I feel kind of mean for the last two chapters, but what's a story without a good twist. Besides, they've both got plenty of issues to work out. Maybe updating quickly will make up for it? Review please!

With their friendship on an indefinite pause, Momiji had expected Namie would be alone. What he had not expected, was that he would be too. The sudden lack of company made him realize just how little he actually interacted with the other students in school, and not at all outside of school. Well, he still had Haru, but that didn't really count. They'd been stuck together since birth and only really spent so much time together in school for lack of having any other group. Already in what seemed to be a permanently sulky mood, Momiji was not at all comforted by the realization.

OOO

Namie was desperately trying to remember something just on the edge of her mind. She kept running up to dark shapes of people to ask, but they wouldn't listen or just smiled, laughing at her. Growing more an more frantic, she whipped around, only to find she'd been surrounded. Trapped, she could only watch helplessly as they closed in and—

"Namie. Namie, honey wake up."

She awoke screaming, her father's hand on her arm. As Namie blinked a few times, the comforting shapes of her room fell into focus around her. The familiarity made the terror subside enough for her to sit up.

Her father watched her rub her face and run a hand through her hair. "It's been a little while hasn't it?" he said softly.

"Yeah. Sorry to wake everyone again, Dad," Namie murmured.

"That's alright. I just thought that you'd finally stopped having these nightmares."

Namie stared off into a corner. "I did stop."

"You haven't talked to Momiji for a while have you?"

Namie shrugged, still not looking at him. "We had a falling out."

Her father sighed. "I'm worried about you Namie. I don't want to see you doing this again."

"Doing what again?"

"Isolating yourself. Pushing away friends who could be close to you. You did it at your last school until you had no one. You've been doing it with everyone outside the family actually, since we found the cancer."

"It's not a big deal Dad," Namie said comfortingly. "I just don't have the time or energy to take care of more people."

"That's what scares me. You're not supposed to take care of everyone. And who's going to take care of you?"

"Well, you seem to be doing a good job right now," Namie grinned.

He gave her a look, then sighed and patted her leg. "Alright, I'll let it go for now. It's three in the morning, and we both really need more rest. You should go back to sleep."

"Ok, I'll try," she nodded. He stood up, kissed her softly on the forehead, and left with a yawn punctuated "good night".

As soon as she heard his bedroom door click shut, Namie pushed off the covers and flipped on the lights. She hadn't told her father, but the shadows had been creeping back into her dreams again, and it was getting harder and harder to sleep.

She picked up a book by her nightstand, settling down for another long night. Not so long ago, this had been the norm. So why should she bother feeling frustrated? She'd got alone fine with little sleep. Who needed phone calls? She knew better than anyone that caring for others put you at risk for an inordinate amount of pain.

OOO

A few times, Momiji found himself automatically reaching for the phone or about to walk over to Namie in class. Then he stopped himself. Deep down, he knew it was a little petulant and childish, but he didn't really care. Wasn't that what she'd accused him of being? Childlike. The memory caused a burning sensation in the pit of his stomach. Whether the cause was anger at the accusation or shame at the fact her words had struck uncomfortably close to the truth, Momiji didn't care to fathom. Being read like a book was not a pleasant feeling. He was used to being the one who did the reading, not the other way around.

OOO

Something crumpled at the bottom of Namie's backpack brushed her fingers, and she pulled it out. The write-up of their history project in Momiji's loopy handwriting, with a neat, red A written at the top. Namie fingered it for a moment. It had been nice for a time at least to have some help on her homework. Her grades certainly had improved. But now they were starting to slip a little again. She'd almost let herself become dependent. You only get stronger by working things out on your own, she thought. Not depending on someone else to give you a hand. And without another glance, Namie tossed the paper away.

OOO

Momiji picked at a bit of dried cookie dough on his sleeve. He'd gotten most of it out, but of course there was always that little bit that couldn't be gotten rid off.

"Hatori?"

Momiji poked his head out of his room. "Hi Yuki!" he called happily, when he saw his grey haired cousin. "Why aren't you at university?"

Yuki smiled back. "Hatori wanted me to come in for a check-up. How are you?"

"Very good," Momiji grinned. You hide with that act, a voice in his head whispered. Shut up, he told it. "Hatori went out for a moment but he should be back soon."

"Ah that's alright. I'll just wait then. So what have you been up too?"

"Not much." Momiji bounded after his cousin as Yuki went into the kitchen, glad for some company. "Mostly hanging around the main house."

"Really?" Yuki filled a glass full of water and leaned against the counter, looking at him. "I thought you'd be out all the time with your girlfriend."

"My what?"

"The girl you brought to the party. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to talk to her more. She seemed very ni—"

"She's not my girlfriend!" Momiji snapped, a bit too loudly.

Yuki peered at him over the rim of the glass, surprised. "Sorry. I just assumed. You know that most of the family thinks she is, right?"

"It has been pointed out to me yes," Momiji replied though teeth clenched in a smile. "We're just friends." A faint sigh escaped him and he couldn't help but let slip a faint, "and now not even really that."

"I'm sorry," Yuki said again, this time sympathetically. "It'll work out."

"Mmm," Momiji nodded vaguely. An idea had occurred to him. It was completely crazy, weird, and uncomfortable, but before he could stop himself the question slipped out.

"Yuki, how'd you give up on Tohru?"

Yuki started at him, bewildered. "What?"

"I mean, you and Kyo used to fight over Tohru all the time. Then suddenly you just stopped. Why?"

"Well there was the small matter of her not liking me back," Yuki said wryly. When Momiji frowned at him comically, he cocked his head. "Is this about your friend?"

Momiji looked at the toe of his sock. "No." A pause. "Someone said I'm pining after Tohru."

Yuki laughed and titled his head back, leaning against the counter in thought.

"I don't know," he said carefully. "I guess I just kind of realized that what I wanted from her wasn't really romantic." He looked at Momiji. "It's something you'll have to figure out for yourself."

"How?" Momiji pouted.

"Well, what do you think of Tohru as? A mother figure? A sister? Or a woman? Can you picture yourself with her in an actual romantic relationship?"

Momiji tried. The concept seemed a bit foreign.

"What about with your friend? Can you picture one with her?"

A flush crept up Momiji's face. "We're not—"

"I know," Yuki smiled. "I'm just trying to show you how it's different with different people. But really," he continued more earnestly, "the main thing is to not think at all. When it comes down to it, you just know. I never guessed that Machi and I would be together, but then suddenly one day I couldn't imagine anything else."

The door opened, and they heard Hatori walk into his office. Yuki pushed off from the counter and made to follow him. As he passed Momiji, Yuki reached out and patted him lightly on the arm.

"Don't worry about it Momiji, when the time comes, you'll know."

Disclaimer: Fruit's Basket and its characters belong to Natsuki Takaya. Blame her for my unfinished English essay.