Blame the summer for my retardation, but I actually had this chapter finished a few days ago.

I uploaded it onto FF...But mom called for dinner.

So when I got back, I didn't realize that it had only uploaded.

Not posted.

I'm really sorry guys, heh.

Chapter 3

"So…is she your girlfriend?"

Syaoran blushed, furiously shaking his head. "N-NO, THAT'S NOT IT!" He whispered frantically, face lit like a furnace.

Ryûo lost his fight against his smile and burst out laughing. "Syaoran, you're hilarious." He muttered breathlessly, patting him on the back. The other teen fumed quietly, resorting to staring at the new girl sleep. As peaceful as she seemed, it was hard to believe she'd just been rescued from the nasty Tsubasa River. Silence fell over them, and Ryûo being Ryûo had to be the one to end it in the most embarrassing way thought of. "I can't believe you wouldn't change her out of her wet clothes."

Syaoran groaned. His head met his knees instead, as if trying to disappear from the world. "Please go away…"

"Seriously, what's wrong with you?" Demanded the other brunette teasingly, poking at Syaoran's side as if to prove some sort of point to him. "You have such a free pass to do this and you're going to let it slip through your fingers?"

"She's a girl, Ryûo," Syaoran hissed, fighting with all his might to not look up. He knew the other was just teasing him (blame the Gods for his terrible chivalry), but sometimes he felt like Ryûo needed a little more common sense stuffed into him than others did. "If you haven't noticed, it's usually rude to do that a girl, especially if she's unconscious!"

"But didn't we learn in health class that if someone injured falls unconscious, they're giving you an okay to do what you need to?"

"To save their life!"

"If we don't change her out of the wet clothes however," noted Ryûo, pointing a proud finger in the air. "She could quite possibly catch a cold or hypothermia, which could result in bronchitis, which in turn leads to death." He smiled proudly when Syaoran made an odd choking noise into the ground. It was so much fun to tease his friend; he made it far too easy. "You're lucky Kurogane said he'd try to call Soma back for a little help—"

"Damn it Ryûo, do you always have to mess with him until he's curled up like this?" Kurogane's gruff voice muttered as he slid the door open. He looked down at Syaoran almost pitifully. "It's getting kind of sad to look at."

"You have a heart?" asked Ryûo feigning surprise. "Wow, and here I thought you were devoid of all emotion."

Earning himself another glare from the stand in teacher, the teen cackled to himself. Kurogane rolled his eyes, returning his attention back to the cell phone snuggly fit in between his shoulder and ear. Honestly, he'd come in to tell Ryûo to shut the hell up (God knows he was too loud), but it seemed to be a lost case at the moment. The phone clicked into a familiar voice, and Kurogane almost jumped; he'd forgotten who he'd been trying to contact in all the commotion.

'Hello, this is Souma—'

"Souma, I need you back here," rushed in Kurogane, about to explain further when the voicemail continued. His hopes dropped like a concrete slab.

'—I am currently unavailable due to preparations for a wedding. If you need anything, please leave a message, and I will try to get back to you later this month.'

Unable to listen to more, Kurogane hung up. Turning to look back inside the room, he frowned. Syaoran was staring intently at the girl, and Ryûo was…well…who knew, it was Ryûo after all. His sense of normalcy, or lack of one, was somewhat of an acquired flavor; Kurogane had learned a while back ago to just leave him be, it worked out best for everyone.

"I know I agreed to watch over him along with the dojo while you took care of Arashi's wedding," He grumbled unhappily, watching Ryûo nudge Syaoran incessantly. "But this is friggin' ridiculous; any more of it and I might actually run him through with a sword."

"I heard that, and I'm very positive that it's considered illegal, even in this dump city." Ryûo chirped; bouncing his way over to his teacher. "What are you so grumpy about? Are you jealous that Souma's spending all that time away from you? Think someone's going to up and steal her away?"

If only looks could kill. Kurogane yanked out the teens by the collar. Ryûo deserved to be pulled out, and while Syaoran hadn't really done anything wrong, his staring was turning his face red; He didn't think it was humanly possible for your face to explode, but then again, he didn't really want to take any chances.

"I'm not kidding when I say this Ryûo, do you want to spend the rest of your night out in a garbage bin?"

"I don't hear you denying anything." Sang the younger one, laughing cheerily. He loved the rain; it always made him so giddy.

"Oh, are we playing a game now?" Fai asked excitedly as he stuck his head out the nearest room. Kurogane promptly yanked him out too.

"Get out of my room."

"Oh that? Sorry, I was looking for you—"

"Like my voice down the hallway wasn't enough for you?"

Fai grinned. "I made the girl a tea before we left—"

"We?" Kurogane stopped dead in his tracks. Slowly turning to stare at the blonde, he frowned. "Who is we?"

A contrasting smile met his frown. "Why my coat and I of course! His name is Yuui, he's my fellow traveling companion through all the tough times."

The stand in teacher couldn't believe his ears. He'd let a crazy man live in his attic for the past two weeks. He had to be bloody freaking crazy to let this man stay with him another night…

"I opt for him staying!" Shouted Ryûo happily, lifting Syaoran's and his arm in sync. "He can cook!"

"He is not staying." Growled Kurogane. "Didn't you just hear him give a name to a damned coat?"

"But what about the rules Kurogane?" Insisted Ryûo pitifully. Kurogane flinched under the Testament sounding words. At the dojo there were golden rules that Souma had set into place a long time ago, and of all people, Ryûo had them memorized by heart.

Kurogane had enough heart to know that Ryûo would never forget them; the teen had gone through too much to forget them.

"If you study here, you're allowed to stay as long as you wish, if you abide to do chores." Recounted the teen seriously, wriggling a bit within the tan mans strong grip. "If you cook, you are allowed to stay a night. Those without a home are welcome to remain here to get back on their feet. Travelers are welcome and the only threat is yourself."

Kurogane sighed. "…One Night." He muttered grimly, letting his captives free. Fai whooped with joy, and Syaoran scrambled for the wall. "Syaoran, go get the tea and turn off the lights downstairs. Bring it up to her and go to bed; it's late."

He watched silently as Fai (gushing with happiness) took the teen by the hand and practically flew down the stairs, animatedly discussing nonsense. Ryûo looked up at Kurogane nervously. "…What about that girl? Sakura?"

Kurogane leaned against the door, idly flipping the small cell phone around in his hand. "She stays too."

"I can tell you don't trust either of them though." Insisted the teen, frowning. "You have that look in your eye from before, when you were a cop and you came here the first time…"

Wine-red eyes met the wider younger green ones. "…That was a long time ago." Muttered the ex-cop. "Those days are long gone, and even if they weren't, I'm not completely heartless. I didn't kick you out, remember?"

Ryûo smiled sadly, shuffling his feet. Fai's laughter and Syaoran's stammers could be heard through the wooden floors. "Yeah…I know."

Next one might come a little later next week if we're lucky. I have viola audition for my towns orchestra, and I gotta tape my performance! Anyways, having good vacations? Yummy Ice cream and watermelon? Summer flings? Me? I auditions, clubs to run, events to plan, and summer homework to do. Damn.