For the third Sunday in a row, Suichi crawled into bed with a dejected sigh. I don't understand… he never skips three weeks in a row! He's always here at least every other weekend, if not every weekend… Yoko, where are you? Suichi curled up around his pillow, the prospect of the next day looming over him.

The redhead had started to pull his life back on track, trying to put the past where it belonged. He had picked up school where he had left off, restarting his junior year of high school and whizzing through it. Suichi was determined to try and resume living the way he had been, even though he knew it was impossible to just shrug away the past nine years. So while he was a little old to be a senior in high school, Suichi ignored the mutters and the rumors, knowing they were born from ignorance and not malice.

But he was still prone to sudden fits of depression that could last for days at a time. He had come to rely on Yoko's weekend visits as mood-lifters. And now, the fox had been MIA for three weeks, and Suichi was getting worried.

How he managed to make it through the next week of school was beyond him. That Friday, Suichi didn't even bother waiting for Yoko. He curled up in a chair in his room and just stared at the wall, lost in his depression and in his thoughts. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

It was cold. He opened his eyes and stared at the blanket of white stretching endlessly before him. More of the icy flakes blew down from the sky in an angry swirl, and the freezing wind cut him to the bone. Suichi stood and started walking, knowing that lying still in the snow is a dangerous and stupid thing to do. On he staggered, fingers, ears, and toes numbing. It never ended. The snow kept falling, and the land stretched before him, unchanging and unwavering. His face burned as chips of ice struck his cheeks and stung his flesh like a hive of angry bees. Everything was white: the sky and the Earth were indistinguishable. He didn't know which way was up. It was so cold. Suichi fell to his knees, unable to go any further. The ice soaked through his thin pants and burned his legs. Slowly he began to cry, the tears freezing on his cheeks. It was so cold. The whole world was frozen and he was the only being of warmth.

But Suichi knew this dream. He wiped the ice from his cheeks and stood up again, starting to trudge forward once more. ::The white fox will come…he will come…he always does…:: He kept walking; scanning the white world for his God of Light. But he wasn't there. No one was there but him. He was alone, abandoned, deserted in this cold, harsh world.

Suichi could not walk any farther: the cold was too intense, his legs were too tired, his heart was too broken. Slowly the human sank to his knees once more, the biting wind cutting through him like shards of white hot desertion. He felt weak; he collapsed in the soft snow, welcoming the soaking cushions as a reprise from the stinging wind.

Suichi felt darkness overtaking his mind and he closed his eyes. ::My fox…where are you? Why haven't you come for me? Where are you…Yoko…::

Suichi's eyes snapped open and he stared at the confines of his room. How could I have missed it before!? That dream… my rescuer has always been Yoko…always! He's my bringer of warmth and light…the one who has held back the cold and the pain and the darkness has always been Yoko… how could I not have seen it!? Suichi buried his face in his hands. And now he's not here…he won't come to me in reality, or in my dreams! He's left me… to die.

Suichi ignored his mother as she called him for dinner. Death seems so welcoming… suddenly it feels like there's no further reason for me to live… I hadn't realized how much I depend on him…why has he left me!?

Suichi awoke with a cry of alarm as someone fell through his open window. His first thought was that someone was coming to kidnap him again, but then the figure straightened.

"Y-Yoko…"

The moment the fox came into Suichi's limited line of vision, Suichi could tell something was wrong. Yoko whimpered and crawled under Suichi's blanket, shivering. Suichi reached out and turned on the light

"Yoko? What's wrong with you?" Suichi asked, his brow furrowing.

"K-Kuronue…" Suichi didn't even need to see the look in Yoko's eyes sense the betrayal. "He…he…"

A scuffle outside interrupted them. Kuronue and Karasu tumbled into the room, Kuronue trying to pry Karasu off of him. Yoko whimpered.

"Get a hold of yourself, Kuronue!" Karasu snarled, trying to get the bat's arms behind his back.

Kuronue fought him off, rage and jealously dancing in his eyes. "Don't you see, Karasu? Yoko's being stolen from us from right under our eyes! That little human whore is taking our fox!"

Yoko sat up, looking furious. "I don't care what you do to me, Kuronue, but you leave Suichi out of this!" he quailed under Kuronue's accusing glare.

"He doesn't love you Yoko," Kuronue hissed. "Can't you see he's mocking you? He's making fun of your love by acting like he loves you when we all know he doesn't!"

Yoko shook his head. "I'm not listening to you anymore!" he cried out.

Suddenly Kuronue broke free from Karasu and darted forward. He grabbed Suichi by the throat and pinned him to the wall. "You little witch," he spat. "You've tricked my precious Yoko into thinking he's in love with you so you can mock him! Show us who you really are!"

Both demons launched themselves at Kuronue, but pulled up short as they heard the resounding 'crack!' of Suichi's hand connecting with Kuronue's cheek. There was a moment of stunned silence, and then Kuronue let go of Suichi and staggered back a step. Suichi's hands flew to his mouth in surprise.

Yoko darted forward and pulled Suichi to him protectively. Karasu had Kuronue arms pinned behind his back. Suichi looked up at the fox in confusion. "Wh-What's going on, Yoko?"

Karasu answered him. "Kuronue's jealous of you, Suichi. He let the jealously get hold of him."

Yoko started to tremble. "He's been like this for a while: muttering that you're taking me away from him and Karasu, and that you're only trying to hurt me. It almost worked, too. He almost had me believing you were some evil—He wouldn't let me go to you; he kept restraining me and telling me it was for my own good!! If Karasu hadn't intervened I would've—"

"L-Let me go, Karasu…"

Karasu tightened his grasp. "Give me one good reason why I should," he hissed.

"All I needed was a good slap," Kuronue whispered. He raised his head. "Yoko, I am so sorry!" he looked at Suichi. "I should apologize to you, too, Suichi. I've been so selfish; I completely ignored the fact that you probably need Yoko's support more than I do!" Kuronue's eyes flickered back to Yoko. "I'm just so scared of losing you…"

"I'm still angry, Kuronue," Yoko whispered. "I'm angry, and I'm hurt, and I feel just a little betrayed. You should have just told me you were jealous! You should have told me you were feeling ignored! You know how much I love you, Kuronue."

Kuronue hung his head. "I know, Yoko. And I'm sorry. I love you with all my heart and it's just that the thought of losing you— I'm so sorry…"

Yoko didn't look at him. Suichi leaned into the fox's arms and closed his eyes sleepily. Karasu released Kuronue and turned.

"I'll leave you three to work this out," he growled before disappearing.

Kuronue watched Yoko a moment longer before sighing and turning around himself. "I know you don't want to talk to me right now. I'll go back home. Come back when you think you can try to forgive me." He leapt out into the night.

Suichi rested his head on Yoko's trembling chest. "Yoko… would it help you feel better if I told you that I—I do love you?"

Yoko tensed. "S-Suichi… do you mean that? Please tell me you do…"

Suichi smiled. "I do mean it, Yoko. I love you."

The fox smiled. "And I love you too, Suichi. Now let's go to bed; I'm tired and it's late."

Feeling warm and safe and happy, Suichi curled up in Yoko's arms, shyly resting his head on the fox's chest before falling asleep.

It was cold. He opened his eyes and stared at the blanket of white stretching endlessly before him. More of the icy flakes blew down from the sky in an angry swirl, and the freezing wind cut him to the bone. Suichi stood and started walking, knowing that lying still in the snow is a dangerous and stupid thing to do. On he staggered, fingers, ears, and toes numbing. It never ended. The snow kept falling, and the land stretched before him, unchanging and unwavering. His face burned as chips of ice struck his cheeks and stung his flesh like a hive of angry bees. Everything was white: the sky and the Earth were indistinguishable. He didn't know which way was up. It was so cold. Suichi fell to his knees, unable to go any further. The ice soaked through his thin pants and burned his legs. Slowly he began to cry, the tears freezing on his cheeks. It was so cold. The whole world was frozen and he was the only being of warmth.

Footsteps crunched through the snow. Suichi turned, and saw a figure of white, hardly visible against the blinding storm. The wind blew his long hair into a silvery halo.

Suichi's eyes widened. Behind him the snow was melting, and the grass seemed to grow beneath his feet as he advanced through this white nightmare. Suichi hauled himself to his feet and stared at this god of warmth. His gold eyes were salient against the white of his hair and clothes and the swirling cold. As he neared, Suichi could feel the warmth radiating from his body and he stumbled forward, desperate for heat.

And then he was wrapped in the haven of this god's arms and light exploded around them. The snow pulled away from them and the grass sprang up. Suichi looked behind them and trees rapidly emerging from the ground. His ears caught the sound of tentative bird calls, and his nose the scent of new spring flowers. The saline ice melted from his face and resumed their course down his flushed face.

But now, the spring warmth spread farther than it ever had, radiating away from the two figures in every direction and melting away the cold. In a manner of moments, the previously cold, unforgiving, and harsh world was transformed into a beautifully flowering paradise.