Waking up had never felt so good. Though it had been in pieces, the sleep I'd enjoyed for the last day or so had been deep and comfortable. The only downside was that I had a houseguest that I had feelings for. Feelings I didn't know if I should trust, much less have. Rio felt like a lead weight in my chest. I knew it was him, because I thought about it and felt his guilt poke at me. Well. Yet another thing I had to ask when I got the chance.

I turned off my alarm before it had a chance to scare me and went to the door, "Hey! Wake up, buttercup."

Footsteps invaded my consciousness seconds before I recognized the scent of breakfast. It smelled so much like home I almost ran out to give my mom a hug.

"I got up a while ago. Decided to thank you by making a mess in your kitchen." Kento waved me in and I gaped at the table. I didn't even know I had half this stuff. He smirked while pulling out a chair, "Do you do butter, jam, or natto on your toast?"

"Am I still sleeping? I know for sure I don't have natto." I made a face, "Because, yuck."

He placed a small bowl of miso broth and a saucer of my pickled asparagus on the table. "You did wake up. These pickles are great, and you do not have natto."

I picked up a slice of toast and pulled over my jar of strawberry preserves, "I take jam. You should have some. I canned it myself."

Kento's brows raised, "You did?"

I nodded, helping myself to a couple of asparagus and a rolled omelet. "I am all sorts of talented. Mom was a freak about making me 'normal', remember?"

"You can preserve your own food and make jam? I would love to meet your mother." My eyes widened and he took a step back, "Uh, I mean, no one does that anymore, do they?"

"Even my most citified friends make pickled veggies.'' I looked down, I'd reacted like we'd been dating or even like dating was on the table. Of course he wasn't going to ask my parents for permission or anything stupid like that. "Sorry. I was just having a freak out."

He seated himself, "Did you know that Rio told me that you have an effect on men?"

"No? If I do, I'd like to know how to activate it." I laughed, but Kento's eyes were downright dour, "Okay, if we're being serious, then I'll tell you that my luck with guys has always been.." I wobbled a hand in the air, and he nodded. "You know? But I feel like…" I didn't want to admit this, but if he was going to ask me for help, to keep me safe and to cook perfect eggs, then I had to tell him. "I feel like we've known each other for ages, not just a day which we both slept through. Most guys don't like my bright hair, or how skinny I am, or short." I looked at him, "You're practically a stranger, but the more you're here the more I feel…"

"Like you want to do something drastic?"

"Yeah."

He sighed, leaning back, "Thank god. I'd hate to think it's only me." He sat forward as I gasped at his simple honesty, "I'm afraid though. I've never, never felt this way this quickly about a woman. I don't care about your hair, which is lovely, or how skinny you are, which is maybe a little true, or how short you are. I'm taller than almost everyone. But I am afraid that Rio's off-hand comment means something. He knows something he's never told you, and that he made a pact with you because of it." He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, "And no matter how I feel, I'm being manipulated. Not consciously," his tone was absolutely weary, "and that's worse somehow."

"Not now. Just wait." Rio begged in my mind, "Please."

Carefully I ate another bite, "Rio. Spill. Now, or I will cast you out and take my chances."

"Tori, please. I have stood by you through everything. Tell him to leave and we can go back to being happy and safe. Tori, I'm asking you."

I spoke aloud so that Kento would know I wanted to fix things if I could. I could feel Rio's anger as well as my own. It felt so odd, because Rio and I never fight, and I've never seriously been mad at him before.

"Rio, please. You promised me back then. That I would come to know your ways. I consider your knowledge about this world that I've been shielded from…" I was sad abruptly, not angry or frustrated. I could feel my eyes itch with the start of tears, "Rio, what are you not telling me?"

"Then cast me out. Just tell me to begone, and I shall depart from thee."

He'd slipped back into classical Japanese? He must be stressed to the limit. I swallowed hard, "You won't tell me?" The tears, now too real, rolled down my cheeks to splash on the table.

"If I do, you won't trust me. Though with the way you feel right now toward that walking nightmare, it's probably for the best. I'm sorry, Tori. I wanted to marry you, to be by your side until the shinigami come for you."

Honestly, I knew deep in my heart that the statement he'd just made was enough to condemn Rio. Just be done with him, but I could have just as easily plucked out my own eye. I went back to a private conversation. No matter what I feel for Kento, Rio deserved my discretion now. "You never asked again. Why?"

I felt the pause like an elastic being pulled taught in my mind, "I'm not as clever as I thought. But I do love you, Tori. I have never said that to you. I need you to know it. You're more precious than any other, not even just because I think so. Your soul is special to our kind. I only wanted to keep you safe."

"Tori? What's wrong?" Kento's hand enveloped mine in a strong warmth.

I covered my face with my other hand and let the tears flow. Rio had not even answered the question, and though he'd told me what I could do to be free, I didn't want to. I do not think I'd ever loved Rio the way he must have wanted. I had been perfectly serious when I had turned him down the first time. Though at fifteen, I had just told him it was against the law to get married.

The rawest truth is that Rio is my best friend. When I had no one else in the world, I'd had Rio. He'd helped me study when I was in school and going through technical school. He was with me for every swim meet, club, or after school activity. When the first boy I thought I loved turned me down flat, he'd been there, comforting me. I may not have loved Rio in a romantic way, but he was closer to me than any sibling.

I shook my head as Kento's fingers stoked over my hand, "You stopped talking. Can you tell me what's wrong? Can I help?"

"He loves me." My voice was thick with emotion. "I'm special. That sounds stupid, because everyone who loves someone thinks that person is special." I cleared my throat, "I'm not willing to press him on this yet, though I have a lot to think about."

"Of course it's your decision," Kento said, withdrawing his hand. "I've only known you a short time, but I admit I made a mistake. You are far more than a meal to him. I believe there is something about you." He shook his head, "Tori, I'll help you however I can. If we work together, maybe we can figure it out."

"I'm going to take a hot shower. Why don't you get dressed to leave, and we'll walk down to the thrift store and get you a good coat, and some more changes of clothes." I mustered a smile for him, "And we can fix your dumb-looking hair."

His eyes were focused inward as I left for my bath. While I calmed down in the shower and dressed to leave, Kento cleaned the kitchen and put on a fresh pair of slacks, dress shirt, and the world's most hideous tie. I could feel Rio's writhing embarrassment and I knew I was going to have to cope with it until we could both come to an agreement on our futures. Apart if need be.

We spent the rest of the morning in an uncomfortable camaraderie. We were talking, and even laughing, but for me at least, I felt like those budding feelings I was nursing last night had grown thorns. They hadn't wilted. Kento was still a handsome man. I'd always liked tall men, and his smile softened the hard planes of his face and made his eyes bright. I knew that he at least harbored the same sorts of thoughts about me, because though we were now overly careful, our eyes were watching each other.

At the thrift shop we found a nice wool overcoat that matched the dress clothes he obviously preferred. He'd worn a tee last night, and worn it well. I was able to talk him into a couple more changes of casual clothes, and ended up going to another store to get all the stuff he needed just as a guy that I didn't have. Razors, shaving cream, the pomade he likes… and a couple more boxers and socks.

His hair was almost easy. Since it had mostly been reduced to stubble on one side, the barber shaved the other and gave him a nice, modern undercut that allowed him to wear his part on the seven tenths, which I hadn't understood, but the barber apparently had. After his hair was styled, I could see the man underneath the guy that I'd rescued. He liked precision, good food, and being in charge. Of himself and his destiny. I liked that too, but I had a feeling that our destinies, intertwined as they were for the moment, were running headlong into a dark tunnel.

We met another road bump walking back to the apartment for lunch and making more concrete plans for crashing Shibuya. I was already nervous about that. We'd talked a bit about what I might expect. Though I've seen spirits, or curses as Kento called them, my whole life, the one time I'd seen something larger than a child I'd been instructed by Rio to just kick it as we passed by and he'd take care of it. It had disintegrated at the touch of my bare foot, and what I know now to be Rio's energy.

Now Kento was full of warnings and misgivings. He was missing his weapon, which he said he didn't need, but he wanted one. He wanted to know if I had any combat training. I asked if watching all of Naruto counted. It didn't. He started by having me dig into my well of energy and circulate it. Just familiarizing myself with the feeling of that power filling me up.

All the way back home I was pulling the rope like Rio had me do for healing, but instead of passing it over, it now spooled up from behind my navel to loop through my arms and fizzle impotently at my fingertips. I liked the feel of it and Kento promised that before we got to Shibuya I could use that energy to startle, maybe stun some larger curses without help. Rio snorted in my mind, and even though I was glad I was learning about myself, I was more relieved that Rio would have our backs. At the very least his desire to see me unscathed should work in everyone's favor.

Back at the apartment I washed our finds and Nanami took another shower, just to redress in business casual. I was starting to think of it as his armor; especially when he came in, sat at the table, and started talking to his tie in a low, serious tone. I watched him as I served up a couple of sandwiches and hot tea to chase away the November chill.

"I'm turning the tie into a make-shift weapon." He noticed me watching, "If you have a scarf or something you want me to imbue?"

I shook my head. The only scarf I had would look more than ridiculous with this outfit, and no way was I going to drag it out just to have Kento turn the thing into a shield or whatever. I would rely on Rio and Kento to keep my blood in.

AN/ I'm killing myself for promising you action in this chapter *cries* We all know Nanami's tie is horrendous. A great big 'sorry' for action fans. I felt like some emotional stuff needed to be beaten to death. Feel free to chastise me. *puppy eyes*

For Mosevic, I might still be writing this damn chapter if not for you. From the bottom of my soul (oh, careful, it's sticky down there) thank you!