************************************************************************Ha ha! Back again for another taste! Well, Bon Appetit!

Nope, don't own it!

Chapter 6: Go To Sleep And Good Night

Arima came out of the hallway after school to find Yukino sitting on a wooden bench at the east entrance of the school, reviewing her notes, no less. She held a small pack of note cards in her hand, her lips mouthing formulas and equations. She seemed to be pretty deep in thought. Arima picked up the pace and hovered over her. She blinked and looked up at him, the expression in her eyes changing from concentration to jubilation. The tiny wrinkle between her eyebrows had disappeared.

"Hi."

Arima bent over at the waist to place a small, but loving kiss on her pretty pink lips before standing straight again.

"Hi."

Arima looked to the glass doors at their left. "Do you want to come to my house this afternoon? My club meeting was cancelled."

Yukino smiled. "Okay. This is the only day all week that I'm free after school." "Great." Arima grinned. "I'll walk you to the bus stop." He helped her gather her papers and books, and put on her coat for her.

"Thank you," Yukino replied gratefully.

"No problem."

The two picked up their book bags and pushed open the glass doors at the east entrance, bundling themselves up more tightly as the exited into the walkway.

"So, how was your day?" Arima smiled.

"Oh, it was okay. I tried to get my lesson plan all ready in between classes for tomorrow. I have to tutor that second-year student after school."

Arima nodded gravely and decided to change the subject. "Hide-baka was reprimanded again today for tossing caplets full of mineral water all over the table of first year girls next to us at lunch."

Yukino placed a hand to her mouth and laughed lightly, clouds of heat passing between her fingers and rising into the cold atmosphere. "Oh, that's just because he likes them!"

"Yes," Arima agreed, "but they didn't seem to think so. I think they felt that he was picking on them because they were underclassmen."

"Oh, no!" Yukino laughed again, and adjusted her coat sleeve, which was bunching up at the wrist. Her white scarf hung loosely at her shoulder. Arima stopped walking.

"Here," he said, and wrapped the scarf more tightly around her collar. "You'll catch cold."

"Thanks Mom," Yukino joked.

Arima's features softened. "I just want you to be well. Being sick is miserable, and I don't ever want you to feel that way."

Yukino's face flushed, but not with the cold.

"Thanks."

They continued their way and made it to the bus stop earlier than expected. None of the other students who usually waited with them had arrived yet. They looked around. They could see no one yet. The two just stood and silence, stealing glances at each other from their peripheral vision. Arima looked down at Yukino's bare legs, shaking in the freezing air. He moved closer to her and placed a hand onto her waist. She looked up at him. Without warning, he took a few more steps, took her shoulders into her hands, and pressed her up against a tree. He thumbed at her frosty lips and warmed them with his own. Yukino 's knees weakened, and her foot slipped against an icy overgrown tree root.

"Mmm---Ahh!" She thumped her backside against the tree, and almost fell, but Arima caught her, startled.

"Are you okay?"

Yukino winced and rubbed at her nether cheek. "I think so."

They frowned as they heard a peculiar rumbling overhead. A dark, snowcapped tree branch shook above them, and a mini avalanche of snow descended upon them, a freezing shower of fresh powder soaking their hair and clothes.

Heads turned as a snowy and damp Yukino and Arima stepped onto the bus. Arima helped Yukino brush the caked snow out of her hair and scarf, obviously amused at her ridiculous state, yet, at the same time, mesmerized by the sustaining beauty that shone through her situation. The two tried to remain quiet and suppressed their laughter for the remainder of the trip.

The keys jangled as Arima twisted a tip into the doorknob in the front of his house, and opened the door for Yukino to enter in front of him. His house had that musty, unoccupied disposition of a busy family that was usually away in their own little universes at school and at work.

"Would you like some hot chocolate?" Arima offered as he tore open a package of mix.

"Yes, please," Yukino answered politely. She felt she was perhaps being too formal with him, but she remembered the last time she was at his house that past weekend. After a few minutes of rustling in the kitchen, Arima went to his room, where Yukino prepared her lesson plan for tutoring.

"Here you go." He placed a tray of two mugs of hot chocolate on the small table in front of her. Yukino reached for her mug, without taking her eyes off of her notes. She took a sip. Arima waited for her approval. Yukino lowered her mug and looked into it.

"Oh!" her face lit up immediately. "You put marshmallows in, just like I like it!"

Arima beamed proudly. "How could I forget? The one I love is always special."

Yukino giggled. They were just marshmallows! She took her mixing spoon and scooped out the tiny puffs of sugar and shoveled them into her mouth, her cheeks filling with chocolate. Arima extended his arm across the table, trying to stop her.

"W-wait!"

Yukino smiled a chocolatey, tightlipped smiled until her eyes slowly widened. She thumped her chest and gasped with her mouth still closed. She swallowed quickly.

"Argh!" She coughed. "Hot!" She took another sip, hoping foolishly that liquid would cool her down. Instead, of course, it burned all the way down.

"Gahhhhh!!!!"

Arima rushed to her side. "Are you all right?"

Yukino blinked. "Yes. She smiled weakly. "Thanks for the marshmallows."

Arima chuckled at first and then burst into uncontrollable laughter. Yukino pursed her lips together and pretended to be angry for a moment before collapsing into giggles herself.

"Ahh." she sighed, wiping tears from her eyes. "I'd better keep going with these notes."

Arima sipped his chocolate in silence, keeping his eyes on her as she scribbled equations in her notebook and murmured possible explanations to give to her second-year student. Yukino yawned several times and wiped her eyes. She looked sleepily up at Arima.

"What?"

Arima blinked, noticing that he had been looking at her for the past few minutes.

"You look sleepy."

Yukino rubbed her eyes. "I think it was that hot chocolate."

Arima stayed silent for a moment.

"Do you want my bed?"

Yukino looked up in surprise. This was exactly what she was afraid of.

Arima looked down at his lap. "You can just rest for a moment. We don't have to do anything."

By this time, Yukino was extremely embarrassed. Now he was acknowledging the fact that they might DO something in his bed! But she was so tired, she decided to comply.

"Okay, thanks."

She stood up groggily, pushed back the sheets and comforter and climbed in. Once her head hit the pillow, she was wide awake. It smelled so strongly of him. His shampoo was incredible!

Arima did his homework as Yukino thrashed and tossed and turned. Now she couldn't get to sleep! After a while, Arima paged through his math notebook and looked up at her.

"What's wrong?"

Yukino propped her self up on one elbow.

"I'm feeling restless."

Arima paused.

"Do you want me to rub your back?"

Yukino started. *I thought he said we didn't have to DO anything!!!* Yukino thought frantically.

Arima blinked. "You know, 'cause it will help you get to sleep."

Yukino smiled a secret smile to herself. "No it won't."

"What?"

"Nevermind." Yukino's smile broadened. She knew very well that if he rubbed her back, she would be more awake than ever.

She buried her head into his pillow, closed her eyes, and drifted off to dreamland. ************************************************************************ Wow! This chapter just rolled along! Can't wait for chapter 7!! I got it all up here! *taps forehead* Please review!!