Hello Simply Hopeless here and even though I usually do Tsume X Blue fics because I like the odd couple I thought I would try something new. I know already that is Blue is a few years older then Toboe it's so cute how they interact in the series so I don't own Wolf's Rain and I hope you enjoy and review.

Just Puppy Love

Chapter One: Under the Circumstances

Seeing her lying there on the floor made his heart thump rapidly against his chest. "Grandma?" he whimpered licking at her ear. "You can… you can stop playing now," he knelt down beside his grandmother and shook at her shoulder but she stared lifelessly at him.

"Grandma you're scaring me!" he cried tears streaming down his face. But she wouldn't wake up. He curled up beside her not caring that the birthday hat he wore fell off or that her grandmother's candles on her cake were steadily melting.

"It's all my fault… it's all my fault…"

TWO MONTHS OF WANDERING LATER

"It's all my fault… it's all my fault…" he murmured softly under his breath as he paused to look at the new city he had wandered into.

"Why are you crying kid?" a young woman leaned against the street lamppost, her hands buried in her pockets. She had been looking at the night sky wondering when it would be a good time to try and rouse up Pops.

"Who… who are you?" he looked suspiciously at her but she looked harmless enough. He wanted to know the color of her eyes but they were hidden behind a pair of shades.

"Blue and you?" she nudged her chin at him as she straightened up.

He shoveled his feet and looked down not daring to look up at her. 'Why should I tell her? Anyone who gets close to me gets hurt anyway,' he thought glumly.

"Hey kid I was talking to you," Blue frowned and took off her shades.

"My name is… is Toboe,"

"Are you hungry?" Blue gave him a kindly smile seeing that he looked like a lost pup.

"A… a little," Toboe said reluctantly but just then his stomach growled and announced otherwise.

Blue chuckled and pushed off from the street lamppost before walking away. "Well then come on then and I'll make you something to eat," Blue turned around and said when she noticed that Toboe wasn't following.

Toboe followed close on Blue's heels looking around the rough neighborhood. Blue waved and called out joking to a few people as she walked confidently down the block. She then stopped and walked into a abandoned looking apartment building where half the front doors window was replaced with plastic.

"One of the neighborhood kids knocked it out playing baseball," Blue shrugged her shoulders and ushered Toboe inside. They were soon in a dingy stairwell with litter up and down the stairs, gray walls and barely enough room for two people to walk side by side.

Blue quickly spotted Quent sprawled across the bottom half of the steps clutching a bottle of whisky. She gave him a gentle kick in the side. "Wake up you old bum," she said cheerfully before turning to look back at Toboe. "Come on this way. Your probably starving, aren't you?"

Toboe nodded numbly before skirting across Quent who dragged blood shot eyes open. "Your not Blue," he looked accusingly at Toboe and was sitting up straight.

"I… I no sir I'm not Blue. My name is Toboe," he dusted off his grimy hand on his pants and offered it to Quent to shake.

"Toboe huh?" Quent looked at Toboe's hand before flickering his eyes back up to him. "Stay away from my whiskey and we'll have no problems, you hear?"

"POPS!" Blue stuck her head from a doorway and came back out to the hallway. "Toboe ignore him and come up these stairs. Pops when you finish laying in your own filth come up and take a bath and get something to eat," Blue scowled down at them both, her hands on her hips.

"Woman you don't order me around!" Pops grabbed the stairwell's rail and hauled himself up onto shaky feet.

"Pops don't you act so tough now that we have a guest," Blue rolled her eyes and smiled superiorly. "Come on I'm making your favorite and unless you want me to feed them to the stray dogs you better march yourself up here. Same goes for you Toboe." She turned after making her announcement and went back into the apartment.

"Watch yourself boy. She's a handful, she is," Quent said shaking his head but a small smile tugged reluctantly at his lips. Toboe paused speechless to watch Quent stumble up the stairs and stumble into the house.

Toboe had a bad feeling about the odd pair but he was hungry so he quickly trudged up the steps. When he got to the door he realized that the apartment inside looked way better then the dirty stairwell.

"I know what that face means," Blue through him an understanding smile before stirring something in a pot. "I clean this house almost every day and I'm not going to have Pops messing it up."

"Oh…" Toboe trailed off then sniffed the air. "It smells good so what are we going to have?"

Blue jerked her head up noticing the door unlocked and rushed towards it. She quickly locked every deadbolt, chain and lock down the door before brushing past Toboe again.

"We are having sphagetti," she smiled before explaining further. "I locked the doors because as you see this is a rough neighborhood. But is home and… Hey Pops get your dirty hands away from the sauce. Didn't I tell you to take a bath!"

Blue shooed Quent out of the small kitchen before looking at Toboe. "Mind if you set up the table? The silverware is in that drawer right there and the plates and cups are in those two cabinets… thank you."

Toboe obediently began to set up the table noticing the small pile of half dried up flowers in an old tin can. "I'll get you some flowers," he said almost to himself.

"What for?" Blue looked up at him curiously before turning off the burner.

"Well you need new flowers… see?" he pointed to the tin jar and she smiled slightly.

"I remember Ruth always used to bring me flowers every week to put in that old tin cup. I always asked him what was the use but he always smiled and continued," Blue then let out a regretful sigh.

"So I guess he's…" Toboe trailed off.

"Yes he's dead. He passed away seven years ago. Pops surprises me sometimes by bringing me flowers to fill that old tin cup on the table," she then gave him a reassuring smile. "Dinner is ready."

Blue took plate after plate and ladled it with spaghetti before sitting it on the table. "You can dig in right away. No need to say grace… we haven't in so long," her eyes dimmed before brightening.

"It does smell good Blue," he smiled shyly before diving his fork into it and took a cautious bite.

"So did it kill you yet?" Blue laughed as she set a pitcher of ice tea on the table and sat down.

"N…no it's quite good," Toboe nodded his head vigorously. Then someone began to pound at the door.

"Oi Blue let us in! I can smell your cooking!" the door was pounded on even harder and Blue slunk down into her chair.

"Oh god and I thought today I wouldn't have to deal with them," she sighed deeply reluctant to get up.

"And who's them?" Toboe asked curiously unable to notice Blue's negative reaction.

"Stand back," someone behind the door said calmly and Toboe watched in surprise as some of the locks began to turn.

"TSUME STOP MESSING WITH THE DOOR!" cried Blue stumbling up almost knocking her chair over.

There was a long pause and Blue sighed in relief as everything went quiet and then there was a hard thump.

"What the…" Toboe trailed off.

Blue eyes widen in realization at what the boys were trying to do. "Don't you dare!"

'Thump…'

"I mean it!"

'Thump…'

"I'll call the cops!"

"Thump… crash.'

The door flew open and hung halfway off it's hinges tearing the rest of the locks off with it.

"Great…. Just great. You do know that you owe me a new door don't you?" Blue glared at the three young men and the frail looking young girl.

And that was Toboe's first meeting Kiba's gang.

'Free Loaders 'R' Us,' is the next chapter. Just what Blue needed was the notorious three and the lone groupie. It was bad enough that Pops is half the time drunk. She just hopes they don't make a bad influence on Toboe. Well I do hope you enjoy and review.