Itsumademo

Sho was finally sound asleep. Toshi's death earlier in the day had pretty much incapacitated him with fear, grief, shock and hatred.

Kei leaned over Sho's prone form and gently kissed him.

"I love you now and forever. Forever Sho." Kei pulled Sho's blanket up so the young man was more properly covered then he turned and walked out the door and into a moonless night.

******

I don't want to see you
I want to see you
I don't need you
I need you

Kei had long lost track of just how many years had exactly passed since the night he left. Maybe its better that way, he thought to himself.

"Definitely better." He said out loud to no one in particular. And so he continued playing the daily game of remembering Sho's face and voice and the way that he always seemed to smell like a curious blend of oranges, beer and tobacco only to just as quickly and forcefully shove, shove, shove those memories away, much the same way he had to almost physically force Sho away from him for years whenever the older man was close to saying those three simple words to the younger one--words he wanted to gift to Sho, words that he wanted given back to him in return but knew that he didn't deserve to hear.

He doesn't love you.
He does.
He has to.

Kei loved Sho but knew that he could never have him, should never have him. Besides, Kei couldn't be positive, really positive that Sho even felt the same way towards him. Then there was YiChe. Even if Sho could truly return the feelings Kei felt for him the vampire knew in his heart that YiChe would still stand in the way, he knew Sho cared for her very much. And that was a problem. And then there was the sticky situation of Kei knowing that YiChe cared for him very much. Such a mess. And he decided, one that he shouldn't really be throwing himself in the middle of.

But still...

This, of course was all supposing that YiChe and Sho were even still alive. After all who was to say that they, along with Son hadn't gotten themselves into more trouble, the kind of trouble that they couldn't get out of without his help and had gone and joined Toshi in death. Three more people that would be dead because of him.

Kei rubbed his temples. All of this thinking was starting to hurt his head and his heart too much.

Still, he couldn't help himself.

Sho loves YiChe.
YiChe doesn't love Sho.
I love Sho.

But, in the end, it didn't really matter, love was for humans, not monsters. That was life. He tried lying to himself. I've accepted reality...no, I haven't. He was failing miserably now. He had to admit that he wasn't a very good liar. Never would be.

A knock on the cell door. Kei laughed. Not that he didn't deep down appreciate such formalities, it was just that he thought it odd that Lolli would extend such a courtesy towards a common killer such as himself. But then the man wasn't what one could call a "normal" detective. While the others treated him like a freak and well, like a criminal, this one actually treated him like an actual human being and was genuinely interested in him, wanting to know why he was the way that he was.

"You have a visitor."
"Eh?" Sho..momentarily flustered Kei quickly tried to compose himself. "I don't want to see him. Tell him to go away."

Lolli straightened his tie. "But sir-"
"Sir?!" Kei cackled.

Lolli wasn't in the mood for such attitude--the more he tried to help his captor the more he pushed him away. And he was sick of it. Things were going to change.

"You have a visitor, he's traveled a very long way to see you and you will see him. You owe him that much."

Sho

Lolli pulled the vampire out of his cell and towards the visitor room with, as Lolli would recall much later on, not all that much resistance.

******

Christ, it was him.

The years had been very good to Sho. Very good indeed. In his light brown suit and with his hair slicked back he looked more like a very handsome businessman on his lunch hour than a former street kid who pulled scams in order to survive.

Kei was trying hard not to look at him though. He was still too busy thinking about everything.

Five minutes, maybe a little bit more had gone by by now. Sho talked more, Kei thought more.

He was probably thinking too much since Sho finally put a photo in his face, thinking that would finally get his attention.

Still not looking, although by this point in time the lack of attention could be mistaken for not caring. I care Sho, I care too much.

Sho chatted on, mentioned YiChe and marriage and Hana...Kei finally looked at the photo. Sho smiled.

They ended up talking a little bit more after that. About Son and Shinji and the paths that the two had taken. Kei even admitted to Sho his fear that he was already dead and how he was so very glad that he was still alive.

******

It was a few months after that conversation when Lolli came for him again. Tomorrow would be the day of his execution and quite frankly he was just about ready for it. Despite the fact that he knew now that Sho was alive. And despite the fact that deep down he knew that Sho needed him.

I need you too Sho

Kei, Lolli and a couple of the other detectives had just about reached the door that would lead to the waiting van when the phone rang.

It was Sho.

Sho needs me
Needs me as much as I need him

I love you Sho and I am coming home.

******

Kei took off running from the van, stopped, turned and glanced at Lolli, fixed a stare on him. Under different circumstances he would have cursed the man for letting him successfully escape. Today he could only be thankful.

Remember when I said forever Sho? thought Kei as he ran to him...Well, the time for forever starts now.