Akoya twirled a strand of hair around one finger thoughtfully.

"I'm beginning to see," he remarked, "why you were having so many difficulties."

Io smiled. "It certainly wasn't fun to live through." He toyed with his cooling tea, gazing into its depths as he relived the memories.

"Hey, you think it was bad for you?" Ryuu asked. "I was completely in the dark for the longest time. At least you knew why you were doing what you were doing."

"It seems to me," said Akoya, "that it's something of a miracle that you ever got married at all."

Ryuu laughed. "Well, we're gods. Miracles is what we do."

"So what did you do?" Akoya asked.

"Well," said Io slowly, "I mostly just did my job..."

Io looked around at his empty room. All his things had been packed away neatly and spirited off to wherever they were going next. He was alone in a dark, vacant space, which felt like the right place for him to be.

No, the right place for me is the underworld - the land of the dead. I had that right all along, he thought gloomily.

He still couldn't believe he'd shouted at Ryuu that way. It was completely unlike him to lose his temper like that. Only... well, Ryuu had looked so horrified to find him packing to leave, and Io had felt guilty, and he'd tried to compensate for it by shifting blame onto Ryuu. Childish, really.

Admit it - your feelings are hurt, and you wanted to hurt him back. You're not going to cut a very magnificent figure as ruler of the underworld if you keep that up.

Well, he would apologize later, after he'd settled in. Once he was firmly ensconced in his new home, Ryuu couldn't reasonably expect him to back out, so he'd have no choice but to learn to live with it.

But I really do need to get away from him a while, if this is how I'm going to be behaving around him.

His mind was still following this gloomy track when his attention was caught by the sound of someone coming down the hall. People did not tend to run down the hallways in the Palace of the Gods. They strolled in a leisurely fashion when they had time to kill, or disappeared and reappeared when they were in a hurry. This person, though, was running, apparently for the fun of it, and that could only mean one person. Io felt his stomach squirm. This was it.

Even as he was thinking that, Yumoto came skidding into view, all rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes, as if this was the most fun thing to happen to him in all his long existence.

"Hi!" he chirped. "Are you all ready to go?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," said Io.

Yumoto laughed. "Don't sound so gloomy! It'll be okay, I promise! Aren't you excited to see your new home?"

Io had to admit he was, at least a little. He was going to a whole new world, a place where so far, only Yumoto and Gora had ever been, and soon it would be his world. His natural acquisitive nature asserted itself. If there was a world for the taking, he couldn't help but want to take it.

"I suppose I do," he admitted.

Yumoto beamed. "Okay, hold tight, then!"

He reached out and grabbed Io's hand. Io felt the sudden surge of power, and then he was falling away. He had the wrenching sense that the door to his room had just slammed and sealed itself, the whole suite folded itself back into the fabric of reality. The place that he had thought of as home since the day he had come into existence had disappeared as if it had never been.

An instant later, Io and Yumoto landed somewhere dark. Io looked around, trying to get his bearings. Gods didn't necessarily need light to see, but they appreciated it, and it took him a moment to adjust to being in such total blackness. There was no sun, no moon, no stars, not so much as a candle anywhere. The air around him was perfectly still and silent. Nothing anywhere was moving but himself and Yumoto.

"Is this it?" he asked. He expected his voice to echo, but instead it came out hushed, as if the immense silence around him was too great for any paltry noise he could make to disturb it.

"Kind of," said Yumoto. He began walking. "Come have a look and you'll see."

Not having any other options, Io followed. They were walking across something uneven and gently sloping. After a moment or two, Io realized that what he'd taken for the ground was actually a roof, and that he was standing on top of a wide building. A few more paces brought him close enough to the front that he could look down over the edge. Far below him, at the bottom of a long flight of stairs, he could see something that looked almost like a city - but only almost. It had a rough, unfinished quality to it, like a model carved by a lazy woodworker.

"It doesn't look like a paradise to me," he muttered.

"Oh, it's not done yet," said Yumoto. He reached the edge of the roof and jumped down from it, and Io followed him. They ambled down the stairs together.

"See," Yumoto continued, "this is just, you know, the base. It's not going to really come alive until you bond with it and wake it up."

"Wake it up?" Io repeated.

Yumoto nodded. "It's like the Palace of the Gods. It'll be able to move and adapt on its own once it's bonded to you. Here, I'll show you."

He led Io through the empty streets between silent houses, deeper and deeper into the city that wasn't quite real. At the heart of it all, they reached an open square. At the center, where other towns might have a well or a pavilion, there stood a rough stone obelisk. Even from several feet away, Io could feel power radiating from it.

"This is the keystone," Yumoto explained. His usually bright eyes were serious. "This is your last chance to back down, if you want to. Once you touch the stone, this world will be bound to you for as long as it exists. It will be part of you. Do you understand?"

Io's mouth was dry. Part of him, the sensible part, was saying that this was a ridiculous idea, that he needed to turn around right now and go back home. He couldn't bear to stay in this dark place forever, far away from his friends and the life he knew. What did he think he was doing, taking on such an important job for such a petty reason? He must have taken leave of his senses when he made this plan. But he was in love with someone who didn't want him, and after the way they had parted company, it was entirely possible that they couldn't even be friends anymore. Better to make a clean break and start over.

"All I do is touch it?" he asked.

Yumoto nodded encouragingly. "Just that. Are you ready?"

Io was not ready. He nodded anyway and stepped closer to the obelisk. Its power radiated against his skin like heat... no, not like that at all, he realized. It was like a magnet, drawing him closer. It wanted someone to bond with it and bring it fully to life. It felt, Io thought, a little the way it did when his treasures clustered around him, begging for their master's attention. He smiled a little and extended his hand.

He had imagined that it would feel like being drawn into a trap. Yumoto had called it "binding", and that was how he'd envisioned it: like cords wrapping around him and tying him down. This feeling was the opposite of that. The moment his fingers touched the stone, the world expanded around him, unfurling in all directions. One second, he had been firmly ensconced in his own body; the next moment, his consciousness was stretching out and sinking into every particle of his new domain, making it part of him. He staggered, suddenly no longer sure where his feet were, and Yumoto hurried to prop him up.

"Wow! Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," said Io, blinking.

The world that had been so dark seconds before was now blazing with light. Ornate lamps now lined the streets, their light reflecting brilliantly off streets that were now paved with bars of gold. The houses that had been nothing before but rough-hewn boxes of stone had metamorphosed into rows of luxurious manor houses, their windows ablaze with welcoming light. The golden streets were lined with trees and flower boxes, strange plants that grew gemstones instead of petals or fruit, and they threw off a rainbow of glittering colors. Orbs of colored light, ranging in size from tiny dust motes to nearly two feet wide, drifted through the air, making the jeweled plants and gilt buildings sparkle. Brightest of all was the stone itself. What had once been a simple black obelisk had transformed into a multifaceted crystal thirty feet tall. It glowed with its own inner light, blazing like a bonfire in shades of orange, red, and yellow. Io turned in a slow circle, trying to take it all in.

"It's wonderful," he said softly.

Yumoto beamed, as if personally responsible for all of it. "Of course it is! It's your world, so it's as good as you know how to make it. The bonding went perfectly, so you're all set!"

Io nodded absently, continuing to stare at this brilliant new creation. This place, he thought, felt like home - even more like home than his cozy rooms ever had. Maybe he could be happy here.

"That's your house," Yumoto continued, pointing at the large building they'd been standing on when they first arrived. "Brother says you can have a day to unpack and explore, and tomorrow we'll let the people in."

Io considered the thought of spending the whole day here alone and grimaced.

"I'd really rather they came now," he said. "As soon as possible, anyway."

"Oh, I get it," said Yumoto, nodding. "Yeah, I wouldn't want to be all alone, either. Okay, I'll get Brother to open the gates."

He winked out in a flash of red fire. Io was left standing in a world that literally contained himself and no one else. For a moment, he felt more lonely than he ever had in his life. Then he shook the feeling off. Other people would be here soon - maybe a lot more people than he knew how to deal with - so he might as well get ready for them.

It was, in fact, about an hour later when his explorations were interrupted by a warm wind swirling through the still air, carrying with it a strong scent of fresh-cut wood. Then Gora was standing in front of him, axe slung casually over one shoulder.

"There you are," he said. "Come on. You wanted the gate open, right?"

Io wasn't exactly sure that was what he'd wanted, but he assumed Gora knew what he was doing. He nodded. Gora beckoned, and Io followed him across the city to its furthest border. A gate was cut into the rock, surprisingly small considering its importance. Like everything else in Io's new city, it was plated in gold and studded with jewels. Gora eyed it thoughtfully.

"You're going to need a gatekeeper," he mused. "I'll scout a few of the crossroads gods and see if any of them want a promotion. There's always something to be done," he concluded philosophically. "Unless there was someone specifically you wanted?"

Yes, Io thought, and squelched it.

"I'm sure anyone you'd choose is fine," he said.

Gora looked at him thoughtfully. Io fought the urge to squirm. He had never heard of Fate raising a hand in violence against anyone, but he was a lot taller and stronger than Io, and he had an axe. That was not the sort of thing that made him easy to talk to.

"Something on your mind?" he asked.

"No," said Io, and then, "Yes."

Gora smiled slightly. "That covers everything, doesn't it?"

Io hesitated for a moment. If anyone in the universe knew the answers to all his questions, this man did. He wanted to say, "Why did it have to be this way? Why do I have to want things I can't have? Why couldn't you have done this differently?"

"Do you have everything planned out?" he blurted. "I mean, is there a purpose to all this, or are you just letting it happen?"

Gora smiled a little, as if he understood some of what Io wasn't saying.

"Maybe," he said. "Maybe I have a plan. Maybe I'm just letting it happen. Maybe all this is just a game I'm playing to keep Yumoto happy. Or maybe I've got this all planned so far ahead that some of the things I'm starting now are going to involve people who won't be born for centuries."

Io scowled. "That isn't very helpful."

"It isn't for you to know everything." His tone was kindly, but he clearly meant it. "But don't worry too much. I wouldn't have let you do this if I didn't think it was the best thing for you."

Io supposed he was going to have to be content with that, although he did not feel very content. He sighed and tried to pull himself together. If nothing else, he wanted to look at least a little bit regal for his new subjects. "All right, I'm ready now."

Gora nodded. He stepped forward and raised his axe, turning it around to strike the door with the blunt side of the blade. There was a booming sound, deeper and louder than such a small gate should have been capable of, and the doors began to slide slowly open. Light filtered through the crack, the soft rosy-gray sunrise light of the Land of the Blessed Dead. Clustered a respectful distance from the door was a mass of people, being held at bay by a handful of gatekeeper gods. At the sight of the doors opening, the assembled company emitted a murmur of awe and delight. Even from this distance, Io thought he recognized a few of them, here and there: a beloved king, a legendary warrior, a famous composer. Others were unfamiliar, people who had perhaps lived lives of unassuming virtue and who were finally getting their just reward. They were all watching him avidly. After a second or two, Io realized they were waiting for him to say something. He wondered if he was supposed to make a speech. He had never been much of a one for making speeches.

"The door is open," he said at last. He spoke softly, but his voice carried easily over the silent crowd. "You are my people. Come in, and be welcome."

That seemed to be enough. The crowd surged forward, and Io stepped aside to let them pass. They passed through the gateway and began to fan out, exploring their new home, exclaiming to friends over what they found. Io watched them for a while, feeling rather flattered at how impressed everyone was. After all, this was his place, and it had taken its form from his own conception of what a paradise should be. It was nice to think other people were enjoying something that he was responsible for bringing into being. A few of them even stopped to bow to him or clasp his hands and thank him for giving them this wonderful new place to spend their afterlives. It was nice to feel popular. Watching the city come to life as it filled with people made him smile a little. Somewhere deeper into the city, someone with a flute began to play a tune, and someone else joined in with a fiddle. It wasn't long before an impromptu party had broken out.

"You know," said Io, turning to Gora, "I think you're right. I think I will like it here."

But Gora was already gone.

The operation was not going well. Ryuu frowned a little as he studied the girl behind the counter. She was busily cutting and folding strips of cloth to a lively gaggle of customers. She was a pretty woman, intelligent, spirited, quick-witted, and all-around desirable. She'd put off finding a mate for this long because she'd wanted to put all her energies into her business. Now that it was thriving, she'd called on Vesta to help her find someone to share it with. Ryuu had obliged her. He'd found a nice young man who was just to her taste and emotionally compatible with her - as perfect a match as he'd ever found for anyone -and nudged him into her shop. The two of them had clicked almost immediately, and by the time the young man had left with his purchase, the two of them had been chatting and laughing like old friends.

Then the idiot had promptly blown it by letting her see him chatting with another woman. The woman in question was a childhood friend of his, already happily married, but Ryuu's target didn't know that. Now the young man was back, trying to get up a conversation with her, and she was being stiff and professional and utterly unyielding. The poor young man had no idea what he'd done wrong, and Ryuu was ready to grind his teeth in frustration.

I hate it so much when they do this. Why can't people just talk to each other?

He continued to frown as he considered his options for getting these two sorted out. He didn't even realize someone was watching him until a voice behind him said, "Whatcha doin'?"

Ryuu jumped and whirled in place. "Don't do that!"

En grinned, not looking particularly apologetic. "Pay more attention."

"I'm doing my job," said Ryuu. "Why aren't you doing yours?"

"It's the middle of the day," En said plausibly. "Hardly anybody is asleep."

"So why aren't you asleep?" Ryuu asked.

"Hey, I can do things when I want to," said En, sounding mildly affronted. "Anyway, I have a bone to pick with you."

"What did I ever do to you?" Ryuu asked. "I've been doing my job, that's all."

"You haven't been sleeping," En accused.

Ryuu did not dispute this. He really hadn't been sleeping lately. It wasn't as though that was a problem, after all. Gods didn't actually need sleep, and this would hardly be the first time Ryuu had gone a few days without sleeping.

"I've been busy," Ryuu said.

"No busier than usual," said En. "You can't fool me. I'm an expert on procrastination. I know when someone is making themselves busy with one thing so they don't have to do something else."

"You've got it wrong," Ryuu insisted. "I've just had a lot of time on my hands since Io moved out, so I'm spending more time at my job."

"That doesn't explain why you're not sleeping," said En. "If you have free time, you ought to spend some of it sleeping."

"Hey, this is important, too!" said Ryuu. "I mean, look at these guys. They're never going to get their act together if I don't do something for them." He flapped a hand at his unfortunate lovelorn man, who was still trying and failing to get his would-be sweetheart's attention. En looked at them as if he hadn't realized they were there.

"What's their problem?" he asked.

"Just being stupid," Ryuu muttered. "They're perfect for each other, but they just can't seem to get in sync."

"Huh," said En. His expression said clearly that he was glad his job, at least, didn't involve so much work. "And this is what you'd rather do than hang out with Io?"

"No!" Ryuu blurted. "It's just... I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just can't, all right? Geez, when did you get to be so meddlesome?" Ryuu asked.

"It's self-defense," said En. "You keep getting lonely and wanting to talk to me now that Io is gone. What happened between you two, anyway?"

"I don't even know!" Ryuu said. "We were getting along fine! We hung out, I took him to see a play, we went dancing, we had a good time. Everything was great, but then the next day..."

He trailed off. He was staring very hard at the girl behind the counter. She was talking to a customer, who had already told her several times that she didn't need help and wasn't that young man there trying to get her attention? The proprietress was studiously ignoring him. Ryuu felt a sinking sensation creep over him.

"Oh," he said softly. Then, more loudly, "Wow. I am such an idiot. I can't believe what an idiot I am."

"Bet I could," said En helpfully.

Ryuu glared at him. "I'm serious! I don't deserve to call myself the god of love. They ought to kick me out of the Heavenly City and plant me at a crossroads for this."

"Uh-huh," said En. "As entertaining as this is, are you ever going to explain what you did, or are you just going to call yourself names for a while?"

"Don't you get it?" Ryuu asked. "Just look - look at that girl there. How do you think she feels about that guy?"

En looked confused at the sudden change of topic, but he glanced at the girl anyway and said, "Looks to me like she can't stand him. She won't even look at him."

"And that's why you're wrong and I'm an idiot," Ryuu pronounced. "She's crazy about him. She's avoiding him because she's so sure she can't have him. She thinks he's already involved with someone else, so she's avoiding him as much as she can to try to make it hurt less."

"Okay..." said En, still waiting for the punch line.

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" asked Ryuu, exasperated. "Look, why did Io suddenly take it into his head he needed to leave the City forever and go live in a whole other level of reality, if not to get away from something? That's classic avoidance behavior. If it had been anyone else in the world, that would have been the first thing I'd thought of - that he was avoiding somebody."

"So who's he avoiding?" En asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Ryuu asked. "He's avoiding me." Quietly, to himself, he added, "Because he likes me."

En shook his head. "See, this is why you're the god of love and I'm not. That makes no sense to me."

But it made perfect sense to Ryuu. He and Io had been friends practically forever. As far as Ryuu knew, he was the only really close friend Io had. He shouldn't have been surprised if Io started developing feelings for him. In retrospect, he thought he should have expected it. But Io had realized it first, and he'd run away from it.

Why? Shouldn't he have known he could tell me?

Ryuu answered himself immediately: of course he couldn't tell. Ryuu was aware of his own reputation - he was the "love them and leave them" type, and Io would never stand for that. He wasn't made to let go of something once he had it. Io would want someone he could hold and treasure forever. He couldn't ask Ryuu to change his nature for him, so he'd taken the easiest way out that he saw. And he was right, wasn't he?

Wasn't he?

"Look, I gotta deal with this," said Ryuu to En. "Talk to you later, okay?"

En pointed at the young man and woman at the counter. "So what are you going to do about those guys?"

"I'll sort 'em out later! Look, just tell the guy to mention his old childhood friend is in town and see if they'll work it out themselves," said Ryuu impatiently.

"That's not my job!"

"I'll owe you a favor," said Ryuu. "What I've got to do is important!"

He vanished back to the City before En could raise any more objections. He'd probably complain about that later, and definitely would take Ryuu up on the offer of a favor, but that was a thing to worry about later. Right now, he had more important things to think about, possibly the most important thing he'd ever had to think about.

He reappeared in his room and went straight for the nearest mirror. Every god had their preferred method of scrying. Some of them gazed into fires, or peered into bowls of water or ink. Aurite favored reading the lights refracted through a crystal lens. Io had always done best with mirrors, and Ryuu had picked up the habit from him. He'd shared a lot of things with Io. Maybe he should have given that more thought before things got to this point.

Impatiently, he snatched up the mirror and blew gently on its surface. The glass rippled, went dark, then cleared. Ryuu found himself gazing into a golden city, a world that blazed with colored light. For a moment, Ryuu's eyes were dazzled by the flashes from what looked like millions of jewels paving streets, ornamenting buildings, even dangling from trees and vines. So this was Io's new world? Ryuu had to admit, it looked like the sort of place Io would consider a paradise.

Then the image zoomed in on a crowd of people milling about in the street. The center of their attention was a young man who they all seemed to be intent on talking to. As for the man himself, he accepted their adulation with grace and gentleness. It took a moment for Ryuu to realize the man was Io. Ryuu had never seen him look that way before. In place of his usual golden robes and spangled jewelry, he wore simple black robes that lent him an air of stately dignity. His once-golden hair had taken on a greenish undertone, and his tawny eyes held new depths of violet.

In short, he looked incredible, and it made Ryuu's heart clench a little to see him.

I guess I really am an idiot. He'd always known Io was gorgeous, intelligent, and good company. He'd even toyed with the idea of setting him up with someone. He'd just never actually gotten around to doing it. Was that because he knew, deep down, that he'd never be able to stand seeing him with someone else?

Ryuu set the mirror aside and flopped back onto a sofa. If only Io had said something... but no, that wouldn't have worked. If Io had approached him he'd have probably done just what Io was doing now - retreat, make excuses, and tell himself that it was because he could never really love Io that way. He needed to be free to love anyone and everyone, not just one person. Yes, even if he would have liked to settle down...

Maybe he doesn't even want me anymore. On a good day, Ryuu might have said that there was no one immune to his charms, but then, Io had been out of Ryuu's sphere of influence for days now. Maybe he was happier where he was. After all, here in the Heavenly City, there weren't but so many people who took him seriously. Now he had a whole kingdom to rule over, and his subjects obviously loved him. That wasn't even taking into account the fact that he now apparently had a whole new world full of sparkly treasures to hoard and admire. Maybe the best thing Ryuu could do was leave him alone to let him enjoy his good fortune in peace.

Ryuu turned all this over in his mind for a while. He was thinking a lot about the way he'd been feeling lately, and about what he wanted his future to be like, and also a lot about the nightmare he'd had, what felt like forever ago. In the end, he decided that perhaps he understood some things he hadn't before. Mind made up, he very deliberately stood and started for the door.

He had a few visits to make.

Io stood on one of his new home's many balconies and looked down on his glittering city. The people in the city square seemed to be having a party... or maybe it was the same party that had been going on since the gates of his new kingdom had opened. Io was finding it hard to keep track, and imagined the distinction probably didn't matter. People were enjoying themselves, anyway, and he supposed that meant he was doing a good job ruling. Maybe someday, he'd even feel like going down there and joining them.

He was jolted from his slightly melancholy thoughts by a rush of warm air, here in this place where there was never wind, and an accompanying familiar sweet scent. Io whirled, eyes going wide. Ryuu grinned and waved at him.

"I had a heck of a time figuring out how to get down here," he said. "You shoulda put up signs or something."

"What... how did... why?" Io stammered.

"What?" said Ryuu. "Did you really think you could get rid of me that easy? Because I tell you, buddy, I'm a lot more stubborn than you give me credit for. I'm not letting my best friend walk away from me like that."

In spite of himself, Io began to smile. "I missed you."

"I'll bet your did," said Ryuu. He strode forward and cuffed his friend gently on the shoulder. "Idiot," he added, smiling fondly.

"I suppose I should have known better," said Io. He wasn't sure what he was referring to - his going away, his expecting that Ryuu wouldn't follow him, his falling in love in the first place - but he felt it was an accurate statement regardless.

Ryuu wandered over to the railing and leaned out to look at the city. "So this is your new place, huh? Pretty swanky."

"I like it," said Io truthfully.

"Me too," said Ryuu. "Hey, you know what this reminds me of?"

"What?"

"That party we went to. You know, the one where we danced together." He pointed down at the city square. "See, that crystal thing is like the bonfire we danced around, and that platform there is the pavilion where the guy and his new bride were sitting, and all those colored light things are like the lanterns they had up..."

Io looked and realized Ryuu was right. Now that someone had mentioned it, he could see it clearly. Was that really a surprise? This was supposed to be his paradise, and that night had been the happiest night of his life. He had never wanted it to end, and here it was, recreated for his pleasure, except for one missing piece...

I was wrong to run away. Even here, all I really want is to be with him.

He took a breath. So this was it - it was time to take a gamble. He deliberately turned and met Ryuu's eyes.

"Would you let me have this dance, then?" he asked.

Ryuu's smile became, if anything, even more brilliant. He reached out both hands and pulled Io into his arms. Then the two of them were spinning around the balcony together, and Io had his eyes closed as he breathed in his friend's familiar scent and listened to his laughter, and he wished once again that the moment could go on forever.

Then the music stopped, and the two of them slowed and halted their steps. Io began to pull away, but then changed his mind. He wasn't losing his nerve, not now, not when he was this close. Instead, he leaned in closer and very deliberately pressed his lips to Ryuu's. He was prepared to be rebuffed, but Ryuu responded warmly, drawing him into an enthusiastic embrace. Io froze, trying to make sense of what was happening to him. Ryuu seemed to understand, and pulled away a little until their lips were just barely touching, gently running a hand through Io's hair as if to soothe him. Io was the one who leaned back into the touch, clinging to Ryuu as if he could make him stay by strength alone. Ryuu made no move to pull away. He curled his arms around Io and kissed him slowly, tenderly, drawing it out, and gradually Io relaxed. He let himself lean against Ryuu with his eyes closed and let himself think of nothing else.

Then Ryuu pulled slowly away, and Io backed up, already regretting what he'd done so impulsively.

"I shouldn't have done that," he said.

Ryuu regarded him thoughtfully. "Why not?"

"Can you even ask that?" Io demanded.

"Well, you don't have to answer," said Ryuu. "I think I can figure it out. Believe it or not, I do know my job."

Io felt himself blushing. He turned away. "I should have known I couldn't fool you. But Ryuu..."

"No, listen, hear me out," Ryuu cut in. "Things are changing right now. I mean, you've got this whole death-god thing going on. It seems to suit you pretty well, and I'm glad. I think you'll do all right here. But I've been doing some hard thinking, and I think I need to change my ways too."

"Ryuu..." Io said, and stopped. He couldn't possibly mean what it sounded like he meant.

"See, the thing is," said Ryuu, "I haven't been doing my job. I thought I was, but I wasn't."

"What do you mean?" Io asked. "You work all the time. I've seen you."

"Kind of," said Ryuu, "but I haven't been doing my whole job, and it took me the longest time to realize that. I'm supposed to be the god of love, after all, not just the god of random hookups. Isn't that sad? I'm the god of love and I've never actually had a real romance of my own. That's pretty pathetic, and I feel like I want to change that. So I've been thinking, is there anyone in the world I would want to be with that way - someone I could really be happy with forever? And I realized there's really only one person I never get tired of." His eyes looked directly into Io's. "That's you."

Io felt his mouth go dry. It couldn't be real - it had to be some sort of crazy dream. There was simply no way that Ryuu would spontaneously give up his wandering ways to declare everlasting devotion to anyone, much less to Io. And yet, here he was, looking eager and a little nervous and not sorry at all. Io shook his head.

"If it turns out this is some sort of prank of En's, I'm going to drag him into the Abyss," he said.

Ryuu laughed. "I guess it is a little hard to believe, isn't it? But seriously, I've had fun with my life and I don't have any regrets, but it's time for a change. I've been feeling that way for a while now, even before you packed up and left. That just helped me make up my mind. And you can't tell me you don't feel the same way, either - not after you kissed me like that."

"What if you change your mind?" Io blurted. "What if after a night, or a week, or a year, you realize you want to go back to the way things were? What then?"

"I guess we'll cross that bridge if we come to it," said Ryuu, running a hand through his hair. "But I don't think we will. I haven't gotten tired of you yet, have I?"

Io looked down. "It might be different if we were... you know."

"I'm willing to bet it won't be," said Ryuu. Then, with one of his sudden mischievous grins, he added, "Hey, you really are distracted if you haven't noticed what's in my pocket yet."

Io had definitely been distracted. To be fair, he'd had other things going on. Now he focused his attentions on the aforementioned pocket and looked up again, puzzled.

"It's gold," he said.

Ryuu beamed and brought the object out into the light. It was gold, all right, a delicate band of intertwined rose gold and yellow gold.

"I talked to the smith god before I came over here," he said. "You know, spent a favor and got him to make me this. I've got one for me too. Just in case you thought I wasn't serious."

"You... got us rings?" Io said wonderingly. "As in, wedding rings?"

Ryuu nodded, as if this were perfectly logical and reasonable. "I figured you'd feel better if you had something you could hold in your hand. We don't have to do it right away, though. Not unless you want to, I mean. I'd rather wait a little while."

"So you have time to change your mind?" Io asked, raising an eyebrow.

"So I have a chance to court you properly," said Ryuu. "You know, bring you flowers and jewelry and take you to dinner and stuff. I've been the god of romance since the dawn of civilization and I've never been able to do any of that before. But if it will make you feel better to go ahead and get hitched right away, we can do that and I'll bring you flowers some other time."

He spoke with such utter certainty that Io could only stare at him. Then, slowly, he began to smile.

"You will court me," he said, jabbing a finger at Ryuu's chest. "And bring me flowers and jewelry and... and chocolates and things! And you had better not change your mind, either."

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Ryuu. He looked absurdly happy.

He tossed the ring to Io, who caught it reflexively. It felt warm in his hand. Io slipped it on and felt it settle into place as if it belonged there.

"Consider that an engagement ring," said Ryuu.

"I will," said Io. "Wait, did you just propose to me? When did I say yes?"

Ryuu grinned. "Are you saying no?"

Io shook his head, laughing. "You're impossible."

"There's still time to change your mind about this," said Ryuu.

"Don't. Even. Think about it," said Io.

Ryuu grinned. "You just want me to bring you presents."

"You'd better believe it," said Io loftily. Then he softened. "I really do love you. You know that, right?"

"I know," said Ryuu gently. He took Io's hands. "I love you too, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to make you believe it."

"I don't expect you to change your nature," Io ventured.

Ryuu shook his head. "I know I can't change my nature, but I think I can change how I deal with it. Just be patient with me, okay?"

Io found himself smiling. "Well, I've put up with you this long."

Ryuu laughed and pulled him into an embrace. For a long time, the two of them stood together, arms wrapped around each other. Io looked into Ryuu's smiling face, with the dancing lights of the city playing over his skin and making his eyes sparkle, and began to cautiously believe that this was really happening. It was going to take time to get used to, and it was going to take work, but he was starting to realize that there was a chance, and that was more than he'd had before.

Far below them, the city went on just as it had before: the same people, the same glittering scenery, the same music and dancing. The only difference was that just now, for Io, it finally felt like paradise.

"Of course," said Ryuu, "he really did make me prove myself. Put me through the wringer."

"I did not," Io huffed.

Akoya regarded the two of them mock-quarreling with fascination. "But you did get married in the end, yes? That's the important thing."

Ryuu laughed. "Oh, sure. He held out for... what was it, Io? Two weeks?"

"Ten days," said Io with a smile. Ryuu was hard to resist when he was working at being persuasive, and Ryuu had been trying very hard to persuade him.

"Right, ten days," said Ryuu. "Longest ten days of my life, but it was totally worth it."

"It's so strange," said Akoya, twirling his hair thoughtfully. "I used to be so jealous of how much you two trusted each other. It's hard to imagine things being any different."

"To be fair," said Io, "back then, we never could have imagined the way things have turned out now."

"Fate knew, though," said Ryuu thoughtfully.

"I suppose so," Io agreed, "but would we have believed him if he told us?"

All three of them thought about it for a moment, then said in unison, "No." Ryuu laughed.

"Listen to us," he said. "Not even married a week and we already sound like we've been together for ages."

Io smiled. "Well, some of us have been."

Akoya turned one of the packages they'd been opening over and over in his hands, staring down at the brightly colored wrapping.

"You must have been very happy together," he said. "I hope... I mean, it's going to be different, now that I'm here, so..."

Ryuu put an arm around him and ruffled his hair affectionately. "What are you worrying about? Things are going to be even more fun now that you're here, I can guarantee it!"

Io said nothing, but he looked at the two of them and smiled. He still couldn't imagine what he'd done to win the two of them, but it looked like they were with him for good.

I really am the luckiest man in the world...

Ryuu reached into the heap of gifts and tossed a package Io's way.

"So are we opening presents or what?" he asked. "I want to see what's in some of these."

"You should have been helping us open them, then," Akoya pointed out.

"Hey, I wanted to save a few for you and Io," said Ryuu, blinking innocently. "He's the one who likes hoarding stuff."

"Collecting," Io corrected automatically.

"Whatever you call it, let's get it done," said Ryuu. "I don't know about you two, but I planned to do other things on my honeymoon besides open boxes."

"We could open the rest later," Io suggested.

Ryuu and Akoya both looked mildly surprised at this suggestion. Ryuu pressed a hand to his heart and mimed swooning.

"What's that? Io isn't interested in people giving him things?" he exclaimed. "Who is this guy and what has he done with my husband?"

"Oh, you," said Io. "I'm not that bad, am I?"

Akoya smiled. "It's part of your charm."

Io shook his head, amused, and looked down at the new ring he wore. Ryuu had gotten the originals re-forged for their new wedding. The twin bands of yellow and rose gold were now intertwined with a third band of white gold and studded with tiny pearls.

"Anyway, this is a special occasion," he said. "The presents will sill be here when we're done."

And anyway, he thought, looking at his two loves - one he'd had nearly all his life, one that was just beginning - I already have the greatest treasures of all.