Title: What Hurts the Most

Genre: Romance/Angst

Pairing: Cosmo/Timmy/Anti-Cosmo, Juandissimo/Cupid

Rating: M

Warning: Contains yaoi. Use discretion.

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Juan wouldn't say it was the best night of his life. He'd had better, and under much better circumstances than these.

But underneath his harsh exterior, Cupid was the sweetest man Juan had ever met, and Juan couldn't say for a second that he didn't enjoy that night more than many other nights he'd experienced.

He feigned shock when he learned that Piper had left the hospital. There was a sloppy signature signing her out, however, and the temporary receptionist stated that Piper had left with a very nice elderly gentleman with lilac-colored hair who'd claimed to be her god-grandfather.

"Well, as long as someone responsible checked her out, I suppose there's no use calling in the Fairy World police," Cupid decided, and then began humming show tunes as he filled out some paperwork before kicking the temporary receptionist out of his chair and cheerfully admitting people into the hospital.

A few days later the Fairy World police came to explain to Juan that there had been a sudden appearance of a mysterious young boy at the police station with the memory to prove Juan innocent. They had convicted Remy and forcibly taken away all memory of Juan, placing him under the custody of his parents.

Juan was free to go.

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A few days later, he dropped Cupid off at the hospital after their date and had the strangest urge to visit Piper's room one more time. He hadn't been in there since he seduced Cupid that fateful night and it was almost as if he was expected the little brunette to be lying there in bed waiting for him.

"I shall only be a moment," Juan had promised Cupid, who'd merely shrugged.

"Take as long as you need," Cupid smiled, giving Juan a gentle goodnight kiss before returning to his desk.

Juan rode up the elevator in a strangely melancholy mood and spent quite a bit of time dawdling in the hall before finally entering the empty room. They didn't get a lot of people in pediatrics, after all, only your occasional Nega child and the very rare human godchild. An empty room in the pediatrics wing was certainly not out of the ordinary.

The bed was made and the room looked quite refreshed if Juan did say so himself. Abruptly he let out a quiet whimper and went over to the window, unlocking it in the slightest hopes that a certain lilac-haired boy might come in.

He waited there for a half an hour, sitting in the chair in the corner and watching the bed. He missed those kids something terrible.

Finally he resigned himself to the fact that Poof and/or Piper were not going to be showing up that night, and he left the room sadly.

He couldn't bring himself to relock the window.

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"Is something wrong, Juan?" Cupid finally asked one night. Juan jumped and offered an awkward smile.

"Of course not, amor. Why would you believe so wrongfully that something is wrong?"

"That's the third window you've unlocked tonight, and you've only been here for about fifteen minutes," Cupid pointed out. "Now, I'm all for weird fetishes and whatnot, but isn't an obsession with unlocking windows a bit peculiar?"

"I suppose I was expecting something to happen," Juan admitted.

"What might that be?" Cupid curiously queried.

"I do not really know for sure," Juan sighed. "I was just really hoping it would."

"Aw," Cupid smiled gently. "Well, I've got tons of paperwork. Why don't you run on down to the cafeteria and get yourself some coffee? Since you've resigned yourself to staying here with me all night, I'm sure you'll need it."

"Okay, mi amor," Juan agreed, and caught the key that Cupid tossed him. He shuffled to the elevator and rode up a floor to the second level. He couldn't bear to go into the cafeteria, not after his encounter with Poof there, so instead he slid down onto the floor and peered into the nursery. All of the babies in there were crying loudly except for one that was fast asleep. He wondered how it could sleep with all that noise going on in there.

"Babies sure are cute, aren't they?" a familiar voice stated. Juan whirled around and spotted a familiar lilac-haired boy standing in the window. "You don't need to worry about unlocking windows for me. I'm great at picking the locks."

Juan couldn't resist pulling the boy into a tight hug and smiled at the soft laugh that Poof emitted before hugging him back.

"I have missed you terribly!" Juan exclaimed. "But where is Piper? She does not enjoy being without you, if I am correct."

"After all it took to get Chester to look after her for a while we couldn't exactly take her without explanation. She's asleep on his couch right now, but she insisted that I come tell you that she's okay," Poof explained. "In fact, we'll probably be dropping in pretty often. Piper's taken quite a liking to you."

"I cannot honestly say that I have not taken quite a liking to you two as well," Juan admitted.

"Sorta got that from the hug," Poof grinned. "And I'd be lying if I didn't say that I find you pretty cool, too."

"I am honored," Juan smiled, and Poof smiled back.

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Fin