Kyo's POV:

My leg bounced involuntarily under my desk as I stared at the clock above the door. Thirteen more minutes before I could go back to the house and see him. The doctors had made him stay one night at the hospital for observation, and they'd released him to go home at noon. And where was I? School! Tohru, too. Which meant Yuki was trapped alone in a house with Shigure! That could not be good for recovery.

Six minutes. I mean, did Shigure even HAVE a bedside manner? I imagined him laughing uselessly at the foot of the bed, reading one of his novels aloud.

Okay, really, what's the worst that could happen?

I started sweating. I glanced at the clock again. Three minutes. I bounced my leg some more.

"You want to make it any more obvious you're worried about him?" Uo whispered to me.

"Shut up," I said halfheartedly.

"Damn, you really are worried, huh?"

"So what?"

Two minutes.

"He's probably fine, you know."

"Yeah? He's alone in a house with Shigure. What if that idiot says something pervy and makes him start coughing and -"

"Oh, quit it. You know that's not going to happen."

One minute. I packed my notebook in my backpack and pulled it on.

"Kyo-kun?" Tohru asked on my other side. I twisted so I could see her.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you worried? He's with Shigure."

"Exactly."

"Uh…"

The bell rang.

"SEE YOU AT HOME!" I screamed, bolting from the room. I heard Uo laughing behind me as I ran down the hall. I exited the building, practically breaking the door down. Okay, fine, so I broke the door down.

I raced back to the house, not slowing the whole way there, not even feeling the fatigue that was normally present when I pushed myself that hard. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a glint of light off of water. I smiled momentarily, noting that the lake had become ours. I silently wondered if I could ever convince Yuki to go there with me and watch the sunset. I saw the house growing closer, and forced my legs to move faster, practically propelling me through the front door. Well, I did propel through the door, but honestly, it was made of paper for crying out loud. Not much to brace yourself against.

I slowed on my way up the stairs, still going at what could be considered a jog when I reached Yuki's bedroom door. I opened it quickly and gazed in at the last thing I'd expected to see. Yuki was sound asleep. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

His fists were balled up in the blanket under his chin, his nose buried adorably in the pillow. It was the most priceless and wonderful thing I'd ever seen in my life.

I sat down in the chair next to his bed, gazing at his sleeping face. I smiled lightly. In sleep the strained expression of concealed pain was replaced by an unknowing peacefulness. It reminded me of the innocence of a young child that had yet to be introduced to hardship. I frowned upon thinking about how young both of us had been when hardship was introduced into our lives.

He buried his face further into the pillow, causing his hair to fall over his eyes. I lightly brushed it aside, knowing that such a small action had no chance of waking him up. His eyes darted back and forth beneath closed lids, and I wondered to myself if he was dreaming.
Suddenly he drew his knees up to his chest, his eyebrows knitting together in what appeared to be a forced concentration. It confirmed in my mind that he was in fact dreaming, and that it was not altogether a pleasant one. I was about to wake him myself when his eyelids flew open, revealing frightened violet eyes. As soon as he realized that it had just been a dream, his eyes calmed and he let out a breath. He looked at me timidly, as if trying to figure out of I had been able to tell he'd had a nightmare.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked him quietly, confirming that I had been able to tell. He shook his head into the pillow, sinking back into a calm sleepy state.

"No, it was just one of those ones where you're falling, you know?" he said quietly. I could see his emotionless mask fall into place. I hated when he did that. Couldn't anyone else tell it was fake? Was I the only one who recognized the swirling rage of emotions that he was hiding just beneath it?

"What aren't you telling me?" I asked him, frowning in open dislike of being deceived. He looked at me with a mixture of surprise and confusion, letting the mask go.

"I…"

"What?"

"He… he pushed me - off the building, he pushed me."

I didn't have to be a genius to know who 'he' was. I was bothered once again by what Yuki might have endured at the head of the family's hand.

I ran my hand comfortingly through his hair.

"Are you okay?" I asked him quietly, watching as he leaned into my hand ever so slightly.

"Mmhmm," he nodded a bit, closing his eyes. I continued to run my hand through his hair, watching as he relaxed and his breathing became steadier.

"Don't fall asleep, now," I reminded him gently.

"Mm… why not?" he muttered.

"Because I have to ask you how you're feeling and act concerned."

"What, you weren't really concerned?" he asked, opening his eyes and looking at me.

"Oh, no I was terrified," I told him seriously, "I thought Shigure was going to kill you by reading one of his books aloud."

And there it was again - that beautiful laugh that I loved so much. I loved the fact that I was the one making him laugh like that almost just as much.

"So, how are you feeling?"

He laughed again.

"I feel fine," he told me, "A little tired, but that's just from the hospital bed. It wouldn't recline all the way."

The pout that he placed on his face was simply comic. I had to laugh.

"What?" he asked me, rising an eyebrow.

"You, and your crazy sleep habits," I chuckled.

"The average teenager needs twelve hours of sleep a night," he informed me, "It's a scientifically proven fact."

"Because you qualify as an average teenager," I rolled my eyes, "With your looks I'd say fourteen hours at least."

He lightly swatted my head. I laughed, smoothing out my hair where he'd messed it up.

"So you'll be back at school tomorrow?"

"Yep, so it looks like I'll have to care about my social life for two more days," he sighed.

I laughed.

"Or you could just say 'screw it all' and scream your beautiful opinions from the rooftop," I shrugged. He rolled his eyes.

"I'd get expelled," he told me.

"And then you'd never have to worry about your social life again!"

"Well, social life aside, I still have to make up the work I missed today, and I still have the student counsel to worry about… oh, dear God."

"What?" I asked.

"The end of the year dance," he groaned, "I'm obligated as student counsel member to go."

"What's so bad about that?"

"I don't want to have to deal with girls asking me to dance with them left and right," he explained.

"Well, you could go with me."

Idiot! Nice going. That's just about the worst way to ask him in history.

"With you?" he asked, "As in a date?"

"Well, yeah," I said, attempting to make up for my previous blunder, "I mean, I'm dating you… you're dating me… we're dating… hence, date."

He stared at me, as if trying to understand a complicated math problem.

"A date," I tried, "Where you act all awkward and hold hands and say stupid things and dance really bad."

"A date?"

"A date."

"With you?"

"With me."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Good."

"Good."

"Fine."

"Fine."

We stared at each other seriously for a moment, and then burst out laughing.

Author's Note: I think I heard that whole "good, good, fine, fine" thing on television, so if anyone knows what it's from, please tell me because I'm having some issues remembering. So, I think the next chapter will have to be the dance, unless you want me to walk you through their classes for the next two days (which I could do, you choose). Oh, and, I just want to see if you can do different fonts on here...

Hello, Yoda am I.

Nope, it didn't work. That's a shame... Oh well! So anyway, tell me what you thought, and I'm sorry for the long wait, blah, blah. But review!