Alright, so I'm going by the Anime here, since I have yet to finish the books.

Just a one-shot this time. ^.^

DISCLAIMER: Nezumi, Sion, and the rest of the fabulous anime, No.6 isn't mine. If it was, I would've made them kiss a LOT more often. ;D

Nezumi thought...

And thought...

And thought...

After the fall of the Correctional Facility, all he could do was think and think and think about everything. His purpose in life had been fulfilled, so he had all of the time in the world to do so. Yet, this one person, this single, white-haired brat in his life kept him from doing that.

So of course, he had to leave.

He didn't care where would go, where he was at, or where he was to go next. As long as that albino was no where in sight or earshot, his head was clear and free to think until he could think no more. There was something wrong with him, he was sure of it. Had No.6, in it's last dying moments threw a fast one his way, so blindingly fast that not even his skilled storm-colored eyes could see? He scoffed at himself. Impossible. What was it that threw him off?

He had been told by a throng of people that "knew" him that he had changed. That he'd become soft and weak; all of his defenses obliterated. Maybe No.6 had thrown a curve-ball at him while his guard was down. Sion, he had concluded.

Like a flower.

He always thought it was a perfect name for the boy. The white-haired kid had always been soft and gentle, considerate to every living thing around him, though any of those things could've turned on him and slit his pale throat; cut the stem like it was nothing. He was delicate and fragile. Nezumi always seemed to believe that he had the grace of a flower. Except for when he's dancing, he added in his head.

The streets of this nameless town were lifeless compared to the life Sion had radiated.

For some reason, his eyes would dart left and right, looking for a tuft of white hair, a flash of those ruby orbs, that enchanting, red snake that curved around his body. Now it was Nezumi's turn to sound like a lame poet. All of these faces were the same: dull, homogeneous. Nothing compared to Sion.

Why Sion?

What was it about Sion, that wuss, that brat, from No.6? Why was it always Sion that was on his mind? He was a fool to mutter those simple words under his breath.

"I have fallen."

What did that even mean, anyway? Why did it matter? It was only a sign of weakness. This flower-child had tangled him in some mind-blocking web and that web had made him vulnerable. Those simple, stupid three words were the ultimate sign of fragility. He felt weak, like he himself had become a wuss. A gunshot rang in his ears.

There was not a single firearm in the area.

Yet he would hear this explosion in his head day after day, minute after minute, every time he would take a moment to think about this. Every time he thought about how Sion had turned him soft, he heard that damned gunshot. He would see the apathetic, merciless set of eyes that drowned him in guilt. He would see Sion -beautiful, innocent, fragile Sion- break.

Those pure petals of his would be stained with blood.

Most of all, it was Sion's eyes that made Nezumi's heart lurch. They were cold, cruel, blood-thirsty, like that of an animal on a hunt. Those red eyes that shone like a blooming rose would turn to the color of human blood. Desire of death were the only things in them.

The beauty was gone, only to be replaced by the ugliness of No.6

Since that moment when he had saved Sion from No.6, since that moment that seemed so long ago, he had wanted to protect and watch over the boy, the innocent flower. He wanted to keep Sion beautiful, since Sion was the only thing that was beautiful in this corrupted world. He needed to keep this flower alive. Nezumi wanted to keep this flower all to himself and preserve the light it gave off. He tried his all to guard those pure petals from any stains of blood, greed, anything dirty enough to ruin them. Was that why he had cried? Because he had tried so hard to keep Sion beautiful, though he was doomed to the darkness and putridness of the real, corrupted world?

Then a second shot rang.

Though he had been half-conscious during the time, he had still heard it; the shot that had killed Sion. The shot that had killed his beautiful flower.

The shot broke Nezumi.

Nezumi then had thought he had lost all hope. Not only had he doomed the flower to become corrupt, he had led him, allowed him to waltz into a territory where life was only a thin string. He had let that string snap. He couldn't save him. It was all Nezumi's fault.

If only they had never met.

If only Sion hadn't doomed himself in meeting Nezumi, the rat.

The impure, disgusting Rat.

The Rat had soiled the Flower from the very beginning.

And when the boy was revived, Nezumi felt like the happiest man on Earth. Why was that though? This was a question Nezumi not only couldn't answer, he was afraid to answer. If what those three stupid words were what the answer was, then Nezumi never wanted to say those words again. He had grown up on isolation, enough to become addicted to it, even. He was terrified to let down his walls, to throw away all of his defenses.

He was terrified of Sion, the only living thing in this world, that could do that to him.

But what did it mean? Nezumi had always wondered about what it meant. At least what it truly meant. He was walking past a bookstore when he let his mind wander through the memories of Sion again.

His heart was pounding, his breath was stopped, and his mind was racing.

What was this feeling? Was this.. what he had always assumed? Those three words he stupidly decided to mumble under his breath in the spring of the moment.. were they...

..love?

His feet carried him across the world quickly.

~()~

Sion folded his arms at his desk and began to think.

And think..

And think..

And think until it was unbearable to think no more.

For a long time, Sion had been aware of these feelings he had for Nezumi. It was not only temptation, but he had finally learned what love was, what it was like to be in love. He would do everything humanly possible for Nezumi, no matter what it cost to him. Sion had known this for a long, long time.

And yet, why did he feel so.. empty?

There was a void, and everyone that knew him knew it. Dogkeeper and Karan weren't the only ones that had noticed this. But the day that Nezumi had turned away, there was something that Sion lacked. He still had kindness and hope, but the long days had become months, which became years. Every moment, Doubt ate at his heart, thriving on hope and spriting it away from Sion.

Was this heartbreak?

Sion let out a sigh as he stacked the papers neatly. Ever since No.6's wall fell, the two sections -the West Block and No.6- had grown and met half-way, birthing a town called the Midsection. Sion still lived in the West Block, taking care of Nezumi's Library like he did in his first few months out of No.6. After a while, he needed a purpose or something to keep him occupied for the time being, so he opened up a school in the Midsection. It taught all ages and used some of Nezumi's books to teach literature, mathematics, science, history, and the like. The school was small, and he was the only teacher. He walked from the West Block to the Midsection and back, giving him time to think. He walked that same road, every day, for four years. He placed a pair of reading glasses on his nose and scanned Rico's spelling test.

He was still a bright person, but the light was dim. When Nezumi walked away, had he taken some of his light with him?

Sion didn't mind. All he wanted was Nezumi's happiness.

So every day -as much as it hurt to- he still smiled and said he was fine. He plastered on that grin and chimed that he was okay.

This longing in his heart didn't help him put on those performances.

Though Doubt ate at him every day, he never gave up, just like he had promised. He would wait, and wait, and wait, no matter how long. He knew Nezumi would come back some day. Nezumi had to come back. Sion still had hope, though it flickered like a candle that was about to go out.

Was this pain the price he had to pay for...

...love?

~()~

Nezumi had no clue that he was running. The world was just a jumbled mess around him as he flew through the air, desperate to find his way back.

He was shocked when he had seen the Midsection.

The shock only lasted for a moment, then was replaced with a smirk tugging at his lips. So Sion was right. Two words really could collide and merge into something... in a sense beautiful.

He hesitated before he entered the new city.

Are you still here, Sion?

He sent his rats ahead of him and easily pin-pointed his target. He had no clue what kind of building Sion was in, but Sion was there, and that's all he cared about. Nezumi felt a surge of panic go through him. If Sion was not in a safe home, where was he? Was he kidnapped? The squeak of his rats reassured him otherwise. This place was not one like that. Not as bad as it used to be, anyway.

Nezumi threw open the door.

~()~

Sion didn't look up from Rico's spelling test. It was most likely one of his students, Michael. Michael was one of those students that would come in to threaten him every once in a while when he got a bad grade on an assignment. Sion would always wave him off, knowing that the teenager couldn't hurt him. He knew his students well, and Micael was never as tough as he made himself look like. "Michael, for the last time, your harrasment is-" Sion began to say, but his lips were claimed by an foreign set. He opened his eyes and stared.

Deep blue, almost black hair. Pale, flawless skin. A face that seemed like it was male but with a slightly feminine touch, one that could pass as either gender. When their lips parted, Sion could only gape at those eyes. Those sharp, intelligent, stormy gray eyes that had captivated him for most of his life.

"I've returned, Your Majesty." Nezumi's voice, a voice that Sion's heart had thrived on, sang out in his ears. It was as graceful and smooth as an angel's wing, a sound that he felt blessed to hear.

"Nezumi.." Sion breathed, in complete shock. His heart was beating a million miles a minute, his breath stolen from his lungs. Nezumi leaned in close to Sion and caressed his cheek, brushing the snake-like scar with his thumb. As tender as Nezumi looked, he smirked and laughed, "You're crying."

Sion didn't even notice the tears that were flooding from his eyes.

The white-haired boy let out a small chuckle. "Well, I'm happy." Nezumi wiped the tears away from his face with his thumb, taking note of small changes. Sion's face had become slightly elongated maturity. His hair was a little longer than it had been the last time Nezumi had seen Sion. It came down in it's perfect, shaggy, snow-white waves. His eyes had been untouched by Age, yet they were covered with a pair of glasses. Nezumi pulled back and chuckled a little. "Glasses?"

"Reading in the dark doesn't help eyesight too much." Sion commented. Then he grinned. Warmth welled up in Sion's chest, then came out in questions. He began to fire them, one after another. "Where did you go? What was it like? How have you been?" and the like.

When Sion had finished his series of questions -all of which would be unanswered until later-, Nezumi just gave the boy a faint smile. "You're still the same." He ruffled Sion's hair.

"You could say I walked the world, or at least that's what it felt like," Nezumi answered calmly, "but I've been thinking the whole time."

"About...?" Sion asked, curious.

The bluenette hesitated. Nervous sweat began to collect in his palm. Though he felt he needed to get this off of his chest, but this was terrifying. He was about to leave the comfort of his isolated world, a world where you could never depend on another living thing for help. With these words, he would be taking a step into a world unknown.

He took a deep breath before he took his first step.

"How I've come to fall in love with you." Nezumi hid his fear behind a somewhat cocky smirk. On the inside, Nezumi was horrified at what was to come, but he would never let Sion see that.

Sion blinked at him for a moment, letting the words sink in. His mouth made a small "o" in surprise. Nezumi couldn't exactly read Sion's face. His eyebrows shot up, as if he had just realized what Nezumi had said. Did Sion understand what Nezumi had said?

More importantly, could Sion reciprocate?

Sion's expression softened to a look that could only be described as either joy or pity. Nezumi's guarded heart made him believe it was the latter. That is, until Sion stood up from his chair and leaned over the desk, grabbed Nezumi's chin, and sheepishly pressed his lips to Nezumi's. They were soft and sweet, like cherry cake and reassured him that Sion did not pity him, nor reject him. Those lips in that one kiss whispered to him a million words without making a single sound.

"I love you too, Nezumi," Sion said softly.

~()~

Joseph thought...

And thought...

And thought...

He thought for so long about this, about love. He wondered how to fall in love, and how to fall out of it. He daydreamed about finding his own love some day, someone to hold in his arms until him and his lover would grow old. He pondered how it could last for years. The curly-haired boy let out a happy sigh at the mental images his mind was creating. Love.. was a beautiful thing.

Joseph had asked his parents about love over and over again, being so unsure about what it was and what it felt like. Again and again, they would share their stories about those times when they were his age, when he was just a baby. They had saved each other's lives multiple times, falling in love in the process. "Mama" Sion -Joseph had always called Sion "Mama"- just smiled at him and said with a voice "Papa" Nezumi had always thought was sweet,"I don't know how or why, but when you fall in love, you just do." Then he opened his mouth again and added:

"Sometimes, you just need to think."

And that was it~

By the way, Joseph's the baby that they found in the last couple of episodes. Dogkeeper helped Sion raise him until Nezumi came back. I thought that would be cute. And I like the name Joseph. ^.^

Please review! I will give out NezuShi cookies! holds out plate*