Note from Author: I got the idea for this story while I was writing my first Shiki fic "Another Way". I had considered utilizing it then, but the plot seemed way too dark for such a sweet story of tow Okiagari trying to find a better path. So, I decided it needs to be its own separate entity. We'll see how far I get. Some series spoilers, and I'll admit now that I might have some events out of the order they actually took place and paraphrased, but I will be deviating way from the cannon toward the end.

Brainwashing and Blackmail

Chapter 1: Something Worth Smiling For

Kaori Tanaka stood outside the wake at Megumi Shimizu's funeral, holding the post card that Megumi meant to send to Natsuno Yuuki. She smiled when she saw him there, maybe Megumi had actually meant something to him after all. "See, Megumi-Chan?" she said, "He did come after all!" She ran up to him, thanking him for coming. "It would mean so much to her to know you came," Kaori told him. "I have something I want to give you; a keepsake of Megumi's."

"No," Natsuno said, looking at Kaori a little confused, "I wouldn't feel right accepting it. I hardly knew her." He had come out of social obligation to a dead classmate, but had no intention of sticking around. He felt sorry for the pink-haired girl's friends and parents, but he harbored no feelings for her. He excused himself and walked away. As soon as he was clear of watchful eyes, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Maybe I can get some sleep tonight," he said, "I should be ashamed of myself to be rid of her in such a manner. Did she really think I didn't know she was outside my window every night?" He went straight home and buried his nose back into his books. He was determined to get out of this town, and that was one less clingy person to try and get in his way. Realizing there would never be someone lurking in the bushes outside his room again, he slid the window open, to allow the fresh air in. He looked out at the tree line and gave a smile. "Rest in peace, Shimizu."

A week passed after the funeral, and Natsuno took to keeping his window closed again. She was gone, but he couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched, and it was messing with his head. "I don't miss her," he grumbled to himself. "I don't miss her, I don't!" he said banging a fist against the wall. "I barely knew her. I hated how clingy she was. I didn't like her at all. So what the hell is this feeling? She's gone, but I can still feel her eyes watching me. Maybe she's haunting me for refusing that keepsake her friend was trying to give me." It was a ridiculous idea, considering how his family didn't believe in religions and superstitions, but it was better than thinking he was feeling guilty or missing his late stalker.

Several nights passed and Natsuno was beginning to feel his home was becoming more and more unsafe. He found himself dozing off in classes, and sleep deprived at night. He thought he'd be better off with her gone, but he felt the lack of sleep driving him insane. Then, there was Tohru Mutou.

Natsuno had tried his best to put up his defenses, to keep the people in this village from getting close. When he finally left for a big college, he didn't want anything or anyone here to hold him back. But, Tohru had slowly been breaking through those defenses. Sure, Tohru may have been older than Natsuno, but he didn't always act like it. He was pushy, but kind, he gave Natsuno a respectable amount of space, but also took advantage of every chance he had to get close. He allowed Natsuno to feel like he was in control of the situation, but knew how to get Natsuno to go along with him on something too. Tohru and Natsuno were like night and day, but they feed well off of each other's thoughts and emotions.

If it weren't for Tohru, Natsuno probably would have packed his bags and run out in the middle of the night quite some time ago. But, from they day the two of them had first met, Natsuno found himself pleasantly charmed by the older honey-blonde teen. Even more so after Tohru had figured out his first name.

Natsuno had insisted on everyone calling him Yuuki-Kun, but Tohru did some digging around, and became the first, and one of the few people to call him by his real name. Again, Natsuno's family didn't believe in superstitions, but Natsuno had heard once that there was an ancient belief that everyone and everything had a real name, and if you knew that real name, then the person, or thing could be controlled by you. This belief may have been part of why in Japan last names are used outside of family and close friends, and why Westerners hated it when their parents used their full first, middle, and last name to scold them. If there were any truth to it, that would explain some things as to why Natsuno had so much trouble saying 'No' to Tohru.

"Hey, Natsuno!" Tohru called.

"Well, I knew he'd catch up to me sooner or later," Natsuno sighed. His head was hung, his book bag was slung over his shoulder. He was tired, too tired to scold the blond for using his first name. Though, in actuality, it was comforting to hear his name being called by Tohru.

"Natsuno?" Tohru called again as he caught up to the purple-haired teen, gently putting his hand on Natsuno's shoulder. "Whoa, are you ok?" he asked.

"Tohru-Chan? Do me a favor?" Natsuno asked.

Tohru blinked, surprised by both, that Natsuno didn't scold him for using his name, and that Natsuno was asking him for a favor. "Sure, buddy, what's up?" Tohru asked. Inside Tohru's mind, a chibi version of himself was jumping up and down, shouting in joy, he'd weakened Natsuno's barriers enough that Natsuno trusted him for a favor. Conquest was at hand.

"Can I sleep at your place?" Natsuno asked.

Oh God, Tohru's little chibi image of himself was now blaring a victory trumpet. A look of surprise crossed Tohru's face when he heard these words, but he smiled. Natsuno had to have his reasons. "Sure thing, Natsuno. But why my place?"

"I can't really sleep at my house right now," Natsuno yawned.

Tohru blinked curiously but smiled, agreeing to let Natsuno stay. He wrapped his arm around the younger teen and lead him back to his house. He didn't care if people saw him hanging onto Natsuno the way he did. The rumors were already circulating that Tohru was dating Ritsuko Kunihiro, a beautiful young female nurse from the Ozaki clinic and they knew he had a playful personality that allowed him to charm just about anybody. The only person who could get in his way and complain about such public displays had been in her grave for days now, and Natsuno seemed too tired to complain at the moment.

This became the first of many nights that Natsuno would spend sleeping at the Mutou household. Tohru's room was on the second floor, at the far end of the hall. Natsuno felt much safer now, but he wasn't sure if it was because he was no longer on the ground floor, and away from his bedroom window, or because he was with Tohru. Maybe it was both. No matter how much Natsuno had tried to be cold and discouraging toward Tohru, he was always secretly glad that Tohru accepted the challenge and became more persistent in trying to get him to open up. He didn't understand why Tohru put up with him, but he didn't question it. When it came to Tohru, Natsuno always knew he was safe and in control of things.

Tohru slept on the floor that first night, when Natsuno had accidentally fell asleep on the blonde's bed. The second time Natsuno slept over, he woke up to find Tohru had slipped into the bed behind him, refusing to take the floor a second time. Natsuno scrambled out of the bed, trying not to wake Tohru up, and made a b-line for the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, Natsuno found his face flushed bright red. "What the hell was that?" he thought to himself, "Why didn't he just roll me on the floor and take the bed back for himself?"

Tohru opened an eye and sighed, "Well, I guess Natsuno's up, now. Darn, and I was going to tease him about 'sleeping with him', too. Better let him think I'm still asleep for a while, or he might try to kill me for it," he thought to himself. He giggled and rolled over into the spot where Natsuno had been. It was still warm, and it still smelt like the younger teenager.

Natsuno bumped into Tohru's sister Aoi as he left the bathroom. "Oh, Aoi, sorry," he yawned. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Nacchan," she greeted him, with a slight blush. "Um… The bathroom, are you?"

"No, I'm done in there," Natsuno answered her. "It's all yours. … Just don't get freaked out if you hear your brother begging me to stop pummeling his face in a few minutes, ok?"

Aoi giggled. "What's he done, this time?" Natsuno decided not to tell her, she knew how her brother's mind worked. "Tell me the truth, Naachan, you like Tohru-Niisan, don't you?" she smiled.

"Huh?" Natsuno looked at her curiously.

Aoi fidgeted a little. "Nothing, nothing… Let's just say you've got a few admirers who are a little more respectful of you than you realize, but that they know there's someone else they have no chance at competing with." With that, she ducked into the bathroom, shutting the door. A large blush swept across her face, she couldn't believe she'd just said that.

"What is wrong with this family?" Natsuno muttered under his breath, as he turned to head back to Tohru's room.

"Aw man!" Tohru's younger brother Tamotsu groaned. Aoi and Tamotsu were both Natsuno's age, fifteen. "Yuuki-Kun," he grumbled, rubbing his eyes, "Why'd you let her go in? It'll be hours before anyone else can get in there now."

"Not his fault you're too slow," Tohru's voice called out into the hallway from still in the bed. "Oh, crap, so much pretending to be asleep," Tohru thought sitting up, "May as well get up and face the music. He'd probably accuse me of being some kind of perverted freak if he knew I was over here wallowing in his scent, anyway."

Natsuno sighed, trying not to allow his face to give way to the smile that was trying to pass across it. Natsuno was an only child and had always been sort of a lone wolf even in the city. It was nice to see how a real family acted once in a while.

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't throw you out that window?" Natsuno asked Tohru as he pushed the door shut.

"Um… I can probably do better than one," Tohru said, using his fingers to count them. First finger, "It's my bed," second finger, "It's my house," third finger, "and you know you enjoyed my beautiful face being the first thing you saw when you woke up this morning." Tohru laughed and quickly blocked his face with his pillow as Natsuno through a book in his direction. "Yep, you loved it," Tohru chuckled.

"You are so weird," Natsuno said, shaking his head. "I don't mean for you to take the floor, but next time, just roll me out of the bed or lay out a pallet or something. Geeze."

Tohru smiled and climbed out of the bed, slowly walking over to Natsuno. He leaned in close to the younger teenaged boy, he knew just how far into Natsuno's personal space he could safely get, and there was something he loved about teasing Natsuno for it. Tohru's beautiful brown eyes met with Natsuno's dark blue ones. If Tohru were a fox, bright eyed and bushy tailed would be an accurate description of him at this moment. Natsuno closed his eyes as that thought crossed his mind. The mental image of 'Tohru-Chan' with the ears and tails of a red or brown Kitsune was just too cute for Natsuno to bear looking him in the eyes. He reached out and pushed Tohru away. "Nock it off, would you? How can you be so hyper so early in the morning?"

"Whatever, I'll make you smile one day," Tohru's only reply challenged, as he smiled, almost knowing Natsuno secretly enjoyed having him that close.

Natsuno kept his eyes closed. "Good luck with that, Tohru-Chan. You may make it happen, but you'll never see it."

Tohru turned and banged on the wall between his room and the bathroom. "Hurry up in there, Aoi, you've got a line forming outside!"

"You're both boys, why don't you go outside!" Aoi called back to her brothers.

"Cheeky little…" Tohru rolled his eyes.

"Hey! You kids stop making so much racket up there, it's too early in the morning!" Tohru's mother called from down stairs.

"Sorry mom," came the reply from all three of the Mutou children.

Natsuno quietly plopped down on the edge of Tohru's bed. Was this the way things always worked around here?

In the month that passed after Megumi Shimizu's funeral, Natsuno found himself spending more and more time with Tohru, he felt safe with the older teen at his side, even if he did have to deal with constant breaches of his personal space. Natsuno had thought about opening up to Tohru, explaining why he couldn't sleep as well at his place, but he thought sure Tohru would laugh and tease him over it. "I don't think he's ever serious about anything," Natsuno thought to himself.

"Hey, Natsuno! What are you doing out in your school uniform?" Tohru's voice called.

"Huh? It's not a school day?" Natsuno looked up to find Tohru in a car with Ritsuko, only Tohru was behind the wheel. "Wait a minute!" He walked over to the car. "When'd you get your license?"

"I've got my permit," Tohru answered, "Ritsu-Chan here's keeping an eye on me for now. Why don't you hop in? It's a lot cooler."

Not too long ago, Natsuno and Ritsuko had strolled down the road talking with one-another. She was kind and polite, and Natsuno liked her. He wasn't sure if he wanted to share Tohru's time with her, but at the same time, if Tohru was going to be with any girl in town, he supposed Ritsuko was the perfect match for him. He started to refuse, but the idea of air conditioning lured him in. He climbed into the back seat and loosened his tie and the first few top buttons on his shirt with a sigh.

It didn't take long for Tohru to start teasing him, noticing he was having trouble staying conscious. "Still wide awake back here," Natsuno eventually grumbled.

A little way down the road, Tohru tried to offer a ride to his brother Tamotsu and to Tamotsu's friend Masao Murasako, but as soon as Masao saw Natsuno in the vehicle, he refused the ride, and Tamotsu had to run off after him. "What was that all about?" Ritsuko asked.

"Masao's not exactly a fan of Natsuno's," Tohru chuckled, only to feel Natsuno's fist come across the top of the seat.

"I told you don't call me that," Natsuno growled. Not that Natsuno really cared any more, not when it was Tohru calling him by his name, but he had to try and stay consistent-especially in front of other people. This turned the conversation to Natsuno's dreams to return to the city, once more.

"Hey, your parents drug you out here, for now you might as well humor them, don't you think?" Tohru asked glancing in the back seat.

"Yuuki-Kun, please, no more hitting the driver," Ritsuko sighed. She then looked at Tohru, "And you, eyes back on the road!"

"Yes, ma'am," they both begrudgingly answered.

"Natsuno's been spending a lot of time here, lately. Hasn't he?" Aoi asked the rest of the family, as they sat in the family room down stairs.

"He said he's having trouble sleeping at home," Tamotsu replied. "What's the matter, sis? Jealous Tohru-Niisan's getting all of Natsuno's free time? Maybe we should watch how they're both walking in the morning?" he joked.

"Tamotsu!" their mother scolded with a sigh, as Tamotsu found Aoi's fist in his face. "I should scold her for that, but I think you disserved it, this time."

Meanwhile, Tohru and Natsuno were upstairs, oblivious to the conversation taking place about them. Natsuno was on Tohru's bed, reading, and Tohru was in the floor playing a video game. "Say, Natsuno?" Tohru asked.

"Don't call me that…" Natsuno sighed, realizing that his complaints about Tohru using his name were becoming less and less consistent, "What?"

"What do you think of Ritsu-Chan?" Tohru asked.

Well, that was an out-of-the-blue question. "She's nice," Natsuno answered. He continued, somewhat begrudgingly, "You two look good together, I guess. Why?"

Tohru smiled, still seemingly focused on the game. "Heh, he's totally jealous," he thought to himself. Tohru waited a moment before continuing, "I was thinking of asking her on a drive this weekend, but I'm a little nervous to go by myself. I was wondering if you'd come with me."

"Weren't you just driving with her the other day?" Natsuno asked.

"Well, this drive…" Tohru baited, "It would be more like… a date."

"Huh? Wait a minute?" Natsuno exclaimed. Tohru smirked, he could tell Natsuno was trying not to sound flustered. "Tohru-Chan? Are you sure that's such a good idea? I mean, she's a lot older than us." Tohru heaved a briefed sigh that washed all over Natsuno. Natsuno closed his eyes and clenched his fist. "That's just playing dirty, Tohru-Chan," he thought as he glanced back up at the back of the blonde's head, "How the hell am I suppose to say no to that?!"

Tohru gave a sly smile, while still acting as though all his focus was on the game. "It wouldn't feel right to go out with my girlfriend, and not have my boyfriend tag along," he thought to himself.

Natsuno sighed. "Alright," he agreed, stuffing his nose back into the magazine. "I guess I'll go."

Tohru paused the game. "Really, you mean it?" he asked, turning around to look at Natsuno. He almost couldn't believe that worked.

"Yeah, I'll go," Natsuno said, trying not to blush.

"Aw, that's great, Natsuno!" Tohru started to pounce at him, but found himself with Natsuno's foot in his face.

"Just cut it out with the physical displays of affection, already," Natsuno growled.

"Yeah, right, sorry," Tohru sighed. Tohru blinked, as he noticed Natsuno was getting sleepy again. "Hey, wait a minute, Natsuno! I've got you a pallet for tonight. It'll only take a few minutes to set up. You can think of it as your bed away from home."

"Yeah, sure," Natsuno yawned.

"So just don't fall asleep on my bed again…?" Tohru sighed. To late, Natsuno was too tired to stay awake. Tohru sighed. "It's going to be interesting trying to move him now that he's asleep." Tohru looked at the sleeping purple-haired boy on his bed and sighed. "He looks so cute and peaceful," Tohru thought to himself, "I hate to wake him, but he'll kill me if he wakes up to find me in the bed with him again." Tohru sighed, and set out the pallet, deciding to let Natsuno have the bed until it was laid out, at least. Getting Natsuno onto the pallet became a little of a hassle. Tohru started by gently shaking Natsuno, trying to wake him, when that didn't work, he tried pulling him, grabbing Natsuno's wrist with both hands, and putting one foot on the side board of the bed. "Come on, Naaatsuuunooo," he groaned as he tugged, but he just didn't have the strength to pull him. Tohru's grip slipped and he fell backwards, landing back on the pallet. "OW…! I never was very strong," he begrudgingly admitted, rubbing his head with one hand and his hip with another, "I'm a lover, not a fighter." He sighed, looking back at Natsuno. He clenched his fist and jumped back to his feet, a determined look in his eye. "Fine, I know how to get you up." Tohru leaned in over Natsuno, pushing well past the safety zone of Natsuno's personal barriers. Tohru blushed. He knew he was headed for trouble as he caught Natsuno's nose with one hand, pinching it shut and pushed his lips to Natsuno's. He quickly jumped back as Natsuno's eyes snapped open.

Natsuno sprang up to a sitting position and Tohru quickly put the full breadth of the room between the two of them, certain Natsuno was going to kill him. Tohru could feel his heart beating faster than it ever had before. Natsuno glared at him, like he knew Tohru had done something, but was still too sleepy to realize what had just happened. "What?" Natsuno groaned, looking over at Tohru.

Tohru pointed at the pallet on the floor. "I… uh… The pallet. I told you I'd set it up for you," Tohru stuttered.

"Oh," Natsuno yawned, "Right. Sorry, Tohru-Chan, I don't mean to keep falling asleep on your bed like this."

Natsuno climbed off the bed and settled down on the pallet, while Tohru heaved a quiet sigh. He was safe from Natsuno's wrath, for the moment. "G'd'night, Natsuno," Tohru said, flicking off the light and climbing into his bed.

"Yeah," Natsuno yawned, "Good night." Natsuno blushed, he knew all too well what Tohru had just done, but was too tired to fight about it. To be honest, he actually kind of liked it. Odd that that would be the event to mark his first kiss. He'd have to think of a way to get Tohru back for it in the morning. Natsuno suddenly had that feeling come back. Out of nowhere, for the first time since he'd started sleeping at Tohru's house, Natsuno felt as though Shimizu's eyes were watching him. His body felt numb, but burning hot, he couldn't move. That sensation was more frightening than ever before, as if the unseen entity watching him was full of murderous intent. Natsuno could sense someone approaching the room. "Sh…Shimizu?" he thought, horrified, suddenly regretting letting Tohru move him to the floor.

The door to the room slid open. "Aw, they're already asleep? I guess I'll have to get Tamotsu to help me with my homework," a voice said as the door quietly slid shut.

Natsuno closed his eyes and heaved a sigh of relief, "It was just Aoi." But a chill ran down his spine, that sensation hadn't left, and he was still paralyzed on the spot.

"Hi Yuuki," a voice rang out. Natsuno's eyes widened and darted in the direction of the bed. He watched in horror as the pink haired Megumi Shimizu, who should have been long dead and in her grave, slid out from under Tohru's bed. She was on her back, her eyes were empty and solid black, her face a pale white-like a porcelain Kagome doll, and she was wearing what was probably the sluttiest outfit he'd ever seen her in. She stood up and gave him an evil smile. The whole scene was monstrous, like something out of a horror film. "You've been a bad boy, Yuuki," she said her adoration for him was still in her voice, but there was something sick and sadistic there, too, "You never should have thrown away my postcard." She looked around the room, and then down to Tohru. Her eyes light up a bright pink glow dead center, and she smiled a devilish smile. She leaned in over the sleeping blonde, Natsuno was powerless to stop her, she had an unseen associate who had ensured Natsuno couldn't move. She frowned at Tohru as she sat on the edge of his bed. "I don't like your friend, Yuuki-Kun," she said flatly. There was no adoration in her voice, only malice and hate; she had been outside the window, she had seen what Tohru had done, and she was furious. "I'm jealous, Yuuki, because he's so much closer to you than I am. What do you think Tatsumi-Kun?" She looked to the window, where Natsuno could see another pair of glowing orbs, a second pair of eyes. She smiled, "He makes you smile, even though you try to hide it, he's able to make you do it. It's not fair Yuuki, why couldn't you smile like that for me?" She crossed her legs and flicked one of her long pink pigtails off her shoulder, leaning in closer to Tohru, "So, I'm going to take him from you," she said. "I would reassure you that he won't die a virgin, but I don't think I could stand him for that long."

Natsuno's eyes widened. "No, leave him alone!" Natsuno tried to cry out, but he couldn't, try as he might, he couldn't move, and he couldn't speak. "Tohru-Chan!" Natsuno's mind was screaming, "Wake up, Tohru-Chan!" Natsuno watched in horror as Megumi leaned in and bit down on Tohru's neck. She bit hard and twitched as if she were attempting to rip the flesh. Tohru didn't wake up, but let out a moan as Megumi began to suck the blood from him. "Damn it all, Shimizu, leave him alone!"

Megumi gave Natsuno a sadistic, gleeful smile as she pulled away from Tohru's throat, she had not been gentle and a trickle of blood was running down the corner of her mouth. Natsuno's only concern was Tohru, he wanted to spring from the floor and rip that pink-haired bitch's head right off, but he still couldn't move. Finally, Megumi and her accomplice disappeared. Natsuno leapt from the floor. "Tohru-Chan?" he called out, running to the side of Tohru's bed. "Damn it, Shimizu, are you still listening? I don't know what you want. Do what you want to me, but leave him out of this," Natsuno declared. Natsuno put his hands on Tohru's shoulders and gave the blonde a gentle shake. "Tohru-Chan, are you alright? Tohru? Tohru!?" Natsuno gasped as his eyes fell on Tohru's neck, there were no signs of Megumi having bit him at all. "Damn, don't tell me it was all a nightmare?" he thought, feeling foolish for panicking.

Tohru let out a soft moan and opened his eyes. He almost blushed seeing Natsuno standing over him. "N-Natsuno?" he yawned.

Natsuno blushed, throwing his hands to his side. Tohru sat up and looked at him, sleepily rubbing his eyes. The two sat in silence for a moment, while Natsuno tried to rationalize to himself that there were no such things as monsters and it had all been a dream, a horrible dream. He turned away from Tohru. "This is stupid!" he grumbled, "Good night!"

Natsuno was unaware how much he'd regret that decision, huffing off to sleep leaving things unsaid after such an awkward silence. Tohru began missing school after that, and when asked, Aoi said he was simply playing hooky because of a new video game. It was getting close to when Tohru had planned to ask Ritsuko for that drive. Natsuno convinced Aoi to let him walk home with her so he could visit with her brother. Natsuno was curious if Tohru still planned on going. They arrived at the Mutou household, just in time to hear Dr. Ozaki's diagnosis. "I'm sorry," Dr. Ozaki said, "He's dead."

Natsuno went to the funeral; expressed his sympathies to the family. He worded it so eloquently, but in the end, the only words he could remember having said were, "I'm sorry, I wish I could find him and bring him back."

It was all Natsuno could do to keep himself from knocking Masao's teeth down his throat. Here they were, sitting on the Mutou family's porch, and Masao was carrying on about how he remembered he and Tohru and Tamotsu use to do this or that, then turned and began berating Natsuno for not crying.

How the hell did the topic go from, "You're cruel for not crying," to talking about Megumi? Natsuno was trying to keep himself level headed, he wasn't going to cause a scene and fight in front of Tohru's family, not at a time like this. But, he wanted so bad to land a fist right in Masao's face, and tell that pale little freak how he had to watch the one and only person in this whole damned town who had meant more to him than anything else being lowered into the ground, and that as far as he was concerned, it was that pink haired little bitch who'd done it.

It was Aoi who broke it up, telling Masao that Natsuno wasn't the one being cruel. She and Tamotsu were both thankful that Natsuno had been sitting there, but Masao's behavior was making it too much for Aoi to bear. Masao ran off, angry that he was the one being scolded, not understanding everyone was grieving in their own way. Natsuno apologized to Aoi and Tamotsu, after Masao had left. They both insisted, however that Natsuno had nothing to apologize for. They both knew how much Natsuno had really meant to their brother. As far as they were concerned, he was part of the family.

Natsuno saved his grieving for when he got home. Now, he was alone, in his room, his door and windows shut and locked tight, where no one could enter. Crying in front of others wasn't something Natsuno could do. That just wasn't the kind of person he was. He leaned against the wall and sat his pillow in his lap. He sat quietly for a few moments. The image of Megumi leaning over Tohru in the bed and in his coffin continued to play out in Natsuno's mind. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the unwanted image. Had it really been a nightmare or had Megumi really come back from the grave to steal away the only person who made this hell hole worth living in?

Natsuno's thoughts were so focused on trying to hold good memories of Tohru, that he failed to realize he was now hugging his pillow tight against his chest. Tohru had been his one shining ray of light in this backwoods village, and now he was gone. Natsuno's last safe haven, had been taken from him, be it by monsters, or ghosts, or some sort of illness sweeping the village, whatever the hell it was, it had taken Tohru from him. Natsuno buried his face into his pillow. What would Tohru say if he saw him like this? He tried to remember his exact words at Tohru's funeral, but couldn't. What he was sure of though was that he'd managed not to speak aloud the words, "Don't leave me," which had caught in his throat as they lowered the casket. Natsuno's eyes widened, as he remembered the morning after his second night at the Mutou house.

He remembered how Tohru leaned in dangerously close, stopping just inches away from his face, giving that fox-like grin, and issuing the challenge, "I will make you smile one day."

"Tohru-Chan," Natsuno finally sobbed, burying his face into his pillow. "You were always something worth smiling for."