"Mother?" Jakotsu asked, while scrubbing the dishes.

"What is it?" Kiko snapped, looking annoyed.

Jakotsu spoke carefully.

"Mother, are you angry at father?" He closely watched Kiko's reaction.

A brief look of rage passed over her features. "I am not mad at your father. Don't ask things like that!"

Jakotsu paused. "Do you love him, then?"

For one horrible moment, Jakotsu regretted what he said. Kiko balled her hands into fists. Her face transformed into a look of intense grief, and then into a murderous look of anger.

"How dare you ask such a question?" Kiko demanded. He grabbed onto Jakotsu's kimono.

"Get out of here!" She hauled him to the front door, and threw him outside.

Jakotsu slowly stood, brushing dust off of himself. He stared at the door feeling perplexed. What was that about? He wondered. Jakotsu knew better then to enter the house again any time soon. He began walking towards the river to think things out. Why would Kiko be so mad about such a simple question? Kiko had always been a person who got mad easily, but her reaction to Jakotsu's question was way over the top.

Perhaps…she doesn't love father anymore. No wait, even if she didn't, she wouldn't be mad about that. Jakotsu kicked a few stones on ground. Maybe she's in love with another man. And she is bitter that she must stay married to father. Jakotsu burst out laughing. The thought of a man who would fall in love with Kiko was ridiculous. Jakotsu smiled, imagining a thin poker faced man with his arm around Kiko, who was scowling. It was a very weird image.

For Jakotsu's entire walk to the river he pondered what the situation was between his mother and his father. Each scenario he imagined got more and more ridiculous, as he ran out of logical answers on why Kiko could be so mad at Reisuki. Eventually Jakotsu reached the river.

This place…there's a reason I drag Hikaru here so much. Besides it being a beautiful place where he could sit, relax and talk with his friend, it was also a place where his father taught Jakotsu how to skip stones. Jakotsu remembered when he was five years old. His father made the mistake of skipping a stone into the river. After that, young Jakotsu had been absolutely determined to learn how to skip stones. He hadn't learned quickly either. Reisuki had to sit for hours with Jakotsu, while Jakotsu tossed rocks into the water, refusing to go home until he had learned. Jakotsu thought that if he had been in Reisuki's he would have dragged his son home. Instead, Reisuki had been patient, and had stayed by Jakotsu's side.

Jakotsu looked at the sakura tree's that were just starting to bloom. The white buds hung from the branches. Jakotsu leaned his head backwards, suddenly feeling sleepy. He rested his head against the tree he was leaning on. Jakotsu hadn't planed on falling asleep but he found that as he relaxed, his limbs suddenly felt very heavy and he could no longer move his eyelids. He softly drifted into a deep sleep.

Somebody was crying. Jakotsu could hear it. He looked around the snowy field, trying to see the person who was crying. Everything was so white…and the snow kept blowing into his eyes. Jakotsu finally caught sight of a blurry figure crouched in the snow. He slowly walked towards the figure, feeling apprehensive.

Jakotsu stopped. A small boy was in front of him, his face buried in his hands. Tears ran from under his fingers, and froze as they fell down to snow covered earth. Jakotsu blinked and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hey…are you alright?" Jakotsu tapped the boy's shoulder. The boy stopped crying. He looked up at Jakotsu, and for the first time Jakotsu saw the boy's face. A surge of de'je'vu ran up Jakotsu's spine. I…I've seen that face before. Jakotsu thought. That face…it was the face of what he looked like when he was a young boy.

"Jakotsu." The boy said.

"Why…why were you crying?" Jakotsu asked.

There was something about the boy's face that seemed different then his own, besides being younger. Like Jakotsu, they boy had a carefree childish look on his face…but their eyes. They were so different. When Jakotsu looked into his reflection in the water, he saw a slightly bitter and sad look in his eyes. This young boy…his eyes were full of innocence and hope, despite the slightly sorrowful look on his face.

"I was crying because I'm sad." The little boy said.

"Why were you sad?" Asked Jakotsu. He couldn't help feeling afraid of what the boys answer would be.

The boy paused. He looked up at Jakotsu. "I'm dieing." He whispered.

Jakotsu took an involuntary step backwards. "What do you mean? You're standing in front of me."

The boy shook his head. "No…I'm gone, dead. I can't be found anywhere."

Jakotsu bit his lip "I don't understand."

The boy stepped forward, and Jakotsu felt surprised. The young boy stretched up his hands and gently held Jakotsu's face in his small fingers.

"I'm still here." He said softly closing his eyes. "Please don't kill me." Jakotsu was beginning to feel scared.

"Don't worry I wont hurt you." The little boy didn't reply. Suddenly Jakotsu realized the young boy's grip on his head was starting to hurt.

"Ow!" Jakotsu backed away from the boy, rubbing his cheek. When he looked up the boy was gone. In his place stood a very tall man. Jakotsu wasn't able to see the man very well, for most of his face and body was covered in shadows. Yet Jakotsu could see that the man was holding a large sword that was dripping with blood.

Jakotsu jumped backwards, as the man charged towards him, with the sword raised.

"Jakotsu…" the man yelled. "Jakotsu…Jakotsu…Jakotsu…"

"Jakotsu…Jakotsu wake up!"

Jakotsu's eyes shot open. He blinked a few times and stared at Hikaru, who sat in front of him.

"Uh…" Jakotsu moaned. He rubbed at his head, trying to get rid of the dull pain that swam at his temples.

"Are you okay?" Asked Hikaru looking concerned. "I came to the river and found you sleeping here."

"I'm fine." Jakotsu murmured.

"That must have been some dream you were having. You kept twitching in your sleep, and I wasn't able to wake you up." Hikaru paused. "What were you dreaming of?"

Jakotsu frowned. How odd…He couldn't remember at all what his dream was. Something about snow…

"Its weird…I cant remember."

"I'm sure it will come back to you." Hikaru reassured. "What were you doing here anyways?"

"Thinking." Jakotsu quickly told Hikaru about Reisuki going away, and how Kiko seemed to be angry with him.

"Hmm…strange." Hikaru said. "Maybe Reisuki is having an affair with another woman!"

"No way!" Jakotsu said, feeling shocked "Father wouldn't do that!"

Hikaru laughed. "Kidding, I'm only kidding! Reisuki is too cool for that."

Jakotsu and Hikaru chatted a bit, about Reisuki and Kiko.

"Hey…Hikaru…You smell kind of weird." Jakotsu said sniffing at his friend, who smelled slightly like flowers. Not that Jakotsu minded the smell, but it seemed kind of…un-Hikaru like. He couldn't imagine how Hikaru could have picked it up.

"Oh…really? What do I smell like?" Hikaru asked.

"I Dunno…kind of girly, like flowers." Jakotsu replied.

Hikaru looked embarrassed. "Well…um…I tripped into flower bush on my way here."

Jakotsu studied his friend. Hikaru was obviously a very bad liar. His face was slightly red, and his eyes would not meet Jakotsu's.

Jakotsu wished everyone would just stop keeping secrets from him. Kiko, Reisuki, and now Hikaru. Everyone was lying to him.

"Ha ha! Hikaru, you are such a klutz!" Jakotsu laughed, and Hikaru did too, relief spreading across his face.

"Hey! At least I'm not interested in female hair clips!" Hikaru said gleefully, shoving Jakotsu.

Jakotsu, still feeling disoriented from his deep sleep, toppled to the ground.

"Hikaru you are dead!" Jakotsu protested, laughing. He grabbed Hikaru's legs and pulled him down.

Jakotsu wasn't sure what happened next. Looking, back, it was all a blur of shoves and laughing, and pushes, and then suddenly Hikaru was on top of him.

Hikaru was on top of him. Hikaru was on top of him. Hikaru was ON him.

Jakotsu abruptly stopped laughing and sat up, shoving Hikaru off him.

"Um…Jakotsu?" Hikaru asked. His voice was confused and concerned.

Jakotsu didn't answer. His breath came out in shallow pants. His heart was pounding in his chest, so fast, it seemed like it would rip from his body. Jakotsu dug his fingers into the ground, as dizziness overwhelmed him, and butterflies took flight in his stomach. In all of Jakotsu's life, he had never felt like this before. He felt as if his whole body was flushed with heat.

"Jakotsu! Please answer me!" Hikaru pleaded. He sounded scared.

"I'm…Fine." Jakotsu stood shakily, onto his feet. Hikaru quickly stood as well.

"Are you okay? What just happened?" Hikaru held out a hand and lightly rested it on Jakotsu's shoulder. Jakotsu flinched slightly at the touch.

"I'll be okay…I think I'm coming down with the flu or something. Don't worry. I just need to go home and rest."

Hikaru frowned. "Well okay…if you say so."

Muttering a quick goodbye, Jakotsu began walking away from Hikaru. As soon as Jakotsu was sure he was out of Hikaru's sight, he began to run. I cant…I cant do this! Jakotsu thought. He was so sick of it. Jakotsu couldn't stand being with Hikaru, acting normal, doing normal things. I cant even wrestle with him, like most boys can with their friends! He thought bitterly. Those feelings he had had…they frightened him. Jakotsu was so scared of falling in love even more with Hikaru then he already was. Pretty soon…we might not be able to hang out casually like friends…Jakotsu stopped, realizing he was going towards the direction of his home. Is that I really want to go right now? Jakotsu asked himself. It seemed like that was not a good place to go, if he wanted to be comforted.

Hikaru…what do I do? I couldn't stand if…if we couldn't even be friends.

Jakotsu bent downwards, placing his hands on his knees.

Hikaru…we cant joke around like we used to…We cant talk normally like we used to…

Because every time I look at you…I feel…like I want you so much…

Hurt tore at Jakotsu's chest, making him feel like crying. Yet he didn't. Jakotsu…he hadn't cried in so long. Even when he was hurting so much he would never

Allow himself to shed tears.