It took too long to update! Too many birthdays in January, including my own. Thanks for reviewing! It helps to know I have people who like the pairing as much as I do. Husky is emotional in this chapter. Cuteness!

Disclaimer: I don't own this, but I wish I did.

Husky's eyes fluttered opened. He was still in his foggy haze from when he was last awake. It took him a moment to focus on the ceiling before he tried to look around. He turned his head and felt something slip off his forehead. It was a damp wash cloth. Husky tried to sit up, his arms shaking with the effort. His arm slipped and he fell back to the bed. He sighed.

Husky turned his head again and took in his surroundings. Better to understand where you were rather then panic at the fact that you were powerless. Then perhaps you could use your disadvantage to an advantage. His Aunt had always told him that when she was training him.

He was in a house, he was sure of that. The room he was in was dimly lit by a candle on the table beside his bed. There was a window on the opposite side of the room which he could see out of. It was pitch black outside and, now that he paid closer attention, he could hear a patter on the roof from heavy rain. He sighed. Even if he wanted to try and get away, he wouldn't get far and would most likely get even worse in the storm.

He closed his eyes and thought hard. How had he gotten here? It seemed like something he should be sure of but every fiber of his being was without a doubt one hundred percent clueless. Was this how Senri felt at most times?

Senri…

The name made his mind go numb. Where were the others? Were they ok? His heart was racing and he could feel a lump grip at his throat. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

His distress for them was short lived however as the sound of footsteps came closer to the room. He lay frozen on the bed and waited for some kind of sign. The door to the room opened and he held his breath.

The noise came closer to him and something was placed on the table next to him. He peeked through his lashes at a young girl. Two bowls were on the table next to the candle now and she picked up the cloth on the bed. She folded it over again and placed it in the bowl farthest from her.

She had black hair that curved around her face and cascaded over her shoulders. Two stray strands lay across her forehead and she pushed them over only to have them fall back again. Her eyes were this grayish color and her face was pale. She seemed good enough, but logic told him never to judge rashly about someone in a situation like this. Especially since this someone was a girl.

Husky opened his eyes when she turned away to pick up the rag. When she looked back, their eyes met and she gave a startled look.

"I didn't expect you to wake up…" she said in a quiet voice. It sparked a note in his mind and he recognized it as the voice from before when he was in a daze.

"Well I am…" His voice was raspy and it stung his throat. He covered his mouth to muffle a slight cough but it only scratched at his throat more and it turned into a full on coughing fit. As he doubled over in the bed, she pushed him to sit up and patted at his back. She gave him a worried look.

The coughing stopped and he breathed out heavily. His arm was nudged and he looked at the girl who presented him with a cup. Where did that come from? He didn't ponder it much and took it in his shaking hands. She hesitated, keeping her hands ready in case his grip should fail.

He pressed the cup to his lips and the cold water seeped through his chapped lips and caressed his throat. He gulped down the liquid and sighed in relief as his throat was soothed, if only for the time being.

"Thank you." His voice sounded almost normal. She smiled and her cheeks became powered with pink.

"Of course." She fluffed the pillows behind him and she gently pushed him to lean against them. Husky lacked any kind of strength or willpower and so he leaned back obediently. He watched her out of the corner of his eye and kept his mouth shut. She didn't seem a threat. That didn't mean he was ok with her. That we was ok with being at the mercy of a girl. But there seemed no other choice at this point but to at least be civil. She was taking care of him after all.

She presented him with a bowl of steaming hot soup. The smell danced in the air and made his stomach growl. He blushed and placed a hand over his stomach. Traitor.

She giggled and gently placed it in his lap. She sat on the side of the bed and looked at him.

"I hope you like it. It's my own recipe. It'll help your cold." She smiled at him. It lit up her face. Husky picked up the spoon and brought the soup to his lips. He blew at it and tentatively sipped. It was sweet but not in bad way. It reached the back of his throat and had this cooling effect, even as it was clearly hot. He took several more spoonfuls, deciding that he rather did like it. Though it really wasn't something compared to Senri's stews.

His stomach twisted and even though the bowl was half way finished, and he knew he needed more, he didn't think he could stomach anything else. He wanted them there. He didn't want to wake up to a stranger, he wanted Cooro to act like a fool and tell him he wanted more fish because he was hungry, he wanted Senri's food, heck he even wanted Nana in all her nagging girl glory…

Before he knew it, his vision was blurred and it was a moment before Husky realized it was from tears. He wiped at his eyes. He kept his hand up to his face to avoid the girls concerned look.

"I'm tired." He lied. She bit her lip but took it anyway.

"Of course. Sleep is always good for a cold." She gently took the bowl from his lap and placed it on the table. She nudged him again to this time lay down. He did so keeping his head down. She tucked the blankets around him and smoothed down his hair. She picked the cloth out of the water, wrung out the excess water and placed it on his head.

"I'll check on you later," she said gathering the supplies. She proceeded to the door and gave a weak smile before closing it. She leaned against the door and sighed. "Poor guy."

Husky removed the cloth and flung it to the floor. He wiped at his eyes and shook with annoyance. Really, how could he almost lose himself like that in front of her? He shook his head. His shoulders slumped down and he realized how truly tired he really was. He laid his head on the pillow, but didn't fall asleep. Instead he wondered, 'Where are those guys?'

Tada! Next chapter up soon, I promise. The girl is my own, but she doesn't have a name yet. So if you would like to have input on her name, feel free to tell me. R&R please and thank you!