A/N: To everyone who followed the story up to here, thank you very, very much! This is the last chapter, hope you all enjoy it! Oh, and Hibisha, I know Chaos didn't actually lose, but due to the interruption they had lost their chance to become Genesis, so they basically "lost". But yeah, I personally think they would've been the strongest team. ;) Why else have Gran interrupt them? Anyway, enjoy the last chapter, everyone!

One hour later, Burn sat on the bed in his and Gazel's bedroom, waiting for the other boy to finish his shower. He himself had already freshened up and tried to kill time with a game on his cellphone, wearing a pink bathrobe. He would've preferred a red one, but pink was the closest colour available. Due to the night heat, though, he had decided to leave it unzipped.

Burn perked up when he heard a door open and Gazel exited the bathroom. He was wearing the blue bathrobe from before, as well as a towel wrapped around his icy hair.

Burn greeted him with a grin. "Decided against the onsen this time?"

Gazel answered with a sarcastic smirk. "Hah-hah. I needed something to cool off after today." He went to sit on his side of the bed and took a look at the clock. The day was coming to an end.

Burn put away his phone and flopped down on the duvet, exhaling a sigh. "We sure had fun, huh?"

"True," Gazel agreed. He looked down at the other boy and smiled a little. "Who would've thought we had fans?"

Burn shook his head. "Beats me." He placed his hands under his head and flashed Gazel a grin. "Of course, most of them only liked me."

"Only the little kids liked you," Gazel snorted. "Everyone else couldn't resist my freezing darkness."

Burn sat up and snatched his pillow from the bed. "Your freezing darkness is nothing compared to my red-hot flames! Take this!"

Gazel nearly lost his balance when the pillow hit him in the face, but he quickly regained his cool and took hold of his own pillow.

"That all you got? I'll show you how it's done!"

A pillow fight quickly ensued between the pair, consisting mostly of laughter and flying feathers. At first, it seemed like the boys were at an equal level, but Burn eventually managed to gain the upper hand by pushing Gazel on his back and sitting on his stomach, preventing escape.

Gazel used his pillow as a shield from Burn's, which kept trying to hit him in the face. Unable to hit him back at this point, he protested: "This isn't fair, get off!"

"No way, you're going down!" Burn used one hand to try and rip Gazel's pillow away, leaving the boy totally defenseless. That's when he suddenly felt Gazel's lower body struggle underneath him, which made him lose his balance.

Burn only just managed to catch himself with his elbows, but the action didn't prevent him from falling right on top of Gazel. Since the other boy's pillow had ended up at the side, their faces were forced so close together that there were only a couple of inches in distance left.

The laughter had faded, and the two boys found themselves staring at each other in complete silence. Neither of them had seen this coming, and neither of them knew what to do in this situation. They felt the other's heart pound madly against their chest and watched how the other boy's cheeks turned a deep shade of red.

It was Gazel who broke the silence after what seemed like a lifetime.

"… Burn…"

Burn's heart made a jump at the sound of this mere word. Gazel sounded far from upset; his voice was calm, yet a bit shaky at the same time. Why was his name the only thing he said? Didn't he want Burn to get off of him?

Hesitantly, Burn leaned a little closer to the other boy, watching how Gazel's face turned even darker, and, somehow, inviting. He barely thought of what he was doing; the only thing he felt at this moment was the desire to get even closer to Gazel.

"… Gazel…" Burn replied in a timid whisper. He almost flinched when he suddenly felt Gazel's hand in his hair, urging him to close the gap completely.

Their eyes were closed when their lips touched. Very slowly, Burn and Gazel relaxed their bodies, sinking away in a kiss that became deeper with the second. Gazel let his hands rest on Burn's red-hot cheeks, while Burn brought his to Gazel's shoulders. Their minds seemed frozen and were solely focused on the other boy.

When Burn pulled away, he was sure more than a minute had passed. His eyes were still stuck on Gazel's face that lay under him, blushing like crazy.

"Burn," Gazel repeated quietly, this time sounding more confident.

Burn couldn't help but smile sheepishly and halted the energy he put into hanging above the other boy. He landed on him with his face on Gazel's shoulder and answered by calling Gazel's name as well, still sounding timid, but also pleased.

Gazel welcomed him with open arms and wrapped them tightly around Burn's waist, not minding the weight. He gently brought his nose to Burn's hair, breathing in his scent. Just like him, Gazel had no doubt in his mind that what they had just done was the right thing. Their hearts pounded like crazy and the boys both felt a little shaky after this entirely new experience, but for the first time in a very long time, they felt happy. They felt truly happy.

When Gazel woke up, the kiss was the first thing he remembered. He sat up abruptly, wanting to make sure it hadn't been a dream, but the pillow feathers lying on and around the bed confirmed the events of last night.

Before he had time to blush madly just knowing he had kissed Burn, the culprit's voice called out to him.

"Finally awake, Gazel?"

Burn was sitting at the table at the end of the bed, fully clothed. Judging from the rice bowl and the empty glass in front of him, he had just finished breakfast.

"You sure sleep a lot," he pointed out with a grin. "Want me to get you some rice?"

"Burn—" Gazel breathed, but then realized he had no idea what to say. He felt the need to express his feelings about the kiss, but Burn's cool behavior threw him off. "About—last night we—"

"We kissed," Burn finished for him. He looked at what was left of the rice in his bowl, blushing a little. "… Gazel… you didn't mind, did you?"

Gazel raised his eyebrows. He hadn't seen that question coming, even less from Burn of all people. Did he mind? No… he certainly did not mind. But unlike yesterday, he was now wondering why he didn't mind. Burn was the person who had stolen his very kiss, and he had enjoyed it thoroughly. But Burn was his friend, and Gazel wasn't the type to accept kisses from just friends.

He eyed Burn in silence, and wondered if he felt more for him than he thought. Gazel slowly placed his hand on his chest, feeling how his heart beat faster just from looking at Burn for a while. Could Burn, his rival, his teammate and his friend, be the one he desired in the end?

"… Burn…" Gazel started slowly, realizing Burn was still waiting for an answer. He picked up the courage to look him in the eye. "… I… I think I—"

Burn held up his hand, silencing him immediately. "Ho, stop. You're gonna tell me it was a mistake and you want to forget, right? That's fine, it doesn't matter."

Gazel blinked in surprise. "Burn—"

"No, I get it. We only just started having fun as friends, and I understand that—shit!" In his haste to rob Gazel of the chance to voice his thoughts, Burn had knocked the rice bowl on the floor when he tried to pick it up along with the glass.

Gazel watched how Burn kneeled down and started picking up the broken pieces. It was obvious that his words had been a lie, and that he didn't just want to forget. And that he might be feeling the same feelings Gazel did.

"Burn," Gazel repeated firmly, "I think I like you."

Burn froze instantly. His hands dropped the pieces he had picked up, and just hung above the floor like a statue. Then, very slowly, he turned into Gazel's direction, staring at him in disbelief.

Gazel, feeling a wave of shyness befall him, quickly avoided eye contact and added in a mutter: "That was all."

He let out a yelp in surprise when he was suddenly shoved down on the bed and felt Burn's arms close around his back. The next moment, Burn stood up and pulled Gazel along with him, lifting him a couple of inches above the floor.

"Gazel," he said, but didn't finish the sentence he had in mind. Instead, he kissed Gazel a second time. This time, the kiss was filled with confidence, and the same kind of affection Burn had kissed him with before.

Gazel's eyes widened in shock for a moment, as he had not expected this from Burn. On the other hand, there was no doubt in his mind left that Burn felt the same way about him, if not more. Gazel placed his hands on Burn's shoulders and shut his eyes, returning the kiss just as confidently.

The following two weeks felt like just two days. Burn and Gazel spent the rest of their holiday together, visiting the tall mountain, going on a treasure hunt with their fans (and winning), and trying out different restaurants located around the island. During that time, they never once thought of soccer and felt completely carefree, showing each other sides they had never seen before. While it turned out Gazel was quite fond of fish and rather scared of heights, Burn revealed a soft spot for cats and a dislike for vegetables. The two boys got to know each other better and better, and only liked what they saw.

By their last evening on the island, Gazel felt up for trying the onsen again. Having gotten used to both the hot weather and being close to Burn, he actually looked forward to bathing with him. And this time, he did not hesitate to leave his towel behind as well.

The pairing sat together in the warm water, resting against the edge. After two weeks of adventure, they both felt rather tired and preferred to relax in the comfort of a bath.

At one point, though, Gazel decided to tell Burn something.

"You know what Yuuki-san asked me today?"

Burn turned his head to the other boy, wondering what their self-proclaimed biggest fan had blurted out this time. "What?"

"She asked me if I like Nagumo-sama," Gazel answered to the water.

Burn let out a snicker. "And what did Suzuno-sama tell her?"

Gazel blushed a bit when Burn called him that. "Suzuno-sama told her… that he'd always have some kind of respect towards him."

Burn raised his eyebrows. "What kind of crap-answer is that? I could've sworn he said "I like you" last time."

"I said I think I like you!" Gazel claimed, his cheeks turning redder. He turned to Burn as well, trying to pierce the fact into his eyes.

Burn just snickered a second time and gently took Gazel's chin in his hand, pulling him closer.

"Well, you're in luck, because I think I like you too," he whispered, thoroughly enjoying how Gazel only became shyer at his words. In order to comfort him, he wrapped his arms around Gazel's neck and rested his hands on his chest, letting him lean his head on his shoulder.

Both boys glanced at the starry sky for a moment, which seemed to smile back at them. Being so close to the one they liked, sharing a bath and an entire holiday with him… This moment felt like paradise to Burn and Gazel.

After a minute or two had passed, Burn was the one to break the silence this time.

"Hey, Gazel. Have you thought of what you're gonna do when we're back home?"

Gazel remained quiet for a moment, but then shook his head honestly. "Not really… This vacation was great, but it didn't really give me an idea for my future."

He flinched when Burn's hand suddenly knocked him on the head. Gazel turned to him in surprise, placing one hand on the sore spot.

"What was that for?"

"That was an insult," Burn hmphed. "Who've you been spending your entire vacation with?"

"Pfft, so what then? You want me to marry you or something?" Gazel snorted sarcastically.

"That doesn't sound too bad," Burn teased, and let out a laugh when the other boy started to splash hot water at him. Instead of fighting back, though, he took Gazel in his arms again and buried his face in his hair, his eyes shut for a moment.

"But still… You intend to just forget about us after this?" he asked softly.

Gazel quickly shook his head again. "Of course not. I want to spend more time with you. But that doesn't mean I know how to."

Burn started to play with Gazel's locks as he spoke. "Well, one thing's for sure… I don't want to stop playing soccer."

"Me neither," Gazel agreed. "But don't you think it might turn us back into rivals?"

"Us?" Burn let out a laugh. "Gazel, you and I are gonna be the strongest team ever! Someday we'll make a comeback, I know it."

Gazel smiled at the confidence in his words and placed his hands around Burn's arms, sinking deeper into his embrace. "Wouldn't that be nice," he muttered.

"Oi, oi, don't fall asleep on me," Burn told him, poking his head softly. "I'm gonna leave you behind, you know!"

"You wouldn't dare," Gazel answered confidently, gently pulling away Burn's hand. Burn tugged it back and placed it in Gazel's hair, brushing it softly.

"Well, one thing's for sure," he said. "I wanna spend more time with you as well. And you know what, screw the future. We should just go step by step and see what happens. We'll deal with it as it comes."

Gazel let out a snicker. "What is it with you and inspirational speeches? Aren't I the one who's more fit to do that?"

"You kidding? I've always been the one with the brilliant ideas. Remember, I was the one who came up with Chaos," Burn reminded him in an all-knowing tone.

"Yeah, sure, rub it in," Gazel stuck out his tongue at him. "You're right, though," he added in a mutter, as if still reluctant to admit that Burn knew better than him at times. "To just take things as they come… sounds rather good."

"See? I'm a genius," Burn bragged jokingly. This time he was prepared for Gazel's splashing attack and held up his hands with another laugh.

When Gazel realized he wasn't going to catch Burn off-guard, he ceased his attempt to get back at him and just looked away with a grumpy pout. "Only sometimes," he admitted.

During the rest of the bath, neither Burn and Gazel said much else, and simply enjoyed the embrace they were currently in. About half an hour later, the water had made them sleepy enough to crave their bed. The hot weather hadn't calmed down over the past two weeks, though, so both boys decided to sleep in boxers.

Once they had gotten comfortable, Burn and Gazel turned to face one another, each flashing a loving smile. Rather than wasting words on a goodnight wish, they wrapped their arms tightly around each other's waist and shared an affectionate kiss, which lasted a good couple of seconds. Once they pulled back, they refused to let go of each other. Burn and Gazel ended up falling asleep in each other's arms, but not before both thinking the exact same thought:

I want to have many more holidays with him.

- END -

A/N: In case there are any yaoi lovers among you readers... yeah, sorry, no sex scene. XD; While they are healthy teenagers, I think their minds are a tad too childish to engage in such an intimate act. Besides, they'd only just shared their first kiss, jumping right to sex is unrealistic. Anyway, I sincerely hope everyone enjoyed this story! I'm so grateful for your support! If you want me to write more Burn/Gazel stories and have ideas, please do not hesitate to share! I promise I'll consider it (especially seeing as I have no ideas myself right now). Please review, and until next time!