Snow in Paradise

The snow was thick, too thick to see through, and the howling wind would snatch away any words that left one's mouth. The landscape was barren; flat, windblown ground covered in snow without any rocks or cliffs or any signs of life, even. Well, save for the four figures trudging through the blinding snow and defeaning wind. All were wolves, their heads low to shield their eyes from the stinging snow and ice.

The first wolf, Kiba, was a large white wolf that woulf occasionally disappear in the falling snow. Upon his back was the limp body of a think girl with pale skin and pink hair, the flower maiden Cheza. Behind Kiba was Hige, a thicker-built fellow with dirty yellow fur and a large, leather collar with a strange design on it. The third walf was a mejestic grey wolf with an x-shaped scar on his chest, that went by the name Tsume. Behind Tsume and steadily falling farther and farther behind was the youngest of the pack, a red, lanky wolf called Toboe, sometimes known as 'runt'.

None of the wolves had eaten in days, and Toboe was exceptionally bad off; he was so hungry his stomach had stopped moaning long ago. His already weak body was buffeted by the wind and snow until he couldn't move. I'm so tired he thought. I'll just rest here for a moment, then I'll catch up. WIth that thought, Toboe sank into the snow, glad for the chance to rest...

"Hurry up, Runt!" called Hige behind himself. The wolves had been replaced by boys now. Kiba stood for a moment, his black hair pulled by the wind, holding Cheza in his arms. Her skin was cold to the touch; the thin, skin-tight body suit she wore did nothing in such extreme weather, and Kiba tried to figure out where they could rest when Cheza spoke quietly. "This one senses shelter up ahead. We must hurry, Kiba, for none can last in therse conditions." Kiba nodded.

"There's some caves up ahead," he called back, and Hige sighed with relief. "Thank God! We were about to turn into wolf-sicles!"

"Where's Toboe?" asked Tsume, turning around but not seeing the young wolf. If he got lost or tired...

"Hw probably just dropped behind for a moment. He'll catch up," said Hige, blowing off Tsume's worry. He didn't want to be outside any longer than necessary, but as he turned to follow Kiba, Hige found himself wondering Where is Toboe? Sure, the kid could be annoying and whiny, but Toboe was also helpful and optimistic, much like himself. Toboe was something of a younger brother, and sure Hige was wondering where the wolf was, but if the worrying could go on inside, so much the better.

Tsume stood for an extra minute in the driving snow, but finally turned and followed the others. Toboe would run up in a second...right? He sure hoped so.

After a few more freezing, blind, deaf moments, they came across a small cave, protected from the elements. Kiba gently set Cheza of the cold floor before curling his now wolf body around her to keep her warm. Hige sat down on Cheza's other side but remained in human form, his arms wrapped around himself to keep warm. Tsume croutched down near the entrance, eyes penetrating the flying snow. But after a few minutes and Toboe still did not show, he stood abrutly. "I'm gonna go find him. Even if he did fall behind, he should've been here by now."

"Well, I was going to suggest that you wait out the snow, but from the look you're about to give me, I'll just wish you good luck in not freezing your tail off," said Hige, his eyes closed. Tsume did glare at Hige, but since the boy didn't see it, its effect was wasted. Kiba looked at him, then laid his head on his paws. "Just hurry back. We leave at dawn."

Tsume stared at the white wolf, trying to figure out what he meant, but gave up, silently nodded, and darted outside to be swallowed up by the snow, even though he was wearing black leather.

"Kiba, did you notice Tsume's scent?" Cheza asked quietly.

"Yeah. You noticed it too, Cheza?" he asked.

"Hey. What're you two yappin' about now?" asked Hige, cracking an eye open. His ears twitched in curiousity; he had a very sharp nose, but hadn't noticed any scent other than the Tsume scent.

Kiba scoffed. "I suppose your nose really isn't all that impressive after all."

"He smelled of one worrying for his mate," Cheza said pimply. Hige's face was frozen in shock for a moment before his face scrunched up in disgust. "Oh, gross! You do realize both Tsume and Toboe are boys, right?!" He sighed in irritation and defeat. "I hope you two are happy now, 'cause if by some miracle we do find food out here, I won't be able to eat it!"

"Toboe! Toboe!"

Tsume? Tsume! Toboe could hear Tsume's voice carried on the wind, but could not feel anything, nor could he move. Snow had fallen on his body and he was numb from the cold. Wait, he realized. If I'm covered in snow, Tsume won't be able to see me! I need to find him before we both freeze.

Mustering all of his remaining strength, Toboe slowly attempted to stand. The snow and wind seemed to gain hurricane strength and better his body with renowned vigor, as though to say "How dare you! Fall back down and don't get up!" Toboe was able to make a few stumbling steps forward before his legs gave. "Tsume..." he whimpered as he fell; his metal bracelets made a long cling that rang through the howling wind and was heard by a pair of gray ears.

"Toboe!" cried Tsume, catching a flash of red against the white. He sprinted through the snow and found a young boy in a red shirt, green combat pants, and boots lying on top of the snow. Tsume ran up beside the boy, unsure whether he was dead or alive, until Toboe opened a big, brownish-gold eye and whimpered.

"I'm here, kid," Tsume sighed in relief. "I'm here."

Toboe wasn't awake, but he wasn't asleep, either, but somewhere in between. He was lying next to Granny as she sat in her rocking chair, her knitting needles clacking together softly. The cheerful fire warmed his back, and the smell of cooking stew filled the air, and snow fell outside the cave in thick sheets. Wait a second; outside the cave?

Toboe cracked open an eye to see he was lying on the cold ground of a small cave, snow and wind churning safely outside. But, for some odd reason his back was warm, just like in his dream. It took the boy a moment to realize that there was an arm in a black leather jacket wrapped his waist, and his head was lying on the other. Now that he was awake, he could smell Tsume everywhere and realized it was the older boy curled around his back.

Whew! So it wasn't a dream, Toboe sighed in relief. He at first thought Tsume had been a hallucination from hunger and the cold. But then his heart skipped a beat. He had been saved by Tsume, sleeping right next to him! Toboe looked up the Tsume for many reasons, for his strength and courage, and wanted to be strong so Tsume would respect him, but he couldn't help liking him more than normal. Tsume was his friend, yes, but he wished he was also-

Clink! Toboe had shifted his weight slightly, causing his bracelets to scrape along the rocky ground, the sound echoing along the cave walls. He felt Tsume flinch at the loud sound, and immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, Tsume! I didn't mean to wake you up."

Tsume growled softly as he sat up and stretched, his bones creaking in the cold before he lay down again on his back, hands ehind his head. He had short, grey-silver hair with a few strands forming a long rattail, and bright golden eyes which were staring absently at the ceiling. Toboe sat back, his legs crossed and looked around, his smile fading when he saw the cave was otherwise empty. "Tsume, where's Kiba, and Hige and Cheza? I don't smell them," he said sniffing the air and looking outside worridly. "They're not out there, are they?"

Tsume didn't answer immediately, but finally did say "They're in another cave. As soon as you didn't show up, I went out, found you, and brought us to the first shelter I found." He turned at looked at Toboe, glaring. "Next time you fall behind and don't say anything, I'll be the first to leave you."

"O..okay, Tsume. I'm sorry," Toboe said, not bringing himslef to look at the other boy. He brought his legs up and wrapped his arms around them, resting his chin on his knees. The only sounds were the howling winds and the slight chattering of Toboe's teeth.

Tsume glanced over at the boy a few minutes later, and could see Toboe shivering and chattering nonstop. The cave lacked central heat, so he was cold too; it took all of his strength to not shake from the freezing bursts of wind, but seeing Toboe so cold and miserable broke his resolve.

"Hey, kid," he said, not looking at him. "Sunrise is a ways off, and if we keep this up neither of us will see it, so we gotta lie together to keep warm."

"O-k-k-kay," chattered Toboe; surprise all over his face. He never, ever thought he would hear Tsume say something like that! Toboe was to cold and tired to be nervous as he silently curled up beside him, his head on Tsume's chest, listening to teh steady heartbeat through his thin, leather jacket. Was it just his imagination, or did Tsume sigh contently jsut now?

"Tsume, do you think there's snow in Paradise?" Toboe asked quielty.

Tsume scoffed. "How should I know?"

"Well, what do you think?"

"I think that if it snows like this in Paradise, I'd rather be in Hell," Tsume growled. Toboe looked up at him, his eyes wide.

"You don't mean that, do you? I think it snows, but not so cold like this. I remember once it snowed when I was with Granny. Everything was covered in a thick layer of snow and it sparkled in the sunlihght like the stars do at night. It was cold, but soft, and fluffy." Toboe smiled at the memory of jumping and running through the snow, and fell alseep in contentment.

"Toboe?" Tsume asked quietly a few minutes later, and realized the boy was asleep. Tsume would never admit just how relieved he was that Toboe was safe nor would he admit just how hard it was to resist the urge to lean down and kiss the boy's lips.

Tsume himself couldn't understand explain his attraction to Toboe. When they had first met, he saw the young wolf as annoying, childlike, and damn clingy, always trying to make friends by not leaving you alone until you gave into him. After a while, 'annoying' became 'constantly worrying about others,' and 'damn clingy' became 'the only thing holding this pack together'. Toboe was the one who talked Tsume, Hige, and Kiba into staying together several times already. Whenever someone would try to walk away (usually Tsume himself), Toboe had no problem following after them and beg and plead until they gave in and went back.

The grey wolf/boy had also come to realize that Toboe needed constant protecting. He had saved the runt's like too many times to count, but Toboe had saved his life, too, or at least his spirit. Many times when Tsume had been ready to give on Paradise, Toboe was there to lead him back to the path of lunar flowers that led to it.

Simply thinking about the optimistic wolf made Tsume smile and sigh in resignation, the thought What am I ever going to do with you, Toboe? going through his mind. Even though the storm was still kicking up, he could sense the oncoming of sunrise. He looked down at Toboe's sleeping form and again fought off the temptation to fuck him here and now. He instead wrapped an arm around the boy and, wishing dawn would go back to bed and sleep in the rest of the day, thought Sleep well, kid, 'cause you'll need your strength.

When Toboe woke up, the wind had fallen silent, the snow had stopped falling, adn he was alone. He looked around and saw Tsume sitting next to the cave's entrance, looking out onto the cold, barren, silent plain. Tsume turned when he heard the metal bracelets click gently as Toboe sat up and asked "Sleep well?"

Toboe smiled. "Best night ever! I feel great."

Tsume silently turned away and stood abrutly, and without a word walked outside. Toboe's smile faded as he stood and stretched, wondering if he had said something to upset when he remembered that they had to catch up with the others. He thought worridly about Cheza as he walked outside. The flower maiden had not been in the best health when he last saw her, and hoped she was doing alright. Why am I worrying? Kiba will protect her, just like Tsume protects me, he thought happily and smiled as he stood beside Tsume.

"What're you so happy about?" asked Tsume, seeing Toboe's smile.

"Oh, nothing," Toboe said cheerfully.

They traveled quickly but in silence, and soon was able to catch up with Kiba, Cheza, and Hige in a ravine of two tall cliffs.

"It's nice to know your still alive," said Kiba quietly. Hige smiled. "Yeah, thought you two were goners for a little while."

"You don't seem too bothered by that idea, porky," Tsume growled.

"Why shoudl I? Its every wolf for himself, right? Besides, if you two did die, your bodies would've been put to good use by fillin' our stomachs," Hige said cheerfully. Toboe wasn't sure if he was kidding...or not.

"Hige, you're not serious, are you?" asked Toboe, uncertainly, and Hige simply laughed. "Don't worry, runt! You're too small to feed a cat, and Tsume's nothing but skin and bones."

"Can we please stop talking about food?" Toboe asked, and as if to agree with him his stomach let out a loud roar. Everyone turned to stare at him, and he sheepishly apologized.

"Hey, try to keep it down, kid," said Tsume with a small grin before turning to follow Kiba and Hige. Toboe sighed to himself and took a few steps forward when he heard large feet crunching through the snow very fast and loud, ragged breathing behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to see a huge, clawed paw swinging down on his head. "Whoa!!" he shouted as he dodged to the side and the paw crashed into the snow where he had been standing.

The other boys turned when Toboe yelled and found themselves in shocked surprise as they stood face-to-face with a monstous white bear. It roared, an earth-shaking sound, bared its teeth and turned a black eye toward them. Toboe sat in the snow, fear making it hard to breath an impossible to blink. His body quivered and trembled uncontrollably as he started at the monster, unable to move or call out.

It was a strange version of a Mexican standoff. The wolves dared not move, as to not intice the bear to attack them or turn on Toboe. Toboe did not move because he could not move, fear keeping him firmly rooted to the spot. And the bear was simply waiting for someone to move so he could eat it.

Toboe trembled suddenly, and the metal bracelets he wore clacked together loudly. The bear's eye looked at him, and he yelped as the bear lunged, scrambling out of the way, finally able to break fear's grip.

Tsume ran forward and jumped on the bear's back, followed closely by Hige. Kiba set Cheza down under a small, rocky ledge for protection before he, too, joined the fight. Toboe dodged to the side and ran to Cheza, turning to see Tsume, Kiba, and Hige, all wolves, attacking the bear. Dozens of razor teeth and blade-like claws tore into the fur and flesh of the bear. Within seconds, the snow was splattered red from blood.

Toboe ran over to where Cheza sat under the ledge, propped up against the rock wall, her eyes closed. "Cheza! Are you okay?" the young wolf asked, his golden-brown hair eyes wide in fear and worry. He looked over to see the epic battle between the bear and wolves, and prayed for their safety, but especially Tsume's. Cheza's eyes opened slowly, her pink and red eyes both bright and dull at once.

"This one is alright, Toboe. This one is just tired," she soothed in her quiet voice. Cheza blinked slowly, and when she opened her eyes again, they widened in fear as she looked past his shoulder. "Toboe!" she cried. "Huh-?" he looked over his shoulder to see the bear whipping around in circles, trying to throw the wolves off, but instead only succeeding in coming closer to their temporary shelter.

Hige lost his grip and was suddenly thrown forcefully into a cliff face, landing in the snow below with a quiet thud and lay unconscious. Kiba was on its head, attempting to rip one of the bear's eyes out, and Tsume was trying to tear its throat out. The bear suddenly stopped spinning and a realization seemed to dawn upon it, for it reached up and swatted Kiba clear off its head, sending him flying into a snow bank. 'Swat', however, is not the proper word, for the bear's paw and hit Kiba with a force similar to a train hitting a banana at sixty miles an hour. When Kiba fell, he did not rise. Without pause, the bear suddenly began shaking its head and body, vigorously, throwing the lone wolf Tsume to the ground, momentarily stunned.

Apparently, feeling that victory and an easy meal was within its grasp, the bear turned toward Toboe and Cheza. It lumbered closer to the shelter and, as the young wolf and flower maiden trembled at their impending doom, raised a paw to smash them under the ledge-

Swish! -only to have Tsume leapt forward and, in human form, use his infamous knives to slice the paw clean off. The bear howled in pain and fear and stumbled back a few steps, hatred in its eyes.

"Toboe!" Tsume barked, keeping his eyes on the bear. "Take Cheza to safety and stay there!"

Toboe wanted to say something, but instead kept his mouth shut and nodded once. He gather Cheza into his arms and leapt up the rocky cliff. "Good luck, Tsume," he whispered as he flew through the air until he came to a ledge wide enough to lay Cheza down on and high enough to be safe. He looked down at the two titans, the young man and the white bear preparing a fight to the death. A quick glance showed Toboe that Hige and Kiba were still out, and could not help Tsume if things went wrong. "Tsume..." he whispered in fear.

Good, thought Tsume as he watched Toboe leap to safety. Now that Cheza and Toboe are safe, its time to take care of this bastard!

With a roar, Tsume charged the bear, who snarled its acceptance of his challenge and charged at him. As they clashed, it became a deadly ballet, many times Tsume came too close to losing limbs and even his head as he tried to attack the bear's eyes and throat with his blades. Suddenly, the bear reared back on its hind legs and brought its paws together in what looked like an applause of the boy's fighting. Unfortunately, Tsume was trapped between the paws and was about to be crushed to death.

Tsume jumped backwards and was able to avoid being crushed to death, but one claw finally connected. A large slash was opened on his side, about a foot long and an inch wide, that made him drop to one knee before the creature. Victory within its grasp, the bear brought down its paws to finish off the helpless boy. Oh, no, Tsume! thought Toboe, anger replacing the fear in his eyes.

Blood drenched his side as Tsume watched the claws coming down on him with anger and regret. His only thought was I'm sorry Toboe. Please don't watch.

Suddenly, the bear screamed in pain and flailed backwards, allowing him to see Toboe, his golden eyes filled with fiery rage as the red wolf's teeth sank into the bear's eye, blood pouring. With a final roar, the bear fell back into a snow bank and smashing on a hidden rock, breaking its neck with a final SNAP!

Tsume finally collasped, and when his heard running feet crunching through the snow opened his eyes to see the boy standing above him, eyes concerned as he asked Tsume if he was okay before the grey wolf passed out.

With Cheza's help (for she was stronger now) Toboe was able to move the three unconscious wolves into a cave that, judging from the smell, was the bear's old home. The cave was large, with a high ceiling and went back pretty far into the cliff. The back of the cave was large enough to house a whole family of the monster bears, and a creek of clear, fresh, ice-cold water ran through it. Toboe could see the dim light thanks to his wolf vision, and Cheza seemed to glow with light.

Cheza and Toboe spread out the three wolves to evaluate their wounds. Hige was basically alright besides a sore back, which he made sure everyone knew about when he came to. Kiba had some broken ribs, but he would heal within a day, two or three at the most. Tsume was the worst off; the gash on his side was a clean slash and had stopped bleeding, but he had still lost quite a bit before that. Toboe kept and eye on Tsume as he helped Hige and Kiba get comfortable and brought them bear meat, hoping the grey wolf would wake up soon.

Tsume did not know where he was, but suddenly the memory of the bear coming down on him and without warning Toboe was there hit him hard.

"Toboe!" Tsume cried out, sitting up but immedaitely regretting it; the slash on his side sending unbearable pain racing through his body and began bleeding again. He closed his eyes tight as if to shit off the pain when smaller, gentle hands grabbed his shoulders. "Tsume, calm down! Don't hurt yourself even more," said Toboe. Tsume opened his golden eyes to see Toboe's eyes filled with concerned and worry.

"Toboe? Where are we?" asked Tsume, flinching as he looked around the cave. Hige was sitting cross-legged on the floor, and when he looked at Tsume, he could see a line of blood dripping from his lips; the yellow-hooded boy had eaten his fill of bear and licked his chops happily. "Well, judging from the smell, and size of this place, I think we just ate the last tenant," Hige said cheerfully. "Mmm. He was certainly filling. Thanks, runt."

Cheza sat against a rock, Kiba's head in her lap. He looked asleep as she gently stroked his face and hair, both looking serene and calm. The flower maiden looked at both Tsume and Toboe, her eyes dancing with happiness. "Tsume, this one thanks you for protecting Toboe and this one earlier. Toboe, this one also thanks you for helping Kiba. He will grow strong soon."

Tsume rolled his eyes, the closest thing to 'your welcome' that he had.

"Aw, it was nothing!" said Toboe, blushing in embarassment. He wasn't used to praise.

Silently, Tsume attempted to stand and walk to the spring, but he stumbled and landed on one knee, gritting his teeth against the pain and the wave of nasuea that hit him. "Tsume!" Toboe said.

"Hey, take it easy old man," said Hige, concerned. "You took a bad hit. Try to rest, if you can."

"You're no use to us dead, Tsume," said Kiba quietly, apparently not asleep.

Tsume growled and attempted to stand again, but before he could fall Toboe got under his arm and supported him, helping the boy walk over to the spring.

"Not here," Tsume growled, and Toboe, looking confused, helped him walk past a large wall of rocks and boulders, hiding them from the others' view. Gently, Toboe helped Tsume sit down and lean his back against the wall. "Tsume," he started, kneeling beside him. "If it doesn't hurt too much, can you take your jacket off? I need to look at your wound."

The silver-haired boy looked at Toboe, an unreadable expression on his face. He wanted to tell Toboe off, but blood loss and starvation made him too tired to care. After a moment he sighed and as graceful as a person in pain can be pulled the thin leather jacket and the even thinner undershirt off. Tsume's dark skin was pulled taut over his muscled frame, and even Toboe paused to appreciate the other's fine physique. Not wanting to be caught staring, he quickly looked away and opened one of the various pockets in his pockets in his pants, but Toboe could feel his face warm from blushing. Tsume noticed Toboe's blush and smiled to himself. Kid was staring at me, he simply thought, and for some reason made him feel a little better.

Toboe pulled out a roll of gauze and a large pad from his pocket. When he caught Tsume's questioning look, he said. "What? Oh, this? When we were in that last town, I found this stuff and thought it might be useful."

Tsume scoffed good-naturdly. "Sometimes you think too much, kid." Ignoring Toboe's confused look, he closed his eyes and leaned against the rock, stiffening as his bare skin touched the cold, hard surface. He flinched slightly when Toboe's warm, gentle hands touched his side, probing the area around the slash gently. Tsume gritted his teeth as he waited for pain to race up his side, but gasped in surprise when he felt Toboe's tongue lick the gash, cleaning it.

"Tsume! Did I hurt you?" asked Toboe, hearing Tsume's gasp and assumed it was in pain. The last time Toboe tried to lick one of his wounds, he had gotten really mad and yelled in surprise at Toboe. Silently, he beretted himself; he kept trying to help, but only seemed to piss off or hurt Tsume. "Do you want me to use water to clean it? I figured it be too cold to use, but I can if you want me to-"

"No," Tsume finally choked out, his side still tingling. "You didn't hurt me. It's alright," he growled. Something that felt that good couldn't possibly hurt he thought. He hoped Toboe didn't see the bulge in his pants; that simple lick had made him hard. Mentally, Tsume was laughing hysterically; this had to be the seventh level of Hell! Toboe was sexually teasing him and didn't even know it, and he was too injured to even make a move and this was the perfect opportunity! Goddammit!

The next half an hour was a torturous one for poor Tsume. Toboe worked diligently and slowly, and each time his tongue touched him, he had to bite his lip from growling. Toboe could sense Tsume's tenseness and, assuming it was because of pain, tried to hurry, but it was slow work. He made sure the edges and gash itself were thoroughly clean so no infection could set in, and that took time.

Finally, Toboe's tongue left his side, and Tsume could let out the breathe he had been holding in. He opened his eyes and watched Toboe place the pad over the gash, then deftly wrapped his abdomen with gauze (which tickled).

"Tsume?" asked the boy cautiously. They had been silent the whole time, he had been treating him, but now wanted to ask the older boy something. Toboe wasn't even sure if Tsume was even awake; the wolf had his eyes closed and his breathing was (now) quiet.

"What?" Tsume gowled, not opening his eyes. Toboe's guess had been close. Tsume had been peaceful and sleepy; partially from bloodloss and partially from hunger, but mostly from Toboe's gentle hands. However, the boy's tone forced him awake.

"Tsume, are you mad about the others? Hige was just worried about you, you know, and so was Kiba, that's all. They're your friends. Everyone looks out for everyone else. That's what a pack is for, to help each other," Toboe finished cheerfully.

I'm not worried about them, thought Tsume, wondering why Toboe thought his mood had been caused by something so trivial. They are allies, not friends, even if Hige can be a jackass and Kiba is a cold-hearted bastard. No, what bothers me is that you had to protect me. Toboe, don't you understand that I'm supposed to protect you

"Okay, all done," Toboe said, sitting back on his legs and smiling at him. The grey-haired youth looked down at the bandages and tried moving a bit, finding that the pain had pretty much subsided. "Thanks, Toboe," he said, smiling for a moment. Toboe had not seen Tsume smile very often; it made him happy to see it.

"Here," Toboe said, handing him his jacket, for it was cold in the cavern. Tsume took it, but suddenly grabbed the boy's are and held it firmly. "Uh, Tsume?..."

He wanted to take Toboe's hand and run it up his smooth chest, to feel the hard muscles and warm skin despite the cold cave. He longed for Toboe's touch, but some part of him was in conflict. He wanted Toboe here and now, but he also didn't want to hurt him in any way. Disgusted with himself, Tsume suddenly let go. "Nevermind," he growled, pulling his jacket on. Toboe cocked his head to the side, eyes questioning, after a moment dismissed Tsume's odd gesture with a shrug and smiled.

"It's cold in here, and you need your rest," he said sternly. Without warning he sat next to Tsume and laid his head on his shoulder, almost immediatly falling asleep. Tsume almost laughed at the irony of the situation. Had Toboe somehow realized what Tsume wanted to do? The kid was just the sort of wolf who enjoyed the company of others, and of course most wolves were. He was just an odd one out. He glanced down at Toboe and couldn't help but grin. Sure he could take Toboe right now, but no. He didn't want to take him, he wanted to have the boy, and Tsume fell asleeo thinking One day soon, you will be mine.

The cave was much darker when Tsume woke up, so he assumed it was night outside. This suspicion was confirmed as he heard Hige's loud snores, Kiba's steady breathing, and Cheza's quiet hum (a noise he assumed was her version of snoring, although it was much more pleasant sounding). Of Toboe there was no sign.

When he noticed, he was about to jump up, but smelled a very mouth-watering scent. Looking down, Tsume saw a pile of bear meat beside the spring. He knew immediately it was Toboe's doing and sighed in defeat. Well, I guess I shouldn't let it go to waste, he thought, and started devouring the meat as if it might disappear any second.

After he was done, he was able to very slowly walk to the spring. He splashed his face with the cold water and sipped it slowly, as to not shock his stomach, but the water immediately woke him up. I bet nobody thought about sitting up to keep watch, he thought, and growled. Idiots. Don't they remember we're being hunted? Well, since I'm up, I might as well do it.

Tsume was about to stand up when his side sent searing pain up his body, forcing him to sit down heavily. "Dammit," he growled. "Why hasn't this healed yet?"

"You haven't given it a chance to heal," said Toboe from behind. Tsume turned and saw Toboe standing with his hands on his hips, scolding him. There was snow dusting his shoulder; he had gone outside to answer the call of nature, and upon seeing the big, fluffy flakes couldn't help but romp in it for a moment.

"Tsume, you've gotta rest! Eating a little food and taking a nap isn't going to do anything." With firm hands, Toboe gently forced Tsume to lean back against his rock once more and looked at him with concerned eyes. "And also, if you just let Cheza pet you, you'd feel so much better! Why don't you?"

"Because I'm not about to turn into a little chipper lap dog because some flower girl rubs my ears, no thanks." Tsume snappped. Toboe looked hurt; he liked it when CHeza pet him, and he was still very much a wolf.

"Your pride is so annoying, Tsume!" he said, standing up to leave. "Now, you need to get some sleep-"

"Stop telling me what I need!" Tsume growled, grabbing Toboe's hand and pulling him to the ground. Toboe was both surprised and angry at Tsume, but his look as he sat on the ground was that of a confused cub. He saw Tsume's golden eyes narrowed in pain. "Goddammit..." Tsume hissed, holding his side.

"What were you doing? Did you reopen your gash?" Toboe asked.

Tsume tried to shrug off the question, but only managed to grimace in pain. "I don't think so; it just hurts like a bitch, that's all."

"What were you doing?" Toboe repeated.

"Trying to get you down here so I could show you I don't need to be worried over. It's annoying as hell," Tsume said, and Toboe's face changed from confusion to cheerfullness as he laughed at his friend. "You're the annoying one!" he clarified.

"You're lucky I can't move, or I'd have you right now," Tsume muttered under his breathe, but Toboe heard him. "What're you taking about, Tsume?"

"...Nothing," the wolf muttered and, closing his eyes, said no more. After a few minutes, he heard Toboe move, and felt him lay his head on his thigh and sigh quietly. Tsume stroked his red hair for a while as a strange, content feeling washed over him. Too bad it wouldn't last.

During the rest of the wolve's journey, Tsume had to battle his feelings constantly. Toboe was the younger brother he never had, with his cheerful nature and curiousity, and was a loyal pack member, looking out for everyone. Sure, he wanted Toboe, but what if they became mates and one of them died? There had already been several close calls on this journey. What about the misery the other would have to go through? Never mind what the other's would say. Kiba probably wouldn't say anything, and Cheza might not either, but Hige...he would not be able to keep his jaws shut.

No, it was best that they stayed apart. Tsume was a lone wolf who used others to his advantage and never made connections. If you don't know someone, you won't bat an eye if they get hurt or die, right? He lived (or tried to live) by that principle. The problem was, he had made a connection with Toboe, and it was about to come back on him.

The Noble Darcia had cornered the wolf hunter Quint, about to finish the job he had begun with Quint's family so long ago, when Toboe saw them. As Darcia pulled the trigger, about to end the old man's life, Toboe jumped between them, taking the bullet in his too big heart. As the young wolf fell, another shot rang out, taking the old man life. Darcia simply returned to his ship as the ground became warm with both human's and wolf's blood.

"TOBOE!!!" Tsume roared when he saw what had happened. He ran down the hill as fast as possible. The last few steps he slowed and stumbled, falling to his knees before the wolf and man. Tsume couldn't scream, couldn't breathe, couldn't move. He couldn't even cry. Kiba, Hige, and Blue (a female wolf and HIge's mate) ran up only to freeze at the horrific scene before them.

"Toboe..." gasped Hige, and Blue stumbled until she fell beside them. "Pops..." she whined, her tears falling for the human, Quint, her father, as well as for Toboe.

"Toboe," was all Tsume could choke out. He shut his eyes tight, but the tears still fell, the smell of blood, both wolf and human, still thick in the air. With the grace befitting one who lost their mate, Tsume reared back his wolf's head and howled, a sound full of loss, regret, sadness, and despair. One by one, the other wolves joined him, their voices becoming a call to their lost friend, brother, and pack-mate that would echo on the wind for all eternity.

"We need to go after Darcia," Kiba said quietly, a new resolves and even rage in his blue eyes as he wiped away his stubborn tears. Even Kiba cried at Toboe's death. Hige and Blue had resolves in their eyes as well, both wanting revenge, he for Toboe, she for Pops.

"Go on ahead, " said Tsume quietly, not looking at them. "I want to talk to the runt alone for a minute."

With a silent nod, Kiba turned and left. Blue and Hige followed him and soon their crunching footsteps in the snow faded into the distance, then he was alone.

"Remember when we first met?" he asked after a moment. "That idiot human was about to blow your head off, and you were frozen stiff, too scared to move." He nodded once at Quint as 'that idiot human'. "And yet you still died to save him," he said sadly, almost wonderingly. He cleared his throat and spoke louder. "Who would've known what laid head of us. To be honest, I saw you as an annoying cub, too damn clingly for your own good. You never understood what 'leave me alone' or 'go away' or even 'you're not my friend' seemed to mean." He paused and looked at Toboe, his wolf body laying next to Quint's. "You were always such a sucker for humans."

Tsume looked away, blinking back tears. "How could someone like you so easily capture the heart of someone like me? What made you so irresistable? Was it your touch, so warm and caring? Was it your eyes, so light and clear as you laughed or worried?

"Toboe, I have a lot of regrets from my life, but the one that truely hurts is that upon meeting you, I could never show you how much I cared for you! During this whole journey, you were the only reason I kept going, so we could be in Paradise together. Dammit Toboe!" he said suddenly, tears streaming down his dark cheeks. "Why did you have to die?!"

"Tsu...me..." came a small voice, so quiet it sounded like it had been carried on the wind from many miles away. Tsume choked back a gasp and said with a trembling voice "Toboe?"

"Tsume," said the weak voice. Suddenly, Toboe's wolf body was replaced by his human one, and with a cry Tsume knealt beside him, holding the boy to his chest. "Toboe, I'm here..." The boy was pale, and he struggled not to look at the large blood stain on his shirt. When Toboe opened his eyes, they were clouded over and Tsume had to hold back another flood of tears. Death was coming quickly.

"Tsume, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get hurt," Toboe said causing him to half laugh, half cry and say "You idiot. I'm supposed to protect you. I'm to sorry one."

"I...I'm scared. I don't want to go to Paradise alone. It'll be no fun without you, Tsume!" Toboe was sounding like his normal self now. This hurt Tsume even worse, because it was an illusion; he knew what was coming, and yet Toboe seemed fine, so how could he possibly be?...

"Don't worry," Tsume said, hugging him hard. "And stop whining! I'll find you, I promise." Tsume tried not to cry, to be strong for Toboe, but as they sat in silence, he could almost hear Toboe's life slipping away, away from him.

"Toboe," he said, and the boy's eyes flickered gently. "Tsume?"

"Please don't go. I...I need you more than anything else. I could never say it before, but...dammit, I love you Toboe!" The floodgates broke right then, and Tsume couldn't help himself as he buried his head in Toboe's red hair and cried loudly. A weak, gentle hand touched the side of his face, and Tsume heard Toboe say "Tsume, you shoudn't cry, you look weird..."

"Sorry," Tsume said, wiping away the tears.

"Tsume, I've always loved you, so can you do me something before?..."

"Of course." What did he want? Revenge? He didn't need to worry about that..."

"Please, kiss me," Toboe asked. Tsume, despite himself, hesitated. He had been wanting to for so long, it was unbelievable that he was finally going to. But knowing that Toboe was dying in his arms gave him the strength to lean forward and gently press his lips against Toboe's cold ones. As hidden passion his them both, life seemed to enter Toboe, and his lips warmed. Tsume had waited for this for so long, and as the kiss deepened, he found himself more regretful of all those missed opportunuties of love-making.

Tsume had promised himself long ago that if the wolves had ever made this journey and got to Paradise alive and together, he would have Toboe their first night. He had pictured Toboe's body under him, the boy's moans pushing him closer to esctasy as they made love in a field of lunar flowers of the most vibrant silvers, reds and blues, a permanent full moon basking them in its white glow.

He felt Toboe's lips growing colder and weaker, and he knew it was time. As they broke apart, Toboe smiled. His gaze was distant as he said "Tsume, I see it...Paradise! And guess what? It's snowing, Tsume! Big, fluffy flakes that look like small clouds falling through the air. It's so beautiful. I wish you could see it, Tsume..."

"Don't worry, Toboe. I'll see it soon," he promised as snow began to fall from the grey sky above.