Ffff, sorry. Totally forgot to update this. D: Only I can fail that well. XD;

One more chapter after this. I'll try to remember to update faster this time. XD

Comments are always welcome!


The following morning when he awoke, feeling muddled and groggy, Tear was gone, replaced by some person he had never seen before. When he asked after her, he was told that she had gone home for the day, having already worked long overtime the day before. Yuri had to admit that he was a bit...flattered that she would do so just to keep an eye on him. Even if it was just her job.

Later that day, Flynn dropped by with a few of their friends.

"Smart one, Sexy. Wish I had your talent at getting eaten."

Yuri grinned a bit at Zelos' nickname for him. "Yeah right, Pinky. You're just jealous that I'm getting the hot nurses looking after me."

"Ouch. You got me there."

"You two are hopeless," Flynn muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Aw, is Blondie jealous?"

"No, he is not, Zelos."

Yuri laughed at his friends' antics. "You sure there, Flynn?"

"Quite, thank you, Yuri."

"Um, Zelos, why would you want a hot nurse?"

"Aw, Hun," the redhead muttered, walking over and slinging and arm over the innocent brunet's shoulders, "We're just having some fun. You know you're the only one for me."

"Zelos, stop teasing Lloyd."

"Aw, Blondie. You're taking all the fun out of it. Besides, who says I'm only teasing?"

"Z-Zelos?"

At that moment, their banter was broken up by the arrival of Doctor Jade Balfour, who quickly shooed the young men from the room.

"Don't die of loneliness without us, Sexy!"

"I'll try not to, Pinky!"

"Now, Mister Lowell, how do you feel today?" Jade asked, clearly intent on ignoring the friends' banter.

"Like I could run a marathon," he replied with a grin.

"Yes, well, if you try it, do not come crying to me when you die."

Yuri laughed. "Alright, Doctor Mambo. If I win I'm not sharing the prize money with you either, though."

"I'll make it some how.

"Now, how about we take a look at that leg?"

Sitting back on his pillows, Yuri let the snide doctor throw back his blankets to inspect his injured limb. When the bandages had been removed, Yuri got his first good look at the injury. What he saw made his eyebrows rise into his forehead.

Whistling softly, he muttered, "Wow, guess it really took a hunk outta me."

"Yes, indeed. In the future, might I suggest not offering to be the main course in a gnathostome's lunch?"

"Hey, I hardly offered," Yuri replied, rolling his eyes. "I think it was more that it decided I looked like a good appetiser."

The doctor sniffed, shaking his head. "Shark attacks are always human provoked. That creature only went after you because of some fault of your own."

The dark-haired young man snorted. "Whatever you say, Doctor Mambo."

The honey-haired man adjusted his glasses. "The fact that you survived tells me at least have some knowledge of the behaviour of sharks. Clearly not enough, however. You did manage to provoke it."

Yuri snorted. "Fine. You win. I asked that shark to try and eat my leg. I get off on being dinner."

Jade laughed at that. "Next time you decide to 'get off' then, kindly do it away from my hospital."

Yuri was not entirely sure whether he liked his doctor or not. The man had wit to put even Yuri himself to shame, certainly, yet he was also a jerk. Still, glancing down at his leg it was hard not to also note that the man had saved his leg, if not his life.

His leg really was a sight. The injury had been so bad that it could not even be stitched up, so the flesh was tentatively held together with dried blood and some fancy concoction or another that Jade had to have put on him. Still, he was told that with the right physiotherapy it would not affect his mobility much. He might limp a bit, or so Jade had said, but he would be able to get around fine.

The next day, Yuri was released from the hospital. Much to his disappointment, he did not get to see Tear again. Still, he was more than happy to get out of the confining room.

"So, now who gets to watch over your sorry ass, Yuri? You can't live alone like this," Flynn muttered as he wheeled his friend out of the hospital.

"Oh, I'm staying with you."

The blond snorted. "Says who?"

"Says your noble and good self, Master Scifo."

"I don't recall agreeing to this."

Yuri rolled his eyes. They both knew that had been Flynn's way of offering to help Yuri out for a bit, so why the hell was he arguing? Unless...

"Hahah, did you have a date with Cat's Eyes?"

"She has a name, Yuri!" the blond objected, blushing.

"Yeah, but mine suits her better. So, I'm guessing you want me out of the house that night, hm? Alright, I can do that." He highly doubted he was going to need much 'looking after', anyway. He had crutches for once he felt better, and he figured he would be on them by tomorrow.

No. He meant to be.

"I...would appreciate it. You two hardly get along."

Waving one hand lightly, Yuri chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. She hates me, you can say it."

"Yuri, I hardly thi—"

"—Flynn, remember that time the cops showed up at the orphanage when we were kids?"

"Yes. You cannot be insinuating that Sodia had something to do with that! Yuri, we were barely twelve!"

"Remember those murders that were committed that summer?"

"Yes...Yuri, what are you saying?"

"Cat's Eyes called the cops and told 'em that I was the culprit. I guess since I sorta looked the suspect, she actually thought I'd done it. Talk about having confidence in a guy." When his friend did not respond immediately, Yuri sighed. "You mean you honestly didn't know?"

"I...find it difficult to believe that she would do such a thing."

"Whatever, Flynn." Yuri sighed. If he was denying that, then there really was no point in going further into the girl's reasons for hating Yuri himself. The blond would probably be all dumb and not get it, anyway. For a smart guy, Flynn was a naïve idiot.

"A-anyway, Yuri. We should be heading home."

"Well, you're the one with the handles to this thing, aren't you?"

"Uh, r-right." And with that, the two set off.

Tear had two days off, after her long night at the hospital. She intended to use them well. It was not often she was given multiple days off in a row, so she thought it best to make use of that time and do things that needed doing.

At least, that was her plan. It seemed her friends had other things in mind, however.

"Hey, Tear, let's go."

"Uh, where are we going, Noelle?"

"Shopping. Now that you have some money to spend, we need to work a bit on your wardrobe."

"Yes, Tear. That is quite right. Your clothing is terribly out of style."

The brunette sighed. "Honestly, Natalia. It can't be that bad."

"I agree with you, Tear. They're dragging me along on this stupid mission, though. So if I have to go, you're coming too," muttered the third member of the party, a well-endowed young woman with hair as dark as Yuri's.

Wait. Yuri's? Why on earth would she be comparing Sheena to Yuri? Not only had she known Sheena far longer, but...but...

"Hey, Tear. You in there?"

"Yes. Sorry, Sheena."

"It's not like you be spacing out like that, you feeling okay?"

"Come, let us be off," urged Natalia

"I'm fine, Sheena," Tear assured her as they walked.

"Whatever you say."

"It's just...this guy."

"Wait, a guy?"

"Tear, you never told me this!" Natalia exclaimed, clearly shocked.

"H-huh?"

"Yeah, Tear. You can't go around keeping secrets like that," Noelle told her with a wink. "We can't allow that."

Glancing between her three friends, Tear paled slightly.

"Well, Tear? Details!"

Glancing to her one friend that was not pestering her, Tear sent her a pleading look.

"Oh no, Tear. I'm curious, too," Sheena told her, smirking a bit.

"There's nothing to tell. Idiot got himself attacked by a shark, and we had to take care of him."

"It's not like you to be so malicious, Tear."

The brunette wanted to groan at Natalia's comment.

"I'm sorry; it's just that he's an insufferable fool."

Sheena raised one eyebrow. "That you like, right? I mean, I'm not sure I've ever heard you quite that passionate since...ever."

"Hardly. He's just...I don't know how someone can get attacked like that and then joke about it. He can't be right in the head," she muttered, sighing.

"Or you're just interested," Noelle teased gently. "Was he hot?"

"Yes, I suppose he was." Understatement of the century. "But that's not the problem. It's just, I meet him a few months ago in school, and ever since then, he's been on my mind. I must confess that that is not like me. It's so...irrational. Then he comes walking back into my life, and once again he's gotten himself stuck in my head." She sighed wistfully. It was so...annoying. "Yet all I want to do is throw something at him."

"Sure sounds like you're interested in him, Tear."

"Yes, Tear. I must agree with Noelle on this. You do seem a bit smitten with him."

Tear was horrified. How was it that her own closest friends were betraying her so thoroughly? She had spent the last few months convincing herself that was not the case, and here they were, effectively unravelling it all.

"Guys, leaver her alone."

Thank goodness for Sheena. Her guardian angel.

"If she wants to be in denial, then who are we to deny her that?"

...so much for that.

"Oh, look, there's the mall!" she said, pointing. Hopefully she would be able to distract them.

No such luck, of course. She was going to be in for one long afternoon.

The following days passed in a blur for the brunet. Her friends continued to try and weasel details of Yuri out of her, to which she stubbornly kept her mouth closed. It was not like she could answer most of their questions, anyway. Because no, she did not know what his favourite colour was. Honestly.

Eventually, they laid off, accepting that Tear was intent on, once again, forgetting about him.

Until he showed up at the hospital one day. She knew he had been in several times since the accident to have his injury cleaned, but she had never been the nurse on staff at the time. Now, however, here he was, on his own two feet and looking none the worse for wear. Certainly he was limping rather badly, but he was walking unsupported. That had to be good.

"Hey, Miss Melons!"

Flushing at his nickname for her, the young intern looked up to meet his dark eyes calmly. "Yes?"

"Long time no see. I never did get to thank you for drugging me that night."

She blinked. Of all the things to say, why...?

"I merely did that for your own good," she finally relied, still unsure where their conversation was supposed to be going.

"Hey, wasn't I thanking you?"

It had not sounded very 'thankful'.

"Of course. Now, did you need something? I have work to be doing."

He laughed at that. "Nope, not really. Just thought I'd say hi."

"Well, hello. Now, I really must be on my way."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Two days later, he was back. Then again two days after then. When he returned again three days after that, she finally got up the nerve to ask him why he kept hanging around the hospital.

His answer left her kicking herself. Obviously. Physiotherapy after an injury like that was a natural step. Why she had not thought about it astounded her. Or maybe it did not. In all honesty, she had, more-or-less, tried to avoid thinking of it. Had she done so, she would have ended up imagining stupid things. This was a much better, much more...real answer. It was good.

Several weeks passed with him coming in three days a week for physiotherapy. It became something of a tradition for them to talk for a bit after his class, while Tear was on her coffee break. She was relieved her friends seemed to have forgotten about him, or else she might have actually been able to answer some of their questions. She would never have been able to live that down.

One day, however, the unexpected happened. She was just clocking out for her break when he strode up to her, as per usual. Meeting his cocky grin with a small smile, she could not help but notice how smoothly he was moving, at least compared to before. He would never walk perfectly again, but one could hardly complain about getting off with such a small price after such an attack.

Walking over to him, she was surprised to note that, for just an instant, it looked like he was nervous. Then it was gone again, buried beneath a mask of total confidence. She had probably just imagined it, anyway.

Their visit started off as it usually did. Light banter, idle conversation, small talk, nothing serious. About midway through her break, however, Yuri surprised her.

"Hey, Tear."

"Hm?" she asked, wondering idly when exactly it had been that he had started using her name. Awhile back, anyway. Her real name was common on his lips, now. No more demeaning nicknames. Thank gosh.

"Flynn and I were planning to go out with Cat's Eyes tomorrow night." Cat's Eyes? Right. Flynn's girlfriend. Wait. Why on earth would he be mentioning that...? "Did you wanna come?"

Oh. For a split second, Tear froze. At face value, it seemed like a harmless enough question, yet a moment's more thought led her to one conclusion: he was asking her out. He was asking her out, and there was no way to deny that her heart leapt a bit at the idea.

She also could not deny the way she hastened to say yes, or how her heart pounded in her throat at the way he grinned when she agreed.

Yes, she was falling for him, hook, line, and sinker, a fact that she could hardly hide from her friends.

When asked if she would be joining them for their weekly girls' night out, they were naturally curious as to why she would be bailing on them.

And understandably livid when she told them why.

"Tear! You cannot honestly be saying that you and he have been going out all this time without telling any of us!" Natalia exclaimed with a frown.

"No, we have not. This is his first time...asking me out. It was only a friendly thing before now." Oh gosh, but that was awkward to say.

"Yeah, but Tear...you did like him the whole time, right? I mean, it's really not nice to hide things like that from your friends," the blonde pilot lectured.

And so it went, back and forth, with only Sheena remaining silent. Something told Tear that while the other two were somewhat offended, Sheena was actually mad. She did not really blame the dark-haired girl. They had been best friends since childhood. She had owed Sheena an explanation since day one.

After awhile of Natalia and Noelle arguing over what Tear was going to wear, the brunette left them to it to sit by her friend.

"You mad at me, Sheena?"

"How can you tell?" came the flat response, eliciting a sigh from Tear.

"Sheena...please try and understand that I-I honestly never thought it would come to this. Really. I didn't want you guys getting all worked up over it if it was just a friendly thing. I figured if I got to know him, and we became friends for awhile, I could introduce you guys later, when it was...safe to do so."

"Even me, Tear?"

"What if I promise to let you meet him first?" Tear finally replied in a lowered tone.

"You better mean that." She was clearly not happy, but Tear also knew she was forgiven.

"And you'd better mean to have me as Maid of Honour."

Well, that was awkward.