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"Nezumi?"
Nezumi lowered the book to look at Shion whose face was a bit too close and his eyes sparkling a bit too much. He rose the book back up again and concentrated on what he had been reading. "What now?"
Shion tried to peer over the book. "Can we talk?"
"We're already talking."
"Yes, but would you look at me?"
"I already did look at you."
Shion sighed softly. It was no use doing this when he was in one of his moods. He drew himself back and crossed his legs, dropping his head. His grip tightened over the rusty container in his hands. A minute or two passed, although there was no way to be sure because the room lacked a clock.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Nezumi made an impatient noise and closed the book with a loud "thump". He placed it to the side and straightened up, crossing his legs and hunching forward. He tilted his head at Shion. "Make it quick."
The transition of Shion's expressions was spectacular to watch. In an instant, he went from looking like his dog had died to lighting up like the damn sun on a hot summer's day. Nezumi wanted to scold him for being so pitifully honest but he resisted. He wanted to get this over with quickly.
"Thank you, Nezumi." Shion gave him a smile.
The other tried not to roll his eyes. "You were sulking. It was annoying. Now hurry up."
Shion nodded. "Nezumi. Do you know what day is it today?"
Nezumi gave him a puzzled look. "Sunday?"
Shion laughed and scooted closer in excitement. "I meant the date... It's Valentine's day!"
"..."
Shion grinned at him. "Happy Valentine's day, Nezumi!"
"...what the hell is a Violin Times day? A day to measure time with violins?"
Shion laughed louder than necessary. "Va-len-tine's day. Don't you know what it is?"
"No idea. Why don't you enlighten me?" Nezumi propped his arms behind him and leaned slightly back as if he was getting ready to watch a show. His mouth twisted up into a sardonic smile. Hearing Shion talk and explain something was always a show to him.
"Ah! Valentine's day is... Well, in Roman history, Sir Valentine was a priest. The Emperor Claudius, the Second outlawed marriage for young men. But Valentine thought that was unfair. He started to perform marriages in secret but when he was discovered, he was put to death. In Christianity, Valentine helped the Roman prisoners-"
"Shion. As much as I enjoy hearing you prattle about religion and old civilizations... does your story have a point?"
Shion raised a finger to his lip, speaking thoughtfully. "There are plenty of legends about Valentine. But no one was sure who he was. Or maybe Safu couldn't remember clearly. But the day has been named after him. And it's a tribute to all those illegal marriages in Rome and the love-letters written to the jailor's daughter and the mating season of the birds...!"
What the hell are you talking about?
"So in other words..." Nezumi pressed on.
Shion locked his eyes with him boldly. "It's a day to celebrate love!"
"Huh?"
Shion's smile only widened. "Love, Nezumi. So this is-"
Nezumi scoffed. "Are you serious? There was actually a day to celebrate love in the Holy City?"
Shion's brow furrowed. "No. There wasn't anything like that in No. 6. There weren't any celebrations except for the Holy Day. Safu told me this story."
"That girl?"
"Mm. Her grandmother told her about it. You are supposed to exchange presents with your loved
ones today. Safu always gave me caramel candies."
"How fantastical!" Nezumi was already bored. He adjusted himself against the pillow again and reached for his book. "I'm sure you two had a blast. Caramel... Mm. My favourite."
Nezumi blinked as Shion's hand settled over the book first. He dragged it away out of reach.
Nezumi's eyes flashed. The nerve of him!
"Hey, Shion-"
But Shion had already lifted the lid of the box he was holding. Inside, were two little brown chocolates.
"Nezumi. Happy Valentine's Day."
Nezumi blinked at the chocolate, then raised his eyes to look at Shion's sincere expression. What the-
"Oi... Shion-"
"I know." Shion interrupted him quickly. "I know it's stupid and you're probably going to laugh now but... I just wanted you to have them. You can laugh later."
"I'm not laughing. I was-"
"They are really not that bad! See? Just have a taste!" Shion shook the little container. "And I only got two. One for each of us. Because... Valentine's day... It's supposed to celebrate love. But only between two people who are special. And you're very special to me. I think it's valid... to celebrate it with you. Inukashi is... Well, I like him too but he'd probably give the chocolates to the dogs. And Rikiga-san-"
"Shion."
"But i-if...!" Shion bit his lip. "If you won't take them, that would be wrong. That would be like No. 6. And you hate No. 6! Don't you, Nezumi?"
"Shion."
"And I know Safu is a girl! And we're both boys. Technically, a girl should be giving these to a boy but since we're both boys, somebody had to be the girl!"
A hand struck at his neck from the side. Pain shot through his head but it was gone as soon as it had originated. Shion felt himself hiccup.
"God, shut up for a minute. You're sweating like a pig."
Shion raised a hand to his face. He wiped his upper lip with the back of his hand. "Sorry... I didn't notice."
"I could barely understand what you were blabbering about. Safu. Dogs. Chocolates. Love. Nezumi. Nezumi. Nezumi. Do you enjoy saying it that much? My name?"
Shion wanted to nod but Nezumi had already looked away and was pressing his temple like he was having a headache.
"Sorry... I didn't know how to explain it. Should I repeat everything?"
"Spare me tonight, my Prince! I don't think I have the valor to entertain your mighty ego!" Nezumi shot him a glare. "I only wanted to know where you had got them."
"Oh... Inukashi gave them to me."
"The dog, huh? At what price?"
Shion shook his head. "For free."
Nezumi arched a brow. "Excuse me?"
"For free. He just gave them to me and told me to share them with you."
Nezumi got off the bed at once. He snatched the container from Shion before the other could realize what he was doing. "Did you eat any?"
"Eh? No... I told you, he gave me two to share-"
"Right." Nezumi grabbed at his cape and wrapped it around himself swiftly with his free hand, making his way to the door.
"Nezumi?" Shion got to his feet too, thoroughly confused. "Where are you going?"
"I'm not going anywhere. But these chocolates are going straight down that mutt's throat."
"Huh?" Shion reached out and grabbed at his wrist. "Nezumi, these are for us! Not for Inukashi!"
Nezumi pulled his arm away from his grip and turned to face him. "How dense can you be? They're obviously poisoned. He wants to kill us both."
Shion gaped at him. Nezumi would have laughed at his face if the situation had been somewhat different.
Today would the day Inukashi would be murdered.
With Nezumi's bare hands.
And he wasn't even going to sing for his soul.
The dog deserves it... giving something like this to Shion.
Shion shook his head slowly. "They aren't poisoned... Inukashi wouldn't do something like that."
"A natural, aren't you? On the contrary, this is exactly the kind of thing he would do." Nezumi turned towards the door again. But something grabbed the back of his super-fiber.
"That would be wrong... He gave them to us. We're supposed to eat them."
"How noble. I should really praise your morality some day but right now, I have some business to attend to." He reached for the doorknob.
But Shion's hand gripped it first.
Nezumi's hand settled over his.
"I won't let you leave."
"Huh?" Nezumi tilted his head back.
Shion was looking at the ground. Pure determination was etched on his face. His lips were pursed.
"I won't let you insult Inukashi like that. He was kind to me because I worked all day yesterday and I gave his brother a double bath. This is a token of his gratitude."
Nezumi gritted his teeth. "Who exactly do you think you are? How can you be this stupid? You must have been going on about this romantic bullcrap and telling him about the teeth-rotting candy you had with your girlfriend. He only took advantage of you. And I'm gonna teach him a lesson."
Nezumi turned back to open the door.
But Shion gripped the handle firmly.
"Nezumi. Please don't."
"Get out of the way, Shion."
"Nezumi-"
Shion stumbled backward. Nezumi had pushed him. The action had been so graceful that Shion had barely felt a hand thump and push against his chest. The only thing that gave it away was the hard look on Nezumi's face.
"'It's not a crime to have a cold heart and not a single shred of compassion.' Not if you want to live on."
It was odd how Shion knew exactly which part of Nezumi's dialogue was scripted and which part
he had added on his own.
"I beg your pardon, your Highness. But I must depart. For I have a dog to mutilate and chocolates to humiliate! There's no time."
Nezumi turned to the door.
And his chest collided with it.
The box of chocolates cluttered to the floor.
He felt the air leave his lungs, not because of fear. But because of surprise.
Shion had pushed him back.
"What... the hell! Shion!" Nezumi rounded up on him once more. But Shion was already on the ground, gathering up the chocolates. "What was that for?!"
"Punishment. For pushing me. And for being rude." Shion answered solemnly.
Nezumi wanted to kick at the chocolate. "Couldn't you have landed a punch? That was awkward and pathetic."
"I don't want to punch you." Shion stood up with the container. "It's Valentine's Day. I want us to eat this chocolate."
"Still at it, huh? Fine. Whatever." He stepped to the side and made his way back to the bed, taking his super-fiber off and dropping it on the chair. "Do what you want."
"Nezumi?"
"If you really want to die that bad, eat. Leave me out of it." He sat at the bed and crossed a leg over the other. "I'll be right here."
Shion grimaced. "Inukashi... He wouldn't hurt us."
"So prove it." Nezumi challenged him.
Shion dropped his head to look at the little chocolates. They were round, pint-sized and lay in the makeshift box innocently. It wasn't as if Shion was fond of sweets, but Safu used to give him candies too. Even though he knew what this day symbolized, he had never felt the need to question her motives. He had always returned her gifts with ones of his own.
It was highly important to share these chocolates with Nezumi now, though.
He couldn't exactly pin-point why.
But what if he was right? What if they really were poisoned?
No. Inukashi would never... And even if he did, I can't possibly accuse him without proof. For that, I would have to...
Shion's brows knitted together. It was wrong to think like that.
I trust you, Inukashi.
He reached for one of the chocolates and held it before his mouth.
For a moment, their eyes met. Nezumi was watching him with rapt attention.
Grey.
Grey.
Everything was grey and brilliant.
Shion slipped the chocolate into his mouth and bit down. The hardness cracked under his molars and something cocoa-like tingled his taste buds.
Chew. Chew. Chew.
It was a bit bitter than what he was used to. Stale and sticky. But he enjoyed it just the same. It couldn't compare to the candies at No. 6 at all but with the food he had been having recently, it was better than nothing. Sweet stuff was a rare commodity to come across in the West Block.
Nezumi's expressions were unreadable. He was still watching him and Shion felt a bit conscious.
Stop watching me.
Nezumi cleared his throat. "So? How is it?"
Shion gave him an irritated look. His hand clenched into a fist at his side. "It isn't poison. I'm alright."
"Obviously."
"Huh?"
"Did you really think I'd let you die and leave me all alone like that?"
Shion gulped. His mind reeled, slipping into a strange kind of panic.
Die? Leave you alone?
Nezumi knew Inukashi longer than him. Better than him. He had stronger instincts, he knew how things worked. Even then, Shion had been stubborn and refused to trust him. He had literally just tried to commit suicide all because his emotions went to his head. Had it really been poison, he would be dead by now.
No.
No.
No-
Something clicked. A sense of calm settled over his body.
Refused to trust him?
He had trusted him. Trusted him with his life. Because somehow he had known that Nezumi would never let him die. He would have pinned him, immobilized him, knocked him out if it had come to it but he wouldn't have let a poisonous chocolate touch his mouth.
Shion sank to his knees, his eyes wide with astonishment. Nezumi was smirking openly now and it did little to calm Shion down.
Cheep! Cheep!
Hamlet scurried up Nezumi's shoulder and shook his whiskers.
"Go get it." Nezumi muttered to him.
Hamlet shot off at once, running across the room and climbing up Shion's hand. He rubbed his little paws together before picking up the last chocolate from the container. His mouth opened up. Before Shion could stop him, Nezumi spoke up. "Mine."
The mouse halted and tilted his head at Nezumi, who raised a hand towards him. "That's it. Bring it here."
Hamlet shot off again. The piece of chocolate landed in the middle of his palm.
And was gone instantly.
Nezhmi licked at his fingertips.
"Not bad."
"N-Nezumi...!" Shion cried at him. "How... did you-"
"They aren't here just for show, you know." Nezumi gestured to Tsukiyo and Hamelt who had appeared at the top of the bookshelf, rubbing their paws together. "They can smell food and tell what's dangerous."
Of course... The mice. Why didn't I think of that before?
"You were... only pretending...?"
"Call it what you must. I prefer 'a first-class performance'."
"That's horrible!" Shion yelled without meaning to. "Inukashi didn't mean us any harm. And you planted that idea in my head-!"
Thud!
Shion felt his back against the door, a hand around his throat and Nezumi's eyes peering into the depths of his soul.
Like ash being reset to fire... That was the colour bare inches away from him.
"That idea should have been in your head all along. How many times do I have to say it? Trust no one. Not even me. Not with your life. Never with your life."
"Liar. You say things like that and end up saving me too. Isn't that contradictory?"
The grip on his throat tightened.
"I saved you because you're an idiot. Because you're an elite who's self-obsessed and needs to learn his place. You've got a huge brain and you refuse to use it. Don't think I won't try to teach you how to- I don't want to waste unnecessary lives. But I won't be around every time. Think you'll be able to handle it when you already rely too much on me?"
"I don't... rely too much on you..."
"Hah. Ever since we met, you've trusted me indefinitely. Believing I won't hurt you, believing I would reappear, believing I would save you, save you, save you and save you... Don't you think there's something wrong with the picture...?"
"I-I..." Shion gave a soft gasp. "It isn't like that..."
"Not like that, huh?"
The fingers on Shion's neck disappeared.
Nezumi retreated a few steps back with his head bowed. He muttered solemnly.
"One day, you'll find out how much you're depending on me. One day, you might have thoughts like 'I wish Nezumi were here.' Or you might let down your guard, believing I'll protect you. You'll suffer that day, Shion. You won't be able to move on."
You'll make me suffer too. We'll be killed right there. I wonder who'll die first. Will we both die
together? Or will I be the one to kill you? And you, me?
Shion got to his feet, feeling uncomfortable by the shift in the mood. "What are you talking about-"
"Ack-!" Nezumi croaked and grasped his own neck. He collapsed to his knees, clawing at his skin as if trying to get something out. "S-Shion."
Shion didn't move. He only watched mutely, his face going pale. His limbs were paralyzed. He couldn't even move his little finger. He only watched the very talented actor act death before him.
Nezumi rolled over on his back, sputtering, coughing, his eyes going wide, then squeezing shut. And repeat. Shion felt his eyes well up and trickle.
“Stop it.”
Too cruel. This is too cruel of a punishment.
Look at me, Shion. This is what could have happened today. This is what might happen someday. Will you be able to bear it? Will you look away? Will you run? Or will you stand there and watch me die?
Shion wanted to cover his face. The scene before him was excruciating. It surpassed any kind of pain that could be physically felt. Even as a melodrama, he was unable to tolerate it. His heart was about to give away. The reality of what Nezumi was implying seemed tremendously nonexistent and yet, so very possible.
But something stopped Shion from giving in to ignorance.
Don't turn away. Don't turn away. Don't turn away.
I can’t be ignorant. That is what No. 6 does. I’m not like the city. I’m not in the city. Not anymore.
I’m in West Block with you.
Shion dragged his feet to Nezumi's body. It appeared drained and lifeless. He sat by his head and took it carefully in his lap.
"I won't run. I won't look away. If I can't do anything, I'll be right by your side,” he declared quietly.
Nezumi's eyes fluttered open an inch. "And what comes after?"
Shion found life in grey. His hand settled over Nezumi's chest to feel his heart, beating strongly now.
And some day, it won't be.
A wave of rage crashed over him.
I'll destroy everything. If you're no more, I'll destroy it all.
Shion rested his head against his shirt. His voice was steady as he spoke. "Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty. Thou art not conquered. Beauty’s ensign yet Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks, And death’s pale flag is not advancèd there.—"
Nezumi shifted under him before starting to shake. His chest vibrated. He was trying to hold back his laugh but was unable to do so. Shion ignored him in all his seriousness.
"Ah, dear Juliet, Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe that unsubstantial death is amorous, And that the lean abhorrèd monster keeps Thee here in dark to be his paramour? For fear of that, I still will stay with thee, And never from this palace of dim night Depart again. Here, here will I remain With worms that are thy chamber maids. Oh, here Will I set up my everlasting rest, And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars From this world-wearied flesh. Eyes, look your last. Arms, take your last embrace. And, lips, O you The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss A dateless bargain to engrossing death."
It was all quiet in the room, save for two ragged breathings. The mice had all seemingly disappeared.
"...Aren't you supposed to kiss me now?"
"I don't want to."
"Why, I'm insulted. And where's the part where you take out the drug from the pharmacist and commit suicide too?"
"I forgot the next lines."
Nezumi laughed melodiously. His hand brushed at Shion's hair. "You're a pathetic Romeo."
"That's all you're getting for being a brutal Juliet."
"Sorry, sorry. Does it hurt bad?"
"Of course."
"You'll get over it. When the world can get over this tragedy, you can too. Come on, lover boy. Get up."
Shion lifted his head. A pair of lips kissed his tenderly. Shion burst red in the face.
"W-What was that for?"
"If Romeo won't kiss Juliet, I think she'd come back to life and teach him how to be a man."
"N-Nezumi-!"
"I hate unfinished plays. See it through the end and don't get so worked up. Come, I'll treat you to some Violin Times lunch."
"Va-len-tine."
"Don't fret the details, Romeo. 'What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.' Our love is eternal either way. But there are surely violent times we need to overcome."
"Is that a pun?"
"Indeed, it is. Now go apologize to Inukashi for being so judgemental."
"Nezumi-!"
"And fetch some more chocolate. I'll start the broth."
"I'm not sure we're supposed to boil chocolate-" Shion was ushered out the door. There was a bolt behind him. For a moment, he was still. Then he laughed softly.
A similar laugh echoed from inside the room.