Episode 10

Author's Note: Have a great weekend all! Next chapter comes Monday! :D

The encampment was so quiet that the crackle of the flames in front of him seemed like sonic booms to his ears. His mind was completely blank of any thought, save for one, and it had been that way for hours.

Every muscle was sore, so much so that even adjusting his wings felt like they were coated in concrete, so instead of trying, he just sat on a stump outside of the infirmary tent and blindly watched the flames in their dance with his elbows on his thighs and his hands clasped together.

"Hey... You hungry?" Came a familiar voice, snapping Shintarō back into his own head as he looked up, seeing Taiga sitting down next to him with a bowl of vegetable stew.

"Yeah... I could go for a bite." He said, shallowly nodding as he accepted the bowl.

"How you doing?" Taiga asked, slouching forward a bit with his hands locked together.

Shintarō shrugged, "Fine I guess." He said, slipping a spoonful into his mouth.

"Any word yet?" Taiga asked lowly.

"No." He said simply, taking another mouthful, as each one spurred him on to continue eating in his unrealized hunger.

Taiga just nodded as he licked his lips, opting to stay quiet while Shintarō ate his meal. Before he had appeared, they had been locked in the operations tent trying to plan a rescue, but with no idea on where to look, it was a needle in a haystack and they were blind. He was so scared, just like they all were that they wouldn't get to him in time, but by some miracle, or chance, or fate, he had broken free and even brought someone with him.

As Shintarō scraped his bowl clean for the last morsels, he sighed with relief as his hunger was sated. He chewed his mouthful and swallowed, accepting the water from Taiga that he guzzled down in one go. It finished filling his stomach and without the painful knotting, he felt like he was one step closer to being back to normal.

"Thanks." He said, swiping his hand across his mouth to dry his lips.

"Sure... Figured you were hungry. I wasn't sure if they fed you, or not." Taiga said, dropping his head to rub his hair.

"They didn't. By the time I woke up, I was already chained up in a harvest cell." Shintarō said, setting the emptied cup and bowl down on the sands at his still dirtied feet that were smeared with rusty colored, dried blood.

"Is that when they brought him to you?" Taiga asked, pointing back at the infirmary tent that hadn't had anyone step out of it in hours.

Shintarō nodded, "Yeah."

"He's Stock... Isn't he." Taiga said after a moment, slowly exhaling so not to piss off the dragon.

Again, Shintarō nodded as he picked at his fingernails and blindly stared at the fire, "Yeah... He's our age, Kagami... They forced a 16 year old to be a sex slave and to get... to get... penetrated by other males simply to harvest their semen. He's not even gay, Kagami, but he did it so his quality of life would get better." His brows furrowed hard and every muscle tensed as he spoke.

"Can I be honest?" Taiga asked.

Shintarō just looked over at him and waited.

"If I was in his situation... I'd probably do the same thing." Taiga said, turning his gaze towards the fire.

Again, Shintarō nodded as he looked down at his hands, but scoffed with a sad smile, "He said he just got a bed a few months ago... He's been having sex so he can have a bed to sleep in."

"Then you came along and now look... He has a chance now." Taiga said, sitting up and rubbing his thighs.

Shintarō just huffed and rubbed the back of his neck, "Maybe... He was bleeding so bad, Kagami, and every time I asked what was wrong, he just said he was fine and to keep running. I could tell he was in pain, it was obvious, but I just kept pulling him along because I was desperate to keep my promise." He dropped his hand down into his lap.

"You did, Midorima. Wakamatsu's good. He'll be ok." Taiga said quietly.

"I hope you're right... because if Takao doesn't make it-" His voice trailed off as he looked back at the fire.

"Boy... This whole star connection thing is really serious isn't it." Taiga said with a smirk.

"Who told you?" Shintarō asked, tearing his eyes away to look at his brother.

"Aida did... The cuter one, I mean." Taiga said.

"I can't make sense of it... I just can't. I have no idea what's going on." Shintarō said, his eyes shimmering more than they should with firelight.

"You'll figure it out soon," Taiga said, clapping a hand down on Shintarō's shoulder, "You should go get cleaned up. You still have his blood all over you." He said, taking back his hand.

He hadn't realized it, being so lost in his thoughts and worry, but Taiga was right. Takao's blood had long since dried all over him, caking onto his pants, dirtying his skin and had even dirtied underneath his fingernails. He was a mess and finally realizing it, he was suddenly hit with an outlandish need to bathe.

"You're right. What will you do?" Shintarō asked as he stood, refraining from touching his own skin with his filthy hands.

"I'll let you know if Wakamatsu comes out. In the meantime, I've got a bed to scrounge up." Taiga softly smiled.

Shintarō pushed up his glasses and returned the smile, "Thank you... Taiga."

With a nod, Shintarō stepped away and headed back towards his tent, racking a hand back over his hair and cringing at how gross it felt. He was filthy and after stopping by his and Daiki's shared tent to get a change of clothes and some soaps, he headed for the back of the encampment.

A few others were bathing in the cold lake, but none of them paid him any mind as he wrapped the towel around his hips before taking off his soiled pants and shirt. He kicked off his pants unceremoniously before slipping off his glasses, setting them down neatly on top of his clean clothes before sucking in a breath and stepping into the cold water.

The shock of cold maybe his skin instantly shiver and pimple itself, but he kept going deeper until it was up to his hips. His wings dipped into the water, instantly cooling their heat and soreness and washing away the built up filth. He wouldn't be flying until they dried, but he frankly didn't care as he pulled his primaries up to begin to thoroughly wash.

The blood had gotten in more places than he had thought, as he had found spots speckled on his feathers and in his hair from running his bloodied hands over it. There was a smudge on his cheek, down his chest, his legs. There was so much of it that as he cleaned it all away, his eyes began to tear.

After some time, he raised his wings high, taking them fully out of the water to shake as much off as possible. It rained down over him, but now that he was clean, it felt refreshing as he trudged out of the water and picked up his dry towel.

He dried himself and dressed in his clean clothes, being a pair of cargo pants that danced around his feet and a plain blue open backed t-shirt. He finished tying the strings behind his back before balling up his filthy clothes and walking back to his tent, but when he set his things down next to his bed, Taiga poked his head inside.

"Hey, Shin?... Wakamatsu wants to see you." He said lowly, stepping aside and holding the tent flaps open so he didn't get run over.

Without a word, Shintarō was through the tent and near jogging his way towards the infirmary, quickly sidestepping others and even jumping over a campfire to make his trip shorter. He could see Wakamatsu standing out front, wearing an apron with a face mask pulled down to his neck. He was pulling off his latex gloves and using his shirt to dry his forehead, but the closer he got, the more light he could see in the man's eyes.

"Good... You've gotten cleaned up." Wakamatsu said quietly, finishing with drying his forehead with his sleeve.

"How is he?" Shintarō asked, his stomach rolling with fear at what his answer would be.

"Resting... and alive. He'll be down for awhile though." Wakamatsu said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What happened to him?" Shintarō asked, relief filling his entire soul to hear that Takao was alive and in recovery.

"He tore." Wakamatsu said, his eyes blank and voice even.

Shintarō's brows furrowed, "Tore?"

Wakamatsu scrubbed the back of his head, "By the looks of things, he's been Stock for around six, maybe seven months."

"Six months."

"Well, it shows. He's got some pretty severe rectal scarring and since he was prepped to milk you, he was equipped with a catch bag." Wakamatsu said quietly, releasing a long and slow sigh.

Shintarō's throat closed up, "I-I... I don't understand." He near whispered.

Wakamatsu blew out a stiff breath, "It's pretty much as it sounds. It's a bag that's supposed to catch the semen, then snap closed so it doesn't spill out. There's a ring at the mouth of the bag, and it's that ring that twisted, broke and punctured his colon while you two ran."

Shintarō's bottom lip started to quiver as he sucked in a breath, hanging his head while he rubbed his towel dried hair and planted a hand on his hip.

"It's my fault... He told me he couldn't run that fast because he was prepped, but I didn't understand and we ran anyways. He's hurt because of me." He said, lifting his head and planting his other hand on his hip as he was wracked with guilt.

However, Wakamatsu shook his head, "You saved his life, Midorima. He's on some pretty stiff antibiotics right now because he has a nasty bacterial infection from all the anal sex. He'd be dead in a matter of weeks if you hadn't brought him here and if it wasn't for you, he'd die slow, he'd die painfully, and he'd die alone." He said, his voice calm and soothing.

Shintarō's eyes started to sting, "I-Is he gonna make it?" The lump in his throat was so large, that it almost felt as if he had two Adam's apples.

Wakamatsu started to smile, "Yeah... He'll make it."

Shintarō was flooded with so much relief that he swore his heart stopped beating, completely content to let him die with the happy news. He felt himself smiling as a single tear leaped from his right eye, but he quickly wiped it away as he nodded and sucked in a few steadying breaths.

"Can I see him?" He asked, sniffling once to clear his sinuses.

"Sure... But take it easy. If he falls asleep, just leave him be." Wakamatsu said, stepping aside and sweeping his arm out to open the tent.

Shintarō just nodded before stepping inside, stopping to taking in what lay out before him. All the beds were empty, save for one, tucked into the back corner with a small monitor next to it that blipped steadily with a hopping line. It was steady and slow, calming in a way as he started to walk forward and the closer he got, the more he could see through the dim light.

Kazunari Takao, the Hawk-wing whom seemed to fit him like a puzzle piece, was laying comfortably on his stomach, his limp wings resting on long padded stands so that they rested naturally and his head was gently propped on a thin pillow. A warm blanket covered him till just below his wings and his skin that had been sickly pale when they had arrived, had returned to the cream he had first seen.

He felt like he needed to hold his breath as he pulled up a chair and sat down, afraid to wake him and disturb his peaceful slumber, but he couldn't help reaching out and brushing aside a piece of the raven hair that blocked his face. It was that simple touch that caused Takao's only visible eye to flutter open, but it stayed half lidded as the softest, gentlest smile graced his half hidden lips.

"Hey-" Takao's breath said, lazily blinking his available eye.

"Hey... How're you feeling?" He asked, his voice so soft that every word danced on his exhaled breath.

"Like I got ran over by a transport truck." Takao said, his soft smile stretching up a bit more with another lazy blink.

Shintarō briefly smiled, but nodded, "I'm a bit sluggish myself."

Takao's eye blinked so slowly that it nearly didn't open again as Shintarō pushed another lock of hair behind his left ear, revealing that the orange tag had been removed.

"Your tag's gone." He said, taking his hand back to let Takao rest as much as possible.

"Yeah... It feels kinda weird." Takao said, gently swallowing as he just laid there, not moving a single muscle.

"It looks better." Shintarō said quietly.

Takao slowly nodded, "Yeah... How long have I been out?" He asked, his voice sounding tired and drained of all its energy.

"It's been quite a few hours. I just got done talking with Wakamatsu." Shintarō said softly, gently tugging up the blanket a bit more around Takao's arms to keep him warm.

Takao huffed through his nose, but remained perfectly still, "I'm pretty messed up, huh."

Shintarō nodded, "Yeah... He says you'll be fine though. You just need rest." He said, carefully rearranging the IV tube so that it wasn't bunched up beneath the blanket.

Takao lazily blinked again, "I don't think that'll be a problem." He whispered, as that was as loud as he could make his scratchy voice.

"Good... I need my Hawk-wing, so I wanna see you resting as much as possible." Shintarō said lowly, tucking another small strand of raven hair behind Takao's ear.

"Ok-" he exhaled and lazily blinked, "Hey, Shin-Chan?... Will you be here the next time I wake up?" Takao asked, his eyelid dropping lower with each lazy breath he took.

"Of course." Shintarō said, letting his fingers rest in Takao's hair.

Takao's energy was waning fast, and all he could muster was a barely visible nod, his vision blurring as he just looked at him. His slate blue eyes were slowly rolling into the back of his head as sleep drew closer and closer, but he seemed at peace with it since his barely there smile was still in place.

"One more thing." Shintarō said, leaning in closer to the bed so that Takao's fading vision could see him.

"What is it?" Takao asked, his voice nearly gone completely.

"Don't call me Shin-Chan." He said, resting his chin on the edge of the bed.

"Never... gonna... stop-"

With that, Takao slipped into blissful sleep, his half hidden lips still gently curved up into a smile as his breathing evened and the monitor that displayed his heart rate softly blipped with its steady rhythm. It was so quiet, so peaceful that his own body began to loll against the bed, his head rolling over to rest against the pillow as the hand he had laced into Takao's hair went limp, resting against his neck. He had been so tense with worry, that he had ignored how exhausted he was and he was so, utterly, undeniably tired that just sitting there, watching Takao sleep, the last of his energy bled off as he drifted away.

"Finally." Wakamatsu exhaled, standing just inside the tent flaps from having watched the exchange between them.

He reached behind him and untied the apron, pulling it off and tossed it into a hamper in the corner before picking up a folded blanket from the nearest bed. He unfurled it and gently laid it over Shintarō's back, tucking it over his shoulders so he was warm and content and frankly, Wakamatsu wanted to see him resting just as much as Takao. They both were exhausted and the more rest they could get, the better he felt that they would be alright.

After placing the blanket, Wakamatsu went to the monitor on the other side of Takao's bed and tapped a flat button to administer another dose of the strong antibiotic that was battling back the infection before gently rolling the blanket away and picking up an empty vial that sat amongst others on a small tray

"Would you like me to do that?" Asked the nurse, a small Aurora-wing girl with short black hair and ebony colored wings.

Wakamatsu just shook his head as he snapped the vial into place, piercing the rubber top on the vein catheter in Takao's arm to take a blood sample.

"Test his blood every couple of hours. I wanna keep tabs on that infection and make sure it isn't seeping into his bloodstream." Wakamatsu said as he handed the filled vial to the nurse.

"Of course... What's the timetable for the antibiotics?" She asked, clutching the warm vial in her hand.

"100 milligrams every three hours and take a new sample each time. I don't want that infection sneaking up on us." Wakamatsu said, tucking Takao's limp arm back underneath the blanket and tucking him in.

"Aye, Sir. I'll let you know if anything changes." She said quietly before going back to her station.

"Thanks... I'm gonna go report in with Commander Aida, so I'll be back in a bit." Wakamatsu said, taking one last look at the monitor before heading out of the tent.

Once outside, he closed the flaps, actually zipping it up to give the small infirmary some sort of privacy to let the two sleep before he started to walk away. He was tired from the surgery, but he was relieved that they were at least given some form of good news to counteract the bad. It felt good whenever he could save a life, it always did. He just hoped that it was enough and that given time, Kazunari Takao would join their ranks, happy, healthy and away from The Farm.

He drew in a long breath as he stepped into the operations tent, finding the very person he was looking for, along with Riko and Teppei, all staring up at the monitor that only read with a message.

"What's going on?" Wakamatsu asked, drawing their attention away from the screen.

"Message from Junpei. They've gotta go dark and they don't know for how long." Riko said, the message winking away as the three went to stand around the map table.

"Kinda figured. The Farm's probably still up in arms that they had a break out." Wakamatsu said, his brows furrowed as he crossed his arms.

"They are. How's Takao?" Kagetora asked, planting his hands on the map table.

"Resting... They both are, finally. Takao's got a long road though. He's got a lot of healing to do from being active Stock." Wakamatsu said, drawing in a deep breath to fill his lungs completely.

"I'm glad he's ok, but I've gotta say that with him here, we might actually have a chance at hitting the Stock house." Teppei said, rolling his shoulders back that softly rustled his wings as he tucked them in closer to his back.

"Teppei's right... We have access to more detailed information." Riko said quietly.

"You won't be getting it anytime soon. I want him under zero, and I mean zero stress for quite awhile. I don't want those stitches to tear." Wakamatsu said sternly as he gripped his biceps a bit tighter.

"What all did you have to do?" Kagetora asked, locking gazes with the Aurora-wing.

"I removed quite a bit of the scar tissue that had built up and smoothed out the lining of his rectum before stitching up the tear. He's cathed on both ends and will be until I'm satisfied that the tear's healed up, but on top of that, he has a bacterial infection that was dangerously close to getting into his bloodstream. He's down for awhile and I don't want any of you trying to get answers out of him." Wakamatsu said sternly as he glared at all three.

"We won't... Will we, Teppei." Riko said flatly as she shot the Titan a stern glare.

Teppei raised his hands in defense, "Hey... I'm not gonna cross, Wakamatsu. I know better."

"That doesn't explain why you haven't come by to let me look at your knee in awhile." Wakamatsu said, his eyes narrowing as he continued to glare.

Teppei cringed, "Uh... It's feels alright?"

"Infirmary tent in an hour." Wakamatsu scoffed.

Teppei's shoulder's slumped, "Dammit."

"How long are we looking at?" Kagetora asked, standing up straight to cross his arms.

Wakamatsu shrugged, "Few weeks... And that's just till I'm comfortable taking the caths out and letting him eat real food, which he'll have to start out slow."

"Why?" Riko asked, furrowing her brows.

"He's noticeably underweight and needs about twenty pounds of muscle packed onto his frame. Problem is, is that his stomach won't be able to handle full meals because they regulated him to that degree. In other words, his stomach shrank. He'll need small meals throughout the day until his stomach returns to normal." Wakamatsu said, slowly shaking his head to get his point across.

"Jesus... You make it sound like he was days away from death." Teppei said, releasing a stiff sigh.

"As far as I'm concerned, he was." Wakamatsu said plainly.

"I'm curious why they risked bringing a Hawk-wing to a Razor-wing." Riko said, looking over to her father and Teppei.

"I don't think they know the extent of it. I don't think the Humans have any idea what happens when a Razor and a Hawk are compatible. They just wanted us dead, so why bother learning those kinds of intimate details." Kagetora said, resting his chin on a knuckle.

Wakamatsu's brows furrowed, "Their mistake. By putting those two together and having them compatible like they are, there wasn't a thing the Humans could've done to stop them."

"What's even more amazing, is that not a single Human was killed. They were all hurt, yes, but not killed." Riko said, turning her eyes down to the map.

Wakamatsu huffed, "They just wanted out and it almost killed Takao in the process. He's never been free before, so go gentle on him. He's never known anything else and if you blitz him like the others did with Midorima, you're gonna shock the shit out of him." His voice was firm as he scanned them all.

"We won't. I'm suspending all operations until Kazunari Takao is given the all clear. Just... Just let everyone take a breather and live day to day for a bit. Frankly, I think we could all use it." Kagetora said in an official tone.

"We'll just monitor the area outside then." Riko said with a curt nod.

"Good. With that, you're all dismissed." Kagetora said.

With a curt nod of his own, Wakamatsu turned and left the tent, shortly followed by Riko and Teppei whom turned to head throughout the encampment to spread the word, but stopped when Daiki emerged from his tent with a heavy bag slung over his shoulder.

"Where you going, Aomine?" Teppei asked, briefly glancing down at Riko before looking back up.

"Just moving tents," he smirked and gripped the back of his neck, "I got evicted."

"Huh? What for?" Riko asked, her brows furrowing.

"I guess Bakagami's setting up this tent for Midorima and that new kid." Daiki said, setting his heavy bag down so it wasn't pulling him towards the fire warmed sands.

"Probably for the best. Compatible Razor-wings and Hawk-wings tend to stay by each others side." Riko said with a half shrug as she crossed her arms.

"Tsk... You make it sound like their boyfriends." Daiki scoffed, moving his hand to grip the meat of his shoulder.

"She's not far off. Razor-wings are a curious group in that they're ruled by the stars." Teppei said, deciding to sit down next to the campfire to let his knee settle and warm.

"That explains so fucking much." Daiki scoffed again as he took a sit for himself on a stump.

"How so?" Riko asked, she too sitting down, but directly on the sands with her wings draped over the log that Teppei was sitting on.

"Growing up, he's always been real heavy into horoscopes and lucky items and all that shit. Almost to an obsessive degree." Daiki said, his dark navy eyes studying the flames of the warming fire.

"That's a Razor-wing for you, and with no other reason than that it was just something he should do huh." Riko said, turning just enough to start unwrapping the compression bandage around Teppei's knee.

Daiki nodded, "Yeah."

"He's having to learn this as he goes, so just be ready for some tense moments. He's trying to figure it out himself." Riko said as she pulled off the brace and set it down on the log.

"So are... are they lovers, or something?" Daiki asked, cringing at his own question and looking away from the fire.

Teppei leaned back as Riko's hands began to massage his knee, "Depends on them really."

"I doubt it then. Midorima's gawked at more than a few tits in his day." Daiki said with a crooked smirk.

"If that's the case, then whomever Midorima falls in love with, will have to be compatible with both of them and accept Takao as Midorima's mistress as it were." Teppei said bluntly as Riko worked.

Daiki reeled, "Are you kidding me? You're telling me that even though Midorima's straight, I think he's straight... he'll wanna... um... be with Takao?" His cheeks started to burn.

"Wouldn't be the first time. There's another Razor-wing/Hawk-wing pair here of the same sex and they're actually a couple. Took them forever to figure it out, but finally just gave up. Both are attracted to women, but they lay together because they're also attracted to each other." Riko said, pressing her fingers into the back of Teppei's knee, making him suck in a short lived hiss.

"Boy am I happy that I'm not a Razor-wing." Daiki shuttered.

"Don't go praising the Wind-wings just yet. You're not without your quirks yourselves." Riko said with a crooked smirk.

"Huh?" Daiki sat up straighter.

"Wind-wings have short attention spans and it applies to their mating habits as well. It's not uncommon for a Wind-wing to have multiple partners. They're like... oh how do I put this-" Teppei thought as he tapped his chin.

"Harems?" Riko threw in as she wrapped both hands around his knee.

"Yeah! That's it." Teppei said with a smile.

Daiki's eyes widened, "Jesus-"

"Don't forget the Golden-wings either, Teppei. They like multiple partners at the same time." Riko said, continuing along with her massage.

"Oh, and the Shadow-wings and Whisper-wings tend to... uh... in the clouds." Teppei snickered.

"The Emperor-wings are usually arranged." Riko added.

"Ok! Ok ok ok! Jesus... What about Titans?" Daiki asked, rubbing his cheeks to rid them of the blush.

Teppei immediately started to blush, "Uh... well, you see-"

"Titans actually have to be careful because if they lose control, they can end up crushing their partner on accident." Riko interrupted him, not even phased by the subject matter.

"Looks like you make it out alright." Daiki said, sitting up straighter when Riko's eyes widened and her cheeks turned bright red.

"Oh! Uh... we've never... uh-" She yammered.

"No! No no no! We've never... Oh man... Um... We've never-" Even Teppei was flustered to the point where words failed him.

Daiki started to laugh, "Oh man... You should see the looks on your faces."

"Shut up! Stupid Wind-wings and always sniffing out tension where they're not supposed to." Teppei grumbled and crossed his arms.

Riko's hands stopped as she sat bolt upright, "What did you just say?"

Teppei went rigid, "Uh... Nothing! Shit! Look at the time! I've gotta go the infirmary tent before Wakamatsu pikes my head, so bye!"

Before Riko could stop him, Teppei was up and gone in a flash, leaving her sitting on the sand with a stunned look on her face. All she could manage to do was watch as he quite stiffly hurried away, not even glancing back at her before disappearing into the infirmary tent with slow, controlled movements. She sighed before dropping her hands into her lap and just looking back towards the fire, closing her eyes for a moment to clear her head before opening them and looking back at Daiki.

"Well, that was interesting." Riko sighed again while she rubbed the back of her neck.

"What's so interesting about it? I really hope you don't need me to explain it." Daiki deadpanned as he popped a dark blue brow.

Riko glared, "No... You don't really have to."

"So what's the deal? Why're you both being stubborn?" Daiki asked bluntly.

Riko's glare heated up, "We aren't being stubborn." She nearly growled.

"Tsk... Are too. What's the hold up?" Daiki scoffed, not even phased by her glare.

Riko's throat rumbled, but too soon for her liking, her anger ebbed and she sighed as her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"We aren't the same clan." She admitted lowly.

"So? What does that have to do with anything?" Daiki asked.

"Before the war, everyone found partners within their own clans. It kept everything structured and the clan lines weren't blurred. There was no question what you were destined for because it was so very rare for people from two different clans to be together... Well, a breeding pair that is." Riko said, shying a bit into her own shoulders as she looked away from the caramel skinned boy.

"How archaic." Daiki huffed and shook his head.

"That wasn't even twenty years ago." Riko said.

"Get with it, Aida... There's only 1500 of us left. There are no more boundaries to keep clear, or clan structures to maintain. If we tried to stick with that, we'd die out, or get inbred, or whatever. There's just not enough of us to try and stay pure blooded like that, so if we don't start muddying everything up... we'll finish what the Humans started." Daiki said, his voice a bit distant as he spoke and looked at her.

Riko forced herself to breath as she sat up straight, opening and closing her mouth as she tried to find the right words to say, but they were gone in the same instant. She wanted to argue, but the more she thought about what to say, the more he made sense. With so few of the them left, if they tried to stick with that infallible structured society, then they would die out and they really would be gone forever.

"M-Maybe you have a point." She near whispered as she released a long, slow sigh.

"I know I do. You won't find judgment here, because my heart belongs to a Human." Daiki said.

Riko gasped as her eyes snapped up to meet his, expecting to see him smirking with his joke, but his eyes, his mouth, they were set into hard lines that told her that he wasn't joking.

"Who gives a shit if an Eagle-wing and a Titan are together. At this point, all we can hope for is to be happy." Daiki said, pushing himself up and swooping down to pick up his heavy duffel.

As Daiki simply walked away, the bag slung over his shoulder once more, Riko was left alone at the campfire completely robbed of the ability to speak. Someone could come up to her and start talking, and all she would be able to do would be to sit and stare with this dumb look on her face. She was finding it impossible to think, so instead of trying, she stood and started padding towards the infirmary tent.

She stopped just outside of it with its zipped flaps and listened, but she couldn't hear anything. It all seemed quiet inside, so taking it slow, she unzipped the flaps and stepped inside.

She was immediately under the gazes of three inside that were conscious, but took a moment to look at the two that were fast sleep in the back corner. Takao was comfortably laying flat on his stomach with a warm blanket up to his wings and Shintarō had rested his head on the bed beside him, softly propped up by the corner of the same pillow. He was covered with a blanket too and the arm that she could see was limply draped of Takao's back. They were sleeping so soundly that she couldn't help, but give it a smile before setting her eyes on Teppei.

He was sitting on a bed with his lower legs dangling over the end, with Wakamatsu sitting on a short stool as he examined the Titan's knee. All was quiet and peaceful, and it stayed that way as she walked up to Teppei's side and wrapped her arms around his head.

Her lips met his hair, their shaggy silky strands tickling the tip of her nose every time she breathed in. He had bathed that morning and his hair still smelt like the plain soaps he used, but it was clean and refreshing. His arm snaked around her waist to hold her close and when he did, her arms tightened around his head and brought his ear to her chest.

He could hear how fast her heart was thumping beneath it, as each pump tapped against his temple in perfect rhythm. It made him smile to feel it, to hear it, and with just a tap to his knee, he opened the only eye he could to see Wakamatsu point towards the opening of the tent before stepping out.

"Is everything ok, Riko?" He asked, his voice nothing more than a whisper as the nurse checked Takao's monitor before stepping out herself.

Riko nodded as she released his head, "Yeah... For the first time I think it really is." She said just as quietly, her hand brushing down his hair to smooth it down.

"Did something happen?" He asked, pulling his arm back around to rest his hand on her hip.

"Depends on what your definition is." She said, still in a whisper as she stepped around to his front and sat down on his good leg.

Teppei's breath started to stumbled over itself in his throat as her lithe weight settled in his lap, "R-Riko... Did Aomine say something to you?" He asked, his hand now resting on the small of her back.

Riko nodded, "Yeah, but it's not what you think. He made me see that I've been a fool for pushing you away every time you try to get close." She said, her fingers playing around with the V necked collar of his shirt.

Teppei lightly gulped, "Riko-" her name left his lungs, "Damn Wind-wings." He huffed a smile as he took his hand off her back to brush a strand of hair behind her ear.

Riko smiled, "You can't live with them, and you can't live without them." Her hand fluttered up his chest to brush the back of her fingers over his smooth cheek.

"I'm in love with you." Teppei blurted out, his heart starting to pound as his eyes lidded themselves while he looked into her sweet gaze.

"I've known ever since I woke up and you were watching over me. I've been too stupid to admit it to myself that maybe... I'm in love you too." Her throat felt tight as her own eyes began to close and her breath exhale in stuttered waves.

Teppei's hand that tucked aside her hair turned to cup her jaw, his thumb drifting over her cheek so softly that it was almost as if the wind was drifting over her skin. He gulped as he started to lean towards her, but he was so slow that he wasn't sure his head was moving at all.

"I love you, Riko... So much." He said, his dark eyes glassy and his lips parted with his exhaling breath.

Riko's forehead touched down on his, "I love you too... Teppei."

His eyelids dropped as he closed the distance between their lips, softly pressing his lips to mold them to hers. They felt like flower petals, satin and silk woven into one and so warm that his spine shivered with heat. He couldn't breath, couldn't force himself to breath and despite their lips not moving, it was the sweetest, warmest and most incredible kiss he had ever had.

When the warmth of her lips pulled away, his eyes began to open, but she was still so close that he could smell her skin and it was just as delightful as tasting the subtle fruit on her lips. He could finally breath again and as he just tried to regain his mind, his thumb stroked her cheek with a touch so soft, that it was like he was touching the most delicate thing ever to exist.

"Will you stay with me tonight? I'm not expecting anything, I just want you near me. I just wanna hold you." Teppei whispered, tilting his head to dust the tip of his nose against hers.

Riko nodded as she lightly smiled, "Just don't tell my father."

Teppei's throat began to throttle with a laugh so low, so deep that Riko could feel it in his chest beneath her hand.

"I value my life."

Hyūga: (Comes stomping into the studio and heads straight for Lycanwolff and Shintarō discussing the script) What the hell is this?

Lycanwolff: What?... Oh! The kiss?... Just a kiss.

Hyūga: Just a kiss?! Did you read the next few episodes?!

Lycanwolff: I hope I did... I wrote them.

Teppei: What's wrong, Junpei?

Hyūga: You're what's wrong!

Riko: (Comes over and kisses Hyūga's cheek) Lunch?

Hyūga: Yeah, ok. (Walks off)

Lycanwolff: Thank you, Riko!

Shintarō: I guess I'm not the only one who fumed over the script. (Pushes up glasses)

Lycanwolff: You good now?

Shintarō: (Nods) Yes. Thank you. (Looks at watch) You're gonna be late for your production meeting.

Lycanwolff: (Eyes open wide) Shit! Thanks, Shintarō!... And don't fret! Everything will work out just fine!

Shintarō: That's what I'm afraid of! (Shakes head as Lycanwolff runs off)

Takao: Am I gonna be the one to ask her?

Shintarō: Shut up, Takao!