It was so cold.

No matter how tightly she wound herself in the blanket, it felt like nothing would warm her. There was a chill deep in her chest—in her heart, it felt—that all the tea and blankets in the world against which would prove ineffective.

"Hey," that far-too-soft voice came again, and a pressure weighed down on her shoulder through the blankets. "S'wrong?"

"I'm so cold..." She shivered, a tremor through her whole body, catching her voice in her throat.

"Lemme see if I can help with that." A brief chill of cool air as the blanket behind her moved, and she whimpered, trying to shy away from the feeling. But a moment later she felt the blonde slide onto the futon behind her, drawing the blanket tight over their shoulders. With him so close to her, she could already feel her back and legs warming—not to mention the burn across her face.

"K-Kanji-kun..."

"Din't I tell you we're friends? Don't gotta be so formal all the time." His hand rested on her waist and she felt herself give a small gasp. "After all we been through..."

"I...y-yes, I s..." Whatever she was saying derailed as Kanji wrapped his arm around her and tugged her in tight toward him. Now from head to toe she was against him, his chest firm against her back, his knees tucked behind hers, his mouth close enough to her neck that she could feel him breathing. Truth be told, she felt like every sense she had was abnormally heightened; her skin felt electric, charged anywhere they touched. Warmth flooded through her, along with it an odd calm as she cautiously leaned back against Kanji. "Y-you want me to...call you simply by your name?"

"Course. Why wouldn't I?" The words tickled against her neck, and this time when she shivered, it was certainly not for lack of warmth.

"I...do suppose...I could try..." His hand was hot, as if it were flush against her skin, and she could envision a mark across her torso, a Kanji-sized hand-print just under her ribcage... A soft, indistinct noise escaped her lips at the thought of it.

"Always so tense, Naoto..." Did her name always sound like that? Did he always say it like that, and she simply hadn't noticed? There was too much in his voice, too much unsaid, too much that sounded like it burned his throat to say it. "C'mon. Relax a little. Lemme help ya." And then his lips pressed to her neck and something happened, something shifted inside her and she was on fire—her hand came up to rest over his and her lungs wouldn't work, everything was warmth and the feeling of his hand, his lips...

Her voice was no more than a pleading whisper, for his ears alone, though what she wanted she didn't know. "Kanji..."

"Naoto..."

With a jolt, Naoto snapped awake, bolt upright in the futon, breathing heavily. She could still hear Kanji's voice in her ears, feel where he had been against her, could feel...

Well. That was...new.

What had prompted that? Neither waking nor sleeping had the thought of being intimate with Kanji ever crossed her mind prior to this. She was fond of him, of course, as she was the rest of the team. But...this was...

A shiver ran through her body, and she wrapped her arms around her torso, trying to push the dream out of her mind. I have enough confusion about that young man in my head, I certainly do not need this compounding it. Taking a breath, she chanced a look toward where Kanji had been sleeping the night before.

Much to her relief, there he remained, blanket pulled over his face so that all that was visible was mussed blonde hair. From the slow rise and fall of the blanket, it appeared that he was still asleep. All for the best. Hoping to not disturb him, Naoto tried to make her exit from the room as silent as possible. When he still had not stirred as she slid the door shut, she exhaled as she made her way to the bathroom.

There remains the issue of clothing. What I came dressed in is hardly suitable for wearing in public, and I cannot remain in Kanji-kun's clothing. After all, they are not especially different from my own. She let the cool water run into her hands, then brought it up to her face. Her face still felt warm against her hands. What in the world... What is wrong with me? Nothing disconcerted her this much. She hadn't felt this shaken during—or after—her abduction. Perhaps it's simply a combination of events? The storm in conjunction with the power outage, and Grampa's illness in addition? Yes, I must be more susceptible to emotional states. But...that does not explain the content of the dream. Of all the things...

She brought more water up to her face. Put it from your mind. It was only a dream, nothing more. You know as well as any that the subconscious can do strange and erratic things. There is nothing to read into this. Deciding that she was as composed as possible, she slipped back into the living area—where Kanji had not moved from his previous position—and made her way back down into the rest of the house.

Now in the daylight, she could see the kitchen off to her right and Kanji's mother moving back and forth in there. As she stepped in, the woman gave her a smile. "Good morning, Naoto-kun. Did you sleep well?"

That is a very...difficult question. "Yes, thank you. It seems the distraction of the music allowed my mind to calm. I very much appreciate the opportunity to play. I hope you managed to sleep as well?"

"Oh yes, it was quite soothing. It's been such a long time since anyone's played that. I try to keep it in tune, though I don't know why anymore. I'm glad you found some solace in it." She indicated the Western table and chairs. "Please, take a seat. No need to stand around. Can I get you anything? Coffee, tea?"

"If it's no trouble, a cup of coffee would be wonderful, thank you." Tatsumi-san nodded. "Do you open the shop on Sundays?"

"Not if I can help it. If I know a frequent customer is coming, then I can open it for them, but more often than not I take this as my day of rest. Women of my age need one, I believe."

"Mm. Anyone of any age, I would argue."

"A fair point, dear. Cream or sugar?"

"Just cream, thank you." Naoto took the mug as it was offered. "I very much appreciate your hospitality, Tatsumi-san. I know that my presence came somewhat as a surprise."

The woman shook her head, joining Naoto at the table. "It's no trouble at all, dear. It's..." She took a breath, frowning at her cup of tea. "I'm simply pleased to see that some of the other students Kanji was friendly with last year still come around. I know he can be...difficult to get to know."

Naoto breathed out a chuckle. "I hardly think he's the only one."

There was a beat of silence, and then Kanji's mother gasped. "Oh, I've entirely forgotten. About an hour ago, there was a call for you. A gentleman named... Yakushiji?"

Naoto felt her heart sink. "I...yes, I know him." Then a click. "How...how did he know to find me here?"

"That he didn't specify, but he did ask that when you woke, you returned his call. I've left the number next to the telephone, if you'd like to do that." She indicated the far side of the room.

Naoto nodded, numbly standing and making her way to the phone. Yakushiji-san...please, let it be good news. The number on the paper was her home telephone. So he has returned to the estate. This leaves three reasonable options. One, Grampa will be in the hospital for an extended time, and has insisted that Yakushiji-san return to the estate for my benefit. Two, the incident was significantly more minor than we all expected, and they have both returned home, and he merely wishes to pass the news to me directly. Three...

She wasn't ready to consider option three.

Naoto picked up the phone, dialing her number and bringing the phone to her ear.

Ring-ring...ring-ring...ring-ri—

"Good morning, Shirogane residence." Yakushiji's voice was calm. Of course it is. You expected otherwise?

Maybe she could keep her voice as even. "Good morning, Yakushiji-san. This is Naoto. I received your message from Tatsumi-san."

"Ah, Naoto-sama. The estate was in some...disarray when I returned early this morning. Needless to say, I was concerned for your safety."

Yes, I imagine it was. Who knows what he must have thought. "I...apologize. I had not intended to leave, particularly in the rushed fashion in which I did."

"A call to the precinct house indicated that one of your classmates had called in search of this number the night before, and thus it seemed the most reasonable place to start. I trust that you are well? I can imagine last night was difficult."

Naoto swallowed. "Yes, I..." If she told the truth, it was certain that Yakushiji-san would be more concerned than was necessary. The situation sounded more dramatic than it was. ...She thought so, at least. "Kanji-kun had seen the article in last night's evening paper regarding Grampa, and had called out of concern. It seemed logical to stay somewhere supervised for the evening, and so I arranged with the Tatsumis to stay with them for the evening. My concerns were simply strengthened when the power went out, and so Kanji-kun and I left quickly, in an attempt to avoid as much of the storm as possible.

She had absolutely no idea how much of that Yakushiji-san would believe. He knew her troubles with storms, and as such, would know that the level of calm logic she had just detailed would have been increasingly difficult. However, it was also possible that knowing that, he would allow her the dignity of her tale.

"Very well," was the only response. Naoto let out a sigh. "Shall you be returning to the estate today?"

"I...intend to, yes. I may be...detained for a time, as I did not leave with much on my person."

Naoto could almost hear Yakushiji-san translating her sentence in his head. She disliked having to speak in half-code, but she also knew that Tatsumi-san was within earshot, and while the woman was nothing but kind to her, she did not need quite that level of openness with her. "Ah. Of course. Do you require me to come into town for you?"

"No no, I'm sure I will manage." She paused, hesitating to ask. "Yakushiji-san...how is Grampa?"

The silence on the other end of the line lasted far too long. "Perhaps that is a conversation we ought not to have over the telephone."

One hand gripped the phone as the other braced against the counter nearby, hoping to keep her upright as her knees threatened to give. "An indication...?"

Another pause, and Naoto could feel her throat clench. "He...has not woken yet."

Her eyes closed. "Should I go to him?"

"He is not allowed visitors."

She forced a breath. "And the prognosis?"

Another pause. "They are still unsure." It was clear from Yakushiji-san's voice that he was as unhappy about that as Naoto felt. "I can relay more once you return to the estate."

"Yes, of course. Thank you, Yakushiji-san. I should return prior to dinner."

"I will await your arrival."

The line went dead in her hand, but it took her a moment to return the phone to its receiver. Unknown prognosis, unresponsive... Why must I relive Nanako-chan's illness at every turn? What have I missed this time? What have I done wrong? There had to be something; there was always something.

...There had to be something.

"Naoto-kun?" She jolted, looking back toward Kanji's mother, who was watching Naoto carefully. "Is everything alright?"

"Y-yes." She made her way back to the table, wrapping her hands around the coffee mug. "Yakushiji-san is the secretary for the Shirogane family. He had returned to the estate and found me missing, and as such, was calling to locate me and inform me as to my grandfather's condition."

"I hope that he is well." The sentence gave Naoto the option to simply not divulge any personal information, or to share as she saw fit. The gesture was immensely appreciated.

"The doctors are still running tests. Yakushiji-san did not wish to share many details over the phone, so I will be returning to the estate this afternoon." She took a long sip of her coffee, then glanced down at the shirt she was wearing. "I may have to impose on you for something to wear, however. Neither the clothes I came in nor these are...truly appropriate apparel to wear in public."

"Of course." The woman nodded, standing. "Will you stand for me? I can estimate your measurements and see what I have that might fit." Naoto nodded back and stood, letting Tatsumi-san give her a look, barely brushing her fingers over her arms and sides. "Thank you. I shouldn't be long. Feel free to stay up here; I doubt Kanji-kun will be awake yet, so you should have a few moments to yourself."

"Thank you." The woman left and Naoto gripped her mug. Inconclusive. Unknown prognosis. Unresponsive. While she understood intellectually why Yakushiji-san was reluctant to release information to her over the phone, it was still worrying that there was more to be said. If the news is worse...do I want to hear it? Of course she did. Even if the news was the worst possible, she could not be expected to devise a reaction out of anything than the most informed position available.

Make a plan. Determine what your day will look like from here. She'd borrow clothing from Tatsumi-san—or purchase it from her, depending—and change. Then obtain her clothing from yesterday, thank her hosts, and make her way back to the estate. She could sort out what information she had on the walk back.

Then perhaps by the time she got there, she would be able to keep her composure.

As long as you ignore whatever that dream was. She closed her eyes, willing even the thought of the memory away. I do not have the time to attempt to discern that. Not in any regard. Though it is clear I will have to confront that eventually. It is far from my nature to leave any mystery unsolved, even one as...disconcerting as that. Sighing, she lifted the mug to her lips and focused on her coffee. That was something that didn't require much thought.

Several moments later, she heard footsteps on the stairs and opened her eyes, looking over her shoulder. Kanji's mother made her way back to the kitchen, holding out a small stack of clothing. "These are only an estimate, but I believe they'll fit you. If they're too big, just let me know and I can take them in quickly enough. I doubt they'll be too small; you're a slender one."

Naoto stood and took the clothes, giving Tatsumi-san a short bow. "Thank you."

She nodded, gesturing down the stairs. "There's a changing area just off the room with the piano, if you'd like to change down there."

"Again, thank you." Naoto took the clothes and followed Tatsumi-san's directions, finding the indicated room with ease. A mannequin sat in one corner, a man's button-down shirt half constructed on it. Bolts of fabric leaned against any surface they could and shelves of the same lined the walls. A privacy screen stood in one corner, and Naoto edged behind it, finding a small bench built against the wall. Setting the clothes Tatsumi-san had given her on the bench, she slid out of the clothes she was wearing and set them on the bench as well.

Why did I need to be out of my binder when I got home? Why wasn't I wearing anything in its place? Ugh, this is so inconvenient. Sleeping without any kind of support was one thing. Walking from Tatsumi Textiles to the Shirogane estate was another. Maybe I should have taken Yakushiji-san up on his offer to come and fetch me. Picking up the piece of clothing on top, she paused, seeing a certain useful undergarment tucked between shirt and pants. Or perhaps Tatsumi-san is better with taking measurements by eye than I would have given her credit for. It felt odd to be taking such a garment on a probable temporary basis, but if it fit... She picked it up, fastened the band behind her, and pulled the straps over her shoulders. This...surprisingly, will suffice. It was simple, gray with no frills, much like most of the ones she owned—though to be fair, she didn't own many.

Turning her attention back to the other pieces of clothing, she picked up the white one on top and let it unfold. At first, Naoto thought it was a button-down like the one she'd worn when she arrived, but noticed that this more closely resembled a vest. It was collared and buttoned like a dress shirt, but lacked the sleeves. Interesting. She slipped it over her shoulders and buttoned it up, finding much like the first piece, it fit her quite nicely. She truly has a gift for this. The last piece were a pair of dark blue slacks, not dissimilar from her usual apparel. Naoto smiled as she put them on. She must have tried to find something she felt was something I would be comfortable with. How did she possibly have all this simply sitting around? The pants would be perfect with a belt, but she would be perfectly comfortable without for the walk back.

Satisfied with the fit, she picked up the clothing she'd changed out of and headed back upstairs to Tatsumi-san. Hearing her footsteps on the stair, the woman turned as she came up, and on seeing her gave her a wide smile. "Oh good, they did fit you."

Naoto offered a small smile in return. "Yes, almost perfectly. You truly have a gift for estimating measurements. Perhaps unnervingly good."

Kanji's mother laughed. "After you'd done something for as long as I have, Naoto-kun, you learn to see measurements written on everyone's face. Do you like the style? I know you dress conservatively, at least when I've seen you, so I had to do my best."

"Yes, these are fine. In fact, I would be willing to purchase them from you, as a gesture of thanks for all you've done for me over the past day. I don't have any money on me now of course, but..." Before she could finish, Tatsumi-san stopped her.

"Don't worry about payment, dear. They fit you so nicely, I'd just like to see them go to a home where they might be worn a few times. And, before I forget, there's a spare pair of shoes at the back door you're welcome to. They're a pair of mine, but I hardly wear them. I did notice you didn't come in with any. You can return them later if you want, but either way."

Naoto's eyebrows raised. "But this is your livelihood. I couldn't..."

She shook her head again. "Naoto-kun, I have had more than a few pieces of clothing never be picked up, or turn out not to the customer's liking, or be too small, or any number of things. Only so many of them sell with any speed. Everything you are wearing has been in a back room for far too long. Please." She smiled. "Putting you up for an evening was hardly an inconvenience. Consider the clothes a gift for all you've done for my Kanji."

Naoto blinked, too many times too fast, and felt her face flush. "I-I beg your pardon?"

"Well, all of you I suppose, but between you and that Narukami boy, I've seen the most tremendous change in my son. He's been such a guarded young man since his father died, and with those walls he built around himself...he hasn't been very good at making friends."

Look, I really suck at making friends too. But who gives a shit!? A flash of Kanji, bruised and dirty, standing defiant in front of her Shadow. She swallowed. "I suppose that would make it difficult."

"But even with everything that happened last year, he still managed to make such strong friendships with you and Narukami-kun and the others. He still talks about you." She smiled. "I haven't seen Kanji this happy in such a long time, and I just want to thank you for being there for him. I don't know what you all did, but it's bringing the son I remember back to me, piece by piece."

Naoto's face burned brighter, but she managed a nod. "I-I have always had Kanji-kun's best interests at heart. His support over the past year was invaluable, and we are all as much in his debt as he may be to us."

Tatsumi-san gave her another serene smile, and then took the clothes out of Naoto's hands. "Here, I'll take these, and go fetch your clothes from last night. They'll be dry by now. I'll get you something to carry them home in. Can I convince you to stay for breakfast, or are you eager to get home?"

Eager? I'm not sure I'd use that word... "Thank you so much for the offer, but I really ought to be getting back to the estate. I don't want to worry Yakushiji-san."

"I understand. I'll go get those now. Do you want to see if Kanji's woken up yet, so you can tell him you're leaving?"

"A-ah, yes, I should do that." The woman walked off down the stairs, and Naoto walked back to the upstairs living space, taking a deep breath before slowly opening the door.

As far as she could see, Kanji still hadn't moved since the last time she'd seen him. The blanket had fallen just a bit, so she could see a portion of his face—eyes closed, dark shadows under them, an almost pained expression on his face. She swallowed, ignoring the twist in her chest that she couldn't explain. "Kanji-kun?" she said softly from the door, checking for any response. None. Sighing, she stepped forward, kneeling down near him, tentatively reaching out a hand to set it on where his arm had to be under the blanket. "Kanji-kun?"

"Mm." He stirred, turning to lie on his back rather than facing away from her, but his eyes didn't open. She brought her hand back to rest on her knee.

"Kanji-kun. I need to head back to the estate. I'll be leaving soon."

"Nngh." This time, his expression shifted as he lifted a hand to rub at his face. Opening one eye, he peered over at her, then covered his face again. "'kay."

"I wanted to thank you for everything you've done over the past twenty-four hours. I...well, it would have been a very unpleasant night had you not come."

"No probl'm." He lowered his hand but kept his eyes closed, and Naoto noticed (again?) how pale he looked. Taking a chance—since this hadn't gone over well the last time she'd tried—she reached out and set the backs of her fingers against his forehead. His eyes shot open, but—perhaps for lack of room—he didn't pull back. She didn't need to feel the difference between the two of them to know he felt too warm. "What're you doing?"

"You're running an impressive fever. I knew all that time in the rain was going to make you sick." She stood, walking over to where she'd slept and grabbing the blanket he'd given her, bringing it back toward him. "Here."

"You don't...what..." Kanji made to sit up, but she put one firm hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down. Not to her surprise, he didn't put up much of a fight.

"You need to lie back down and rest." Naoto sighed. "I should have been more insistent last night. It's my fault you're sick." She threw the blanket over Kanji the best she could, then walked around him to straighten out the edges.

"S'not your fault I ran out'n the rain."

"Oh really? And you make it a habit to go running for miles at a time in thunderstorms, hm? I find that unlikely." Once the blanket was straightened to her satisfaction, she came back to kneel near Kanji's head, frowning. "Is there anything I can do?"

He shook his head, eyes closed again. "M'fine."

"That's what I told you." She saw him go still under the blanket. "If there is anything, Kanji-kun..."

He shook his head again, this time opening his eyes to look back at her. "S'just a cold if anythin', Naoto. I'll sleep it off t'day an' be fine f'r school tomorrow. You gotta go back home an' check up on your gramps. Don' worry 'bout me. Jus' let me know how he is when you get there, an' lemme know if I c'n do anything, okay?"

"The best thing you can do right now is rest, and feel better. I will continue to feel guilty for making you sick until you do such." Kanji rolled his eyes, and Naoto couldn't hide the small smile that crept onto her lips. "Do rest please, Kanji-kun. I'll message you when I arrive at home."

"I will. An' thanks." He tugged the edge of the blanket back up to cover most of his face and closed his eyes.

Naoto hesitated a moment, watching Kanji. Is there truly nothing I can do to help...? But Kanji was likely right; it would make the most sense that he had a cold, and if that was true there was little she could do other than act as nursemaid, and that would likely make both of them uncomfortable. He shivered and tucked the blanket closer to him.

So cold...

She jolted, pushing herself to her feet as a rush of heat pushed its way through her body. Absolutely not. Get home, Shirogane. Swallowing hard, she made her way out of the room—only to find Tatsumi-san waiting for her. "Ah, there you are. Is everything alright?"

"Ah—yes. I'm fine, thank you. I believe Kanji-kun is running a fever, so I've insisted he rest. I apologize for getting him sick."

Tatsumi-san just laughed. "Kanji got himself sick, dear. Just because he did it for you doesn't make it your fault." She offered Naoto a bag. "Your clothes, and your raincoat. It's all dry and folded. You're sure you'll be alright walking home?"

"Yes, I'm certain. Thank you again for everything, Tatsumi-san." She bowed and Kanji's mother smiled, and she made her way out of the shop and into the shopping district.

Take a breath, and collect yourself. You need to be at your best by the time you get back to the estate. Pushing the remnants of the memory of the dream from her mind, she clutched the handle of the bag and started walking.