I'd hoped to get a good distance away before it happened, but all too soon I heard my name called faintly from behind me, with a heartbreaking voice and a small sniffle. Losing my resolve, I turned around to find those red eyes burning, so beautiful, catching the orange sunset. Yet their fire was threatened with brimming tears, as the milky waves of his hair were splashing back and forth over them in the wind. He didn't even see me watching him, his eyes were already so wet. Two of the mice he named watched silently from my shoulder, judging me.

I can still go on, I can pretend not to hear…

But when he shut his eyes so tight, trying (as he always does too late) to hold back the storm, I felt my heart sink and my legs no longer had the strength to take me forward— they could only pull me back. My travel companions raced back to the ground as I turned on my feet.

In an instant I was in front of him, firmly gripping his chin, tilting his down-turned face up toward mine. As his eyes fluttered open in surprise, I pulled him toward me with an arm around his waist. Without a word, I devoted my lips to his, sinking deeper and deeper into this fierce and tender and passionate kiss that was rapidly draining all my will to leave before nightfall. All the thoughts I had of opening a distance— of not making things any harder than they already are— left my mind the second his timid but desperate arms came to rest around my neck. I wanted to offer words of consolation— to make sure he knew we'd surely meet again— our parting was never meant to be a final farewell.

It was never intended to be a goodbye kiss, and it most certainly wasn't. Perhaps I intended consolation, but that wasn't it either. Nor was it an apology, and definitely not thanks. It was desire. It was fire flowing through my veins. It was his needy, inexperienced body pressing closer, and mine responding to his touch with a frustrating urge to thrust. It was what I feared most about him… the principles I've based my entire life on seem to decay further and further every time I gaze on his now innocent, now wanton face. Shion had his own principles too…

I ruined that purity and innocence… I brought him guilt and sorrow…

But I couldn't turn away now. And he knew. He must have felt my heart pounding against his own before we drew back to look into each other's eyes. Eve attempted a performance anyhow: "Shion, it's time for me to leave here. But we'll definitely—"

"Come back with me, Nezumi," he intoned breathily, "Please don't go…" His eyes searched mine, so I closed them. My lips quivered against my will, so eyes still closed, I stilled them against his cheek, brushing it with them in passing, then hung my head on his shoulder, and placed a long, slow kiss on the nape of his neck. He shuddered then, and something stirred inside me.

"Shion…" And I couldn't bring myself to say what I needed to say. Eve had abandoned me. His hands dropped behind my shoulders, one rubbing my back. The flat palm spread into fingers that raked against my lower back, as if seeking to grasp something… words? I stifled a gasp. Did he know how hot that was?

"Nezumi…" I could detect him fighting back tears again… "please." And tears came to my eyes now, a single drop from each, safely out of view. Was it happiness, sadness, or...? No. Of course, it was fear.

"Shion," I murmured, gently stroking his back. "I'm afraid of you."

I brought out the worst in him… I would have died for him…

"But why? I love you. I only want to be with you. That's all I ask." Dangerous words. But how could I stay here, in the city I wanted to destroy? Of course I could never live in this place... and I will never allow myself to put Shion in danger again…

"Shion, you must stay here. And I must go. You know this."

"No, I still don't—"

"Such a child," I softly interrupted. "Maybe I should have left you with Inukashi." After bringing a hand up to wipe away the evidence on my face, I pulled back, smiling slightly. And after one great sob, Shion managed to stop crying, and was wiping his eyes. Was he sensing a change in the air already? I stroked his wind-blown hair away from his face. "How about one more day?" I could see him pulling himself together. My smile broadened. I stepped back and bowed low, with a flourish. "But, your majesty, the castle grounds have fallen to ruin."

"Then we'll to the citadel freshly conquered and won in battle." Mustering his best attempt at a haughty kingly visage, with nose in the air and eyes unamused, he gestured toward the city with surprising elegance.

Still getting sharper. His comebacks are getting even better still.

The walls may have been gone, and the mice said crowds of revelers have died— that Holy Day Festival must have been a blast. Too bad we missed it— but the "former" No. 6's people hadn't magically awakened from their pampered ignorance within the tens of minutes since we returned from Hell. Yet at the same time, in a grand exodus from the giant ruin where we all once lived, West Block manhunt survivors marched toward the city, silhouetted against the setting sun. "That's really something, isn't it?"

And inside of the crumbling wall, great numbers of people were collecting to look outside their city, maybe for the first time. It looked mostly like Lost Town residents cutting through the forest on bikes and by foot… But when each side meets, wouldn't they begin to destroy each other? Or will they blend like paint? Was ours a Pyrrhic victory? Maybe the answer really is somewhere in between. "Third way..." I whispered; I guess to myself.

We're all the same humans on either side of that wall. He's always believed this.

"Let's go, Nezumi."

—

Morning came, but it was still dark. Ms. Karan's room was downstairs and she was up very early, doing the day's baking. Shion was still asleep, his head on my shoulder. Didn't need to get up just yet. I glanced around Shion's little bedroom. So quaint, compared to their palace back in Chronos, yet still very high class to a West Block resident.

Meeting Shion's mother the night before was unbearable. She had far too many kind words for a person like me. She embraced me like her own son and told me I'm like someone she's known for a long time, but that she just hadn't seen in a while. She gave me extra helpings of food, she had plenty of cheese bread for our loyal messengers, she looked at me so often with the most extremely grateful, teary-eyed expression on her face it took all my willpower not to run straight out of the room.

So that's where he gets it from.

I'm sure Shion was trying his hardest not to laugh, himself, it was so ridiculous. The woman must be mad. But she definitely loves her son— she recognised him right away. She was surprised at the changes in his appearance, but waited patiently until we could all sit down to dinner to hear Sion's story. Her stew and cherry cake were delicious and nostalgic. Even I was a little overwhelmed.

Almost like I'm the one coming home.

It was difficult to talk about Safu. It's always hard to watch a Shion in pain. His emotions infect me. He should always be that cheerful natural airhead. But when I told them what little I knew of Elyurias, it seemed to comfort the two somewhat, at least.

What's happened to me, trying to bring comfort to others?

That night, Shion could only think of Safu. He clearly loved her very much. She was the one true friend who stayed with him after he was thrown out of Chronos…. because of me… and she loved him. There really was nowhere else I could be but there to hold him, stroke his hair back, and just once, kiss his forehead as he cried. Shion, who cries for others. Shion who made me cry for him.

It's not your fault, Shion. Don't blame yourself. If anyone, blame me.

While thinking about the events of the previous evening, I had apparently been idly playing with Shion's hair. Soon he began to stir, but only moved in closer to me, sleepily throwing an arm over my torso. Cute. After months of platonic sleeping arrangements— sometimes sharing my bed, sometimes not— it's quite something we could so naturally become like this. And again, how nostalgic.I was asleep in his arms back then, too.

You win, Shion. We're not strangers. We haven't been since the day we met.

Bemused, I watched this angel sleep on my chest for a few more moments. But he wouldn't want me to let him while away our day sleeping, so I tried to wake him gently with a kiss to the top of his head. "Shion," I whispered into translucent white hair. He shifted slightly, smiling so peacefully in his sleep. I shifted down a bit so he coasted off my shoulder onto the pillow, and stroked his arm next. "Wake up, Shion."

"Mmmm." He rolled onto his back, his lips parting slightly. So inviting. I petted his hair again. He was still the picture of tranquility. I couldn't bring myself to shake him or raise my voice.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty," I said with sarcasm. And on impulse, I leaned over and kissed those parted lips.

"Mmm… Nezu… mmm…" he kissed back, probably without even realizing he was doing it, since he still seemed to be asleep. Kissing in his sleep? I broke away and started laughing. And of course, this was what woke him. "Hmmm? What's so funny? Were you just kissing me?" I smirked at his groggy confusion.

"And you kissed back, but you still didn't wake up." I burst out laughing again.

Shion laughed softly. "Really? I didn't know that was possible. I learn so much when I'm with you, Nezumi."

That set me off again and Shion joined in to laugh at himself as usual. Once I could finally stop laughing, I looked at him and smiled— probably far more fondly than I intended. "You're classic, a total natural. Like I said, you really should be a comedian."

This is the endearing Shion I know.

"What time is it?"

"I don't know but your mama's downstairs baking." The sun was beginning to rise…

"So it's early."

"Yeah."

"I had a really vivid dream."

"Was I in it?"

"Yes actually, but you weren't speaking or doing anything. You were just there by my side."

I rolled my eyes at him in disappointment. "Really vivid, Shion."

He continued, unfazed; "Safu was speaking to me." When I heard the name, a flood of bad memories and a wave of concern began to wash over me all over again. I worried he'd spend our last day crying again. But actually, he was still smiling. "She thanked us and said not to worry or cry for her anymore. She'll live forever now as part of Elyurias. And maybe one day I can even see her again."

"I wonder why I—" Thankfully I was interrupted. Why was I on this line of thinking?

"She said she wanted me to be happy, and that we had her blessing."

"Shion," I warned. I didn't like where I thought this was going.

"And then she sort of faded away into golden particles of light and turned into a giant shining, multi-coloured bee, which flew away."

"Oh..." I had no words.

But I haven't told anyone what she looked like. And I know he didn't see her!

"After that, you and I were alone and— oh!" he suddenly turned bright red.

"Oh? Ohhh…" I said knowingly. "So was I good? I bet I was, right?" He went so red it seemed like the mark on his cheek might disappear into it. Idiot. He wouldn't have been blushing like that if he could see some of the dreams I've had about him. But he doesn't need to know about those.

He's always been so unpredictable. But I guess that can be okay too…

—

Breakfast was just the two of us while Shion's mama ran the bakery. Shion was cheerful enough, and smiling, but there was a note of sadness behind it. Likely lingering thoughts of Safu.

Or is he thinking about us parting ways?

While he lived with me, we rarely had breakfasts together. But watching Shion cook and arrange the plates to serve us here, it struck me how well he knew the locations of utensils, and ingredients, and the waste disposal tucked away in an alcove at the end of the room. It was almost graceful, the flow of his movements. Shion graceful? I wondered how it felt for him to be back here.

Did we really only spend a few months together in the West Block?

"Here you go, Nezumi." he said with a smile as he served me a mighty large breakfast and sat down to eat his own. He confessed to me then that he'd missed it here and he missed his mama.

"Mama's boy." I smiled, telling him with my eyes: See? This is where you belong.

But he had something else on his mind; "There's something I'd like for us to do today."

—