AN: my goodness ^^" its been quite a while since I last updated hasn't it? I've got no excuse other than pure laziness. And the saddest part? I've had this story done since school ended ^^" so my sincerest apologies to my readers, I really thought I'd have the rest of the story up by now. I'm hoping the rest of the story should only take one or two more chapters. And I promise to get the rest of it up this time XD

Kanou stayed there, still holding Ayase's hand. The doctor came back to check on Ayase's fever and to hook him up to an IV with a saline drip.

The doctor was about to leave when Ayase made a small sound. He walked back to the bed to see if the boy was waking up. It was soon apparent though that something else was wrong, Ayase began thrashing around.

"Ayase! Ayase what's wrong?" Kanou yelled, grabbing the boys shoulder; trying to shake him awake. Ayase continued to thrash, ripping the IV from his arm. The doctor moved to the other side of the bed to try and help Kanou restrain him.

Ayase's eyes finally opened as he sat up, gasping for air. "Ayase!" Kanou said, grabbing hold of him to get him to lay back down. "What's wrong? Ayase?" Ayase seemed startled to see Kanou next to him, and flinched away in surprise. Kanou backed off, obviously saddened by the thought that Ayase must be rejecting his touch. "Ayase…" he said softly.

Ayase gasped, "Kanou-san, gomene sai, I didn't, I…uh…where am…I?" he held his head for a moment and looked around. The doctor pulled his arm away from his head to inspect the damage the needle had done when it ripped from his arm. There was a small wound so he grabbed some antiseptic and a band-aid. "Your at the hospital. You collapsed from a fever and a bit of a bang to your head" the doctor explained.

After bandaging up Ayase's arm, the doctor reattached the IV to the other one. "alright, now try not to pull that one out, don't over exert yourself, you still have a bit of a high fever. So get some more rest, ok?" Ayase nodded in understanding and the doctor left.

There was an awkward silence that lingered between the two. "I'm sorry" Ayase said, looking down, his hair covering his eyes and the tears that brimmed in them. "For what?" Kanou asked, confused. "I caused you trouble again. I thought I could deal with it myself, I didn't want to bother you". The tears were falling freely from Ayase's eyes now.

Ayase's POV

I was having that nightmare again. Then I felt a sharp pain in my arm and woke up. I had trouble catching my breath at first, had I been thrashing in my sleep? "what's wrong? Ayase?" there was a voice next to me, and hands on my shoulder, trying to get me to lay down. It surprised me at first and I flinched away from whoever it was. "Ayase…" I heard them whisper softly.

Looking over I saw Kanou, I gasped "Kanou-san, gomene sai, I…uh…where am…I?" there was a dull throb in my head and my hand reflexively went to it to try and ease it. I was vaguely aware of the feeling of something warm dripping down it.

Some one took my arm and treated the now apparent wound there and explained that I was in the hospital and had a fever. He put an IV in my good arm and told me to be careful of it and to get some more rest. Then he left, and there was an awkward silence.

"I'm sorry" I said, lowering my head so Kanou couldn't see my eyes. I could feel the tears already. "For what?" he asked, seeming confused.

"I caused you trouble again, I thought I could deal with it myself, I didn't want to bother you". I could feel the tears slide down my face now. I really hadn't wanted to cause Kanou any more trouble. And though I didn't want to admit it, one of the reasons I hadn't wanted to cause trouble, was because I feared it would add on to my already impossible debt. I know Kanou was just doing business, but there was no way I'd be able to pay back the money I owed him. And now I'm sure the bill for this hospital trip would end up on the debt; and that was what I was trying to avoid in the first place.

Kanou's POV

"I caused you trouble again, I thought I could deal with it myself, I didn't want to bother you". so that had been it? He made himself suffer just because he didn't want to bother me? That idiot! Was he afraid of what I might do to him? Or that something like this would increase his debt?

He said he thought he could deal with it himself. Deal with what though, I wonder. What was he hiding? I let out a sigh, "Ayase. I don't care if you think your bothering me, I want you to be able to tell me when something is wrong. Do you know how worried I was? Or do you really despise me that much?"

Ayase's POV

What did he mean? I mean, I know I don't like some of the things he does, but I don't despise him. "Kanou-san…I don't…I don't despise you, not at all. I just…though…I didn't have to trouble you."

"And look where that got you!" he snapped back. He was right, "I'm sorry…" I whispered. Pulling my knees up and hiding my face in them. I knew I should have said something. But I feared Kanou might not have cared. He always did what he wanted to, but, he also always look out for me. He's saved me on a number of occasions. What made me think he didn't care? Was it just because my mind couldn't get passed the other things he'd done? No wonder Kanou though I despised him. But I really don't. I want to know Kanou better. I don't want him to think I hate him.

I was brought from my thoughts when there was a sudden weight on the bed, and gentle arms around me. The feeling surprised me completely. I looked up only to see Kanou, his eyes closed in what almost seemed like contentment.

"Kanou-san…" I whispered. He was being so gentle. Like he always was I realized. "Ayase" he whispered back. "it's alright. I'm sorry as well. I never wanted you to think you couldn't come to me for help. I know…we have a strange relationship, but…I don't want to see you end up like this again."

I leaned into Kanou. It was so comfortable, and almost nostalgic. At times like this, there was nothing he wanted from me, except comfort, for both him and me. Some how, I ended up crying into Kanou's shirt, until I felt to tired and dizzy to sit up strait any more. Realizing this, Kanou made me lay back down; brushing the hair from my face and gently grazing the bandage on my head. Sleep came so easily then, and again, there was a nostalgically familiar comfort I knew, from some long time ago.

AN: ok, that chapters done ^_^ again, many apologies for taking so long, this was the second to last chapter. So there's still one more : ) and this time, I promise, promise, promise it'll be up faster than it took me to get this one up XD

Hope the chapter was good. I considered stopping my constant switching of POV's, but I still wanted to show thought's from both sides, so I left it in, though I don't think it was so bad this chapter. I know it was still short, but I never wrote it in chapters, so I'm just cutting it up for chapters at points that seem good.

And once again, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR READING ^_^