Unicorn13564: Sorry! It's been forever, I know. If it makes you feel better, you can throw things at me in a review! XD Anyway, some point during this chapter, Hao is hypo, therefore very OOC.

Chapter 5: Suspicions

Lyserg lightly walked across the room, trying not to make a sound as he made his way through the darkness. He found it strange that when you try not to make a sound, you do.

The floorboards creaked underneath his feet, causing the douser to stop; then continue walking a moment later. As he reached for the front door, a voice caused him to spin round in horror, only to come face-to-face with Tao Ren. "I said were do you think you're going?" he repeated, his golden eyes awaiting an explanation.

"Well, I, uh- hey, you're dressed too…" said Lyserg, noticing Ren was also fully clothed in black.

"Yes, well I'm going somewhere."

"…I think I know were you're going…" muttered Lyserg, almost certain that the Tao had also noticed the Ainu's absence.

"To find that Ainu baka? Yes. Take it you are as well."

Lyserg nodded and opened the front door. "Come on then." said Ren, walking quickly through the door. "We have to follow him you know."

--

The two figures walked hurriedly down the cold, dark streets, carefully stalking the figure up ahead.

"It's amazing how we caught up to him so fast…" commented Lyserg, shivering slightly as the wind blew.

"Yes, well he seems to be in no hurry." Answered the Tao, and ducked away into the darkness as the Ainu turned round. "Be quiet," he whispered, "We can't afford for him to discover were here, otherwise this whole stalking-someone-in-the-middle-of-the-night thing would have all been for nothing."

Lyserg glanced down at the hand that had attached itself firmly onto his upper arm; then turned his attention back to Horo, who was now walking away. "…Ren… you seem to know a lot about sneaking around…" said Lyserg curiously.

"I'm a Tao. We are naturally aware of our surroundings and have fairly reliable reflexes, unlike most people."

"Thanks." muttered Lyserg, and made an 'ooff' sound as Ren practically shoved him out of their hiding place. "Come." He ordered, and quickly picked up the pace.

--

They had been walking for around half an hour, when Lyserg had pointed out that they were in a rough part of the city. The place were most murders, muggings, rapping's and other disastrous activities took place. It was stupid but some kids decided to christen this part of the city 'Dead End', and what was even stupider, was that the name seemed to stick. Dead End was just that; a dead end for anyone who dared trespass. It was certainly no place to be at night, so why was Horo down here?

Ren stared at the many darkened alleyways and grabbed hold of Lyserg's wrist. "Stay close." He warned, and let his eyes scan the perimeter.

They were walking down a long dirt trail, yet at either ends were abandoned houses. The houses alone seemed to scream 'death'. They were old and boarded up, yet it was obvious they were rotting from the inside out, for the stench they gave off was so revolting, Ren had to hold his breath.

Suddenly his yellow eyes darted towards a young boy, around the same age as him. He was perched on a wall, watching the two walk by. Ren glared up at him. His brown hair scraggy and full of dirt; and his cloths had been worn for much more than a week. He had scars along both bare arms which made his sickly pale skin even sicklier. The boys' dull blue eyes met with Ren's bright yellow ones, and Ren instantly walked faster, letting one thing enter his mind. Drug addict.

"Hey!" called a husky voice, yet Ren kept hold of Lyserg's wrist, urging him to continue walking. "Hey!" called the voice again, and the Tao listened as feet hit the ground. For some reason, he was panicking, his sense of danger rising with every step that boy took towards them.

"Yes?" asked Lyserg, pulling out of Ren's grip and standing still. Lyserg didn't like the idea of talking to this boy, but he didn't like the idea of ignoring him either. Maybe they could help him in some way. Maybe all he wanted was some food or water.

"I have a present for you…" he grinned, and reached into an old ragged bag he'd been holding.

Ren turned round and grabbed Lyserg's arm again. "Come on, we have to go-" The Tao jumped and immediately staggered back as something heavy landed at his feet. The wrenched stench that came off it was overwhelming, making his stomach tie itself in knots as he stared down at the dead corpse, clumps of fur matted together, eyes wide and clear as flies buzzed around its remainders.

"His name is Fluffy, I send him with love." He laughed, and stared down at the deceased cat.

Ren shot daggers at the boy. 'How could someone do that?' he thought bitterly, feeling the anger rising inside of him. "You sick bastard!" he yelled.

Lyserg glanced down at the cat and sighed. "Poor guy." He muttered. "Come on Ren, we'll be lucky if we haven't lost him by now." he said, no longer interested in helping such a person; and grabbed Ren's arm, taking him away from the boy and dead cat.

"Yes Ren, you'll be lucky if you haven't lost him by now." he smirked, and picked up the cat by the tail. "Hey, Ren, you forgot your parting gift."

"You sick mother fucker!" he yelled, and tried to break free of Lyserg's surprisingly strong grip.

"Ren!" he yelled, "We have more important matters to attend too! Don't waste your energy!"

Inside, Ren knew the Diethel was correct. There were more important matters, like finding out were Horo was going. Like questioning him. Like making sure he doesn't get hurt whilst walking down here. And he would be wasting his energy. He'd need his energy to run to his aid if Horo was in trouble. Or to run from a gang of thugs. Yes, Lyserg was right in many ways. Ren knew that, on the inside.

The Tao grinned and relaxed his tense body, allowing Lyserg to drag him away before he changed his mind and wiped the smirk off that boys face.

--

"Was he waiting for us?" questioned Lyserg, astonished that they had caught up to Horo yet again.

"No." Answered Ren. "He's walking very slowly. Notice the way his eyes are fixated on the ground as he walks."

Lyserg observed the Ainu, and suddenly clicked on as to what Ren was referring too. "So he's troubled."

The Tao nodded.

The two once again followed the Ainu, wondering were he was going. They'd been walking for over an hour now. Wherever Horo was supposed to be, he was late. Extremely late.

Ren felt thankful as they were led onto a street with cars running along a road, people passing by, shops all around them; they were finally back in some sort of civilisation were normal, non-violent sane people were.

"Hey, Ren…" said Lyserg, tugging on his black jumper.

Ren's eyes were fixed on Horo's every move. Now that other people were about, it was easier to follow him without being detected, yet easier to loose him in the crowd. "What?" he asked.

"Look around you." Instructed Lyserg, yet when Ren didn't, he decided to tell him what was bothering him. "These people…" he said, glancing at groups of teenagers. They all had the same look. The same shrunken pupils, the same twitchy fingers, the same scar-covered arms. "They're all drug addicts."

This caught Ren's attention. There were a lot of drug addicts around this part of the city…

"Do you think… maybe… Horo-"

"Horo's not a druggy!" barked Ren instantly, trying hard not to raise his voice and attract attention.

"…It's a possibility…" said Lyserg sadly, noticing Ren's pace quicken.

"No. No it's not." He hissed. "I simply refuse to believe Horo would do such a stupid thing. Even if he is a baka with the IQ of a pea!"

Lyserg bumped into Ren's back as the Tao stopped. "What's wrong?" he asked, and saw that Ren's expression was puzzled. "Horo… Horo went in… there…" he answered, and pointed to an old, rundown building. Most windows were smashed, yet had a board nailed on from the inside to keep out the wind and rain. Parts of the walls were covered in moss and graffiti. The building was an apartment, yet both Ren and Lyserg knew that someone would be in there. Someone who Horo was going to see. But who? More importantly, why?

--

"Getting rather cold out, huh." Said Lyserg, blowing into his hands for warmth. "I don't see why we don't just go in and confront him about it."

"Because if we did he might not tell us the truth, plus we don't know what's in there. For all we know, there could be bouncers or something at every door."

The green-haired boy sighed once again. 'We've been out here for ages; and its not very pleasant hiding behind a wall. What the hell's he doing in there anyway…?' "Hey Ren…" said Lyserg as the sudden thought came to him. "Maybe he is seeing a male prostitute."

This troublesome comment caused a pulse to be visible on his head, not because of the suggestion itself, but out of Lyserg's seriousness! "Lyserg, ever since you've heard that phone call, all you've been thinking about lately is Horo's sexuality. Do get a hobby, you're highly disturbing-"

The Tao stopped talking, his yellow eyes studying the Ainu's every movement as he exited the building; examining his appearance. He appeared normal. No huge differences. His clothes were still clean, a few stains here and there, but that was usual for an Ainu with an apatite for anything edible. He was still the same Horo as before. "See," said Ren, "he didn't have sex with a male prostitute." Ren frowned inwardly; he felt so strange saying that. "Right," he said quickly, startling Lyserg who was still watching Horo as he walked away, "I'm going in."

"What? Why?" queried Lyserg as the Tao stepped out from behind the wall. "Aren't we going to follow Horo some more? Or ask him what he did? Or-"

"No. I presume he is going home, and I want to know why he went in there."

"Ok, shall I come with you?" asked the green-haired shaman, yet when Ren shook his head, he stayed put.

"I'll be out shortly. I don't plan on staying long."

The Diethyl watched the Tao went through a small alley to get round to the back, the same way Horo had gone, until Ren was totally out of sight.

--

Ren found a door that was wide open, and went in, but quickly wished he hadn't. The Tao's eyes began to water as he placed a hand over his mouth and coughed. The disgusting odour the damp walls gave off was so overwhelming, it was as if a whole family had died in here, and no one bothered to clear out the bodies. The walls were stripped of any paper they may have had, and were now damp and rotting. The floorboards were also rotting, making it dangerous if Ren had to go to the second floor. Someone was in here, someone Horo took time in the middle of the night to see, and Ren was determined to find out who.

The Tao looked at the rooms as he passed. The apartment appeared completely empty. 'If I were a crazy person who for some odd reason wanted to live here or invite people over during the night, where would I be…?' he thought to himself, then an idea struck him. 'I guess I'd be…' 'Ren found a staircase and followed it up until he reached the second floor. 'Hm, great minds think alike.' He thought, looking at the wallpaper and coloured carpet. 'I'd be on the second floor to make sure I got no uninvited guests.'

Not only did the second floor have wallpaper and a carpet, but it had air freshener! The cent of lavender hung in the air, dispelling any traces of the foul death-like smell that had clung to him before coming up.

Ren felt his body tense up as someone from behind placed a firm grip on his right shoulder, whizzing him round.

"Do you have an appointment?" asked the man. The Tao's entire body quivered as nausea took over him; the man's breath was enough to put a horse to sleep. Looks like the lavender was no match for this guy. He had jet black hair which was beginning to fall out, his dull grey eyes looking deep into Ren's, making him feel more uneasy. If Ren was in trouble, he knew he couldn't take this guy on. He was too strongly built, and the grip on his shoulder alone was fierce.

"I-uh-yes-well no, but-um…" Ren fought hard not to make a fool of himself and sound suspicious, but failed miserably.

"It's ok." He said, and smiled. "I understand. You can't go on and some guy told you about this place, so you came to check it out. Don't worry about it, the first appointment if free." Ren was thankful when his shoulder was released. "Go along the corridor and turn right. Knock and wait for a reply."

Ren did as he was told, yet when no reply came, he slowly opened the door.

"AAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

The Tao's heart leapt into his throat at the sound of someone screeching at the top of their lungs.

"GET OUT! GET OUT!" they yelled, and Ren felt something hard hit his head. "OUT! OUT I SAY!" The voice was croaky and old, and by the sounds of it, male. "I SAID OUT! I HAVE VIAGRA, AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO USE IT!"

The young shaman quickly closed the door and listened to the sound of things that were heavy being thrown against it. "YOU THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME! YOU'RE A SPY ARNT YA! A SPY! COME TO TAKE ME AWAAAAAY!"

"Excuse me, can I help you?" asked a voice. This time it was someone a little saner. He had dark brown hair that was gelled back, and wore thick framed glasses; along with a black suit, much like the one before on the other man he had bumped into. The files he was carrying made him look like some sort of professional.

"Umm…" mumbled Ren, "What's wrong with that man in there…?" he asked, pointing to the door he'd just closed.

"Oh, that's Charles. He simply refuses to move out of here. He can be a pain at times, but then again, he frightens away uninvited guests like yourself." Ren was about to answer when the man sighed. "This way please." He said, and walked into the room next to Charles.

Ren did as he was told.

The room was like a small office in one way. It had filing cabinets at either side, plus a large desk in the middle; on it, the name 'Mr Forket' Behind the desk was a huge chair; and before it was a measly stool for other people to sit down on.

The Tao sat on the stool, and the man sat in his chair. Ren's mind was confused. What was this place? What did he sell? Did he even sell anything? If not, what the hell could he be doing? Could he be some sort of psychiatrist? Why were there huge padlocks and chains on the cabinets? What kind of a name was 'Forket'?

"So, this is your first time here, eh?" he questioned, Ren nodded. "Ok. State your reason."

"M-My reason…?" asked Ren.

"Yes." He replied. "Your reason has to be good enough for me to supply you with some heroin. I don't necessarily like seeing teenagers throwing their lives away for no apparent reason. After purchasing heroin, you then go into debt and have to pay £100, but in your own time. The deadline is three months after you have received the heroin."

A/N: I have no idea how much it would cost… n.n'' Sorry if that's cheap or way to high or something. I also don't know how people go about getting the stuff, but this is some sort of… thing… were you go and get it and they give it to you and I have no idea what I'm doing so leave me be demons! T.T

"S-So you sell heroin here…?"

"That is correct."

Ren put his hand on the table and leaned forward, allowing his hair to flop over his face as he lowered his head; staring down at the floor. "Are you ok?" questioned Mr Forket, yet Ren just ignored him. He felt his stomach twisting and turning inside of him, making him feel even more sickened. "I supply happiness to take away the pain." He continued. "Most customers are satisfied with it, but some don't handle it as well and have fits. But back to the original point, what is your reason for wanting to purchase such a drug?"

"I…" began Ren, still fighting back the urge to be sick. "…I don't want any."

"Oh?" Mr Forket raised an eyebrow as Ren's eyes met with his. He seemed slightly surprised.

"I want to know why someone named Horokeu would take heroin. What was his reason?"

"I'm sorry, but I cannot discuss other customers' details with you; and if you're not here to purchase anything then I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave. I have others that need my help."

The man watched as Ren's fingernails dug into the desk, scratching it. "You don't understand…" muttered the Tao, fully aware of the desperation in his voice. "I need to know why he would go to such lengths as to come here. Why he would sneak out in the middle of the night, why he wouldn't turn to his friends for help… why he wouldn't talk to me…" Mr Forket jumped as a fist collided with the desk. "Tell me!" he yelled, getting frustrated. "Please, just tell me!"

"Hector, would you kindly escort this young man out." He asked casually, stacking a few papers neatly and placing them next to him.

It was then that Ren noticed the man from before. He was stood outside the now open door. He'd probably been alarmed by all the yelling, and came to check it out.

Ren struggled against Hectors might, yet he overpowered him with little effort. "You know," he began as he dragged a squirming Ren down the stairs, "if you wanted to know why your friend has come here to badly, why not ask him? What's the worst he would do?"

Ren glared up at him. "Leave. Set the house on fire. Commit suicide. Be angry at me. Hate me. Despise my very existence. Think about it. 'Hey, Horo, are you on drugs, because Lyserg and I stalked you in the dead of night just to see if you were.'"

Hector sighed. "Well, I was only saying."

"Well don't." hissed Ren, and continued to try and break free from the grip that clutched his jacket as they neared the back door; the exit to this wretched place.

"This may be harsh, but it's the highlight to having a job as a bouncer." He grinned, and forcefully shoved Ren out the door, making him land on his hands and knees; skidding a few inches before stopping.

Ren stayed still in the dirt for a few seconds, then got up and brushed himself down; despite the burning sensation he received on his hands and knees.

"Don't even think about trying to charge at me." Warned Hector; noticing the tense and pissed off expression on the Tao's face.

Ren growled and clutched his firsts, but took a deep breath and relaxed, before making his way back to the street.

--

The young Diethel groaned as he tapped his foot. 'Ren, were the hell are you…?' he thought glumly; and slumped his back against the wall; sliding down it until he was in a crouching position. 'How long does it take you to find out some information? You're starting to worry me, Tao. You'd better not be in any trouble.' Just then, the wheels in his head began to turn. 'What if he was ambushed?' he asked himself, visualizing Ren being dived on by millions of people. 'Or kidnapped? Maybe even shot- what about stabbed!'

A/N: Nice isn't he… -.-''

A hand was quickly placed on his shoulder, causing him to snap out of his little daydream; accidentally letting a startled yelp escape his throat.

Ren raised an eyebrow as Lyserg chuckled nervously. "So, what's in there?" he questioned. "You get ambushed or something?"

"No." he answered. "Come on, we'd better get back before our absences' are discovered."

"Um, but Ren, what was in there? Is Horo a druggy or what?"

"Hurry up; we've been out here long enough already."

"But Ren-"

"I said move. And shut up, I do not wish to discus it." He said coldly, his glare adding to the harshness.

Lyserg decided it was best to not bother him for a while, but couldn't help but wonder. 'Was it really that bad in there? Why is Ren letting himself be effected so dramatically like this? It's not like him.'

--

As soon as they silently entered the safety of their home, Ren didn't even bother to glance at Lyserg; and trotted off to his room.

The green-haired boy dumped the keys onto the table and groaned. "Would it kill you to tell me anything?" he questioned in annoyance, looking at the Tao's door as if it would tell him; but then groaned again and walked over to the sofa, flopping down onto it and spreading himself out. He stared up at the ceiling for a while, his eyelids growing heavier as the minutes passed, until eventually he managed to drift beyond the boarders of reality, and into a peaceful dream.

--

Lyserg's eyes slowly opened to a dark room, the darkness only allowing him to see the vague outline of objects. He stared at the watch on his wrist, yet the darkness refused to let him see.

His ears pricked as he heard something moving in the kitchen. 'Who is it? One of the guys? Or a burglar? Perhaps a stray cat got in and-'

The Diethyl's heart jumped as glass was shattered; and little jagged breaths escaped the intruders' throat. 'No,' he thought, 'it's defiantly a human.' Lyserg sat up on the sofa, raising just enough to be able to see the kitchen. There was a figure hovering over the sink, coughing, but they quickly fell to the floor, pressing their back against one of the lower cupboards. There was a pause in their movement, then the figure began to jolt, their body banging against the cupboard and collapsing onto the floor, yet still their body continued it's jolting.

Lyserg began to worry and cautiously raised himself higher to get a better look. Noticing the outline of spiky hair, his eyes widened. "H…H…" His mind knew who it was, yet he couldn't seem to move. He wanted to rush to the Ainu's side and calm him; stop him from causing harm to himself as he lost control of his body, yet the Diethel was in such shock that his own body was defiant, and disobeyed his orders to move. "…Ho…Horo!" he yelled, thankfully, this time, his body responded to his wishes as he lifted himself off the couch and ran to Horo's side, holding his tense figure down. "Horo, Horo you're having a seizure, ok? You're going to be fine, but I have to hold you still."

He tried to speak to his friend in a calm voice, yet knew he was failing miserably. Horo's body wasn't stopping, and he kept fitting, making it difficult for Lyserg to stabilize him. The grip the Diethel had on his shoulders to hold him in place wasn't enough; he needed re-enforcements.

"Hey," he called, hoping someone would hear him. "Hao, Yoh, Ren, I need-" Surprised by the hand that gripped his wrist tightly, Lyserg let out a startled gasp. "Horo…" he said as calmly as he could. "Horo, let go…"

Despite his request, Horo began to squeeze harder, causing a slight pain to form in his wrist. Although Horo was hurting him, Lyserg was happy when his body began to stabilize under the pressure of his hands on his shoulders, and half of his weight on his legs. Slowly but surly, he stopped moving, and Lyserg soon found that he was sat on an unconscious Ainu.

--

Hao could only stare in amusement as the Diethyl screwed up his face and turned in his sleep; grunting at his discomfort.

"Onii-chan, what are you doing at half six in the morning?" asked Yoh, yawning and stretching his arms. The Asakura watched as a devilish grin formed on his brothers' face. "Watching Lyserg whilst getting dirty thoughts…"

Hao's face then turned serious as he stared at his brother, wearing a slightly stunned expression.

"…What…?" asked Yoh, stopping his stretching and looking behind him, making sure no one was there, then staring back at his brother.

Hao smiled. "…Nothing… it's just… you haven't called me 'Onii-chan' in years…"

Yoh just grinned and walked past Hao into the kitchen. "Wake Lyserg up." He called through. "Oh, and wake Horo up too."

"Oh, oka-AAY!"

Hao could hear his heart beating erratically as Lyserg stared straight at him, his eyes wide; as if they had witnessed something horrific.

A/N: No shit... -.-''

"I wasn't touching, only looking!" said Hao quickly, thinking he'd be accused of doing something wrong.

"H… Horo… where- where is Horo!" he asked, quickly sitting up and scanning the room.

"Here." Came a voice, and Lyserg's head whizzed round as he spotted a certain Ainu; his eyes blood-shot and hair hanging over his face lifelessly as he entered the living-room in only his boxers.

The eldest of the Asakura's covered his face in disgust. "Please, put some clothes on; I'll have nightmares for a month!"

Surprisingly, Horo didn't react to that. He didn't react to hardly anything. Not even when Yoh put a bowl of cereal in front of him, or when Hao hit him round the head with a rolled-up newspaper, nor did it bother him when Hao started drumming on his head with spoons. Alls' the Ainu did was sit at the small kitchen table, his chin resting in the palm of his hand as he stared into space.

"Horo, get dressed, now." came the harsh voice of the Tao as he entered the kitchen. "And Lyserg," he said, his eyes glancing over to the Diethel sat next to him. "Sort that wrist out, it looks bad. You may need a bandage or something."

Lyserg glanced down at the mark surrounding his right wrist, a mark that looked a lot like a hand mark. 'So… it wasn't all a dream…?'

Lyserg could only wonder. Up till now he'd thought of his so called 'experience' last night as just a horrid dream. Horo was unconscious and he was on top of him. He had no memory of what happened next, so he'd presumed it was all just a dumb dream, and that that was were it had ended. When he woke up, the first thing he remembered was his dream about Horo, and so panicked… but was it all really a dream…? But why was there a mark on his hand? Surly it couldn't have been because he'd slept funny, it was even in the shape of a hand! …But does that confirm the fact that it wasn't a dream at all, or does it only ensure that he has a sleeping disorder and subconsciously squeezed his own wrist? If that's even possible…

A/N: I had no idea were I was going with that…

"Oh, that reminds me, Lyserg, did you go anywhere last night?"

The green-haired boy snapped out of his thoughts and stared up at Yoh who was hovering over him. "…Huh…?"

"You're fully clothed in black. Someone die last night?"

"Oh, um… well, y-you see… I… we… umm…" Lyserg let out a quick caught. "Yes… yes someone did die last night… his name was Fluffy… lovely cat he was, but sadly, he died."

"…You mean Tom's still throwing that thing at people!" asked Hao.

"What?" said both Lyserg and Yoh in union.

"Tom, a mate of mine. Throws his dead cat at passers by." Yoh raised an eyebrow at his brother. "Oh, don't worry," he said quickly, realizing the look Yoh gave him. "He only throws him at people who head towards the… the…" Hao stared at Lyserg, suddenly becoming conscious of where he must have gone. "…So, someone died?"

--

Horo pulled on his trousers as he began to get dressed, just as Ren had ordered. 'Why was Lyserg dressed in black anyway?' He paused and looked at a chest of draws, then continued to dress himself. 'I don't know what's going on, but there is a reason for Lyserg sleeping on the couch in black clothes… It's actually a miracle he hasn't questioned me yet on last nights episode…'

--

Horo's eyes slowly opened, and his body was greeted by a heavy weight.

"L…Lyserg…?" he questioned, "Lyserg, get off."

Despite his order, Lyserg didn't move, and the Ainu crawled out from under him. He sat there in silence for a moment; dazed as he recalled what had happened; then an idea struck him.

Horo carried Lyserg's sleeping body back to the couch and placed him down gently, then collected the broken bits of glass; and making sure there were no fragments left, went into his own room to sleep.

You see, if Horo could make out that nothing had happened, Lyserg would think it was all just a horrid dream… or if he was really lucky, remember nothing at all.

--

The Ainu sighed. "Lyserg must have been really knackered to just fall asleep like that… I messed up big time last night; that was the worst seizure yet… I'm actually surprised my body could take that abuse…"

Horo was disturbed by a sharp knock at the door. "Horo, Horo I need to talk to you…"

'Ok, maybe I wasn't so lucky…' he thought as he heard Lyserg's voice.

"Correction, we both need to talk to you."

'Ren…? Wonder what he wants to talk about…'

The blue-haired boy who was near enough dressed, picked up a white piece of material and tied it around his head, keeping his hair out of the way; then walked over to the door and opened it.

"Yeah?" he asked, staring at both the Tao and the Diethel.

Ren barged past and entered his room, yet Lyserg simply looked at Horo, who held his arm out towards his room, showing him he was allowed to enter.

"Where were you last night?" questioned Ren as he watched Horo shut the door.

"I went for a walk. Why?"

Ren glared at him suspiciously. He'd expected him to say he was in bed, so he could point out he was lying without Horo having to ask how he knew, as Ren could easily have said he wanted to talk to him but he was gone. But now that he has admitted he'd left the house, things were going to get complicated.

"Where'd you go?" he asked, yet again Horo didn't give anything away.

"I went to the park; then wondered around the streets for a bit."

Horo was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Why was Ren asking so many questions? Did he know something?

"Horo…" said Lyserg, pausing to think over his words carefully. "…Horo, we know where you went last night…" Ren noticed the sudden change of expression on the Ainu's face as Lyserg continued. He looked both surprised, yet ashamed. "…Last night… that seizure you had… it was no dream, was it…"

The Tao's eyes widened. "What seizure!" he yelled, but quickly lowered his voice. "What are you talking about?"

"…Well… Horo was in the kitchen last night… and… he had a seizure-"

Lyserg's eyes clamped shut as he listened to the punching sound, and heard Horo stumbling backwards. When he opened his eyes again, Horo and Ren were further apart. Ren was stood with his arm outstretched, his hand in a tight first; whilst Horo had his hand on his left cheek as a thin line of blood drizzled from the corner of his mouth.

"…Why?" asked the Tao. "Why would you do such a stupid thing!"

Ren's voice grew louder as he began to shout at Horo, telling him what an idiot he was and how irresponsible he'd been.

"You think I don't know that!" yelled Horo in reply, returning the cold glare Ren was giving him. "It was stupid, I know. But you don't know what its like! You don't know what goes on in my head! It's so hard when you want something you can never have! It's hard when you're so stressed out, that it makes you sad enough to turn to drugs!"

"How many times have you taken heroin?" asked Lyserg calmly, trying his best to stop the shouting.

"…This was my second… the first time was six months ago. I had a seizure during the night, but it wasn't that bad…"

"Oh great," spat Ren, "You were a druggy six months ago, too."

Horo glared at Ren coldly. "There are things that go on in my life that you don't understand! Thing's you never will!" he yelled, and was about to leave when Ren grabbed his upper arm.

"Well why don't you make it easier and draw me a diagram." He hissed. "I'm not going to let this go Horo. Not for a long time."

"Because you care so much about me…"

Ren's grip weakened slightly. He wasn't expecting that to sound so cold; yet the shock was quickly replaced by anger, and he gripped Horo's arm twice as hard. "Yes. I do care. More than you'll ever know; now stop being such an ass and don't do this to yourself!"

Horo somehow managed to escape the firm grip Ren had on his upper arm, and opened the door, storming off into the living-room, and out the front door; leaving Ren and Lyserg to stand there.

The Diethel stared at the Tao, and wondered how such meaningless words could crush such a great warrior known as Tao Ren. "…Are you-"

Lyserg didn't get a chance to finish, for the Tao was already making his way down the cold streets.

--

Hao Asakura sighed as he watched Lyserg lying on the couch. He seemed depressed or something. Not like his normal self at all…

Maybe this was a bad time for Lyserg, but he had to know what Lyserg had been up too. He'd thought about it many times, trying to find a particular reason in his head as to why Lyserg would do it, yet no matter how many times he looked at it, it all lead back to his parents. Maybe it was their death that drove him to it; maybe it was Hao's fault. Yet why now? Why would he take heroin now? Hao knew Tom before he became a drug addict, and after, and he knew damn well that Tom would be sitting on that old fence down Dead End, scaring the crap out of people who trespassed; yet if they were a druggy, they would know all about Tom, for he would know all about them. 'I could simply ask Tom what Lyserg was doing down there…' he thought to himself, still watching the Diethyl, 'Yet I'd rather hear it from him.'

"Lyserg, can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked, hovering over the young teen.

"Sure." He replied dully.

"Privately?"

"Sure." He repeated, and walked into Hao's bedroom.

Hao closed the door behind and sat down beside Lyserg on the bed; taking a deep breath in an effort to calm his already stressed mind. He'd hoped that he wouldn't have to do this. He'd rather the house blew up and the world come to an end than sit and ask Lyserg whether he was on drugs or not. It was just so hard. How do you confront someone about something like that? "Ok… how can I put this…" he began, feeling his stomach turning. "I… I know… I…" Hao gritted his teeth and balled up his hands in frustration. "I know that you're taking drugs!"

Lyserg stared at Hao blankly. "…Excuse me…?" Lyserg couldn't believe this. Hao was accusing him of taking drugs! "Hao, what are you talking about?"

"Damn it Lyserg, don't lie!" he begged, "I'd rather you say 'it's none of your business what I do' or 'yeah, so I am. You want some?' than lie straight to my face!"

"But Hao I-" Lyserg was cut off by the Asakura telling him of how he knows Tom, and how Lyserg had mentioned Fluffy. "Hao, listen to me." The green-haired shaman seemed to somehow grab the rambling Asakura's attention long enough to explain. "Hao… I'm not on drugs… You see… Well, I suppose we would have had to tell you sooner or later, but Horo had been going out during the night, and when Ren and I went to check it out, we found he'd been using drugs. Then, somehow, we managed to sort it."

Hao stared at him. "…Seriously…? You mean Horo actually knows what a drug is?" Despite that being an insult towards the Ainu, Lyserg nodded. "Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"Because I don't think Horo would have wanted the whole world to know."

"Oh… so I cant tell people?"

"No!"

Hao frowned, yet moved closer to the Diethel. "…So… you're not on drugs? And you're not thinking about it in any way?"

Lyserg sighed. "None what so ever." The young boy looked up into those chocolaty brown eyes, and suddenly became aware of how close they were.

Hao had asked himself countless times why he's even bothering with him. The Diethel was always complicated. He expected great things from Hao, things Hao knew he could never do. He expected him to be there 24/7, to look after him forever. It just wasn't the boys' style to go out and have fun, everything had to be perfect and organised, and now, now Lyserg wasn't sure if he wanted to go out with him anymore… yet despite the many flaws in their relationship, there was just something about Lyserg that always seemed to grab his attention. What it was, he had no idea. Just something that always interested him.

Hao sighed heavily and put on a serious face."…Do you want me, or am I just waiting around for something that's never going to happen?"

The Asakura watched the Diethel carefully. His words didn't mean to come out like that, but he wasn't that bothered when the eyes of the green-haired British didn't look so dull anymore.

"…Do you love me…?" he asked, causing Hao to say the first thing that entered his mind. "Well I could try…"

Lyserg allowed a grin to form on his face as he grabbed Hao by his poncho and pulled him into a kiss.

Lyserg moaned blissfully. Oh how he'd longed to feel Hao's lips touching his once more.

Hao broke the kiss and stared at Lyserg. "…So were back on…?"

"Duh." He grinned, and the two continued to make-out on the bed.

--

"Hao, please!" said Yoh desperately, beginning to beg before he stated his request.

"…Please what?" he asked.

It had been ten minutes after Lyserg and Hao had stopped making-out, and told Yoh that they are back together. Yoh had congratulated them, yet now he was at Hao's feet, kneeling before the couch, begging Hao to do something.

"Please, could you fill in Horo's place and come to work with me?"

Hao looked down at his little brother. "You see, this is how it should have been a long time ago. Me; sat on my thrown, and you, begging for something."

"Hao, please?" he asked, his chocolate brown eyes staring up at him.

"Hmmmm…" he said, putting on a thinking look. "Nope." He smiled, and grabbed Lyserg, who was sat next to him, and buried his head into his chest.

Lyserg smiled and began to stoke Hao's hair affectionately, yet tried to ignore the puppy-eyes Yoh was giving him.

"Lyserg…?" he asked, trying to make his eyes as big as possible.

"Don't." he warned, yet despite his warning, Yoh stuck his bottom lip out. "…Hao, could you please go to work with Yoh?"

Hao stared up at Lyserg. "Hmmmm… nope!" he said again, his voice an unusual tone.

"Is it me…" said Lyserg. "Or is he acting like… a child?"

"I was going for 'total utter freak of nature' but 'child' is good too." Said Yoh, and laughed.

"Hao, have you been eating sugar again?" questioned Lyserg.

"Maaaaaaybe…"

"Yeah, it's sugar…" sighed Yoh. "…Lyserg, you couldn't come to work with me could you…?"

"Sorry Yoh. You made the rules, so you have to go by them as well. 'If Hao gets hypo, someone has to be with him until he calms down. He cannot be left alone when hypo.' Besides, last time we left him alone like this it was for five minutes; and the 'Frosted Shreddies' became 'Shreddies'."

Yoh sighed. "Looks like he's coming with me…"

"Nope!" laughed Hao.

"If you come, I'll give you a cookie." Bribed Yoh, and immediately the eldest Asakura's eyes widened. "You get one now, and one when we get back, ok?"

"Ok!" he yelled hyperactively, and snatched the cookie from Yoh's hand.

"I'll go ring up work and tell them Horo is sick."

Lyserg smiled at Hao as he munched on a cookie, taking small bites and chewing it for ages until it was nothing but mush, then swallowing.

"Uh, hi. Its me, Asakura Yoh. I was just ringing to inform you that Horo will not be coming into work today… he's got a sore throat and a pretty bad cough… uhuh… yes… what? You want to speak with Horo? …Sure."

Yoh gave Lyserg a pleading look, who sighed and walked over to Yoh, taking the phone off of him. "…He-he-hem! -Hello…? …Yeah… uhuh… I really don't think I can make it today. Hopefully I'll be well enough to come tomorrow, bu-he-he-hem- but I think I'm just gonna sleep most of the day… uhuh… ok, bye." With that, he placed the phone back on the hook. Coincidentally, Lyserg has always had a knack for impersonating Horo. He could somehow mimic the voices of everyday people, and use them over phones, as over phones, voices don't sound like they do ordinarily; that's why, over the phone, Lyserg was a genius.

"Wooow, that was so cool!" said Hao, and abandoned the remainders of his cookie to give Lyserg a hug.

Lyserg laughed. It was strange when Hao was like this, but in a good way. He was easier to please.

Hao stared at Yoh and grinned. "Yoh's such a sexy beast!" he laughed. "Know why? Because he's my twin! He has nice hair! Nice eyes! Nice ass! Yoh's so sexy!"

Yoh flashed Hao his trademark grin. "So, are you coming to work with the 'sexy Yoh'?"

"Yeah!" he yelled.

Even though Lyserg knew what Hao meant by Yoh being sexy, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy, as Hao paid most of his attention on Yoh. For some reason, when he was like this, Hao seemed to like Yoh more than anyone else, and would nearly always do what Yoh told him too. No one knows why, not even Yoh, it might just be because they are brothers… but it was just so painful seeing Hao getting attached to someone else. Wanting to be near someone else. Wanting the attention of someone else…

Lyserg forced a smile as the two twins left; then flopped backwards onto the couch. Today was going to be a long day…

--

Yoh walked down the corridors of the second block of flats they'd visited that day. His arms were tired of carrying a heavy suitcase full of shampoos' and conditioners. Hao, on the other hand, had to carry a small cardboard box full of different varieties of soap.

The young Asakura glanced across at his older brother, a big smile on his face as he walked by his side like he didn't have a care in the world. 'That's weird…' thought Yoh, 'he should have returned back to his old self by now…' Yoh sighed, catching his brothers' attention.

Hao stared at Yoh, his smile quickly fading, and a look of concern filling his face as he stopped. "What is it, otouto?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried to understand what was wrong.

Yoh stopped, yet for a moment, he didn't turn to face his brother; only stood there, his face hidden by his bangs. Hao was about to say something, when Yoh finally turned round, a big grin on his face. "Nothing, it's just, I think my arm is about to drop off." He laughed, but despite his cheesy grin, Hao couldn't help but hear a tiny voice nagging at him, telling him to look into Yoh's behaviour more; and not to let this slide.

"Um, Yoh…" he began as his brother knocked on one of the doors.

"Hm?" he asked, not even bothering to look at him.

Hao placed his box on the floor and stepped in front of Yoh, their chocolaty brown eyes locking for just a moment, before Hao wrapped his arms round his brother, pulling him into a tight hug. "Please, don't be sad." He said, "I don't like it when you're unhappy. If you ever need anyone to talk too, know that I'm here, ok?"

Yoh took a moment to react; then smiled, returning the hug. "Sorry," he apologized. "I guess I'm not myself today, huh?"

"No… no, you're not…" Hao looked behind him as the door opened; an old man in his late eighty's crouching over; the only support being his walking stick; chuckled at the two.

"Young love nowadays."

They quickly released one another from their hugs and separated, both feeling a flush of embarrassment as Yoh tried oh so hard to explain.

"No- well- um, you see- were brothers!"

The man stared at the stuttering Yoh; then realized the resemblance between the two. "Oh, incest eh?"

"No- it's not that at all! You see-" Yoh's cheeks began to flair up as Hao softly stroked his face; feeling more self-conscious of the man staring at them.

"Sshh, am I really that bad…?" he questioned, and planted a gentle kiss on his brothers' cheek.

Yoh shot daggers at Hao. "I see you're back to normal…" he muttered, and the Asakura grinned in reply.

"I'm terribly sorry but I'm kind of busy, is there something you guys wanted?"

Yoh turned his attention back to the man. He was wearing a thick green jumper and black trousers and chequered slippers. His knotted grey hair was falling out; making him look bald from a certain angle. His dull hazel eyes staring at the suitcase in Yoh's hand.

"Well, we were wondering whether you would be interested in buying any shampoo or soap." Yoh inquired politely.

"Heh, heh. Since you guys make me laugh, I'll have one bottle of shampoo, and one bar of soap."

Hao smiled, he was pleased that someone finally showed some interest, even if they were the reason someone was buying.

After visiting three more rooms, Hao was beginning to get annoyed. No one else had been even remotely interested.

"I'm sorry," the woman had answered, "I don't want any."

"No thanks. I have enough shampoo and soap to last me a lifetime."

"Sod off ya little shits!"

Yoh knocked on the last door they hadn't visited, sighing loudly. Even he was annoyed at their luck. They'd been at this all day, and only one person had actually purchased something- it was pathetic!

The door opened, and a little girl stared up at them. She looked around six, and had short black hair that fell just above her shoulders; and bright blue eyes. She wore a little pink dress that was white around the edge and pink bunny slippers, one ear of the left slipper slightly torn. "Mummy," she called, "It's Hao again!"

This took Yoh by surprise. 'Hao knows this family?'

"Hey Riku." He smiled. "How have you been?" The young girl giggled as Hao placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair until it was nothing but a tangles mess.

"I'm fine. Who is this?" she questioned, looking up at Yoh.

"I'll tell you in a minute. Can we come in?"

Riku stepped aside and let the two enter the apartment. The walls were bright and colourful, decorated with doodles and messy paintings. To the right was the living-room which contained two chairs, a couch and a television which was placed on top of a table. Along to the left was the kitchen, and straight ahead were three doors, two obviously being bedrooms, and the third one a bathroom.

Yoh placed his suitcase on the floor as a woman entered from one of the doors. She had blond hair with a blue headband and green shimmering eyes. Her clothes were somewhat cheerful. She wore an orange top with a smiley face; short faded jeans and white trainers.

"I thought I told you to piss off." She said, yet despite her words, the tone she used was calm.

"Ha,ha, yeah, um, we're just selling-"

"Yeah, and we're not buying. Last year ago you taught Riku how to toilet paper someone's house; then you showed her how to egg someone without being caught. It's bad enough with those two, but to mug other kids for candy? You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Yeah, but doesn't Riku come back with a big smile on her face going 'I can't wait till next Halloween'?"

"…………So, who's the look-a-like?" she asked, observing both Hao and Yoh stood next to one another.

'Why do you always change the subject when you can't think of a backup?' thought Hao, but decided not to take this conversation any further encase it broke out into an argument; and with Riku being here, that wouldn't be good for any of them.

"I am Asakura Yoh." He said politely, "Pleased to meet you… umm…"

"Saki."

Hao sniggered like he did every time he heard her name being spoken.

"…What's so funny about the name 'Saki'…?" asked Yoh curiously.

"Nothings wrong with the name, it's just… how she got it!"

By this point Hao had broke out into fits of laughter, and Saki sighed. "…So my mother was an alcoholic and got carried away naming her only child! Is that so damn wrong!" she hissed, punching the still laughing Hao in the arm.

Hao grinned yet his eyebrows furrowed as he started half laughing, half crying. "Anyway," continued Hao, quickly returning to his usual calm expression. "Yoh is my otouto."

"Hao, not that this little reunion isn't 'interesting', but I'm in a hurry. What do you want?"

"Well, we were wondering if you would be interested in buying some of our shampoo or soap." He replied with a cheesy grin.

Saki smiled. It was a sweet smile that made her look almost… human… "No."

Hao glared at her. She'd meant to smile like that. "…Riku," he said, squatting down before the child. "Would you like to buy some soap and shampoo?"

Riku smiled; yet had been taught well by her mother. "No."

"Saki, we have other places to go too, so hurry up and buy bitch." Hao gasped as ice cold water came flying his way; drenching his entire body. His hair stuck to his face; as did his cloths as he glared at Riku. "And that was for what, exactly?"

"No swearing at mummy." She said, before reciting what she had been taught. "Besides, it's ill-mannered and doesn't solve anything."

"…What kind of shit did you teach her…?" Hao asked, quickly grabbing hold of the bucket Riku held to stop her from wetting him again.

"It's not shit; its manners. Something you'll never have, now get out."

Hao tried to look hurt. "Oh Saki… is this about last night?" he asked, making his voice crack slightly.

"Hao, for the last time, go away."

"And what if I said no?"

Hao knew he was pushing it, but he also knew that Saki was busy. "If you go, I'll buy three bottles of your shitty shampoo, and three bars of your shitty soap."

"Five."

"Three."

"Five."

"Three."

"Five."

"Three."

"Five."

"Fine, five, whatever!"

"Score!"

Saki sighed as she removed her wallet from her back pocket. "I'm so gonna move." She muttered, as she paid the money and ordered the two Asakura's out. "Hey," she called as they were walking down the hall, "Go to number 13! They just moved there!"

"Thank you!" called Yoh, and the door shut.

As they walked down the corridors in silence, Yoh was slightly confused. 'What was that all about…?' he thought, glancing across at Hao. 'Since when did Hao know people with kids…? Scratch that, since when did Hao know people!'

Without any indication, Hao just smiled at Yoh sadly. "She's my daughter…"

Yoh accidentally dropped the suitcase on the floor due to the sudden shock. "...Hao… Y-You're lying, right?" he asked, picking the suitcase back up and facing Hao. "You're lying… right!"

Hao stared at Yoh, their eyes locked in a serious gaze. "…Yes." Hao started to laugh, but uttered a little cry as Yoh hit him in the gut with his suitcase.

"That wasn't funny." He hissed, glaring at his elder brother with an irritated expression. "How do you know them anyway?"

Hao paused his chuckling for a moment. Since when was Yoh interested in who he knew? "…Well… you know I'm a big fan of Halloween… and I guess I met Riku when I was out scrounging the city for candy…"

Yoh sighed. "Why not just say trick-or-treating?"

"Because I like to say 'scrounging'. Anyway, I met Riku and Saki was with her, and we got talking, and then I went round with them. Then somehow I ended up making a promise to Riku that I'd come to her house every year and take her trick-… to scrounge the city for candy…"

"Oh yeah? So why does Saki not like you?"

"Because I am a 'bad' influence and taught Riku the best parts of Halloween. Still, Riku is my one and only minion, but for the past few months, Saki has been strict with the both of us, and has forbidden me to take her this year."

"Oh…" replied Yoh, yet couldn't help feeling sorry for his brother; sounds like he enjoyed hanging around with Riku. "Tell you what…" Yoh grinned as a thought came to him. "Halloween is, what, a month away?" Hao nodded to confirm his question. "Then why not go together?"

Hao looked at Yoh, slightly surprised he'd find the time to even consider going out on Halloween with him. Yoh was going to give up staying inside, and come out… for him…?

"Besides," he continued, not noticing Hao's facial expression. "We could get Horo, Ren and Lyserg to come too……… cause we'd have to blackmail Ren, but yeah!" he laughed.

Yoh uttered a startled cry as his body was jerked forward towards Hao's, and felt the elder Asakura's arms wrap around him in a tight hug. "…Thank you, Yoh…" he mumbled. "You don't know how much this means to me…"

Yoh's eyes softened as he returned the hug. Did it really mean this much to him? "…I guess we should fine room 13 now huh…" he said, before releasing his brother and backing away.

Hao smiled; his eyes somehow thanking Yoh. "Yeah." And he and Yoh counted down the doors; looking for the particular number.

'What was all that about…? Surly he didn't get all happy just because I said I'd go trick-or-treating with him... I mean, I know Halloween is his kind of thing, but I didn't know he was so eager to go with someone… I don't even know what the big deal is, but whatever it is; it sure has made him happy…'

The younger of the two knocked loudly on the door of room 13 and waited for a response… nothing… he knocked again… still nothing. "No one's home…" muttered Yoh, slightly annoyed at how little they'd managed to sell so far. Sometimes business was slow, but this was ridiculous.

Hao noticed Yoh's displeased expression and groaned in annoyance; banged loudly on the door, making Yoh cringe as he yelled. "Hey, open up! We want to sell something! We know you're in there, we can hear you!"

Yoh stared blankly at his brother. "…But Hao… we can't hear anything…"

The elder Asakura couldn't help but sigh and question whether Yoh had any intelligence at all. Hao loved Yoh to bits, he was his brother after all, yet it was moments like these he couldn't help but wonder how Yoh even managed to pass a pop quiz. He really could be a thick shit at times.

"It's to let people think we know they are in there; then come out." He explained awkwardly, the explanation causing Yoh to mutter an 'Oh' in reply. "I'll give you 'Oh' you dim-witted idiot!"

Yoh raised an eyebrow at his brother; then grinned a little. "Stressful isn't it?" he questioned. Hao sighed loudly and nodded in agreement. "Very. How do you and Horo do it?"

"Magic." Grinned Yoh, yet both boys stared at the door before then as a shuffling sound was heard, followed by a clicking noise, and finally, the door opened.

The two twins stared at the small figure standing at the door. It was a young boy, around the age of ten. His shoulder-length brown hair covering most of his face, yet his big blue eyes just seemed to glare at them, despite the fact his hair was in the way.

Hao's eyes scanned the boy, his clothes baggy and torn in a few places. 'Are they poor…?' he thought, noticing that the child was bare-footed.

"What you lookin' at?" he snorted, his voice sounding croaky, as if had a sore through.

"Hey, Shit-head look out!"

Before Hao or Yoh could react to anything, the young boy stumbled forwards, banging into Hao; causing the two to fall backwards, Hao hitting the ground, and the boy falling on top of him.

Yoh stared at the leather ball that had struck the youngster, then back at the two on the floor. "…Umm… Hao…?" he asked, noticing the Asakura's fists begin to shake. "…Hao…?" he asked again, yet was slightly surprised when Hao quickly shoved the boy off of him and got up, glaring down at the child.

"What the fuck was that all about!" he yelled, desperately trying to control his temper.

The child only returned the glare, narrowing his eyes in pure hatred. "Well if you'd use your brain you'd realize that I was hit in the back of the head with a ball, baka!" he spat, yet of course, this only pissed Hao off even more.

"Kids! Have no fuckin respect." He mumbled; then began to yell again. "And don't be so damn lippy you little shit! I've had a rough day, so don't even attempt to piss me off!"

This caused a small, mischievous smirk to spread its way across the small boys' face as he whispered quietly. "…Kisama…"

"Hao! Touch him and I'll never forgive you!" warned Yoh, clutching Hao's arm as he grasped the boys' jumper, pulling him closer so that they were face-to-face.

"Myro, get in here, now!" came a sharp feminine voice from inside. "Boku, stop throwing things and clean up this mess! Sazi, help your brother! ….Myro! I said now!"

Myro sighed loudly. "Coming Mom!" he replied, and waited for Hao to release him.

"…Oh, you think I'm letting you go after the shit you just gave me…?" he asked, still glaring at him.

"Hao!" Yoh warned again, the grip on Hao's arm slowly tightening. Yoh was confused. Hao hadn't had a hard day at all. Sure, he'd gotten a bit grouchy once or twice, but he hadn't had that much of a bad day… maybe Hao was angry at someone, and was just letting out his anger on this kid, yet, why would he be angry in the first place…? Hao was so hard to figure out at times.

The elder Asakura glared dagger at him for a moment, then shoved him back onto the floor. "Ch, you're not even worth my time…" he grumbled.

"Same." He hissed in reply, before running into the apartment and slamming the door.

"…Stupid little shit…" he mumbled.

"Kisama!" yelled a voice from inside.

Hao clenched his fists again. "Oh yeah! Come out here and say that to my face!"

"…Hao…?" said Yoh, his voice in a slight whisper.

"What?"

The harshness in his brothers' voice caused Yoh's eyebrows to furrow. "…You're… You're not yourself today… a few minutes ago you were laughing and now you're…"

"Pissed off?" he finished, his harshness ceasing to die. Hao listened to his brothers' sigh. "…Sorry…" he muttered. "I'm not pissed off… just annoyed… I can't stand little kids giving me shit…"

Yoh's voice went soft as he chuckled half-heartedly. "Sounds like you don't like kids…"

"Oh no, I like kids…" reassured Hao, "…Just don't like kids who give me shit." The elder Asakura inhaled deeply; then exhaled in an attempt to calm himself, trying to rid himself of the negativity that surrounded him. Yoh perked up slightly as he saw a grin appear on his brothers' face. "Let's try that again, shall we?"

This time it was Yoh who knocked, making it sound not too aggressive yet not to timid; and the two awaited a response.

"Hello…?" called a voice through the door.

Hao could tell it wasn't Myro, it was much higher and was defiantly female.

"Hi, we're salesmen, and were wondering if you were interested in buying any of our fabulous products?" said Yoh, sounding like he was a professional salesman.

Hao looked at his brother with a questioning look. "Fabulous…? Yoh, were selling soap and shampoo, not a friggin flamethrower."

"Well I have to get her to buy this somehow…" he mumbled in reply, keeping his voice low so that the woman didn't hear.

"One minute…" she called, and within seconds, the door was once again opened.

This time, however, standing before them wasn't Myro, it was what they could only presume to be his mother. She wore a long, silky black dress with black sandals to match. Her sleek black hair fell down to her waist, and her deep blue eyes stared at them almost curiously. "What is it you are selling?" she asked.

Yoh felt almost ashamed to say it. It was so embarrassing saying you were selling 'soaps and shampoo'.

"Oh, well, in that case, no."

Hao stared at her for a moment, totally silent; then, as if Yoh's day couldn't get any worse, Hao said something he really shouldn't have. "…Really…! You're not buying soap and shampoo…?" The woman nodded, and began closing the door, yet still Hao had to continue. "But- no offence- you stink!"

Yoh's eyebrow twitched as he forced a faulty smile. ''No offence', he says...'

The woman before them had flame flickering in her eyes which made Yoh quiver, then delivered a sharp slap to Hao's face, before slamming the door.

Yoh listened to a chain rattle. She'd locked the door.

"…Serves you right you know…" said Yoh quietly, staring at Hao who had placed a hand over his cheek and was now rubbing it, trying to rid himself of the slight stinging sensation. "If you hadn't had said 'you stink' she wouldn't have slapped you…"

The younger of the two picked up the suitcase and began to walk down the hallway, quickly accompanied by Hao. "Well I did say 'no offence'…" he mumbled, "Geez, some people today are so touchy."

--

The two brothers entered their home, and as soon as Hao saw Lyserg, his eyes softened and a soft 'awwww' escaped his mouth. The Diethel had curled up in a ball in a corner of the room and had fallen into a peaceful sleep.

Yoh tilted his head and smiled warmly, watching his body rise slightly, then fall back down. "He looks so peaceful…"

"Yeah…" agreed Hao softly.

"Gonna go wake him up?" he asked, and Hao grinned evilly. "Hell yeah!"

Yoh smiled and shook his head. It was simply amazing how Lyserg could cope with such a person. It was also amazing as to how well Lyserg has taken to living under the same roof as him; for a while back, he would have attempted to kill him countless times by now, and the thought of him ever loving his parents' killer, or of Hao ever being loved by anyone at all seamed near impossible. Perhaps it was time that caused it; after all, time does have a way of changing things. If you're with something long enough, you get attached- so it's only natural the same can be said for people, right?

Lyserg steered in his sleep as Hao continuously pulled out small strands of green hair; watching closely as the Diethel scrunched up his face and groaned in complaint.

"Bless, he's so cute when he does that…" said Hao adoringly, and stroked the side of his face before gently placing a soft kiss upon his lips.

The Diethel's eyes fluttered open and a smile formed on his face as he stared up at Hao, who had returned the smile. "Afternoon, Sleeping Beauty. Tell me, what brings you to this corner of the room?"

Lyserg chuckled and gave Hao a quick peck on the cheek. "I was tired and just curled up here… don't know why though…" Hao smiled as a hand cupped his cheek. "I'm glad you're back…"

Hao let out a long, loud sigh. "Yeah, me too. Today was awful! I really don't know how Yoh and Horo can do that almost every day! Talk about abuse!"

"Uhh… yeah… here's were I need to talk to you both…"

Yoh walked over to them with a glass of orange juice, obviously hearing that Lyserg had something to say; and crouched next to Hao, giving the Diethel his full attention.

"Well, you see… I received a phone call about half an hour from when you guys got back, and it wasn't good…"

"Oh?" asked Yoh, taking a sip of his juice and glancing at Hao to see if he was paying attention.

"Yoh… You… Well someone put a pretty bad complaint in about you two… and… You and Horo got fired…" he finished, and waited for some sort of reaction.

Yoh stayed perfectly still, staring at Lyserg with the glass in his mouth, when suddenly, he spat the orange juice back into the cup.

Hao felt horrible. He knew this was his fault, and he knew he shouldn't… but he did.

Lyserg glared at Hao as he burst into laughter. "Y-Y-Yoh's gone into sh-shock! PAHAHAHAHAHA- ew!"

The younger Asakura glared at his brother as he put the now empty glass on the floor. "It's not funny, Hao." He scolded, staring at his now drenched brother. "How are Horo and I going to pay the bills? How are we going to pay for new things? What are we going to do all day! You've lost Horo's job as well as mine, Hao! What do I say! 'Sorry Horo, guess what, we don't have jobs anymore'!'"

"Hello! That's orange!"

"Guess what Hao, I couldn't care less!" he yelled in reply, and gave Hao an icy look, before standing up, and going to his room.

Hao's bangs fell over his face in shame as he sat there. He'd lost two of his best friend's their job. Yoh and Horo had been in that business for nearly three years, and in just one day, Hao had managed to screw everything up, and make those three long years count for nothing. 'I…I didn't mean to make you mad, Yoh… I didn't mean it…'

--

Golden eyes glared at Hao as he explained about both Horo and Yoh's job, his face full of shamed. "You what?"

"I-I'm sorry-" he began, yet was cut off by Ren's eyes as they narrowed even further into slits. "I know damn well you're sorry!" he hissed, "But 'Sorry' isn't going to get Yoh a job is it!"

Hao stared hard at the floor; like a child being told off for stealing a sweat before dinner. "…No…" he mumbled quietly.

A/N: Awwww! n.n (pats Hao) bless

"So, where is he?" enquired the Tao, noticing he hadn't seen Yoh since he'd gotten home.

Hao pointed towards Yoh's bedroom, and sat on the couch beside Lyserg as he watched the Tao knock. "Yoh… Yoh its Ren, I need to talk to you about something…" despite not knowing whether the Asakura was upset or just plain annoyed, the tone he used was firm.

After seconds of waiting, the door opened slightly and Yoh's head poked out. "Yeah?" he asked, yet his voice wasn't moody like he'd expected, and he wore his usual plain expression.

"…What are you doing…?" he asked, trying to look into Yoh's bedroom.

The young Asakura opened the door further to show there was nothing to hide. "I'm looking through the Yellow Pages, have been doing ever since I heard me and Horo were fired, why?"

"Oh, no reason. Anyway-"

"So you're not mad at me?" interrupted Hao, his voice showing signs of hope.

Yoh sighed. "Well, I was… still am, but that doesn't mean I'm not your friend… You're my brother after all."

"Yes, well, now that that's out of the way, perhaps you'd like to know that I have a job- Yoh! Stop squeezing me so friggin tight!" Ren squirmed uncomfortably as Yoh cut of his air supply. He could have sworn he was squeezing him as hard as he possibly could. "Y-Yoh!" he yelled, his voice becoming weak.

"Sorry." he apologised, and released the Tao, who'd begun to caught and gasp for air. "Sorry Ren. I'm just so happy!" he beamed, grinning like there was no tomorrow.

"Yes, yes. Now, it's at 'Kirk's Fitness Centre'. I'm a member there, and I've been going there quite a lot recently. Apparently someone retired and they've been short-staffed for a while, as not many people know how to work every piece of apparatus. Kirk came up to me when I was training and offered me a job as a fitness instructor, so naturally I took it. It's brilliant. I can train, and earn money for doing so."

"The End." Muttered Hao, and applauded. "What a fabulous story-"

Talking ceased to exist and heads turned and stared at him as he entered. His eyes swept over the room. 'Good' he thought, 'Everyone's here.'

"…Were have you been? Haven't seen you all day." Yoh grinned.

"…Sorry… Went for a walk…" muttered Horo, and as he passed Ren and Lyserg, he asked them to follow.

Lyserg closed the door to Horo's bedroom quietly. "And…?" asked Ren. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

The Ainu breathed in deeply; then let out a long, relaxing sigh, before grabbing Ren, and pulling him into a tight hug. "I'm sorry." Ren fought hard to hold back a shiver. Horo was practically breathing the words into his ear. "I'm so, so sorry. I was doing some thinking… and… I was being an ass. You guys were only tying to help me…" The Ainu released Ren, staring into his golden eyes. "and I tried to push you away…"

Ren searched the eyes of the Ainu before him; searching them for some sort of sign that he was being deceitful and the evidence that he would do this again… yet thankfully, found no such thing.

"And you, Lyserg…" Horo abandoned Ren and walked up to Lyserg, pulling him into a hug like he had done Ren. "You also tried to help me, and it wasn't right for me to treat you guys the way I did."

"So, you're not going to do that again?" questioned the Tao. Horo shook his head whilst releasing the Diethel. "Never." He replied.

"How can we believe you…?" asked Lyserg, finding it hard for one to come off of drugs after a walk around the block.

Horo thought about it for a moment; then raised his right hand. "You have my word as a friend."

All was silent for a moment, before Ren sighed in relief. "Very well then, but know that if you break your word, we will be enemies; and I'll never forgive you."

--

Ren moaned as he felt Yoh's tongue exploring his mouth; his fingers gripping his purple hair, making the kiss more passionate. Yoh loved it when it was like this, when it was just the two of them alone in the bedroom together, but still, he couldn't help but feel as if Ren was putting off something.

Yoh abandoned Ren's lips and moved onto his neck, nipping and licking as a hand slithered up the Tao's top.

Ren shivered with delight as he felt the tips of Yoh's cold fingers running up and down his body, causing him to let out a soft moan. The cold fingertips continued to go down to his thigh, yet Ren's golden eyes snapped open as a hand slid in-between his legs, gently grasping somewhere he didn't want being touched.

"W-What are you doing…?" asked Ren, staring at Yoh, a horrified look placed on his face as Yoh attempted to unzip the jeans he was wearing. He felt even more afraid as Yoh placed a finger on his lips. "Isn't it obvious…?" he asked, before slipping a hand inside.

Ren stiffened as he felt Yoh move around. 'Why is Yoh doing this? Does he not know I'm not ready for something like this to happen yet? I-I don't want it! I don't-'

"Stop!" he yelled, and re-moved the hand from out of his jeans. "…Please… don't do that…" he begged. "Just… don't… I-I don't… I'm not… I'm just not ready…"

Yoh stared at the golden eyes, quickly realising how full of fear they were. "Ren… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"It's ok…" he replied, his voice close to a whisper. "It's ok, you didn't know…"

"…Yoh… I need to think about stuff… would you…?"

Ren smiled thankfully as Yoh nodded in understanding and left the Tao's bedroom.

Ren sighed and flopped backwards onto his bed. Somehow… somehow that didn't feel right at all. Truth be told, he'd never been so scared in his life. When Ren had pictured something like that happening, he'd always imagined it would be with…

The Tao rolled onto his side and glanced at the photo of the gang on the table beside him, staring into the ocean blue eyes like he always did. "…Horo…"

--

Lyserg yawned as he sat in front of the T.V. Hao had found a film about dragons which had interested him, yet the only part that had interested him in the first place was that the dragon could breath fire and burn villages. It hadn't been that interesting so far, but Hao seemed to enjoy it.

The Diethel glanced across at Hao. He was sat on the other side of the couch, with Yoh in the middle- both had their eyes glued to the T.V.

"NO!"

Lyserg jumped as both Hao and Yoh shouted as the man drew his sword into the dragon.

"You scared the crap out of me!" yelled Horo, who had been ironing clothes at the time, and had burnt his finger on the hot metal.

"Well Bowen just rammed his sword into Draco and Draco gave his heart to that son-of-a-bitch and now both of them will die and it's so sad because he's the only thing that breaths fire in this film!" said Hao, hissing viciously as the 'son-of-a-bitch' appeared on the television screen.

Yoh hushed the two as he tried to listen to what they were saying, when instead, he heard a familiar tune. He turned his head round and out an arm on the back of the couch, staring at an oblivious Horo as he sang quietly to himself, and that's when it hit him… that day when he tried to sneak up on Ren in the shower, Ren had been humming the same tune. Yoh strained his ears, and caught some of the lyrics; and for some reason he smiled. The lyrics… they were so sweet.

'The smile on your face

Lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes
Saying you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says

You'll catch me whenever I fall
You say it best
When you say nothing at all'

Unicorn13564: Forever and ten days later! You wouldn't believe how long this took me! . I had writers block on this chapter for well over a week! Anyway… yah, its way long… sorry. Guess I made up for lost time. I actually thought it was gonna be a short chapter… o.o'' I'm catching up to myself now. I've got half of the next chapter done, so updates may be slower, as before I had 5 already done. Bless, Horo is… well, was, a druggy… v.v And Yoh is movin to fast for Ren… bless… Oh, the film they were watching was 'Dragon Heart'. It's a pretty good film I guess. I heard that song Horo was singing on an advert about pets and I was like 'awwwwww!' n.n