It's still raining outside. But Natsuki is safe from the swelling hurricane just beyond the walls now. The clothes he'd previously worn were shed to find something a little less wet. Soggy clothes transported to the wash, and Yuki's clothes, borrowed from the closet were slipped on. They seemed a bit girlish for his tastes, maybe too bright? No matter, it was better than being drenched. And as much as he didn't want to admit it, Yuki's clothes...smelled good too. It's his scent clinging to the fibers. He smells like the ocean...and flowers, Natsuki thinks smiling to himself.

Yuki lay still unconscious on his bed. Natsuki brought him up after knocking him out, and gently pulled the covers over his arms. It was getting late now, and Natsuki fears that Yuki won't wake up soon enough for their goodbye. His chest rises and falls in time, and the covers on top of him sway like the ocean. Natsuki smirks. So gentle, so innocent. What have I done to make this beautiful boy so angry with me?

Natsuki closes his eyes and breathes a heavy sigh. The chair he's sitting on isn't comfortable enough to sleep in, but he's tired enough that it just might happen anyway. "Yuki?" Natsuki mumbles. He tries to negotiate with himself, but decides to anyway. After rising from his chair, he moves over to the bed, hovering over Yuki's sleeping body in an attempt to move him over enough so they may both fit comfortably. When he finds that he's moved Yuki far enough Natsuki still hovers for a moment. Trying to memorize the expression on Yuki's face, the exact pigment of his hair, and the rate in which his chest continues to rise and fall. He doesn't want to forget this. This simple boy who managed to change him. Natsuki reaches out his hand to brush a few locks of red hair that had fallen over his eyes in the process of moving him. There, perfect.

Before Natsuki can lie down, the boy under him begins to riggle, and his eyes flicker open. Yuki blinks a few times, his vision too hazy to make out anything. Though after four blinks he registers Natsuki's body wavering over him. "Umm." his voice changes pitch half way through the word.

"Right," Natsuki rolls over onto his side of the bed without another word. They lay there in silence for five minutes, maybe ten. Natsuki's listening to the storm outside, and to Yuki breath at a notably higher pace than when he was sleeping. Yuki is trying to work out why Natsuki was on top of him, and how he got in this bed in the first place. The technicalities of his thoughts leads his heart to quicken.

"Did you bring me up here?" Yuki asks.

"Yeah, I was just moving you to the other side of the bed so I could lay here when you woke up. I..." Natsuki felt embarrassed. "I didn't do anything."

"Oh." His voice was both disappointed and relieved. "It's...It's still storming outside."

Natsuki snickers. Let's talk about the weather? "I couldn't go home with the hurricane out there. I mean, I would have stayed anyway just to make sure you woke up and everything."

"Mm." Yuki mutters. "I'm sorry Natsuki. I shouldn't have ever ignored you. You...you know why I did it."

Natsuki turns on his side to face Yuki. "Tell me." He begs. His hands are shaking and he tries to clench them in the hopes Yuki won't notice.

Yuki folds over as well, both bodies facing each other now. "I was ignoring you because you're leaving. You're really going to be gone." he swallows. "I just thought we had more time." He looks confused, and says it again. "I thought...we had more time. I'm not ready to say goodbye yet because there's something I haven't told you. And if I don't tell you before you leave, I don't think I'll ever have the chance to tell you again."

Natsuki listens and makes notes in his head. "You know I won't be gone forever." His voice wavers, as if it's going to break. He swallows, trying to clear his clenched throat.

"I know, but there are so many people in America. You're going to meet someone wonderful there. Someone who you're going to fish with. Someone...s-someone." he bites his lip, then tries to take a deep breath. "Some beautiful girl." He says. "What then? Why? Why should I even tell you. It's not like if I do your going to stay. What is it going to change?"

"If you tell me, it gives me the chance to respond. Isn't that what you want?" Natsuki bargains.

Stunned by his response, Yuki takes a moment. He sits up, and looks down at Natsuki on his bed. He smiles, realizing Natsuki changed into some of his clothes. "You're the first person that I really opened up to. You're really the only person I can talk to and you made me believe I could be good at something. Enjoy something. You didn't give up on me. You let me into your family, you told me everything was okay when everyone else left and now you're leaving." Yuki sighed, watching Natsuki sit up next to him. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do when my everything is...leaving." Yuki didn't look into his eyes."

Natsuki clenched his jaw at every word, waiting for the words he was looking for. "Just say it." it was barely a whisper.

"I love you, Natsuki."