wow. already, a year hath passed and this fic still isn't done! i'm taking quite a while XD... sorry bout that. well, happy belated anniversary Temporary Alliance!

Chapter Ten-- "Derailment"

Koga exhaled, letting himself slouch deeper into the hot water. The thick steam warmed even the parts of him that weren't in the water. Usually, he never bothered with hot springs (cold water worked well enough for him)... But before now, he'd never had a smell he needed to wash off himself. He could already imagine how Inuyasha would react if the mutt caught Yuzu's scent all over him.

Behind him, on the other side of the large, smooth and stubby stone between them, Yuzu was just as quiet.

He could tell what was going through her mind... It was going through his as well. What now? What would happen? To them, to the alliance... Facing the mutt and Kagome again...

The wolf demon gritted his teeth, eyes shutting tightly for a moment to snap the line of thought. Now was not the time to fall to petty emotions. That wasn't him. He was the one who always knew what was what, wasn't he? It was Yuzu who always freaked out about the smallest things. Now, at something this big...he wondered just why she wasn't screaming her head off.

He turned his head slightly, just enough to see the back of her head peeking over the hump of rock raised from the water.

While sitting quietly might've been normal, it was the fact that she was so rigid that was strange. How she sat straight up, neck perfectly perpendicular to her shoulders. And how she sat so still, as if petrified... Maybe she was beyond the point of screaming.

He tried to speak, but his mind would blank out and his voice would refuse to come out.

Koga shook his head, frowning grimly. He really needed to think stuff out... Again, he tilted his head to watch her from the corner of his eye. No movement. He sighed silently, now scowling. Yuzu had never been one for confrontation. Always evading and avoiding, thinking she wasn't strong enough... And really, she wasn't. He needed something to keep her busy while he thought things through and figured everything out.

That's what he felt he should do. It wasn't as if someone else would do it.

"Just because we had sex, it doesn't mean you'll have a kid," he tried.

He felt relieved when Yuzu picked up on it and immediately leapt at the chance of thought-derailment. "But there's still the chance! Right? Right?" But that might have just proven how desperate she was to get something else to worry about instead.

Swallowing, Koga found he could speak more clearly as Yuzu allowed herself to be manipulated. "I mean, okay, so we mated--"

Yuzu whirled around to a stand, slapping her hands down on the rock between them. "'Mated'? What are we--bunnies?"

Koga smirked slightly. She was starting to sound like her old panicked self again... Luckily, there had been another problem she could focus on. Smaller, but big enough to matter.

She seemed to not care that Koga could have easily turned around to look at her nude figure. And he assumed it was because she thought she could go no lower than already having sex with him. But that was still strange. He remembered how past mates he'd been with would still shy away from view, even though they had nothing to hide because he'd seen it all.

But it could have been that simply, Yuzu trusted him not to look.

"Alright, alright!" he responded loudly, but then his voice lowered. "So we fucked."

"More like 'fucked up'!" On the other side of the stone, Yuzu plopped back down into the water. Her bottom lip trembled. "I'm like one of those problem kids on TV... My parents are dead and I go 'n' get knocked up!"

Koga had to say no more as the thought of being a mother spurred the Shikigami-user into panicked ramblings.

Not that Koga could say anymore. Yuzu's last coherent sentence had struck him. And it was then Koga realized what a kid she was. A kid. The idea had been to distract Yuzu, but now it was distracting him.

What would happen if...?

What if...?

Every time one mated with a female, there's always the risk of her getting pregnant. Whether big or extremely small, a risk is a risk. And now, there was the possibility that he'd just knocked up a kid. Yuzu was a kid so what would happen if she had one? Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

No. No. This wasn't his problem. He had the bigger one to focus on. Inuyasha and Kagome. That was more important. He had to think about that.

Koga glanced at Yuzu. A kid.

Shit.

--

O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O

--

"Sango?"

The demon slayer looked up from tending to her weapon and would have sprung to her feet, had not for the clashing need to be seated as an overwhelming relief washed over her.

"Yuzu!" she exclaimed, startling a snoozing Kirara from her shoulder. "Where have you been? Do you know how worried all of us were--?"

Sango paused. Something was wrong. Yuzu was smiling, stepping out from the trees, and rubbing the back of her neck in a sheepish manner. But still, something was off. A darker undertone shadowed the Shikigami-user's light expression...

Kirara jumped from Sango's side to greet Yuzu; the girl bent down to pick up and cradle Kirara in her arms, though it looked like it was more for her own comfort than Kirara's. Sango bit back her scolding, letting Yuzu approach.

"Where were you?" Sango asked in a more gentle tone. "Kagome and Inuyasha were wondering where you and Koga were..." She noticed how Yuzu's expression seemed to fall considerably at the mention of the earlier pair of names. "...but they couldn't find you, so the left already. They said they'd be back by tomorrow..."

The demon exterminator trailed off, deciding that the particular subject wasn't the best way to go as she studied the saddening face of the glum girl. Something must have happened...

The Shikigami-user sat down ungracefully, wincing just slightly. But Sango caught the brief change in expression. Maybe Yuzu was hurt...? The older of the two glanced over the younger one's legs, searching for some sort of injury. Nothing.

"Is something wrong?" Sango asked, her maternal instinct kicking in like with Kohaku.

Yuzu grinned. "Oh, no! N-Nothing at all! Really!"

Sango felt her eyebrow twitch. Because that was real convincing... She sighed. "What is it?"

The other girl remained silent, as if struggling to decide whether or not to tell the answer. Kirara purred to provide her some comfort.

"I can't help you if you can't tell me," Sango goaded gently. "Come on... I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Well, nothing's wrong," Yuzu lied, surprised she actually sounded casual and not obvious like before, "but I have a question..."

Sango blinked. "Is that all? Go on."

"It's about...um..." Yuzu's eyes darted around in paranoia. Her voice had lowered down to a hush. "I don't..."

Turning a deep shade of red, Yuzu finally resorted to quickly whispering what she had to say into Sango's ear.

"Not yet?" Sango looked stunned.

Yuzu nodded hastily, trying to pass the subject as soon as possible. "Y-Yeah. And...I was wondering if someone like me could...like...have a kid. I mean, um...in, like...the current situation..."

"Oh, no!" Sango laughed. "When you're ready to have one, that's how your body tells you. If your body hasn't told you yet, then you can't have one."

She was happy to see the usual smile back on Yuzu's face when the younger girl's head snapped up at the answer.

"Really?" Yuzu asked, looking amazed and very relieved.

"Haha. Really, really!" Sango stopped, Yuzu's questions finally sinking in. Her eyes narrowed. "Why are you asking, anyway?"

Yuzu stilled. "Um..."

"You didn't...do...?"

"Ah--!"

Sango stood up. "I'm gonna kill him! How dare he take advantage of you like this?"

Yuzu panicked. Koga's gonna kill me for telling you! "Um... But--but..."

"That dirty monk!"

Yuzu blinked. "Huh?"

"I never thought Miroku'd sink this low... How young are you? Ooh, he makes me sick!"

"I'm not that young! " Yuzu exclaimed, standing to challenge the demon slayer even though the Shikigami-user's face was turning darker shades of red as the conversation progressed. "Plus, Miroku's not that kind of person! Then again, you have known him longer than me... But as if I'd just lay and let someone take advantage of me! Sango, do I really seem that helpless? ...Urgh! Never mind, don't answer that."

The more developed of the two hesitated at the other's words. "He didn't...?"

"Of course not!"

"...No one...?"

"No!" Lie. Overlooked.

"...Curiosity?"

"Yes," Yuzu affirmed, happy Sango's assumptions had lead the conversation.

Now the demon exterminator reviewed their talk, looking upwards as if it hovered above them. "Oh."

Yuzu exhaled as the subject crept away, praying it wouldn't be discovered again.

"Well, now that we've gotten that out of the way... Where were you all night?" Sango started, grounding out the last part.

...Just as Yuzu slipped out of sight with a mere "Meeting Koga--Bye!"

The young woman frowned slightly and sighed, locking eyes with the suddenly abandoned and bewildered Kirara. She grinned. "Oh, well. She has to come back sooner or later, right? I guess we'll just interrogate her then."

"Was that Yuzu just now?"

Sango blinked, turning as her little brother approached. She smiled, gaze returning to the forest in the direction Yuzu had retreated. "Mm-hmm. And she's gone again."

Kohaku plopped down beside her, joining her in weapon-tending as he took out his kusarigama.

Sango, almost done with hiraikotsu, saw no need to rush to finishing the job with her own weapon. Instead, she let her mind drift to the events of yesterday, working lazily. Something went on. That much she was sure of... But what? Maybe she shouldn't be so nosey, but...she was worried. That was a good reason, wasn't it? Closing her eyes, she sifted through the details of the day before.

She remembered how it had started pouring within a few moments, and how Inuyasha and Kagome had arrived back at just about the same time...while Koga and Yuzu had remained missing. How...happy Inuyasha and Kagome looked.

Sango had never noticed it before, but the half-demon and archer always seemed distracted when with each other. They would smile of course, bicker lightly just as always... But yesterday, they had really looked happy.

It was as if they'd just been pretending with each other up until that moment. Sango opened her eyes.

...Then again, maybe she was just imagining things.

But then, in contrast to how Inuyasha and Kagome had acted, Yuzu's reaction had been so miserable and negative at the mention of those two. Plus that random question Yuzu had asked her...

The demon slayer exhaled, hoping she was just being over-observant. There had already been too many things to take in at a time. She heard a small crinkle and looked up with Kohaku. They were surprised to find a last dry leaf, a sole survivor, still clinging to its tree branch.

"I wonder..."

"Hm?" Kohaku glanced over at her voice.

The leaf shuddered against the cold winter winds, but still held strong though it looked weak. "...what happened yesterday."

--

O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O

--

Yuzu wondered if she should have stayed with Sango.

It would mean question after question about her whereabouts and scold after scold... Sango was worried; Yuzu knew that. That didn't make the ordeal any less unwanted. It was an all-out assault that could've meant one mean guilt-trip for the Shikigami-user had she not escaped. But now that one evil had been evaded, the other awaited her.

She'd have to face Koga again.

Would he bring up Kagome and...Inuyasha?

A small sound---a mix between a whimper and a gasp---pushed its way from her mouth and she found herself cringing, her hands forming fists and pressed against either side of her head, tangling with her brown locks.

Thoughts were linked, after all. Remembering one bad event would open a floodgate and soon she'd find herself in a storm of frustration, despair, and insanity. It was like each one of her weaknesses being attacked from all sides and it felt horrible. She'd feel like screaming... But every time she opened her mouth, it was like a thin layer had spread over the opening in her throat, blocking all sound from escaping her.

It reminded her of those action shows...where a spy would sneak up behind a guard and stab the latter in a vital place, all the while muffling the guard's cry with a simple hand against the mouth.

She forced herself to inhale. She couldn't even handle thinking about it, how would she be able to do it? To face Kagome and Inuyasha. ...To even face Koga for that matter. Maybe she really should turn around and go back to Sango...

In the end, she didn't have much of a choice.

"Well?"

Yuzu didn't jump when she heard his voice. She felt she knew it was coming. How long could a coward like her run? Too scared and stupid to evade an unwanted encounter tactically...

So she rotated around to face him, found him with an expectant expression on his face. He was still riding on the 'problem' in focus. The distraction... The excuse to think about something else.

Yuzu thought it funny how they were less worried about this than...the other thing. This would usually be more important, right? What if she had gotten pregnant? What, then? Would they keep the alliance going? Koga working on Kagome...and Yuzu flirting with Inuyasha, all the while pregnant with Koga's baby?

Being hit on by a pregnant girl. She could barely stop herself in mid-snort. Wouldn't Inuyasha just love that...?

"And just what the hell do you find so funny?"

Her attention was brought back to the wolf demon in front of her. Waiting for an answer.

She was sure he'd done some brooding while she was gone. That's what he had to keep her busy by getting her occupied in something more menial. To keep her and her weak self out of the way, she knew.

But even though he'd had that time to himself, he still seemed edgy. Then again, it wasn't just her who'd been through the night before. And now that she was here, the detour from thinking about it was over.

Well, she thought, feeling the tiniest bit less anxious, at least I'm not the only one loosing my cool over this.

Shaking her head to wave off her mirth, she answered his first question. "It's okay. No kids for us."

"Oh, yeah?" Koga's expression loosened and he began to look casual again. "How do you figure?"

"Cuz...um..." Yuzu bit her bottom lip and her gaze sank to the ground. A blush crept across her cheeks. "I...hvnthdmperid..."

Koga huffed, annoyed. "What?"

Yuzu looked up, blushing even harder. "Look, there's this thing a girl's gotta go through in order to have a baby and it usually happens once a month--"

"Oh," Koga cut her off immediately. "Right."

Usually, Koga would've laughed at her and told her how that was proof she was a child, but was too uneasy about the subject to even think about it. Looking embarrassed as hell, the Shikigami-user hummed a bit (a rather bad attempt to fill the insisting thin silence) with her gaze glued just out of eye contact of Koga's.

The wolf demon studied this behavior for a moment, concluded humans were stupid and strange, and then figured she needed a bit of help.

"I just can't believe I actually screwed a kid," Koga snickered, breaking the ice between them.

Yuzu huffed, broken from her reality-ignoring daze, and folded her arms. She tried to look haughty, yet she was still pink in the face. "You weren't complaining while you were doing it."

"That's cuz in my mind, I was making love to my woman."

The conversation fell, then, leaving the Shikigami-user to wonder if it would ever be mentioned again. Maybe it was better if it never was...

But even so, the awkwardness remained, waiting for its next potential intrusion. A tension between the wolf demon and the girl.

Yuzu recalled past tensions between her and a few acquaintances from school at different points, when she still lived in that era. How that tension would remain unspoken of and because of that, it would welcome uncomfortable airs every time she and the other person met. Soon, they would begin to avoid each other, to escape confrontations and those uncomfortable airs. The distance between them would grow, until they didn't know each other anymore.

She frowned, looking sadly at her left hand...as if somewhere between her thumb and index finger, there was an answer. She found none and in that, she reached a decision. To bring it up now. Or it would bother her for the rest of her life.

"Koga...we had sex," she said.

"Oh, really?" Just as she expected from him.

Still, she continued. "It was my first time."

"...So?" He wasn't looking at her.

The awkwardness had crept back now and Yuzu, intimidated by it, heard her voice begin to crack.

"So...I dunno... W-When we made-out, it was okay. When we pretended to be mates, it was okay. But now...we really did it. I mean... Like...really did it. Ah... Remember when we pretended to be mates? I told you how awkward it could be for two people to go from friends to going out. And…I dunno, maybe it doesn't count for allies. Heehee... Can you believe I still can't figure out which is which? ...Um... Anyway... You...really are someone I really trust."

"It sounds stupid, but...I want everything to stay exactly as they are. I wanna stay allies. With no awkward air between us. I wanna keep being able to talk to you freely, Koga. Ha... Maybe it's because of how intimidating you are, but I've always been able to get out more sentences around you. Speak my mind. And now, I don't want things to change between us. I...really like what we have going."

Yuzu now paused, remembering the days leading up to this single moment.

An extremely short amount of days now that she thought about it. But they were days that she had come to cherish. Days that...maybe she took for granted. That might be over now. She finished her thoughts quietly, slowly... They might be the last words she would tell him.

"I wanna stay allies."

She allowed the sound of her voice to hang in the air for a moment, her eyes down and drifting past the ground...

She was brought back with a yelp as he flicked her forehead. She found her gaze being met with his dull glare.

"You're an idiot."

And he stepped past her, walking. His ally had stood in bewilderment, blinking and touching her forehead where it began to barely ache. One more blink and she had whirled about and sprinted after him.

"H-Hey! Hey! What was that about? You didn't even answer me!"

"You didn't even ask anything. Come up with a proper question and I'll give you a proper answer."

"Urgh... Never mind. I'm not interested in what you have to say anymore. You big, mean..."

There were no mentions of a certain half-demon or archer, or anything of rejection. Just the nipping reminder of coming confrontation laced in the thick atmosphere around them. But no mentions.

Because for now, between the two allies, all was well.

--

O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O

--

Koga could make out her smell clearly, in the crisp winter air.

It sliced through the cold, entering his nostrils and steadying his nerves with the sense of familiarity. A wolf demon would always find the scent of a mate calming, as well as arousing. Koga had to shake himself briefly to rid of the constant hypnosis.

Mates... Sex never did require love. So officially, one could label he and Yuzu mates. That's what Koga figured. After even just one shot, the effects still folded themselves onto the wolf demon. He supposed he'd have to stand it until it wore out. Until the real object of his affections was before him, and he could return to focusing on her instead... On Kagome.

He frowned slightly, past events flowing in his mind again.

Kagome was still in her era with the mutt. Celebrating whatever weird festival her era practiced. What did Yuzu say...? 'Kurisumasu'? Similar to that, at least. Some foreign-sounding word...

Luckily, He and Yuzu had a day to regroup. To recover from heartbreak, pick up pieces of themselves and sometimes each other, yet managing all this without a word about the Tetsusaiga-wielder and sailor suit-wearer. And between unspoken words, both had come to the silent agreement of continuing the alliance. Reasons hadn't been discussed. And chances were, they wouldn't be. Not until last minute, at least.

Koga was fine now. Given time alone to think plus the fact that his m---ally needed support had motivated him enough that he didn't fall into too deep a state of depression. But Yuzu... Koga made a sound mixed between a scoff and a sigh. Was Yuzu ever ready to handle...well, anything?

He figured that perhaps he should spend some time to help her work on that...and get to picking at the girl about her nightmare, before the event grew even staler. He'd yet found out what it had been about.

Koga cursed, huffing out hot air as Yuzu's scent took him again. It wasn't as if he wanted this. The reaction was just in him. To strengthen the bond between mates, to tie them together for a time. And...it wasn't as if it wasn't pleasant.

The wolf demon felt himself exhale reluctantly after taking in another whiff, releasing the scent back into the air. As he breathed in again, he felt himself loosen, his muscles becoming limp. The mate-aroma was lulling him into a sleepy-like state...and he had long stopped protesting.

It was Yuzu's smell that let him allow himself to close his eyes...but it was Naraku's that made them snap back open to find his surroundings now fogged with a dark purple air.

The wolf demon whirled about, trying to predict what direction Naraku would attack from, but the demon slowly began to appear.

Koga spotted him, a black silhouette in the miasma, the source of the dark steam; it grew blacker still as it began to close distance. But it stopped before it was even a clear shape. Koga could barely make out the movement of tentacles. Not even a face could be seen.

Just the eerie red glow of a giant eye, tainted by the purple air.

But it wasn't as if Koga needed his eyes to know it was Naraku. He always had to depend on sense and scent to recognize that aura he'd come to hate. The thing always seemed to change forms whenever the wolf demon saw him.

Koga bared his teeth at the figure. Naraku. Bastard. Monster.

Maybe it was the miasma muddling his senses, but it was almost like...the demon's presence...

Damn. I'm positive he's alone... But his aura...

It seemed to come at him from every which direction. Resonating from so many different points at once. Wrapping tight with the miasma around the wolf demon, making it difficult to breathe.

If that wasn't enough, it was the fact that Naraku had arrived so suddenly. And it was likely he had been there all along, presence hidden, probably waiting for Koga to let his guard down.

The wolf demon cursed himself for being so lax. And forgetting all about Naraku. Distracted by so many other things... Just when it seemed one thing settled, more things immediately popped up after. And now, Naraku's finally shown himself after a questionable time of quiet. Near the village where his main adversaries were, of course.

If Koga didn't defeat him here, the bastard was likely to go after the unsuspecting group. Including Yuzu. And Koga thought, what kind of mate would he be to let that happen? Besides, he'd been way too tense lately. A fight to the death was a perfect way to loosen up.

But the wolf demon hesitated, pausing as Naraku began to speak.

"I...," came the voice. Testing, cold, and hard, it pushed through the air like a solid block wall. "...have Inuyasha and his human girl."

Yuzu.

What was she doing with the mutt? She'd never have the guts to face the mutt alone. Human girl...

Kagome.

Fuck.

"What do you want? My jewel shards? Take 'em!"

Koga swallowed, feeling as if a sword was sinking into his body---just above his naval---and tilted upwards…. He named his next offer. "My clan, then?"

"Useless to me."

What is he here for? Koga gritted his teeth. ...Then, he snickered. "Oh, I get it. Without that mirror-holding soul-stealer and the wind wench, you don't got any minions to do your dirty work. Well, fine, here I am." Again, he was in fighting stance. "Problem is, you'd have to kill me first. And that defeats the whole purpose, doesn't it?"

Just like the aura, the laughter seemed to come at him from all directions. Miasma was blown to him, curling around his limbs.

"Hey, what else would you want?" Confusion morphed into annoyance as the laugh continued. "Shut up, already!"

The sound eventually began to fade into only echoes, and then ceased. Slightly unnerved, the wolf demon shifted his weight between his feet.

"Just name your price," Koga muttered, folding his arms and cocking his chin up belligerently.

Naraku told him.

And in moments, the thin miasma, the suffocating aura, the demented figure...were gone. Koga knew of the sun's lazy glow on his skin, but still felt as if he were slowly freezing on the inside. His fists shook and he only gripped them tighter. He stood, muscles tense beneath his flesh. His chin was no longer held high, but drooped almost to his chest.

Naraku's words were burned into his mind:

"I want the human that possesses the power of the Shikigami."

Olisayaly also told me i could've just had Yuzu not get pregnant. and i'm guessing that was on a lotta your guys's minds, too. the reason why i didn't do it that way is cuz i'd have to stretch time and have Yuzu wait 'til she got her period. i thought it'd be easier if i just had her not have her period, yet. i know it'd fit her not to have her period yet (sorry, Yuzu, but it's true XD).

so hopefully, i worked that out well...omg. 'demon' and 'semen' rhyme. that's awesome. almost as awesome as the reviews you guys wrote! thanks!

Moonclaw-- your reactions match many of our little reviewer-community XD! equally surprised and not surprised... well, thank you for complimenting and reviewing this chapter. let's hope things look up for our two main protagonists!

AnimeDutchess-- they finally did it. ...i guess. lol XD. i will update again as soon as i can!

Beautihul Miko-- sorry if the chapter was a tad unclear; i like a good blurred-out story, but i understand how it can sometimes get frustrating. luckily, i believe it was just this chapter that was fuzzy on a few details. thanks vrry much for your complimenting and encouragement, miko XD! also, don't let my writing discourage your own. if it does, then PLEASE stop reading! more and more authors go on hiatus due to writing-insecurities... don't add to the numbers, miko! there are tons of writers better than me and all it takes is a fic-search to prove it. WRITE ON, MIKO, WRITE ON XD! also, i'm sorry that this chapter was on the short side. but i'll keep trying to make them long and good, just the way you like 'em XD.

Ear-Tweak-Sama-- well, i hope it being "really something else" is a good thing. i'm happy to hear that someone's so into the story XD! but i'll keep what you've said in mind the next time i receive a PM, lol. Kouga and Yuzu...oh, yes, they did XD. those raunchy little allies... for Yuzu, it seems to be blow after blow of emotional trauma, lol. i'll have to give her a break, soon XD! there is something behind Inuyasha leaving Yuzu for Kagome, however (though it did cause some damage to Yuzu's emotions and self-esteem (but he was worried about her earlier)! ). you've found out what happens in this chapter, and as i start on the next chapter, i have a time-limit in mind. please wait until then XD!

XxFallenxX-- heehee :D... being called "brilliant" is a rather new thing for me. i'm glad you really x10 like this story, lol. i will try to finish up the next chapter quick for you XD. thanks for reviewing!

Dante Taisho-- heheh... yeah, sorry about that last chapter, dante. don't worry! keep hoping! maybe... i dunno...

Toku Tenshi-- whoochaaa! another review from ze Toku Tenshi! lucky, you get your own PC. i have to share mine with my sister (who is obsessed with MySpace, so time online is constantly interrupted). my friend has a teacher who's into anime XD! i thought it was so great. i was in my friend's classroom during lunch and the few people who hang out there got onto the subject on anime. and the teacher was like "oh, I'm so into Naruto!" and we were like "o.o ...". so we started talking about Naruto and the teacher was like "oh, my favorite's Rock Lee!" and were like "o.o ..." lol. for you to get so much writing done during your lunch break, i have a question: just how long is it? where i go to summer school, we have five minutes break every hour and a 15-minute lunch. i could never find myself that into watching sports. just in movies... but they dramatize it in movies so that's probably why XD. no, Yuzu still can't tell Koga about the whole KururugiVillage-tragedy. but i'll have to squeeze into the plot sometime soon... thanks to the hotsprings scene, Inuyasha won't be able to smell Koga on Yuzu (that was the first plot-hole that came to mind once chapter9 was completed). current events in this chapter have avoided awkwardness so far. too much is going on for things to be awkward XD! but things'll have to slow down sometime, right? heh. you always send me such long reviews, tenshi XD! thanks!