Title: The Guardian Angel
Author: Kyoko_godaikun
Pairing: OhkuRyo
Genre: Fantasy/romance
Rating: PG
Sequel to: The Promise
Note: This story isn't so angsty! There will be a happy ending!

Summary: Uchi's now an angel, and he has a new job. He's been assigned to watch over two of his former lovers.

***************

Uchi used to be all shadows. A ghost that followed Ohkura around. He didn't like being a ghost, though he was able to talk to Ohkura at times. His former lover believed in ghosts and heavenly creatures. Ohkura had prayed for Uchi constantly those months right after the accident that had killed Uchi. That was the reason Uchi had been picked for his new job.

Uchi had been sent off for a six month course of intense training. When he was finished with his training, he was brought in front of something so magnificent it almost blinded him. Uchi was transformed from a ghost, to another heavenly creature. He was a creature that was very much alive, though he was no longer human.

With Uchi's new job came new responsibilities. He had been put in charge of not one, but two of his former lovers.

Uchi still wasn't used to being an angel. Protecting the lives of two whose souls were intertwined with his. Being a guardian angel was tough. He had to see the two men he loved with each other. He had finally found his charges in a hotel room. Their bodies curled up together.

"Please Ryo; don't tell me this was wrong." Ohkura said almost sadly.

"No, it wasn't wrong." Ryo too sounded sad.

"I'm sorry you were fired from News."

"I'm not." Ryo said truthfully. "I always hated being in News. For some reason I didn't fit in with them, though they were my friends."

"Oh I see,"

"Now I'll have more time to be with you." The smaller man kissed Ohkura gently.

"We're not going to hide us from everyone, are we?" Ohkura asked, thinking of his relationship with Uchi. Uchi didn't realize that he had caused Ohkura so much pain simply by keeping their relationship secret.

"Everyone all ready thinks we're together." Ryo pointed out. "So why should we hide?"

Ohkura was pleased with the answer, he snuggled against Ryo. Uchi was surprised when Ryo snuggled back. Uchi knew from experience that Ryo hated cuddling. But here Ryo was cuddling Ohkura, and Uchi could feel from Ryo that he liked it. It made Ryo feel wonderful inside.

*************

A few days passed. Ohkura had to have surgery on his arm. It was almost a year and a half since the accident, and he was still having complications. His body was reacting to the plate in his arm. His bone had gotten seriously infected, and there was a chance that Ohkura could loose his arm. Ohkura was terrified of having the surgery.

It was a job for Uchi. The angel soothing his former lover's brow. Trying to comfort him, though Ohkura couldn’t' see him. Ohkura had prayed to Uchi, asking his spirit to watch over Ryo. His lover was so worried for Ryo, who had sacrificed so much so that Ohkura could get his surgery.

Uchi had watched the surgery. The metal plate removed from Ohkura’s upper arm. Being a guardian angel meant that he had to stay with Ohkura, though he would have loved to skip the surgery. Uchi realized with some horror that the doctors wanted to take Ohkura's arm. It was too infected, there was even some gangrene.

Uchi had never used his new powers much. But he used them to help Ohkura. He was able to partially heal Ohkura's arm. Taking the gangrene away. Making it so that his former lover wouldn't have to loose his arm. Then making the doctor's minds change so that they too would realize that it was the wrong thing to take Ohkura's arm.

There was still a long path for Ohkura; he still might loose the arm. But at least this way, he did have a chance of saving it.

Uchi even stayed with Ohkura in recovery after surgery. His mother was at his side. Uchi wondered where Ryo was. He should be with Ohkura.

Ohkura's eyes opened. "Ryo, is that you?"

The first thing Ohkura thought of was now Ryo. For some reason, that hurt Uchi, though he knew it was eventually going to happen.

"Ryo's at rehearsal." Ohkura's mother told him. "Johnny-sama wouldn't let him off."

Rehearsal, Uchi knew that could only mean one place. He would make sure that Ryo would be at Ohkura's side.

***********

It had been a week since Ryo and Ohkura had gotten together. Ohkura was now in the hospital for the surgery that he so needed. Ryo was worried, though he didn't tell anyone. He had wanted to stay at Ohkura's side, but he had been told no, he had work to do.

It was practice, stupid practice. Why did they have practice when everyone knew Ohkura was going in for surgery? Because Johnny-sama said so.

Still, Ryo kept his ketai on vibrate. Though they were supposed to turn them off during rehearsals.

"What's wrong?" Hina asked when they had a break.

"I can't stop thinking of Tacchan." Ryo admitted.

"He'll be all right," his friend tried to reassure.

"He might not be." Ryo admitted. "His arm has been infected for so long. There's a chance of gangrene."

"You shouldn't be here!" Hina decided. "You need to be at the hospital."

"I have to stay here, for the good of the group." Ryo told him. "That's what Johnny-sama said."

Hina gestured to Maru, who came over to them.

"Mr. Unbalance, can you do something for us?" Hina asked.

"What's that?" Maru asked suspiciously.

"Fall down and get yourself hurt enough so that our rehearsal will be called off for the day?" Hina ordered.

"Why should I do that?" Maru countered. "I never fall down on purpose."

"It's all right, you don't have to." Ryo took out his ketai and looked at it, just in case he missed any messages.

"Stay here Ryo!" Hina ordered. Hina got up, he grabbed Maru. He gestured to the rest of the group who all went into the rest room.

A group meeting without Ryo. That was just what he needed. He put up his ketai. Then he picked up a tabloid. There was a photo of the new News. Kusano had been allowed to return, and the two members of BAD had joined. Ryo was glad to see the back of News. He had hated having to be in two groups. When Johnny-sama had made him pick a group to be fired from, he had picked News.

Ryo's cell phone began to vibrate. He grabbed and went into the rest room. The rest of the group stopped talking when they saw him.

Ryo answered the ketai. It was Ohkura's mother. His lover was out of surgery and was asking for him.

"I'm sorry, I can't come." Ryo told her. "I have rehearsal, and I'm not allowed to skip out."

"Is it Tacchan's mom?" Hina asked.

Ryo nodded. He was surprised when Hina grabbed the ketai from him, and the rest of the group shoved him out of the door. Shota and Subaru stood with their back to the door, not letting Ryo in.

"What's the big secret?" Ryo demanded.

"The less you know the better." Subaru snapped.

"Trust us, please." Shota said gently.

"Why should I trust you?" Ryo asked.

"For Tacchan's sake, you have to trust us." Shota smiled when Ryo nodded.

A few minutes later, the group came out of the rest room. Hina handed Ryo his ketai.

They began to rehearse again. Then it was like all hell broke loose. Ryo could almost see the angelic figure that shoved Subaru into Shota. Shota ran into Maruyama, whose fall pushed over Yoko who knocked down Hina. The group lay in a heap, all of them groaning in pain. Yoko had a nose bleed.

Staff swarmed around the group members. When they realized that the Kanjani 8 members were really injured, ambulances were called.

**************

Ohkura lay in his hospital bed. The pain killers were beginning to wear off, which meant that his arm was beginning to really hurt. But in a way that felt good. There had been a chance he would wake up and find he didn't have an arm.

"I wish Ryo was here," Ohkura told his mother for about the hundredth time.

"I called him and talked to someone named Hina-kun. He said that he'll get Ryo-kun here soon." Ohkura-san said reassuringly.

Just then Ohkura heard someone running down the hallway at break necked speed. Then the room burst open, and Ryo stood there, trying to catch his breath. Finally he said. "Hi."

"I thought you had rehearsal." Ohkura reminded him.

"We did, it's just that everyone's injured. So we were all sent home." Ryo told him.

"Everyone's injured?" Ohkura repeated. He watched his mother slip out of the room and shut the door.

"Shota, Maruyama, and Hina all have sprained ankles. They'll be off their feet for at least a week!" Ryo said almost happily.

"What about Subaru?"

"Sprained his wrist. Yoko's got a broken nose.' Ryo grinned. "Our rehearsal’s been canceled until further notice!"

"See, I told you the group would forgive you." Ohkura couldn't help but smile.

"It wasn't for me, it was for you." Ryo told him. He looked over Ohkura. "How are you doing?'

"My arm really hurts." Ohkura admitted.

"But it's still there; I mean you didn't loose it?" Ryo couldn't keep the concern out of his voice.

"No, I didn't loose it. Doctor said they caught my osteomyelitis in time."

"What's oste...anyway, what is it?"

"It's a fancy way of saying bone infection." He looked into Ryo's eyes. "If I didn't have you, I probably would have lost my arm."

"Why do you say that?"

"Doctor told me if I had waited another month, I probably would have lost it." Ohkura paused. "Thank you."

"It was nothing," Ryo stood on his tiptoes, and kissed Ohkura's lips.

"But your sacrifices..."

"I didn't want to be in News anyway." Ryo said truthfully.

******************

Being in the hospital was boring. Ohkura had to have intravenous antibiotic drips. Slowly the horrible pain went away. There was still pain. His surgery was like rebreaking his arm. It would take time to heal.

The only good thing was that Ryo was staying with him, sleeping in the spare bed.

Ohkura was being haunted again. He had felt Uchi's presence since coming to the hospital. But Uchi hadn't spoken to him.

"Uchi, I know you're here." He wasn't sure why he was talking to a ghost. "You don't have to hide from me."

Uchi suddenly materialized beside Ohkura's bed. He was beyond beautiful, handsome and wonderful at the same time. He seemed a thousand times more gorgeous then he was when he was alive. "I'm with you always."

"I know that," Ohkura told him. "Why did you stop talking to me?"

"I had trainings I had to attend. Six very long months of trainings." Uchi told him.

"How can a ghost have trainings?" Ohkura realized he must be on something.

Uchi smiled sadly. "I have a new job, one I'm not too good at."

"A new job," Ohkura repeated slowly

"I'm a guardian angel."

"Where are your wings?"

"I don't have wings," Uchi's smile was so wonderful, so radiant. "Wings are the idea of medieval European artists."

"Shouldn't you be off protecting the one that you're assigned to?" Ohkura believed his friend. Why would he lie about being an angel?

"I am," Uchi smiled. "I've been assigned to protect you and Ryo. I just started last week."

"So you saw me and Ryo?" Ohkura was suddenly embarrassed.

"It's nothing that we didn't used to do." Uchi paused. "Ryo's waking up, I have to go."

"Why can't you stay, talk to him." Ohkura paused. "He still misses you a lot."

"He can’t' see me." Uchi said. "He no longer believes in kami-sama. He only believes in one thing, you."

"Still you watch over him." Ohkura began.

"It's part of my job." Suddenly Uchi faded from view.

Ryo moved the curtain that separated them. "Who were you talking to?"

"Would you believe my guardian angel?" Ohkura asked.

"There’s no such thing as guardian angels." Ryo spat. "If there had been, you never would have been hurt in the accident."

*************************

******

Ryo went Uchi's grave. He put flowers at it. He felt bad that this was the first time he had visited his former lover's grave. But he was here because Ohkura had asked him to.

Ohkura was in the hospital recovering from surgery on his arm. Before the surgery Ohkura went to the grave yard once a week to visit Uchi’s grave.

Ryo knelt, but he couldn't pray. He no longer believed in an afterlife. Kami-sama hadn't saved Uchi's life, or prevented Ohkura having so much pain. He also hadn't taken away Ryo's confusion. Even though he loved Ohkura with all of his heart, there was still a part of him that had never stopped loving Uchi.

Subaru walked to stand beside him. He had a cast on his right wrist. Subaru glared at him. "Aren't you going to pray?"

"I'm only here because Tacchan asked me to." Ryo reached out, brushing the leaves off of Uchi's grave stone.

"It's too bad that you don't believe in anything." Subaru told him. "Praying isn't for the dead; it's really for the living. It makes them feel better. I think it would make you feel better"

"I don't believe in anything." Ryo didn't want to fight, not now.

"Well, I do. So shut up and let me pray."

"I thought you are a Unitarian Univeralist.” Ryo reminded him.

"So it's something." Subaru told him.

"Listen Subaru, I am sorry for fighting with you." Ryo finally said.

"I know, it's just how you are." Subaru smiled at him. "Why don't you wait for me, then we can go out for some coffee."

"All right," Ryo found himself smiling back.

***************

What happens when you find out that the one you love is quite insane? Ryo was beginning to wonder about Ohkura's sanity. He talked to himself a lot. But then Ryo knew Ohkura prayed, perhaps that's what he was doing praying. Ryo no longer believed in such things as kami-sama. It was a weakness.

Ryo had even dismissed seeing Uchi. He had been in Ohkura's room a couple of times when Ryo had walked in. It couldn't really be Uchi. He knew that Uchi was dead.

Because Ryo was an associate, he had a new apartment, one that was quite a come down from his old on. To save money, he was allowed to have a roommate. His roommate of choice was Ohkura.

Ryo was the one that had gotten their apartment ready. He wanted it to be perfect when Ohkura returned home. He had shoved the furniture around. He never really cared how furniture was decorated, though Ohkura did. As long as you could sit and watch the TV was enough for Ryo.

It was the first time he had lived with a lover. The only problem he had was that Ohkura had some of Uchi's things that had been left to him. He put Uchi's things in a corner, setting up something that was almost like a shrine. It would make Ohkura feel better, that was the most important thing to Ryo. For Ryo believed in only one thing, and that thing was Ohkura.

Ohkura's mother would be the one driving him to the apartment. Ryo didn't want to risk the chance of the press seeing him. He watched out the living room window for Ohkura-san's car. In the reflection from the room, he could see Uchi. He knew it must be a trick of the light. His lover was dead. He would never return.

Finally, the Ohkura-san's car pulled up. He watched Ohkura-san park, and then help her son out of the car. There was someone else beside Ohkura. That person helped with Ohkura's injured side, though Ryo couldn't tell who it was.

The person chatted to Ohkura as they went into the apartment building. But his face seemed to be a blur to Ryo.

The intercom buzzed. Ryo went to it, buzzing in Ohkura.

**********************

Uchi had been with Ryo when he waited for Ohkura's arrival home. He wanted to tell Ryo that Ohkura would really hate the way that he did the furniture. But as always, Ryo couldn't hear him.

Uchi had gone downstairs to help Ohkura when he arrived. Ohkura's mother has smiled at Uchi when he joined them. She had the gift of seeing angels.

Uchi worried about Ryo. There was so much pain and anger in his friend's heart. That was one of the tasks that Uchi had been assigned. To help Ryo to get the pain out of his heart. But it wouldn't be easy. Ryo had such a hard life. He had been sent to boarding school when he was only in kindergarten. Then given to the agency when he was so young. If the agency hadn't been there, Ryo would have been shipped off to some type of military school.

Uchi only had found out about Ryo's tie to another member in the group when he had been assigned as Ryo's guardian angel. Uchi realized he should have known all along. The pair was too much alike. Both with a sharp temper.

"Where's you key?" Ohkura-san asked her son once they got to the apartment.

"Ryo-Chan hasn't given me one yet." Ohkura told her.

"Why wouldn't he?" She looked at Uchi. "Was he this way when you were with him?"

"Ryo's a bit forgetful." Uchi said apologetically.

Ohkura-san reached out, ringing the doorbell. A few moments passed and Ryo opened the door.

"Ohkura-san, Tacchan, come in." Ryo smiled a fake smile.

They came in, Uchi following them. Ryo hadn't said anything to him, but that was to be expected, he couldn't see him.

Ryo helped Ohkura sit down on the couch. He was treating his lover like porcelain. He grabbed pillows putting them behind Ohkura's back and under his arm.

"Have your parents seen your new apartment Ryo?" Ohkura-san asked Ryo.

"No, they haven't." Ryo decided to change the subject. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"They will come over soon. Won’t they?" She ignored Ryo's question.

"My parents have their own lives." He tried to make it sound like it didn't matter to him. Though Uchi knew that it did.

"You're their son," She reminded Ryo.

"So?"

"You should call them," She suggested gently. "I bet they miss you."

"I told you, they have their own life!" Ryo stormed out of the room and slammed the bedroom door.

"I don't understand." Ohkura-san said confused.

"It's a long story about Ryo's parents." Ohkura began.

"Before Ryo was born, his mother had an affair. Ryo was the result." Uchi tried to explain. "He was a much unloved child. His parents shipped him off to Johnny's as soon as he was old enough."

"I should go and apologize to him." She stood up.

"No! That would be the worst thing. Let me handle it." Uchi told her.

Uchi went into the bedroom. Ryo was sitting on the bed, sulking. Uchi knew that being rejected by his parents had really hurt Ryo to the core. He had been the one blamed for the affair. He had been the black sheep almost since birth.

**************

Ryo was tired of people trying to help him. Trying to make him contact his parents. Telling him that everything would be all right if only he talked to them.

What did they know?

Everyone else had parents that loved them. Parents that wanted them. It hadn't been until he joined Kanjani 8 that he had been told that all fathers didn't touch their sons that way. That it wasn't okay for him to let Johnny-sama touch him that way.

He wanted to look like his parents. He wanted the green eyes and freckles that his siblings had. The red hair of his older brother. But he wasn't anything like them. He was shorter then his brothers and sister. They had all been tall, like the man he had known as father. The man who had changed his name when he had taken Japanese citizenship. A man who was white. A man who had always hated Ryo.

Ryo had a photo of his real father, and his name. He didn't want to impose on his real father, who didn't know he existed. The man had another family. Other children that he knew about. Ryo knew about his brother, but his brother didn't know about him. Would it have made a difference? Would his brother have treated him like a real brother? But Ryo knew if it had gotten out, that they wouldn't have been placed in the same group.

He had wished all this time for a mother as nice as Ohkura-san. A mother who really cared for him the way that Ohkura-san cared for Tacchan. A mother who would love him for him, and not hate him for the sins she had committed.

Uchi's mother had been like a second mother to him. But with Uchi being gone, he didn't want to impose on her. His presence only reminded her of her loss. So because he loved her, he stayed away.

Ryo closed his eyes. "I'm sorry Hiroki, I'm so sorry. I do love your mother. But I'm not really her son. But I used to love it when we went to her house."

Ryo's eyes popped open. He realized he had been praying to Uchi. But somewhere inside of him he believed in his friend. Uchi had never lied to him. Uchi had been not only a lover but a friend.

It was silly for him to want a mother. To want to be loved and held. He was an adult now. He shouldn’t still have those childish wishes.

"You now have that mother in Ohkura-san," A voice inside his head told him.

"Why am I hearing voices?" He asked the voice.

"Just go to her." The voice so soft, so gentle. It sounded like Uchi.

When Ryo wouldn't move, he felt hands on him, pushing him into the living room. Ohkura was chatting to his mother as she mixed something in the kitchen.

"Now say something!" The voice ordered.

Ohkura's mother looked up to them, she smiled. "Feeling any better?"

"Sorry I was being rude." Ryo told her.

"My mother's making blueberry muffins." Ohkura told Ryo with a smile.

"How did you know those were my favorite?" Ryo asked. "Did you tell her Tacchan?"

"No, and angel told me." She told him. "You know everyone has a guardian angel."

"Tacchan keeps telling me that." Ryo sighed.

***************

Ohkura realized he was going to have a hard time that night. They only had one bed, a full. Still, Ryo hovered over Ohkura. His lover made him feel so special.

"What do you think we should do?" Ohkura asked.

"Make it so that you can be comfortable." Ryo said with a shrug.

"It's all right. I can live with it." he lied. He wasn't sure if he could live with the pain.

Ryo looked at him skeptically, but didn't say anything. "Come lay down."

Ohkura crawled onto the bed. He lay down, holding onto his arm. Ryo put a pillow under his head, then two under his bad arm. Ohkura had to bite his lip, it still hurt.

"Get back up." Ryo ordered.

Ryo went to the closet, he got more pillows. He worked hard to make the bed comfortable for his lover.

Ohkura got back onto the bed, it was very comfortable. "Thank you."

"How does it feel?" he asked.

"Wonderful." Ohkura couldn't help but smile.

Ryo grabbed the extra blanket and lay down on the floor without even a pillow.

"Ryo-Chan, use one of my pillows." Ohkura offered.

"That's okay; the blanket's enough for me." Ryo lied. "I'm so tired I could sleep on a stone floor."

"The other side of the bed is free." He reminded him.

"The floor is fine." Ryo snapped.

"Ryo."

"I could roll onto your arm." Ryo confessed. "It's much better if I sleep on the floor."

Ohkura reached out with his good hand. He could feel the top of Ryo's head. He stroked his friend's hair.

Ryo took his hand in his. Then he felt Ryo brush his lips against his fingers.

"Sleep," Ryo said softly. "I'll be here if you need me."

"Good night Ryo-Chan,"

A few moments passed, and then Ohkura felt Ryo stroke his hair. He realized his friend was kneeling beside the bed. Then Ryo's lips kissed his. Ohkura opened his mouth to the kiss, and he felt Ryo's tongue gently love him. Then his pulled away from Ohkura. His lips touched Ohkura's' ear. "Good night my love."

"I'll see you in the morning." Another kiss.

************

Ryo was the first to get up. There was a pot of coffee all ready made. He was surprised. He hadn't had the time to unpack Ohkura's coffee pot. But now it was unpacked, with fresh hot coffee in it. He realized that Ohkura must have gotten up during the night.

He poured himself a cup of coffee and took a sip. It was dark, strong the way that Ohkura liked coffee. But it was fresh.

He took out a blue berry muffin from the container. Ohkura's mother was a master at making them. There seemed so much love in them. He had thought she was strange for making three dozen the night before, but he had all ready had five.

Ryo could see Uchi out of the corner of his eye. He realized that it wasn't Ohkura who had been going crazy, it was him.

He went into the living room. The first thing that he realized was someone had rearranged the living room's furniture. It was more like the way that Ohkura's living room had been in his old apartment. Ryo had to admit that it did look better. But how could have Ohkura move the furniture with a bad arm?

There was a photo on the wall that hadn't been there before. A photo of Uchi, Ryo and Ohkura. Perhaps Ohkura had put it there. Ryo wanted to take the photo down. It had Uchi in it, and his memories of his friend still hurt.

Ryo felt something touch his shoulder, very feather soft. Then a voice. "Leave the photo, Tacchan wants it up."

Ryo spun around, looking for the person, but there was no one there. Perhaps he really was going crazy.

Ryo opened the living room curtains. It was raining outside. Ryo pulled up a chair, grabbed some more muffins. Then he sat down in the chair and looked out to the rain. He always loved watching the rain. He began to drink his coffee.

Ryo realized he was going insane, and seeing things. But if that thing could make a cup of coffee this good, he didn't mind.

*********************

****

Time passed for Ryo and Ohkura. The rest of the group had healed from their injuries, so Ryo had to return to work. The first thing he had done with the group was to go a hospital laboratory. As part of a TV show, the group had been given a DNA test. It was to show just how simple a test was. The test was just a little swab in the mouth. The doctors then pointed out many interesting things about DNA. Ryo pretended to be interested, though most of it went over his head.

During the break in filming, Ryo was able to call Tacchan. His lover was doing well, but Ryo hated having to be away from him.

The only thing that existed during the call to Ryo was Ohkura. Ryo didn’t realize someone else was talking to him until Subaru touched him on the shoulder.

"There's a doctor who needs to talk to us." Subaru said. "He said it was private."

Ryo followed Subaru to the doctor's office. They each sat in a chair in front of the doctor's desk. The door was closed to ensure their privacy.

"Why do you need to see us together?" Subaru asked the doctor.

"We gave you both a Y-DNA test, and you have the same STR marker, the same SNP marker and the same DYS marker." The doctor tried to explain.

"Does that mean we're both sick?" Subaru asked.

"No, both of you are healthy." The doctor said. "I just thought I should tell you and then we can go on from there."

"We didn't understand what you are saying." Ryo told him. "What's wrong with us?"

"There is nothing wrong. The test means that you share common ancestor on your father's side."

"Nishikido-kun's father is Irish." Subaru told the Doctor. "How can we share an ancestor?"

"Nishikido-kun's father isn't Irish." The doctor corrected.

"He is! I've met him." Subaru began.

"My biological father is Japanese." Ryo admitted. "My mother had an affair, and I'm the result."

"All right, so we're distant cousins." Subaru guessed. "That won't stop us being friends."

"It's a little bit more then distant cousins." The doctor began.

"First cousins then,"

"Is your whole group this dense?" The doctor sighed.

"Dense?" Subaru repeated.

"It might not be common knowledge that the two of you are brothers, but you did know it would come out in a DNA test?" The doctor asked.

"We're not brothers!" Subaru said firmly. "I would have known if my mother had another baby!"

"Half brothers." The doctor corrected. "You share the same father. You're DNA on your x chromosomes come from different mothers."

"Do you have to tell anyone this news?" Ryo asked.

"No, of course not." The doctor said quickly. "But that's why I asked you to come here, to ask if you wanted us to say what we found when we film the show."

"Of course I don't want anyone to know!" Ryo spat. "I don't know why you had to tell Subaru!"

"You knew and didnt' tell me?" Subaru realized.

"What did it really matter?" Ryo asked. "Tell me Baru, did you really want me to be your brother?" When Subaru didn't answer, Ryo smiled sadly. "You see, it was better for you not to know."

Just then, the door opened. A staff member came in, telling them that it was time for them to get back to work.

***************

Subaru wasn't exactly happy with Ryo, but knowing Ryo the guy probably had a very good reason not to tell Subaru. Subaru stayed behind, talking to the doctor. Making sure his test results weren't wrong. But the doctor said they were 99.9 percent accurate.

How on earth could Ryo be Subaru's brother? Then he remembered, when they first met, Ryo said that his mother used to work in grocery store. Subaru's father at the time was the manager of the same grocery store. They had thought it meant that it was a small world, that Osaka really wasn't that big.

Subaru could remember his parents fighting about an affair that his father had. They had almost gotten divorced, because of the fact that there had been a child born from the affair. Before the divorice papers had been filed, Subaru's mother had found out she was pregnant with Subaru's little brother. So his parents had stayed together, and the child of the affair had been forgotton.

Subaru realized that Ryo must have been the product of the affair. Not only that, Ryo had known all the time that Subaru was his brother. But why couldn't Ryo tell him? Subaru had always thought of Ryo as another little brother. He was angry with Ryo, not for being his brother, but for not trusting him enough to tell him the truth.

If only Subaru would have known, he could have been a good brother to Ryo. He could have showed him that at least one member of his family wanted something to do with him.

************

"Why did he have to find out?" Ryo prayed. "Why couldn't I just be his friend? Now he'll be like the rest of my family. He'll hate me."

Uchi was really, really worried about Ryo. His friend sat in his bedroom, just staring at the wall. Trying as hard as he could to keep his emotions in. He could finally feel what was wrong with Ryo. Deep down inside of Ryo was a deep seated hatred of himself. Hatred brought about by not even one member of his family telling him that they loved him.

Ryo was praying. For the first time in a very long time he was praying to his higher power. A bit of him was beginning to believe in something.

So how on earth could Uchi help him? He needed to get Subaru to talk to Ryo.

Uchi closed his eyes and concentrated. He could see Subaru at his apartment. He too wanted to be alone. But this wasn't because he was upset that Ryo was his brother, no he was upset that Ryo hadn't told him.

It was easy to get to Subaru's place. That was one good thing about being an angel. He could get to places in a flash.

"Oh it's you," Subaru looked at Uchi. "I was wondering when you would come around."

Uchi couldn't believe his ears. "You can see me."

"Well duh, yeah I can see you." Subaru told him. "You've been spending quite a bit of time lately hanging around Tacchan and Ryo."

"I'm their guardian angel." Uchi tried to explain.

"So did Ryo send you over here?"

"Ryo can't see me." Uchi admitted. "No I lie. He can see me and hear me sometimes, but he thinks he's going crazy."

"Is he going crazy?"

"No,"

"You want to sit down?" Subaru offered.

Uchi sat down. Being an angel meant that he could stand all day and not tire, but it was good to sit sometimes. Subaru got a coke out of the refrigerator and gave it to Uchi. He opened it and began to drink. Angels didn't have to eat or drink, but it was nice getting to drink a coke.

"So why are you here?" Subaru asked.

'I was checking to see if Ryo was right and you do hate him." Uchi said truthfully.

"Why on earth would I hate him?" Subaru asked. "He's my brother."

"Well that's why he thinks you hate him."

"That makes no sense Hiroki."

"Of course it makes no sense." Uchi told him. "But this is Ryo we're dealing with. Every member of his family hates him."

"What about his mother?" Subaru pointed out. "All mothers love their children."

"She's the one that hates him the most. She’s always blamed him for being born." Uchi said. "She's passed the hatred to the rest of his family."

"What if I told him I accepted him, that I told him that I am glad he's my brother?" Subaru thought out loud.

"It might help, if it's the truth."

"It is the truth." Subaru snapped. "He's always been like a little brother to me."

*************

Ryo wanted to be alone. His lover was nice enough to give him that time. Ryo was sitting in the closet, the way he had when he was young. He would hide in the closet, away from the hatred of his family and the outside world. Now he was trying to hide from the truth.

The secret was out. Ryo was nothing but a bastard. A side effect of an affair. He had never wanted Subaru to know. He didn't mind just being friends with his brother. Being friends with him was better then nothing.

Ryo could hear tapping at his bedroom door. Then someone opens it. He curled up more in the corner.

"Leave me alone," Ryo ordered.

He was a bit perturbed when Subaru instead shut the bedroom door and went to him, sitting on the carpet beside him.

"We had some good news today," Subaru said almost cheerfully.

"How can it be good news?" Ryo asked.

"I want to tell you the truth; I was upset when I heard the news." Subaru began.

"Of course you were upset!" Ryo snapped. "Who would want a brother like me?"

"I would," Subaru moved closer to him. "I knew my father had another child out there. I used to dream of that brother. But I never thought I would have a brother as great as you."

"You're kidding."

"I always wanted a brother like you." Subaru continued. "I wanted someone who was like me. Who had interests like mine. You’re more like me then my full blood brothers."

"We fight a lot." Ryo pointed out. "I get tired of our fighting."

"Real brothers do fight." Subaru reached out, moving a piece of hair out of his face. "But fighting is a way of loving the other."

"That makes no sense."

"Even friends or brothers can fight." Subaru smiled. "When someone's both your friend and brother then it would be strange if we didn't fight."

"Really?" Ryo couldn't believe his ears.

"I am so glad you're my brother." Subaru's smile grew wider. "I love you Ryo-Chan."

It became too much for Ryo. He finally had one of his deepest desires. A brother who actually loved him and hadn't shoved him away. He had always wanted this from Subaru, and now he had it. Ryo began to cry, and Subaru took him into his arms.

Uchi who was standing in the corner decided to let the two brothers have some privacy. He walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

The first part of Uchi's task was complete. Now all he had to do was work on the next part. One more step in having Ryo become just a little more human.

******************

Ryo felt good about himself. He went into the living room with Subaru right behind him. He was planning on telling Ohkura the good news. That he finally had a family member who loved him.

Ryo couldn't believe what he saw, but he knew his eyes weren't lying. Ohkura, the man he loved more then anything was on the living room couch. He was being held by someone who looked familiar to him, someone who was dead. He felt revulsion well up in his stomach. Ohkura was cheating on him, with a look a like?

The Uchi alike pulled away from Ohkura. Gently the look alike wiped tears from Ohkura’s cheek. For the first time Ohkura realized that Ryo was watching him. He smiled at Ryo.

Ryo lost all of his remaining self-control. How could Ohkura be smiling when he was betraying him? He had trusted Ohkura, and now he knew that his lover was like all the rest.

Ryo stomped over to him and slapped Ohkura hard across the face. "After everything we've been together, you cheat on me."

"I'm not cheating on you." Ohkura’s hand went to his cheek.

"It's over! Do you understand me over!" Ryo screamed.

"Uchi's just trying to comfort me." Ohkura tried to reason.

"Uchi's dead! How dare you sleep with a look a like!" Ryo went to the door. "I can’t stand a lover who cheats on me!"

“Please Ryo don’t leave me.” Ohkura begged. “I love you more then anything.”

“Tell that to your look alike!” Ryo screamed. “I’m never coming back!”

With that, Ryo left Ohkura. He stood against the wall of the hallway, tears of frustration poured down his cheeks. It was over, after everything they had gone through, his life with Ohkura had been a lie.

The door to the apartment opened and Subaru too left the apartment. He glared at his brother. "We need to talk."

"There is nothing to talk about." Ryo dismissed. "I left Tacchan."

"Go back there and talk to him!" Subaru ordered.

"I'm never going back." Ryo vowed.

"You're a self centered jerk!" Subaru punched Ryo hard in the face.

Ryo looked up to his brother. There was hatred written across his face. Even this had been a lie. His brother was like the rest of his family. It was becoming too much like his traumatic past. He did what he had done many times in the past. Ryo got up and ran away from both Ohkura and his newly found brother

*************

Ohkura was worried seriously worried about his lover. Ryo had come storming into their shared apartment, snapping that he wanted to be left alone. He went into the bedroom and didn't come out. The Subaru arrived three hours later, just to talk to Ryo.

Ryo was in their shared bedroom with Subaru. Ohkura was a bit afraid that the pair would begin to fight again. They had been doing a lot of that since the accident. In fact, Ohkura didnt' know why Subaru would want talk to Ryo.

Uchi had smiled at Ohkura and told him not to worry. Since he was the angel, he would go in and make sure that Ryo didn't kill Subaru.

Ohkura had his own secret, since the last surgery he had begun to have memories. Memories that made him realize that most of his life was a lie. His father didn't use to be just an owner of a bookshop. He had been a beautiful, magnificent creature. His father was a guardian angel who had a forbidden love. When it was found Ohkura’s father was ordered back to heaven, and to bring his son.

Ohkura now knew about his father's sacrifice. He gave up being an angel to save the life of his son, and to be with the woman he loved. Ohkura's memories had been erased. He wouldn't remember his real life until he was an adult.

Ohkura looked up when Uchi came into the living room. His arm had healed enough that he was able to use a sling instead of leaving it propped up all the time. "Well, how did it go?"

"It's going to be all right," Uchi reassured.

"Their not in there killing each other are they?" Ohkura asked concerned.

"Their talking to each other." Uchi sat down on the chair near the couch that Ohkura was sitting on. "Ryo's finally beginning to change." Uchi admitted. "I didn't tell you, but I caught him praying earlier today."

"Praying?" Ohkura smiled. "Ryo was praying? But he doesn't believe in anything."

"Ryo's beginning to believe in his higher power again." Uchi smiled. "I think having a family member who actually loves him will help him."

"But when Ryo is totally healed, you'll go away won't you?" Ohkura said almost sadly.

"Angels have a lot of work to do." Uchi pointed out.

"You'll make me forget the fact that you're my angel." Ohkura reminded him.

"Why told you that?"

"It’s a rule isn't it?" Ohkura asked softly. "It's part of the rules that Angels must follow."

"How did you know about the angels rules?' Uchi asked suspiciously.

"You weren't told were you?" Ohkura asked softly. ""But I guess they wouldn't tell you. I was supposed to have forgotten. But the accident made me remember, and my mother confirmed my memories."

"Told me what?"

"My father was my mother's guardian angel. But they fell in love." Ohkura said softly. "To stay with my mother he gave up being an angel. But not before I was born."

"I all ready knew." Uchi admitted. "That's why I haven't told you the complete truth."

"The complete truth?" Ohkura asked confused.

"I'm not really your angel, I'm Ryo's." Uchi said. "A half angel in human form doesn't really need a guardian angel does he?"

"What could I do to make it so that Ryo can remember his childhood?" Ohkura asked. "I think if he could remember the things he blocked in his mind that it might change him for the better."

"You can't be sure about that."

"I am." Ohkura said firmly. "He sacrificed for me. It's now time for me to sacrifice for him."

"What do you mean?"

"I want to sacrifice my angel side to let Ryo remember everything." Ohkura decided. "To let Ryo finally be well. Ryo deserves to have a heart that can love itself. All the pain and anger that Ryo keeps inside him can't be good for him."

"You can't be serious!" Uchi gasped.

"I am! I love Ryo so much that I don't mind being a normal human." Ohkura began to cry.

"Tacchan, are you sure?" Uchi asked. "Kami-sama might decide that you need to stay in heaven."

"I love Ryo so much that I'd give up my life for him." Ohkura's tears wouldn't stop. "I would wait for him in heaven. I would never stop loving him."

Uchi couldn't help it. He went to Ohkura, taking him into his arms. He held onto his former lover, who was risking everything to give Ryo happiness.

That was when Uchi realized that Ryo was watching the pair. A mixture of disbelief and pain on his face.

Uchi pulled away from Ohkura. His friend wiping his face. For the first time Uchi realized that Ryo could see him.

Ryo went to Ohkura slapping hard across the face. "After everything we've been together, you cheat on me."

"I'm not cheating on you." Ohkura’s hand went to his cheek.

"It's over! Do you understand me over!" Ryo screamed.

"Uchi's just trying to comfort me." Ohkura tried to reason.

"Uchi's dead! How dare you sleep with a look a like!" Ryo went to the door. "I can’t stand a lover who cheats on me!"

“Please Ryo don’t leave me.” Ohkura begged. “I love you more then anything.”

“Tell that to your look alike!” Ryo screamed. “I’m never coming back!”

Uchi watched horrified as Ryo left for the final time. Ohkura began to sob. Subaru looked apologetic, but ran after his brother.

*********************

Ryo stormed to the car park. All Ryo wanted to do was get away from this place. He had to have space, so that he could regain his composure. He had lost it. He didn't want to be like this. He wanted to have no emotions. He wanted to be like the Vulcan’s he had watched on Star Trek.

Ryo went to his car, and then felt for his keys. He didn't have his keys in his pocket, or his ketai. He felt for his wallet. That was when he realized he had forgotten that too. Ryo started looking around for a coat hanger or a wire. Perhaps he could break into his car. Finally he found a metal meter stick and began to try and get into the car with that.

"Where are you going?" Subaru pushed Ryo away from his car.

"I'm trying to get out of here." Ryo shoved him back.

"You're going to stay!" Subaru hit Ryo very hard in the face. "I'm sick and tired of you acting like a brat!"

Ryo stopped what he was doing, he reached up touching his nose, and it was bleeding. "Why the hell did you hit me?"

Subaru took out a tissue, he gave it to Ryo. "Put this on your nose. You have a nosebleed."

"What do you care?" Ryo snapped.

"I'm your brother. That's why I care." Subaru said very gently, tending to his wounds as if he hadn't been the one that hit him.

"But Tacchan was cheating on me!" Ryo couldn't keep the pain out of his voice. "I thought I had finally become his only one, and I find him in the arms of a look alike."

"How did you know it was a look alike?" Subaru countered.

"Because Uchi's dead." Ryo couldn't believe he was having this conversation.

Just then the look alike suddenly appeared. That was another thing; Ryo knew he was going insane. Now he saw people materializing in front of him.

"Oh god, it's you!" Ryo rolled his eyes. "What porno did Ohkura find you in?"

"I'm not a look alike, I'm Hiroki." For the first time, Ryo realized that this look alike was more then beautiful, more then handsome. He radiated with goodness. It was almost as if it was Uchi as an angel.

"I'm your guardian angel." The look alike told him.

"I don't believe in angels!" Ryo thundered.

"You believe in Tacchan, and he's half angel!" the look alike countered.

"I don't believe this!"

"His father was an angel until he gave it up to be with Tacchan's mother." The look alike explained.

"This is crazy," Ryo said. "You're just a look alike whose been paid to sleep with Ohkura."

"I would never sleep with Tacchan, he has you." He pointed out.

"He no longer has me." Ryo told him. "I've left him forever!"

"Is there anyway you can make him listen?" Subaru sighed.

"Leave us alone, go back to the apartment, and tend to Tacchan." the look alike ordered.

'I need to be with my brother." Subaru began.

"Please, Tacchan wants to do something crazy. You have to be there to stop him!" he insisted.

"All right, but take my ketai." Subaru handed the look alike his ketai then left.

"How what can I do to make you believe I'm an angel?" the look alike asked.

"Show me something in my childhood that no one else would know." Ryo paused. "Show me something that happened on my sixth birthday."

"You don't really want me to do that."

"If you don't, I'll never believe you." Ryo spat.

Uchi put his hand on Ryo's head. He closed his eyes. Then Ryo could see it. A six year old little boy, one that was so tiny that everyone thought he was much younger. He had spent the past year at a boarding school. He missed his family. His family had been too busy to even wish the child happy birthday.

Ryo was searching for his best friend. He went to the small quarters of the House parents. The mother had Star Trek on TV. Ryo wished that he could be like Mr. Spock and have no emotions. That way he couldn't hurt anymore.

The house mother had Ryo wait in the living room; her son would be home soon.

"Why aren't you going home for your birthday?" the house mother asked Ryo.

"My parents are busy." Ryo told her. He didn't want to tell her that his parents didn't care if he had a birthday.

"Why would they send you to boarding school in Osaka, when they live here?" She asked.

"I don't know." Ryo looked at the TV.

Just then the young son of the house mother ran into the room. Even though he was seven months younger, he was taller then the small Ryo. He was one of Ryo's few friends.

"Ryo-Chan, I've been looking for you everywhere." The little boy told him.

"I've been looking for you too!" Ryo told his friend. The sadness left Ryo. He might not have a family who loved him, but he had a best friend.

"It's your birthday! Mama said she would make you some of her blue berry muffins." The child gushed.

"Those are my favorite!" Ryo couldn't help but smile.

"Your first friend" The voice of Uchi said in his mind. "A friend that was with you until you were sent to Johnny's. But yet you don’t' remember his face."

"It hurts to remember," Ryo admitted. "His mother was like another mother to me. He was my first friend; he promised he would be with me forever. It hurt so much when I was sent away from him. So I tried to force myself to forget. It was easier that way."

"Years later, your friend followed you to the juniors. It hurt him badly when you looked at him and you didn't recognize his face." Uchi said. "You need to see the one you were destined to be with."

"All right, show me." Ryo gave in.

For the first time, since joining the Johnny's Ryo remembered the face. The face that he had blocked out of his memory. The slender beautiful boy who had given unconditional friendship. He could see the boy's face for the first time. The smile so familiar to him. The face he loved more then his life.

"Tacchan would never cheat on you." Uchi told him. 'You are Tacchan's world."

******

The look alike's ketai began to ring. He talked for a moment with the person. Then he turned to Ryo. "Something really bad has happened to Tacchan. You have to come with me."

"I don't care what happened to Tacchan." Ryo lied. "What we had is over."

"Subaru told me that he's dying." The look alike told him. "Do you really hate him so much that you won't be there when he dies? Don't you remember your promise?"

Ryo realized that the look alike was right. He had to be there for Ohkura. He had made Uchi a promise. "All right, let's go."

Ryo was expecting to run to the apartment, but the look alike grabbed him holding him very close. By the time Ryo got away from him they were back in his apartment.

Ohkura was on the floor, his face so very pale. He was barely breathing.

The look alike checked Ohkura, and for the first time Ryo realized it was really Uchi. . "What happened Tacchan?"

"I prayed that I wanted to sacrifice myself, for Ryo." Tacchan said weakly. "I found myself in this place. It was so bright. A voice asked me if I really wanted to make my choice. I said I did. I would die to make my beloved Ryo sane. To take the pain from his heart. To make him be like he was when we were children."

"Ryo rejected you." Uchi reminded him.

"My love for him will always be there." Ohkura paused. "It hurts. I didn't know death would hurt so much."

Ryo didn't care what anyone thought, he went to Ohkura's side. Ryo knelt by Tacchan. He took Ohkura into his arms. "Please Tacchan, don't die."

"I have to." Ryo could barely hear Ohkura's voice. "For you my love. Your heart has to heal. Trust me."

"I do trust you." Ryo told him. "It will be different. Don't leave me!"

Ohkura's eyes flickered shut. Ryo realized that Ohkura had stopped breathing. But he couldn't let go of his lover. Ryo began to sob for what he lost. Not only his lover, but his first ever friend. Ryo began to pray, desperately to pray for Ohkura. But he knew that his prayers wouldn’t work. His wonderful Tacchan was gone forever. Ryo vowed he would never love again.

***************

********

Was this death? Ohkura wondered. The first thing he felt was the cold floor on his face. But the rest of him felt warm, alive.

He opened his eyes, but he couldn't see anything this place that he was at, it wasn't like the other place he had gone when he had seen Kami-sama. It wasn't bright or shiny. It was a floor, and something had been put on top of him, a blanket perhaps.

Ohkura reached up with his right hand and began to take the blanket off of him. He felt gentle hands helping him off with the blanket. His eyes centered on the face of Uchi.

"I don't understand, I thought I died." Ohkura said.

"You’re right, you did die." Uchi told him.

"Why does the afterlife suddenly look like my bedroom?" He asked. “I thought it would be something wonderful, fantastic. My father told me how beautiful heaven is. It doesn’t look like this.”

You're not in heaven." Uchi smiled. "You’re in your bedroom."

"I don't understand." Ohkura asked. "I died. I felt myself die."

"You died." Uchi insisted to the confused Ohkura.

"Oh great, I'm a ghost." Ohkura sighed. "I don't want to have to haunt this place for the rest of my life."

"Tacchan, you're not dead!" Uchi interrupted.

"I am too dead! Kami sama said I was going to die." Ohkura insisted. “You just said I died!”

"Your half angel body had to die. That was your sacrifice." Uchi smiled. "But you've been rewarded with a body that is totally human. In a way, it's like you’re reborn."

"I'm human," he reached up, touching his face. "It happened, just like it did to my father."

"This means that the next accident you are in, you’ll probably die. Your angel half is what saved you." Uchi tried to explain. "But now you're reborn."

"Does Ryo know?"

"No, Ryo has no idea this has happened to you." Uchi smiled at him. "How do you think I could explain it to him?"

"I want to see him!" Ohkura decided. He tried to get up but was pushed back by Uchi.

"You need to rest; being reborn can take a lot out of you." Uchi ordered.

"Ryo needs me now." Ohkura said softly.

"In a minute. You need to get used to your new body first."

"My new body." That's when Ohkura realized he could see out of both eyes. He put a hand over his right eye, and everything still looked all right. "Hiroki, I can see with my left eye."

"Of course you can." Uchi smiled. “Why wouldn’t you be able to see out of your eye?”

"I don't have my left eye." Ohkura reminded him.

"It was missing in your other body. You have a new body now." Uchi reminded him.

"A new body, you mean my arm?" He looked down to his injured arm, the one that was covered in scars. The one that he couldn't even straighten. It was fresh, new. The skin never having been cut.

"Happy birthday Tacchan."

"Birthday," Ohkura repeated.

'Today's your new birthday. The one that celebrates your new human body." Uchi got to his feet. He held his hand out. "Ryo's waiting for you."

************

Ryo was tired of crying. But he couldn’t stop the tears that took over everything. He had really loved Ohkura, and even though they had a fight, he wanted to spend his life with him. But now he couldn’t because Ohkura was dead.

Ryo tried and tried to become a Vulcan, to make his pain go away. To throw up his hard shell, the one that would protect his heart from pain. Once it was formed it would no longer matter to him that Ohkura was the second man he loved that died.

Ryo realized that his exterior wouldn't form. That no matter what he did, he couldn't stop the pain, the anguish of loosing his lover. "Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't end it all today."

"Would Tacchan want you to die?" Subaru asked sensibly.

"Of course he doesn’t want me to die. I just want to be with him in heaven." Ryo confessed. He felt himself changing. Inside his heart seemed to mend. No longer was there the anger and self hatred. He wanted to be in heaven not for himself, but for Tacchan. His lover needed him.

"What about be with him on earth?" Subaru suggested.

Ryo could hear the bedroom door open. He sighed. "I wish I could."

"Look," Subaru said gently.

Ryo looked, Ohkura was standing at the door, and he looked a bit shaky. But his arm was no longer hurt. His eye centered on Ryo. "Are you all right?"

"Me? What about you?" Ryo couldn't believe he was talking to someone he just saw die.

"I feel a lot better." Ohkura smiled shyly.

Uchi came into view. I don't believe this, you two are just talking! Why aren't you hugging each other?"

"Tacchan died." Ryo pointed out. "I don't hug ghosts."

"The half angel Tacchan had to die." Uchi tried to explain. "It was the only way that the fully human Tacchan could be created."

"The half angel Tacchan?" Ryo echoed.

"My father was an angel, until he sacrificed it for my family." Ohkura smiled a bit. "That made me half angel, until I sacrificed it for you.”

"You're alive?" Ryo got up, he moved closer to Ohkura. He still couldn’t believe it. His lover had died in his arms, but he was standing in front of him.

"Yes, I'm alive." Ohkura smiled at him, his beautiful wonderful smile.

Ryo ran to Ohkura, he swept him up in a big hug. For the first time since the surgery, Ohkura put his arms around him tightly.

"You shouldn’t have done this." Ryo said concerned. "You could give up eternal life."

'That doesn't matter as long as you’re healed." Ohkura said firmly.

"Healed? I wasn't injured."

"Your heart Ryo-Chan." Ohkura pulled away from him, looking into Ryo's eyes. "Tell me, is there still pain there?"

"No," Ryo realized. "All I have is happiness."

***************

Uchi watched the pair. His mission was complete. But he had been told that this was a special case. These two would always need their angel. He crept out of the apartment with Subaru.

"Think you can trust those two together?" Subaru took a cigarette out and lit it.

"They need some time alone." Uchi told him.

“Can I ask you something?” They stopped in the hallway.

“Sure, you can ask me anything.” Uchi told him.

"Does it make you jealous that those two are lovers?" Subaru tilted his head. “After all you used to be with both of them.”

"No, not really." Uchi said. "They were made to be together."

"But what about you?" Subaru took a long drag.

"Being an angel is busy work." Uchi smiled. "Honestly, I no longer have feelings for them."

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Hang around," Uchi's smile grew wider. "I have been assigned to be their full time guardian angel."

"Well, that's good." Subaru took another puff.

Uchi waved his hand and the cigarette disappeared out of Subaru’s mouth.

“What did you do that for?” Subaru yelped.

“You did know that cigarettes are really really bad for you?” Uchi pointed out.

“You used to smoke!” Subaru reminded him.

“That was before I died. I no longer smoke.” Uchi smiled. "Now about your father, are you going to tell him about Ryo?"

"Of course."

Uchi suddenly felt very protective of Ryo. "I don't want Ryo to be rejected again."

"He won't be. My father's been trying to find Ryo for years. Ryo’s mother told him that she gave him up for adoption." Subaru admitted. "My father will be thrilled to find Ryo. My brother has a very large family who will love him a lot."

************

Ryo felt himself being lead into the bedroom. Ohkura closed the door and locked it. His lover looked so different. Ryo couldn't believe it. His lover was taller, was even more handsome.

"Why are you locking the door?" Ryo asked.

"You mean you don't mind if they walk in on us?" His lover smiled mischievously.

"But your arm." Ryo said. "You’re still recovering from surgery."

"Let me show you something." Ohkura unbuttoned his shirt. He let it slide off his shoulders. It landed with a heap on the floor. Then he showed Ryo his arm, an arm without any scaring.

"I don't understand," Ryo gasped. "What happened to your arm? You have scars..."

"I died Ryo, my angel body has died. That was the one that was hurt, that was the body that lost its eye. It's dead, never to come back." Ohkura told him. "This is my new human body. A body that wasn’t hurt in the accident. A body without scars. It's whole."

"What do you mean whole?"

Ohkura smiled, he couldn't help but smile. "I have both my eyes."

"It's a dream come true." Ryo kissed his lover. As they kissed, Ryo realized something. He pulled away from Ohkura. “Tacchan, there’s something different about you!”

“You mean my arm?” Ohkura flexed it to show that it was completely healed.

“You’ve grown taller. I mean it, you’re now taller then Uchi.” Ryo smiled. “I wonder how you’re going to explain it to Johnny-sama.”

"I'm not!" Ohkura shoved Ryo onto the bed, and then he began to kiss him.

Ryo decided to give in gracefully. He had missed the well Ohkura. He was so glad that his lover was alive that nothing else mattered.

*********************

Ryo woke; he was lying in bed with Ohkura. He pulled the blanket off of his lover's arm. Ohkura's left arm, which used to be covered in scars and couldn't even bend right, was blemish free, as if it had never been hurt in the accident. Ohkura had proved to him when they loved that there was no longer any problems with it.

The sun was pouring through the window. Before Ryo would have thought it was an unneeded intrusion, but now he thought it was something wonderful. It was a dawning of a new day, and Ryo was very excited.

Ohkura, he could now remember his childhood spent together at the boarding school. His friend had promised to stay at his side forever. Ryo wondered how he could ever think that the wonderful memories of his friendship with Ohkura were something painful.

His lover’s eyes flickered open. They centered on Ryo.

"Good morning my love." Ryo told him.

Ohkura smiled at him. A smile that went to his eyes. Both of his eyes. "Good morning."

"I wanted to tell you I'm sorry I forgot our childhood friendship."

"Why did you make yourself forget?"

"It hurt to remember the happiness." Ryo reached out touching Ohkura. "It sounds crazy doesn't it? Now that I think of it, I should have cherished the memories instead of making myself forget."

"You mind was ill," Ohkura told him. 'Now it's well."

"Thanks to you." Ryo smiled. "For the first time in a very long time I'm happy."

"I'm happy too." Ohkura's smile grew brighter, until it almost lit up the room.

"I wanted to tell you. I found a family member who wants to be related to me." Ryo told his lover. "He says he's glad he's my brother."

"You have another brother?" Ohkura asked.

"Can you believe it? Subaru's my brother."

"I should have realized." Ohkura told him. "The two of you are so much alike."

"Does it feel any different being human instead of being part angel?"

"Well, I can no longer read minds or fly." Ohkura teased. "Actually, I feel better as a human."

"I'm glad," Ryo felt an overwhelming urge to kiss Ohkura, which he did.

Then Ohkura loved him again. Ryo never thought he could be so happy. He never thought he would ever have his deepest desires. He now had a brother who loved him, and a lover that loved him unconditionally. Not only that, but the pain and anger in his heart were gone, almost as if it had never existed. Ryo knew that this was only the beginning of a wonderful life.

*****************