Came the week before Haru's birthday, and she still didn't have a present. She was out shopping, in the hope of finding a present for the ox who was occupying her thoughts, when she went past a shop for kids. She saw Kisa inside, alongside Hiro and entered. She watched one of the other predators of the zodiac interact with a prey, and was shocked by the look he bared her. His eyes were full of love. Her world span, the earth blurred with the sky. She was the only one they were afraid of. She was the wolf. She gripped the door handle hard, and the door opened. For some weird reason, she entered. The kids did not look her way, so she hurried to a corner of the shop and looked around her. On the shelves were hundreds and hundreds stuffed animals. She saw birds, snakes, boars, dragons, tigers, sheep, rats, dogs, cats, horses, monkeys and rabbits. And she saw cows as well. One of the cows was very cute, all black and white with an adorable face. She moved toward it, and grabbed it off the shelf.

"_this one goes with another." Said a voice behind her.

She turned around to see the owner of the shop, an old man, or she thought. He walked away, showing to her to follow him and led the woman to a corner of the shop. It was dark and dusty. In the corner, on a box, sat alone a stuffed wolf. He grabbed the animal and gave it to the woman.

"_they always go in a pair, and this is the only animal that fitted the cow. It's the only wolf we have ever produced."

She put the cow under her arm, and grabbed the little her. It really did look like her animal form. The creature was black, with a white line down her back. She had black eyes, with some sparks of red. The shop owner came to the same conclusion as her when he said;

"_both of you look like each other."

"_what do you mean?"

"_I saw you watch the children in the shop. They are cousins. You had a lone and hurt look on your face. Like the wolf, nobody apart from that stuffed cow wanted you. In your life, there is somebody like this cow, all in black and white that wants you. That is why you were so attracted to the animal. There is only one wolf, and the only person that accept her for what she is, is her favourite pray. An ox."

Nox would have been crying, had there not been people in the shop with them. She clutched the wolf and the cow a bit harder, and took her purse out. The man smiled, then turned away, saying;

"_keep them. They are too old I couldn't sell them anyway."

"_but…"

"_the legend says they came from a god. And one doesn't sell a present from a god."

The night came, and Nox was working, like every Friday. They had decided that she would come straight to the nightclub they chose after her shift, and she had asked her boss to give her a slightly earlier shift so she could still participate with the party. It was therefore around eleven when the girl left the front of the shop for the back, where she got changed and left. She was wearing a leather short, with black knee length boots. They had a compensated ten centimetre hill, and had a little platform. She was about as tall as Haru with them on. She also wore a black tank top, with silver belts. She of course had her chocker on, and a thick layer of eyeliner. Her tongue's piercing shining in the neon lights, it was quarter past twelve when she reached the first sign for the club. Not bothering to stop, she took her helmet off and her phone out to call the hyperactive rabbit she had learnt to appreciate.

"_hallo?"

"_yo, Mo. Where are you guys?"

"_in the club. We reserved a room. The seventh one or something like that. Ask for the Sômas."

"_kay. Thanks. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"_Nox, you are surely not calling me while driving are you?"

"_who me? Nah, Mo. I'll never do that… Oops, that guy seriously needs to learn to drive."

"_Nox!"

"_yeah?"

"_just… arrive in one piece, okay?"

"_sure thing, rabbit."

She heard a sigh on the other end of the line, and the tone, telling her the boy had hung up. She didn't want to admit, but it had made her blush that someone would worry about her like that.

Reaching the night club, she parked and opened the boot of her Kawasaki Ninja, taking a carefully wrapped up present out. It had token her ages the night before to wrap up the present in the cow patterned wrapper. She was however pleased with the result, so she decided it was okay. Sticking her piercing in between her teeth, she greeted the vigils at the entrance and stepped in. She immediately waved to the bar tender, and she greeted back. Making her way toward her, she asked;

"_where are the Sômas, Sakura?"

"_third door on the left."

"_thanks babe."

"_can you carry those drinks to them for me please?" she asked, placing two glasses of orange juice, three beers, a jug of water and one coke-whiskey on a serving plate.

"_add another beer and I am the one you are looking for." She replied, smiling. The barwoman did as asked, and she soon slalomed in between the customers to the side corridor. She was however stopped on her tracks by a drunken man trying to get her to dance.

"_hey, beauti-hic-ful. Do you wanna-hic- dance?"

"_can't you see I am working?" she asked, exasperated.

"_aw common-hic- kitten."

"_no!" she shook him off her arm, but the drunken man did not seem to appreciate. He tried to grab her waist, and she kneed him in the groin. As he was doubling down, she poured the whiskey-coca on the man and left before he really came for a fight. Balancing the drinks on her right hand, she pushed the door open with her left and entered. She was greeted by cheers, as she lowered the drinks on the table. Every one made for their drink, Tohru and Machi grabbed the orange juice, Kagura, Kyo and Momiji the three beers while Yuki helped himself to the water. Haru looked at the beer, unsure.

"_didn't you have a whiskey-coca?" he asked.

"_I did."

"_where is it?"

"_on the head of a guy." A smile blossomed on Haru's face, as he looked at her in a fake concerned fashion.

"_my beautiful whiskey-coca…"

She stuck her tongue at him and grabbed her own beer before sitting down at the left of Momiji, on the couch. The rabbit turned to her, while Haru was stretching on her left.

"_so, did you find a present?"

"_present?" Haru's face intruded on the conversation.

She laughed and pushed him away playfully. He popped his head on her shoulder and nuzzled her neck a bit, while she was talking to Momiji.

"_well, I had a present, but it comes in a pair, and I wanted to keep one for myself. So I don't know which one to give to Haru."

"_what was it?"

"_one was a stuffed me, and the other a stuffed him."

"_give him the stuffed you." Said the rabbit, winking at her. She laughed, and turned to Haru who was now talking with Kagura.

Since Nox knew the staff quite well, she was able to obtain a birthday cake from them. It therefore arrived at around three o'clock, when everyone was growing exited and wild.

The cake was quite simple, but it was obvious it was made for Haru. The cake was a chocolate and plain flavour mixture, the dark brown and light yellow mixing and making spots like the one on a cow. There were candles on top, and Haru was written with the icing sugar. He blew them off, and everybody laughed when the sugar flew in Kyo's face. Of course, the cat started a fight with the ox, and it stopped only because Tohru asked him, and Nox pushed Haru back sitting. They had had rather a lot of alcohol to drink, Kyo, Kagura, Momiji, Haru and Nox, so nobody was surprised when the ox told the wolf she was to sit on his lap as a birthday treat. She complied with a laugh, and the ox tied his arms loosely around her middle, while she let an arm stroke the back of his neck and play with his hair. Kagura then handed the teen a present, wrapped up in a silver paper. He opened and a black and white chocker fell out, with some jewellery and such. He thanked her and put a ring on, looking at how well it suited him. Nox laughed at his pleased face, and he looked at her expectantly.

"_where is my present?"

"_look in the corner, with all the other presents." She said jokingly. He scooped her up and handed her over to Momiji, saying;

"_make sure she doesn't move." Before bending down and picking up the six presents lined up on the floor. He put them on the couch next to where they were sitting, went back to grab the wolf and sat the both of them down. She laughed at his childish antics, even though she was inwardly blushing like a madwoman. He then made a task out of opening every present and wrapping her in the paper. She was drowning under the sea of colour when he stopped tickling her and went to grab the last present, the one he liked the wrapper the best. She got out of under the wrappers and looked at the ox turning the cow like paper in his hands, probing to try and guess what was inside. He then very carefully unwrapped it, and took the stuffed wolf out.

Nox looked at his face, where a huge grin was exploding. He turned to her, and the little animal in his hands raised an eyebrow. She stuck her tongue out, and opened her arms, an invitation for him to pick her up. He did so, and she directed him to the corner where she had left her bag. She took the stuffed ox out and they went back to the couch. She put the stuffed bovine on the floor, and he put the wolf next to it. They laughed like madmen at their childish antics and Nox's eyes bore into his. They stopped laughing, and Momiji and Tohru exchanged a knowing glance. Kagura and Kyo were passed out on the couch, and Yuki was holding Machi's hand. Haru stood up and said;

"_well, thanks. That was awesome. I am just dead so I'm gonna go and see you Sunday for the formal party with the family, for most of you." He waved, and was about to leave with Nox when Yuki stopped them.

"_Haru! You are too drunk to drive!"

"_don't worry," said Nox in a calm voice. "I can drive my bike. I think Haru came with Momiji so it will be fine."

"_okay. I trust you." Replied the rat. She smiled and they left. They were reaching the door, when Haru tried to say something. She laughed at how useless he had become, once he didn't try to appear fine and actually noticed how far gone they were; both of them were completely wasted. Haru was a bit more easy to tell, since he couldn't really talk, but had they asked Nox how comes she spoke so well Japanese for somebody who had lived in England all her life, she would have been truthful, a sign she was drunk. Nox rarely said the truth on what was before she reached Japan. It wasn't easy, in fact it was hard, to say she was drunk. Yuki did not know any of that, and he let the both of them go, drive the woman's bike back home.

The streets blurred in a mix of lights and shadows, as Nox drove the motorbike. She could hear Haru laughing in a very drunk way behind her as both of them nearly missed a tree. She sped up a little and he shouted.

"_the tree!" she laughed at the slightly panicked look on his face and he playfully smacked her head upside down. Neither of them were wearing helmets, they were far too drunk to even remember they existed. Nox reached the Sôma residence at 100mph and gravel was sent flying against the door as she pulled on the break madly. The bike stopped a few feet away from the door and Haru fell to the floor, laughing madly. She got off and staggered to him. She crumbled beside him and he hugged her hard. She giggled in his chest and he kissed the top of her head.

"_Haru…" she looked up at him from his face, and their eyes bore deep into each other's.

He bent down, slowly. She could feel his hesitation as his breath tickled her lips. She softly closed her eyes and felt his lips against hers. Butterflies flew in her stomach as she answered.

She was drunk, so was he. She was mad in love, so was he. She wouldn't remember it tomorrow, neither would him.

It didn't matter though. They still loved each other.

Haru picked her up the ground and carried her inside the estate's walls to his house. He searched for his keys in his pockets; both of them completely sober by now and unlocked the door, Nox still in his arms. The door was closing they were already on the couch, on top of each other.

She felt her clothes slip off her, and his lips crashed on top of hers. Her heart leaped. Never before had he kissed her like that, while doing it. She let her one of her hands roam freely in his hair while the other was desperately trying to pull down the zip of his jacket. When the annoying item of clothing was finally off, she started on his pants while he was getting her underwear off. They were soon naked, and Haru kissed her once more. She felt his hand size her breast, while she dug her nails hard in his back. He teased her, and he sensed her tense under his touch. Nox bit the nape of his neck, as he hit a particularly sensible spot with his mouth. She felt his hand make its way lower, until he was playing with her clit and she could no longer contain it. She panted his name. He smiled smugly in her neck, and she rolled over him. Staring at his perfect body, she leaned onto him and, after placing a self-appreciative kiss on his lips, sized his cock. He immediately responded to her caress by moaning and she started a regular movement, sending him over the edge. Not being able to control himself anymore, he grabbed her, pinned her to the floor and kissed her full on the lips while penetrating her intimacy.

It was not the first time they had a sexual relationship, but somehow the kisses made it better. She melted at his touch and closed her eyes, in slight pain. It was however nothing compared to the bliss she felt every time he kissed and they fucked. He kissed her again.

He got out of her, and laid next to Nox on the living room's carpet. She placed her head on his chest and smiled contently, hearing with her eyes closed the deep, regular beating of his heart. His hand stroked her hair clinging to her sweating body. She snuggled deeper in his chest, and he mumbled something she barely heard.

"_love you wolfy…" she smiled, sweetly and looked at her lover's face. His eyes were closing, and his breathing deepened.

"_sweet dreams, little ox."

Slumber over took her, drawing a perfectly content smile on her face.