Sonya ran into the woods,she could hear Haru's feet behind her as he desperately tried to keep up with her strong legs. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to his body, trying to keep her from running away. She collapsed to her knees and he knelt down with her. He squeezed her to him while she cried. Her right arm was around his neck and her left was tucked between them, her hand near her mouth so she could wipe her tears away. She rested her head on his chest and he buried his face in her neck, trying to cover her to make her feel safe. She was trembling and her grip was lossening as she got weaker. "Keep your strength up, don't turn back into your animal form." he said, squeezing her tighter.

"I'm trying, but I'm so weak." she said, trying to bury her face in his chest, to be as close she could be to him.

"Then I'll be your strength." he said. She looked up at him. They leaned closer to each other, but then she looked away and broke his embrace.

"I don't want to be hurt again, not again!" she said, turning away from him.

"I don't want to hurt you." he said quietly.

"And, you know what's crazy? I- I'm still connected to him, I feel like I'd be betraying him!" she said to him, not looking at him.

"But..."Haru began. "Wasn't it he who betrayed you?" Her eyes opened wide with the realization.

"Haru...you're right. Just like always." she said, letting out a meloncholy giggle. She trembled in emotional pain. Haru came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. After a few moments of shock and silence, she let her body go limp in his arms. "You're making me a little uncomfortable." she said.

"Then push me away, I won't take offense."he said.

"But thats just the thing, I don't have the strength to push you away. I feel so weak in your arms, like I'm numb, but I like it." she said in a distant voice.

"Being numb isn't always a good thing, because when we're forced back into the real world, we cant take it." Haru said. Sonya wearily sat up and turned to face him,her sky blue eyes sparkled with compassion and hope and...

She pressed her lips to his. He sat there, stunned for moment, then he felt the feeling she had been feeling a moment ago. He felt numb, like he was in bliss, like a drug induced stupor. He felt lightheaded and weak. The strength just waned from his body. He pulled her closer as the kiss got deeper and deeper. He closed his eyes and she searched his mouth with her toungue and he did the same to hers. They pulled away and looked deep in each other's eyes. Sonya broke the gaze, looking away in shame. He put finger under her chin and forced her to look at him, then he softly put his lips to hers. It was just a light kiss, one that wasn't meant to go any deeper, but to still give the satisfaction. They broke the kiss and he nuzzled her neck, she giggled. " I want you to stay here, with me." he whispered huskily in her ear.

"I wish I could." she said, putting her head against his chest and he put his chin on her head."I'd give everything to stay."

"Send a letter to Akito asking to stay." Haru said. They stood up and stretched their legs, walking into town and through a park, just walking and talking and joking and kissing. They stopped at a cafe for coffee and sat at a small outdoor table in front of the cafe'.

"I've been thinking about writing the letter to Akito.Do you think he would allow me to stay?" Sonya asked Haru. Haru took a sip of coffee and thought about it for amoment.

"I don't know, I think he would though."he said. Sonya leaned over the small table and put her lips to his. He put his hands on both sides of her face and to bring her a little closer. They broke the kiis and sat back in their chairs. A middle-aged couple holding hands said somthing like "Ah,young love." when they walked by. Haru and Sonya chuckled at the comment.

By the time they decided to go home it was late at night, but it was a saturday so there was no school the next day.It was about Midnight by the time they got to the house and everyone was in bed. Tohru left a note saying that if they were hungry then there was food in the fridge and all they had to do was heat it up. They heated up the food and ate out on the patio under the stars. After they ate, Haru decided to go to bed and Sonya appeared in the living room doorway when he was about to get in his futon. "Is there something wrong?" he asked, walking over to her.

"I don't want to wake Tohru-san."she said. Haru nodded, though he knew that was just an excuse and that she wanted to be near him. He didn't care.

They laid in Haru's bed, their eyes closed even though they weren't sleeping. "Tell me, Sonya, why do you love it here so much?" Haru asked. Sonya kissed him and then said,

"That's why." Haru kissed her and then rolled on top of her. They searched each other's mouths once again, her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. His arms were under her back and up her shirt, undoing her bra, and then moving to the front of her body. His hands moved gingerly under her shirt. She went to undo his pants but he pushed her away.

"Not that, let's just fool around." he said. She didn't seem to agree though,because he sensed how much she wanted it, but that could be something they both would regret in the future. She let him do what he wanted to her. He sucked on her neck and massaged her breasts, teasing the nipples and making her moan in ecstasy. He felt down her thighs, and kissed her collarbone and neck. After their sexual excitement passed, they just lay in each other's embrace.

The next morning Shigure had woken up long before everyone else. Hatori stopped by to see Shigure and pick up Haru when he woke up, so when Tohru woke up not long after, she began to make breakfast. Shigure was already reading his newspaper and Hotori was sipping tea. "I wonder where Sonya-chan and Haru-kun went."Shigure said, getting a mischevious look on his face.

"She didn't come to our room last night. Oh,goodmorning Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun!" Tohru said cheerfully.

"Were you guys talking about Sonya and Haru?" Yuki asked. Everyone except Kyo nodded, who was still half asleep. "She's on the futon with Haru in the living room."

Kyo was now fully alert and looked dumbfounded. Shigure dropped his paper and Hatori looked at Yuki in disbelief. "What?" he asked, looking around at everyone.

Haru and Sonya walked in not two minutes after he said that, said they were going out for breakfast and left. Sonya gave Yuki a goddbye hug since he was right there and she laughed and walked out of the house after Haru. Haru took her hand and squeezed it tight and they went to a coffee shop before going to a diner for breakfast. They sat in the diner across from one another in a booth. Sonya had the newspaper spread out on the table while she was eating and talking to Haru.

"How is it that you can multi-task like that?" he asked.

"Like what?"

"Read the paper, eat, and still somehow listen to me when I talk. How do you do it?"

"A magician never reveals her secrets." Sonya said, giving him a smug smile and and then going back to what she was doing.

"Obviously, because we hold the greatest secrets of all." he said, taking a sip of coffee. Sonya giggled and finished off her eggs. They paid the bill and walked out of the diner, the newspaper under Sonya's arm. She held Haru's hand and laid her head on he shoulder while they walked down the street. He kissed her head and and they walked and talked and laughed and gave updates on their lives. There was school tomorrow, so they couldn't stay out too long that night. They didn't go home for the rest of the day, and came home at 9:00 at night.