nezumi raised an eyebrow. “No, I can’t say you are.”

“So it might actually be nice if you danced with me, then?” Shion pressed.

Nezumi eyed Shion for a moment, then turned to head back inside. “Come on, I’m not doing this out here. I already look insane enough just talking to myself,” he said.

Shion followed him inside, keeping his wings tucked in close. Nezumi’s apartment was always a mess, even when Shion tried to pick up after him. “Honestly, if you keep piling things around like this, I’m going to break something...”

“Yeah?” Nezumi laughed. “Maybe that’s why I keep doing it. There’s something hilariously ironic about a guardian angel accidentally knocking things over.”

Shion clasped his hands behind his back and watched Nezumi pick out a song. “I really think you’d be more sympathetic if you had wings, too,” he muttered.

“I believe it’d be empathy in that case, not sympathy,” Nezumi said while he moved the cluttered coffee table to the edge of the room. He approached Shion and took ahold of his hands, moving one to rest on his shoulder. “Come on, you can stand closer.”

“I mean, this is fine‒”

“This isn’t middle school,” Nezumi scoffed and pulled Shion in closer, their chests now touching.

Shion wordlessly looked up at him with wide eyes and slightly parted lips.

Nezumi raised an eyebrow. “Doing alright?” he asked,

Shion nodded and glanced down. “Um, yes, I’m fine. We’re supposed to move now, right?”

“You looked lost and I didn’t want to start without you,” Nezumi teased, then began to lead Shion in the dance. He hummed with the melody, slowly swaying along with the song.

It wasn’t long before Shion’s weight was pressed against Nezumi and his eyes were closed. “You have a beautiful voice, Nezumi,” he said softly.

“Is that your way of asking me to sing?” Nezumi asked.

A small smile appeared on Shion’s face. “Maybe.”

Nezumi lifted his head slightly and began to sing along. The lyrics were sad, but he didn’t feel an ounce of that sadness right now. He felt Shion’s hand adjust in his own so their palms were firmly pressed together. They’d always fit together so nicely, and now was no exception.

The song eventually came to an end, but Shion didn’t pull away. If anything, he only seemed to move in closer. “Nezumi, do… do you think you’ll ever get married?” he asked quietly.

“I’m not planning on it,” Nezumi replied. “I don’t expect to find anyone who’d understand that my closest friend is an angel that only I can see.”

Shion let out a small sigh and Nezumi could tell he was smiling. He could always tell when Shion was smiling, even without looking.

“You’re glad to hear that, aren’t you?” Nezumi said.

“I… Yes,” Shion responded. “It’d be hard to watch from afar after spending so much time with you. You’ve spoiled me.”

Nezumi was quiet for a long moment, then asked, “Is it really just that?”

Shion’s hand tightened for a second. “...No, it’s not,” he admitted. “I’m… I’m afraid no one else could love you as much as I do. I can’t stand the thought of you not receiving the love you deserve.”

Nezumi smirked. “Are you confessing to me right now?” he teased.

Shion swallowed hard and looked up at him. “Yes, I am. I’m in love with you, Nezumi.”

The smirk vanished from Nezumi’s face.

“It’s strange for an angel to fall in love with the one they’re protecting, I know. But I‒” Shion glanced down and let out a short sigh. “I can’t help it. I’ve always thought you were amazing and beautiful. I’ve been by your side for over fifteen years, and I love you more than ever.”

“That’s…” Nezumi couldn’t find the rest of the words for that sentence. That familiar haziness was clouding his mind again.

Before he could even try saying anything more, Shion put both hands on Nezumi’s cheeks and planted a kiss on his lips. He pulled back a second later and looked him in the eye. “I love you, Nezumi, and I never want to stop.”

Nezumi slowly blinked at Shion. “I… don’t think I want you to stop, either,” he replied.

“You‒ Really?” Shion asked. He seemed awfully surprised for how confidently he’d spoken before.

“Yes, really,” Nezumi replied. “Even if you make me stupid sometimes. You are doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

Shion blushed and looked down with a shy smile. “N-No, not usually…”

Nezumi leaned in closer. “Hey. You were confident a second ago. Maybe I want you to kiss me again.”

Shion didn’t hesitate to comply. He wrapped his arms around Nezumi and kissed him firmly, his warm wings sneaking around the both of their bodies. The feathers tickled the back of Nezumi’s neck slightly and sent a small shiver down his spine.

“I’ve wanted to do that for years,” Shion confessed quietly when their lips parted.

Nezumi touched his forehead to Shion’s and looked him in the eye. “I think I’ve wanted you to do that for years, too,” he softly replied.

Shion sighed happily and held Nezumi in a tight embrace. “I love you, Nezumi. I really, really love you.”

Nezumi couldn’t help but smile as he kissed the side of Shion’s head. “I love you, too, Shion.”

Yes, he loved Shion. He’d loved him since the day they’d met. He’d loved him every time Shion nagged him, and he’d loved him every time Shion wiped away his tears. As long as he had Shion by his side, he had something to live for and someone to love. He loved him with all of his heart, and he knew he’d never stop.

And he never stopped loving him.

[no6secretsanta]

Third Options

Written for @nezeve. Merry Christmas! - @fairysdarkestnight

“You can’t do it, can you? All this time, and you’re still letting your feelings get in the way. You, the great Nezumi, who never fought for anyone but himself.”

Nezumi let his knife drop to the ground. The clanging echoed impossibly through the small apartment, but Shion didn’t let his eyes shift from Nezumi’s. “I’m right, aren’t I? I know what this city has done to me, and I know why you’re here. So do it. Kill me. Pick up that knife and stab me through the heart. It would save people, wouldn’t it? It would save me.”

A shaky breath escaped from his lips as he felt his legs start to tremble from exhaustion. “Would it even do any good? Everyone in this city worships you as a hero, but they don’t know what you’ve done to give them this. The people you’ve ruined. All your death would accomplish would be to leave a space for others to take over.”

Shion stepped closer, kicking the knife away, though Nezumi knew he realized that the weapon was meaningless. He was right – there was no way he would ever be able to kill this beautiful, terrifying creature that had somehow managed to squeeze his way through the walls he’d built around his heart. “I’ve only done what I needed to, and if that’s made me a monster, well, I suppose I always was.” Shion reached out a hand then, as if to cradle Nezumi’s cheek, but he pulled back at the last moment. “I’d rather dirty my own hands over and over again than let someone else destroy themselves. I saved you back then, Nezumi, and I don’t regret that. But I would never have been clean because of that, and I would rather tear my soul to pieces to save those innocent lives in the city than let them die, even if it means that you see me as a monster.”

Shoes squeaked on the polished wood floor as Shion turned to the window, looking out over the city that had once been corrupted. Even from several feet away, Nezumi could see the lights illuminating the city square. It was nearly Christmas, a holiday that Shion had brought back to the people that first year in power. He had done so much good for the city, but he’d let himself stain his hands with deeds that Nezumi could never condone and wished he could stop.

“I missed you, you know.”

The whispered words barely made it to Nezumi’s ears, but when they did, what little self-control he had snapped, and his legs buckled, bringing him to the floor. Tears welled up in his eyes as he croaked out, “I’m sorry. I never meant for this to happen.”

A smile tinged with sadness made its way to Shion’s lips, and even only seeing the reflection in the window made Nezumi regret being gone for so long. It wasn’t the first time he had left, but he swore it would be his last. If his absence caused the other man to collapse into himself with such completeness, there was no telling what another prolonged disappearance would cause him to do. He was already a shell of the boy who’d once named his mice in that basement so long ago.

“You never do.”

And his heart broke a little more.

The words hung in the air, an accusation that sounded more tired than angry, and Nezumi stood and silently made his way to Shion, wrapping his arms around the other man’s waist and resting his head against his. “There are other ways, you know. You don’t have to resort to blackmail and bribery. What happened to the idealistic boy who would rather tear down walls than let things continue?”

A strained chuckled reached Nezumi, and he tightened his grip to keep Shion grounded. “He tore them down. And that was all he could do. There was no third option after that. Barely even a second. It was either that or let those people run the government like it was before. I’ve tried, Nezumi. I’ve tried so hard to fight them. But sometimes the only way you can win is by using their own tactics against them.”

He leaned back into the chest behind him and rested a hand against the arms that held him. “But I’m tired Nezumi. I’m so, so tired. And if you think it’s best that I die – by either your hand or someone else’s – I don’t think I could argue.”

There was silence between them at Shion’s words, but eventually Nezumi unwound his arms and turned away from him, walking towards the kitchen. “We’ll keep that as a last resort. You don’t seem to believe in a third option anymore, but I do. And I’ll keep believing in it until the day I’m forced to kill you. But that won’t be today.” He stopped for a moment, flashing Shion an unexpected grin over his shoulder. “Besides, we haven’t even had my ‘Welcome Back’ hot chocolate yet. I couldn’t possibly kill you before then.”

Nezumi’s laughter rang through the apartment, and even if he couldn’t see the smile, he could hear as Shion’s low chuckle joined his. Things weren’t perfect, and they never really would be, but it was a start. As long as he hadn’t lost Shion to the corruption of power completely, he would still fight.

“We’re going out today.”

Nezumi’s declaration was met with a blank stare, so he went back to making a breakfast that consisted of more than just coffee. “I’ve decided that I’m going to make you see the city.”

As he set a steaming pile of eggs in front of the other man, Nezumi looked him straight in the eye. “If you’re going to continue along this path of destruction, I’m going to make you understand that your actions have consequences beyond you getting your way.”

“Is this going to turn into some Christmas Carol thing where you teach me that I need to be a better person?”

It wasn’t exactly how he wanted the other man to feel, but he’d take what he could get at that point. So he said nothing and ruffled the white strands as he sat down across from him. “At least you haven’t been slacking on you reading while I was away.”

They finished breakfast quickly, though the amount of food left on Shion’s plate only left Nezumi feeling worried. He knew that man had a small appetite – he survived mainly on coffee, after all – but it was rare that he left food on his plate after living on nearly rotten food in West Block. “What’s wrong? Don’t like my cooking? Or would you rather I make Macbeth soup instead?”

“No, the eggs were fine. And I don’t really feel like having bat today. I just wasn’t hungry.”

“Tch. We’re going to need to fatten you up before you even dream of becoming my wife.” Nezumi picked up Shion’s nearly full plate and danced into the kitchen. “But don’t worry. We’ll have you nice and curvy in time for the wedding. You’ll be the envy of all.”

“When did you even propose? I don’t have a ring, and every self-respecting person knows that a fiancée needs a ring. Besides, we both know who’s more likely to wear a wedding dress, Eve.”

There was some of the snark he’d been missing the night before. Not much, but it was enough to make Nezumi let out a sigh of relief. There was still hope after all, if they could joke about getting married like that. And the fact that Shion had actually responded… It was enough that relief flooded through him.

Soon enough they were dressed, though it had taken a while to convince Shion that he didn’t need to wear a suit – “But I’m a representative leader, Nezumi. I need to look professional.” “You’re just an idiot who likes to feel important.” – and on their way to the city center. It was the easiest place to start since their apartment overlooked the square, and Shion was more or less aware of the good he’d done for the city.

“It’s so different than before. I don’t get out much, since the council always seems to find more paperwork to pile on my desk.” Shion walked across the cobblestone plaza, taking in the twinkling lights displays and the Christmas tree in the center, surrounded by vendors selling everything from handmade crafts to warm apple pies. “But I’m really happy with how it turned out this year.”

A small girl run by them, nearly running into the pair as she was chased by a slightly older boy, both laughing and screeching in joy. “This wouldn’t have been possible before, you know,” Shion began. “The city never wanted anyone to be too happy or too sad. Everyone just needed to be… content.”

“But now they can be happy – live and laugh and love. Kids can be kids, not geniuses bred into government officials. You did this Shion. You made it possible for the citizens of both No.6 and West Block to coexist. And things won’t ever be perfect, but you’ve given them the freedom to be human.”

Shion said nothing in response, but grasped Nezumi’s hand in his and held on as they watched the game of tag turn into a group of kids making snow angels under the tree. There was a lightness to the air that brought a smile to every face and made couples and families walk a little closer together.

Once the coldness started to seep into their gloved fingers and not even the warmth of the other’s hand could keep away the chill, Nezumi pulled Shion away from the festivities and down one of the alleys of what used to be Old Town.

“Where are we going now?”

The roads twisted and turned, and the further away they got from the central square, the colder the air seemed to get. But Nezumi didn’t give him an answer and instead just took him further into the labyrinth Shion had once called home.

Soon they reached a run-down building, the wood warped and in need of a fresh coat of paint, with a sign that read Shelter for the Needy. It had taken Nezumi a while to track Yoming down, and he’d never expected a former resistance member to need to resort to the shelter when he should have still had connections in the city. But I suppose most of them died the day the wall fell.

“He lives here now, doesn’t he?”

The reason they were there didn’t need to be said, so the two looked into the only window that wasn’t broken or taped up in some way and watched the members of a makeshift family have their Christmas Eve celebration.

It was clear that even though the committee funneled some money into the shelter, it was sorely lacking in many areas. Their clothes were threadbare, and no fire warmed the room. The building had never had central heating, as it was a part of Old Town, and many of the residents wore blankets wrapped around their shoulders to stave off the cold. Yoming was sitting at the edge of wood table in the middle of the main room, poking at something that looked like mashed potatoes with a fork.

“He’s Lili’s uncle. The girl who lives next to your mother’s bakery?”

“Yes. I know.” Shion’s answer was clipped, as if he was trying to keep in his emotions. That wasn’t the point of their trip, so Nezumi reached out a hand and unclenched Shion’s fingers.

“Her father worked in the Correctional Facility in the sanitary department. He died the night we broke in.” The clenching of Shion’s jaw and the tightened grip on his hand let Nezumi know that it was new information for Shion. And that made it even harder to continue, but he knew he had to break Shion before he could fix him.

“It’s been years since you forged documents for the first time to get someone of the committee, and Yoming is still here. He hasn’t been able to find another job – even if it was never publicized, things like this get out. Lili’s mother refused to let him near her children, so they grew up without any sort of father figure. It’s not the worst thing in the world, but he was so excited to be an uncle and adored Lili. I know that he is guilty of what you accused him of, but your methods were wrong Shion. You claimed that you didn’t have enough time to gather evidence, but that you knew what was going on. But was that true for everyone Shion? Look at this man, and what your actions have wrought. You didn’t have to kill this man to destroy him. And how many others have you ruined in this way? You can see the good you’ve done for the city, but I think you forget sometimes that your methods leave behind a trail of broken people with nothing left to live for.”

No more words were spoken between them – there was nothing else to say, really – and Nezumi released Shion’s hand to wrap an arm around his shoulder as he turned them around and headed back towards their apartment.

After they stepped inside and the door shut, Shion wrapped his arms around Nezumi and pressed his face into the other man’s back. “Thank you for today, Nezumi. I needed that, and I understand what you were trying say. I’m still not sure if that third option exists, but I’m willing to try finding one.” The words were slightly muffled, but the warmth seeping through his jacket made Shion’s intentions known.

“That’s all I ask. Now,” Nezumi said with a smirk, turning in Shion’s arms to face him, “why don’t we see if Karan’s dropped off her Christmas Eve care package yet.”

There was indeed a basket of baked goods – including their favorite cherry cake – waiting for them in the kitchen, along with a thermos of hot chocolate with a note that read, “Welcome home, Nezumi.”

Long after they’d drained their mugs and curled up on the couch Shion had used as a bed while he was gone – “The bed’s too empty without you. I can’t sleep.” “You never sleep anyway, you workaholic idiot.” – Nezumi stood by the window Shion always left open for him. It was meant as a message that he would always wait for him, no matter what happened to either of them. But it was also an escape route for him, something to let Nezumi know that Shion would always let him go.

“Are you leaving again?”

The sleepy voice called out to him, barely louder than a whisper. “Shion,” Nezumi replied, turning away from the window to face the man rubbing his tired eyes. “Why do you never ask me to stay? You keep this window open regardless of if I’m here or not and never say anything when I leave.”

The red snake stood out more than usual on the man’s pale face as he stared Nezumi. “…I…” He bowed his head, staring at his fingers in his lap and refusing to meet Nezumi’s eyes. “After seeing West Block… after seeing what the city’s become and where it still needs to go, I realized that others need things more than I do. The citizens need a stable, useful government that puts their needs first. You need your freedom.”

Nezumi turned from the window and sat on the couch beside him, bringing the broken man into his arms and resting his cheek on the white hair that had always fascinated him. A hand began stroking Shion’s back in comfort, but he didn’t relax.

“You’ve done everything you could for everyone else, and even if I don’t agree with your methods, you’ve done better than anyone else would have. Do you know why I would rather kill you than let you go on like this?” There was no shake of the head, nothing to let Nezumi know that Shion was even listening to him, but he continued anyway. “I would rather see you dead than watch you destroy yourself. I know you said that you would rather save people and become a monster to me, but at this rate I won’t have to kill you – you’re slowly killing yourself, and if you don’t stop caring so much about others, there won’t be a you left. I love you Shion, and I don’t want you to lose yourself.”

Tired hands grasped Nezumi’s shirt as tears soaked into the threads. Shion wasn’t making any sound, but Nezumi could feel the soft shaking of his frame, and he pulled him in closer, hoping to comfort him in some way. “I’m sorry, Nezumi. I’ll do better. I promise. Just please, please don’t leave me.”

Nezumi said nothing in that moment, wishing that the man he held didn’t care about him so much, that he wasn’t such a large part of his heart, that his absences wouldn’t cause him that pain. But he’d already sworn to himself that he wouldn’t leave again, and after Shion cried himself to sleep, Nezumi carried him to bed and settled him under the covers before going back and closing his window firmly shut, then curling up beside the man he would do anything to save. A ring box wrapped in a ribbon as red as Shion’s snake sat on the nightstand beside him, waiting for its new owner to open it on Christmas day.

[no6secretsanta]

A traveller's heart

This fanfic is my gift for… *drum roll* @norwayplaystheviolin !!! I feel like my writing skills got rusty after a year of writing only academic stuff for work, but I wrote this with lots of love. I wanted to approach the characters from a different perspective so I placed them on a different scenario than what it’s usually the standard for No.6. I don’t know if I really succeeded but, regardless, I hope you like it!

Merry Christmas!

~@aoicanvas

***

The light filtering through the closed curtains wakes him up. He stretches, gets up and starts getting ready to leave for work.

***

Shion wakes up early, as usual. Out of habit, he opens the window. Even when he’s far from home, he feels uneasy if he doesn’t do it. Shaking his head as some sort of measure to get rid of his thoughts, he goes to fetch some clean and comfortable clothes from his suitcase. There’re a lot of places to see, people to meet, things to learn.

***

Almost everyone is already there when he walks the stairs up to the stage. They are sitting on the floor, chatting.

He joins them for a while. They still have time.

***

Shion covers his eyes with one hand to protect them from the sun. If he’s not mistaken, on the opposite street corner he can make out the shape of what should be the city teather. The building is truly beautiful. He wonders if that’s how they used to look, in the old ages.

There’s someone waiting for him at the reception. He’s warmly welcomed and taken to one of the owners’ office.

***

“And now again, / within that square of darkness, look! a light, / that feels its way with hesitating pulse, / as we do, through the darkness that it drives / to blacken into deeper night beyond.”

“In which could we follow that light’s example, / as might some English Bardolph with his nose, / we might defy the sunset—Hark, a chain!”

***

Elias is kind enough to offer Shion a tour. He’s young, jovial and full of good ideas. If the theater has always been in the hands of people like him, then its success is no wonder.

“Would you like to see the stage? I don’t have much time left now because I have a meeting soon but I don’t want you to leave before seeing it. It’s really something else.”

Shion smiles at his enthusiasm.

“I’d love to”.

“Are you sure you can’t stay for, say, another week? We have the opening night for the new play one of our crews has been working on on friday night. It’s going to be amazing”.

Shion shakes his head. He has to go back to No.6 early the next morning because a project he’s been an important part of is coming to and end and he can’t leave it unattended for too long.

***

“But… are you sure, Nezumi?”

“Yes, Miram, I am”.

“Ugh. I must’ve confused it with a different scene again, then. Can you start from… ‘once more, you savage heavens’”?

***

When they get to where the stage is, Shion is awestruck. The place looks like it was taken out from an old classic tale, even when only the stage lights are on. They start walking towards it.

“Are they rehearsing?” Shion asks quietly, looking at the actors on the scene. “Won’t they mind that we’re here?”

“Not at all”, says Elias. “They can deal with all kind of distractions, I assure you. Besides, since you’re not staying to see the play, I can’t let you leave without at least seeing this stage up close. Come on”.

***

“Once more, you savage heavens, I ask of you— / I, looking up to those relentless eyes / that, now the greater lamp is gone below, / begin to muster in the listening skies; / in all the shining circuits you have gone / about this theatre of human woe, / what greater sorrow have you gazed upon / than down this narrow chink you witness still—”

“Elias! Did you come to see the final rehearsal? We can start again if you’d like.”

Nezumi sighs. He had heard the footsteps, but he hadn’t bothered stopping since Elias never interrupted them in the middle of a scene. Evan, of course, was a different story. Brilliant actor, but painfully oblivious sometimes.

“I was almost done with that line, Evan—” he starts, begins to turn around and then…

“…and which, did you yourselves not fore-devise, / you registered for others to fulfil.”

A mirage.

***

Shion sees the light reflecting on his eyes and surprises himself with his ability to breathe easily and smile. He can hear Elias saying something to him, but he fails at making out the words even when they’re standing right next to each other.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” he asks, forcing himself to look at Elias.

“Oh, I was just wondering if you knew this play? You just quoted it by heart, didn’t you?”

“Ah, yes. I’m a bit of a bookworm”.

***

Nezumi notices he’s frozen in place. Elias is introducing Shion, who bows respectfully and smiles at everyone. He locks his eyes with Nezumi’s for a couple of seconds and he swears he can hear his own heartbeat.

“Well, we won’t take any more of your time. Thank you for hard work, everyone”.

He hears Elias’s words distantly and sees them leave, feeling that his perception of time got ruined the moment Evan interrupted his dialogue.

A voice in his head protests:

“…ezumi? Nezumi? Hey, are you okay?”

He turns. Jael is looking up at him with a worried expression on her face. He spaced out, and judging by the look on the other actors’ faces, they all noticed.

“You look pale, man”.

“And that’s a lot to say, considering how white your skin is.”

He wants to explain. A half-truth, a half-lie, doesn’t matter, but his body is moving before he can say anything.

“I’m sorry, I have to go”.

***

Shion stands outside the theater, right by the main entrance. He looks down at his shaking hands and knows, with undeniable clarity, that he has to go back inside and…

And say something.

Do something.

He has wanted this for so long. Seven years. Seven years and he never thought this is how it would happen.

***

Nezumi knows there’s no way he’ll miss them since he stormed out of the stage just a couple of minutes after they left but, can he really be certain?

Can he really know for sure?

He walks quickly and reaches for the door, opens it with more force than necessary and there he is. He taking deeps breaths, face covered with both hands, shoulders tense.

Nezumi doesn’t stop to think; he walks up to him and grabs one of his wrists, gently.

“Shion”.

***

He freezes. There’s not much he could do to dtop his arms from falling to his sides. Nezumi lets go of wrists and just looks at him.

“Nezumi”.

He smiles.

***

Nezumi manages to smile back. Shion looks slightly different; he let his hair grow and now has it fixed it on a small ponytail. His clever gaze stays locked on his with a disarming clarity.

“You look well”, he says, feeling the forgotten urge to raise his hand and pet his soft white hair.

“I… thank you”. His voice doesn’t shake, but his gaze wavers. He looks away, and then back at him. “Do you live here?”

It’s a simple question, but Nezumi knows better. Shion is asking if he has made of this city his home.

If he’s there to stay.

“That’s a tricky question, Shion,” he observes.

Shion smiles at him.

There’s sadness in that smile.

“You caught me”.

It’s his turn to look away now.

“I have to go back to the rehearsal now—”

“Of course. You should go, I—

“…but I have time later. Tonight. Do you?”

“What?”

“Do you have time later, Shion?”

***

There’s a figure standing still under a lampost. Nezumi sees him tilting his head back and letting out a long exhale, hands on his pockets. The cold night breeze messes up his white hair.

“Shion”, he calls, once he’s certain he will be heard.

Shion startles before turning around. There’s surprise in his eyes. He wasn’t expecting him to turn up, not really. Then, there’s a small laugh, and it’s not one he can remember hearing from him before.

***

They walk side by side, until they reach a small coffee shop on a street corner and take one of the tables outside. On the other sidewalk, someone plays a violin and a small crowd forms a circle around them to listen. People walk on the street, enjoy drinks and food and gather together just as they would if it was the middle of the day.

A waiter comes to take their order before they can really start talking but soon enough they find themselves alone again.

Shion realizes he doesn’t know what to say. And he knows why, he knows—

But he is not going to voice it. Not yet, anyway.

So he goes for a safe topic. No.4. The city of the lights, as they call it.

***

Shion seems genuinely interested in the city life. He then asks about his job, how and when he started working at the theater, what kind of people the other actors are. He throws one question after another, there’s no pause after Nezumi’s answers, no time for him to think or to notice what’s going on. But in the back of his head he does. Shion is avoiding something and his instinct is to stop him right there and confront him about it. But he doesn’t. Not this time. Not after seven years apart.

So he speaks, tells Shion all the stories he wants to hear. Tells him about his travels, the people he has meet, the places he has seen. It’s not enough time to cover it all, of course, but there’s no hurry.

Or, at least, that’s what he wants to believe.

***

Shion tries to smother his laughter and fails immediately.

“You said you wouldn’t laugh. Liar”, Nezumi complains, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it”. He takes a deep breath and looks up. Nezumi is smiling at him. Suddenly open and honest.

***

“Shion—”

“I think I should go”.

Nezumi looks mildly confused.

“What?”

“I should go, Nezumi”, he stands, takes what he thinks is more than enough to pay for both of their orders from his wallet, and leaves it on the table. “I’m sorry. I’m going back to No.6 tomorrow morning. I need to back to the hotel and start packing now so I can get some sleep”.

Nezumi is silent for a while. Then he stands and takes one step to his side.

“I’m walking you to back to your hotel, then”.

***

As they walk in silence, Nezumi knows, with painful clarity, that he doesn’t want Shion to go. It’s been a long, long time and now that he has let down some of the walls he put up around himself to hide from the world, he can admit that he has never once stopped missing him.

He has never once stopped longing for him. In his heart, he has always been a traveller, but there was always a part of him wondering, asking, when will it be enough? when will you accept that you have seen enough and that the only thing that would make you feel whole now would be to go back to orbit around the stationary star you left behind?

And every time, he found the right excuse. Maybe No.4 was another one of those. Maybe that explained the loud, fast beating of his heart.

“Shion”. He stops walking. Shion turns towards him and waits. But he must know. “Why are you in such a hurry to leave?”

“I told you, I have to…”

“No, Shion. I know that. I understand that. But that was this morning, before you saw me. Now you know I am here, and now there’s something else.” He smiles and, again, resists the urge to reach out and touch Shion’s hair. “Don’t deny it, I still can read you like an open book.”

Shion smiles back at him and sighs. Look down.

“Okay. Yes, you’re right, Nezumi. I… Look, I’ve never stopped waiting for you. I’m not trying to—it’s not. It’s just how it is.”

“I know.”

And he does. This is not a guilt-tripping attempt. It’s just a fact. One he has always been aware of.

Shion breathes in.

“But I never expected… this. This is… I’m so glad, Nezumi, I—” he stops suddenly and smiles at him. It doesn’t reach his eyes. “I’m so glad to be here right now, with you. But this matter has never been in my hands. It has always been your choice, to come back whenever you felt it was right or to stay away for good. But this… if this is not what you wanted, not what you planned, then I don’t want to force it. Because if I stay or if you follow me it would be out of compromise, wouldn’t it? And it would feel like the normal thing to do after so many years without seeing each other, right?” He pauses, shakes his head. Nezumi feels his throat is clogged with unspoken words. “I don’t want to be a ghost from the past that came back to make you look at all those memories you hadn’t made the choice to confront yet. And that’s how I feel right now.”

Nezumi knows he’s right.

But he also knows he’s wrong.

The problem is, he doesn’t have the words to explain that yet. Not to himself, not to Shion.

“I won’t stop you if you want to go”, he says instead, “but you should know that I would like you to stay”.

Shion lets out a shaky breath and laughs softly.

“You know, when you left No.6, I promised myself I would never let you go again if you came back. I didn’t make a promise for this kind of situation but, still, it feels like I’m betraying my younger self”.

Nezumi feigns an affected sigh.

“You never learn, do you, stubborn child. Did you really make that promise?”

Shion doesn’t miss a beat.

“Yes. And I wouldn’t take it back”. He tries to look more cheerful and gifts Nezumi with an open, beautiful  smile. “So now you know; think carefully before going back, because I’m determined”.

“I’m very thankful for the warning”.

“You’re welcome”.

***

Shion closes the door behind him and doesn’t bother turning the lights on. He needs to pack, that much is true, but his body feels numb and he feels the sudden urge to cry.

He never thought he would be strong enough to walk away from Nezumi. He never thought the circumstances would present themselves in such a way he wouldn’t have any other choice. Because what he had said was true: he felt like ghost. So he had decided to be a ghost and leave no trace of his stay.

There wasn’t a goodbye kiss this time.

Not even a hug.

He gives up and lets the tears fall. It’s going to be a long night.

***

“Hey! You were brilliant again!”

Nezumi smiles at Jael as he goes about picking his stuff.

“You were brilliant too”.

“And finally, the season’s over!” Evan lets himself fall on an old couch. “We have to celebrate, guys, please. And this time, Javier, you have go”.

“No. I pass.”

“Ohhh, come on! You missed the celebration after the opening night, you can’t miss it now! It was the last one!”

Javier shrugs.

“What can I say, I’m a busy person”.

“What about you, Nezumi? You’ll join us, right? All the others are going, man, you can’t miss it”.

“I’m sorry, Evan. I’m leaving today”.

“Uh? What?”

“You didn’t know?” Jael looks surprised and then looks at Nezumi accusingly. “You didn’t tell him?”

“He told everyone”, Javier says, “even Marina knows, and she’s the most oblivious of all of us”.

“That’s true”, Marina agrees.

“Okay, okay, so I’m the only one who doesn’t know whatever is going on, I got that, but I still don’t know what’s the thing that’s going so, care to explain?”

Nezumi hides a smile. He’s going to miss his colleagues. Even if they can be a pain sometimes. Like Evan.

“I’m leaving the city, Evan. I’m moving to No.6”.

***

The van engine starts and he doesn’t feel a single cell of his being rebel against his decision. The driver makes small talk with the couple on the front seats.

“…we never thought we would leave No.4 but, sometimes, you have to take risks”, the woman says, resting her head on the man’s shoulder.

“Wise words, couldn’t have said it better”. The driver smiles and looks at Nezumi through the rear-view mirror. “What about you, friend? Why are you going to No.6?”

Nezumi is certain of the answer now. He looks at the clear sky and wonders if he’ll be lucky enough to arrive with a storm. Shion would certainly love that.

“Because it’s home”, he answers.

Miles away, someone is waiting for him.

Someone who’s not planning on letting him go.

Now he can say that it doesn’t scare him. On the contrary, it’s exactly what his heart wants.

[karereiko]

Not Perfect - chapter 26

Not Perfect

Chapter 26

Honeymoon

It was a normal Sunday's morning. The one which Shion loved the most. Well, he woke up with his whole right arm all numb and stiff, not to mention that he couldn't move, so it was strange for an outsider to consider such waking up as something to be liked. The reason behind all inconvenience was Nezumi sleeping on his shoulder, wrapped around him tighter than any blanket. It was an usual occurrence for the last day of the week. Nezumi already got used to the early wake up around 4 AM caused by his work at a bakery. Sundays were slightly different than the rest of week. Nezumi, as always, woke up naturally around 4 AM without setting up any alarm, but when his silvers eyes opened up and he came to realization that it was his day off, he turned around with a groan towards the warm body laying beside him and he went back to the sleep.

This was Shion's one and only chance-per-week to see his husband sleeping relaxed next to him, or rather on him. Nezumi often joked to everyone that Shion liked to cuddle like crazy and the white-haired man couldn't disagree. But only he knew that Nezumi was even worse in that matter. How else could you explain the fact that no matter which position Nezumi fell asleep in, he always ended up cuddled around the other boy, cutting the blood circulate in Shion's arm, just like today? Sometimes it was really problematic, mostly when Shion had to go to the toilet in middle of the night. Still, feeling Nezumi's physical weight was something he wouldn't trade even for all the money of the world.

Shion tried to move and look at the other man's face from an angle, one which wouldn't add his neck to the list of his sore body parts. Nezumi's arm was thrown around Shion's chest and their legs tangled in a strange way. The warmth of his husband's naked skin was enough to make Shion feel hot but he fixed the quilt around them anyways.

After a while Shion couldn't stop himself from beginning to slowly stroke Nezumi's cheek with the tips of his fingers. He loved to see Nezumi like this. When he looked so peaceful, comfortable and serene. This was the second spot from the list of his beloved Nezumi moments. The first place belonged to the times when the silver-eyed man laughed happily.

With each passing day, Shion found it amazing how much more Nezumi was smiling around everyone. In the past the other man's lips only ever curled up from smirks or dark, sarcastic comments, but that had changed lately. His eyes sparked more, his posture was more relaxed and he joked more. If Shion's feelings somehow helped Nezumi to open like this, then he couldn't be more satisfied and happy.

Shion moved his fingers again, pulling away some hair from his husband's face. The dark stands fell on the other male's skin like small rivers. They ran along Nezumi's neck, creating small islands on naked skin. Shion couldn't stop himself from moving his head slightly and planting a soft kiss onto one of those islands. When he looked back again at the older boy's lips were parted slightly, telling Shion that his lover was still asleep. Nezumi must have been really tired if he didn't wake up yet, with Shion moving around so much. The white haired boy decided to let his husband sleep a little more, which did by no means stop him from looking at the other man.

After a half hour of thinking that his arm going to fall off and putting two more kisses on Nezumi's cheek and forehead, long eyelashes fluttered open, revealing those silver eyes Shion had fallen in love with.

„Hmm, is this some kind of apology in advance?" Nezumi asked. He woke up just after Shion kissed his forehead for the seventh time.

„No, it's just normal 'I love you' kiss. I don't think I did anything that requires apology today." Shion answered, raising his eyebrows in confusion. If anything, it was rather Nezumi who had done nothing but crashing his arm for the last hours.

„That's why I said it in advance; I have feeling that today's evening is going to be disaster." Nezumi groaned, making the crimson eyed boy laugh a little.

„It's not going to be disaster. Nezumi, it's just a wedding party. A small wedding party with our closest friends as guests. We going to sit together for a few hours, since tomorrow everyone has to go to their work. We are going to eat cake, make a toast and talk a little. That's all."

„Believe me, your majesty, when I feel that it's going to be disaster then it's going to be disaster."

Shion rolled his eyes and moaned happily when Nezumi raised his head from the numb arm. Delighted to feel blood resuming circulation in stiff fingers, Shion almost missed the chance to admire his husband's naked form as Nezumi searched for his underwear thrown somewhere in the last night's moments of passion.

Shion held back a chuckle at the dark-haired boy's dramatic complaint and started to gather his own clothes. After all, they had some chores and preparations to do before their wedding party. His opinion over the upcoming evening was opposing Nezumi's and he couldn't help but to feel excited about today.

Shion had waited almost two weeks for a such moment. For day when he could finally talk about his and Nezumi marriage aloud. The number of people who were going to hear his announcement was small but Shion would be happy with every single person who he could share his happiness with.

They started preparations for the evening inside bakery's shop as always. The empty bedroom on the second floor was still left untouched and Shion didn't think that was going to change very soon. No one had any time to do anything in this matter, so Karan just rolled down metallic blinds on the shop's big windows to keep unwanted people from observing their party while both boys prepared tables and chairs.

The first guests who came were Renka, Lili and little Rose. Knowing that Inukashi was going to bring little Shion as well, Karan and Shion prepared small corner at the shop with a lot blankets, pillows and children's books. As for toys, Renka brought some with her and Inukashi had also promised to get something to keep little children from getting bored. Their guests didn't know the reason behind the meeting. Visitors were informed to just come and to not eat too much since Shion's family would have prepared dinner.

Both newlyweds wore black leather gloves in order to hide their rings. Shion wanted to surprise their friends and since Nezumi was used to wearing gloves at the West Block, he hadn't opposed his idea. The dark haired had man even agreed and told his husband that some dramatic show may save them form possible sappy-ness of the party.

It turned out to be the best idea Shion had gotten in a month or two. The white haired boy really thought that Nezumi would laugh at his plan of making a spectacle out of their wedding party.

It was just one of many surprises which happened that day. It looked like changing wedding event into some kind of Theatrical play helped Nezumi to regain some control over situations uncomfortable for him. Announcing their marriage to outsiders was one thing but acting lovely-dovely in front of their friends for a whole evening was something that made Nezumi's back run with cold shivers.

It wasn't the fear of revealing their bond what made Nezumi uncomfortable. Well, not like Shion knew his husband's thoughts, but he guessed the problem laid with fact of celebrating happiness and in sharing such joy. Each family event they had held until now somehow stressed the other man more than walking through West Block at night when it was still dangerous. It wasn't surprising considering Nezumi's past and lack of family's warmth in the early years of his life. If it wasn't for him and his mother Nezumi, wouldn't probably tried to learn what it means to enjoy free time with another people again. Shion was very grateful for that.

That's why, even if this event was going to turn out as more stressful for Nezumi than usually, Shion had already made a plan how to re-compensate it to his husband. It wasn't a new discovery that his mother and the silver-eyed man both loved the city's water trains. Equipped with that important information, Shion often asked the rest of his family to visit shops on the other side of the city just to create an occasion for all them to have fun.

„So... what's going on?" Inukashi asked once she joined the party and set little Shionn onto the big pillow in the children's corner with Rose. Shion smiled nervously, waving towards the table asking his guest to sit down.

Well, one thing was certain, their guests looked pretty confused with not knowing the reason behind unexpectedly meeting and both men wearing gloves on such a warm day. They were even more dumbfounded when Shion put his ID unit on table after he received incoming call from Kalan and Rico.

„Hello Shion. You told us to call you around this hour... Oh, good evening." The girl started after the video conversation was accepted but she paused after seeing the other people on camera.

„Should we call later?" Rico asked flusteredly.

„No, it's perfect. Me and Nezumi wanted to announce something and I really want for all my friends to hear it at once. I have only one request, please don't spread the information you are going to hear today. For now it's a secret."

The siblings, Inukashi and Rikiga were clearly taken aback by those words alone. Renka smiled gently, probably reasoning that they got engaged. Once Shion set up everything Nezumi entered the center of room in that showy way like it was a stage. He clearly had a lot of fun, seeing that their little performance worked and how their guests waited for the revealing act with anticipation. Shion had to bite his lower lip to not burst out with laugher about this whole situation and he joined Nezumi while trying to stop the crazy smile from creeping onto his face.

The moment he had waited for finally came.

Seeing his excitement Nezumi, smirked amusedly and made a theatrical bow saying:

„You may do the honors this time, your majesty."

It was the moment when Shion gave up on holding back his smile. Because of his excitement he made rushed the movement of taking his glove off and his ring almost slide of his finger. Nezumi summed it up with offended gaze. This surely wasn't in script of their theatrical play. The white-haired man chuckled apologetically towards his husband and fixed the golden ring back on his finger. In the end Shion raised his hand. He breathed out with pure joy.

„We got married during our vacation."

Nezumi also, in his usual elegant way, took off his glove revealing his wedding ring. For a few seconds no one said anything. Then, almost at the same time, the siblings from West Block and Lily screamed with excitement.

„Wow, congratulations Shion, Nezumi." Rico said through the video conference.

„I told you, it was just a matter of time." Kalan said to her brother.

At the corner of room little Shionn and Rose stopped their play, looking at the whole scene with confusion, probably wondering what was going on. Meanwhile Lily jumped closer to the newlyweds in order to take a better look at those rings.

„They are so pretty."

Inukashi and Rikiga sat on their chairs looking like stone statues and their eyes were big like plates.

„Congratulation Nezumi, Shion." Renka said and she moved closer to Karan. „They kept their engagement a secret really well."

Karan laughed softly to her friend and shook her head.

„They weren't engaged. They skipped it and jumped straight into the marriage."

"So it's not a joke?" Inukashi asked after regaining her composure. She was still unsure what to think about the current situation. It was true that her and Nezumi's relationship had greatly improved over the year, but she still held some grudge towards the silver-eyed man for leaving Shion in such critical time.

"Yes, well, we still need to sign papers, which we are going to do in the near future it doesn't cause a harm to city's rebuilding. Yet, we both think of ourselves as married. Nezumi bought rings and asked me to marry him, we put them on each other while making small vows so I don't think that a lack of our signatures on city's papers make us less wedded." Shion explained to his friend. He caught how Nezumi's cheeks covered with red at his words in the corner of his eye. At that moment Shion selfishly thought that there wasn't possibly any other person in the world to be more happy than he was right now.

Inukashi hummed, crossed her arms while keeping her eyes at Nezumi.

„I see. Well, it's hard to believe that Nezumi is the one who coming up with such an idea. But if NO.6 managed to change so much then, with Nezumi asking someone to marry him, maybe the world also isn't going to end tomorrow. It explains why you both and Karan acted so crazy cheerful for the last two weeks. If that's what you two wanted then, there is nothing left for me but to congratulate you two." The brown-haired girl gave her small blessing and Shion relaxed upon seeing her smile.

„Shion, Karan, why didn't you tell me earlier? I would bought some gift for a newlyweds as old tradition says." Rikiga groaned.

"We wanted to surprise everyone and we really don't need any gifts. Your support is everything we ask for." Shion declared. Then he and Nezumi joined the rest of guests around the table.

"Your plan worked great. You surely surprised us." Inukashi added to the conversation.

The next hour passed with small talk and eating all kinds of appetizers. Kalan and Rico disconnected after an half hour since they still had some homework left to do. At some point, Shion, Karan and Nezumi put a wedding cake and that bottle of alcohol which both boys had brought from their vacation on the table.

"Shion, my boy, you really should think about opening a trading line between our city and that town. I bet this liqueur would sell like Karan's pastry." Rikiga said after he took another slip from his glass.

„Well, that might not be such a bad idea."

„It's a great idea! NO.6 would get such an amazing, rich and natural drink. The people from that town would get money. It's amazing a deal for both sites."

Shion smiled entertainingly at the older man's idea. Maybe he really should introduce such idea to NO.6's economic department, the exchange between cities might help them both grow. The infrastructure between was already built, so there was no need to invest additional resources. The more open market became, the harder it would be for NO.6 to cut and hide behind wall again if he ever stepped back from being President of the city. Lost in his thoughts Shion almost missed a quiet conversation that Inukashi and Nezumi exchanged beside him.

„So you finally decided to admit that Shion is the most important person in your live?" Inukashi started.

„Yeah. Do you have a problem with that?"

„No, I knew you fell for him way before you noticed it yourself. I'm just going to repeat advice I gave you years ago. Remember, once you find someone you care for, then better protect them from harm with all your strength. That also counts the pain you could be causing by yourself."

„Still worried that I would run away again after all this?" Nezumi smirked coldly to Inukashi but she only waved her hand and leaned to get another snack onto her plate.

„Nah, those rings tell me that Shion and Karan tamed you well. I wish I saw your face when you were buying them. It must have been hilarious."

In answer, Nezumi groaned angry and if his eyes could kill, Shion was sure that Inukashi wouldn't have survived after giving such a comment.

„Nezumi, I hope you two lead happy life. What you have done now is a good start."

There was a little pause after Inukashi's comment, almost impossible to notice through Karan and Renka's chuckles.

"And you have become even more annoying since you turned into an all-knowing mommy." Nezumi huffed.

„I'm blessing your marriage, it wouldn't hurt for you to be a little grateful."

Shion smiled into his glass. While listening to this strange conversation he could tell that Nezumi and Inukashi had became really close friends. Inukashi's acceptance and bond with Nezumi meant a lot to Shion. Not only because he really liked the dark-skinned girl. Since she had lived her whole live in the West Block, maybe she was the person who understood Nezumi better than Shion or Karan ever would. And there might be a day when Nezumi would need a support like that.

"But to Shion and Eve being married, that's clearly a surprise... As a President of city he could find someone better..." Rikiga's words dragged Shion from his thoughts in an instant. Maybe it shouldn't make him this angry, but it was special day for both of them.

"Rikiga, it's..."

Karan was already going to answer the older man but she stopped half way when Shion raised from his chair pushing it with a loud creak. Everyone turned their heads towards the white-haired boy.

"Then who would be better, Rikiga? Some politician? Or maybe you mean I should have found some woman? I've met many people during my life and I never found anyone better than Nezumi. No one who is so intelligent and painfully honest in his opinions. Who has more grace and so much will to live shining from their eyes. Who saved, protected me and kept my soul from falling into darkness. Someone who covered me with his own body when someone tried to shot me..."

Shion continued with a cold voice until Nezumi grabbed his hand.

"Shion, there is no need to get so worked up over such small thing. You know talks like this don't bother me." In answer the white-haired man shook his head, looking deep into his husband's eyes.

"No, I had to. Today is our wedding party. You are the one who asked me to marry you, although you didn't have to. I can do at least this much for person who loves me so much. I want people to know how kind you are."

"You know it's not worth trouble? I don't care what others think about me."

"It's worth any trouble. For me it's important. You are an important, irreplaceable person Nezumi."

Nezumi sighed loudly letting Shion's hand go.

"Do what you want. It looks like you won't listen me anyway. Just don't get carried away like the last time."

Awkward silence fell throughout the room. Renka, Lili and Karan exchanged worried looks while Rikiga seemed to be embarrassed and at a loss of words. Shion also felt ashamed a little, he probably shouldn't burst out at Rikiga like that at and Nezumi was right. He had made a scene in front of all those people. He really should have bit his tongue and let that comment slide especially during such a day and party which his mother had looked forward to so much.

The atmosphere was heavy and no one was sure what to say next.

"Mommy, I need to pee." the tiny voice of Rose broke the silence. The little girl stood beside table looking at them with big eyes.

"I.. I'm going to take her to toilet." Lily offered and she took her sister's hand before leaving the room. Everyone exchanged glances once again and Rikiga cleared his throat loudly.

"Shion, I'm sorry. You know that I was Eve's fan before it turned out that he's one foul-mouthed and crude boy... Uh, I didn't meant to say you two don't care of each other... You are just such an angel compared to him."

"I'm not pure, we all have our flaws, Rikiga. And everyone in the West Block had their own ways of survive, even you." Shion cut off the man again before one more word about Nezumi could escape the man's mouth, feeling angry again. The mood in the room had become so heavy that it was possible to cut with a knife.

"I know and you are right. Shion, Nezumi, I'm sorry. And I want to apologize to Karan too, it was important evening for you all and I messed it up.

"Apology accepted, well you can add some flowers for Karan to it. And if you can pay for dinner for us all at that new restaurant they open in the east part of the city then I would be grateful. I heard they serve amazing food there. I think Inukashi, Renka and the kids wouldn't complain if you invite them too."

Nezumi smirked to the other man taking advantage of the situation. Rikiga sighed annoyedly, which surely didn't help those two fix their familiarity, but he nodded his head anyway.

"Alright, I will try to reserve table for us all on some Saturday."

After Rikiga's apology Shion finally sat down. He was still a little upset, but Lily and Rose came back from the toilet so he tried to act like nothing happened.

"Well, they say that there is no wedding without any fight." Renka said nervously which the most of present people answered with awkward smiles.

The rest of the evening passed with better atmosphere. Slowly, after conversations jumped from one topic to another the awkward scene was forgotten. Little Shionn and Rose feel asleep on the pillows with toys around them and Lily left the table to read some book besides sleeping kids, bored with grown-up's talks.

"You are really something, to get so worked out at such idiotic comment. I'm afraid of what you are going to do to the people who wouldn't like our relationship, Mr. President. That's going to be worse than Elyuria's wrath." Nezumi teased him, making Shion almost choke with egg salad.

"Anyway, thank you, Your Majesty. Who would have thought... I married such a brave knight." The older male joked more, making Shion flush from shame. Even so he couldn't bring himself to regret his previous actions.

Shion raised his eyes towards the long-haired man. He could see that behind teasing words, Nezumi wanted to say something else. The right words didn't manage to leave his mouth, so instead a little cold hand tangled with Shion's.

"Do you want more salad?" Nezumi asked and Shion nodded his head squeezing back the long fingers of his husband.

"Yes, thank you."

After every snack and appetizer had disappeared from the table and a second bottle of Liqueur had been drunk away, the guests started to prepare to get home. Shion called for a car since he didn't want to have Renka and Inukashi trying to walk home so late with tired children. Rikiga decided to go by foot since he didn't live far from Chronos.

"I hope you will be able to announce your relationship soon." Renka said to all family members.

"Thank you." Shion answered and Nezumi also smiled gently to the woman, nodding in gratitude.

It was almost 10 PM before they had cleaned out all dishes and headed to their room. Even then Shion still felt slightly hot from all the food, alcohol and atmosphere of the party.

Nezumi sighed tiredly just after doors to their bedroom had closed. "Thank goodness that weddings are only one-time events. I didn't think such combination of sappiness, embarrassment, trouble and distress even existed."

Nezumi groaned and Shion chuckled again, nervously. Well, it was surely not how Shion and Karan planned for this party to go.

„Well, you know, some couples used to remarry after ten or twenty years after the first wedding."

Shion recalled something he once read about. Even if this time it wasn't perfect that it didn't mean they couldn't try again. The idea of remarrying Nezumi over and over again made him grin like crazy. He stagger while climbing the stairs leading to their bed and Nezumi wrapped his hand around Shion's waist. Having a low alcohol tolerance sometimes had it's advantages and he used it well by moving even closer to his husband.

„No. Forget about it. Even after we sign papers we are not going to have party like this one ever again. Shion take off your pants." Nezumi groaned when they finally got to their bed. The older boy tried to change into his pajamas but Shion's hug made that quite difficult.

"Usually is you who likes to take my pants off." Shion joked playfully, but he took his hands away from Nezumi's waist, setting him free.

"For heaven's sake! How did you get drunk? You only had two glasses of liquid." Nezumi sighed. Looking at gold ring around Nezumi's finger, Shion couldn't help himself. This whole silliness had it's charm.

"I'm drunk with love." Shion joked again while grabbing his and Nezumi's clothes and putting them on chair beside bed.

"I can't handle you when you are like this. You making my head ache." The older boy raised hand to his forehead.

"Still, you love me. You even married me." Shion continued his playful game with a melodic voice, acting a little more drunk than he really was. It was always so much fun to see how Nezumi's composure was breaking down from Shion's joyful feelings.

"Don't make me regret it, your majesty."

Those words made Shion pause, he didn't cross the line, right? He didn't want to make Nezumi angry with him. Before he was able to apologize, Shion felt warm lips on his own. The kiss was only a little longer than their normal 'see you later kiss'. Nezumi often used that one to make him stop talking.

"Alright my prince. Now get in your pajamas and go to sleep. It was enough of tooth rotting, sappy craziness for the one day. Grant that one wish to your husband."

Shion smiled at the other man softly. He would agree to do everything when Nezumi used that word.

"Alright, I'm sorry for what happened with Rikiga. I really wished for our weeding party to be better."

"Well, at least it wasn't total disaster."

While both of them sat on the edge of the bed Shion, leaned to kiss Nezumi once more. He didn't had anything in mind by doing it. He kissed the other man simply because he wanted it and because he could.

It didn't take long before they turned off lights and cuddled to sleep. It had been a long day and the entire heaviness of it finally hit Shion with all it's power, making his eyes drop close in a second. He opened them again two hours later. After a trip to the bathroom in middle of night he climbed back to the bed and it didn't take Nezumi even a minute before he threw his limbs on Shion. The crimson-eyed man smiled with affection and buried his nose into his husband's silky hair.

It looked like he was going to wake up with his arm all numb in the morning once again.

****

Nezumi sunk his hands into sticky dough just to curse loudly two minutes later. He hated making the same mistake twice and yet he let himself mess up like this again. He took his hands away and moved towards the kitchen sink. After taking off his wedding ring he leaned for a scrub.

"Why didn't I buy the fucking plain ring?" He murmured angry while trying to scrape glutinous dough from the golden band. Fresh substance pasted into lines of graving, making the ring hard to clean. Not like letting the dough dry would help much. He already tried that method once. Both ways were a pain in ass.

Usually he left his wedding ring inside a glass placed above his working space. It stayed there until the end of his work time. Today was the third time since week began when he forgot to take it off while working on that day's portion of dough for breed.

Besides him, Karan giggled softly over her own pastry, yet she didn't say anything aloud.

Nezumi was still struggling with his deadly fight when Shion entered the room, yawing loudly. Nezumi made a pause wondering what the white haired boy was doing there at such hour. Then he remembered previous evening. Right, Shion had said something about having some kind of meeting really early today.

„Good morning mom, good morning Nezumi." Shion moved half-asleep in an attempt to kiss his husband before he noticed that Nezumi was leaning over the sink with madness in his eyes.

„What are you doing?"

„I'm cleaning the proof of our love, your majesty."

„Maybe it would be better if you take it off before you start to work on dough."

„Clever idea, Shion. I'm going to remember that advice the next time." Nezumi answered sarcastically.

„Nezumi usually secures his ring into the glass over there but he forgot to do it today. Or maybe he didn't forgot but it's his heart that just doesn't want to be apart from the 'proof of your love'." Karan joked making Nezumi red. He started to scrape the ring even harder, wishing for this ridiculous situation to finally end. He almost wanted to groan aloud annoyed when Shion smiled widely beside him, happy like a child who just got his beloved candy. The younger man leaned forward and kissed Nezumi on the cheek before moving away to get some piece of yesterday's pasty in order to prepare breakfast for everyone. While Shion finished, Nezumi managed to clean his ring completely and he put it into the glass with a loud jingle.

"So you keep yours there during the day?" Shion asked with strange tone of his voice.

"Yes, as we agreed I'm taking my ring off so you can govern in peace."

To Nezumi's surprise Shion only hummed to himself and stopped asking questions on that matter. Any person who didn't know Shion wouldn't find such behavior strange but Nezumi could feel with every piece of his existence that something was already going on inside the other man's head. He just hoped that his natural husband wasn't going to reveal their relationship only because Nezumi kept his ring inside the glass for a few hours. Shion had been unpredictable former occasions.

The matter of ring wasn't even mentioned during the next week. Shion only observed Nezumi strangely when the man was putting his wedding ring back on. It surely looked suspicious for the dark-haired man.

Shion, who's mouth sometimes couldn't stop talking, didn't say a word more about glasses or rings.

Maybe Nezumi shouldn't pay so much attention to it. Maybe he was acting like a paranoid but he couldn't stop thinking that such silence would to turn into something bad. Despite of his bad gut feeling, the week passed normally. Nezumi even forgot about Shion's strange humming, guessing that it didn't mean anything after all.

Then one day Shion returned from his work early with wide grin pasted on his face and sparkling eyes.

"Mom, can I steal Nezumi for a moment?"

"Sure, darling." Karan answered, taking Nezumi's place behind the cash register and just like that the dark-haired man was dragged into the baking room.

"Shion, what are plotting?" The older male asked as they were walking through the corridor.

"You 'll see."

Shion went inside the room and he made his first steps towards the shelf. He took Nezumi's ring out and paused for a moment.

"Maybe I better give you this first." Shion reached hand inside his trousers pocket and took out a blue box, similar to the one which Nezumi had gotten at the jewelry shop.

"It's for you."

Shion practically pushed box into Nezumi's hands. The older boy slowly opened the gift having no clue what Shion could buy for him at jeweler shop.

He saw a white chain with a strange pendant. It looked very solid, a lot of force would have to be used to break its chains but it wasn't showy.

"It's for your ring. If you press here the pendant opens and you can easily hang the ring in like this without taking the whole thing off."

After demonstrating his words by putting together wedding ring and necklace Shion hung the chain between his hands, showing it to Nezumi. The older boy found the gift unnecessary. Hiding the ring inside the glass was enough. Shion didn't need to waste his money on flashy accessories like this.

"You think that it's redundant thing, right?" Shion's smile faded away when Nezumi didn't say anything.

"Yes. But it's not like I don't appreciate your intentions."

"Nezumi, I don't know how long it will take for us to hide our relationship. It's sad that you had to take off something you have bought by yourself. Something that reflects our love. It doesn't matter if you put it away into glass, shelf or box. It's not fair. I'm selfish, I want to see you wear your wedding ring. I want us both to wear it during the every minute of the day. That's why I bought this necklace. Even if you can't wear your ring on finger, you can still put it in the pendant and have it hang hang close to your heart."

Nezumi felt his face heat up. At least Shion looked more flushed than him. Nezumi's heart was racing inside his chest like crazy and he couldn't help but to reach for Shion's gift. He stopped his hand before his fingers touched the necklace.

"Maybe you could help me to put it on?" For that one time he really didn't mind that his voice sounded so soft. He loved this sappy boy with all his heart for his cheesy actions.

At Nezumi's question Shion's face brightened back up. Nezumi turned around to give his husband better access to his neck. Soon the wedding ring landed on his chest and then Nezumi had turned back the other man. He placed hand on Shion's cheek slowly stroking the piece of scar there before guiding them both closer into a kiss.

"Thank you. I might use it more often beside my working hours, it's quite comfortable." He said after they broke away.

"You are welcome. All that matters for me is that we both could wear our rings, no matter where."

"Oh, no matter where you say?" Nezumi teased the other boy but he wasn't sure if Shion was going to understand his implication. To his luck Shion did. Well, he was fast leaner, wasn't he?

"Not there! Beside it would be too small!" Shion fought back, completely blushed, even on his neck.

"That what makes it more interesting." Nezumi let himself torture his husband a little more.

"It's not physically possible and you know it! Anyway, I have to get back to work. I took two hours off to get your present. We have a meeting with the NO.5 delegation in an hour so I might be late for dinner..." Shion shot out the words nervously, kissed Nezumi fast and ran off still red on his face.

Nezumi let his eyes follow after Shion with an amused smile playing on his lips. When his husband had disappeared completely, he reached to the ring which was now hanging on his chest. The metal was cold but Nezumi felt incredibly much warmth from it. He looked at it once more before hiding the whole necklace under his shirt and heading back to the bakery's shop with a soft smile on his face.

****

It looked like a summer that was going to be crazy, just like the year before. The June had only started and it was already very hot. Even Nezumi stopped working on the motorbike he bought because as he said 'this family somehow refuses the beauty of a car, after you had to drag 25 kilos through the town.'

Besides the motorbike Nezumi found some small trailer and he tried to hook those two things together until the heat drained most of his strengths. Even Cravat was cooling himself inside a plate which Shion had changed into small pool with water.

The crimson-eyed man was really worried about possible problems for the city if such temperature went on. In that case, the Committee would need to add finding a way to save city's crops to their usual tasks. Lucky, the weather forecast promised temperatures to go down soon.

Shion was making a list of things to do during the next week at work but he couldn't concentrate. The overwhelming heat was only one reason behind Shion's distraction. The second one laid with it's head on Shion's hip. Just like Shion, Nezumi was shirtless, only in his boxers, chest covered with sweat and reading one of his favorite books. They both simply enjoyed some peaceful time with each other that day until their favourite TV shows would start.

The wind slowly moved closed curtains, which they had kept this way a lot lately. They didn't want to push their luck and let some passionate reporter see them together like this. To Shion's frustration, they reduced their touches and more private talks to their bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and home's corridors. They had become more careful while spending their time in garden, on the balcony or simply outside their house during shopping and evening walks.

"Oh, we're admiring the view?" The teasing voice pulled Shion away from his thoughts. His eyes must have been frozen on his husband for some time right now. Nezumi rolled himself from Shion's lap in order to lay on his stomach. While propping his head on hand he watched Shion with an alluring smirk. He really liked Shion's gift and that's why Nezumi's wedding ring was now swinging from his neck like some kind of hypnotic charm.

"Always." The white-haired man admitted and he leaned to kiss Nezumi softly, earning a pleased hum from his husband. It didn't take long before both of them resumed their previous doings. Shion was about to finish his preparations for the next week and join Nezumi with reading his own book when he got a new message from his Restructual Committee account.

Well, it wasn't something he wanted to receive on a late Friday afternoon.

"You going to get wrinkles by frowning so much. Troubles in paradise?"

Shion sighed loudly and nodded his head.

"Next week we are going to have some pandemonium at Moondrop. It's about a topic... well, most of Committee didn't want to deal with it... But old elites found a way to harass us with it..."

"Shion. More specifics, less babbling. It's too hot today for a long narration."

"Right. Well, you know that that prostitution was treated as illegal in NO.6. Yet, we both know that city wasn't as pure as most people imagined and there were people who used poverty of the West Block to satisfy their lust and strange deviations."

Shion started to explain, yet Nezumi again shot him with displeased gaze.

"I'm trying to make it short. Usually you complain about my lack of narration"

"Alright, alright, your majesty. You had to forgive your squire who's dying here from those tropical temperatures. I didn't want to leave this world before learning the reason behind your future wrinkles"

Shion huffed amusedly before he once again started to explain the situation.

"After the wall fell we really tried to eliminate prostitution from the West Block. The idea was simple, to give a decent job to everyone so they wouldn't need to sell their bodies to survive."

"I guess this did not fully work."

"You are right. Percentages of such cases decreased, but the act of prostitution didn't disappear like we hoped. There are still some people who seek out such things and others who are providing them. The social department worked hard to help purveyors but some of them are still..."

"Whores..." Nezumi threw in nonchalantly, making Shion a little angry. He didn't like when someone was generalizing things.

"No. Some of them are still afraid to change their situation. They are afraid to do anything else and how the rest of city's society going to treat them. Often they just feel too dirty to start anew... But they are one group we know about. The other ones are people who simply like... working like that." He explained the last part with heavy heart. He really wanted to believe in sex as an expression of love, attraction to another person or at least desire to reproduce. Doing it for money still didn't sound right to his mind.

"It's not news, Shion. It's not like everyone has the same needs and preferences as another. I knew someone from theater who had enough money to live decently in West Block but still whored themselves like crazy."

Nezumi said this like it something normal as the sun rising on the sky everyday. In the end he had probably seen such situations in the West Block many times before. For Shion, on the other hand, it was still a new matter. For most people who were raised in NO.6 it was a troublesome topic, something from which was better to avert your eyes and pretend it didn't exist.

"I know. I'm not judging them. Still, as a member of committee I can't ignore this matter. We had to decide if we are going to still treat prostitution as illegal and create new penalties or rather legalize it and make new laws. Those laws which should protect them from harm and being forced to do work like this. As you can guess, the opinions are divided and the old elite is using this matter to show that we aren't even capable of keeping order inside the city."

"It doesn't sound too nice." Nezumi answered, this time with a hint of worry which Shion welcomed with a delicate smile.

"Yes I know, but we will get through it."

Soon after Shion ended, Cravat squeaked softly from his homemade pool.

"I wonder how long he will be able to hold on with us..." Shion sighed sadly looking over to the old mouse.

"Don't pity him. He's doing his best in order to postpone your sadness after his death. You should be proud of him, he's quite a fighter."

Shion smiled softly, thinking about the other man's words for a little longer. In that case Cravat, and Nezumi were similar. Both of them always clung to life with everything they got.

"You can always get another animal. I bet Cravat and the others who already passed wouldn't mind."

Shion nodded at Nezumi words. Right. By being lost in grief for too long he could be missing a chance to help some animal in need.

"Well, maybe you are right, at least I can give some another living being home and security."

"If that's how you look at it... Just don't bring any dog from Inukashi."

"Why? Puppies are cute and dogs in general are really smart." Shion asked surprised since it was true, he still could remember the days when he washed dogs in the West Block and how wonderful those animals were. Even after years when they visited Inukashi, Shion liked to play with her dogs for a little.

"But they are annoying, loud and cling for your attention no matter what you do." Nezumi huffed.

"Then maybe you like for me to adopt some cat? I heard that people mostly divide on those who like dogs or cats." Shion laughed brightly. It would be ironic for someone who have so much of a connection with mouses and rats to like their archenemy, but Nezumi tilted his head slightly giving Shion's idea second thought surprising the younger man.

"Well at least cats don't meow without an important reason and they are cleaner than dogs. They only like and trust you if you really earned it. Still, I can already imagine you mopping around again when the time of that animal would come to its end. Maybe it would be better for you to take in some parrot, I heard they live long."

"They do, you are right. That's why I don't think they should be considered as home pets. They life for too long. We might die before said parrot and then who would take care of it? Beside, don't you think that taking bird's freedom is bad?"

"You are taking every animal it's freedom by making it yours, there is no exception. And about your other worry... Even fireflies might over-live us if we just die tomorrow." Nezumi said with a tone of his voice as if quoting from Shakespeare. "If matter of freedom bothers you so much take in a fish. Their brain is small. They wouldn't mind if they swim in your room or somewhere else as long as they get food and clean water. Still, remember that they die fast too. I bet you would cry even for a damn gold fish."

Shion felt a little embarrassed by how true Nezumi words were again. Still, he could feel a lot of Nezumi's care during this small conversation.

"You could get a tortoise, too. When we going to be on our deathbed we might have enough time to make soup from it. It would save you from being worried about finding a new guardian for it, honey.

Instead of getting irritated over Nezumi's proposition about eating their fictitious home tortoise, Shion's mind focused on something else his husband had said. He knew that people used to eat all kinds of animals, but he rather didn't wanted to be forced to eat an animal who was part of his family. Yes, he knew that the way he thought about some animals was hypocritical, but he wished to never be so hungry and forced to eat something that he consider as home pet anyway.

"What did you just call me? He asked confused. He hoped that Nezumi wasn't making fun of parasitic bees now. It would be a rather unpleasant way to tease him and Shion was always sure that Nezumi wouldn't hurt his feelings like this. Shion must have just heard him wrong.

"Honey. Or maybe it's too cheap title for his majesty?" Nezumi smirked at him playfully.

"But why?" Shion pressed, a little more hurt now.

"Don't sweethearts and spouses give each other cute names? My dear, hard working husband deserves some lovely name to be called by."

So his interpretation of Nezumi's intention was wrong. Shion felt like idiot by thinking that someone who loved him so much would joke about him in a such way. His previous confusion and hurt was replaced with joy and heartwarming warmth in the blink of an eye. Even if this was another way of Nezumi teasing him, Shion was happy by being called the names which were usually restricted for married couples.

Well, they were spouses right now, but the idea of Nezumi calling him honey hadn't crossed his mind even once. Silly joke or not, it was nice to hear such cute name beside the ones that Nezumi usually gave him during the conversations.

"Do you realize that you already called me by lovely names almost from the beginning of our relationship? It's nothing new, Nezumi." Shion voiced out his remark while trying to not look too happy because of one silly word.

"And you are breaking your handsome husband's heart. I worked so hard to think of a perfect name for my beloved but he discarded it and me away. Oh, I, poor soul, useless and unwanted. I lost the reason to live!"

Nezumi rolled dramatically on the bed, covering his eyes with his arm in theatrical way. Shion really wanted nothing more but to hold the other man tight at that moment. Still, instead of moving even closer and start cuddling with his husband, Shion began to laugh brightly. It was a truly precious moment. He only wished that Nezumi hadn't started with a word that Shion associated with hard times that Elyurias gave him and NO.6. With any other name he wouldn't have felt so confused at first.

"I don't mind if you call me names, you know that. I love everything you come up with, but really? Honey?"

"Would you rather prefer darling?"

It was a lot better, but then Shion recalled that was how Karan always uses to call him. It would be awkward if Nezumi also used that name during their private moments. It was really funny thought.

Shion was so filled with joy that he decided to tease his husband too. Even if his chance for success was very low.

"My mom calls me by that. Do you want to be my second mom? I can call you mom if you want... even during that..."

Right after he spit out his joke Shion, felt ashamed like never had in his life. He had once read about strange names used during sex. He never understood how such things could make people more aroused and after making up his mind that such knowledge was fruitless in their case, he had decided to forgot it. Now it looked like something perfect for their teasing fight, but after Nezumi started to laugh like crazy rolling again on bed Shion knew that his idea backfired at him.

"No, thank you, I'm going to pass that proposition. So what do you say about sweet-pie? Or my little snake?" Nezumi wiped eyes which had started tearing from excessive laughter and looked at Shion with his best catchy smirk. The white-haired boy knew he was losing their little game. He felt too embarrassed and it didn't help that Nezumi had once more called him small.

"I'm not little." Shion fought back but he sounded like a little child rather than the President of the city.

"You are smaller, at least compared to your handsome husband. Or maybe I'm mistaken? I don't recall you growing more than ten centimeters tonight." Nezumi teased him again, the sparks in his eyes told Shion how much the other man was convinced about his win.

And Nezumi was right. Even so, Shion tried to think about anything that would tip the balance of this conversation for his advantage. The years of learning how to deal with people who were often more experienced than he was finally paid of. He could win this fight. It was just a simple notice, something his brain recorded by the chance, nothing that was really important for Shion until now. Since Nezumi always said that during the war you can use everything you got Shion decided to to win that battle at all cost.

"You may be higher than me but there is some matter where you are smaller from two of us."

"And what is it, your Highness?"

Shion pointed his finger on Nezumi's boxers. The long haired boy looked at him amused and maybe a little pitiful.

"Mine is around one centimeter bigger. I already noticed that a few times when we pumped them together." Shion knew he must have been red like tomato when he said that but yet he didn't let his voice to waver.

Nezumi was quiet, lost in his words. He had also noticed, to their surprise, that they were the same size, but maybe the idea of him being smaller never crossed his mind. Not like it was important and that difference was very small. Shion had never said anything about his discovery out but it was real, an unchangeable fact.

It was the most ridiculous fight Shion had had in his whole life but at the same time it was much fun. At the worst Nezumi would be pissed off for a few days but the white-haired boy knew that his husband wasn't person who would deny the reality. No matter how silly and strange reality it was.

Nezumi cleared his throat and smirked towards his husband like Shion's previous commentary didn't matter anything.

"Well, you know all that really matters is technique, not size?"

Shion almost jumped on the bed from excitement. He had an answer for Nezumi's comeback. It felt like he and Nezumi played chess and Shion was about to scream checkmate for the first time in his life.

"I don't think my technique was bad two days ago when you screamed my name and wanted more." He smirked to his husband, a bit surprised by his own courage. He knew that he played with fire yet he couldn't stop himself.

Nezumi, who understood that he lost the battle, looked over to Shion with a shocked face. The dark-haired man was defeated on the field which he thought he was the best. He couldn't believe that Shion beat him by using their intimate moment. It was just impossible. Even Shion couldn't understand how it was possible for him to say all those things aloud to Nezumi. To the man who was once feared and called devil of the West Block. Who was able to immobilize Shion in seconds without even breaking the sweat.

After few minutes of being in shook those beautiful silver eyes sparked with that determination Shion loved so much. The white haired man could feel strange butterfly inside his stomach when Nezumi's smile started to become dangerous.

"You cheeky little brat." His husband started with a low, playful voice, giving Shion goosebumps on the entire body "I'm going to show you what the real technique entails and then you are going to beg me to never stop."

Nezumi sprinted towards Shion but the white haired boy was already jumping off the bed and running down the stairs. The adrenaline was rushing inside his body and he was torn between hoping for Nezumi to catch him fast and being chased longer. It was strange but the second option looked somehow more exciting this time. He desired for Nezumi to run after him. Shion wanted to know everything about his husband with all his heart, to see him in every possible situation.

"You need to catch me first!"

His lungs almost wanted to jump from the chest as he ran towards the doors. His wishes were fulfilled and he was able to hear sound of steps running after him. He wondered what Nezumi was going to do after he got caught, because it was only the matter of time. He couldn't compare to Nezumi's physical skills. The early Summer heat around them was almost too much, but Shion still ran with a smile on his face and hoped for Nezumi's threats to become true.

"Shion! You damn idiot! Don't run off naked. What if someone sees you? Damn it! You won't get up for a week after I'm done with you!"

Shion couldn't hold back the laugh broke by heavy breaths. He knew that it might be dangerous for his reputation, but bakery was already closed. Chance to meet someone in their garden on such hour was low. Besides, he still had his boxers on.

He was already running down the stairs leading to the first floor and next towards the shop.

"Heeeelp, pervert is chasing me!" He yelled still laughing as he burst into shop with full speed. He knew he would feel embarrassed for weeks if his mother heard his screams but he couldn't help himself. He wanted to see Nezumi's reaction on such silly words.

Running like bolt he caught with corner of eye his mother talking with Inukashi and little Shionn. Instead of stopping in shame Shion ran out of the building, hearing Nezumi's and Inukashi's horrified screams. Shion was already far away in the garden while Nezumi retreated strategically back into their room, so they couldn't hear when little Shionn asked:

"Mommy, what's pervert?"

"I'm going to kill them both." Inukashi screamed once more red on her face. Next to the frustrated girl Karan laughed loudly with tears falling from her eyes.

"You had to forgive them, after all, it's their honeymoon. Personally, I hope they are going to stay like this forever."

The rest of evening passed as an awkward dinner, Karan chuckling at Shion's attempt to explain what's pervert is to little boy and saying sorry to very, very angry Inukashi. Well, Shion was the only one who tried to apologize. Nezumi, on other hand didn't feel any remorse since, as he said, it was Shion's silly idea in the first place. Besides, was not his fault that Inukashi and Junior decided to visit their home.

Seeing the abashment of Shion, Nezumi also tried to use the current situation to make his husband pay for his sassy-ness earlier. Still, that didn't mean that Nezumi's face didn't also turn red each time Karan looked at them both with her sweet smile.

Shion couldn't find the words to describe how happy he felt even if he tried. Maybe even all Nezumi's books would fail this trial. He was just simply grateful for his current life, for each day was full of all kinds of emotions. Nezumi didn't fulfill his threats, still annoyed but Shion laid down into bed that night with smile on his face nonetheless. Before the land of dreams welcomed him, he couldn't choose which cute name would fit his husband best.