I'm back…with a quicker update this time….hoi!

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Nuriko stopped when he heard Miaka's voice. "Suzaku."

His eyes widened and his body froze. What was Suzaku doing here? Tasuki ran into him and cursed behind him.

"What the f-?"

Nuriko dragged him away from Miaka and back to the café they spoke in the day before. He then pulled a slim black cell phone from his pocket and dialed Hotohori's number.

"He's already with her."

Nuriko heard the surprise in Hotohori's controlled voice. "How? He shouldn't be here now. It's too soon."

"If the dreams have been occurring for months, I would say that he's only a few days early for his arrival." Nuriko's voice went dry.

"Tell them to meet us her. NO, Nuriko, NOW." Tasuki glared at the black LG phone in Nuriko's hand.

He nodded. "You heard, Hotohori? Good. We'll see you in a few minutes." Nuriko looked at his friend.

"What do we do now?"

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"Suzaku." Miaka breathed his name as she reached out to lightly touch his face. "You're real?"

He chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down Miaka's back. He took her hand in his, "Yes, I'm real dear one."

She blushed hearing his endearment. Suzaku held her around the waist and pulled her to his body. Her face turned a deeper shade of crimson as he rested his head on hers. As she slowly became accustomed to his arms, she hesitantly placed her arms around his neck and relaxed against his chest.

'He smells good.' A light sandalwood scent tickled her nose as she breathed deeply and sighed.

Suzaku gently kissed her forehead and spoke. "Stay with me."

She didn't answer, she merely rested her frame against his in unregistered shock. Her thoughts raced around in her head and her blush began to lift. "What do you mean by that?"

"Stay with me. Be mine. I need you. I can say this a hundred more ways." His voice reached her ears, rough and low. She regained her earlier blush.

'Why me?' She wanted to ask. She needed to know.

"I want you with me, no one else. Stay, please."

Hearing the need in his voice, she slowly nodded and lifted her gaze to meet his. "I will."

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Nuriko looked at Hotohori's furious expression.

"You just STOOD there? You didn't go after them? Why in the hell NOT?" His voice was raised only slightly above his normal voice, but Nuriko felt the anger even sitting four seats away.

"What did you expect me to do? Even if he has a physical form, I can't order him around! You know that as well as I do, majesty." Nuriko mentally slapped himself in the head as Hotohori's old title slipped from his mouth.

"I told you to stop calling me that!" Hotohori snapped. "Forgive me. That was out of line."

"Don't worry, Hori. Everyone's worried about Miaka. But Suzaku wouldn't hurt his own priestess. Of that, we are certain." Chiriko spoke quickly.

Mitsukake and Chichiri agreed instantly. Chichiri looked over at Nuriko. His eyes narrowed in concern when he noticed that Nuriko's hands were balled up into fist and that the man was trembling violently.

"Nuriko?" Chichiri called to him.

His head snapped up. "What?" His gaze softened when he noted the concern in his friend's gaze. "Yeah?"

"Are you all right? You seem kind of pale."

Hotohori and Mitsukake snapped their eyes back to Nuriko's face. "Are you-"

"I'm fine. This whole thing's just a pain in the ass. I'm worried about her. She says that she's fine. I know she's not; she just doesn't want to worry the hell out of us. But, I just don't like that she's actually keeping stuff from me. She's just like a younger sister to me. I just don't want to see her get hurt in case this is another one of Suzaku's games." He shook his head bitterly and defeat began to cloud his eyes. "I just don't know what to do anymore."

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Suzaku looked at her incredulously. She would stay with him. After Tamahome, she opened herself to another vulnerability. He was glad, yet apprehensive. He had little time in her world and he knew it. She would have to return to The Universe of the Four Gods with him once the time came. He couldn't force her; it was her choice.

Miaka noticed the slight tension that had built up in his shoulders. "Are you all right?" She became worried when he didn't answer her. She quickly tapped his arm. "Are you all right?" She became frantic when she noticed that he hadn't moved.

She was about to call for help when he pulled her back to his form and whispered tender words in her ear. She blushed again and became angry with him. "Why didn't you answer when I called you?"

He chuckled at her show of frustration. "I was too busy thinking."

"About?"

"You." The passion in his tone made her shiver in pleasure.

She nodded and sighed. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Miaka kept on thinking 'he wants to be with me' like a mantra in her mind. She wanted to believe it. What she didn't realize was that she would believe it to the very point that she would follow him everywhere. Even if that meant to return to a place that she swore never to return to.

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Nuriko stared at the flames while Tasuki and Hotohori paced behind him. Chichiri and Chiriko sat in the corner whispering silently in urgent tones. Mitsukake sat silently, meditating or zoning out; Nuriko couldn't tell. Each one wore the same worried expressions across their features. Gods, this life was turning out to be a mess too. Nothing was going right.

Nuriko felt a nagging urge to run back to where he saw Miaka and Suzaku last. But instead he ignored it, figuring that it was only his pessimism getting the better of him. If Suzaku did harm his priestess, his warriors wouldn't stand for it. Of that, he was certain. Hotohori certainly wouldn't take it sitting down. He claimed that he was over Miaka and that his previous love for her had been just that, the love of his life-in a previous one.

Chichiri was not fooled. Tasuki, Nuriko and Chiriko were not either. Mitsukake was aware, but left him to his silent brooding. He at least understood the despair of losing a loved one by one's own hands.

As Hotohori sat thinking, Nuriko finally stood and took his place pacing. A small worn path was already worn into the wine colored carpet that was in Hotohori's apartment. Tasuki made it more noticeable every time he walked by. Of the six, he was the least worried, but the most angry.

"You just let him take her! You didn't even TRY to stop him!" Tasuki yelled across the room to Nuriko.

Nuriko's eyes snapped in cold fury as he rose to meet Tasuki face-to-face. "Yes, I just LET the guy walk over to her and pluck her off the street. Of course, let us all remember, that we can do little to change his mind without angering him enough for him to TROUNCE all our asses!" The sarcasm in his voice made Tasuki wilt.

Hotohori looked at them, alarmed. "Enough. Yelling will NOT alleviate the situation. Both of you sit QUIETLY until you can act like you're both 21!"

Tasuki and Nuriko looked up, frightened for a moment. Hotohori rarely used his imperial voice in the present times. It was mildly disturbing to hear it after such a long time. They both flinched and sat quickly.

Chiriko walked over to Hotohori and sat in front of him. "Hori, she'll be fine. He won't hurt her. It's more than a passing god's whim. He really does love her. The stars have told me everything. Well, not everything, but enough to know that he won't hurt her unless he has to protect her."

Hotohori looked wryly at the younger boy, "That does little to ease my worries, Chiriko. The words do help, but I can't be as certain as you and Chichiri are. I just feel as if there is something amiss."

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Another update! Be proud of me! I made other people panic…I think…I have no idea where this is going. Anyone have any I ideas? I'll give you credit for them if I use them.