Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi, and I'm not making a profit on this, so there's no need for any corporations or people to be infuriated with me.

Author's Note: This was originally intended to be a one-shot, but it was getting quite long, and I hadn't even gotten to anything major yet. So here is the previously nonexistent chapter two, which may be followed by a previously nonexistent chapter three, but I don't know yet.

Fushigi Yuugi Blanket Scenario:

One on One Chapter 2

Hotohori forced his horse to keep galloping for as long as he could. The snow was thigh deep on a human, once they got into the forest and the horse simply could not move through it with any semblance of speed, even if he'd been willing to kill the animal trying. As for his method of searching, there was none. A search didn't seem to be necessary. The farther into the woods he went the more sure he was that he was going in the right direction.

In less than 15 minutes he had reached the cave entrance, shielded from most of the falling snow by pine branches. Upon seeing it he came out of whatever trance he had been in and eyed the crack dubiously. He was considerably larger than Nuriko and knew he would have trouble getting into the cave.

He dismounted with much difficulty and tied his horse to a tree, petting its neck absently to calm them both. He trudged through the snow with his bundle and peered into the cave. Inside, Nuriko lay curled into a loose ball, his hair straggly and laced with icicles, his face paler than Hotohori had ever seen it. His lips were deep blue.

Panic greeted this observation and he set about trying to shove himself through the crack and into the burrow-like cave beyond it. He was panting heavily, his arms and sides covered with scratches, by the time he managed to get inside.

He had long ago given up the idea of a fire, but the blanket was the warmest he had. Hopefully it would do.

He took it out of the pack, making sure it wasn't damp before carefully setting it aside. He looked at Nuriko and hesitated. He had enough common sense to know that he couldn't just throw the blanket over him as he was and expect it to have any effect. Nuriko's clothes were soaked. He would have to strip him and THEN put on the blanket.

If my advisors knew what I am about to do. But he pushed the thought out of his mind before he could complete it.

Hotohori rolled Nuriko onto his back and began to remove his icy clothes tuning all other thoughts out. When he was finished he carefully wrapped the smaller seishi in the blanket, pulling Nuriko into his arms when he was fully covered without even thinking about it. The professional air that had resided in him while he was undressing Nuriko fled while he held him in his arms, content not to go anywhere for awhile. He knew Nuriko would be okay and that was all he needed to be happy right now,

Without even realizing the extent of his exhaustion, sleep claimed him, pulling him into welcome darkness. Silence reigned in the cave once more.

* * *

Nuriko woke up slowly, gaining feeling and control of his limbs and mind. The numbing cold he remembered was somewhat abated, although a trace of it still remained, sunk deep into his bones. He shifted slightly, but did not open his eyes. He grabbed the thick blanket he found himself wrapped in and attempted to pull it more tightly around himself.

At his movement something shifted underneath him, and he thought he felt arms around him. He lifted his head in an effort to find out who he was lying on. And who had their arms around him. They were presumably the same person but he didn't remember coming across ANYONE. He shifted some more and almost bolted out of the cave.

Oh my God, I'm NAKED!!! What in hell happened to me?!

He was downright scared now but didn't want to wake the stranger in case they were dangerous. He would much prefer quietly slipping away to fighting in his birthday suit. He was also trying to break free of the deer-in-headlights mentality.

Before he could decide what course of action to take and when, his living mattress began lurching madly, the unseen mouth erupting in a furious coughing fit. Nuriko noted that the coughs didn't sound too good; quite phlegmy. He tensed as the person groaned, wrapping their arms more tightly around him as they woke up. He tried not to move, although the cough and groan had sounded somehow familiar. How can a cough sound familiar?.Do I know some one who has chronic phlegmy asthma?

The person settled Nuriko against his chest and body as a whole, preparing to go back to sleep. Nuriko suddenly felt a tickle in his nose. No! I can't sneeze now! It will alert the possible psychopath! The tickle persisted, his nose twitching, needing to purge the offending particle. His hand twitched, now wanting to rub his nose or prepare for the coming explosion.Great! Maybe the psychopath will lend me a handkerchief, he thought slightly bitterly, just before-

"ACHOO!" He froze.

"Nuriko?" Wait, that kinda sounds like.

"Hotohori?" He just managed to choke out his name before the cold air of the pseudo cave caused him to cough a few times himself.

"Are you alright now? Are you warm enough?" Hotohori asked, sounding concerned and sleepy. His breath tickled Nuriko's ear and neck but he tried to ignore it.

"Um. yeah, but what are you- I mean WE- doing.like this?" He asked, going pink at the thought of his.condition.

"You were freezing to death, so I came to save you," Hotohori said matter- of-factly. He had an odd quality to his voice, strangely thick, making the words sound slightly slurred.

"Oh," he replied, surprised at Hotohori's statement and tone and puzzled by the odd thickness. Crying?...No. Sleepiness?.Could be, but I don't think so. Hotohori turned his head to the side and coughed wretchedly for several long moments. At the start Nuriko had been concerned, but by the end of the fit fear seized hi once again. He's sick! It's my fault! What if he has pneumonia! He could die! His thoughts raced through his mind, disjointed, and jumbled.

"Do you have a blanket?" Nuriko asked, several minutes after Hotohori's bout of phlegmy coughing.

"I have my coat," he replied. "You shouldn't be worrying about me."

Nuriko pulled the blanket around his shoulders securely, holding the top in his hands, and rolled off Hotohori's lap. The emperor was too surprised by the sudden motion to react before Nuriko had raised himself into a sitting position beside him. Nuriko gave Hotohori a stern.

"You could freeze to death just as easily as I could've," Nuriko said, looking the younger man in the eye. Hotohori looked back at him, face impassive despite his slight shivering.

"We should share the blanket, or you'll get pneumonia," Nuriko persisted, inching closer and punching the blanket lightly to emphasize his point. Hotohori leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest, jaw set, looking like a stubborn child who didn't want to go to bed.

Nuriko was over his embarrassment, now becoming annoyed. Had he been standing he would have tapped his foot in impatient mother fashion.

"If you get pneumonia and die what will Konan do? You're willing to sacrifice your life and your country for modesty?" Ooh. That was sharper than I intended.

But it did the trick. Hotohori meticulously examined his clothes to see what he would have to remove. Damn, he thought. His pants were soaked from the knee down and there was no denying that they would have to come off. He took scant comfort in the fact that his knee-length orange tunic (thingy) was dry enough to stay on. The fact that Nuriko wasn't wearing ANYTHING kept intruding and ruining the effect. Oh, Suzaku! Stall! Stall!

"Um, I think I'll go see if there's any wood we can use to start a fire," he said quickly, squeezing through the opening of the small round cave before Nuriko could get an argument together. I'm not just stalling, really, he thought defensively. Their clothes would only turn into textile ice cubes if they had no warmth, and warmth meant fire.

He tied his coat into the rim of his pants so he wouldn't have to remove that as well and commenced his small search, all the while reflecting on the situation hat he had temporarily escaped. SHARE the blanket with him. He must still love me. I thought he was going to act like a man now.

If he hadn't been so well schooled in never revealing his emotions he would have blushed when Nuriko suggested they share the blanket. Even after seeing him in man's clothes every day and even after seeing him bare chested this very afternoon, his mind still insisted on classifying Nuriko as a woman. And sharing a blanket with a naked woman, especially when you are only half clothed yourself! It's dishonorable, unthinkable. And when I go back into that cave, I have to do it.

But he had no choice. He could feel the hypothermia and pneumonia sneaking up on him; slowly creeping up on him. My body heat will make Nuriko much warmer. He'll be far out of danger then. He focused on that thought, on the benefit to Nuriko's health. That made it slightly more honorable.

But it IS justified! Two close friends sharing warmth to save each other's lives. I that's not justified I don't know what is! That was what he needed to do. He needed to think of Nuriko like he thought of Tamahome or Chichiri; a close MALE friend. It was ridiculous to balk at spending time alone with Nuriko. Nuriko wouldn't be ruined for marriage and no one would question his reputation.

With his conscience slightly more assured, he returned to the cave entrance and began to force his way inside. Suzaku must have aided my last, hasty passage through this cured crack. It's taken me ages every other time- including this one. With that last thought he pulled his body through into the pseudo-cave. A strange sight greeted him there, although he could hardly see due to the sudden change in lighting.

Nuriko was digging furiously with one hand while the other held the blanket around him. Hotohori flinched. Those delicate hands should not be used for such work. He sat and watched the other seishi for a bit in order to ascertain why he was digging, but he couldn't even begin to guess. Nuriko would dig for a bit, then pull on something Hotohori couldn't see from this angle, then start digging again.

Nuriko was so consumed that he didn't notice Hotohori was there until he had managed to pull the unseen object free and turned around to place it on the ground behind him. The thing was, in fact, a very twisted knobbly root. Looking beyond Nuriko he saw a sizeable hole from which more of the root jutted out of the dirt. Hotohori blinked.

"Roots?" he questioned.

Nuriko only nodded quickly, trying to hide and recover from his surprise at Hotohori's sudden presence.

"I doubted you would find anything out there that would burn," he jerked his head toward the thin sliver of light that was the entrance. "So I looked around here for something and found this root. I'll pull out more of it, and we can have a little fire, at least."

Hotohori nodded and slowly reached for the root, eyes blank. It was dry. It would burn. Nuriko is amazing. The thought broke into his head and he nodded in acknowledgement of it. Nuriko never ceased to amaze him, even though he'd known him for so long. Well, in a way, he amended. His thoughts meandered for a bit, becoming less and less focused. The form of Nuriko, who had gone back to digging, swam before his eyes as if the whole world was swaying gently, like a moored rowboat.

In his last conscious moment, he reached forward and grasped Nuriko's digging hand in his own. As his consciousness faded he thought Not for such work. He could hurt it.

* * * *



To be continued.. Yet again.

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Oi, too much football for me I think. But at any rate, all author's really appreciate reviews!! I will take flames as a close second, and don't be afraid to be brutally honest about what you thought!

Anime Quotes That Are Wrong When Taken Out of Context

1."Just take off your clothes!" "BEG me to!"

2."Inu-Yasha! Long time, no suck!"