Himawari: Thanks for the great reviews everyone! They help me out alot! so keep them coming! Changed my mind about the HotoroixNuriko chapter... I just got a good idea for something with Tasuki and Taka, yep! Taka and Tasuki have a little confrontation. (oh you knew it would happen ;P) So here you go!

oops

Tasuki slowly opened his eyes, something having woken him up that he couldn't recognize through his haze of sleep. He felt something warm in his arms and he subconciously pulled it closer to him. He blinked a couple of times at the unfamiliar ceiling above him, trying to remember where he was. Then it hit him. Miaka's room...her ceiling, her bed. Slowly, he brought his gaze down to where the warmth was coming from and his golden eyes fell on a head of chocolate brown hair... Miaka.

Tasuki had rolled onto his back during the night and apparently Miaka had cuddled up to him in her sleep. He couldn't help but smile as he watch the beauty sleeping in his arms, relishing the feel of her body so close to his own. Miaka had always been so beautiful to him, even if she didn't dress herself up... she didn't have to in Tasuki's eyes. Tasuki had always loved her, and he knew he always would... but she had always taken it to be a brother-like love. If only she knew... a thought that occupied his mind since the day he had met her.

The orange-haired man allowed himself to just lay there and watch Miaka sleep. She looked so peaceful, so relaxed... her brown hair flowing across his chest and down her slender shoulders, one small hand laying casually across his chest. Tasuki knew with dismay, that this would probably be the only time he'd wake up with her in his arms like this, so he let himself enjoy it, if only for a moment.

'If only you knew, darlin',' he found himself thinking for about the billionth time since arriving the previous day.

Finally, he knew he had to get up... mostly because his stomach was growling loudly, refusing to be ignored for his pleasure. Tasuki sighed and turned his head to the clock. 7:30 a.m. -Fri. Miaka's mother would be at work and her brother would be gone too, probably in class at the local university.

Sighing again, Tasuki carefully slid out of the bed, being extra careful not to wake Miaka with the motion. He remembered Miaka's mother mentioning that the senior didn't have school today... something about an in-service... so he could let her sleep a little while longer, she probably needed it. Besides, he doubted he'd be able to bring himself to rouse the beauty.

Tasuki stretched and quietly made his way out of the room. He went downstairs to start making himself some breakfast, still in his flame boxers and black T-shirt, his bare feet padding softly on the wooden floors of the lower halls.Tasuki was about to enter the kitchen when a gentle knock sounded at the door. Tasuki paused for a moment, wondering if he had actually heard a knock, it had been so quiet. Sure enough, another light tapping sounded from the painted wood. Tasuki sighed and ran a hand through his flaming locks before going to the door, his jade earings swinging in his lobes from the motion.

'Who the hell is visitin' this early?' he demanded in his mind as he casually swung open the door, leaning gently against the frame. Golden eyes met blue and Tasuki immediately went tense, his grip tightening greatly on the wooden frame.

"Oh... uh, hey Tasuki," Taka greeted in shock. He obviously wasn't expecting the red-head to be at Miaka's house... let alone in his boxer's and a T-shirt.

"Taka," was the only greeting the dark-haired boy got, and it was anything but polite. Taka inwardly flinched. Taka knew this was not going to be good... Tasuki was a hot head and already didn't like him... and Taka shuddered to think how mad the other man would be now that he had somehow upset Miaka. Though, in complete honesty, Taka really had no idea what he'd done to upset her so badly... but he doubted that would matter much to the over-protective, and currently fuming red-head occupying the doorway before him.

"You, uh, visiting for a few weeks or something?" Taka asked, trying to sound friendly. Tasuki's gaze remained hard and his mouth never faultered from the stern, straight line he'd set it in. His jaw was visibly clenched and he crossed his arms.

"I got a couple weeks off, yeah," he answered, keeping one shoulder against the door frame. "What're you doin' here?"

"I wanted to talk to Miaka," Taka started, gaining a cold composure himself. If Tasuki was going to be a rude little ass, then so was he. "She here by any chance?"

"She's not available at the moment," Tasuki replied quickly, too quickly. Taka's eyes narrowed, the deep blue turning to ice.

"Can you go make sure? I need to talk with her. Maybe she's become available since you began talking to me," he said firmly. A silent battle had begun between the two, as it often did, for superiority over the other. Tasuki's head lowered like a charging bull, acknowledging the unspoken challenge from Taka.

"Trust me... she's not available," he said, a slight growl added to his words.

"And why not?" Taka spat back, not the least bit intimidated by the red-head.

"She's sleeping, that's why," Tasuki hissed in response.

"Tasuki... I'm not here for a casual visit... I really need to tal-"

"I know," Tasuki growled, silencing the dark haired boy. He glanced quickly over his shoulder, checking for Miaka, before stepping onto the porch and shutting the door slightly behind him. Taka was forced back a step by the action and his glare intensified at the closing door.

"Taka, listen," Tasuki began in a dangerously low tone. "I was up with Miaka half the night while she cried 'erself to sleep. And those tears were because of you. So, quiet frankly, I don't give a shit if yer needin' to talk to her, I won't let ya. She's been in enough pain, and right now, seein' you will only cause more."

"I don't even know what I did! That's why I need to talk to her, so I can set this right!" Taka barked in frustration. He would never hurt Miaka intentionally, surely even Tasuki would know that!

"Taka, if you don't even know why she's upset... you don't even deserve to talk to her right now," Tasuki responded evenly, stepping back through the door and slamming it in Taka's face.

Taka stood for a moment, slightly befuddled and caught off gaurd. He shook his head and glared at the wood of the door, as if trying to burn a whole to reach the red-head on the other side.Finally, he sighed in defeat, and left. He would just have to talk to Miaka when her little 'watch dog' wasn't around being his usual smartass self.

----with the 'watch dog'----

one, two, three...

Tasuki leaned heavily against the door, silently counting in his head to make the fire in his gut dissapate. All thoughts of breakfast were gone for the moment as he struggled to keep his temper at bay.

...ten, eleven, twelve...

Nope, still felt like punching a whole in the wall.

...seventeen, eighteen, nineteen...

Taskui kept counting until he lost track somewhere around thirty-seven. When he was certain he wouldn't kill anything on his way to the kitchen, he pushed away from the door and started down the hall.

"Tasuki?" a smooth female voice floated to him from the top of the stairs, instantly soothing his nerves. Tasuki's golden eyes shot up to find Miaka looking down at him, a confused expression on her beautiful, and somewhat sleepy, face.

"I heard the door slam, who was it?" Miaka asked him. Tasuki didn't miss the flash of dread and pain in those chocolate eyes as she feared the answer.

'I can't tell her it was Taka... she'll either get sad or angry... either way she'll be upset,' Tasuki reasoned in his mind before contemplating an alternative answer. The red-head grinned his famous fanged grin as he walked around to the bottom of the stairs.

"Nuthin' darlin'," he assured her, doing his best to put her at ease. "Just a stupid salesman, that's all."

Miaka let out, what she thought, was an inward sigh. Tasuki suddenly felt the whole-in-the-wall urge again, but it vanished when Miaka smiled at him. They just, gazed at one another for a long moment, each wondering what to say.

Miaka noticed Tasuki's eyes stray momentarily from her face as the golden eyes swept down her body, then back up quickly. She suddenly became very concious of the fact that she was still in her nightgown... a somewhat revealing piece of clothing. Heat traveled to her face and she cast about for something, anything, to say to break the silence.

"Listen, Tasuki..." Miaka finally began, doing her best not to fidgit under Tasuki's golden gaze. "I wanted to say... I mean... last night... I just wanted to..."

"Don't worry about it darlin'," Tasuki cut in quickly, waving it off with his hand. He shot another fanged grin at her."What do you say we get some breakfast?"

Miaka smiled gratefully and she started down the stairs, the promise of food making her stomach grumble. Suddenly, the hem of Miaka's nightgown caught her toe, throwing her off balance and flying forward down the stairs. Miaka shrieked as she tried for the railing, but missed and continued forward. Then, there was black and orange and she felt strong arms wrap around her. The contact made with the floor was softer because of the man beneath her, but Miaka still got slightly jarred by the impact and she felt the arms around her go slack.

When the world stilled, Miaka sat back to look at her friend. Tasuki lay under her, eyes shut and chest moving, but he was out cold. Hands shaking, Miaka shook her friend gently... gaining no response.

"Tasuki? Tasuki!" Miaka shook harder trying to bring him back to conciousness. The man beneath her remained unconcious and Miaka began to panic.

'Maybe he has a concussion! Oh, what do I do?" Miaka panicked... Tasuki had hit his head pretty hard and her mother wasn't there to consul her.

"All right, All right, calm down Miaka... you need to call the hospital," she decided, getting up and rushing to the phone.

'Tasuki...' Miaka prayed in her mind. 'Oh, Tasuki, please be ok!'

Himawari: I know, bad place to stop... I'm good at finding those spots ;P! well, please review and let me know what you think so far. Any and all suggestions as to what you would like to see in this fic portaining to either couple (or not) are welcome! thanks everyone!