Aghh, I'm so sorry for the ridiculously long delay. But I finally bring you the epilogue of Hitomebore. Special thanks to Xiana Asuka, who read this over for me and helped smooth out the glitches.

To everyone who reviewed, you have my endless thanks. Your suggestions and thoughts really helped to shape this story, and have vastly improved my skills as an author. It has been great hearing from all of you throughout the story, and I sincerely hope to hear from all of you again in future stories.

Thanks again! :)

Yukimura sifted mindlessly through his mail as he sipped his morning coffee.

"Junk," he muttered, tossing a stack of white envelopes into the garbage. He picked up the remainder of the mail - mostly bills, and reached for his coffee cup. His fingers slipped on the smooth paper envelopes and two or three fell from his grasp, landing softly on the table. He scooped them up, only to notice a small, dark blue envelope he had not seen before poking out between the electricity bill and the renewal reminder from Tennis Monthly. Yukimura set his coffee cup back down and slid into his seat. He turned the envelope over, and his eyes widened at the familiar handwriting that embellished the front.

Sanada, he thought. His hands began to shake as he slipped one finger under the seal. He removed a creamy white card covered in neat rows of calligraphy.

You are cordially invited to the union of

Sanada Genichiroh

and

Atobe Keigo

The card went on to list dates, locations, and times, but Yukimura paid no notice. The union of Sanada Genichiroh and Atobe Keigo.

"Union?" Yukimura murmured, tracing a finger along the elegant kanji. He shook his head and grimaced. It had to be pathetic to have your hopes dashed by nothing more than a 6 by 4 piece of paper.

But now he had it in writing.

Sanada was never coming back.

He wasn't going to burst through the front door one winter evening, drop his bags on the floor and shout, "Seiichi! I made a mistake. I love you! Please, please take me back!"

He wasn't going to call from a telephone booth three blocks away from Yukimura's apartment, heartbroken and looking for a friend.

No, he was sending an invitation to his wedding.

Yukimura gave a hollow laugh. The bottom line of the card was an RSVP number. Yukimura picked up his phone and dialed.

"Hello?"

It was not Sanada's voice.

"Hello, Atobe-san. This is Yukimura Seiichi."

There was a long silence. Yukimura could hear rustling on the other end of the line. Finally, Atobe spoke, and Yukimura could detect a slight tremor in his voice.

"Ah, Yukimura-san. I trust you received the invitation?"

"Mm. That's why I'm calling."

"Of course. Should Genichiroh and I expect the pleasure of your company?"

Yukimura paused and glanced once more at the card.

The union of Sanada Genichiroh and Atobe Keigo.

"Yes," he said, smiling softly. "I'll be there."

"Ah. Thank you very much for calling. We look forward to seeing you."

There was a soft click and the dial tone sounded. Yukimura set the phone down on his counter and sighed.

By December 4th, he had to get over the love of his life.

Or kill Atobe Keigo.

--

"Keigo!" Sanada shouted, banging his fist against the oakwood door for the hundredth time in the last five minutes. "Hurry up!"

"I'm not coming out until you leave, Genichiroh," Atobe sang. "It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding!"

"There isn't going to be a wedding if you refuse to get ready for it! The guests have been waiting for twenty minutes now!"

The door swung open.

"I'm ready," Atobe announced. Sanada's jaw dropped, and behind Atobe, Oshitari chuckled.

"He looks good, hmm, Sanada?"

"Uh, um, yes," Sanada stammered, fumbling for the right words. Atobe grinned.

"Awestruck, Genichiroh? I must say, you look very handsome yourself."

Sanada continued to gape until Oshitari gave him a soft push toward the set of double-doors.

"Come on, you two. Go get married."

--

The doors swung open and the rustle of clothing echoed through the hall as the crowd rose to their feet in anticipation. Oshitari stepped through the doors and bowed graciously.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it was my duty to beg you to rise to your feet, but seeing as you have already done so, I have no further purpose."

With that, he stepped to the side, a small smile playing about his lips. A bow was pulled across strings and the hall filled with the sounds of a violin as Sanada and Atobe entered the room. An audible gasp echoed among the crowd as they proceeded regally down the aisle, their backs straight, eyes staring forward.

They had chosen to walk down the aisle together after briefly considering having Oshitari give Atobe away. They decided against that after Shishido pointed out how it would display to absolutely everybody present that Atobe bottomed. Walking down together seemed the only other option.

They had also chosen to skip over the idea of "best man." Atobe had insisted that none of the men he knew lived up to the standards of "best man," and after Sanada said he didn't really care either way, the executive decision was made.

So they stood together at the alter alone, save for the priest - a tall, bespectacled old man in flowing purple robes with an equally fluid voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the unity of Sanada Genichiroh and Atobe Keigo."

In the third row, fourth seat to the right, Yukimura shifted slightly and looked away from the enraptured couple. Sanada looked so utterly and completely happy, as if he had found the missing piece to a puzzle he had been trying to complete his whole life.

Which he had, Yukimura supposed. As much as he hated to admit it, Atobe completed his best friend.

"...'Till death do you part?" The priest smiled gently at Atobe, who nodded calmly and repeated, "I do."

Yukimura swallowed and glanced from Atobe, to Sanada, to the priest and back again. The priest's lips were moving, but Yukimura could hardly hear him over the furious beating of his own heart. Then the priest stopped and gave Sanada the same encouraging smile and Yukimura felt himself slide forward in his chair, hands gripping the edge of the seat, feet pressed firmly against the ground as if he was about to leap up.

"I do," Sanada said, almost smiling, and the priest stepped back as the couple leaned in to kiss. The crowd erupted into applause, but Yukimura found himself unable to move. People were rising to their feet, whistling and cheering all around him. When Yukimura finally struggled into a standing position, Sanada and Atobe were bowing respectfully to the priest, who looked confused and offered a hand instead. The ceremony had been conducted in English, in respect to the various business partners and friends Atobe and Sanada had invited from around the world.

Yukimura felt someone poke him in the back and turned around. Kirihara gave him a big grin.

"I have no idea what they were saying, but fukubuchou looks happy!" he said, breaking once more into applause. Yanagi gave Yukimura a sympathetic smile and wrapped an arm around Kirihara's shoulders. Yukimura smiled back and turned toward Sanada and Atobe, who were beginning to make their way back down the aisle.

"That went well," Atobe murmured, glancing up at Sanada with a wide grin.

"Mmm, flawless," Sanada replied, giving Atobe's hand a squeeze. "Now we just have to make it through the reception and we're off scot free."

Atobe laughed and wrenched open the thick oak door, slipping through and pausing to allow Sanada time to follow.

"Speaking of the reception, we better hurry over there. We need to be ready to greet guests."

"Your wish is my command," Sanada said solemnly, but he stopped in his tracks and beckoned for Atobe to do the same. "Come here," he ordered. Atobe raised his eyebrows and obeyed. Sanada grabbed the shorter man's hands and pulled him into a deep kiss.

"I love you," he murmured, running his hand through Atobe's hair and pulling him close.

"You too," Atobe whispered. "Now let go of me so we can get our asses over to the reception hall."

Sanada rolled his eyes and gave Atobe a gentle push.

"Clearly I made a mistake in thinking you and I shared something, here," he said, gesturing to the space between them. "I'm evidently just an accessory. Arm candy," he drawled, starting off down the hall toward the reception room. Atobe snorted and followed.

--

The reception hall was already buzzing with excited chatter by the time Atobe and Sanada made their entrance as the guests discussed the ceremony. The moment they appeared, however, the pair was surrounded by friends offering their congratulations. Only the chiming of the dinner bell managed to quell the storm. The guests slid into their seats as Sanada assumed a place at the head of the table, beside Atobe.

"Err, ladies and gentlemen," Sanada began, looking around uncertainly. "On the behalf of myself and Keigo, I would like to thank you all for coming today. We thank you for your support, your acceptance, and your friendship, and we look forward to spending many more years together with you all."

He took a deep breath and cracked his knuckles against the table.

"As some of you know, Keigo and I met under fairly extraordinary circumstances. He was attending a high school tennis exhibition match, where I was representing my former school. I was ill that day, and fainted just after my match. Atobe, who had been quite taken with my play style, decided to take me under his wing. I was treated by his person physician."

Sanada glanced over at Ootori, who blushed and smiled.

"From there, things got complicated," Sanada continued. "In less than two weeks we went from strangers to enemies to what you could call friends, although I suppose it might be a stretch."

A few laughs echoed through the hall.

"And then we lost it. And for three long years I did everything I could to forget about it, to push Keigo and everything that came with him out of my mind. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I couldn't."

Sanada rolled his shoulders back and turned to face Atobe.

"Keigo, remember that night in the stadium, after your show? I told you that I loved you, that I'd loved you since the day we met, and that I would love you forever. I admitted that I had tried to stop, but that I couldn't. I told you it was love at first sight."

Atobe blinked furiously to stop the tears from falling.

"And I can't think of any other way to tell you how much you mean to me other than to remind you of that night. Those three years without you were like a living hell for me, Keigo. I couldn't make it through that again. I never want to try. I love you. You are everything to me. Words can't possibly begin to touch on how happy it makes me that you have agreed to spend the rest of your life with me."

Rather abruptly, Sanada sat down and took a long gulp of water. The room was silent for a moment, and then, as if someone had pushed a button, the guests broke into wild applause. Sanada blushed and gave Atobe a quick kiss on the cheek.

Eventually the applause died down and Atobe rose to his feet.

"I'm sorry to say that nothing I prepared could possibly live up to the standards Genichiroh just set, so I'm going to keep my piece short." He cleared his throat. "I fell in love with Genichiroh during the tennis match he mentioned earlier. I fell in love with his determination and his drive and his skill. I fell in love with the way he moved so purposefully and elegantly. I fell in love with the way he craved victory. I fell in love with the way he achieved victory. From that day forth I never stopped loving him. I never will. Thank you."

He sat down, nodding politely and smiling at the round of avid applause.

"May I speak?"

The voice echoed from somewhere down the table, and there was the sound of a chair being pushed back. Sanada glanced around and stopped short when his eyes settled on none other than Yukimura Seiichi. He felt Atobe stiffen.

"My name is Yukimura Seiichi, and I was the captain of the tennis team on which Sanada played throughout high school. I am also the reason that Sanada and Atobe were forced to spend those three years apart."

An awkward silence descended over the table until Yukimura continued.

"In seventh grade I fell in love with Sanada for many of the same reasons that Atobe did a few years later. His passion and his drive inspired me. He was my beacon of light in times of weakness.

"Sanada admired me for my tennis and my motivation. I used this admiration to lead him to believe that he was in love with me. And so for four years, I indulged myself in his company, all the while thinking to myself that if I could just hold on, that maybe, one day, Sanada would truly fall in love with me, too.

"Unfortunately that day never came for me. Instead, it came for Atobe. I could see it in Sanada's eyes almost immediately. Everything I felt for him he was feeling for Atobe. It crushed me to no end. I was angry, hurt, and in denial. I refused to believe that Sanada had found someone else. And when the time came to let him go, I didn't. I held on until it was a moment too late. And that caused him and Atobe three years of unhappiness. For that, Sanada, and Atobe, I'm sorry. I know that you are angry... Furious. I know that you cannot and will not forgive me. Sanada... I love you. And knowing that I hurt you is more than I can bear. Atobe... I've never forgotten the message you left me. I await your revenge with bated breath. I wish the both of you the best of luck in the future and all the happiness in the world."

With that, he sat down. The hall remained silent. Sanada glanced at Atobe, who was staring intently at his plate. Then Sanada rose to his feet and began to clap. Atobe glanced up at him before shaking his head with a slight laugh and joining him. Before long, the entire hall was on their feet, clapping. Yukimura blushed and shrugged awkwardly.

The rest of the reception passed quickly and uneventfully, and as the guests filed out, Sanada and Atobe stood by the doors, thanking them for coming.

"Congrats, Genichiroh," Niou drawled, as he and Yagyuu approached the front of the line. "That was cute."

"I wish you two much happiness," Yagyuu said, nodding curtly. Sanada thanked them both, and turned to address Yanagi and Kirihara, who were coming up behind Niou and Yagyuu.

"Renji, Akaya. Thank you for attending."

"Thank you for the invitation," Yanagi said, smiling. "I'm happy to see that things worked out well for you, Genichiroh."

Sanada bowed, and the pair continued out the door. He felt a hand on his arm, and straightened. Atobe smirked up at him.

"I was lonely over there," he said. Sanada chuckled and bowed respectfully to the next departing couple.

"I can fix that," he said, wrapping one arm around Atobe and squeezing for a moment before letting go.

"Good," Atobe replied, reaching out to shake a young man's hand. Sanada didn't recognize him. "Thank you for coming, Mr. Moser."

Sanada turned to greet the next guest, but froze momentarily when he found himself staring into Yukimura's face.

"Ehr, Yukimura... Thank you for coming," he sputtered, bowing. Yukimura nodded and bowed back.

"Thank you very much for the invitation," he said softly. "It was a lovely ceremony."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Atobe said suddenly, to Sanada's surprise. "Thank you for your speech at dinner. It was quite eloquent."

Sanada's eyebrows shot up and he glanced down at Atobe, who was standing with stiff shoulders. Yukimura looked equally shocked, but managed a polite smile.

"Thank you for letting me speak," he said. "It meant a great deal to me."

"Mm." Atobe nodded. "We hope to see you again in the near future."

"Ah... Yes," Yukimura bowed again and disappeared out the door.

"Keigo, what was that?" Sanada muttered, shaking the hand of yet another anonymous guest.

Atobe shrugged.

"Love is a product of chemistry and intrigue," he whispered, twisting the thin gold band around his finger. Sanada smiled.

"And forgiveness."