The water was cold. Extremely freezing. But it didn't bother him. He positioned his wet creamy legs more close to his bare chest. Then he placed his bowl of curry on them, using them as a table for himself.

"You've gotten cold, too." Yuki muttered to his plate of food as he scoped in another bite.

"Yuki." A light voice spoke from behind the bathroom door. "How long are you going to be in there?"

Yuki ignored the voice and continued on his dish.

Machi sighed and rested her forehead on the wooden door. It had been at least a month since she had returned from her trip.

Before she left, Yuki held a gentle smile and embraced her passionately. After a kiss on the cheek, Yuki waved Machi a farewell as she got on her plane.

When she returned however, Yuki had changed. On her first day back she had opened the apartment door catching Yuki collapsed on the living room floor, clutching a vodka bottle over his chest. She ran to his side and tried to awaken the sleeping male, while full of panic. Upon closer exception she could see Yuki's angelic face was covered in tears.

"Yuki!" she had cried shaking his shoulders. "Yuki, wake up! What happen!?"

He had no responds other than gasping the bottle even tighter. With tears in her eyes, Machi drew up her hand and slapped it across Yuki's cheek.

His eyes shot open with a surprising glee and snatched up his attacker into his arms.

"You're back! I knew you weren't gone!"

He embraced the young female with such force, she could hardly breathe.

"Yuki..." she gasped. "You're hurting me…"

It was quiet for what seemed like hours. Yuki had eased on his grip.

When he finally released her and truly looked at for the first time since she entered, his eyes had fallen into despair. With the vodka still in hand, he rose and wobbled over to another room. Bumping into all the furniture that appeared next to him.

And since then Yuki acted like she was a complete stranger. They no longer slept in the same bed together. Machi was too scared to. At night, Yuki shook and kicked viciously. The night when Yuki started crying out in a horror, Machi took it upon herself to sleep on the sofa.

The happy times sharing breakfast, lunch, and dinner was over as well. Once Machi finished with the cooking she had to leave the plate beside Yuki. He wouldn't ever take the plate from her but if she didn't make sure he ate, he would starve himself. So she decided that if she laid the food next him he would just help himself. And which he did. However it never seemed like Yuki enjoyed the food. In the past he used to praise her cooking, but now it looked like he didn't even taste anything. Machi also noticed that Yuki would usually eat his dinner in the bathtub.

There was no conversations anymore. Only Machi trying her best to reach out to her once affectionate lover. Yuki's mind always seemed somewhere else. The only reaction she ever got, if she got any, was a small glance.

"Yuki…"she tried again, this time lightly knocking on the door. "You've been in there for two hours. The water's going to get cold…I don't want you to get sick…"

Yuki sighed. He slid down deeper into the tub while balancing the bowl on his legs. His arm with the chopsticks dangled beside the tub while the other tugged on his hair "I need a drink."

The door swung open. Machi gave Yuki a light smile. He didn't respond to her gesture. He just walked passed the girl while in nude.

For a moment she thought of following him. She also had to change him into his clothes or he would just walk around naked, but the mess in the bathroom was in more need of her attention. Water saturated the ground and the curry was tossed into the bathroom's sink. With a heavy sigh Machi entered and began the cleansing.

The former rat of the zodiac was laid out on the fleece covers of his now soaked bed. He relaxed his dripping sliver hair on one of the pillows and began taking comfort from his savior in a bottle. With heavy eyes, he engulfed the entire drink until it was empty. His hand cascaded downwards beside his bedside, as his finger-tips lost hold of the bottle. A sly smile formed on his lips as he griped his cheek with his other hand. Piercing his nails deep into his porcelain skin hard enough to draw blood.

"I'm glad you came to visit me, Yuki."

"Of course, Akito." Yuki replied hesitantly. "Why wouldn't I?"

"It seems that you've been avoiding me since the curse broke. Am I not important to you anymore? Has our bond vanished as well?"

"No I've of course not, Akito," Yuki cried with a shaky voice. "I've just been busy and-"

"LIER!"

"No! Akito! I'm telling the-"

"Yuki…"

With a startle, Yuki sat straight up from his positon on the bed.

Machi was at the door with his white collar shirt and black slacks with a startled expression. Once seeing his intruder, he fell down back gracefully on the bed.

"Yuki…" Machi murmured walking over the bed. "You know whatever you're going through I'm here for you…"She glided herself near the former rat's side. "You can talk to me…"

Browned eyes stared into amethyst.

She waited and waited. Once it was clear Yuki still wouldn't speak up, Machi frowned and began dressing the unresponsive male.

"Can I have the credit card?"

Machi froze. She had just finished buttoning his shirt, when she heard his soft voice speak. "What was that?" she stuttered placing her hands on his frail shoulders. It had been too long since she heard his sweet voice.

"Can I have the credit card?" he repeated titling his head to the side. Machi finally progressed the question. "The credit card? Why do want the credit card?"

Yuki looked up at the ceiling, eyes emotionless. "I heard there's a place that opened up "where the fun ain't got no end" and I want to check it out."

Machi stood up straight with her eyebrows narrowed. "What kind of place?"

"Can I have the credit card?"

"Just tell me what's the place and I'll-"

"Can I have the credit card?"

With a long sigh, Machi left the room in search of her purse. She didn't know where Yuki was going or what he was going to do, but she trusted him and it has been so long since he requested something from her. She pulled out her crimson painted handbag from under the sofa and pulled out her card. When she turned she could see Yuki was behind her. With a sly movement from his fingers he took hold of the card and turned his heels in the direction of the apartment door. He grabbed his coat from the rack and slipped it on.

"Bye. Be Safe." Machi said but Yuki was already gone.

Authors Note: So glad to have this chapter up and ready! I'm just disappointed how shorter it is to the first one. Now I just need to update TGO! Write Now Enjoy!