Even though he'd been at it for a while, it still surprised Yuck how soft Yin's fur was.

Rosy pink and so much shorter than his own, it was almost velvety under his fingers as he gently brushed them across the crown of her head which was still pressed against the nape of his neck. So close to him, it tickled his nose with the artificial (yet not overwhelming) scent of cherry shampoo, strong and cloyingly sweet.

He was actually impressed with how she managed to stay asleep through it all. The two of them pressed against each other, held together by Yuck's ratty black hoodie that barely covered the two of them, wasn't the most comfortable position for either of them– yet she still slept, with her nose buried in his shoulder and her heartbeat drumming against his own.

It made him feel–

Dude. No. C'mon.

Yuck removed his fingers from her head just as they instinctively clenched, just as tightly as his jaw.

You've been through this before. Don't be stupid. He chastised himself, and he could hear frustration and disgust etched in his own voice so clearly. Stop setting yourself up for disappointment for once.

He needed a distraction– which was easier said than done. It's not like he could just get up and leave; the freezing cold and howling winds outside made sure of that, and they didn't give any sign of letting up anytime soon. He'd gotten back some of his Woo Foo after the fight, but what good would it do him now? Sure, he could Fooportate and risk getting stranded smack-dab in the middle of the storm if his reach wasn't far enough, or he could raise a Foo Field and walk out, trusting the low visibility wouldn't lead him off a cliff.

And even if he DID leave, Yin…

Ugh, who cares what happens to her?! She's your ENEMY, remember!? And if she could, she'd–

Yin mumbled something incoherent in her sleep, but Yuck couldn't catch what it was. He wouldn't have anyways even if he tried; not with the way her hold on him tightened as she snuggled closer to him, so close she could feel the warmth of her breath against his cheek.

Yuck felt something deep in his chest clench like it was being squeezed.

Stop it. She's asleep, she doesn't know what she's doing. Stop getting your hopes up, stupid.

…That's right. There was no way Yin would sleep this peacefully if she was aware of her surroundings, of who she was getting all cuddly with. Because if she knew, she wouldn't have that soft, innocent expression on her or that deeper rosy tint in her cheeks, as if she didn't have a care in the world by his side.

She wouldn't…

She…

She woke up.

And rather suddenly, too– so suddenly and without warning that her head hit him squarely in the nose, and for a moment Yuck's vision replaced the pink and grey with black as pain overcame him. And then a few seconds later the pink was back in the shape of Yin rubbing her back while looking around their hideout, half-asleep and half-alarmed.

"W…Where…"

And then her blue eyes turned to him, like she had just realized he was there the whole time.

Still dazed by shock and pain, Yuck only hoped she couldn't hear how loud his heart was beating.

Instead he saw her frown, and he could almost hear the metaphorical gears turn inside her mind as realization made its way until eventually, the confusion and sleepiness just became disappointment.

"Pellets." She muttered. "I was hoping this was all a nightmare I was finally waking up from."

Well, at least that eased his heartbeat; made it easier for him to fall back into more familiar feelings. "Reality's always disappointing. Get used to it." Yuck hissed as his fingers pressed gingerly on his nose. "I'm fine by the way, thanks for asking."

"Oh, don't give me that!" A sudden shove made his fingers brush against his nose too harshly, getting a yelp out of him. If Yin knew what she had done though, she didn't really seem to care at the moment as she glared at him. "This is all YOUR fault!"

"Oh, here we go again–"

"YOU were the one that wanted to pick a fight! AGAIN!" Yuck growled as Yin squirmed - seemingly not caring about getting her elbow lodged in his ribs - and pulled her arm out from under the hoodie, all so she could point at him. "YOU led me away from my family! YOU dragged the fight on until the blizzard hit, and now we're stuck here in this cave no one knows we're in, forcing me to huddle next to your filth and it's all YOUR fault!"

Yuck barked a laugh incredulously; at least the rage bubbling inside him was a more familiar feeling. "Excuse me? Forcing you? I'm not forcing you to do anything; if you hate being this close to me so much, don't fall asleep on me then."

Yin's cheeks turned bright red as she struggled for a reply. For a few minutes, both rabbits glared at each other with teeth clenched– Yuck could even feel the beginning of a spell heating up his paws, and while he couldn't see it he could feel the same kind of energy on Yin's behalf. Part of him almost wished for her to go through with it; give him an excuse to teach her a lesson. Get rid of this rage rising inside him.

Almost.

Instead, Yin sighed in defeat, tucking her arm back inside Yuck's hoodie with a pout. "...No thanks. As much as I hate this, it still beats turning into a rabbit-shaped popsicle."

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Yuck scoffed, ignoring the feeling that overcame him; the feeling he refused to label as relief. "You're welcome, by the way."

"Shut up."

He gave her a cocky smirk, and she answered with a scoff before looking away. Yuck did the same, looking over at the cave's entrance where a glimpse into the outside showed nothing but white static and endless howling.

"...Has the weather been like this the whole time?"

"Yup."

He felt her shuffle beside him, but he stubbornly refused to look. "Then there's no way Yang and Master Yo have passed through here. Not in this weather." She muttered sullenly. "What time is it?"

"Hard to tell without getting a good look at the sky. And I don't own a clock."

"...fine. How long was I out for, then?"

Yuck bit the inside of his cheek. He hadn't…exactly been keeping track of time. "A couple of hours? Three, maybe four, give or take."

"Four hours." Another incredulous laugh, this time all her. "I fell asleep for four hours? And next to you, just like that?"

"To be fair: for someone complaining about me picking a fight, you sure seemed very into it at the time."

No answer. And when the silence had persisted for what he felt was too long, Yuck allowed himself to peek over his shoulder. Yin still refused to look at him, but now she was looking straight ahead and– oh, those damn eyes of hers; the dismay in them made him want to sink his fangs into something.

"I hate this."

Of course you would.

"I just want to go home." Her paw smoothed down her fur - the part that had gotten all tousled against his while asleep - and when she looked back at it her nose wrinkled in disgust. "And take a very long, warm bath."

"Stop being so dramatic; it's not like we're gonna be stuck here forever."

But I almost wish we were.

"I've already been stuck with you for longer than I want to be." A dry laugh, then a glare at him from the corner of her vision. Again with those damn blue eyes. "Not that you'd complain; this is probably the longest and closest you'll ever be to a girl, anyways."

Worst of all, Yuck didn't know how to react to that. He knew he should've hated her for saying that. And he would have, if he didn't also know she was right.

Pathetic.

But maybe something showed up in his face either way, because for a split second her expression softened and he could've sworn he saw regret in her eyes, maybe even shame. But before he could know for sure, she turned to face away from him again.

Pathetic. Pathetic. Pathetic.

"...You could've gotten rid of me while I was asleep."

"Oh sure, I could have. If I were a coward." Where would the challenge be if he just got rid of her while asleep? Unable to fight back or to defend herself? How was THAT supposed to prove he was stronger, better? "It wouldn't be any fun like that, Honey Bunny."

Those had to be his reasons. Those and nothing else; that's what he needed to believe.

…

…

"...Yin?"

No answer, but Yuck didn't have to turn around this time. A dead weight on his shoulder and the scent of artificial cherry told him everything he needed to know.

She fell asleep on me AGAIN!?

He almost wanted to laugh; had to bite his lip to stop himself from doing it. How ridiculous. How infuriating. How very much like Yin, to get under his skin like that– only she could do that to him.

Oh, how he hated her.

Without thinking, his paw hovered over her head.

Don't do it.

His fingers curled, his sharp claws gleaming…

Don't do it!

…and brushed her fur gently, still so velvety and warm under his rough touch. And he watched her intently, drinking in the way her expression softened with each passing second, the way she unconsciously insisted on clinging closer to him for warmth. And while the cold raged on outside and kept them confined, it was nothing to the blaze that burned within him.

...Pathetic.

How he hated her for making him feel this way.

How he hated himself for allowing her.