Blue moon and Red Fire

Chapter 9: My Mate

“Wow, that stuff must be really good.” Inuyasha looked on in aw, watching curiously from the side of the bed as Souta furiously ate. The boy held the bowl closely to his face and shoveled the thick liquid into his mouth like a starved animal, he barely paused to breathe, and only stopped when a cough interrupted his intake.

“Yeah...” Kouga nodded in agreement, staring on with the same amazement as Inuyasha on the other side of the bed. “Houjo, what did you put in that?”

Houjo slowly leaned over Souta, tapping him on the shoulder “Uh... Souta, you should slow down.”

After an hour and a half hour of waiting, Souta's fever dropped, the new found spasms stopped, the cold sweats had decreased and he finally woke up. And immediately he announced he was hungry, very, very, very hungry. “I...so hungry!” Souta managed to cough out between swallows.

“No, I mean you really should slow down.” Houjo advised, but by the time he said that, the bowl was empty.

Souta wiped his mouth with a satisfied sigh, and because he barely even stopped to breathe he was left racing to catch his breath. “I'm so hungry.”

“Are you alright?” Inuyasha leaned forward, staring at Souta questioningly.

Souta looked up, he hadn't even noticed Inuyasha sitting their with the bowl in his face. “Inuyasha! Your back!” With an anxious energy coursing through him, Souta reached up and threw his arms around Inuyasha's neck, hugging him tightly.

“I told you I would.” Inuyasha wrapped his around Souta and rubbed his back soothingly. “I told you that you'd be alright.”

Souta looked as if he was about to respond but instead he cringed, then he pulled away with a strong sneeze, followed by a small sniffle. “Mnnnn....” Souta moaned, rubbing his burning head lightly. “Ow...”

“Hey, I thought you said this would make him better.” Inuyasha exclaimed, pointing at Kouga accusingly.

“Yeah, the poison dumb ass!” Kouga shot back. Which meant that Souta still, unfortunately, had a cold.

Houjo felt another argument coming on, the countless one that had persisted over the last hour of waiting. So he quickly came between the two of them and changed the subject. “Souta, you need to rest.” Houjo announced hastily.

Souta seemed to grow disheartened at that, he sat back and shook his head stubbornly in a child like manner. “I'm not tired.” Then he looked over at Kouga with a smile, changing the subject in the same manner as Houjo had done. “Thanks Kouga.”

“No problem.” Kouga folded his arms and nodded arrogantly. “It's just to bad that mutt face was so slow.”

Inuyasha glared at him, pushing himself on to his feet and taking an offending step forward.“Why you-”

“Uh...Ok!” Houjo abruptly grabbed Kouga by the shoulders, turning him around and began pushing him out of the room. “We should let Souta get some rest.” Much to Houjo's contentment, Kouga didn't protest the idea, of course neither Inuyasha or Souta did when an idea would help Souta.

“Houjo, what are you-” Souta was abruptly cut off by an involuntary inhale followed by another sneeze that made him wince. “Oww...” Immediately afterwards he clasped his hands on his forehead, feeling a strong burning sensation that followed after the fact. “My head hurts...”

“Souta?” Inuyasha veered forward tensely, full protective instincts kicking in.

Souta peeked one eye open and looked at Inuyasha, then quickly dropped his hands and sat up strait. Though he couldn't help but sniffle “I'm really hungry.”

“I got it.” With out another thought, Inuyasha sprang forward and ran headfirst out of the room, his body little more then a red blur as he darted down the stairway, going before Kouga could even think about beating him to the task.

Souta could swear he'd never seen Inuyasha move so fast. “Houjo, what are you doing here?”

“We'll talk about that later.” Houjo spoke in his usual cheery way, smiling reassuringly. “You just focus on getting better.”

Kouga seemed to have gotten sick of being pushed, he finally looked back.“Hey wait, where are we going?”

“Out.” Houjo gave one final push and forced Kouga out the door with an audible grunt, glancing back passively at Souta. “You get some rest.”

Just as soon as Kouga and Houjo left, Inuyasha came rushing in with another bowl of Houjo's soup. It started to cool as soon as it reached the low temperature of the room, the window was still open and more snow piled on the window still, now a small barrier. “Thanks.” Souta gave a thankful nod to him and lifted the bowl to his lips hungrily, he began shoveling it into his mouth with the spoon as if he hadn't eaten for days.

Inuyasha continued to watch him, he'd never seen someone eat so much so fast. “Geez, your starting to make me hungry.”

Souta quickly lowered the bowl, then turned his head away and sneezed. After that he dropped the bowl altogether, nearly spilling the remaining contents when it hit the bed thankfully right side up, and started rubbing his head with both hands. Despite his strong desire to, Souta only bit down on his lip and repressed any sound remotely like a cry of pain that threatened to come forth.

“Are you alright?” Inuyasha asked, though his voice held no worry, just something that sounded like a child's curiosity. Souta was sure acting strangely, like he was trying to do too many things at once.

Though his reaction was delayed a few seconds with nothing but a vacant stare at the bowl sitting in his lap, Souta smiled and nodded, “Yeah. I'm ok.” Then he went back to his furious paced eating.

Eating which Inuyasha could no longer just watch, after a hard trip to and from the feudal era, not to mention fighting with various demons one of which was a great level above the rest. He was needless to say, pretty hungry. With little word of what he was doing, Inuyasha got up and left the room, Souta didn't need an explanation since he could easily tell what he wanted.

Souta lowered the bowl and leaned forward enough to peeked out of the open door, he didn't say a word, only waiting until he knew Inuyasha was safely out of ear shot. When he was completely alone, Souta's hands clasped his forehead as quickly as a reflex and let out a muffled, repressed cry of pain. “Owwwww!”

! - ! - !

“What?! No way, you can't!” Kouga shook his head, folding his arms across his chest firmly.

Houjo smiled reassuringly. “Don't worry, I'll be back.” He found his long ago discarded coat and slipped his arms into the sleeves. “I'm just going to go get some medicine and stuff like that, I'll be right back.”

Kouga's tail began to shift around anxiously, a tell in his sternly unmoving expression of complete stubbornness. “But you can't!”

“I'll be back as soon as possible.” Houjo zipped up his coat and sat down on the ground to put on his boots. He wasn't at all moving on his choice to go.

Kouga got up from the couch and ran over to the front door where Houjo was currently sitting. “You don't have to leave at all. Just stay.”

Bundled as tightly as he possibly could be, Houjo climbed on to his feet and opened the door as if he hadn't even heard Houjo's pleas.

A burst of frozen wind met him, throwing a flurry of snow flakes kicked up from the ground like a dusty road on a dry day. The sky was it's own blue, spotted with white and gray clouds that obstructed the sun nearly every passing second. It wasn't snowing at the moment, but there was more then enough to compensate since there seemed to be about 2 feet or more of it on the ground. Houjo still marveled at it's height. “I have to go, I'm sorry.” Houjo just had that same smile he always wore as he stepped outside, though it showed every bit of his unwantingness to leave.

Kouga sprang on to his feet and grabbed him by the arm, the stern expression all but faded for a more pleading look “Come on...stay...please?”

Houjo only pulled away with a sigh, taking high steps in the obstructed mound of snow. “I wish I could. But don't worry, I'll be back.” With that his left and closed the door behind him.

And left Kouga to wait there, now realizing how hard it to be separated from a new mate and only a few seconds had only passed. “Houjo...” Kouga dropped his head and wined almost like a small puppy, his tail ceased movement and sagged depressingly with slumped shoulders. “Why'd you have to leave...Now?”

“Your pitiful.”

Kouga turned around with a sharp glare, growling at Inuyasha on the other side of the room. “Shutup. If I recall correctly, you were wining over Souta when he got poisoned.”

“What? I wasn't wining!” Inuyasha shot back defensively, even though Kouga was right about it.

Kouga looked over at the discarded top layer of his armor laying on the ground by the couch, which only served as a reminder how hot he was. His bare torso was covered in a sheen of sweat that ran down the overheated flesh in small streams that dripped off of him when they could go no farther. He didn't have the patience nor the focus to hold an argument with Inuyasha right now.

Kouga clinched his head in frustration, “Damnit!” Without more than the thought of cooling himself down in his head, Kouga trudged angrily to the door. Not only was he suffering from this heat but Houjo was also gone, this was just not a good day. “I don't have the energy Inuyasha, you can bicker with yourself.” He called back, just as he went outside. At lest it was cold there.

'Whatever.' Inuyasha disregarded Kouga and continued on to the kitchen.

After eating a lighter share then usual much more quickly then he normally would have, Inuyasha hurried back upstairs to Souta. By the time he returned Souta was out of bed and fully dressed, he could have sworn that he wasn't gone that long. “Hey, what are you doing?”

Souta was sitting on the edge of the bed, buttoning up his pants. “Getting dressed.” He said simply.

“Why?”

“Why wouldn't I?”

The reasons were so obvious that Inuyasha didn't even feel the need to point them out, but he did anyway. Inuyasha pushed Souta back down to the bed with a soft poke to the forehead as he stood up, which was sadly all it took to knock him over. “Because your still stick, that's why.”

Souta fell onto his back, looking up questioningly at Inuyasha. “I'm already starting to-” Before he could even finish his sentence he was interrupted by a loud sneeze, one that made his sinuses flood with a strong burning sensation each time. But he just bit down on his bottom lip discretely and rubbed his nose. “-Feel better.”

“Tch. Yeah right.” Inuyasha grabbed Souta's head abruptly, holding both sides it with both hands and stared at him seemingly without reason.

Souta blinked in confusion, looking back into the golden eyes nervously. “I-Inuyasha?” His cheeks were a flushed red, though not from a blush, and he was warm, still retaining a light fever from the day before. And that was only the external appearance, Souta felt even worse then he looked. The remains of a much more severe headache still remained, a very sore throat, the nagging urge to cough, and the frequent sneezing that caused burning pain among other aches in various places.

Seeing all that he needed to see, Inuyasha finally released the boy, allowing him to fall on to his back “Didn't Houjo tell you to get some rest?”

“Haven't I slept enough?” Souta retorted stubbornly, he pushed himself off of the bed and onto his feet beside Inuyasha.

At first he was about to dismisses the statement as pure stubbornness, but Inuyasha thought about it for a moment, then deemed Souta was right, it had been at lest 24 hours by now. “I guess so...”

Souta nodded thankfully, glad that Inuyasha didn't debate with him on the issue. He had other things on his mind more important then his current state of wellbeing. “I'm glad your back, I thought that you wouldn't-” Souta's voice trailed off as more thoughts came to mind, this really wasn't something he wanted to convey to his mate.

“That I wouldn't what?” Inuyasha asked.

“Nothing.” Souta quickly changed the subject, into the first thing that he could think of, like his current boredom.

Another violent sneeze shook his body and he rubbed his nose with a sniffle, the involuntary action made him turn towards the still open window, the source of a cold breeze. “?” Driven by curiosity he walked over to the glass barrier with slow, steady steps, the opening was almost completely filled with snow but he managed to rise on to his toes and peek his head out. “Wow... Look at all that snow.”

Souta gazed around in amazement at the white layer that covered everything in sight, the surface of the snow had frozen over giving every distinguishable form and shape a glassy look. The slightly dulled sun radiated on the glassy surfaces, making the white snow shine with golden light. From here it almost looked stable enough to stand on, it was almost too bright to look at directly.

A fair share of the sun's light made it into the room, some of it reflected from the snow caped ground below. Everything else seemed dim in comparison to the window flooded with golden light, covering Souta in it's bright rays, setting him apart from the darkened shadow that surrounded everything else and engulfing him in a gold brilliance as if he was always meant to be. Inuyasha wasn't one to take notice of the euphony of his surroundings, he almost always missed the small attraction to the settings he passed by, but this sight seemed to stand out to even him. It was... it seemed to be a completely worthy image.

Souta rested his head in his hands with an unheard sigh, not taking any notice of the snow he was settled in. “What's with you?” Inuyasha stood over him, looked down at his expression.

“Nothing...just...” His voice trailed off, though not from thought. This time it was almost like a daze...his eyelids lowered, paying less and less attention to what was in front of him... until a sneeze caused his eyes to widen and his head to burn enough to make him feel like the snow he was resting on should be nothing more but a pool of water in it's wake. “!!...” He only cringed, unseen by Inuyasha, and stood up strait. “Nothing, just bored I guess.” Souta quickly explained.

“Hn.” Inuyasha wasn't feeling nearly as lethargic, after everything he'd been through trying to gather the ingredients for Souta's antidote he was content just to settled down.

Souta sighed, basked in his own boredom as he stared out of the window. Then suddenly his face lit up with the inspiration of a thought,only further increasing his sun covered features. “Hey, Let's play a game.” He announced, turning towards Inuyasha.

Inuyasha payed attention curiously. “Huh? Like what?”

“It's simple.” Souta sat down on the bed and leaned forward towards Inuyasha with child's like enthusiasm. “I'll go hide, and then you try to find me.”

“What? That's way to easy.” Inuyasha said dismissively.

“You still have to catch me when you find me.”

“That's easy enough.”

Souta paused with his instructions and thought about something, Inuyasha seemed pretty confident, much too confident... Oh yeah, of course Inuyasha could easily find him, with that nose it wouldn't be a problem and with those ears it was completely impossible to hide. “Oh, and you can't use your nose or your ears.”

That stipulation effectively threw him off. “Huh? What?”

“Yeah, it would be too easy with them right?” Souta said challengingly. “I bet you could still do it.”

Inuyasha wondered how he could not use his sense? He looked down at Souta inquiringly “Of course I can do it.” He uttered confidently “...What do you have in mind?”

Souta smiled and scrambled from the bed, charging head first out of the room. Inuyasha just listened and waited wonderingly as the sound of rummaging came from other rooms, mixed with hasty steps that led Souta back. The boy stopped in the doorway, halted by another sneeze forcing him to stop in his tracks, one that made him wince stubbly and rub his noise. “Like this.” Souta pulled on Inuyasha's arm, promoting him to lower himself on to his knees. Then he stuffed cotton swabs into his ears and placed a nose plug on his nose used for swimming. “See.”

Inuyasha's ears twitched uncomfortably and his eyes stared at the clamp on his nose. “Are you serious?”

“You can still hear right?”

“Well yeah.” Inuyasha could hear clearly enough, just not nearly as well as before.

“Great.” Souta smiled again, seemed happy, and happy was much better then miserable. “Now closer your eyes and count to 30, then come looking for me. Ok?”

As long as Souta was feeling better, as long as he was happy, Inuyasha would go along with it. Especially when he remembered the boy's state yesterday. “Uh... Alright?” Inuyasha nodded, then he closed his eyes and began counting off.

This was too easy, Inuyasha was confident that he could find Souta anywhere he hid. Even with his hearing muffled considerably and his sense of scent impaired, this would probably just be something to simple to be entertaining. With the last few numbers counted off, Inuyasha opened his eyes, feeling surprisingly indifferent towards his task ahead of him. 'Now where would he hide...”

Checking the first few places that came to his mind, Inuyasha looked underneath the bed and in the closet with no luck.

'Hmm...' Inuyasha walked confidently into the hallway, heading into the bathroom to check pass the shower curtain and in the tub, then in the linen closet.

He wasn't there either.

Then Inuyasha headed into Kagome's room, checking the only places possible to hide, under the bed, in the closet... nothing here either.

'He must be downstairs.' Inuyasha reasoned, with no other places to look Inuyasha headed downstairs. This was turning out to be harder then he thought. He came into the living room, looking over the area with a tight gaze... With quick, quiet steps, Inuyasha checked behind the couch, then behind the TV...nothing... 'Where is he?'

Inuyasha headed into the kitchen, looking around the relatively small space with observing eyes. “Alright Souta, I got you now.” With his ears twitching with irritation from the obstruction placed in them, Inuyasha knelt down and open up a cabinet, only to find nothing there, again. “Huh...I was sure he was...” With another thought, Inuyasha abruptly moved over and opened the cabinet next to it. “Found you!”

Souta stumbled out of the cabinet with a sharp sneeze, smiling wildly as he rubbed his nose again. “Heh Heh, what gave me away?”

Nothing really, just going through the process of elimination. “Nothing, I'll admit you hide pretty well.”

Souta climbed on to his feet and stood in front of the Hanyou. “Alright, it's your turn to hide.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yeah, you find me, then I try to find you, thats how it works.”

Inuyasha nodded, if Souta wanted to do this, then he'd join into. “Ok, I hide, you count?”

“Yup.”

“Fine, this is gonna be too easy...” Inuyasha watched as Souta closed his eyes and began counting aloud, then he turned and quickly left the room... 'Now where can I...' Inuyasha lifted his head thoughtfully, where could someone his size... “I got it!” With a thought in mind, Inuyasha dashed quickly upstairs and into Souta's room. Then opened up the closet door and shut it behind him, it seemed too simple but...

It wasn't long before he heard Souta's footsteps moving carefully outside, one accented by a small cough and a sniffle. Of course, Souta eventually opened the closet door and looked around. It was dark inside, too dark to see anything inside but what was right in front of his face. “Hmm...” Souta paused in the doorway, as if becoming distracted by something he began to stare as if in a daze with eyelids falling... But a sneeze brought his mind back to the forefront of his task and shifted his eyes around as if to see if anyone saw him. Just as he was about to close the door he caught a glimpse of something in the corner of his eyes.

“Inuyasha!” Souta pointed up at the ceiling with an excited exclamation.

“You found me already?” Inuyasha, who had propped himself up against the ceiling by holding two opposing walls in a corner, dropped down and landed in front of the boy.

“My turn!” With a wide, happy grin, Souta turned and ran out of the room to find a place to hide while Inuyasha just stood there.

'How...did he find me so quick?' Inuyasha scratched his stuffed ears and began counting off, he must not have been trying hard enough. With 30 seconds passed by, Inuyasha walked into the hallway, folding both arms across his chest. “Alright, I found him once, it shouldn't be to hard to do it again.” He said to himself.

Considering the last place Souta had hidden himself, Inuyasha was sure he wouldn't be up here, everything here would be too obvious. So he moved downstairs with steps quicker then the last time and made his way into the living room. “Alright Souta, where would you hide...” He shifted his eyes around the room strategically, “Hmm...”

Well not in the same place twice, differently not.

So the kitchen was out, that meant he had to be here... somewhere. Inuyasha looked around, checking into the dinning room, to the den. It was just too bad he was looking in the wrong place.

A rather loud sneeze sound the living room, accompanied by the familiar sniffle.

'Uh oh!' Souta looked around from his hiding spot suspiciously, wondering if Inuyasha had heard him... Carefully he rolled from beneath the couch, only find himself staring at the red cloth of Inuyasha's pants. Good thing for him Inuyasha had his back turned, so he quickly rolled back underneath and out of the other side.

With an impish grin of approaching victory he climbed onto his feet and darted off, just in time for Inuyasha to turn around to inquire the sound of foot steps. “Hmm...” Inuyasha scratched his twitching ears, when he found nothing there he went back to searching...

5 minutes passed and the whole first floor had been searched up and down with no luck. Finally, Inuyasha plopped down on the stairs and folded his arms in frustration. 'Geez! Why is he so hard to track down?'

It seemed just as he was ready to give up, Souta crept past him from beyond the living room's door, not even aware that he was standing right there. He moved slowly, much to slowly to just be sneaking normally, and his head was downcast. Though there was an entertained expression on his face, his eyes were half lidded with an almost dazed attribute, and the flush on his cheeks had grown even brighter. “Souta.”

The boy flinched, with a startled gasp he turned towards Inuyasha. “You still have to catch me!” He shouted teasingly before darking off in the opposite direction. Though with in a few seconds Inuyasha had him pinned down on the living room floor. Souta was captured, laughing heavily has Inuyasha's fingers dug into his sides and the larger form seized him there. “Alright, Alright, I give up!”

With an interestingly uplifted demeanor, Inuyasha rose off the boy, sitting down in front of him. He looked more content then he did when they first started.

! - ! - !
! - ! - !

Kouga found a sense of solace in this place.

It had taken an hour to gain but it was time well spent. Finally he'd settled here, laying on his back, completely devoid of any clothing covering his upper body. His body was immersed in snow, his legs moderately close together and his arms stretched out at his sides, laying in a bed of powdery white that was soft despite it's frozen over appearance.

For this one moment there wasn't a gray cloud insight, nothing but fluffy white and blue skies, out of those not one was obstructing the sun. Leaving it's golden light to shine down with all of it's glory over the perfect sheet of snow only disrupted by the foot prints he left behind in to get to this one spot. His body came to rest beneath the cherry blossom tree in the backyard, it still held some of petals not yet torn away by winter.

Sunlight filtered threw it's limbs, casting patchy shadows where the rays didn't reach, checkering Kouga's body in light and darkness. He stared upward through the entanglement of limbs blanketed in snow at the blue sky and white clouds, periodically shifting his gaze around him where the perfect sheet of white snow was covered in the golden illumination that shined down from the heavens. Everything around him was perfect.

'Hmm...' He'd never encountered a scene so befitting for him, Kouga could only bask in it and surround himself in it's artwork like beauty. He was really starting to like this place... the only thing missing was his mate.

The cold had tapered his hellishly high body heat, and the rare setting in front of him drew his focus away from his mind's constant, strong urge to find his mate and do things that he was better off not thinking of right now. The only thing missing was Houjo... 'Hn...This snow...it kinda reminds me of him.'

It did, considering his shared affection for them both.

A frozen wind washed over him, ruffling his hair lightly and shaking a pink petal down from the tree above. Kouga watched it drift downward, caught in a force of nature out of it's control, unable to do anything but go where the wind blew it whether it wanted too or not.

'I guess, all you can do is go where it takes you and make the best of it.' He thought to himself, watching the helpless petal fall farther and farther until it landed by chance on his nose. He smiled, not daring to touch it, not daring to move in inch to that would make it fall off balance.

All that was missing was Houjo.

! - ! - !

Inuyasha rested his arms behind his head, sitting discretely on a support beam arching across the attic ceiling. He was sure there was no way Souta would look up here, since neither one of them had over the course of an hour. All he had to do was wait until Souta gave up. “Heh, Heh, he'll never think to-”

But just as he spoke, he heard the hatch of the attic open with a creak and the struggled groans of Souta trying to pull himself up. Inuyasha became silent and unmoving, watching Souta from the corner of his eye.

The boy stumbled through across the wooden floors, stepping over the wooden beams that protruded from the ground. He froze after making it about half the distance to Inuyasha, looking around the cool room with slightly watery eyes...then he just stopped, staring down at the ground with drifting eyelids... A sneeze shook through his body, seeming to bring him out of his daze. “Ow...”

Shaking his head lightly, Souta began looking around... then took a few steps forward and pointed upward. “I see you Inuyasha!” He shouted triumphantly.

With a defeated pout, Inuyasha jumped down to the ground, landing gracefully in front of him. “What? Already?”

Souta, somewhat unnoticeably out of breath, tagged Inuyasha on the leg with a wide grin. “My turn.”

Inuyasha expectantly turned around and closed his eyes. His ears twitched with light irritation of the cotton stuffed in his ears, but he ignored it and began counting off. As soon as he finished he pivoted around and jumped down the small hatch that served as an entrance and and an exit. 'I got him now...'

With a gathered knowledge of the places Souta could hide, Inuyasha headed down stairs to the first floor... '?' He was surprised to see the boy still scouting around the living room for a suitable place. Quickly taking advantage, Inuyasha grabbed him by the waist and pinned him down on the ground.

“Hey no fair.” Souta laughed. “I wasn't ready!”

Inuyasha looked down at him, golden eyes bright with a child like contentment, Souta was feeling better, so he was inexplicably happy. “That's what you get for being so slow.”

“I wasn't slow, I was...” With out reason, Souta's voice trailed off for the third time that day. Inuyasha, who was oblivious to most things, was starting to notice.

“Huh?” The contentment in his eyes shifted into confusion as he watched Souta's eyes starting to drift closed with fleeting awareness... “Souta?”

Just as abruptly as he feel asleep, he was awaken by a sharp sneeze. With out fail, Souta cringed and clinched his forehead with both hands. '!!'

“Souta? Are you ok?” Inuyasha asked. The only response he gained was a sniffle and a light, repressed whimper of pain muffled by sealed lips. “Maybe... you should go back to bed.”

Souta cringed at the thought, shaking his head furiously enough to make his headache worse. “No way! I'm not tired at all!” Souta protested.

Inuyasha sighed, he was really starting to get worried. “Hmm....”

“Really, I'm ok.” Souta told him. “Let's keep-” Before he could finish he was interrupted by another sneeze that made him wince with a burning pain.

“No.” Decidedly, Inuyasha rose off of Souta and sat down on the couch, folding his arms firmly. “Go back to sleep.”

A strong sense of dismay washed over Souta as he scrambled to his feet and climbed on the couch beside Inuyasha. “I'm fine, really!” He said almost pleadingly.

Inuyasha looked at Souta, having the distinct feeling that he was missing something he should have been seeing. “What's with you, you need some rest.”

That dismay that rose up within Souta grew stronger, giving rise to feelings hidden beneath the surface. “...I...I don't wan to.” He finally admitted.

“Huh?” Inuyasha was really confused now, Souta nearly fell asleep under him, why wouldn't he want to go to bed. “Why not?”

“I...I can't keep sleeping all day.” Souta's voice intensified suddenly, holding traces of other emotions masked by the uncharacteristic firmness. Inuyasha's eyebrows quirked in surprise as Souta held his head down and stared at the ground. He shouted in a voice that almost sounded full of anger. “I... I'm fine!”

'Huh? Why's he so mad?' Inuyasha didn't understand this at all, did he say something to make him angry? “Your still sick, just go to sleep.” Inuyasha didn't think it was such a big deal.

With some manner of stubbornness brought about with no explanation, Souta folded his arms, though still keeping his eyes downcast. “No, I'm fine! I don't even feel-” He couldn't even finish before another sneeze interrupted him, bringing on the familiar rush of burning that made him hiss in pain and clinch his forehead.

It was coming on more frequently, was it getting worse?

Maybe it was!

No...No...Souta couldn’t handle this, and it was getting worse.

That though was the breaking point for him.

Small sobs forced their way from Souta with a stream of tears coming on so quickly that it even surprised Souta himself. It was like looking at himself from the outside, watching what ever defenses he had start to crumble with no way to stop it. He tried to hold back, he honestly did, but finally after a few more seconds he just broke down into loud cries. There was no use repressing it now, it was already out. “I...I.”

“Souta.” With a blush spreading across his cheek and a nervous twitch forming in his eye, Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Souta and pulled him into firm embrace. He didn't understand any of what was happening, what brought all of this on, and why was Souta crying? An inward twinge made him feel oddly sick, something beyond his protective instinct that crept over him like rising mist, growing stronger and stronger with each second. He didn’t understand it, all he really knew of it was that he wanted Souta to stop crying. “What's wrong with you, just...“ It had to be because he was sick, that was it right? “Get some rest.”

Souta tried his best to hold back at lest a little, but he couldn't, being held like this, by Inuyasha, made it impossible. “I...I don't want to need rest, I don't want to keep being sick...I don't want...”

Inuyasha gently ran his hand through the boy‘s unkept hair, pulling him into his lap to hold him closer. He was sure his cheeks were glowing by now, he was possibly more embarrassed then he’d ever been, but he didn’t care for once, he had to comfort Souta. But geez, why did he have to make this so hard for him? “What?” The boy sounded like he was rambling, Inuyasha couldn't figure him out.

“I...” Souta let his body finally relax in Inuyasha's arms, able to feel a series of sensitive bruises lining Inuyasha's arm and torso from beyond the fabric. He must have gotten them fighting, fighting that thing again on his way back... Souta shuttered at the thought, not from fear or loathing of the demon, just at his own weakness. “I just don't wanna be weak.” He blurted out miserably, burring his head into Inuyasha’s strong arms.

“Weak?”

“Your so strong... and I'm not.” Souta sniffled. “I didn't want you to think that I was weak. I don't want to be weak... Your so strong, you probably don't want a weak kid like me...”

Inuyasha looked down at him and blinked in confusion. “Wait, that's all?”

Souta was his work in progress, and there was still much to be done.

Looking away with embarrassment as well as his own sense of reluctance, Souta nodded. “...Yes.”

Inuyasha closed his eyes and shook his head, gently rubbing Souta's back soothingly. “Well that was pretty stupid.” Despite his actions, Inuyasha’s words were harsh.

Souta lifted his head from Inuyasha's arms and looked up questioningly, staring with tear filled eyes that overflowed and ran down his cheeks.

Inuyasha smirked in his usual way, making Souta unsure if that look was a good thing or a bad thing. “Why would you care about something like that?”

“But your-”

“Listen, I...I li-” He stopped mid sentence, looking away with his own embarrassment. “...I'm not going anywhere, alright.” Inuyasha forced out, he seemed to struggle with his words midway through and had trouble thinking of the right thing to say. Or what he was comfortable making himself say.

“If I wanted to then I would have gone back a long time ago.”

“Yeah.” Souta excepted the answer, though he still couldn't displace the sense. “But your always having to save me, I...I can't do anything.”

“Yeah.” Inuyasha snorted with distaste, “You can't do anything, not if you keep talking like that.” This reminded him of the last time he said something to Souta like this, it seemed so long ago now... Inuyasha‘s word became softer, though still holding that same firmness.“I like you just fine, but if you don't want to be helpless this isn't the way to prove your not. Your sick, you should take it easy.”

Souta dropped his head again, this time basking in a rising sense of something else underlining his first embarrassment and reluctance. He didn‘t sound angry...he sounded...“I...I don't wanna.”

“I told you, it doesn't matter what I think-”

“No, that's it!” Souta shook his head, that undefined sense that had been with in all of the boy's words finally flared up. It came like a strong sinking feeling in his stomach, one that made his mind withdraw and his body hesitate and tremble. It was...It was... “I don't want to...I'm...”

Inuyasha realized it now, it was fear that he was hearing in Souta‘s voice. “Your afraid?”

Souta bit down on his bottom lip and nodded.

Now Inuyasha was really confused. “What are you afraid of?”

There was a long pause before Souta spoke again, a moment that seemed like an hour. Maybe he just didn't want to say it, or he just didn't want to say it to Inuyasha since he already felt so weak compared to him. He could have just been trying to figure out the right words, or just remembering something. Inuyasha could only wonder.

“Last time.” Finally Souta spoke again, clinching the red fabric of Inuyasha's clothing in an effort to find some comfort. He seemed to gain what ever sense of solace he needed in Inuyasha's arms, he couldn't help but feel safe here. “It was like this last time... After you left. It stopped hurting so much... and I stopped shaking, I thought I was getting better since I could get back to sleep again. But... after a while I couldn't feel anything, not the pain, not anything.”

The time frame Souta was talking about had been around 3 and 4 this morning.

Souta hastily wiped his eyes with the back of his hand an in attempt to hide the tears. “But...I woke up again, and I couldn't move at all. I couldn't even open my eyes. And everything hurt worse then before, I tried to scream but...” Souta didn't cry anymore, he just closed his eyes and burred his face in to Inuyasha's chest.

“That's why you don't wanna go to sleep huh...” Inuyasha only sighed and pulled him closer, he couldn't suppress a yawn that came forth from his own fatigue.

“It’s just like last time...If I fall asleep then-”

“Well...Don't worry about it, it's not going to happen again.”

“But...I don't...”

“Just don't worry about it, your gonna be alright.” Inuyasha told him.

Souta was quiet again, his eyes clinched tightly as he basked in the warmth. “You...promise?”

“Yeah, I promise.”

Souta stared up at him, almost unsure of what was being said to him. But whether he wanted to or not, he was falling asleep and he was helpless to stop himself. “Inuyasha...”

! - ! - !
! - ! - !

Sleep was inevitable, after his complete lack of it the night before it was going to come sooner or later.

Kouga hadn't move one inch, staring up at the vision that hadn't detoured in it's own subtle inspirational awe. He watched the small cloud of white that was his breath rise out of his mouth and blow away with the cold wind sweeping across the large yard, kicking up a light spray of snow.

He didn't think he'd ever been more calm in his life. Kouga's ears twitched with the awareness of a new sound, though he still didn't move. He just kept staring at the blue sky and golden sun filtered through the snow blanked branches of the cherry blossom tree.

This was perfect, he was cool, his mind focused on a sight worth of taking notice of. The only thing missing was, “You.” Kouga sat up abruptly when Houjo unexpectedly came into his vision. The boy, knee deep in snow, stood over him with that same warm face, though obviously concerned.

“Kouga, what are you doing out here, and without a shirt on?” Houjo asked with a hit of worry in his voice.

Kouga climbed to his feet, looking at his mate with a wide grin. With out warning he wrapped his arm around Houjo's shoulders and a full smile broke onto his lips. “You have no idea how much I missed you.” He announced, resting his head on Houjo's should

Generally Houjo would have dismissed the cclaim since he'd only been gone for a short time. But even though he knew he shouldn't have in such a small period.. he missed Kouga too, to an inexplicable degree that seemed almost unnatural. “I did to.” He agreed. All he could think about was getting back...

“Your my mate, don't leave me again.” He said demandingly. Kouga swiftly pulled him downward, gaining a startled outcry from the boy, which he drew great amusement from, as they both fell to the ground. Houjo landed on Kouga's chest, half burred in snow, wrapped in a tight embrace by strong arms. Kouga landed on his back again, in the same spot as last time, staring up at the sky with a wide grin.

“Kouga?”

“Stay with me.” The wolf responded simply, as if there was nothing to it.

It was a child like logic, but he wanted to feed into it. “...” Houjo paused for a moment before he responded, feeling an odd safeness coming over him. 'He's...so warm.'

“Heh Heh.” Kouga pulled Houjo closer, forcing the taller form on to his back and wrapping his arms around his chest.

“Yeah...ok.” Houjo agreed, his back pressed firmly against Kouga's chest and his head tucked beneath the wolf's chin. He was surrounded by a heat rising from Kouga's body, making him more comfortable in the cold climate. Houjo wasn't sure why Kouga was laying here, why he was just staring up at the sky, why he was so happy right now but...Kouga being happy seemed to make him happy.

He accounted it to some strange connection he was feeling with Kouga, the same one that made it so hard to be apart from Kouga before. “What is it about you?” Houjo finally asked.

“Huh?”

“What is it about you that makes me feel this way?” Houjo shirted his eyes upward and titled his head back just enough to see Kouga's face.

“Your my mate.” He said simply. “And I wont let anything happen to you.”

“Hn...” Houjo...he'd never really figure out Kouga completely.

The two of them laid there, Kouga stared upward at the artwork like beauty that rested before him. While Houjo closed his eyes and let himself rest in Kouga's arms.

After a moment, Houjo peeked one eye open with slight inquiring. “You... really like this huh? The snow... all of this.”

Kouga looked down at him and nodded silently before turning his eyes upward again.

Maybe he understood Kouga more then he thought.