Merry Christmas and happy new years to you all! I'm here with an update before going on hiatus. But don't worry! It won't be that long, a month or two, that's hopefully all.

Thank you for the reviews! I love reading them, it warms my heart and helps me stay determined.

I do not own Ao No Exorcist/Blue Exorcist.

He was stressed beyond belief. Not only did True Cross Academy give him a ton of assignments and pages to read, Cram school also handed out their fair share of homework. He was supposed to write two pages about the digestive system (the fact that he had been eating nothing but chips all day made his own system hate his guts), read up on energy structures, and solve two pages worth of equations.

For Cram school, he had to study up on certain kinds of Japanese folklore and mythology, and Yukio had handed out an assignment for his class in Anti-Demon Pharmacology. To hell with it all. Why did teachers always hand out a bunch of work at the same time anyway? Rin would much rather take a day off and enjoy a frosty ice cream instead.

It was hot, scorching hot, so hot that you could crack an egg on the road, and within minutes it would turn into a fried egg. Wait a little longer and it might start burning. He was not even exaggerating. It was unbearable! It was one of the warmest days of the year, and yet he had agreed to go shopping on his way back from school. He remembered to buy water this time, not wanting his brother to have a tantrum as he did the last time. Besides, water was his best friend right now.

So here he was, stressed and sweaty and miserable.

He would not be this uncomfortable had he been able to take off his shirt, or at least soak it, but doing so would reveal his god-forsaken tail, the one currently wrapped around his overheated torso. Life was cruel. And to add to the hell he was currently in, his backpack rubbed up against his back, adding further heat as well as weight. No matter how much he wanted to take it off, no matter how much sweat was forming, he had to keep from stripping.

Instead, he went for the second-best thing he could do in his current situation: drink the newly bought water. He clung to the bottle of liquid, his sweaty hands making it as difficult as holding a bar of soap, but he was determined to have it on him. He had already emptied half a bottle by pouring it into his dark, itchy hair, soaking his face for a good couple of minutes before the sun evaporated the water. He had learned that word in biology class.

The poor soul dragged his cramping feet with an open facial expression, a mix that made him look like a walking zombie. Maybe he was? Maybe he died on his way back from the shop, and this endless trial was him walking around in limbo, the gods discussing whether he should go to heaven or hell.

God, was he losing his mind? Having a heat stroke? No, then he would not be sweating, that much he had learned from Yukio. Heat exhaustion? Possible. But he was not that far from the dorm now, he just had to keep on walking for a few more minutes.

He had underestimated the distance. He could practically hear his brother yell at him for not taking a break to sit the shadows for a few minutes. But he had been stubborn. The boy thought he could make it all the way, no problem, yet he here was, bent over a trashcan, throwing up all the water he had gulped down, as well as the bag of chips he had for lunch. What a waste, even though it had been cheap, it did not deserve such a fate.

And now he was dehydrated as well, how fantastic. Where was that damn rain from last week? Why could it not be raining now that he needed it the most? Why did he have so many questions and no one to ask?

Except for that familiar face in the distance, calling out his name. It was Bon, why did it have to be him? He did not find any comfort in having those he knew see him in this pathetic state.

Ryuji got to him before he could even attempt to move away from the trashcan, much to the half demon's annoyance. Sure, the rooster just wanted to help, and had it been different circumstances, then perhaps Rin would have allowed him to throw that bottle of water at him, but when you were hiding a tail underneath a white shirt, then it was a big fat nope. So, when the taller boy started unscrewing the lid while mumbling things like "idiot" and "don't make yourself sick", Rin hurriedly backed away, swaying lightly in the process.

"N-no! I'm fine!" even his attempt to reassure his classmate was pathetic, and so was his attempt to get away as he tripped, luckily landing on a nearby bench. "I'll just sit here and cool off, no biggie."

"Liar, you're not fine, just accept it and-!" Rin had somehow, despite his dizziness, managed to avoid the water thrown at him, and made another attempt to escape the crazy blond rooster. Why was the guy so determined to help anyway? They hated each other, why would anyone try and help someone they did not like? Okay, maybe they did not exactly hate each other anymore, but they were not friends. Right?

"Agh, stop following me, I told you I was fine!" Rin cried out as he continued walking towards his dorm, Suguro following right behind like a bodyguard. At least he gave up on the whole water thing. Still, he had chosen to follow, just in case of an emergency.

"Stop lying already! Just accept that you're an idiot and need help. I could call your brother and tell him to get you. And why haven't you taken off your shirt? There's barely anyone around to see you."

"Oh, so you want me to strip now? Weirdo." At least he still knew how to tease, even if it was for the sake of hiding his furry appendage. It seemed to have an effect as the taller boy went quiet, for now. With that, Rin stopped walking to take a careful sip of his water bottle, praying for it to stay down this time.

They were getting closer; the dorm was almost in sight when Rin's shaky legs finally gave out, making him fall to his knees. He let out an annoyed sigh once he realized that he could not get back on his feet, despite numerous tries. How embarrassing. He was a demon, he had a constant raised temperature, he had Satan's flames, how could he overheat?

Right, he was a mixed breed, and they constantly clashed with each other. One part of him wanted to stay in Assiah, yet a tiny voice inside his head, one that got louder whenever he pulled out his sword, wanted him to be in Gehenna. While other teens went through puberty, he went through a complete transformation.

Before his disoriented mind could even register what was going on around him, Bon picked him up piggyback style. The world spun for a few seconds, and a comment about him being a lightweight was the last thing Rin remembered before slumbering against him. This moment would stay between the two of them and Yukio. Always Yukio.

Liked it? If so, leave a review! Have some ideas for future chapters? Then you can leave a review about that as well! I'm also in the process of writing another Blue Exorcist fanfiction, one that will be rather dark, so if that's something you'll like, then put me on your alert list. That is all for now, see you next year!