Anti was a fairly heavy sleeper, but as soon as he heard someone scream, he bolted awake with a startled groan mixed with a gasp that sounded like he was choking on air.

"Damnit Dark, I thought you didn't have nightmares anymore!" Infelix grumbled in irritation, placing his pillow over his head and rolling over so he wasn't facing Dark.

Dark made no witty reply like he usually would.

Now fully alert, Anti jumped out of bed and walked over to Dark's bed. He was curled up in a tight ball with his head in his hands, his body shaking wildly as if he had an earthquake happening inside of him.

"Dark, wake up." Anti pleaded, his heart breaking to see his friend so scared.

It must be a terrifying nightmare if he's like this, Anti mused.

"It's only a nightmare, I'm right here for you." Anti comforted Dark, sitting down on the edge of his bed and gently pulling Dark into his lap. Anti smoothed Dark's hair back and quietly sang a song he had heard his father play on the radio when he was home.

"Carry on my wayward son,
There'll be peace when you are done,
Lay your weary head to rest,
Don't you cry no more." Anti's voice was no louder than a whisper, but had enough calming power to get Dark to fall back asleep, his body no longer shaking.

"He has nightmares every night, although some nights are worse than others, like tonight." Infelix spoke up, his words muffled slightly by the pillow still over his head.

Anti started to move towards his own bed since Dark was asleep, but was prevented from doing so when Dark's hand clutched tightly onto Anti's arm like a teddy bear.

Anti smirked and rolled his eyes at Dark before sitting back down on the bed, falling back asleep with his head resting against his shoulder.

Whenever Anti woke up again, he found himself lying next to Dark, his face mere inches from his. Anti's arm was still held in Dark's grasp, although thankfully it wasn't as tight as before.

He looked so...peaceful, like everything was perfect.

Before Anti could try and carefully pry Dark's hand off, his black and red eyes fluttered open.

Only they weren't black and red.

His eyes were like pools of melted dark chocolate that looked almost black, the gleam in his eyes brighter since his contacts weren't covering his eyes.

"Sorry." Dark blushed, quickly releasing his hold on Anti and sitting up.

"I don't mind." Anti sat up as well.

"What's up? You're looking at me like I'm a completely different person." Dark frowned in mild confusion.

"I've never seen your real eye color before. I like it." Anti complimented, causing Dark's face to burn a brighter shade of red that was easily visible, even with the darkness encompassing them.

"What was your dream about? Do I need to beat someone or something up for you?" Anti joked.

"Yeah, it was a guy called Scary Terry, I need you to find him and beat him up." Dark snorted in amusement, rolling his eyes.

"What's up then?" Anti pressed, his curiosity burning.

"Wanna go on a walk?" Dark abruptly changed the subject.

"Sure." Anti nodded.

Together they got up and climbed the ladder that led up to the city above them so they could get away from Infelix's cameras, even if it would be for just a minute.

The sun was like a golden fireball in the sky barely peeking over the horizon, the sky a backdrop of vibrant blues, pinks, oranges, and reds.

Dark led him to a nearby park and sat down on the bench facing the pond, the rippling surface reflecting the rays of the sunrise.

Dark took a deep, calming breath before starting.

"The dream I had...it was about you. I was afraid that you wouldn't accept me as a friend-"

"Why wouldn't I? You're the one person that's always been there for me, you're like a brother to me." Anti smiled reassuringly. Instead of looking reassured, Dark seemed more discouraged than before.

"The thing I wanted to tell you in the arcade room....I-I'm pansexual." Dark admitted, swallowing hard as if bracing himself for whatever Anti would say.

"What does that mean?" Anti tilted his head slightly to the side in confusion. Being pansexual didn't sound like a bad thing to him.

"It means that I don't love people for their gender, I love them for their personality." Dark explained, biting his lip.

"Why did you wait to tell me?" Anti asked.

"I didn't want you to think I was weird and make fun of me like the kids at school." Dark blurted.

"I know what that's like." Anti sighed, removing his own contacts to reveal his one blue eye and one green eye.

"There was a kid named Billy that would always beat me up and call me Septiceye...that's how I got my name. Anti Septiceye." Anti blinked as memories of Billy flashed through his mind.

"I call myself Dark since I'm not the light my mom thinks I am. My last name, Iplier, is my original last name." Dark stated.

"Any other major secrets I should know about Mr. Therapist?" Dark teased.

"One." Anti confessed as he rolled back the sleeves of his suit that he had slept in. Faint red scars lined both of his arms, the newer ones a brighter red against his pale skin.

"Why?" Dark whispered, delicately tracing his finger over one of Anti's older scars.

"To remember each person that died because of me." Anti spoke equally as quiet, his head bowed in shame.

"The scar on your neck..." Dark trailed off, waiting for an explanation from Anti about it.

"The last day of school before graduation, Billy wanted to fight in the alley by the school. He brought a black pocket knife with his." Anti retrieved the weapon from his pocket and flicked the bloodstained blade open, the sunlight glinting of of its crimson surface.

"He gave me this scar, and I killed him. Infelix found me afterwards and offered to take care of him and give me the degrees I needed." Anti traced a finger over the scar on his neck absent mindlessly, still able to picture the crazed look in Billy's brown eyes as he tackled Anti to the ground.

Dark and Anti fell silent for a moment, both processing the new information they were given to each other.

"Edward Iplier." Dark spoke up at last, offering Anti his hand so he could shake it.

"What?" Anti blinked in confusion and looked up at Dark.

"I figured we should reintroduce ourselves to each other." Dark shrugged.

Anti hesitated for a moment before providing his real name.

"John Shneeplestien." Anti smiled as he clasped his hand in Dark's and shook it.

"Hey Anti?" Dark looked down at Anti's hand that he was still holding.

"Yeah Dark?" Anti kept his gaze on Dark's brown eyes, not wanting to forget the gentleness in them.

Dark leaned closer to Anti and gently pressed his lips against Anti's, surprising him, but not enough to where he wanted to pull away. Dark's lips were warm and soft against Anti's.

A jumble of emotions whirled through Anti's head as Dark ran his free hand through Anti's hair, although there was one that was the most prominent that Anti had never felt before.

Love. This time, it wasn't the brotherly kind like it used to be when they were in high school. It felt so much stronger and seemed to fix the gaping hole in Anti's heart that he's had his entire life.

After what felt like an eternity, Dark reluctantly pulled away from Anti, genuine happiness sparkling in his eyes.

"Will you take me for what I am?" Dark asked quietly, his tone slightly hesitant.

"I always will." Anti promised with a nod, his heart racing as his brain tried to understand what happened.

"Will you stop keeping secrets from me?" Anti countered.

"I always will." Dark copied Anti's words with a smirk that made him look like the same playful teenager Anti had met years ago in the arcade room that they now rarely visited due to the cameras posted everywhere.

"We should go back down." Anti advised sadly, even though he didn't want to.

Dark nodded and reluctantly stood up with Anti's hand still in his. Together they walked back down to the tunnels to find Infelix waiting for them at the conference table, two manila folders lying on the table in front of him.

"Two cases?" Dark frowned as he released Anti's hand and grabbed a folder.

"No, just one. And if you two do it right, it'll be the last one both of you have to do." Infelix grinned.

Now Dark and Anti were interested.