The rain was falling harder than he wanted. He ran to an overhang to protect himself, hoping that he wouldn't be too wet. Well, that wasn't the case. He was already soaked to the bone, his blonde hair sticking to his face. Ugh, he hated being wet. He lowered himself to the ground, lowering his head like a cat. Why the hell does this have to happen to me?

"Yamaken-kun?"

He glanced up, his heart beating in his throat. Of course she'd be there. That was always his luck, huh? "Oi. Mizutani."

Shizuku looked down at him, the rain sliding off her umbrella to create a heavy curtain of water between them. Her face was pinched, which seemed to tick him off. "What are you doing down there?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" he snapped. He flinched after saying so. He didn't mean that. In embarrassment, he looked away from her. "What are you doing out here?"

"Walking home," she said a matter-of-factly.

Probably from Haru's huh? The thought pissed him off more than he wanted to admit. "Oh," was all he could mutter out.

Shizuku stood there, staring at him, which made him feel like he was some sort of freak. His face slowly grew pink. Would she stop staring? It made him feel so self conscious. That and he didn't know what to do with the attention. She never gave it to him so he didn't know how to handle it.

"You can walk with me."

Yamaken's head snapped up. "Huh?"

She pointed to her umbrella, her expression unchanging. "We can share until we get to the bus stop."

He considered this for a moment. Share an umbrella? He thought about the fact he would have to stoop down, if she were going to carry it (and that would hurt his back). But then the thought of them being so close...accidentally bumping shoulders and unable to move apart. He blushed even harder. Yamaken stood, brushing off his pants. "I guess we can."

Shizuku held it out to him, tilting her head to the side. "Then let's go. I have to get home to cook dinner."

He took the umbrella, secretly glad that she had the sense to hand it over. They began to walk down the dark streets, the heavy rain cutting them off from everything else. Yamaken glanced down at her, Shizuku looking straight ahead. She looked so beautiful. It took everything he had not to reach down and kiss her in that moment.

As if she had sensed his thoughts, she looked up at him, their eyes locking. Yamaken jerked back as if the eye contact had burned him. The movement however left her exposed to the rain for a moment, soaking her. She looked like a wet cat.

The thought made Yamaken laugh out loud. Shizuku didn't take kindly to it and punched him in the arm. "What was that for?"

"S-sorry...hahaha….just...you look...hahahaha...so funny…." Yamaken put a hand up to his mouth, trying to stifle his laughter. But it was unsuccessful. This won him another punch.

"It's not funny." Shizuku shook her head, her hair whipping around the water. Most of it splashed in Yamaken's face.

"Oi!"

"Well, that's what you get." Shizuku looked triumphant.

"Oh really?" Yamaken yanked the umbrella from over her again, leaving her exposed. He laughed once more.

Shizuku's face pinched, but there was some playfulness in her eyes. She rushed to him, yanking the umbrella from Yamaken's hands and tossing it aside. They were now both unprotected from the rain.

"Gah!" Yamaken stumbled back, staggering into a puddle. Oh god. This can't get any worse…

But he heard Shizuku starting to laugh. Oh, so that's how it was going to be?... Yamaken kicked his foot, sending a small wave of water over to her, soaking her boots and the hem of her skirt. So commenced their water fight, each of them taking turns kicking water at the other while they tried to escape the attack. The two ran up and down the street, laughing and without a care in the world. Yamaken actually forgot how he hated being wet. All he could think of at this point was that he was having fun with Shizuku.

But it didn't last long.

As Shizuku was dodging his latest attack, her foot slipped in a puddle, sending her straight to the ground. Yamaken froze, immediately running to her side. "Shizuku! Are you alright?"

Slowly she sat up, rubbing her head. "Yeah, I guess." She looked down at her clothes. "I'm really wet…."

Yamaken laughed, extending a hand to help her up. "Yeah, you are."

Shizuku accepted the help, smiling...until she put some weight on her ankle. She fell back down, nearling taking Yamaken with her. "Gah...my ankle…."

He got down closer to her, his eyes full of worry. "Can you stand?"

She tried again and failed once more. "No…."

What should I do? I have to get her out of the rain now….. A thought came to mind, making him jolt. I couldn't….could I?..."Er….I could….carry you…."

She blinked, staring at him. He was afraid she would say no when she put up her arms. Her face was slightly blushed. "Make it quick."

He stumbled again. She was actually allowing him to do so? "A-are you sure?"

"How else am I getting home?"

Touche. Yamaken bent over and picked her up, heavy in his arms. Her soaked clothes had to have added an extra 20 pounds. He could feel his arms straining with the weight. It wasn't like he was that strong anyway. He would have to hurry her home. "So which way do you live?"

Shizuku pointed the way, muttering how many turns he would have to make. He nodded as he began to walk. He tried not to stare down at her but knew he wouldn't be able to hold out for long. Her hair was plastered to her face now, the water streaking down her face. Her brown eyes were locked onto his shirt, staring at it as if it were the only thing she were allowed to look at. He felt his heart beginning to pick up in pace, swearing that if she looked long enough she would be able to see it. Her hand clenched at the material, squeezing it hard enough to wring the water from it. This struck him as odd. He looked closer at her face, realizing how it was scrunched in pain. "A-are you hurting?..."

She held oddly still for a few moments before nodding slowly.

Yamaken now felt rushed. He sprinted further down the street before he felt a tap on his chest. He looked down to see Shizuku pointing again. "You missed the turn."

He doubled back and turned (this time with Shizuku's instructions). It took a few minutes longer to get there but they made it her her house without another incident.

"Where are your keys?"

Shizuku dug through her bag, producing them. Yamaken brought her close to the door so she could open it herself. He bumped it open with his hip, guiding her in. She once more pointed, this time to the living room. "You can put me down on the couch."

He did as he was told and sat her down on the couch. She winced, but that was all she did to give away her pain. Yamaken sat down on the ground beside her, their eyes level with each other. "Is there anything I can get to help you?"

Shizuku ignored him for the moment, bringing up her leg to assess the damage to her ankle. It was a little red and swollen but otherwise didn't look too bad. She looked back to the blonde. "You could get some ice and some aspirin. Maybe something to wrap it."

Yamaken stood to get the stuff but paused in the doorway. "...where would all of that be?"

"The wrap and aspirin would be in the bathroom. Ice in the freezer."

He tried his best to get to the bathroom, though he turned once into her bedroom. It was a plain space. He expected it to be filled more with….her. But when he thought about it, it fit her well. Yamaken, now embarrassed, turned around and made it to the bathroom this time. After a few minutes of rummaging and a making a side stop in the kitchen, he returned to her.

"Oi. I found this in the kitchen." He handed over a note.

She read it over, her face not making any change of expression. "Well, it looks like my dad and brother aren't going to be back until tomorrow."

Yamaken hadn't even realized that her family was missing. He was used to going home to no one and didn't really think about it being different here. Now he could feel the heat in his cheeks and looked away from her. "So...we're alone?"

"Looks like it." Shizuku took the things from his hands, getting to work on her ankle.

Yamaken watched her small hand work, her fingers quickly wrapping the material around. Without his consent, the thought of how those fingers would feel across his skin, how meticulously they would work...He shook his head, feeling lightheaded from the thoughts. He shouldn't be thinking of those things, not right now. Especially since Haru was still in the picture.

"Thank you for bringing me home, Yamaken-kun."

He glanced back over at her, his face still red. "Oh...you're...welcome." He stood, rubbing the back of his head. It was the first time he really noticed how awkwardly his clothes were now sticking to him, how heavy they hung. He just wanted to get out of them now….and away from her sight…. "I guess I should get going then…"

"Can you stay?"

His heart slammed against his chest. "Wh-what?...why?..."

"I can't walk on this ankle. And I'm hungry." As if on cue, her stomach growled.

"Oh." Yamaken looked around awkwardly. "Wh-what did you want?..."

"Well, I was going to make a stir fry…"

Yamaken paled. He couldn't cook. He never had to at home, there was always some kind of hired help for that. He fretted. "And you expect me to make that?"

"Yes."

He felt as if she had punched him. How dare she assume that he would do such a thing for her. But you would, wouldn't you? He sighed. "Well, if you want to get food poisoning, I guess I could try."

She tilted her head. "You can't cook?"

"What gave you the idea?" Yamaken shrugged off his jacked, falling with a wet plop to the ground. That felt a little better.

"Can you make it still?"

"NO I CAN'T MAKE IT, YOU DOLT." Yamaken bit his lip. He didn't mean to snap. He thought for a moment of another option. He snapped his fingers as the thought struck him. With a quick snap he pulled out his phone, dialing a number he had committed to memory. "Hello?...Yes, I'd like one order of pork noodles and the beef stir fry….yes that'll be all…" He turned away, muttering off the address, before handing up. "It'll be here in 20 minutes."

Shizuku stared at him. "Are you paying for that?"

His eye twitched. "Yes…" he said through clenched teeth. He walked toward the doorway, leaning on the frame. He itched at his collar, pulling at the wet material. God, how he wanted to get out of those clothes….

"You could borrow some clothes if you wanted to change…."

Yamaken slipped off the frame. "Wha…." He cleared his throat. "I'm not sure if any of your things would fit me…."

"My dad has some extra things laying around. If you don't mind."

He did mind but he hated being soaked. "Sure."

"It's upstairs, to the right. The top drawer of the dresser. There's a shirt and some shorts there." She pulled at her skirt. "C-could you….get me a change of clothes too?..." Her cheeks blushed.

Yamaken felt his heart skip a couple beats. "I g-guess…" He pulled at his collar again. "Wh-what did you want?"

"There's a-a shirt and sweats...a-at the end of my bed….end of the hall to the left…."

Yamaken nodded, heading up the stairs once more. His face was bright red, his heart pounding. Oh god...he was way in over his head now.

It was easy for him to find her father's room this time around, getting used to the small layout. He dug through the drawer, finding a light gray shirt and pair of red shorts with a hole near the knee. That would have to do. He changed quickly, leaving his wet clothes in the bathroom to dry. It wasn't until he was before her room again when he felt incredibly awkward. He entered, taking in a deep breath as he did so. It smelled like Shizuku. It calmed him enough to look for the clothes she mentioned. Yamaken reached for them, his hand brushing passed a stuffed bunny. He stared at it, almost shocked to see it there. He didn't take her for the stuffed animal type. But when he took a better look at her bed, he saw that she had a small collection going. Then there was one, he couldn't tell exactly what it was as it was sorta disfigured, that sat near her pillow. A hollow pain echoed from his heart. His instincts were telling him that that one came from Haru. He took it by the head and threw it across the room. He would have to get her a better looking one. He grabbed her clothes and rushed down the stairs.

"I got everything," he announced once he got back to the living room.

Shizuku shuffled uncomfortably on the couch. "Thanks…."

Yamaken stared at her for a few moments before spinning on his heels. "I should probably leave you to change…." He stopped by the window first to draw the curtains before stalking to the kitchen.

((Extra: Shizuku watched Yamaken walk away, a slight slump to his shoulders. Was it okay that she forced him to stay? It only made sense that he should. She needed some help and since it was his fault, the responsibility had to fall to him. But he didn't look too pleased to be there. Was it something she said? She pursed her lips. It wasn't really worth it to dwell on. He always had on a similar face…She pulled off her shirt (after she looked over her shoulder once to make sure he wasn't looking) and began to change...))

Yamaken was sitting at the kitchen table when there was a knock at the door. He tried his best to walk past the living room without looking in so he could get to the door. With a cold look and a few short words he walked back into the room with food.

Shizuku looked up from tying her hair. Luckily she was already dressed as Yamaken didn't announce himself. Without words he set out the food for the two of them, only making a last trip to the kitchen to bring back drinks for them.

Their meal started with little words, the both of them too hungry to do anything but eat. But it was Shizuku who broke the silence. "I'm sorry."

Yamaken looked up from his noodles, a few still hanging from his mouth. "For what?"

"Making you stay here."

He shifted uneasily. "You don't have to worry about that."

Shizuku poked at her food. "Good."

Again, he was irked. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, it was your fault I got hurt. You should be caring for my anyway."

He almost spit out his food. "You're the idiot who slipped!"

They stared each other down, each red in the face. At the same time they both looked away and went back to eating. Yamaken frowned at his food. Shizuku glanced up in time to see the look. His skin was pinched right between his eyes. She wanted to reach out and rub it out….it didn't look right on his face…

She didn't realize that she actually had reached out to do so, her touch gentle. Yamaken froze, his food falling from his grasp. With a curse he jumped back, trying to clean up the mess he had just made. "Shit…." He scooped it up and put it on the table, grabbing whatever napkins he could. After he assessed that the mess wasn't too bad, he glanced back up to her. His golden brown eyes were wide with shock still. "What...the hell was that?..."

Shizuku stared at him as if she didn't recognize him. "I...I don't…." Her eyes flicked away, her face turning red.

Yamaken leaned back, his hand going over his face to cover his own blush. Her touch was so soft...so gentle….he wanted to feel more of it….

Shizuku at the same time had tossed her food aside, her appetite vanishing. What had she just done? Why did she suddenly stop thinking? Her eyes found themselves on Yamaken once more. What was he doing to her?...

The rest of their evening passed by in silence, both too embarrassed to say anything. The only time words passed between the two was when Shizuku needed something. Yamaken cursed himself. The night had been going by so well. There were no parents interrupting and, best of all, no Haru. Yet they still managed to mess it up. He would never be able to catch a break….

"You don't have to stay any more…."

Yamaken was shocked to hear her voice. "What?..."

"It was a mistake."

He felt as if he had been slapped. "You would've been screwed if I hadn't been here. You can't even stand up." He huffed, now pissed. "I thought you'd be more appreciative."

Shizuku looked away, not saying anything.

You're so infuriating...Yamaken stretched out on the ground, staring at the ceiling. But that has never stopped me from falling in love with you…. "I'm not leaving. At least not tonight."

He could hear Shizuku flail around. "What?"

"You can't be here by yourself, no matter what you think you can do on your own with a bum leg. And it would be irresponsible of me to leave you now." Yamaken let out a sigh. "We're just going to have to work around our problems."

Shizuku ceased her failing.

Yamaken sat up, scratching at his head. When he looked over at her, though, he noticed how she was now blushing hard. "Wh-what's wrong?..."

She was nearly beet red now. "...I need to go to the bathroom…" she whispered.

He was about to yell at her to just do it when he realized… "Oh." He stared at her for a good half a minute before he got up and helped her to her feet. Neither of them could look at the other as they limped to the stairs. It was difficult task but he got her up the stairs and to the bathroom. "You don't….don't need help...in there….do you?"

"I should be fine…." Shizuku yanked herself away from him but lost her balance as she did so. She reached out to grab him in an attempt to balance herself out...but took him down with her instead.

Yamaken was now on top of Shizuku, their faces inches away from each other. Their heavy breathes mixed with each other in the small space between them, creating more heat than they needed at the moment. Their eyes were locked onto each other. Yamaken's mind went blank as he stared at her. He could feel her chest rising and falling against his, her breath on his cheek. Once again he marveled at how beautiful she was. Without thinking he leaned down, his lips falling against hers. He felt her jump against his kiss, but her rigidity didn't last long. She relaxed, her hand moving up to hook around his neck. Yamaken smiled against her lips, moving closer to her...when her hand grabbed a chunk of his hair to pull him back. He stopped with a gasp, snapped out of his stupor.

"I still have to go to the bathroom."

His heart drummed with a dull pain. "Of course." He rolled off of her, looking away as she pulled herself up and limped into the room. He curled up against the wall, burying his face in his hands. That was the stupidest thing you've ever done….

((Extra: Shizuku closed the door behind her, falling against the wood. Her hand fell against her chest, her face red and scared. What was that? Where did it come from? She limped to the sink, turning on the water to splash her face. The water felt like ice against her burning skin. After a few good splashes, she felt her mind come out of the heated haze. They had just kissed….right there on her floor. Her heart made a weird thump against her chest. What was the meaning of all of this?...She understood that he had some strong feelings for her; he had made that clear a while ago. But she thought that he had moved past it….but what they just did….that proved her wrong. What worried her the most, however, was the fact she hadn't protested it. She let him kiss her. Her face poofed red again. What the hell was going on with her mind and heart? Neither were making any sense right now. She knew she should be mad at him for making such a move. But she wasn't. She knew she should reprimand him for doing such a thing. But she didn't want to. She knew she shouldn't be feeling anything for him because she was still with Haru. But she was. Her face was pale under her blush. What did all of this mean?...))

Yamaken was able to calm himself down by the time she came out of the bathroom. He stood and helped her back downstairs, doing his best to use the least amount of physical contact. He didn't dare look at her in the eye again. He wasn't sure if he could promise nothing would happen….that and he didn't want to see how much she was hating him for it….

Once he got Shizuku back on the couch, he rolled to the ground, burying his face in the pillow he had grabbed earlier. He was so stupid. Stupid, stupid, STUPID. Why did he have to do that? He probably couldn't have found a better way to ruin their night. Was she going to force him to leave now? Would he even tolerate it to stay if he could? His heart pounded so loudly in his ears.

"Yamaken."

His head jerked up. Her eyes were trained on him, her hair now curling around her face. Yamaken thought about blowing her off and going back to self loathing….but instead he sat up, still avoiding direct eye contact.

"Why did you do that?"

He sighed. "Would you believe me if I told you I didn't know."

Shizuku shrugged. "It would be hard to. After all, you have confessed before and might've come here tonight with those intentions. I should've thought about that before inviting you to stay…"

Yamaken jerked back. "Th-those were never my intentions…" At least not for tonight…

"Then explain yourself."

Yamaken bit his lip. There was really no explanation. "I just did it in the heat of the moment."

"So then it meant nothing?"

This was another slap to his heart. Did it mean something? To him, of course it did. It was something he always had wanted to do. But in this case, he didn't think it wise to voice as so. "No...it didn't."

Silence.

He glanced out of the corner of his eye to see her now sitting up. Her fingers were running through her hair, which he now noticed she had redone in the bathroom. Her eyes were on the wall across from them so he found it safe to look upon her. But he didn't trust himself to do it for long without incident.

"I don't believe you."
"What do you mean?" Yamaken leaned forward, trying to read her face. As usual, he couldn't get anything. She was just as expressionless as always.

"It did mean something...to you."

Yamaken grabbed the pillow and began to hug it, doing his best to cover his blushing face. "And if it did…?"

"It would make me feel better about my feelings…."

His head whipped around to look at her. "Your feelings?..."

Shizuku kept her eyes trained ahead of her, looking as if she were reading the walls for some information on how to respond. "Yes...my...f-feelings…..for you."

His heart nearly stopped. What was she getting at? Is she thinking what I think she is?...

"But...I'm still unsure….of what they really are…." She looked over at him, catching him before he could turn away. "Kiss me again."

Yamaken would've fainted if her gaze had not been holding him up. "Shizuku?..."

"I need to clear things up so I need some more information. And the only way I'll know is if the same event happens again." She leaned in closer to him. "So I need to you kiss me."

Yamaken swallowed hard. She was actually giving him permission to kiss her. Was this a dream? Could he have just fallen asleep and was just dreaming this entire thing? Maybe he was dead….But he could feel her breath and warmth, he could feel the carpet between his fingers as he clenched it. He leaned in closer, their head a mere inch apart. Could he really do this? Yes, he could. The real question was could he stop…..

He leaned in the rest of the way, their lips barely touching. Maybe if he didn't put too much into it, he would still be able to back away….But Shizuku was the one to lean in further. Her lips slid across his in a rough manner and immediately he could tell that she didn't know what she was doing. Her experience almost pained him. His hand moved her her cheek, tilting her head a little. His mouth moved slowly against hers, taking away the unnecessary roughness. He could feel her falling into his pace, though there was still an uncertainty about her movements. Yamaken pulled away just slightly, giving them room to breathe.

"I don't think this is such a good idea…." It pained him to say so, but if she was just doing this for some weird research, he thought it would be better if they stopped while they still could.

Shizuku breathed heavily, her eyes hanging heavy. What she was feeling...she had never felt it before. Not even with Haru. She was so collected right now, even though she knew she shouldn't be. But she felt so….comfortable. She didn't want it to stop. "Yamaken…" Her hand pulled his head back in closer.

Yamaken didn't even get out any words before her lips were back on his. He gasped against her kisses, wanting to pull away again. But she had learned well. They were now soft and long kisses...impossible for him to resist now. He leaned forward, pushing her against the back of the couch. He pushed himself between her legs as to not disturb her ankle and to get in closer. His hand rubbed up into her hair, tilting her head back so he would have better access. Shizuku complied, even pulling him closer herself. Her fingers were now knotted in his hair, pulling at it each time he deepened the kiss. Her other hand was rested on his chest, rubbing over his torso with his movements. The tips of her fingers caught the hem of his shirt. She was curious and went to pull on it, forcing his shirt to ride up.

Yamaken once again gasped. What was she doing? Did she not realize that if she kept that up, he wouldn't be able to stop himself? But it didn't seem that she did...that or she didn't care. She turned on the couch to lay down on it, pulling him with her. He gladly complied, adjusting himself above her. He straddled her, reaching out an arm to keep him propped up. Yamaken dragged his lips off of her to move along her cheek to her jaw, even reaching her neck. He could hear her gasp once he reached the spot where her neck met her collarbone. He stopped there, kissing and sucking at it. He could feel her fingers curl against the back of his head. Apparently she didn't even know that she had such a weak spot.

Shizuku tugged at him again, making him look up. She took this opportunity to put their faces back together again, wanting to taste him again. Why can't I stop?...I shouldn't be doing this. I love Haru...I'm dating Haru...he's the one I should be doing this with, if it's to be anyone…. But no matter how much she tried convincing herself, Yamaken was the only one she wanted at the moment. I'm sorry Haru….and I'm sorry Yamaken…..

Their make-out session lasted for another 10 minutes. It wasn't until Yamaken pulled away that they stopped. He sat up, his hands running through his now tangled hair. He knew if they kept it up, he'd want something more….more than what Shizuku would want to give, anyhow. Right now, all he could use was a cold shower….

Shizuku sat up, her hand resting over her heart. It was still beating wildly. And when her eyes rested on him, she could feel it pick up even more. Was this still just 'the heat of the moment'? Or was it something more?...

"It's getting late…" Yamaken muttered as he glanced at the clock.

Shizuku responded to this with a yawn. She leaned back, snuggling into her pillow. "We should get some sleep then."
Yamaken looked over at her, his eyes soft. He slid down to the ground, moving so he was eye level to her once more. In that moment he knew just how much he loved her. His hand lightly rested on her head, pushing back her hair. "Get some rest then. I'll be here if you need me."

She nodded, her dark eyes moving from his golden ones to his lips once more. Yamaken took the hint and leaned forward to give her a light kiss. Shizuku knew what kind of betrayal she was committing right now against Haru and what kind of deception she was playing against Yamaken. She didn't want to hurt either boy, they both meant so much to her. But the act had been committed and there was no changing it. She would have to live with the consequences of it. "Goodnight, Yamaken."

Yamaken smiled, the one he only had for her. "Feel better," he muttered, pulling away from her. And don't regret tonight….

Yamaken stared at the roof, quietly listening to Shizuku's breathing. He clutched his hand over his heart, his mind still rolling over his thoughts. If someone would've told him this was how his night was going to end, he would've laughed in their face. But now that it had happened...well, he thought he would've felt great, on a high at least. But he felt oddly grounded. That dull pain in his heart (that he had gotten used to) showed it's ugly face again. This night was wonderful...but he knew that it would only be this night. She didn't need to say anything to him. He just knew. Tomorrow, she would just treat him as she always had….and Haru would once again be in the front of her heart. It pissed him off to think of. She proved that she had some sort of feelings for him, at least a physical attraction. Wouldn't that be enough for her to question her relationship with Haru? He sighed. Knowing her, no it wouldn't be. He closed his eyes tight, keeping in the tears he felt.

But at least he had one night…

A/N: This was something I wrote on a whim (and in a couple hours, no less). I had too many YamaShizu feels built up. I hope my writing is somewhat tolerable...

Enjoy~