Author's Notes: Sorry for the rather boring chapter. T_T I was quite bored about it myself. Haha. But still, Hope you enjoy~! :D

Ren stared at Yoh intensely. There was something weird about how the brown-haired boy was acting. He was nervous. He avoided eye-contact with anyone who mentioned "Hao". Often, the boy was caught spacing out whenever the gang was discussing Hao. Come to think of it, what exactly happened between Hao and Yoh?

"Yoh, you okay?" Horohoro waved his hands frantically at Yoh's face. Yoh snapped out of his daydream and gave a sheepish grin at his friend.

"Sorry, I sort of spaced out."

"Man, trust you to space out right in the middle of a discussion!"

Yoh chuckled softly. "Yeah… I'm sorry."

The ice shaman smiled at Yoh as he turned back into the conversation with the others. Ren growled. Was he the only one who noticed that something was amiss?

"Hey guys." Yoh stood up as he gave a weak smile. "I'm gonna head back first."

"Back?" Ryu echoed as he looked around the room. "But Boss, your house burned down!"

"I can't impose on Ren forever, right?"

Ren sighed. "I didn't say I was upset at you staying here,"

Yoh laughed and got ready to leave. "I won't allow myself to be a burden to my friends. I'll just go back to my grandpa's side first."

Everyone watched as Yoh made his was out of the room. Ren sighed deeply and stood up, preparing to follow the other boy.

"Ren…" came a soft whisper. Ren turned around.

"What is it, Faust?"

"We noticed." The older man smiled in an angelic manner. "But since Yoh doesn't want us to know, there's no point forcing him into telling us."

"That's right." Horohoro beamed. "I'd rather he told us on his own."

"Or maybe we should probe about it, but slowly, so it's not stressful for Yoh-kun." Manta smiled.

Ren blinked. Maybe these people aren't as stupid as they look.

… … …

Yoh stared at the remains of his burnt house. He made his way up to the second floor carefully and went into his room. He looked at the corner where he and Hao had stood and images start to flow back into his mind. How Hao threw him all the way to the other side of the room, how he grabbed his hair and jerked him up, and how their lips met…

Yoh blushed at his flashback. He fingered his lips and thought about it. The kiss he had with Hao was anything but rough. He looked around the room once more as he sighed heavily.

Man…this is just so complicated…

Yoh turned around, preparing to leave when something caught his eye. He walked towards his burnt bed and lifted the mattress up. He gasped at the item. It was a red-coloured rock. Yoh fingered it and felt a small, but powerful surge of furyoku within the rock. Yoh looked at the rock again and smirked.

"So…" he laughed softly to himself. "This is the source of my nightmares eh?"

Yoh took one more look at the rock before stuffing it into his pocket and leaving the house.

… … …

"Tell me why you are here again?"

Yoh smiled nervously as he shifted his weight around, not looking at his fiancée's angry face.

"The house burnt down…"

Anna tapped her feet impatiently. "I'm asking WHY it burnt down."

"Oh." Yoh grinned sheepishly, "I was attacked."

Anna sighed and glared at Yoh. "You defeated Asakura Hao and yet you fall under some random person's surprise attack?"

Anna was expecting some kind of lame excuse from Yoh, but when she noticed Yoh's facial expression, her face changed.

"Hao?" She questioned. Yoh smiled and nodded.

Anna took a while before she regained her composure. "What did he want?"

Yoh looked at Anna and smiled before he replied "What else?"

Anna sighed and turned away from Yoh. "Dinner in 10 minutes time."

Yoh smiled and gathered his things. "Sure Anna. Whatever you say."

… … …

After dinner, Yoh went out for a walk. The night breeze was relaxing. Yoh made his way to the Yomi cave and seated himself right in front of the entrance. He laughed softly as he recalled the time when he had to go through the cave as a form of training.

"What are you laughing about, Yoh?"

Yoh froze at the comment made from someone behind him. He slowly turned around and found himself face to face with the same shaman that burnt his house.

"H..Hao…" He managed to mutter.

Hao laughed and positioned himself next to the younger boy. He looked at the cave with interest. Yoh stared at Hao before exhaling loudly and facing the cave as well. Hao smiled and closed his eyes.

"What brought you here?"

Yoh smiled at the question. "My house burnt down." And he chuckled slightly before turning his gaze to Hao. "Thanks to you."

"Yoh."

"What?"

"You're meant for so much more rather than this."

"Come again?"

Hao looked at Yoh as he inched closer. Yoh could feel his face getting hot. Grabbing Yoh's hand, he slowly curled his fingers around his palm. Yoh shuddered at the contact.

"Come with me." He suggested softly, tightening his grip on Yoh.

Yoh shrugged and flung Hao's hand away. "I'm not going to join you."

Hao blinked for a while, before finally understanding what Yoh had meant.

"You think I'm doing all this for your soul?" He asked childishly.

Yoh reached out for the red coloured rock in his pocket and raised it so that Hao could see. "I can't think of what else you're after."

Hao looked at the rock and smirked. "You found it."

Yoh grinned and released the rock, letting it fall to the floor.

"But you are mistaken."

At that, Yoh looked up at Hao, confused. Hao chuckled as he stood up.

"I didn't give you nightmares for your soul."

Yoh stood up as well, his eyes still fixed at Hao. "Then why?"

Hao smiled as he moved closer to Yoh. He grabbed Yoh by the shoulders and pulled him closer, until their lips met. After a few seconds, Hao broke the kiss. He smiled at the smaller boy, who had his eyes widened in shock.

"It was for you."