author's note: I just want to thank everyone who's taken the time to comment on my fic, it really is appreciated. I'm sorry this chapter took so long, I'll try to make sure the chapters come out more regularly in the future. --Merrow

Yuki woke to find the world had turned on its side. He was pretty sure it was morning despite the general dark grayness past the threshold. He was looking at neither the wall of the shack nor Tooru but instead at the flapping blanket across the doorway. He blinked at it stupidly. The last thing he remembered was sitting at the table and talking to Kyou. The rhythmic pat, pat, pat that seemed to echo through the tiny house told him that it was still raining. He closed his eyes and shivered. He didn't ever remember waking up this chilled before. Had the temperature dropped? He sat up slowly, his mind still working its way to full wakefulness. The blanket slid off his shoulder and the cold air made his skin crawl. His skin? Yuki looked down in surprise at his bare chest. He was half naked! Wrapping the blanket around himself he sat up straighter. For some reason he'd been sleeping sideways on the bed. He looked at Tooru who had rolled to her side and scooted close to Kyou in her sleep. She was so close in fact that she was actually resting against him, her face buried between his shoulder blades and the rest of her molded close. They shared a blanket. Yuki looked down at himself practically huddling in his blanket. What had happened last night? What had happened to his shirt and coat? Why was he sleeping in such an odd position? Why were Tooru and Kyou...like that?

A rhythmic noise drew his attention. At first he'd assumed that the sound was something being flapped in the wind out side, or water hitting something. But the tempo was too unsteady and it had just sped up. Befuddled beyond belief, Yuki got up to investigate the noise. Stepping around Tooru and Kyou he glanced around at the hearth, table and back corner. He turned back to the bed and found himself meeting a rather desperate look from Kyou. The tapping noise had been his finger against the floor.

Yuki blinked at him. "Kyou?" he whispered, hesitant to speak in the near silence of the shack.

"Kuso Nezumi," Kyou whispered harshly, "you kept moving all night. You practically took up both yours and her bed. She was asleep..." Kyou's eyes flicked from Yuki's to make an almost look over his shoulder. "...But she kept moving out of your way anyway. I couldn't wake her, she's sick, she needs her sleep. If I move I'll wake her. But..." Kyou's eyes squeezed shut and his tapping finder sped up, "I really have to go!"

Go? Yuki's eyes widened. Oh!

Tooru sat up and rubbed her eyes, unconsciously laying one of her hands on Kyou's side for support. She looked up at Yuki sleepily. "Good Morning Yuki-kun."

"Ah...Honda-san..."

Tooru followed Yuki's gaze to where her hands lay. "Aaa~h! I'm sorry Kyou-kun!" her hands flew up and she backed away from him, her face a brilliant red.

The minute her hand lifted Kyou leapt up and made a dash for the door. Ignoring that it was still raining outside, he pushed aside the flap and ran out. Yuki looked from the flapping door back to the bed. Tooru sat with wide eyes and a red face in a huddle of blankets. She pulled the blankets up to her chin and looked at Yuki in shock.

"Ano...." Yuki started, at a complete loss for what to say. He knew that she had to be thinking that she'd done something terrible to make Kyou flee so quickly away from her. But he just couldn't tell her why the baka neko had gone stampeding from the house. He wrapped the blanket tighter around himself. He just...couldn't. "Do you know where my shirt is?"

"Ah," Tooru blushed redder then ever, "It's by the fire. It was wet."

"Wet?" Yuki blinked at her. How had his shirt gotten wet? He walked over to the fire and picked up his now dry coat and shirt. His coat as well? He quickly shrugged on his shirt, grateful for the lingering warmth from the fire. He looked back and Honda, questions obvious on his face.

She flushed even more, red to the roots of her hair. Didn't he remember anything of last night? "Water was dripping on Yuki-kun while he slept on the table." She bit her lip. How much should she tell him? She didn't want to be untruthful. But it how was she supposed to put in plain words what had gone on? How could she explain that she undressed him while he was sleepwalking? That he embraced her, and snuggled close? She put her hand to her chest under the blanket. She could still feel phantom breaths where he'd breathed how warm she was. "I tried to wake Yuki-kun...but..." Tooru trailed off helplessly.

"I was sleepwalking?" Yuki's face cleared as Honda nodded. That explained it. He'd probably half woken up with his shirt and coat wet and had just taken them off and slipped into bed as he was. That explained why he'd been sleeping in such an odd position too. Sometimes he'd find himself sleeping at the table back home, or underneath it if it was cold, with no memory of how he'd gotten there. He didn't sleepwalk often and he hated the unsettled and mixed-up way it left him feeling when he woke. He especially hated not knowing what he'd done or possibly said. He glanced at Tooru, still jumbled up in the sheets. Her blush still hadn't completely faded. The way he'd woken, the position he had been in, was so very odd. Kyou's voice whispered in his mind.

"Kuso Nezumi...you kept moving all night."

"She was asleep...but she kept moving out of your way..."

Moving out of his way? Exactly what had he been doing in his sleep? A multitude of options ranged through is fertile imagination. Some just mildly embarrassing, others too horrible to contemplate for a teenage boy in the presence of a girl he cares for. "Honda-san..." he began hesitantly, "If I bothered...or inconvenienced you at all last night..."

"Ah!" Tooru held up her hands in protest, "Yuki-kun didn't bother me!" The slight boy didn't fail to notice the slight strain to her smile or that her face had begun to heat once more. Just what had he done last night?

"Kuso..." Yuki turned to look at Kyou who had stepped dripping across the threshold, "I hate rain." He pointedly didn't even glance at Yuki or Tooru as he grabbed a towel from the back corner and vigorously attacked his wet hair with it. He sat down in front of the fire and tried not to let them see him shiver in his wet clothes. He picked up the pot of soup from the night before; there was more than enough to have for breakfast. He put it on the hearth to heat and fed more wood into the fire. Perhaps if he stayed close enough to the fire long enough, the almost permanent flush on his face would be assumed to be from the heat.

Breakfast was a strained affair as all three wrestled with the demons they carried over the yesterday's restless night. Kyou had insisted Tooru stay in bed. She was still somewhat feverish and there was no reason to expose her to the cold, damp air that pervaded the cabin. It would just make her worse off. Yuki had seconded the motion, pointing out with the rain that there wasn't much for her to do out of bed anyway. Tooru had finally relented and allowed herself to be tucked tight with blankets and accepted another warming mug of soup.

"Mother," she thought to herself as the soup worked its warmth through her body, "Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun are such kind people." She wasn't used to being so...so coddled. Her mother had cared for her, and loved her dearly and worked hard to provide for her. She'd always made her feel precious. But this feeling was different. She felt sheltered, she felt *protected*. Her heart felt huge, it couldn't contain the feelings she had within her. "Someday, Mother, I won't be able to help it. It's all going to spill out." She snuggled down into the blankets and enjoyed her soup. Hana-chan and Uo-chan had always tried to protect her too. It was such a nice feeling knowing someone cared for you so. Her heart ached a little when she thought about Uo-chan and Hana-chan. They must be very worried about her. She hadn't even said goodbye to them.

"Honda-san," Tooru looked up to see Yuki looking at her. He had that secret kind look on his face. Tooru loved seeing that expression, perhaps because it was so rare. "If you're still feeling tired...don't force yourself. Please feel free to sleep some more."

"Here, I'll build the fire up so it'll be warm." Kyou piled wood on the fire till it blazed. "Don't worry about lunch or anything I used to cook for myself while I was training all the time." He scratched the back of his head, and stared at the fire. "I can't promise it will taste good though."

Tooru felt like she was going to cry. They were being so nice. They hadn't fought once today, not even to bicker or call names. "Mother, I shouldn't be wishing to be anywhere else or with anyone else." Yuki and Kyou, they gave up everything to come here. School, home, family...they'd left it all behind. Tooru lay down and burrowed beneath the blankets. "Mother," she thought, "I don't know how I can measure up to them. I'll always be running after them...trying to catch up." She fell back to sleep as she made a promise in her heart to never stop trying.

* * *"She's asleep, you can change now." Yuki's words were blasé and careless, perfectly engineered to get under Kyou's skin.

Kyou shot a disgusted look at Yuki, but quickly stripped off his damp shirt and put on dry sweatshirt. He shot a quick glance at Tooru to make sure she was asleep before dropping his pants and stepping out of them.

"Didn't make it out quick enough?" Yuki goaded, stacking the breakfast dishes.

"Its just from the rain!" Kyou's ears burned as he pulled up a dry pair. Breakfast had been uncomfortable enough after the strange night they'd just passed, but Kyou had to sit through it in wet stuck on clothes. Kyou steadfastly refused to look at Yuki. He could feel the mouse just waiting for an opportunity to sink in another barb. The cat was not in the mood to play today. He was tired and the rain was draining him of any energy he might have had usually. He desperately wanted to go back to bed, but that meant doing two things he would never do. Show weakness in front of that damned Yuki and climbing into bed with Tooru in front of that damn Yuki.

"Damn Yuki, Damn Yuki, Damn Yuki, Damn Yuki, *DAMN* YUKI!" He thought to himself. It was the stupid mouse's fault he felt so drawn out and stretched thin today. Kyou sat irritably by the fire and drew his knees up. Staring into the flames he rested his head on his arms. He glanced at Tooru sleeping peacefully under the mound of blankets. He pressed himself against the wall of the roughshod building till it creaked. It didn't help; he could still feel her pressed against his back. He sighed and let his head fall back onto his arms. It hadn't been all bad last night, had it? He'd woken the moment she first moved. He'd suddenly found his eyes open, it had taken his mind and ears a few moments to catch up to what had woken him. Tooru was moving restlessly, she'd shift to her side and was facing him. She seemed closer than she had before. A second rustling sound drew his attention. Kyou lifted his head and looked over Tooru. Yuki was laid out flat on his back, his blanket beneath him and his arms flung wide. As he watched the slim boy drew his arms together above his hands and then arched his back in a stretch. His hands brushed against the girl sleeping next to him. Tooru made a little noise in her sleep and obligingly moved out of Yuki's way. Yuki turned on his side and curled up in a fetal position, somehow managing to stay close to Tooru. In fact if he watched long enough, Kyou could see the mouse slowly pulling himself closer to her probably attracted to her body heat. "He's got to be freezing." He thought. He wondered fleetingly again how the other boy had ended up in bed with Tooru with no shirt. He'd found the wet one by the fire, but that didn't explain how it had gotten wet or why he hadn't gotten into another before going to bed. And there had been the way he and Tooru were arranged on the bed.

It was most suspicious. What had gone on while he slept by the fire? Kyou could feel the question burbling up in his throat, just waiting to be spewed out. He choked it back, but the question roiled around in his stomach. He knew that Tooru "liked" Yuki, all the girls in school "liked" Yuki. But she wouldn't have...done anything...with the damn mouse...not with him sleeping in the same room. He wouldn't have put it past Yuki to try something however and saying "no" wasn't something that Tooru was good at. The mouse thought he hadn't noticed...that he didn't see when Yuki would smile at her that way. That smile he didn't give to anyone else. That stupid, gentle, sappy smile that was just for her. But Kyou noticed. Kyou had gotten used to watching Yuki, checking for weaknesses, for flaws he could exploit. He noticed plenty.

"What are you glaring at, Baka Neko?" Yuki met Kyou's challenging glare with a sigh. He was sick to death of being glowered at by that stupid cat. He hadn't even done anything...had he? He hated not knowing, the uncertainty, and the embarrassment. As much as he'd like to think that he'd know, or Tooru would somehow tell him if he'd done something awful, he knew she was much more likely to just keep it to herself. To smooth things over as easily as possible to keep everyone comfortable she would keep silent. But it was worse not knowing. Even worse was having Kyou's accusing glare boring into the back of his neck. Stupid, stupid, stupid cat! It wasn't as if *he'd* spent the night being snuggled up to by Tooru. (He was pretty sure.) Yuki's eyes narrowed at he continued to stare back at Kyou. If he came anywhere close to Tooru she just blushed and hid her face, but she didn't seem to have that problem with the stupid cat. She smiled at him all the time. She even encouraged him to in his vendetta. He couldn't erase how comfortable Tooru had looked with her face buried between the other's shoulders. Baka neko.

Kyou opened his mouth to respond, when Tooru stirred on the bed. Breaking the staring contest with Yuki he looked back into the flames of the fire. "Quiet, or you'll wake her." As much as he wanted to start something with the damn mouse right now, Tooru needed her rest more.

Yuki sighed and let it go. Nothing would be gained if Tooru were disturbed. He glanced out the flapping door. It was getting lighter and it looked like the rain was beginning to taper off. Good. He'd be able to go out and look for more food today. Their stores were beginning to run low. Perhaps he'd check that berry patch he'd found earlier. There might be some early strawberries by now. He'd love to present her with a happy surprise. He scratched idly at one of the long scratches on his arm. He glanced down at the angry red marks. Thank goodness they didn't seem infected. Maybe he'd go up to the hot spring, it was a ways away, but the towels and their clothes were still up there. Tooru had forgotten them for now, but once she'd remembered them she'd fret. Warmth flooded through him at the thought of the hot spring. Had that really been just yesterday? His arm tingled at the memory of her soft fingers carefully tending his cuts and scrapes. It was more than worth going through the damage if that was going to be the reward at the end.

"Honda-san is the most important person to me." The words he said back then dropped like a pin in his heart. They rang out against in the long empty chamber. He'd said it, he'd really said it. He called up the moment in his mind. They'd been so wonderfully, deliciously close.

"Kyou-kun....and Yuki-kun...are the most important people to me." And she's said it too. Yuki's thoughts darkened. But then they'd made sure that they would be the most important, hadn't they? They'd taken her away from everyone else. She had no family of consequence. Hanajima and Uotani, her only friends, he and Kyou had neatly managed to separate her from them. Perhaps forever. He could be happy, if it was just she in his life, he didn't need anything or anyone else. Sometimes he thought he could live just knowing that she existed. But could Tooru really live like that? How could she possibly be happy living like that? She should be somewhere where everyone could admire her. He glanced at Tooru laying flushed and sleeping in the sheets. He may deserve to live in dark, cold places for being cursed by the rat. He may deserve to be alone, but she didn't. "She shouldn't be here." His soul whispered to his heart. "But she is! She is!" his heart pleaded back. She was there and he couldn't imagine his life again without her.

* * *