Disclaimer: Whaaaaaaaaaat, ya didn’t see them on the fourteen chapters before this?? ^_~

Warnings: This one turned out a bit angsty. Big time shounen sap… ~.~() Gomen gomen gomen gomen gomen…oh! And that reminds me; there are a LOT of repeated words in this chapter. ^_^ Don’t ask me why. **shrug** Just more than usual. They all decided to pop up in one place. Maybe it’s a block party, or something.

Shout-outs: Arashi, Angel, Nurachel, and Parvy-chan!! What up??!!! Word!!!

Genrou and I didn’t say anything about it, but in each other’s eyes, there was a mutual recognition and understanding that the Sergeant who had perhaps sacrificed his job for Gen-chan had been a familiar face, an evil face. But he had saved us…saved Gen-chan, at the very least. Maybe he regretted all the things he’d done in the past (I couldn’t remember exactly what "things" he had done, but the fact that he had done "things" seemed pretty prominent). Or maybe he didn’t even remember at all, for he’d seemed awfully puzzled as to exactly why he was setting Gen-chan free.

It struck me as funny that all these reincarnated Seishi were being gathered for some reason in Allenby, Illinois. Of all places. Saihitei had said the gathering part was due to interwoven destinies and stuff like that, but Allenby??? Hicksville USA??? Land of Corn and Soy?? …Whatever, Hand of Fate.

We answered everyone’s questions and had a mini-celebration, and then everyone piled into their respective cars and drove off into the sunrise like a bunch of confused modern cowboys. This time, I got to go with Saihitei…eheh…who looked like he was going to pass out at the wheel.

"Need caffeine?" I inquired giddily, since no sleep had about the same effect on me as on Miaka.

"Mm," he said, eyes glued to the road.

"About, um, before…when I fell asleep," I said, suddenly sober. "I…"

Saihitei was shaking his head slowly, a smile curving the corner of his mouth. "Don’t you dare apologize. You’re my boyfriend, and my tragic love interest from a past life. I think you’re allowed to do things like that."

I sat there quietly, relishing in the sound of the word being repeated over and over again in my tiny little mind, grinning like the Cheshire Cat would grin if the Cheshire Cat ever hooked up with the most handsome cat in all cat-dom and …um…never mind.

"You can turn on the radio, if you like," he offered.

"Did you talk with Myojuan?" I asked instead, finding it harder than I thought to speak around my smile. "And does he know about…everyone else who knows?" Except for the obvious ex-monks who have yet to come out of the reincarnation closet?

"Yes, and yes. He took it very well," answered Saihitei with a nod. "Although…I suppose anything could be considered ‘well’ after my previous attempt at enlightenment. He said he’s been having strange dreams for the past few months that this new knowledge would help to explain. He doesn’t really remember much more than you do at this point."

"Can we talk about…‘us’?" I blurted without thinking, and didn’t even stop to yell at myself for the cliché nature of the question because it was six o’clock in the damn morning.

Saihitei glanced over at me. "Of course; what would you like to talk about?"

"You just…you just called me your boyfriend, and…" Say it agaaaainnnnn!!! "I was just wondering, um, if you meant it." True, I’d been calling him my boyfriend in my head ever since Friday night. But if he thought the same way, well, wouldn’t it be great???!!

"Of course I meant it," he said firmly. "Why on earth wouldn’t I mean it? We’ve kissed, we’ve been on a date, I’ve told you how I feel! Were you looking for something in writing? An official agreement, stating that ‘I Hereby Announce that Ryuuen Chou is My Boyfriend?’"

I beamed. "I guess not. It’s just that…I guess this is the first time I’ve heard it out loud."

Smiling himself, he reached over and squeezed my hand. "I know this is new to you," he said. "But just remember: anything you feel for me and more, I reciprocate tenfold for you."

If it had been my choice, I never would have let that obnoxious last thought come to light. But the fact was that it wasn’t my choice. It was there, and it almost made me cringe visibly. Now, don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t believe that Saihitei was lying when he said he loved me. It just left me feeling kinda sad, somehow, that his heart should be lost on someone who was…well…negligible.

"Saihitei," I said, deciding that I should either say something or drive myself crazy, "or whatever you’d like to call yourself…I think you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me." It didn’t come out as plaintive as I’d feared.

"Reciprocated tenfold," he said fondly, squeezing my hand again.

"And Saihitei…"

"Mm?"

"Would you keep both hands on the wheel when you’re driving on no sleep, please?" I batted my eyelashes at him cheerfully, and he laughed and did as I asked.

~*~

We were all supposed to meet at The Apartment at five to say good-bye to Miaka and Houjun, who, sadly, had to drive back to Indiana. In the meantime, Saihitei said, I could come see his house, if I would like.

"I would like very much," I said, which was the absolute truth. I would really have liked to spend more time with Houjun before he left, just to bond and deepen the trust and stuff, but everyone—and for good reason—was taking naps. Yes. Sleep was good.

Saihitei’s house was about fifteen minutes outside of town, and when I saw it, all questions I had with regard to his monetary status were immediately answered. The place was big!! A mansion of gray brick, stuck in the middle of the country like one of those summer homes in England. When we stepped out of the car, I just stood there and gaped up at it for quite a long stretch of time.

"Are you coming?" yawned Saihitei, who had reached the door, and I hurried after him into a cozy, Victorian entryway. He laughed at my expression. "Do you like the house?"

I stared at him. "Let me put it this way: The sun’ll come out…tomorrow!!! Betcher bottom dollar that tomorowwwww….want me to start tap dancing?"

He chuckled again, and held out his hands for my coat.

"Is this your parents’ house?" I asked, still wide-eyed and Little Orphan Annie-ish.

"Yes. They died several years ago, so I’m the only one that lives here now." I opened my mouth to say I was sorry about his parents, but he caught me and shook his head. "It was a long time ago. The past is the past, right? Let me take your coat, I’ll show you the upstairs, and we can sleep."

But when we got to the bedroom, I was suddenly faced with a new fear.

Saihitei’s shoulders slumped as he realized I was, once again, rooted to the spot, this time in the doorway of the room. "Ryuuen," he said, turning to me wearily, "I promise, I’ll show you the house later…let’s just get to bed now, all right?"

"Ryuuen?" He frowned, and took a step closer to me. "You’ve…gone quite pale. Are you okay?"

"S-sorry," I quavered, "but, ummm…we’re just sleeping, aren’t we? Or, um…"

He looked really shocked when he realized what I was trying to say, but then smiled for my benefit. "I only ever intended to sleep," he said gently. "That is not something you need to worry about."

My knees went weak with relief. "Thank…I mean, I’m sorry I…"

"If you say you’re sorry one more time, I shall be forced to gag you," he teased, and proceeded to regard me intently for a long moment. Then, without a word, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the bathroom. I, having been surprised by this sudden action, did nothing to protest.

Positioning me in front of the mirror, standing behind me himself with his hands holding my upper arms, he stared at my reflection with serious golden eyes. "Look."

I blinked at Mirror-Saihitei. What the…?

"Look," he insisted, nudging me with his knee. "And just think about what you see."

So I looked.

And I saw. Shaggy, self-cut hair. Skin that was too pale, eyes that were too big, skinny neck…hell, skinny everything…and ears that would have looked way too big if my hair hadn’t covered them. All in all, a pathetic little figure; short, girly, and exhausted. My hair hung limply, as hair has a tendency to do when the head it belongs to hasn’t had the sense to sleep. My eyes were rimmed with bruise-like circles; those combined with the skin and the build made me look like some 19^th-century pauper dying in a sickhouse.

"Shall I tell you what I see?" said Saihitei softly. Before I could decide whether "yes" or "no" was safer, he had plunged on. "I see the man I love. The man for whom I’ve spent my entire life searching, who sacrificed so much so that his friends could go on. Ryuuen. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You’re a beautiful person, inside and out. But I wouldn’t care if you looked like a human toadstool, as long as it was you on the inside. I wish you could see that. I wish you could see it."

I felt at the spot on my chest where my seishi symbol had appeared.

I turned and hugged him around the waist, not wanting to look him in the eye just yet. The blushworks were again in action.

"Someday, you’ll see. Just remember, every time you look in the mirror…that I wouldn’t have anyone else but you. Try to convince me otherwise, and I shall laugh in your face."

"Now. I think sleep is in order. Would you like to see the guest bedroom? One of them, I should say…there are four."

"Can I stay with you?" said my mouth.

He smiled. "If that’s what you want."

I nodded.

And then, it all went to hell. My legs betrayed me and started moving toward the bed with Saihitei, and even went so far as to climb on. My arms went around him again, and my body curled up next to him, nestling like a rabbit… I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes…

"Good night…or, good morning," he said, and kissed the top of my head.

I thought about replying, but decided that I was already too asleep.

~*~

I’d never done that before. Slept in the same bed with someone, I mean. Well. Apart from Miaka and my sister and…all right, never slept with another guy. No, wait a minute. My brother and I had to sleep in the same bed in hotels when we were kids. And when Gen-chan used to come to my house to sleep over, we’d always use the fold-out couch bed, which kinda counts as a bed, even though it’s mostly a couch and… OKAY, so I’d done it before. But…gahhhh, you know what I mean.

I woke up before he did, and just lay there forever, feeling like a teddy bear. It was a pretty nice feeling, actually. Like I was protected on all sides; like no one could hurt me as long as he was there.

"FOUR THIRTY???!!!!" I exclaimed, scrambling up and crawling over Saihitei so I could actually see the clock. He "oofed" as my knees collided with his chest. "Saihitei, wake up, wake up!! Miaka’s leaving soon, we have to get over there!!" Ick, I need a shower.

"M-Miaka??!!" he said urgently, sitting upright.

"Yes! She’s gonna leave, and we have to get over there to say good-bye!!" Slept with my contacts in. Crap. Eyes will proceed to suffocate and shrivel up. Oh well. I scrambled off the bed and made a run for the bathroom, thinking I could at least wash my face, or something…when he caught my arm and pulled me back and kissed me.

Well, it certainly calmed me down.

"Just hold on a moment," he assured me, going to the phone. He called Taka, I suppose, because after he hung up, he said, "They’ll wait until we get there. There’s no rush. I must bathe before I set foot out of the house…it just wouldn’t do for me to bid Miaka good-bye in such a grimy state."

"Mm hmm," I agreed, smiling like a dope.

He smiled, and ran his thumb across my cheek. "Why don’t you use this shower, and I’ll go next door… Feel free to use my shampoo, conditioner, soap, and anything else. The shampoo is extra body. It will leave your hair wonderfully vibrant and soft."

"Mm hmm," I said again, dreamily. He could have been comparing my head to a cabbage, and I probably would’ve responded the same way.

"Would you like some clean clothing?"

"Mm….hmm."

"Well, let me see…" he frowned thoughtfully. "My things would be far too big for you. But I have a sweatshirt around here somewhere…" Turning to dig into his chest of drawers, he emerged with a pile of clothing and bundled them into my arms. "There you are; that will have to do for now. I’ll meet you downstairs when you’re ready."

After I’d finished staring after him, I sighed and took my shower, then considered the clothes I’d been left. I dressed in a pair of red sweatpants, a white undershirt that hung down to mid-thigh, and a navy blue hooded sweatshirt that almost reached my knees.

A matter of utmost urgency arose when I realized that Saihitei did not own any cool socks. The most interesting thing he had going on with his was a red or blue stripe across the top. I felt I should attempt to remedy the situation as soon as possible. Everyone needs cool socks.

Wearing my circus tent…uh, I mean, borrowed clothes, I hopped downstairs, found that Saihitei was already ready to go (probably due to the fact that he didn’t spend half as much time contemplating which socks to wear), and headed off to say good-bye to Miaka and Houjun.

It was awful to see them go. I’d only just realized exactly how deep or relationship ran, and now she was leaving, and I couldn’t even say anything to her about it because Doukun was there. She hugged me for a long time, and promised to email as much as ever; I reminded her that we got the whole week off for Thanksgiving this year, and casually mentioned that if she didn’t come down and see us, I’d tie her hair in knots and hang her from a street lamp. I shook hands with Houjun, and tried to give it a little extra warmth… "We’ll have to keep in touch, too," I told him pointedly, and gave him a little piece of paper with my email address on it.

He accepted the paper with a tiny smile, a glint of thanks in his eyes.

Miaka kissed Taka one last time, waved at all of us, and then…they drove away. Doukun left, too, in his own dilapidated little car, claiming he had a study date. Though…whether the date was with an actual girl or only with a bunch of textbooks was anybody’s guess.

After they’d gone, Gen-chan elbowed me, grinning evilly. "I see we’re wearing different clothes than we were when we last saw each other…"

My mouth went dry, but not dry enough to stop me from shouting, "G-GEN-CHANNNN!!!! Shut up!!" Accompanying this with a punch to his arm, I did not expect my best friend to go flying halfway across the driveway and go smashing into the wall. Blinking, I glanced down at my chest, where, sure enough, I had begun to glow again.

"Aaaaaahahahahahaha…" I said sheepishly, putting my hand to my face. "Ahhhhhhhhhh…sorry…"

The others, it seemed, were not disconcerted by this random act of violence. "All right," sighed Taka, looking forlorn, as he always did after Miaka left. "All right, you guys…"

"I think we should talk," said Saihitei. "All five of us. We have to talk about what we’re going to do about Doukun."

TBC…

Notes: Ahhhhh, sap sap sap sap sap… ~.~() Ummmmm, yeah…hehe. Okay, given the raising of issues of a yaoi nature in this chapter, I feel it’s only fair to warn you guys that there WILL NOT be any sex in this story. ^_^ Sorry if that disappoints anybody, but sex (between anyone: yaoi, yuri, straight, whatever) is just not my literary bag. Heehee. ^_^ I only brought it up **points to chapter above** because it seemed realistic, I guess, and I want to try to keep things pretty realistic (as Kaze-chan says, "as realistic as it’s possible to be with a FY fic"). So those of you who were like, "Ahhhhh, good lord! They’re talking about sex! Exorcist! Exorcist!!", worry not; I don’t intend for there to be any in the context of the ficcie. ^_^ Those of you who were like, "Ahhhhh, hurrah!!! They’re talking about sex!! Maybe Hotohori and Saihitei will get it on in later chapters!", I’m really sorry, but no. ~.~() And the remainder of you, who were probably going, "Ehhhhhh, whatever; all the same to me," or "When the heck is she gonna shut up about all this sappy stuff and bring in Tasuki again, for pity’s sake???", well, it’s all the same to you, so there you have it. ^_^ Thanks for reading, you guys!

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI:

Saihitei: You’re a beautiful person, inside and out. But I wouldn’t care if you looked like a human toadstool, as long as it was you on the inside.

Taiitsukun: **randomly appearing out of nowhere** Mwahahahaha. **turns Ryuuen into a human toadstool**

Saihitei: GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ryuuen: What????!! What’s wrong???!!!!

Saihitei: Get away, foul beast!! Get away!!

Ryuuen: Saihitei, it’s me!!! I have attachment issues and low self-esteem!!! Don’t push me away!!

Saihitei: **bringing out the Lysol** I can’t stand ugly things!!!!!!!!

Merry and Pippin: **also randomly appearing out of nowhere** LOOK!! A BIG MUSHROOM!!! **They chase Ryuuen out of the room**

Frodo: **charging in** GET OFF THE ROAD!!!!!!!!

(Yeah…caffeine is my friend. But please remember that after consuming it, I am not responsible for any bizarre Akugis that might ensue.)