A/N: Yes, I know what many of you are thinking: "What the hell took you so long to update?!" Well, I can't really answer that because there is no sufficient excuse. I know I probably pissed off a lot of you. But before you come after me with torches and pitch forks, please enjoy the conclusion of "Searching for Shuichi".

Epilogue…

"Yuki! The wedding's gonna start soon. Stop trying to finish that novel," my lover yells from the bathroom.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm almost done."

"Come on, you're already late for the deadline: what's a few more hours gonna do?"

I chuckle at his words, finishing up the last couple of lines of my new novel. Finally finished, I close the laptop and stare out the window, thinking.

Today is the day of Ayaka and Nakano's wedding. To tell the truth, I never really thought I'd see this day. Not while I was stuck in the dream world.

I'm not really sure what happened after I protected Shuichi from being shot by Seguchi. From what I found out from my pink-headed lover, Seguchi, Sakuma, and even he thought I was dead. Shuichi tried to kill himself with the gun but was saved by Sakuma's "Kumagoro Beam", whatever that is. Somehow, that got Shuichi to wake up back in the real world.

He told me that he woke up to see our friends around worrying around him. It took me about a while after Shuichi woke for me to actually get up myself. And when I did, he almost suffocated me with a hug.

It's been a few months, now. The only thing letting us know that the whole dream thing was anything but a dream is a scar I now have on my back, presumably from the gunshot wound I suffered. Only Shuichi and I know about it.

"Yuki, can you help me with this tie?" Shuichi asks, coming out of the bathroom.

I get up and help him out.

Something else that's happened since the dream is that Shuichi has matured a little. I can't really explain it, but I know that's what has happened. I think it happened because I almost died. Anyway, his newfound maturity has spread into his words, his mannerisms, and even into some of his songs. And actually, Bad Luck has gotten a little more popular because of it, or so I suspect.

I finish with the tie. Shuichi smiles at me, his amethyst eyes shining. Then he starts bouncing around a little on the balls of his feet.

"I can't believe Hiro's getting married today!" he squeals in excitement.

"Hn. Same with Ayaka," I say, turning away from him to put on my shoes.

Before I can slip one on, I feel a weight on my back as Shuichi hugs me from behind and rests his head on my spine. He then kisses me on the exact area where the scar from my gunshot wound is. A small smile comes to the corner of my lips, and I lay my hands on his.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Today is such a big day…" he whispers. "Today is just for those two… Like it's a world made just for them…"

"Where are you going with this?"

"Nowhere… I just… Today is just reminding me that we can't take anything for granted…"

I turn around, his arms still circled about my waist.

"What's this all about, baka?" I ask with a smirk.

He blushes and drops his arms. "Nothing. I just…" He scratches the back of his head in embarrassment. "Heh, sorry for getting all sappy on you, Yuki. Um, I'm gonna go check on Hiro for a second… I'll be back soon."

"Sure."

I watch him leave before putting on my shoes. A few seconds later, the door opens quietly.

"That was fast," I reply. And then I turn.

Instead of my lover, I see my brother-in-law standing in the middle of the room. I glare icily at him.

Since the whole dream thing, I haven't really spoken to him. I know he apologized to Shuichi about it on the very day that Shuichi was well enough to go back to NG, and I know that Shuichi has (surprisingly) forgiven him, but I can't bring myself to face him or answer his calls.

This is the first time since then that I've seen him face to face. And even now, I really don't care about talking to him, so I turn away from him and pretend to fix my suit.

"Eiri, I need to speak to you," my brother-in-law says.

"Speak away," I reply, now pretending to search the drawers in the room for something.

A second later, a hand comes on my shoulder, and I quickly stiffen up. I try to take pull it off, but he holds it fast. I try to glare at him to take it off, but his eyes are filled with determination.

"Eiri, I have to say this to you face to face, even if you never again forgive me."

I stare him down for a little bit before I finally relax a little and turn towards him. "I'm listening."

He breathes a sigh of relief.

"Well, as you've no doubt figured out, I came to apologize for what I did to you and Shindou-san. I know that simply saying that will not help what happened to the both of you, but…" He reaches up and cups my cheek. "I am terribly sorry." His gaze shifts to the side. "I admit that the jealousy I've had toward him is great. He has been able to find out things about you that I've never known before, even though I've known you for so long. He has been able to do with you what I could never do and has always been there for you whenever you need a companion. He has been so much to you and more in such a short time. My jealousy just took over during a time when I was weak, and…"

He brushes some of his hair back and smiles wryly at me. I sigh deeply and close my eyes. It's obvious these past events have been haunting him just as much as they've haunted me. It's time to stop.

"Seguchi…"

"Please, Eiri, let me finish. What I am trying to say is… that I am a fool. I've hurt the man I love just for my own selfish reasons. I've tried to destroy your happiness… I am no different from Kitazawa-san."

He looks away from me in shame. I cross my arms and glare at him.

"You're still alive, aren't you?" I ask.

He looks up at me, confused. "What do you mean?"

I roll my eyes at him. "If you were anything like him, believe me, we wouldn't be talking to each other like this."

A small smile forms on his face as he figures out that I forgive him. "Oh, Eiri…"

I wave my hand at him, dismissing whatever words he's about to say. "Just forget it. It was all just a bad dream of yours brought on by sickness."

He starts laughing a little, cupping my cheek again and quickly giving me a chaste kiss on the lips.

"That is the last kiss I will ever steal from you, Eiri. I promise not to pursue a relationship with you any longer."

I arch a brow. "How will I know you'll keep your word?"

He blushes and gets flustered—something that is very uncharacteristic of him.

"Mika and I were going to wait until she started showing before telling anyone," he begins, "but I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you: Mika is pregnant."

"You're shitting me," I say, surprised by the news.

"No, I'm not. She is truly pregnant this time with my child."

Smiling a little, I pat him on the back and say, "I never thought I'd see the day. The kid's gonna be a pain in the ass with the two of you as its parents."

"Yes, I suppose," he chuckles. He grins at me and bows. "Well, I said all I've needed to. I go, so I'll see you when the ceremony starts. Goodbye, Uncle Eiri!"

I cringe at the name as he opens the door and starts to leave. Then he stops, bends over, and brings a small box in. He looks at it curiously and gives it to me.

"What's in it?" I ask.

"I don't know. It wasn't here when I came in."

I shake the box, trying to figure out what might be in it.

"Well, I'm pretty sure it's not a bomb…" I say.

"That's, good," he replies cheerfully. "Then I'll see you soon."

He leaves the room. I stare at the door for a few seconds before going towards it, shifting the box to my hip, and opening it. I look along the hallway, but the only thing I see is a flash of Seguchi's blonde hair as he disappears behind a corner. So, I go back in my room and open the box.

Inside is a small, open box of strawberry pocky with several missing sticks and a blue wig… A wig that looks like the one Shuichi wore when he had amnesia in the dream world. What the hell…? Is this some kind of joke?

I run back to the door and check the hallway, just in case someone's out there, but I don't see anyone. I glare back at the box, wondering just what the hell I should do about it. It's all strange… Should I tell Shuichi about it? Maybe I should ignore it.

"Yuki, Yuki, it's gonna start!" was the only warning I got from Shuichi before he barges into the room, unaware that I'm right behind the door.

I end up falling flat on my face from the impact of the door to my ass. Shuichi comes over and tries to help me up.

"Damn, did you have to do that?" I ask, rubbing my now sore nose.

"I'm sorry, Yuki," Shuichi quickly says as he kisses my cheek in apology, "but it's time to go! Come on!"

He pulls my arm, trying to get me out. I take one last look at the box and decide that I can deal with it after the wedding.

The ceremony is done. Nakano and Ayaka are officially married. We're all at the reception now. It's been a couple of hours and… I almost wish I wasn't here. I'm surrounded by people from Shuichi and Nakano's old high school and some of Ayaka's acquaintances. I don't know too many of these people and don't plan on mingling, so I let myself watch my own baka.

He's bouncing around groups, talking to people and having fun. He hasn't gotten drunk yet, which is a pleasant surprise; it means I won't have to baby-sit him if he decides to throw up. Anyway, he's over by Sakuma now and is talking to him… Sakuma looks at me and smiles, but there's something weird about him… His eyes, the way that they're looking at me, seem to be telling me that he knows something. I don't know, like I said, it's weird. Maybe I've taken a drink too many already.

Sakuma looks away and says something to Shuichi, which causes him to giggle almost nervously. Then Sakuma starts bouncing away, one arm stretched up and holding his precious rabbit and alerting to people that he's coming through. Shuichi is calling out to him to come back, but the elder singer just keeps on going in some direction.

I go over to Shuichi and ask, "What's up with him?"

"Oh, nothing…" my lover says, embarrassed about something.

Some slow music starts up. I look around and see Sakuma over by the DJ, waving at the both of us with a mischievous grin. Shuichi is smiling back at him wryly, a faint blush now on his cheeks. I roll my eyes and take him by the hand.

"Come here; I know what this is about," I say as I take up my position.

"Was it that obvious?" he asks.

"Oh, yeah…" I answer and start to dance.

We dance around the room for a little before Shuichi asks, "Wow, Yuki, when did you learn to dance?"

"You can say that I learned when I was dreaming," I smirk.

"Oh, really? Well, that's sweet of you." He grins and gives me a kiss. He looks at me with those sparkling amethyst eyes. "I love you, Yuki."

I look down at Shuichi as he tucks his head under my chin.

There is something else about spending time in the dream world that has changed between us. I've learned to… cherish Shuichi a little more. As much as I'd hate to admit it, he is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'd hate to lose this damn brat—not that I'd ever tell him.

So instead of saying that I love him back, I kiss his pink head and tighten my grip around his waist. The both of us continue dancing, happy to have found each other.

~~~~~Owari~~~~~

A/N: Okay, so here it is. I'm ready for my punishment from those of you who have been waiting for this for so long. I am truly sorry to all of you. I hope you enjoyed it. So, do you love it? Do you hate it? Do you want to flame me for not updating in 19 months? Tell me all about it in a review.

And thanks to those of you who reviewed in the last chapter. I'm pretty sure that there are some people whom I never replied to for them, but I appreciated every single one.

Oh, and thanks to Griever 5 and my Haru-chan for supporting me.

Jan e, minna-san!