The very first Ookami-san fanfic! (And I'm making a point by having it be RyoushixRyouko ;3) I just can't get enough of them. They're sooo cute together! ^^ Basically, this is how Ringo first encountered Ryouko but it's Ryoushi in Ringo's position this time. Sorry in advanced for possible OOC-ness but please enjoy the fluff! :3

This is what would have happened at the end of that one episode if those kids hadn't stared at Ryoushi XD

Disclaimer: I do not own Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi :'

To Catch The Wolf

Bright, Wintertime sunlight was shining down onto the ground where freshly fallen, alabaster snow blanketed the streets and houses.

Ryoushi wished his companions goodbye for the weekend as he left the school, the Otogi Bank having no orders for him that day nor for the next two. It was nice to finally have a break from it all, but the best part by far was that he was not the only one free of duties for the weekend.

Ryouko and Ringo walked beside him, the red-haired girl gabbing on about how excited she was for the next day, considering she had made plans to visit her half-sister and her bundle of younger siblings. Yet Ringo, being the cunning, clever girl, notorious for trying to hook up a certain couple, had planned this out perfectly for the weekend both her roommate and the Otogi Bank's newest member had off together. And so, she had deliberately made plans to get away and leave them alone, along with suggesting to Ryoushi that he ask Ryouko if she would like to go for a walk with him, Elizabeth and Francoise.

However, he had not yet asked her, and walking next to the short, red-headed girl now, Ryoushi caught several meaningful glances from her, especially after she asked, "Do you have any plans for tomorrow, Ryouko-chan?" Her green eyes sparked fiercely at the boy, and he twitched at her stare before gathering up his courage.

"Ah…no I don't think so." Ryouko answered, blinking as she tried to remember if she had anything to do with her friend gone. "I'm going to the gym now after we get home and I can get changed, but I guess I'll go again tomorrow and get a good workout." She decided at last.

The glares Ringo was giving Ryoushi almost made him collapse on the sidewalk and cower in terror, but he knew he could not let this opportunity pass him up.

"A-Ah, Ryouko-san…" he began, his voice brisk and uncertain. He saw Ringo mouthing the words 'be confident!' to him.

"Hm? What?" The golden-eyed girl gave him a questioning tilt of her head, her cute expression totally contradicting the boyish way she slung her schoolbag over her shoulder.

"I-I was wondering…i-if you're free tomorrow, that is…" Her eyes seemed to be staring directly through him, but he knew that he was just overreacting and that in reality it was just a normal, curious glance. "W-Would you like to come with me when I walk Elizabeth and Francoise?" he blurted out, then quickly added. "I know they really like you."

Ryouko's cheeks flushed a little at his suggestion, and she kept telling herself it was because she wanted to see the dogs. Her feelings for Ryoushi had grown like grass in the Summertime over the past few weeks, and she always found her heart thumping a little harder whenever she came around him.

"W-Well, when you put it that way…" she mumbled. "I guess there's no choice then, is there?"

Ryoushi suppressed a smile as he realized that this dialogue seemed familiar. Then, he let the smile spread fully across his face as he realized that she was accepting his offer. "

Fine. I'll come with you." She announced, but avoided his eyes, her own sparking with bashfulness.

"Great!" he chirped, like an excited little kid who had just been assured tickets to an amusement park. "I'm really looking forward to it." He blurted out. "I-I mean, I'm sure the dogs will be looking forward to it." He corrected himself immediately with a bashful laugh.

"Okay then!" Ringo broke into the conversation before it turned any more awkward. Turning to Ryouko she quickly said, "Let's get back home then so you can go to the gym and get home early to get some sleep for tomorrow." Getting behind her friend, Ringo pushed her forward, forcing Ryouko to stumble ahead.

"W-Wait, Ringo!" But the smaller girl was determined to separate the two lovebirds for now so they could prepare for their day alone tomorrow.

"Ah, I'll see you tomorrow then, Ryouko-san!" Ryoushi called after her. "I'll come pick you up around noon!"

"Okay!" Ringo replied back. "She'll be there! Come on Ryouko-chan," she added to her friend. "I'll help you pick out your outfit for tomorrow!"

Ryoushi watched the two girls stagger down the sidewalk for a moment until he finally turned to go his own way, excitement bubbling up inside of him for his first, real date with the love of his life.

"Geez, that Ringo…" Ryouko mumbled under her breath. "She didn't have to shove me all the way home."

The long-haired athlete was currently at the gym, dressed in her workout clothing with boxing gloves curled into her fists. Not many other trainers were present these days since it was getting colder and colder by the minute, so Ryouko was making it a priority to get as much exercise in as possible before the snow started to come in harder and the gym was closed down for a while. She was also trying to make up for the training she knew she would miss tomorrow while she was out with Ryoushi, but deep down she knew it was much more than worth it.

She was at her favorite punching bag, tossing hard hits left and right when she spotted a small brown object outside the window. Ceasing her punches for a moment, she caught her breath before removing her gloves and quickly packed them away into her designated locker. Moving closer to the window, she got a better look at the brown shape, huddled beneath a snow-covered bush outside the building, next to the sidewalk.

Unmistakable about what it was now, Ryouko dashed back to the locker room, threw on her usual clothes again and rushed outside into the cold afternoon. The snow covering the sidewalks crunched as her boots flew over it as she headed toward the bush. Panting as she finally reached it, she knelt down and peered underneath to find a small, chocolate-colored puppy shriveled up into a shaking ball. Ryouko's jaw gaped open in shock and her heart nearly broke into pieces on the spot as she saw the pitiful little bundle of fur. "You poor little thing." She whispered, her voice cracking.

Cautiously, she reached out and tentatively stroked its back. At her warm touch, the little animal blinked and stared up at her with huge black eyes that made her want to cry. Then, Ryouko's horrified expression turned into a determined one and she gently lifted the puppy into her arms and stood to her feet. She glanced around protectively first before look back down as the puppy nestled closer to her chest.

Suddenly, her face lit up as she realized it was wearing a collar and Ryouko scanned it for an address. When she found it, she raked her brain trying to remember if it sounded familiar, before at last she recalled the direction the house lay in.

Determined now, she took off down the street as fast as her long legs could carry her, clutching the dog close to her to keep it warm. Despair flooded over her when the sky turned gradually darker with clouds rather than dusk, and it began to snow.

Pushing herself into a sprint, Ryouko finally made it to the house directed from the collar. She slowed her pace, gasping as she knocked on the door. But before she could knock so much as a second time, the door was flung open as a relived little girl appeared, gratefully taking the puppy from Ryouko and thanking her multiple times.

"No, it was nothing, really." She had denied trying her best not to sound out of breath. "I'm just glad he's okay."

After several more moments of frantic thankfulness, the girl closed the door and Ryouko turned on her heel with a grin spreading across her lips.

Though her muscles were aching and the air was bitingly freezing, feeling extremely warmed inside, Ryouko slowly made her way back home.

Ringo fiddled with her fingers uncomfortably as the minutes kept ticking by, every one bringing with it more and more worry since Ryouko was already almost an hour late in getting home.

"Ooh, maybe I should go to the gym and look for her." Ringo mumbled to herself, closing her cell phone for the 5th time as Ryouko did not pick up. "But it's snowing out and plus it's dark now. Maybe she went to Ryoushi-kun's place?" she mumbled to herself, trying to convince herself that her roommate was alright.

She was about to call Ryoushi and ask him herself when she heard the door to her room click and creak open as her best friend stepped in. "Ryouko-chan!" Ringo cried, rushing over to the taller girl who was covered in snow. "What happened? Why are you so late? Why aren't you wearing a coat?" she wailed.

Ryouko shook her head from side to side with a shiver and flurries of white cascaded from her long hair.

"S-Sorry." She apologized with a small smile. "My phone died while I was at the gym." Ryouko explained as she sat down on the floor in front of the kotatsu as Ringo quickly grabbed a blanket from the closet a laid it out atop her shivering shoulders.

"Never mind that." The red-head stated firmly as she went to make a cup of hot tea. "Did something happen?" she asked from over her shoulder as she got the teabags ready. Sighing, Ryouko told her the story of what had happened without mentioning just how much energy the whole process had taken out of her. "The only reason I'm so late is because the house was in the opposite direction from here." She finished as Ringo handed her the cup of tea which Ryouko thankfully sipped down. She closed her eyes with a worn out exhale as Ringo knelt down behind her and began brushing the ice fragments out of her long tresses.

"Next time, make sure you charge your phone." Ringo scolded her lightly. "I was freaking out, you know."

"Yeah. Sorry." Ryouko mumbled.

"You should take a warm bath or something." The smaller girl suggested. "You shouldn't go to sleep like this. You'll get sick."

"I'll be fine. Plus it's already late and I'm exhausted."

"Well then…at least change clothes." Ringo begged.

"I will, I will." Slowly, Ryouko staggered to her feet and gathered her dark blue nightgown in her arms before slipping into the bathroom to change.

Ringo watched her go before letting out a tiny sigh and mumbling to herself, "She's definitely going to get sick. And just when she was going to have some time alone with Ryoushi-kun tomorrow!" Then, an idea crept into her mind and she smiled mischievously. "Actually…" she went on to herself. "Maybe this could work out well…"

The sunshine was almost blinding as it shown off of the new layer of fallen snow and Ryoushi had to squint for fear he would go blind.

He threw a jacket on over his shirt before calling out for Elizabeth and Francoise who immediately rushed over at his beck. Clipping leashes onto their collars, he patted them on the heads before heading off toward Ryouko and Ringo's place.

The air was chilly and he soon found himself jogging to keep himself warm, the dogs trotting along contentedly at his knees. It was about 10 minutes before noontime when he arrived so he decided to take a seat on a nearby bench and wait for her to come down. The dogs circled each other and played together in the snow and Ryoushi amused himself with watching them until he realized that he had been waiting for a little under half an hour.

"I wonder if she forgot?" he wondered, glancing up at the window to the room he knew to be hers and Ringo's. A breeze floated by, bringing a gust of snowflakes that were clumped in the treetops and on the roof along with it. "I guess I should go up and make sure she's actually there." He decided aloud.

Gathering his dog's leashes, Ryoushi led them into the building, remembering that Ringo had said that they would always be welcomed inside; plus they were very well-trained and tidy, so he had no doubts. As the doors closed behind him, Ryoushi was thankful for the blast of warmth coming from the heating in the building and he felt himself getting more and more comfortable as he climbed the stairs to the second floor.

He counted over four doors until he found the right one and knocked cautiously. "Ryouko-san? Are you here?" he called out softly. He waited a moment but there was no response. He knocked and waited once more, but still received no answer. He sighed, disappointed that he had been foolish enough to think that she would go out with him today, and he turned away.

But before he could step away, Elizabeth whimpered from behind him and he turned back around to see her pushing the door open with her nose. Ryoushi blinked. Why wasn't it locked? He wondered, opening the door even wider and stepping inside. The two Akitas shuffled in behind him before he closed the door and let go of their leashes as they settled down into the nearest corner together to rest.

Ryoushi felt extremely self-conscious being in a girl's room, or rather, two girl's shared room. Yet it was very neat and tidy with a table and a laptop off to the left and a desk to the right at the foot of the bunk beds. Then, a yellow note caught his eye and he curiously went over to the desk. He was about to read it when he caught himself and shook his head. No, no, no! What am I thinking? I can't go snooping around in their room!

But then he noticed that several small bottles were set up on the desk as well and as he recognized the medicinal labels, he cocked his head to one side. Then he heard a small whimpering and glanced back at the door to where Elizabeth and Francoise sat. But both dogs had their chins on the floor and were silent and he wondered if he was just hearing things.

As he walked back toward them to leave the room, however, he heard the sound again and halted, listening before turning back to face the room once more. Walking forward slowly, he nearly jumped out of his skin and through the ceiling when he saw movement in the bottom bunk bed and he suppressed a shriek. But then, his eyes widened as he realized what was actually happening.

Taking another step closer to be sure, he let out a surprised exclamation.

"R-Ryouko-san? You were here?" but then he quickly covered his mouth as he realized he was being inconsiderate of the sleeping girl. She had been so quiet and so still that he had not even noticed her when he had entered the room.

He was frozen, unsure of what to do in such a situation as she rolled over onto her back, her face turned slightly toward him. She was wearing a dark blue nightgown that was only just visible underneath the thick white blanket that shielded her body from the chilly Winter air that filtered in through the cracks around the windows. Her long, golden tresses pooled out around her in a slightly messy but mainly irresistibly adorable manner.

Ryoushi gulped, trying desperately to resist the urge to just lean over and kiss her right then and there, but then he noticed that her eyebrows were furrowed and her eyelids were flinching, as though she were having a nightmare. Looking closer now, he realized her cheeks were flushed and a cold sweat was breaking out across her forehead.

He suddenly remembered what Ringo had told him once; that Ryouko was the type of person who rarely ever got sick, but the few occasional times that she did were more severe.

Tentatively, he reached his hand forward and rested it against her skin and blinked in shock. She has a really bad fever! His mind frantic with panic, Ryoushi glanced quickly around the room as though a doctor would just appear out of nowhere. Why would Ringo leave her alone when she was this sick? What if I hadn't come up here?

He suddenly broke away from his thoughts as the girl below him shuddered and coughed once. Ryoushi looked down at her in dismay for a moment before he remembered the bottles of medicine on the desk and comprehension washed over him. So Ringo did this deliberately knowing that I would come looking for Ryouko-san, huh? He was about to head off to the desk to check the labels of the bottles when a small voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Why…I'm not lying…" Ryouko rasped thinly in her sleep. The boy remained silent with shock as he watched her eyebrows creased with hurt. "Someone, believe me…please…" she breathed. Then, a single tear rolled down her face. Ryoushi was silent as he watched the tough, independent girl he loved so dearly transform into this sick, shivering little girl.

His deep green eyes became sober and determined as he recalled what Ringo had told him; that he needed to gain her trust from the bottom of her heart. He had always known that she was secretly shy and easily hurt beneath her rough façade, but this was the first time he had ever seen her in such a defenseless condition. An urge to protect her surged through him like a flaming current then, and he gingerly removed his hand from her forehead and let it rest on top of her own outstretched palm. At his touch, Ryouko shuddered again and she sobbed once, a heart-wrenching sound that sent hatred for Hitsujikai exploding inside of his veins. I will never forgive him for doing those things to Ryouko-san. He vowed inwardly, biting his lip in anger.

But before he accidentally made himself bleed, his anger was sapped away as he blinked, looking back down at the girl as another tear rolled down her face. "Please…believe me…" she whispered in a voice that was thinner than air. "Please…"

"I believe you, Ryouko." He murmured, serious and truthful. "I'm right here." He squeezed her hand a little tighter and she shifted slightly. Then, her beautiful auburn irises slowly fluttered open like tattered butterfly's wings. She looked up at him exhaustedly, her eyes glazed over as though she did not recognize who he was but somehow knew subconsciously and was grateful for his presence beside her.

"It's okay." He said gently, reaching forward with his other hand to gently brush a strand of soft hair away from her face and tuck it behind her ear. "I'm right here." He repeated. "I believe you." Then, he focused his eyes to gaze into hers warmly and with all the affection in the world and then some. "And I love you, Ryouko-san."

He trailed his hand over the blanket that covered her shoulder and then down her arm to rest it on her side. He made slow, soothing motions over her stomach, trying to lull her back to sleep and put her aching heart at ease. His other hand trailed along her wrist briefly before he loosely entwined their fingers together.

At last, Ryouko's eyes closed once more altogether and one last tear fell, but this time, Ryoushi knew it was different from the ones before. She let out a long, trembling breath, but when it was over, her lips were curved upward into the tiniest smile.

Ryoushi stayed where he was and continued to stay by her side, repeating his words over and over again to her and soon noticed that she was no longer sweating, nor flinching in her sleep.

He knew there were many things about her that he did not know and might never be able to understand. But as the hunter, he needed to know everything about his prize in order to catch the wolf; and he intended to do just that.

For the first time in a long, long while, Ryouko slept peacefully, her dreams undisturbed by the lurking shadow of a demon, but instead filled with the silhouette of her angel.

After a while of staying at Ryouko's bedside to make sure that she was okay now, Ryoushi slowly slipped away and browsed through the bottles on the desk that Ringo had left out; Ryouko's breathing was becoming more ragged and raspy and he was searching for a remedy.

When he found the correct bottle, he exited into the small kitchen connected to the room to fetch a glass of water before returning back to her side and placing the items on a nearby table. His dogs were still sleeping soundly as well at the time, and the dim lighting of the room almost made Ryoushi want to take a nap as well, but he knew he could never do such a thing in Ryouko's room, especially when she was sick and in need of care.

The girl shivered slightly and the boy reached forward to draw the blankets up over her collarbones. As he sat in the silence, all he could hear was her uneven breaths and he considered waking her just in order to give her some of the medicine. But as if on cue then, two gorgeous pools of auburn gold opened slightly to stare up at him with a blank gaze.

"Ah, Ryouko-san! I'm so glad you're awake now! How are you feeling?" Ryoushi blurted out, straightening his posture.

"R…" she blinked once more, still unsure if she was dreaming or not. When she finally realized this was reality, her eyes flew open wide with shock and she jerked up into a sitting position in bed. "R-Ryoushi?" she cried, hoarsely, clutching her covers tightly in her lap.

But her movements were too sudden for her tired body to handle all at once, and a cyclone of dizziness crashed over her like a violent ocean wave and she fell backward again. Ryoushi only just reacted quickly enough to flash his arms out and catch her lightly.

"Ryouko-san!"

Her eyes were already closed again and it took her a moment to regain her composure and reopen them, but her body felt numbed and her head felt like it was filled with cotton and she forgot how to move her body properly. "Are you okay?" the boy asked, lying her back down and sliding his arms from underneath her back.

"Wh-What happened? Why are you here?" she asked, ignoring his questions. Then, the memories of the previous day rushed back to her and she realized what must have happened to her.

"W-Well you see, I was waiting for you outside, since you said you would come with me to walk Elizabeth and Francoise, but you never came out. S-So I just came up here and…" he let his voice trail off before quickly adding, "I-I'm really sorry for intruding! But I just wanted to know if you were here or not and the door was unlocked so…"

"That Ringo..." Ryouko mumbled under her breath.

"P-Pardon?"

"I bet there's a note on the desk, right?" she guessed, looking up at him. Ryoushi blinked once before nodding. "I knew it." She sighed. "Ringo probably knew I would get sick and would want to rest so she turned off my alarm when she left this morning so I would sleep as long as I needed to. But why would she leave the door unlocked…?"

But just as the words had escaped her mouth, Ryouko gasped in realization. No way. She mentally denied herself. There's no way Ringo set this up… But after a moment of pondering, she realized that this was exactly something her little roommate would have done, just for the sake of trying to hook Ryouko and Ryoushi up or make them a little closer.

"W-Well anyway," Ryoushi changed the subject as soon as he got an idea of what might be sparking between them. "I think you should take some of this medicine. You sound a little congested."

"But I feel fine." She lied; Ryouko had never, ever been a fan of medicinal concoctions. "I think I'm just a little weary from yesterday."

"What happened? I-If you don't mind my asking, that is." He wondered politely. With a sigh, Ryouko explained her story yet again. "You were out so late in that weather? It was snowing and below freezing! No wonder you caught a cold!" he said in dismay. "All the more reason why you should take your medicine!" he insisted.

"Like I said, I'm fine!" she snapped.

But as fate would have it, her words were immediately contradicted as she broke into a coughing fit from having strained her voice too much. At the sound, the Akitas glanced up curiously from their naps, ears pricked and alert. Ryouko's body convulsed as her throat was assaulted by harsh coughs.

"R-Ryouko-san!" he jumped as she suddenly started gasping for breath in between her fits. Swiftly, he helped her sit up again, supporting her back fully with his left arm as his right draped across her stomach. Then, his panicked self began to ebb away to be replaced by his more protective side. He traced soothing circles over her back and shoulders, trying to calm her down. Within moments, her coughing had ceased, leaving the girl panting roughly and shakily. "Just breathe slowly." He told her in a soft tone that somehow seemed to calm her down. At last she let out one final, long exhale before peering up at him past her bangs with grateful eyes.

"So…" he laughed slightly. "Do you wanna try that medicine now?" With a little exhausted sigh, Ryouko nodded before a tiny smile spread across her lips. Letting her sit up on her own now, Ryoushi recoiled his arms and shook a single pill out of the bottle on the table. Dropping it into her upturned palm and handing her the glass of water with the other, Ryoushi worriedly asked, "Do you think you can swallow it okay? If you can't then just wait for a moment-"

"Ryoushi," she cut him off and he slammed his jaw shut. Then he realized she was giving him a cute, sideways grin. "I'm okay." She promised. He nodded once and watched, relived as she swallowed the pill and drained the glass of water easily and without issue. "L-Listen, Ryoushi," she mumbled after a brief moment as she passed the empty glass back to him to place on the table. "I'm really sorry for all this. I mean I know we were all looking forward to it," Ryoushi was grateful for her glance at the dogs then, covering up their own hidden intentions he suspected they shared. "And for me to go and get sick and stand you up like that…"

"Hey, you have nothing to apologize for whatsoever." He stopped her and she glanced at him curiously. "You were doing something very selfless and wonderful that most people would never have a second thought about doing, especially in those weather conditions. I think what you did was great." He smiled. "But I just wished you would worry about your own health a little bit more."

"Didn't I already tell you I'm fine?" she huffed, crossing her arms across her chest and facing away from him to hide a slight blush.

Yeah. But what I saw a few moments ago didn't exactly look like 'fine' to me. He shook his head from side to side with a hopeless smile toward her.

"…Ryoushi?"

"Yes?"

"T…Thank you, for what you did before." She murmured quietly. "The same thing happened when I first met Ringo, and it seems I still have nightmares about those things, so…I-I really appreciate what you did." She finished, avoiding his eyes coyly.

"Ryouko-san…" he was appalled at the thought that she had these sorts of nightmares often. If only I'd been able to get close to her sooner…

"That medicine must be working." She changed the conversation, stretching her arms up above her head. "I'm feeling better already." She sucked in a deep breath and let it out with a content grin to prove to him that her breathing was back to normal now.

"That's great to hear." The boy smiled. "But I think for the rest of today, just this once, you should take it easy. You shouldn't overwork your body so much or else you're bound to break down. You need to rest." He persisted, gently pushing her back down onto the bed.

"You're starting to sound like Ringo." She sighed, but there was a playful tint in her eyes.

"Sorry." He chuckled. "But after you're feeling better, I think we should go out together and walk Elizabeth and Francoise. They seem disappointed that they didn't get to spend time with you today." He informed her.

"Of course we'll do that." She agreed. "I'd love to go out with you to walk them." Was he just imagining things, or had she quickly added on the last part of that statement?

"Alright then." He nodded. "I'll look forward to that, then."

After the events that had conspired that day, Ryoushi knew he was finally one giant step farther into her protective shelter that she used to block everyone else away; he was one step closer to catching the wolf.

A/N: I may write a sequel when they actually do go out on a real date, depending on reviews/hits/if I have time. So look around for it!

Please review!