Previously: "I might have to take some drastic measures to keep my pride from being hurt..." he mock threatened.

"Oh?" I asked, tugging with the ends of his belt to bring our hips flush together. His eyes slid to half-mast and I shuddered as I felt his hard heat pressing against me. He looked to where the black leather wrapped around my wrists and his lips stretched in a dangerous smile.

"Hmmm… but perhaps you'd much rather see how effective those interrogation techniques are?"

"...Later in the night?" I laughed, crossed the threshold and closed the bedroom door.

Epilogue

excerpts from Archer's diary

I woke up to the sun warming my cheek and strong fingers tracing idle patterns on my skin. The curtains danced in the breeze gusting from the open window, painting odd, flickering shadows across our bodies.

When I turned to look at Reborn, he was smiling slightly. His unruly hair, further tousled from sleep, had settled around his head like a dark halo. Even the deep shadows in his eyes seemed to have softened somewhat and it made his steady stare look even more inviting.

I could feel myself smiling back, melting back into the soft sheets from his caresses. Wherever he trailed his fingers and our skin met, the flames seemed to be purring, lingering for an instant longer than the touch, almost like gentle kisses from his energy to mine. Lounging like that, doing as he liked, he looked like a great, dangerous feline condescending to be well-behaved purely because it pleased him to do so.

Heh, Reborn certainly wore happiness well - and I supposed I was glad that I got to see this side of him, even if only for a short while. Speaking of which…

A quick glance at my watch told me I was running late.

"Oh, no… Damn it." I quickly tossed the covers off and started rushing about the room, searching for my clothes. They were wrinkled, my hair felt like a bird's nest and there wasn't even time for a shower. Damn. Illusions would have to do.

I fished the phone out of my suit pocket and started dialing the number for a cab when I felt a hand stopping me. I looked back at Reborn, who was calmly buttoning his shirt. His face was closed off and I felt a slight pang. I was going to miss seeing him as open as he'd been before.

"Kyne. Stop panicking. I'll drive you." he said as he straightened his tie. I couldn't tell what he was thinking but I supposed Reborn wasn't the type to beat around the bush. If there was anything wrong I was sure he'd tell me.

KHR

Reborn didn't call me back to his place again but he did drop by mine from time to time.

In the beginning, when I heard someone fiddling with my lock, I'd jump from my computer, guns blazing only to see Reborn leaning calmly against the doorway, wearing an indulgent smile and seemingly waiting for my permission to enter the apartment, as if he hadn't just picked the lock and invited himself inside. After the third time that happened, I finally gave in to the inevitable and handed him a set of spare keys.

However, I couldn't complain about his unplanned (and frequently unannounced) visits: the sex was great - fantastic really - and the feel of Reborn's energy was almost addictive. Sometimes, I just wanted to spend hours basking in that pervading warmth, twining my body around his hot skin and overpowering flames, like a wisp of smoke around a brightly burning candle. ...Those were hours we didn't often have.

Reborn tried to spend the night when he dropped by but often one of us would be called for an emergency and there wouldn't be any late morning lazing in bed, just cold, bitter cups of coffee in some seedy meeting place with hasty debriefs for missions gone bad.

KHR

We'd been in this relationship for over a year now and, over time, I learnt a couple of new things about Reborn. One of the most important nuggets of knowledge was that, as straightforward as Reborn usually was, he really, really prefered it when people figured certain things out for themselves.

He could get quite stubborn about it and quietly spiteful too, especially if he felt that someone or something was making him miss out on something he wanted.

...And lately, I felt like I was the target of this passive-aggressive sulking. It didn't really make any sense. We were seeing each other almost daily. Reborn didn't find excuses to spend more time apart, neither did he try pushing me away. To the best of my knowledge I hadn't missed any important anniversaries and his birthday wasn't for another four months. I was really at a loss.

So that night after dinner, as I started doing the dishes, I confronted Reborn (resigned to being made to feel like a fool for missing something that must've been obvious). He answered my questions with a couple of his own.

"Why haven't you ever asked to come to my place?" he asked, almost offhandedly "Why haven't you ever asked me to move in?"

I blinked, confused at the abrupt subject change. "What's that to do with anything?"

"Just answer the question."

Oh... I'd thought it evident. "Since you didn't invite me over again, I naturally assumed you didn't want anyone invading your sanctuary, your manly man cave, your hitman hidey-hole or whatever." I said, trying to make light of the whole situation. I really couldn't understand it. This was what he'd been upset about? How vexing! "I've been really worried about what might've been going on, Reborn. Tch..."

I turned back to the sink and watched as the water rose over the colored glass. "If, at times, I simply can't make the same leaps in thought as you do… I'd ask you to just take matters into your own hands. Our lives are stressful enough without adding on extra worries about what the other might be thinking, don't you agree?"

"So I should just go ahead with whatever I want, is that what you're saying?"

"Well… yes. I trust you to not really go overboard so… yes. Now, 'bout what you mentioned before... I take it you'd like me to come over sometimes?"

"Hmm? Oh. Not really… I'll take care of everything." he said dismissively. His smirk told me he was definitely planning something, but at least this fight was behind us.

When I came home from work the next day, it was to an empty apartment… empty of everything - furniture, books, paintings, accessories and decorations - and a small note from Reborn, casually informing me that most everything had been put in storage while my clothes and media devices were at his place.

And I guess that was that.

FIN

AN: That's it folks. It's done! Thanks to everyone who faved, followed or reviewed. I'm glad so many of you liked it! So phew... it's finally complete… well… except for OMAKEs (including the promised drabble collection of 'The Many, Varied Ways in Which Archer Kyne Was Ushered to Her Next Body... By Way of Reborn's Gun' - which, I'm proud to say, didn't reach as high a count as I'd feared) and a couple of one-shots from Reborn's perspective on the whole thing.

If you've enjoyed reading this, please drop me a review. Even a short, 'kudos mate' makes my day. :)

Bye-bye!