.:.

There was something calling for him. He could faintly hear it. What had happened? Was he… dead? But no, someone was now shaking his arm fervently. And they were still crying out his name...

"—ima…! Shimaa…! Wake up!"

Hnn? That voice…

Renzou groaned and cracked his eyes open a sliver, grimacing from the throbbing aches running all over his body. Shit, those bruises were gonna be a pain in the ass for a while, weren't they… And then the first thing he noticed—besides how 'Not Dead' he was at the moment—was the vibrant blue color bursting into his eyes. He gasped, feeling oddly soothed by it. Ahh… what a pretty blue~ He managed to lift a hand up slowly and reach for it in an experimental fashion, wanting to touch it. It's like…

"Shima! Y-You're awake!" And then he felt the air being crushed from his lungs as something thudded into his chest painfully.

"O-Oof—!" He groaned. Then, his heart leapt into his throat, recognizing the familiar situation, recognizing that familiar scent and style of speaking. And that blue color…! He slowly sat up, eyes landing on the head of dark blue hair buried against him. Could it be…? Was it… really…? "O-Okumura… kun?" His hands reached for the boy, shaking and slightly afraid that perhaps he really had died and had been sent somewhere where he'd have to hallucinate about Rin for eternity. If he touched him, would he disappear…? "Okumura-kun… is that really you?"

The boy peered up at him curiously and then gripped his arms tighter around his waist, "W-What about Shima? Is it really Shima…?"

"Y-Yeah…" He licked his dry and cracked lips, heart pounding in his head, "Yeah, it's me, Okumura-kun." The blue-eyed boy stared at him with that beautiful gaze of his, carefully studying his face. He had sorely missed those eyes… And then he was gifted with a relieved smile.

"Eheh~ Good."

Renzou clenched his jaw together, eyes darting along the boy's face erratically. There were so many feelings welling up in his chest cavity all at once. There was excitement, a pinch of anxiety, a large amount of unexplained sorrow. But most of all, he felt an overwhelming sense of giddiness, bliss, and relief that sent every other emotion shooting off into the stars.

"Okumura-kun…!" He choked back a sob and then lunged forward, grabbing for any part of Rin that he could, to pull him into a tight embrace.

"Uwah?" He heard the other boy gasp in surprise, "Shima…?" Renzou smiled bitterly and buried his face into the boy's dark blue hair, giving him a small but nevertheless needy peck there, not even bothering to hide it like that last time he'd done so in front of the movie theater. He felt Rin's face grow warm and he worked his hands into the boy's back, moving up and down slowly, determined to feel every inch of him. He had to make sure that he was really right here in his arms, that this weight against him was real; it wasn't just him dreaming… His hands pressed into the contours of Rin's back and kept pulling him closer as if he could somehow stuff the boy into his heart. He would never disappear again.

The blue-eyed boy was blushing hard and stuttering, "S-S-Shima, w-what are you…?" as he inched away uncomfortably. But the boy with pink hair only pulled Rin in closer, taking as many whiffs of the boy as he could while moving his head down to nuzzle into the crook of his neck. His cracked lips briefly brushed across the smooth and sweet skin there and he felt Rin shiver from the sensation. Shortly afterward, the boy gulped heavily and he heard him whisper in a timid voice, "S-Shima… what the h-heck…? You're being… really really really touchy-feely, y-you know…?" Renzou answered back with another tight squeeze. In the duration of their embrace, Rin's hands had somehow made their way to the back of his shirt and he could feel the warm hands resting there gently. After a few seconds—where they did nothing but stay still and breathe in each other—he heard Rin begin to murmur, "Were… you that worried about me…?" The voice was almost inaudible, drifting down from somewhere behind his ear.

"You have no idea." Renzou spoke, voice partially muffled by Rin's shoulder. He could feel the blue-eyed boy swallow. Then, he felt Rin's head lean against his comfortingly.

"S-Sorry…"

A smile spread across his lips after hearing the gentle apology and the angelic action. Then, he buried his face back into the boy's shoulder, mumbling a low, "Just don't do it again."

The boy laughed, sending soft vibrations through the pink-haired boy's chest, warming his heart. "I won't~ Ah, wait—!" He felt Rin pull his head away and then smack his back with one hand in indignation, "H-Hey! It's not like I wanted this to happen…!" Renzou chuckled fondly and sighed with happiness. Then, he focused onto the boy's tempting neck, eyes roaming over the skin with a mischievous look. He was already feeling so happy (not to mention in a position which gave him so much access)… why not~?

And he did tell Ryuuji that he wouldn't hold back anymore…

The pink-haired boy snuck in a kiss onto the blue-eyed boy's neck, nipping the flesh playfully with his lips. Immediately, the other boy yelped a flustered, "Hyaah!" in surprise. Rin turned bright pink and shoved Renzou's face away with one hand while hurriedly clamping his other hand over his neck, "A-A-And what do you keep on doing, Shima? A-Are you like this to all of your friends…?"

Renzou laughed through the fingers splayed across his face, thoroughly enjoying Rin's reactions (that little yelp was just so cute~!), "Nope~"

"H-Huh?"

He grinned back widely and pulled away from the hand that was blocking him from a full view of the other boy. His hands moved up to catch the boy's wrist and he pulled it towards his mouth, tenderly placing another kiss into the palm of Rin's hand. The boy with pink hair smirked, "Just you, Okumura-kun~"

Rin's cheeks were tinged with red. He then laughed nervously, hand ripping away from the pink-haired boy and shooting back to his side. His fingers curled over the point that Renzou had kissed, other hand moving to clasp over the fisted one, and his blue eyes averted towards the walls, "O-Oh! Haha, I see! I-I'm… I'm that special, am I? Gyahahaha…! I-I know I can be kinda awesome sometimes but… n-no need to go so far… ha… ha ha…"

Renzou laughed. This guy was kind of digging his own grave if he thought he could escape from him by saying that…! He eagerly leaned forward, reaching one hand behind the blue-eyed boy's nape to pull him over; their foreheads were pressed against each other, noses nearly brushing. "Yep! You're reeeaaally special~ So I'll only do these things to you and no one else, ha ha~" He snickered, satisfied by how close Rin's lips were to his and happy that at such a close distance, he could see just how wonderfully those blue irises twinkled in the light. They always looked so alive and full of fire… it was captivating and so very reassuring to look into, especially since he had been so shaken up by his disappearance only a while ago…

Rin's eyes were staring back into his, forced to look directly at him due to their proximity. The vibrant blue orbs were round, trembling in shock, and that was when Renzou finally felt his heart stiffen and come to a stop. Did he cross the line…? Oh damn… he should've held himself back a little more… after all, he didn't want to make the other boy too uncomfortable… or worse, scared of him… Rin was still frozen in place, eyes fearfully wide. The pink-haired boy sent him a soft smile and then gently pulled away.

"J-Just kidding…! Ahaha… sorry, I was just really happy so… uh… soooo…" What should he say? He had to somehow make it not so awkward for Rin… Oh right…! "Anyway… we're, erm… in the demon's dimension right now…?" He scratched his cheek with an index finger sheepishly. The blue-eyed boy blinked, as though snapping out from a stupor, and then he gulped once before nodding.

"O-Ohh… uh, y-yeah…" Rin's eyes were alternately darting from him to the floor, cheeks still a light pink. Renzou winced inwardly. Oh man, now he's totally feeling uncomfortable, isn't he… w-what should I do? Gaah…!

His red-brown eyes darted across the room anxiously and he lifted a hand up to rub the back of his head, "Oh… ha ha, sorry. I was supposed to help get you out but now I'm stuck here, too huh. Aha ha~ Aha ha ha…~"

Rin looked up and he could feel him staring carefully at him. Then, the boy let out a small laugh.

"Yeah! What the hell, Shima," He eyed him curiously, "What did you do anyway?"

Renzou paused in his movements and he smiled, glad that the boy was starting to act normal again, "Oh! Uh… I kinda… ran into a wall with my staff…? Aha~ And then it kinda… 'ate' me, I guess you can say…"

"Huh? A wall? And it ate you? Hee hee, what the heck?" Rin chuckled. The pink-haired boy grinned and pointed a finger at himself proudly.

"Yep, I was bein' totally cool, ya know~" He winked at the blue-eyed boy, "It's too bad you missed it." Rin folded his arms over his chest and smirked teasingly.

"Yeah, right. I don't believe you."

Renzou's finger drooped. "H-Hey… this time I really was cool…!" The boy exclaimed in an attempt to defend himself. Then, he frowned as he thought back to how scared he had been after being caught by the demon, "Well… except the part when all the red demon hands came out and dragged me into the wall, I guess… that scared the shit out of me."

Rin chortled and pointed his index finger at him, "Haha, I knew it! But…" He smiled and then looked away, eyes jumping back to the floor again. The boy's pointer finger retreated to scratch at his cheek and he mumbled, "I-I'm kinda glad that happened…" Renzou blinked at the boy, who was now turning softly red in the face again. The pink-haired boy couldn't help but grin widely and he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah~ I'm glad, too…"

Rin's eyes flickered up to meet his. Then, the boy sent him a small smile that made Renzou feel like leaping over to cuddle the boy all over again. But he didn't. Instead, he leaned back on his hands to take a good look at his surroundings. They were in an exact copy of the bedroom, even with the beds all pushed together like the way Rin had done the other night. The pink-haired boy raised an eyebrow at the beds.

Huh… so I guess the demon is copying stuff all the time, huh. Otherwise, it wouldn't have gotten the beds right, too. Except… His eyes darted towards the walls. There should have been chalk markings there if the demon was actively copying the room… but there were none. So either, it hasn't copied it yet or the barrier is stopping it from doing so… The latter made more sense. After all, didn't Rin mention that there was shaking and it seemed like the demon couldn't enter? Which brought about another question… how did he get in here if the demon couldn't enter? A cold bead of sweat ran down his head. So wait, did that mean the demon could enter…? So they weren't safe in here?

"U-Uhh… Okumura-kun?" He started nervously and Rin seemed to sit up straighter, noticing the anxious tone in his voice, "W-Where did you find me…? Did I just… suddenly show up in here or somethin'…?" The blue-eyed boy blinked. Then, he shook his head.

"Nope. You were out in the hallway."

Oh good! So the demon didn't drop him in here… which meant that they were safe as long as they stayed in the room.

Wait… hallway? Then didn't that mean…?

"What?" The pink-haired boy gasped, eyes widening in alarm, "Wait! Why were you out in the hallway? Didn't you say you were gonna stay in here?" He couldn't have been going around looking for the demon or exploring, right? Even after he had told him that he'd be staying inside the room…? All this time, he'd thought that the boy was keeping himself safe. But actually, he was roaming outside and could have been attacked by the demon at any moment?

Rin pouted and placed two fingers together, poking them at each other in a fidgety manner.

"I was…! But then when I sent my text message, I heard your ringtone in the hallway so… I just took a peek outside… and then I saw you out there, lying face down on the floor so… I brought you inside. Geez…" He glanced up through his bangs, shoulders drooping in a disheartened way, "…why're you so angry all of a sudden, Shima…? It's totally not like you…"

Renzou paused to contemplate the boy's words. Then, his spine relaxed and he laughed. "Oh, is that it…? Haha, geez, you had me thinkin' you were running around out in the halls or somethin'! Anyway… sorry about that. I've been… kinda weird ever since you disappeared, haha…" He couldn't help it. The thought of Rin being in any danger made his skin prickle and his mind would grow numbingly cold. The organs in his body would feel like they were wrenching themselves into knots and it made him feel the need to do something, anything. Anything that could take that threat as far away as possible from the blue-eyed boy.

And he had raised his voice on Rin… that was only because he thought the boy was putting himself in unnecessary danger… he wasn't angry. Just… over the top worried… so worried that he had lost control of the volume on his voice. He laughed to himself. I kinda understand why Bon is always shoutin' at Okumura-kun now, haha~ Then, he gulped as a thought hit him. Oh man, I'm not turnin' into Bon, am I…?

Rin was staring at him with a raised eyebrow, obviously wondering why he had suddenly laughed after telling him how strange he had become after his disappearance. Renzou lifted an arm up to rub the back of his head, "Haha~ Don't worry about it, it's nothin'…" The blue-haired boy's mouth twitched to the side, looking unconvinced. Then, Rin's eyes seemed to shine in realization. The boy spoke in a gentle tone,

"Shima."

"Hm?" The boy with pink hair paused to stare at Rin and then blinked when he found the blue-eyed boy throwing his hand out towards him, palm open invitingly. Rin coughed into his other hand, cheeks lightly flushed and eyes turned away.

"I'm… erm, right here so…"

Renzou gaped at the other boy. Was he offering his hand to him…? To reassure him that he wasn't going anywhere…? He felt his own cheeks grow warm. S-So cute…? Okumura-kun…! He wasted no time in scooting over and he hastily entwined his fingers into Rin's. The boy's hand twitched against his for a second but then he felt fingers curl over his knuckles, locking their hands together, and he basked in that lovely feeling of a warm hand joined with his. With just that simple touch, he felt his heart lift. His worries seemed like they were muffled over and tucked away by a blanket of clouds.

Ahh, Okumura-kun~ Do you have any idea how amazin' you are…? He sighed blissfully and then grinned, giving the hand a tentative squeeze. After a second, he felt a squeeze come back in reply and Renzou swallowed, unable to stop the silly smile from spreading across his lips. I… had no idea that I could like someone this much…! In fact, he liked him so much that it almost seemed like the room was shaking.

Wait, no… the room really was shaking…?

Rin's grip on his hand grew firmer, eyes growing round in surprise. "Ah, it started again?" There was another pronounced shake of the room and several low thunks! from the walls, as if a giant were poking at the room with an index finger. Renzou gulped and shuffled closer towards Rin, eyes darting across the walls.

"W-Wha… so it's come back all of a sudden?"

"Y-Yeah…" Rin murmured back, keeping his eyes trained on every corner, "Dunno why it decided to come back all of a sudden though…" Just as he trailed off, another larger quake rumbled the room. The floors were rattling and it was getting harder to stay still on the ground. The crystal light on the ceiling was tottering back and forth, threatening to fall at any second, and the books on the shelf were quivering, slowly being pushed forward. A few of the dusty tomes fell off and smashed onto the ground as the room continued its relentless movement.

Renzou grimaced as his heart seemed to jump up to stay stuck in his throat. His pulse was beating too fast and his limbs were suddenly numb, unsure of what to do. Would the shaking intensify? Would it go away again after a while? The rumbling seemed to slow slightly. And then, without warning, there was an angry crash! followed by an enormous shake. It sent Renzou and Rin up into the air and they came falling, slamming back onto the ground.

"S-Shit! Okumura-kun, what do we—?" He exclaimed, eyes darting around to look for something that could stabilize them. Rin was sprawled on the ground on all fours, head snapping from left to right to find something to keep them still. But another violent shake threw him back toward the bookcase. Renzou felt his body being flung forward, as though the floor were alive and had every intention of throwing him into the hard edges of the room. He winced as his body smashed back onto the ground but quickly looked up to see if Rin was okay.

"Okumura-kun!" The blue-haired boy was groaning in pain, still recovering from the impact against the shelves. Another quake threw Rin forward as Renzou was shoved backward. His head smashed into the floor and the pink-haired boy bit back a yelp of surprise from the sudden pain throbbing from his skull. S-Shit… where can we go? His eyes jumped back to Rin and then widened when he saw the bookcase looming behind the boy, ready to fall forward and crush him. "Okumura-kun, behind you!" But just as he shouted, Rin's eyes shot toward him and then flickered upwards in fear.

"Shima…!" He heard the blue-haired boy scream in a voice that seemed to rip at his soul and then he saw Rin leap forward for him. Renzou's eyes darted up in surprise and he froze when he saw the crystal light crashing down toward him. Wh—? He felt two hands hit his ribs and then he was flying across the floor. The wall came slamming into his back from behind and he grunted as he felt his head and torso bang into it, as though he were a plank of wood splintering on rock. But he shook his head, heart racing rapidly when he realized that those two hands were Rin's. Renzou's gaze flashed toward the other boy and then he gasped, feeling the energy in his body almost drain away, slowing to a stop. Rin wasn't moving. The boy was motionless, crushed under the shattered crystals of the light.

"Okumura-kun!"

He dashed forward and was flung onto his hands as another shake tossed him up and down mercilessly. He heard Rin yelp in pain and his heart beat faster, a little relieved to still hear the other boy's voice but worried that something worse had happened to him. Renzou crawled carefully across the floor, trying to keep his body as close to the ground as possible and stop himself from constantly losing balance. But just as he prepared for another quake, the room seemed to halt altogether, leaving his mind in a whirl of movement.

"U-Ugh…" He groaned as he continued to crawl forward desperately. Then, he gasped and shot up on his knees. Right. He could move properly! It wasn't shaking anymore…! Renzou sprinted forward and then skidded down to his knees beside Rin, eyes examining every inch of the other boy. He was lying on his side, looking as though he had crumbled into the sharp shards. Rin's blue bangs were covering his eyes so Renzou could only see the other boy biting into his lip from pain. And there was blood. Renzou's mind swirled. Blood…! Rin's blood was…!

"Okumura-kun! Okumura-kun! C-Can you hear me?" His hands reached out to touch Rin gingerly and he received a wince in reply. Renzou's hands shot back and he began carefully dusting away the pieces of crystal surrounding Rin. "Okumura-kun…! Can you talk? Are you okay? Agh…! What should I do…?"

"Urgh…" Rin groaned and grimaced as he curled his head over the floor, readjusting to his still surroundings, "…that didn't happen last time, heh…" He muttered with a wry smile. The boy turned to look up at Renzou after a second, voicing a simple, "Shima… you okay?" The pink-haired boy felt his heart seize up in inexplicable pain.

"I-Idiot! I'm fine!" How could this guy be asking something like that when he was looking like that…? "But Okumura-kun, you're…?"

Rin let out a weak laugh and slowly pushed himself up onto his arms. Pieces of crystal fell from his hair and clothes as he moved, tinkling against the floor softly.

"Wait—what're you…? Don't move, you moron!" Renzou's eyes darted toward the other boy's arms, noticing that most of the blood was seeping out from the cuts along his left arm. The left side of Rin's face was also scraped up with slivers of crystal. Renzou winced; that second quake must have sent the boy slamming back down into the broken pieces… He heard Rin chuckle and then brush off the rest of the crystals on his clothes.

"Don't worry, Shima~ Something like this will heal up real fast. I'm a demon after all." He saw the other boy's grin but he couldn't understand it. Why was he smiling…? Him being injured wasn't something to smile about…! Rin began to move again—to brush off his right side with his left arm—but just as he raised the arm, his eyes scrunched together in pain and his body shrunk into himself slightly. Renzou's heart leapt up in alert, thumping shrilly in his chest. He's hurt after all…!

"Okumura-kun, where does it hurt?" He shuffled closer and he heard Rin mumble a brief, "My arm…" The boy began to shrug off his jacket and Renzou hastily helped him out of it, carefully pulling off the sleeves. The sleeve of Rin's white shirt had splatters of red across it and Renzou could vaguely see (through the gashes in the clothing) that there were pencil-thick shards embedded into Rin's skin.

"It looks like they're not in too deep though…" Renzou murmured, eyebrows drawn together. Rin nodded.

"Yeah… lemme get my shirt off so we can see better." He moved his hands up to unbutton his shirt but then winced again when the motions stirred up his muscles in his left arm. Renzou growled in frustration and smacked Rin's hands away from the buttons. Did this guy like causing himself pain that much? Why couldn't he just ask for help…?

"Stop that! Just stay still and don't move; I'll do it." He heard the blue-haired boy mutter a soft, "O-Ou…" in reply as he worked through the buttons quickly, going down from Rin's collar to his stomach. He gently pried the clothing off from Rin's left shoulder, exposing his bare skin to the air, and then carefully peeled away the bloodied sleeve. Renzou frowned at the sight. The cuts weren't too bad… the blood made things look worse than they actually were. But the shards definitely had to go. Just as he made that thought, he saw Rin reach over and then rip out one of the pieces stuck in his arm. Renzou's eyes grew round at the rough treatment and then gasped as Rin began tearing out another shard.

"Wh—! Okumura-kun, stop that…! What if you make it—?" His eyes darted back to the wound, noticing that they were closing up almost immediately afterward. His breath caught in his throat. H-How…? He heard Rin snicker.

"Told you, Shima~ These'll heal up real fast. No need to get all scared about it."

The pink-haired boy watched the other boy with round eyes, feeling a strange churning sensation beginning to flood in the center of his stomach. His eyes steadily narrowed and his brows creased together tightly.

Is that why he's always so reckless? He thinks it's all okay… to carelessly throw himself into danger for other people… all because he's got the ability to regenerate like a demon? Renzou's fists clenched together, fingernails digging into his palms. Is that it?

"Okumura-kun… you should stop doing things like that…"

"Huh? Why?" Rin began to pull out another crystal but before he could, Renzou's hand flew out to snatch away the other boy's hand. "What the—!" Rin sent him an indignant look, "Shima, let go!" Renzou's grip tightened and a frown fell across his lips.

"I'm tellin' you to stop that…! Just… wait for Okumura-sensei to come treat it properly, alright?"

Rin blinked in surprise and then wrenched his hand away from the pink-haired boy's fingers. "What? Wait for Yukio? There's no need for that, geez. I can just take care of it now." He reached for his arm again.

"I said to STOP, didn't I?"

Renzou heard his voice explode from his throat before he could even understand what he was saying. He saw Rin flinch backwards from the sudden forcefulness in his tone and the boy turned to him with round eyes. "S-Shima…" The blue-haired boy trailed off. Then, his eyes grew hard and he growled, "What the hell is your problem? Why are you getting so angry? Everything turned out alright, didn't it?"

Angry?

Yes… he was angry. That churning and boiling feeling, which threatened to spread throughout his body and burn through his veins, was no doubt anger. But why was he getting angry? Was it because of Rin? Of course he was frustrated with the blue-haired boy for putting himself into such danger. But more than that…

The room was shaking. The bookcase was falling.

"Shima…!"

Rin was leaping towards him. His eyes shot up and caught the image of that damned crystal light, falling. And then… Rin, motionless under the shattered remains…

Renzou cringed at the memory. It was still too fresh. "Okumura-kun… you shouldn't have saved me. I would've been fine…"

The two fell into a tense silence, each recalling what had happened only moments before. Then, Rin parted his lips.

"… are you fucking kidding me? You're telling me that I shouldn't have saved you? That you would've been fine?"

"Y-Yeah…"

Rin's irises were ablaze, shimmering a blinding blue. A speck of feral red flashed dangerously from deep within his eyes and he shouted ferociously, "So you're telling me you've got some sort of miraculous power that would help you dodge that thing? Or you could've blocked that with your arms or something? You can regenerate? Rise from the dead?" The boy seethed from his spot on the ground, his uninjured arm slamming a palm into the floor, "You can't do any of that, Shima! You would've been crushed by that thing! You could've DIED!"

Renzou clenched his jaw together. Rin was right. That was exactly it. He was just… just still so weak. If only he were stronger or something… then Rin wouldn't even have to think of saving him. But… but still…

"But… dammit, Okumura-kun. I'd rather have that happen to me than… than to see you like that…! L-Like… this…!" He gestured wildly to the boy's bleeding arm, "Can't you understand that?"

Rin spat back just as fiercely, "And can't you understand that I wouldn't wanna see you like this either? Are you an idiot? Why do you think I saved you?" The two boys heaved breaths deeply into their lungs. They stared straight into each other's eyes, unwilling to back down for several angry seconds of silence. Then, Rin dropped his gaze. The boy sighed and glanced towards the bookcase lying face-down on the ground. "Look. This isn't gonna get us anywhere… what's happened already happened, alright?" He pouted and threw a glare at the ground, "I still think I'm right though, stupid Shima… I mean at least if something went through my neck or organs or something, you'd still be able to pull it out and I'd probably survive… you on the other hand…"

Renzou's eyes widened, vision suddenly pooling with the image of Rin lying lifelessly in his own blood, body dotted and speared through with crystalline stakes. His hands shook violently and before he could help it, the pink-haired boy found his numb legs darting towards Rin in a mad shuffle.

"Don't say that…!" He whimpered. His arms were around Rin, clutching the other boy close against him. The blue-haired boy winced from the sudden motion and sent Renzou an irritated look.

"Ouch! What the heck are you doing, Shi—?" Rin paused and then after a second, voiced softly, "Shima, are you… shaking…?" But Renzou couldn't properly register the other boy's words in his mind. He could only see that horrifying image playing over and over again in his eyes.

"Don't say that…!" He repeated again and pulled Rin tighter against him, pressing his face against the other boy's neck, "Don't say that…!"

"Shima…" He heard Rin mumble gently. Then, he heard a sigh, "… Shima. I never really understood why you became so nice to me that morning in Kyoto… w-why you… became my friend again so quickly when the other guys were still…" He trailed off and then began again after a shake of his head, "But… I think it's probably because you don't really understand… or you try not to think about it." Renzou continued to hold the other boy against him, listening closely to Rin's words. What was he trying to say…? Rin swallowed and then murmured, "Shima. I'm a demon…" Renzou stiffened. "…my body doesn't work the same way yours or other normal humans do anymore… so even if I get hit by something fatal, I'd be fine. You just gotta accept it… alright…?"

The pink-haired boy stared down at the floor. His eyes dodged along the crystal rubble and finally settled on the black tail lying calmly on the ground, curled in on itself at the end. Accept that Rin was a demon? No… he knew that he was a demon… he'd seen his form… engulfed in those brutal blue flames of Satan. He knew what Rin was capable of… that he could withstand many things. That wasn't the problem…

"I know that, Okumura-kun… I know that… That's not what's botherin' me…" Renzou slowly pulled away, meeting Rin's now gentle blue eyes with his wistful brown ones, "It's got nothin' to do with bein' human or demon…" His gaze shifted towards the wounds on the other boy's face and to the red blood smudged across his cheek. His eyes narrowed. "It's this…" He leaned forward, feeling Rin twitch in surprise from the sudden motion. Before the other boy could pull away, he carefully swept his tongue across Rin's cheek, giving him a warm and tender lick. The blue-eyed boy stifled a gasp and then turned pink in the face.

"S-Shima…?"

Renzou lapped away at another trace of blood wordlessly. Rin attempted to turn his face away but the pink-haired boy only leaned in further, following his movements. When Rin raised a hand up to push him away, he snatched the hand and pinned it down to the ground in one swift movement.

"Shi…! S-Shima, what are you…? …ngh!"

He paused and then examined the blue-haired boy's face. Rin's eyes were closed together, blush fierce across his cheeks. His left cheek… although pieces of crystal were still embedded in his skin, at least finally… it was clean of those haunting stains of blood… A weak smile lit across Renzou's lips.

"Okumura-kun… I just don't want to see you hurt or bleedin'… that's all there is to it."

He wove his other arm around Rin's waist, bringing his head down to lick at the boy's exposed shoulder and arm. He could feel Rin twitch and tremble every time his tongue touched the surface of his skin and the boy was mumbling a shaky, "S-Shima… s-stop it, that… t-that feels… w-w-weird…"

Renzou ignored his request, fully concentrated on getting as much of the red off from Rin's cream-colored skin as he could. A metallic taste and smell was filling his senses and he could feel his heart pumping hard as Rin's hitched breathing and stuttering protests softly enveloped his ears. Just as he began working down towards the boy's elbow however, he felt his vision spin and he groaned as his body grew feverishly hot.

What the…? This feels just like…

"Urgh…" He grunted as a sudden dizzy spell threw him off. The pink-haired boy fell forward into Rin's shoulder, causing the boy's eyes to flutter open in surprise.

"Shi… Shimaa…? …eh? S-Shima! Are you okay?" Renzou felt Rin's trapped hand pull out from under his own, leaping up to shake him lightly, "W-What… what happened?"

"Dizzy…" He replied in a wince, "…hot…" He could vaguely feel the blue-haired boy gulp. Then, Rin's grip on his shoulder grew firmer.

"You idiot… it's probably a mashou or something… w-why did you do that, stupid? I told you, I'm a demon, didn't I? S-See? I… I really am one… my blood… just look at how sick it's making you… d-damnit… Shima…" The boy's voice cracked slightly at the end and Renzou could feel the quivering of Rin's hand on his shoulder. His chest constricted from hearing the other boy's voice. It sounded so full of guilt and worry… Okumura-kun… sorry. I'm sorry… I didn't mean to make you think like that. I just… I just wanted to…! He felt another wave of nausea hit him and he nearly thought that he had blacked out for a bit. But the boy with pink hair forcefully raised a weak hand up to touch Rin's trembling one. I wish there was a way I could heal you better… if only I could heal you better… protect you better… isn't there anything I can do…? Anything at all?

The image of Rin, lifeless on the floor with blood seeping out from underneath him, flashed across his mind again and he shuddered.

It's so scary…

I thought bugs were scary… but now I know… above everything else, you're the scariest. Stop scarin' me, Okumura-kun… please, stop scarin' me…

There was a sudden pounding sound on the room, as if a 'play' and 'unmute' button had been simultaneously pressed, sending all the background sounds back into motion. A chorus of muffled voices shouting, "Brother! Brother!" and "Okumura!" came from the other side of the entrance. Finally, the door flung open—accompanied by a cry of, "Rin…!"—and in came their party of exorcists.

"Holy shit… what the fuck happened to you, Okumura…?"

"Oh my god, Rin…!"

Renzou groaned weakly and straightened up. He cracked an eye open to study his blurring surroundings. Huh? In the midst between blurs, he was able to realize that the room had somehow returned to its original state. The bookcase was upright again, with its books all neatly shelved. The walls had the chalk markings that they had drawn on in the afternoon and the floor was devoid of any crystal shards. That detestable crystal light was suspended above them again, glowing warmly down upon them.

So they finally broke through that demon and got everything back to normal, huh. Thank god…

He let out a short laugh and smiled, "About time, you guys…" He nudged his head in Rin's direction and mumbled, "Sensei, Okumura-kun is—" But before he could finish his sentence, he felt his vision spin violently and he moaned before falling weakly against Rin again.

"Shima…!" The blue-haired boy exclaimed, eyes darting up towards the others, "Y-Yukio! Shima's got…! He's got a mashou…!"

"W-What?" Ryuuji's eyebrows rose to his hairline.

"Shima-kun has—?" Shiemi gasped and rushed forward across the smooth floors. She stumbled down to her knees and nodded with conviction. "Show me where it is, I'll treat it! And Rin, you should get treated, too!" The blue-haired boy bit his lip and shook his head.

"I-I'm fine! But he… he drank my blood and then… now he's like this…"

"He what?" Ryuuji charged in, followed after by Konekomaru. Shura stood nearby the doorway, arms crossed under her chest as she pursed her lips at the Rin's condition. Yukio's eyes narrowed and he moved towards his brother, gaze drawn to the boy's exposed torso and bloodied arm.

"Take Shima-kun to the kitchen. Brew him some aloe to drink and then treat the symptoms as they come. Now brother… show me your arm."

Renzou felt himself being lifted up by strong arms along with another pair of hands at his feet. His back felt airy, like he were stretched between two tree branches with a thirty feet drop beneath him, and everything felt suddenly all-too-cold as he was pulled from Rin's embrace. He attempted to open his eyes again, grimacing at the lights and movements swirling around him. But his line of sight jumped across all the scenery, searching for that one thing he didn't want to take his eyes off of. And finally he found it. Blue eyes, staring back at him and never leaving him, with eyebrows creased in worry. Somehow that face was able to stay clear within the mess of colors swimming across his vision. And then as they turned the corner, out the door, he gradually closed his eyes again, submitting himself to the black stillness quickly encroaching upon his mind.

.:.

He could hear faint voices fading in from somewhere to his left. What was going on now…? Where was he? What time was it? He had… passed out…?

"…I knew somethin' was weird about that ward…"

That voice… Bon?

"Some of those patterns aren't used for barriers at all, right? What the hell were you guys pullin'? It's about time you told us."

Huh? Wait, what was happening now…?

"…Yuki-chan?"

Right… he'd been taken to get treated… What about Rin? Was he okay now?

"Hmph… I see you have studied ahead, Suguro-kun. You are correct. Those weren't barrier wards… they were snares."

"Snares…?"

What was this about snares…? Renzou shifted his head slightly and faintly noticed from the feel of gravity that he was sitting upright, back leaning against something hard.

"Shima…!" He heard Rin's voice call for him and he slowly cracked open his eyes.

"O…gumuraaa… kun?" He heard himself slur and winced as a light pierced into his line of sight.

"Shima! You're awake! How do you feel…?"

"He'll be fine, brother…" Renzou smiled wryly to himself, hearing Yukio's voice mutter with a hint of irritation. The pink-haired boy blinked a few more times and then grinned weakly as he felt his senses begin to start up again. One more blink and his view was clear. He was in the dining room and all around stood or sat his fellow exorcist classmates. Rin was leaning over the table, sitting across from him with a new shirt on and looking completely unharmed. The boy was giving him an anxious look, tail standing upright in alarm. He chuckled softly, hoping that the sound would make the other boy's worried look disappear, and then lifted his arms experimentally. They were heavy at first but then swiftly began moving again as he told them to.

"Yep, I'm fine~ Haha, sorry guys…" His eyes met with Rin's again. The boy looked slightly more relieved. But after another moment of staring at each other, the blue-eyed boy suddenly stiffened in his seat and turned pink in the face. Rin gulped and averted his eyes to the side and Renzou, who took a quick swallow after seeing the other boy's actions, glanced away as well.

Uhh… r-right… just a while ago, I was touching him pretty boldly, wasn't I…? I-I can't believe I did all that…

He heard Ryuuji grunt out with annoyance laced in his voice, "So? What were you guys doin' settin' up snares in our rooms? We've heard Okumura's side of the story. Now it's your turn."

Renzou blinked and shifted his gaze towards the blonde-streaked boy, who was standing a few feet away to his left. He stared at his friend curiously, "Hm? What's goin' on?"

"Okumura-kun just explained to us what happened to you two." Konekomaru chimed in gently. His heart sped up. W-Wait, what? So then… did Yukio and Ryuuji know what he…? Did Rin tell them? A-After all, that guy always said really embarrassing things easily… He was a simple kind of guy. Simple and defenseless… which in this case could spell certain doom for him…

Konekomaru must have caught the confused and deeply troubled look on his face because he continued on with a timid smile, "Uhh, when you two were stuck in the demon's dimension and it started shaking a lot…?"

Shaking a lot? Oh…! So… Rin didn't say anything about…? Well… judging from the lack of furious gazes he was receiving, it seemed like they didn't know why or how he managed to ingest Rin's blood. Whew.

"O-Oh!" Renzou rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Right. That…"

The small monk nodded and smiled a little more confidently, "Yep. And now the teachers were about to tell us what they were doing while we were exorcising spirits. Remember the ward that we drew this afternoon? Well, apparently… they weren't actually wards…"

"Eh…?" The boy with pink hair gaped and then turned towards Yukio and Shura, who were both looking relatively calm about everything. What? 'Weren't actually wards'…? Then they were… snares? Instead of keeping demons away, they were actually trying to catch them?

"Heh," Shura snorted and sent them a shrug, "It's not really important for yer guys to know but since you insist…" The woman shared a look with Yukio, who nodded back with a short dip of his head.

"The reason we didn't tell you about it beforehand was because we didn't wish for anyone to be unnecessarily alarmed." Yukio began after pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose crisply, "Do you remember how we woke up and found the room to be in a mess?" The boys nodded wordlessly, keeping close attention to his explanation. "It was highly irregular that no one realized when such a thing had happened during the night. We thought it might be a demon or spirit that might have some unknown properties that could conceal its presence effectively… but it didn't seem like anything dangerous since it had only messed up the room when it could have easily wounded us that night. Therefore, we set up several traps around the mansion. In addition to the two rooms, we set several more areas in the second and first floors. Kirigakure-sensei and I regularly checked them throughout the day."

"So… that's what you were doin' when you left while we were plannin' how to scare Okumura and Moriyama…?" Bon blinked several times in surprise. Yukio nodded.

"Precisely. If we caught this demon, I believed we could study it and discover new abilities that have yet to be recorded in the database."

"Anyway," Shura interrupted with a wave of her hand, "Gettin' ter the point, seems like this demon was one of the smarter ones and never fell into any of the traps we left. When Rin was caught—for reasons we still don't know—and after he went into the room we marked up on our side, seems like the demon knew that it'd be trapped if it went in chasin' after him. So it stayed outside an' tried ta scare Rin back out by shaking the room."

Rin gaped at the fiery-haired woman. "Oh… i-is… is that so? So that's what all that shaking was for…?"

"Probably~" Shura chortled, "Judgin' from how long you said it took fer the shakin' to begin after findin' Shima in there, seems like it was right when we started to figure out how to counterattack. I'm guessin' the shaking got stronger when you two were in there 'cause it was gettin' desperate. Probably knew it'd be exorcised soon, nyaha~"

"Oh, but…" Rin gulped, eyes still reflecting confusion, "Wait! There's still something I don't get. If that place is supposed to trap demons, then how come I could get back out and bring Shima in…?"

The room fell silent for a while, eyes turned down in deep thought. Then, Yukio spoke up calmly.

"The traps have been tested and found highly effective on demons while allowing humans to go in and out freely. But not much is known about its effects on half-demons… so perhaps… it was because you are still half-human so you could still leave the room…?"

"Eh…?" Rin's eyes grew round and he was staring at Yukio as if it were the first time he had seen him. Yukio smiled gently. Then, he pat off his clothes and stood up from his chair at the head of the table.

"Well then, I believe we have all had quite a day… why don't we take another quick bath before retiring for bed?"

"O-Ou…" An awkward chorus of voices murmured across the room. There was a brief pause where they all stared at each other, still trying to properly process what had just been uncovered—the truth behind it all. But when Yukio finally nodded and began moving to the doors with a rustle of his clothes, the young exorcists shook themselves from their stupor and numbly followed after his lead. A steady cacophony of shuffling feet and chairs rose from the ground and soon they were all trampling off to the lobby again, returning to their respective halls. Renzou fell into step a few paces behind Rin. He looked from wall to wall, still adjusting to being conscious and safe with everyone once again.

Oh man… what a day… He shook his head, looking back on the day's events with disbelief. Who knew somethin' so small like a room getting messed up would end up bein' something like a demon capturing Okumura-kun…? As his thoughts rapidly took a turn for the blue-haired boy, he felt his cheeks turn pink. Images of Rin's exposed body began surfacing in his mind again, all too sudden with its clarity—the feeling of the boy's firm yet soft skin under his tongue, smooth and warm… the way Rin's body shivered and trembled from his every touch… Rin's voice, vulnerable and breathless in his ears…

Renzou swallowed heavily.

Oh shit… back then, Okumura-kun was so… s-so—!

He had to swallow again.How could a person be so tempting and enticing? So… addicting?The pink-haired boy had to mentally punch himself multiple times to prevent his thoughts from taking a hold of his lower body. Instead, he began to think of what he should do next. His relationship with Rin was now…? Renzou paled. Oh shit… w-what did I do…? I-I didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable around me but… at this rate, h-he'll definitely… He quickly shook his head. No, no…! I might be wrong. After all, he's still talking to me pretty normally… right? The boy's line of sight shifted towards Rin. Only one way to find out…!

"Ah, um… Okumura-kun…!" He exclaimed in an urgent tone, hand reaching out to grab Rin's arm. Renzou saw the blue-haired boy literally jump a foot into the air, tail shooting straight up in alarm. Their steps immediately came to a stop and Rin whipped his head behind him, eyes as wide as saucers.

"S-Shima, wha…?" When their gazes met again, Rin's arm seemed to tense under his hold. The blue-eyed boy hastily ducked his head down, cheeks turning a faint red. They were both silent for a second, each unable to speak—Renzou was stuck in place, enchanted by Rin's bashful demeanor, and the tips of Rin's ears were beginning to turn pink—until they seemed to realize that the rest of the group had also slowed to stare at them in confusion. Rin's head suddenly shot up and he gulped, wrenching his arm away as if he had just touched a scorching piece of coal. "E-Erm…" The boy's cheeks were a deep red, "… g-good to know that you're… feeling better…" Rin mumbled timidly, eyes darting off towards the walls. His body inched away from Renzou at every word he spoke and finally with a quick, "I'm, uh… gonna get a new set of clothes… f-for the bath s-so, uh… mm." And then, with a nod, he turned tail and dashed away, leaving the group behind.

"Ah! O-Okumura… kun…" Renzou stammered, hand frozen in the position of reaching for Rin.

"Wait! Brother, don't go off by yourself like that…!" Yukio called out anxiously and then sent Renzou a quick, scathing look before chasing after his blue-eyed twin brother. The pink-haired boy, however, was too preoccupied by his thoughts to take notice.

Okumura-kun, that was definitely… he's… obviously avoiding me, isn't he…?

Renzou groaned and slapped a hand over his eyes. Damn it… it was all going downhill. What would happen after today? Would Rin still let him be his friend? Would he still let him come close to him…? Did he… know how he felt about him now…? Just as he was about to start beating himself up over doing unnecessary things, a heavy hand on his arm startled him from his thoughts. The pink-haired boy blinked and looked through the cracks between his fingers. He gulped when he found Ryuuji standing in front of him, staring straight at him with a fierce gaze.

"Oi…" The boy with blonde-streaked hair started in a deep voice, eyes narrowing, "What the fuck did you do to him?"

"B-Bon…" Renzou murmured with guilt, hand lowering from his eyes. He found that he couldn't look away from the intense stare his best friend was giving him. It was a stare that was straightforward and honest, undoubtedly searching for clarity. He felt the fingers on his forearm constrict.

"Did you…?" Ryuuji trailed off to pause and clench his jaw together. After a second, he scowled and shifted his eyes off to one of the walls. His grip tightened to an almost bruising degree. "D-Did you… tell him…? Ya know… about… about how you…?"

Renzou flinched. His eyes fell to the floor and he gave a weak shake of his head. "N-No, not yet…" Ryuuji's head darted upwards in surprise. Then, he frowned deeply.

"Then… did you kiss him?"

W-Whaa…! K-Kiss…? Renzou felt his face heat up. It would've been amazing if he had but… it hadn't really been on his mind back then…

"No… I didn't…" The pink-haired boy mumbled slowly as he began imagining what it might have been like if he had tried kissing Rin after cleaning the blood off from his cheek. His face felt as though it were on fire. Urk! Why am I blushing so much over this…? I-I mean… I've already licked my way across half his arm and even got to hear his… voice when… ghh—! Renzou mentally slapped himself when he felt his cheeks turn an even brighter shade of red. S-Shit… I'm just makin' it worse…!

Ryuuji sent him a suspicious look. Then, he muttered faintly—soft enough that even Renzou could barely hear it, yet powerful enough to make his heart twinge.

"I'm not givin' up just yet… watch me." With that, the boy brushed past him and stalked off down the hall, in the direction of the lobby. Renzou gaped after his best friend's retreating figure. Then, his mouth clicked shut. A small smile spread across his lips.

Yeah… Bon's right. Me, too. He smirked, eyes starting to shine with conviction again. It might be awkward for Okumura-kun… and I might not know what'll happen from now on but… I won't be giving in either…! I don't want to! The image of Rin's flushed face resurfaced in his mind and his smirk turned to a soft smile. Not just yet…!

He could feel several pairs of eyes on him now and he jumped in place, finally noticing that Shura, Konekomaru, Shiemi, and Izumo were still standing with him. Shura was leaning against the wall and she was sending him a knowing look. As soon as they met eyes, the woman grinned and pushed herself off the wall. She then casually waved a hand at him and began trotting off towards the lobby, following after the previous three. Konekomaru looked slightly troubled, eyes constantly shifting from him to the direction of the lobby. Both Shiemi and Izumo, however, were looking straight at him: one with a slight pout and the other with a gentle stare.

Konekomaru was the first to speak.

"Umm… Shima-san," The boy smiled grimly, "I just want you to know that… I'm… not exactly on anyone's side so…" He let out a weak laugh and rubbed the back of one hand with his free palm in a sheepish manner, "No matter how this turns out, I'll… um… always be there for you guys."

Renzou blinked once. Ahh, Koneko-san… I didn't really think about it but… it's probably hard on him to see me and Bon competing like this against each other, huh. But even so… he still supports us… The pink-haired boy pulled on a wide grin and raised his arms up, locking his hands behind his head casually.

"Thanks, Koneko-san…~ Sorry… for all the trouble, ahaha~"

The small boy cracked a small smile and then shook his head gently, "Just… don't hurt each other too much, yeah? Haha…" They shared a chuckle. Then, Konekomaru waved his hand at him and calmly left down the hallway after the others. Renzou continued to watch his friend walk away.

Maybe… I should confess my feelings soon… He scratched the back of his head uncertainly, lips pressing together. After all, Okumura-kun already feels awkward around me… plus, he's starting to avoid me… what else do I have to lose? At least… well, I don't want to give up but… if he really doesn't want anything to do with me anymore, at least he'll know… and then I can move on… or somethin' like that…?

The pink-haired boy was startled from his thoughts by a strong gaze, searing holes into his head. He swallowed and then shifted his attention to the source of the gaze: a certain blonde whose fists were clenched into her skirt and trembling from head to toe. Her pout was now deeper than he had last seen it, almost like a scowl.

"M-Moriyama-san…?" He involuntarily gulped again, temporarily losing his train of thought. Shiemi was actually capable of staring at people in such a vicious way…?

"Shima-kun…" The girl started, voice slightly shaking but still firm, "Miwa-kun might be worried about you and Suguro-kun being hurt b-but…" She shut her eyes and burst out loudly, "I don't mind that you guys like Rin but…! B-But…!" Shiemi's eyes shot open again, fixed steadily on him, "I…! I won't forgive you guys if you hurt Rin…!"

"A-Ah…" Renzou had to take a step backwards, eyes growing round in shock. Shiemi frowned deeply.

"I don't know what you did to Rin but… he is obviously nervous around you for some reason!" Her hands held on tighter to the edge of her skirt, "Also! I don't know why you drank Rin's blood b-but… if I find out that you are doing something bad to Rin, I'll… I'll make sure that you hear from me again…!" The girl shouted and then heaved in several breaths of air.

Both Renzou and Izumo were frozen in place by now, staring at the blonde with bug-eyed expressions. Shiemi stiffened and then stared back at them, eyes just as wide. The girl gasped and covered her mouth with her hands hurriedly. Her cheeks were turning a rapid pink and she bowed in a rigid manner. "Ah! E-Excuse me… sorry, I… just… Rin is… to me… he is…" Her face was now turning a bright red and she quickly shook her head back and forth, "T-T-Thank you for listening to me…! I-I take my leave…" With another deep bow, she spun on her heel and began racing down the hallway, shoes clopping clumsily against the floor as she ran.

Renzou and Izumo gaped at the girl until she disappeared into the lobby. Then, Izumo parted her lips.

"That just…?"

"Yeah, that just happened…" Renzou nodded dumbly. The purple-haired girl wore a slightly bewildered look on her face. But it quickly changed to a small frown.

"Hmph," She scoffed, "It's just like her to be so unbecoming…" The pink-haired boy raised an eyebrow at Izumo, who was standing to his right. But then he chuckled when he noticed the slight twinkle of approval in the girl's eyes.

"You're…pfft…!" He had to stifle a laugh with his fist, "…so tsundere, dude."

The girl bristled at that comment. "E-Excuse me? H-How am I a tsundere?"

Renzou burst out laughing, "Bwuahaha! How are you not?"

Izumo seethed at him, cheeks a light pink. She turned away, beginning to stomp off towards the lobby.

"Ugh, I shouldn't have stayed behind…" She muttered irritably to herself, "And to think I even thought of trying to help you…"

"H-Huh?" Renzou followed after her with haste, "W-Wait, what did you just say…?" He could see her face turn visibly red and she spat out a ferocious, "Nothing!" The pink-haired boy jogged to catch up with the girl and he grabbed her by the shoulders. "No, wait! I thought I heard you say… you might help me…?"

Izumo flicked his hands away and then crossed her arms over her chest, face still warm.

"I was only thinking that… well… if you're having trouble getting your feelings across to that super oblivious guy… I…" She murmured in an annoyed manner, line of sight falling to the side shyly, "… might have some materials I can lend you… to help give you some ideas…"

Materials…?

"R-Really?" Renzou gaped at the girl in disbelief. Izumo was actually offering to help him that much…? But why all of a sudden…? He shrugged inwardly. Well… at this point, any kind of help would be nice… The pink-haired boy studied the girl for just a little longer, and then he grinned so brightly he could have lit up the hall in the dark. "Thanks, Izumo-chan…! You'll really help me?" Catching his hopeful smile, the girl whipped her head away, thoroughly embarrassed.

"D-Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm doing this for you…!" She huffed, "It's only because… well… that guy would probably be…" Izumo paused and then let out an irritated groan, "I-In any case, it's not because of you!"

"Haha~ I got it." Renzou continued to grin at her, causing the girl to roll her eyes in exasperation and then trot down the hall at a quicker pace. The two continued on together, trekking through the hall and into the lobby with amiable feelings passing between them. When they reached the center of the large and dimly lit room, Izumo waved her 'good night' with a curt promise to bring the 'materials' as soon as their next meeting for cram school lessons. He watched her leave, listening to her brisk steps across the floor and to the crisp sound of a door creaking opening and then closing. Soon the boy was left alone with only the door to the boy's hallway and his troubled thoughts to accompany him. Renzou sighed, letting his shoulders sag slightly. Then he ran a hand through his hair, letting his fingers linger in the strands a little longer than usual to offer himself some sort of comfort.

"Right…" He breathed out, closing his eyes for a second before opening them again and focusing on the large door to the left. The feeling of Rin throwing off his hand—the haunting memory of him running away from him only moments ago—surfaced in his mind like the pieces of a wrecked ship bobbing back up from deep water. A weak smile lifted the edges of his lips. "I guess… I better go face him…" He made a step towards the door, swallowing heavily when he noticed how that simple movement seemed to cause his entire stomach and chest to churn with nauseating dread. He took another step, sucking in a shaky breath as he thought of how Rin might react when he saw him. Would those blue eyes always run away from his gaze from now on…? Would there be no more text messages to each other? No more warm hugs or even the friendly arm slung across his shoulders? If he tried to hold the other boy's hand again or even try to touch him, would he shrink away as if he were bearing some sort of contagious disease?

His hand was on the handle of the door now. Renzou blinked once. He gaped at the door, surprised by how quickly he had made it there. Studying the old brass handle for a little longer, the boy with pink hair finally let out a short and barely audible laugh. "Let's get to it then…" As he opened the door, his mind began pulling out images of Rin again: the happy way his tail whipped back and forth when he hugged him… the concerned and hurt look on his face when he had knocked him to the floor that day after the movie… his eager and excited eyes peeping over the bus chair… the bashful blush across his cheeks when he shoved a can of bug spray towards him as a gift… Renzou felt his heart simultaneously clench and warm at the same time. He began walking at a steady pace towards the boy's room, quietly shutting the door behind him as he moved forward. And then a small smile drew up his lips again, this time filled with something strong yet gentle.

Ahh…

The boy took another step closer, smile growing increasingly wider even as his body continued to tremble with dread.

…after all, I still can't give you up so easily, can I?

.:.

He was right. Ever since he saw Rin again, the blue-haired boy would shy away from him and pointedly avoid making eye contact. During the bath with all the boys together, Rin remained dead silent with his eyes glued to his feet. The boy's entire body turned a heated red color every time Renzou as much as lifted a toe in his direction.

They were now in their sleeping quarters, all placing their daily clothes back into their bags and preparing for the night. Renzou felt his heart pang again when he saw Rin physically flinch backward as he accidentally moved closer to him to reach for his duffel bag. He sighed inwardly. I knew it… h-he's totally freaked out by me… w-what should I do? Aahh, this is so hard…!

Just when he thought he couldn't take it any longer, a handful of chopsticks was thrust in front of him. Renzou blinked in surprise, eyes round and fixed on the welcome interruption.

"H-Huh?" He voiced, eyes darting up to find Konekomaru staring back at him with a nervous smile. The smaller boy glanced down to the floor and then began speaking loud enough so that the others in the room could hear.

"Umm… yesterday we decided that we'd change sleeping partners with another round… r-right? S-So… I thought… we should go backwards this time…" The boy laughed softly and raised a finger up to scratch his cheek, "Shima-kun was last so… how 'bout you go first this time…?"

The boys in the room paused to stare at the small monk, eyes flickering towards the handful of chopsticks. Takara was the first to move, immediately showing his disinterest by taking the sofa once again. Renzou jumped from his stupor a few seconds afterward.

"Oh! R-Right… uhh… thanks, aha ha…" He chuckled weakly and then tentatively plucked out one of the chopsticks with a quick mutter of, "I'll take this one then…"

It was purple.

He stared at the color for a moment, letting a soft smile spread across his lips. If Rin picked this color… then maybe he could get a chance to talk to him… He shook his head. Haha… I doubt it'll happen, what with my luck so far but… it would be nice if it did happen… Konekomaru was now standing in front of Rin, holding out that handful of chopsticks to him. Renzou couldn't help eyeing them, hopes still painfully rising in his chest despite his efforts to crush it. This time Rin seemed less eager to participate in the game. His fingers touched one of the sticks and he immediately drew that one out. Renzou felt his mind go blank when he saw the color.

Eh…?

Purple.

He noticed Rin visibly stiffen and the boy's eyes were darting back and forth between the two sticks so fast Renzou was surprised he hadn't keeled over from dizziness. The pink-haired boy could faintly hear Ryuuji's voice exclaim, "Konekomaru, you—?" followed by a horrified squeak of, "N-No! I didn't…!" from the small monk. But those sounds barely registered in his mind. All he could see was that pair of chopsticks—that color of purple which gave him a new chance to connect himself back to Rin—and the utter look of pale fear draining into Rin's face. He instinctively winced at the other boy's expression. Rin looking like that… i-it was completely wrong! Just like how he shouldn't look sad either… Rin shouldn't have that kind of expression on his face…

He… he had to fix this…!

His ears began tuning back into his surroundings as he quickly came to a decision. Konekomaru had already gone around to Yukio and Ryuuji by now. Both had picked green and needless to say, the two had begun gaping at each other in horror. Renzou took this moment to clear his throat and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, feinting a casual and nonchalant attitude.

"Umm…" His eyes were focused on Rin, who was (for the first time since he had first run away) staring back into his eyes again. Seeing those round and bright blue eyes aimed towards him again brought a more relaxed smile to Renzou's lips. He chuckled softly, "Okumura-kun, how about we redo this?" The pink-haired boy waved the little purple chopstick in the air, "After all, if we leave those two guys together," He nodded towards Ryuuji and Yukio, who were now both staring at him with wide and disbelieving eyes, "They might get into a huge fight in the middle of the night, haha! That'd suck… right?" He grinned widely, trying to hold down the throbbing feeling threatening to hurl from his chest. It was true that he didn't want to give up but… if Rin really disliked it that much… if he disliked the idea of having to sleep beside him, to have to feel his presence so close to him, to the degree of making that sort of face… there was no way Renzou could continue to try and force it.

"No!"

The splitting cry suddenly rang out like a slap across the silence. Renzou blinked once and then stared at the blue-eyed boy, feeling as though his world were spinning once again.

"W-Wha…?"

Rin's hands were clenched so tightly together his knuckles had turned white. His expression on his face now read of panic and almost desperation. The chopstick with the bit of purple color on the end was shaking in his right fist.

"N-No…! I…" He swallowed, eyes darting across Renzou's face wildly, "I… I…!" Rin squeezed his eyes shut and then shouted loudly, "I want to sleep with Shima…!" As soon as he released that statement, the boy's cheeks flushed with red. His blue eyes widened for a split second before he quickly covered it with a nervous scowl and hastily crossed his arms over his chest, turning away so that the other boys had difficulty seeing his entire face, "A-After all… it'd be totally lame to redo this…! You know? B-Because… well… b-because… the chopsticks have spoken! So… s-so… y-yeah…! We can't go against it, right?"

"Aaah…" Was all Renzou could come up with in response. After all, his heart was now beating all too fast and his stomach was doing the most atrocious yet simultaneously most amazing flops inside his body.

Rin… had rejected his offer…

Rin… didn't dislike him…

In fact, Rin… might even… like him? As in… like him?

…he could interpret it that way… r-right…?

He wasn't getting his hopes up too high… was he…?

Rin threw an irritated glance at him, cheeks still a dark pink, and then he growled when he noticed that the rest of the boys had similarly halted in movement after his outburst. The blue-haired boy frowned and grunted out an angry, "Come on, guys…! Let's go to sleep already, dammit!" He stormed up towards Konekomaru and then marched the boy over to the bed closest to the window again. After flinging the boy down on the sheets, Rin dashed back to grab both Ryuuji and Yukio by the wrists. "We still need to wake up early tomorrow, right?" He pulled them roughly across the floor and then forced their backs down onto the bed closest to the door. Finally, he whirled around on Renzou and his cheeks seemed to pink over again. The boy averted his eyes and then reached for the pink-haired boy's hand. He grasped it nervously at first but then immediately tightened his hold in resolve, dragging Renzou to the center bed.

The boy with pink hair could only let out a startled yelp as the backs of his knees hit the edge of the bed and he was shoved down onto the blankets by Rin's Herculean strength, as he had done to the others before him. Renzou was still processing the part where Rin had accepted being his sleeping partner. But now, in addition to that, he had to revel in the fact that the other boy was also finally talking to and touching him like normal again. With so many things going through his mind, there was just absolutely no room for him to respond. And so one moment, he found that his back was hitting the firm mattress and soft sheets. The next, he could hear Rin yell out an angry, "G'night!" before the lights flicked off in an impromptu manner. And then he felt Rin crawl in from the foot of the bed. Although he couldn't see exactly where the blue-haired boy was, he could feel that the other boy had flung himself down towards his left side. After an angry but conclusive huff of breath into their shared pillow, the room finally became still.

Renzou had a feeling that all the boys (besides Rin and Takara) were now just staring at the blindingly dark ceiling in stunned silence.

What… just…?

For a couple of minutes, he could only stare blankly upwards. How did they get from over there to… here? And it's so dark all of a… sudden? A shuffle of sheets from his right side brought him out from his thoughts and he glanced over, noticing that Konekomaru had recovered first and was already settling into his blankets. He heard a reluctant groan and low, unhappy muttering from his left side. That was probably Ryuuji and Yukio giving in to their predicament. And then there was… Rin.

He chanced a small glimpse at the blue-haired boy, nearly taking an intake of breath when he found Rin's vivid blue eyes staring back at him from just mere inches away. The boy's irises were just so beautiful with the moonlight and starlight streaming in from the window, reflecting off of the blue so that it seemed to almost shimmer and glow… Rin immediately tensed up and even with the light of the moon so dim in the room, Renzou could tell that his face was a burning red.

"I-Idiot!" The blue-haired boy suddenly smashed the palm of his hand into Renzou's face, pushing away at his cheek with such force that his neck nearly received whiplash. Rin was whispering harshly at him now, releasing an angry exclamation of, "Why the hell are you looking here? Turn that way…!"

Renzou was yet again stunned. Rin's hand was still pressing against his cheek fervently, pushing him so that his line of sight was directly facing the window. As the pink-haired boy took a moment to blink, he swallowed and began to tremble. A giddy feeling was rapidly rising from his stomach, searing and soaring up his veins and causing a hot warmth to spread all across his body. He could feel the heat shooting directly up into his face.

"O-Oh… y-yeah, sorry… um… mm…" The boy with pink hair managed to whisper as he slowly turned away and stared at the form of Konekomaru's back with wide eyes. Rin's hand withdrew from him but he still had to clamp his lips together, pressing them into a firm line so that he could put a stop to that wobbling smile threatening to burst out.

Okumura-kun… do you like me…? Renzou trembled again, battling with himself and trying to decide if he should just ask straight out right now or if he should wait until another day when he was more prepared. I want to know… His heart was beating so loudly that he was sure Rin could hear it. I really want to know…!

But before he had the chance to say anything, he heard a whisper come from behind him and he felt the rapid pulse rushing through his body screech to a stop.

"… sorry, Shima…" Rin murmured quietly, "I… accidentally heard you… erm…"

Accidentally heard me…? Renzou felt his heart begin to speed up again, now for a different reason. A-Accidentally heard me do w-what…? There was a loud silence following after Rin's voice. It was stifling and in that silence, it became almost difficult to listen for their sounds of breathing. But after a minute (and Renzou could distinctly hear the sound of Rin's lips parting to speak) he continued.

"Erm… remember when we were still in the room together? Well… just before everyone else got in the room… and—"

"Ahem," There was a clear cough from Yukio, cutting cleanly through his twin brother's sentence, "Brother. Stop chatting. We need to sleep and wake up early. You said so yourself. So, 'Go to Sleep'." The boy's tone was crisp and cold. It left no room for questioning. Renzou heard Rin cut himself off with a brief, "O-Ou… night…" and then felt the boy nod silently into their shared pillow, leaving another heavy silence to weigh down upon them. Renzou, whose heart was still beating heavily against his chest from anticipation and anxiety, couldn't close his eyes.

D-Damn it…! Why did that bastard have to pick that moment to interrupt…? W-What was Okumura-kun trying to tell me…? He said he heard me accidentally…? What was he sayin'? Argghh! Damn you, sensei…! He chewed on his bottom lip and tried clenching his eyes closed. But he only felt more stressed out by doing that. Eventually, Renzou settled on keeping his eyes dully open, attempting to blank out until he bored himself into a sleep-like state.

I guess… I'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what he wants to say, huh…

Through his half-lidded eyes he saw Konekomaru shift again slightly, to adjust his blanket over his shoulder. Renzou's light brown eyes steadily drew towards the window and he couldn't help but stare out, idly hoping that the shadowy swaying of tree branches would put him to sleep as soon as possible.

But suddenly, he felt a small shift in the sheets behind him. Rin was moving? Shortly afterward, he heard a voice softer than the rustling of leaves speak,

"…Shima?"

Renzou's breath caught in his throat. O-Okumura-kun…? Then, he felt a light nudge to his shoulder. It was accompanied with a timidly whispered, "Shima… are you sleeping…?" and the adorable words managed to light up a warm, surging feeling through his veins all over again.

Renzou gaped at the window in disbelief.

H-He's still awake…! His heart was pounding. His stomach was leaping. He still wants to talk to me… he stayed awake… to talk to me…!

The pink-haired boy swallowed and then made a quiet noise of acknowledgement, "Mm. 'm still awake…"

He could hear Rin's voice tinged with surprise as he spoke again.

"O-Oh…! …g-good…! Uhh… 'cause, well… I still… wanted to talk to you about how… h-how you—"

An irritated and long grunt of frustration abruptly left Ryuuji's lips, startling Rin into sucking his breath back in. There was also the violent turn of blankets, suggesting that the boy with blonde-streaked hair had angrily changed positions. As for Rin… the boy had shut up again.

Renzou felt his stomach drop.

Argh! DAMMIT, BON…!

After that, he didn't hear Rin speak again for a long while. For a few minutes (that felt more like hours), Renzou laid still on his side, hoping beyond hope that Rin wouldn't give in and would attempt to speak to him again. But another handful of minutes went wasted to the silence and there was no sign that the blue-eyed boy would try again. However, just as he began losing hope of hearing from the other boy (and he was also starting to nod off into a restless sleep) Rin shifted again. He could hear the other boy shuffle uncomfortably, as if he were fidgeting nervously against the sheets.

"…Shima…?" The blue-haired boy whispered again, managing to lower his voice to an even softer degree than before.

!

Okumura-kun~~! Renzou fought back an urge to turn and scoop Rin into his arms. Instead, he answered with a hasty, "Yep…! 'm awake…!" which further sent his heart into a frenzied race. Pleeeaaase…! Let them be asleep by now! Please, please, please… don't let them interrupt again…!

He felt Rin stiffen momentarily before relaxing back into the mattress.

"O-Ou… good, still awake… so…" The boy paused awkwardly and shifted again, "Uhh… as… I was saying before… uh… sorry about accidentally hearing, erm…"

R-Right…! You accidentally heard something… A-And…?

"… you were kind of out of it because of the mashou so… you probably don't remember saying it but… umm…" Renzou had to strain his ears to hear Rin finish his sentence, "… you said… you… wanted me to stop scaring you…"

Renzou's muscles tensed. His eyes grew round. What…? T-That thing that he had been thinking about… He had said that out loud…? He didn't even realize it…

"U-Uhh… s-sorry. I accidentally heard…"

"Okumura-kun," He heard himself whisper in a hoarse tone. He winced at himself but continued on, about to explain to the other boy what he had meant by saying that. I don't want him to think that I'm literally scared of him… Renzou began to turn back towards the other boy, the beginnings of a sentence at the tip of his tongue, "I—" But a light kick to his foot cut him off and he heard Rin mutter in annoyance,

"Oi, I haven't finished what I wanted to say yet! Lemme finish first, okay? A-And don't turn around, stupid…!"

Renzou had to swallow, bottling down his urges—to do exactly the opposite of what Rin requested—again and again. Why did something so insignificant seem to fill his heart and body with such desire…? (Seriously, being told not to turn and look at the other boy shouldn't make him feel so happy…!) When he was finally sure his voice wouldn't fail him too much, he gave a small nod towards the window.

"…o-okay."

Rin seemed satisfied by that answer. "Er, where was I…? Uh… o-oh yeah… umm, s-sorry again but… you… looked really sad when you said that so…" The boy's whispers trailed off for a moment, likely taking a pause to properly form the right words he wanted to say. Renzou could imagine Rin scrunching his eyebrows together and lips drawn together thoughtfully. Within another few seconds or so, the blue-eyed boy began again, "I… um, thought about a lot of things after that… about what you said to me when you were all angry… and about what I said and what I did… and then, after Yukio said that thing about me being half-human, I think I realized something…" Renzou nodded again as Rin paused to lick his lips, "I realized that… I'm… I'm really glad that I'm who I am…"

It was silent for a while but after a few seconds, Renzou replied with a soft, "Oh…?" to encourage the other boy to continue. He felt Rin nod into the pillow behind him.

"Yeah… I wasn't happy about it before… I guess that's why you heard me say all that stuff about being a demon and stuff… to be honest, I guess I've always been having a hard time… with accepting it… I guess what I said to you was mostly what I was actually trying to say to myself, but…" Renzou felt Rin scuffle a little closer towards him. Another scoot and he could feel the tingling sensation of skin only a brief motion away from touching another person's skin. The pink-haired boy felt his heart begin to start up its all-too-fast pace again. Then, it nearly exploded when Rin's hand all too suddenly touched his back. Rin's fingers were now clinging to the back of his shirt; it was a foreign warmth that sent massive amounts of fuzzy, electric waves buzzing up and down throughout his body.

"Umm… Shima…?"

"H-Huh…?" He could barely stutter. Rin snickered gently and the fingers which were gripped into his shirt tightened just a fraction.

"If I weren't half-human… I never would've been able to get you inside the room… and who knows what would've happened to you. But… if I weren't half-demon either… I never would've been able to save you and see you alive like this afterward so… ehee," The blue-eyed boy chuckled, the breaths from his laughter a soft and light staccato against Renzou's back, "I'm glad… that I'm like this…" His whispers grew softer, settling into a content tone, "Yeah… I'm really glad…"

Okumura-kun…

Renzou swallowed for the umpteenth time that day. W-What should I do…? I can't… hold it in anymore…! Arghhh—! He gnawed down on his bottom lip, eyes wavering back and forth across the expanse of visible night sky through the window. Then he let out a silent grunt of frustration to himself. Whatever! I j-just… I… HAVE TO! ARRGHHH—!

There was a whish! of blankets and suddenly, before he even realized what he had done, he was face to face with a surprised Rin. After a split second stare, Rin's eyes immediately grew round and his cheeks turned a bright red.

"I-Idi—! Didn't I tell you to look that way…? Stupid…!" The boy flung his hand towards Renzou's face again. But this time, expecting the motion, the pink-haired boy caught the other boy's hand. Rin gaped at the hand in bewilderment and then tried to pull away. But Renzou held on fast. The boy gulped and his eyes darted from the entwined hands to Renzou's face then back to the hands again. Finally, the pair of blue eyes settled on the small space of sheets between them and a reluctant mumble of acceptance released from Rin's lips.

"Okumura-kun…" Renzou smiled gently, watching the other boy fix his eyes to the point between them with unbreakable concentration. Under the light of the moon, he continued to watch Rin, noting every beautiful curve of his face being illuminated in the pale glow. When he murmured his name, he saw Rin tentatively peer at him again before returning to stare at the spot he had been looking at. But this time, the blue-eyed boy wore a barely visible smile on the corners of his mouth. An overwhelming rush to pull the other boy into his arms and to kiss him silly began erupting all across Renzou's body.

This guy… I love him… I really love him, don't I…

Renzou continued to study Rin closely, transfixed by that hint of a smile, and he slowly inched his head closer and closer towards the blue-haired boy. His eyes fell half-closed and just as he was about to reach Rin, the other boy muttered a quiet, "Erm…"

Renzou pulled back with a jolt, eyes snapping wide open again.

"H-Huh? Yeah?"

He saw Rin smile a little wider and turn pink in the face again.

"Uh… remember when you said that… it wasn't about being a demon or a human… you just… didn't want to see me hurt or bleeding…?"

Renzou nodded numbly, still trying to cope with the fact that he had yet again given into his desires so easily. He really did have a hard time stopping his body from doing what it wanted, didn't he…

Rin began fidgeting with a part of the blanket, using his free hand to rub the fabric pieces together. "So I guess… that means that I'm kinda… pretty important to you… r-right?"

The pink-haired boy couldn't stop himself from blushing intensely. After all, the way Rin was asking around the main question was… cute…! Plus, if he admitted it to Rin right now… it would be just like a confession, wouldn't it…? He let a few seconds pass and he was sure that both he and Rin were probably holding their breaths in anticipation. Then, finally… he gave a small nod of his head. His eyes fell on Rin, looking for the other's reaction despite the fact that it was embarrassing to do so (because he was probably blushing the reddest he had ever blushed in his entire life so far)…

Rin still wasn't looking at him but his fidgeting had stopped and the hand that was being held by his own hand had twitched faintly. The blue-haired boy then shifted his head down a little, as though ducking into his chest to hide his face.

"Hmm…" Renzou heard the other boy voice quietly. After another second, he felt Rin's hand endearingly squeeze his in their entwined fingers. The pink-haired boy gasped silently, staring down at the blue-haired boy with a surprised expression. Then, he couldn't help but grin, giving a little squeeze back. The two boys exchanged playful squeezes through their clasped hands and Renzou chuckled inwardly to himself.

Awesome… looks like things are good between us… in fact, it might even be better…! T-This is like a dream come true…! He felt like crying that last sentence out loud, feeling completely relieved and happy now. Maybe he didn't need Izumo's help anymore… maybe he should just try simply asking Rin out on a date or something…? As he began to calm down from his high, Renzou immediately noticed two searing gazes blazing from behind Rin's back.

W-Wha?

Ryuuji and Yukio's eyes were flashing at him like the glint of blades under the moonlight.

Oh crap, those two were still awake…? Or were we too loud and woke them up…? But man… I totally forgot that we weren't alone… w-wow… so it is true that when you're with someone you like, everything else seems to fade away sometimes…

They were still glowering at him, Ryuuji being the closest and looking extremely intimidating with his slightly disheveled appearance. However, with Yukio looming behind Ryuuji and sending a glare at him through squinted eyes, unframed by his usual glasses, somehow the scene made Renzou want to laugh instead of shrink backwards in fear. He stifled down his chuckles and sent Rin one last squeeze before releasing him. He then turned on his side again, hoping that the two jealous boys hadn't noticed the look of amusement in his eyes. Now that he was facing the window again, safe from Ryuuji and Yukio's suspicious gazes, he brought a hand up to muffle his mouth, body shaking from all the mirth and joy bubbling within him. He heard Rin ask a curious, "Shima…?" and he shifted his head around to grin in return.

"We should go to sleep, right? Night, Okumura-kun~"

Rin blinked back at him a few times. Then, he nodded and sent a smile back, ducking his head down to his chest again timidly.

"O-Ou…"

Renzou chuckled at the sight and had to give the other boy a brief tousle of his hair affectionately. He smirked and then quickly turned back around to evade the pair of increasingly blazing looks directed at him. After a minute of silence, Rin spoke up again in a soft whisper.

"Shima…?"

Renzou raised an eyebrow. Was there something bothering Rin?

"Hmm…?"

"…u-uhh… uhhh…" He heard the blue-haired boy stutter out nervously. He was about to turn around to see what was wrong when he suddenly heard a groan of exasperation. The next thing he knew, Rin had somehow slung his arms around his middle and was giving him a warm embrace from behind. Renzou froze.

N-No way… is this really happening…? Okumura-kun… giving me his own hug…? Ahh~ He's so cute! But waaaah…! N-No way… this is a dream, isn't it? This is a dream, right? But don't let it be a dream, pleeeaaase…!

The boy with pink hair felt his face grow warm and he could feel Rin's own heated face pressed against his back, close to the crook of his neck.

"Good…" Rin's voice mumbled into his shirt, "…g-good night…"

For a few seconds, the two trembled and tensed up against each other quietly, both equally unsure of what to do next. It took a while for them to ease out the tension in their muscles. But soon, Renzou relaxed into the touch, elated by the other boy's affectionate gesture.

It's all worth it after all… gettin' all stressed out over someone you love… all for a moment like this… He sighed contently and he felt Rin snuggle closer to him, likely comfortable with their new position already. Renzou moved his arm to touch Rin's hand again, covering the other boy's hand up with his own. He had the urge to take the hand and bring it up to his mouth, to kiss it a dozen times over. And then after that… he would lick the fingers suggestively or something… and then maybe~?

Renzou quickly shook his head. No no, this shouldn't be the time for perverted thoughts, right…? Oh yeah, and there were other dudes in the room! No way in hell was he gonna let them hear Rin's breathless and vulnerable voice from when they were stuck in the demon's dimension…!

…

…but it should be okay to fantasize, right?

And so, the boys eventually all found their way into sleep. Some had to sustain restless sleeps—one even had nightmares about pink colored wolves eating up his beloved little cat-eared brother (no matter how many times he'd gone wolf-hunting, that damned thing would still reappear!). Others fell into a blissful and peaceful sleep, content with the aftermath of a grueling day. As for one boy, however… for the longest time, he lay awake with his eyes closed, using the black backdrop as his screen for playing out various scenes involving himself and a certain blue-eyed boy. And as he dreamed and dreamed, grinning to himself stupidly while caressing the hand of the one he loved, the pink-haired boy eventually nodded off to the night, eager to greet a new morning.

.:.