Author's Notes: Argh, sorry again for the delay. Things just kept coming up and lately, it just seems like I rarely get time to write. There's a little more details about why the delays in my user profile if for some reason you're really interested, but for now let's get to the story.

Aww, I think this is one of the few chapters without the insanity/comedy of Bank/Jak or Hiten/Kaguya in it to spice up the situation. But hey, when you have two conchs like Suikotsu and Kikyou, you need some crazy form of entertainment around. Anyways, don't worry. Our two other unique duos will be back in full force next chapter. (since I love them all so much. :P)

Enjoy!

Aussie slang:

'right' – in some cases is the same as 'okay'

'pyjamas' – just the way they spell 'pajamas'

'fair dinkum' – true, genuine. Often referring to a loyal or true gentlman.

'knock back'- refuse

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Chapter 10: Finding Warmth

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Kikyou slowly opened her eyes as she felt movement going on around her. Looking through the murky night, she could discern the figure of Suikotsu against the storm clouds above. The helicopter leaving echoed in her ears as she glanced about to discern her location.

"Mr. Suikotsu…"

"Ah, Miss Kikyou. We're home now. I'm going to get you inside where it's warm."

"Thank you, Mr. Suikotsu."

"What happened?" Chiyo questioned from the doorway.

Suikotsu smiled and patted her gently on the head as he walked into the house, Kikyou still cradled in his arms.

"Miss Kikyou and I just got caught out in the flood- that's all. We'll be right once we get under some warm blankets."

The young girl nodded, as Bankotsu and Jakotsu followed the doctors in.

"Well rest all you want, but in the morning I want the full details of how battling a flood somehow gets her without her clothes and you without your shirt," Jakotsu remarked with a smirk from behind them.

Both Suikotsu and Kikyou simultaneously frowned, "It's called hypothermia."

Leaving the stunned rancher in their wake, they continued down the hallway towards the bedroom.

"Well…I think we got our answer," Bankotsu quipped, earning himself a light shove from his companion, "What?"

"Oh hush."

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Gently laying Kikyou down on the bed, the brown-haired doctor stepped back a moment.

"I'm going to go get some towels. Just rest for now."

She nodded, pulling the blanket closer about herself. Momentarily, her mind flashed a memory from her past into her mind.

"Are you staying in here all night again? Aren't you cold?"

"Tsubaki…" The young nurse looked up from where she sat huddled in the chair by a patient's bed.

"You'll get sick yourself at this rate, you fool."

"He was lonely…" She replied absently looking at the man in the bed before her.

"He's sleeping. He's probably having dreams about wherever it is he came from."

"The US. He said he came from the US."

"Good for him. Then once he's well he can go back there."

"Tsubaki, you act like you're jealous."

"I just don't trust him."

"And who said I did?"

"Maybe that's the problem…" Tsubaki muttered turning to leave.

Kikyou tugged the thin hospital sheet closer around her.

"He's far from home and has no one here for him. He's alone… just like me."

Shaking it from her mind, she sighed, "Now… I'm the one far from home…"

She could hear the footsteps slowly drawing nearer.

"Okay Miss Kikyou, I was able to find a few in the dark."

A light noise came from the end of the bed and Kikyou figured he'd probably brought the entire stock of the household's towels.

"We should get you dried off right away."

"Aren't you a bit chilled as well, Mr. Suikotsu?"

Realizing that he was indeed still without a shirt on himself, he laughed.

"I suppose I got so caught up in worrying about you that I forgot to worry about myself."

"Worrying…about me?" Kikyou's mind echoed.

Taking up one of the towels from the pile, he draped it around his shoulders.

"But if I'm cold you must be freezing," He remarked leaning towards where she was on the bed.

He pressed a gently hand to her forehead, and Kikyou felt her heart jump lightly at the unexpected contact.

"Just as I thought. A fever, I'll have to see if I can find some medicine in the dark."

"Oh that's quite all right. I'll be fine," She protested, not wanting him to trouble himself so on her behalf.

"It's the least I can do for someone who saved my life and helped me so much, Miss Kikyou."

She knew he was smiling then, even if the room was still too dark to tell, she could feel the kind, warm smile in his words.

"What is it about him…" Her mind questioned as he left the room.

Unknowingly, she found her hand falling over her heart.

"Then again, that stunt was definitely one of the most daring things I've ever done my entire life."

Thinking back over the incident, her mind paused on the odd change that had occurred to the kind-doctor.

"That evil side, Mr. Suikotsu- was that just because of the strain and injuries to your head or…was it something else? You tell me… you've killed someone, but- I don't see even the tiniest sign of a killer in your eyes. Who are you Suikotsu? A bitter killer or a kind doctor? Which one is the real you?"

She clutched the blanket closer to her, a chill moving down her body.

"How can he be a murderer when his heart is so pure?"

"Miss…Kikyou?" Suikotsu's voice said nervously as he came in the room and she fell silent. Uncertain as to what he'd heard.

"Yes?"

"Just keep talking so I can find you in the darkness."

"So he didn't hear… that or he chose to ignore it…"

"I'm right here, Mr. Suikotsu."

He drew closer to the voice and reached out to assure where she was; his hand lightly resting on her arm.

"Hold out your hand, I have some medicine."

Her chilled hand grasped his and took the small pills from it, swallowing each one with ease.

"Just a moment and I'll get you some warm clothes as well."

A light rustling and a few footsteps were all she heard before the sound of a dresser drawer being opened and rummaged through.

On finding what he was searching for, Suikotsu returned to the bedside.

"Sorry for the delay, it's a bit troublesome in the dark."

"No worries, Mr. Suikotsu. I'm quite all right," She replied, a light sneeze betraying her vote of confidence.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he lightly wrapped a towel around her shoulders; his hand lingering on her arm.

The dark night hid the blush Suikotsu felt burning on his cheeks, but he took a deep breath and bravely made his move.

First, his hand reached up to her damp hair. His fingers running through the strands as he gently freed them from the loose tie that held them. The night seemed to reverently fall silent leaving nothing but her light breathing heard above the light rumble of thunder in the distance.

Shakily, he cupped her chin in his hand. His mind and heart racing, yet pushing him forward nonetheless.

Kikyou was at a loss for the mixed feelings running through her mind. A small voice reprimanded her- telling her that he could be a killer deep down. That he wasn't someone to trust or get involved with. But, that small voice was easily drowned out by the beating of her heart.

Something within her drove her to move, her own unsteady hand reaching up to lay over Suikotsu's.

And as if drawn together by some force beyond them, they slowly found their bodies leaning towards each other; their lips meeting lightly.

"Hey! Suikotsu- I found the lantern finally," Jakotsu called from the other room. The glow of the light shining down the hallway as he neared.

The two doctors jolted apart at the voice and before either could say or think more, Suikotsu stood to go retrieve the lantern.

"Thanks…uh… where was it?" He asked awkwardly as he opened the door.

"It was where you told me to get it from, where else?" Jakotsu asked perplexed, then with a smirk, he trailed off, "Sorry, I guess I was disturbing something…"

"Jakotsu!" Suikotsu protested, but he knew his blushing face in the light of the lantern betrayed it.

"We'll take care of the children for tonight. Bankotsu has the other lantern. You just take care of your special 'patient'" The black-haired man replied with a laugh, turning to go back down the hallway.

Awkwardly retreating back into the room, Suikotsu reached for the item he'd earlier taken from the drawer.

"Here… it's some warm pyjamas. It should keep you warm."

Kikyou could hear the quake in his voice, and desperately wanted to tell him it was all right.

"It was partially my doing as well, Suikotsu…" Her thoughts noted. And embarrassed by that admission, she remained silent.

She heard the footsteps retreating and the door swinging closed behind him. Part of her feared he was leaving her alone for the night, too embarrassed himself to be near her anymore. The other part of her, the part she was desperately trying to ignore, hoped that he'd come back.

Running her fingers over the bundle of fabric he'd handed her, she created a picture of it in her mind.

"It must be some of his old ones. Flannel and worn with time…"

Reaching up, she mussed her hair with the towel, but her mind was elsewhere.

"I'm acting a bit…unlike myself today I suppose. First being so overly daring as to help him, then being so bold as to encourage that…that…"

Kikyou desperately longed to viciously paint the scene as something it wasn't. To turn it into a situation where she'd let her guard down to an attack. An attack on her heart which was slowly crumbling its barriers.

But as much as she wanted to. As much as she wanted to shift the blame elsewhere and ignore that it had ever occurred. She found she couldn't.

"That…kiss…" Her mind finally allowed itself to think it.

Tugging the warm pyjamas around her, and dually noting how their large size seemed to envelop her smaller stature, she couldn't help but wonder.

"Was that his first kiss? He seems so timid, even though he is an attractive man…"

She frowned at herself, not sure why her mind had chosen to note his appearance as such.

"Then again," Kikyou thought to herself as she lay back against the pillows and pulled the blankets over her, "It was mine as well. Are we both such the type of people that we've avoided contact with others until now? Or it is because of his past that he's afraid to get close to someone? Isn't that what I've been doing up until now?"

"Miss Kikyou?"

His timid voice broke her from her thoughts.

"Mr. Suikotsu?"

She sat up and tried to find his figure in the darkness.

"Sorry to leave so abruptly. I just needed to get something warm for myself to wear. Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes. Thank you."

She could sense the warmth of his hand near her's on the bed, and he lightly patted it.

"Then I'd best let you rest…"

As he turned to leave, Kikyou found herself reaching out and grasping his wrist. Her mind was burning with many questions, and she needed to at least find some answers.

"If I'm in your bed, then where will you sleep?"

He laughed lightly like it was nothing, "I'll just lie out on the floor, I suppose. Bankotsu and Jakotsu have already taken to the kitchen table and the children each have their beds. Souten's in the guest room and Manten's still resting on the patient's bed. I guess I'm just not prepared for so many visitors in one day."

Kikyou let her mind recall the layout of his bedroom from earlier that afternoon. She knew the bed was quite ample enough space for two people and after their previous experience in the helicopter, would it really be so bad?

"This is your bedroom, though."

"Miss Kikyou, I couldn't! Not after I…"

Her hand slid down his arm and gently clasped hand.

"Stay."

"What are you saying?" Her mind flared at her own request.

"But I couldn't…"

"We're both probably still chilled. It would do us both good to stay warm now."

He gulped, his face flaring red then shaking the racy thoughts he knew were his friends' fault from his mind

"I trust you to behave yourself. I know you're a true gentleman."

Suikotsu paused at that, a light smile alighting on his face.

"A fair dinkum, am I? I think that's the first time someone's called me out as such without using it as a teasing mockery."

Drawing closer to the bed and hesitantly pulling back the blankets, his mind continued to think things over.

"I guess I can't knock back an offer like that."

The room fell silent as they both lay on their respective sides of the bed. It seemed like it would continue that way throughout the night until Kikyou found she could no longer withhold a sneeze.

"Are you cold?" Suikotsu asked, voice conveying the worry Kikyou knew etched his face.

"I suppose the chill still hasn't left me."

"I could hold you," The words tumbled from his mouth, and he stumbled to cover it, "I mean- it's just when the children all…I…"

He felt her finger pressed against his lips.

"You have no reason to defend yourself."

"Miss Kikyou."

Moving closer she felt the protective feeling of his arm wrapping around her back, and she laid her head forward on his chest.

"Why is it, he makes me…open up like this?" Kikyou's mind raced, uncertain of her own audacity as of late.

"Why is it…he makes me…feel safe?" Her mind persisted.

Then thinking back to the kiss from before, she allowed herself one last thought for the night.

"I've been drawn to lonely souls before but…but this one…is different. This time… it might be more than just friendship I'm seeking."

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Preview for Chapter 11:

The day after a flood is never easy. It's even more troublesome when having to explain why you spent the night in a bed with someone else.