Yo.

Time for the next bit.

Enjoy~

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Chapter 2

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"He tried to give you his eyes...?" Sugino's voice was clearly surprised as he stared blankly at the black tengu next to him.

Haruka laid back on the warm roof tiles beneath him and let out a tired sigh. "Yeah... He was delirious from the fever though. He didn't know what he was saying..." For some reason admitting that out loud made a strange hollow ache form in his chest.

"Oh..." Sugino looked up at the clouds floating by for a moment before he finally glanced back curiously. "Did you take them?"

His own eyes shooting open, Haruka sat up quickly and glared at the mountain god. "Of course not! How horrible do you think I am?!" he demanded indignantly. 'Did he really expect me to..?'

Sugino's green eyes blinked in confusion at the show of emotion. "What? You said he gave them to you..."

"I'm not about to tear them out of his damn skull!" Haruka snapped. He felt insulted. He wasn't sure why, but he did all the same.

The mountain god was quick to wave his hands to calm his friend down. "Easy, Demon Eater... Why is this bothering you so much? This isn't like you." he pointed out with a frown.

Now that it was mentioned, Haruka knew he was right. He hunched forward and gripped tightly at his hair. "He.. He wanted me to.. Even though I told him it would kill him... He wanted me to take out his eyes... He even threatened to order me to do it..."

Black eyebrows rose in alarm. "Wow... That's pretty twisted even for him... Why did he offer you them in the first place? That's what I don't get." Sugino readily admitted.

The black tengu pulled his knees up to his chest and held them tightly. It was a protective gesture, but he didn't care. "His sickness.. It's making his eyes shine... Sparkle brightly even in the dark..." he muttered, still seeing those eyes in front of him.

Finally Sugino understood. "I see... Since you love things that sparkle... He offered you his eyes because you liked how they sparkled..."

Haruka folded his arms over his drawn up knees and rested his chin on them. "Yeah... When I kept refusing to take them... He said they were still mine. He still gave them to me. He finally backed down when I told him to keep them for me." He buried his face in the crook of his arm before letting out a frustrated growl. "I keep seeing them in my head... Like I'm under some sort of spell..." He glanced towards Sugino briefly. "Any chance that may be it? That this is just some spell he cast on me last night?"

Sugino shook his head with a look of skepticism in his eyes. "Not that I'm aware of. It doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard of..." He trailed off for a moment, and couldn't stop the smile that formed on his lips. "Heh... I hate to say this... But it really is a beautiful gift, if you think about it."

That left Haruka staring at the normally jaded tengu. "Beautiful gift? What do you mean?"

"Well, humans always take their sense of sight for granted. Kantarou is one of the few that cherish it. Probably because he can see into our world." Sugino started lightly. He shifted on the tiles he was sitting on so he could face the Demon eater. "Many say that the eyes show the soul. So really, by giving you his eyes... Kantarou was offering you his soul."

"His soul?" Haruka repeated on a whisper. "But why would he do that?"

The mountain god shrugged carelessly. "It's Kantarou. He's crazy to begin with. I'd say with this fever he's probably a raving lunatic." He smirked slightly as he looked back towards the sky. "But I have to admit.. The little bastard has style. Even in that state, you'd have to have iron clad trust and devotion to someone to offer up your eyes as a gift." He gave a sly glance towards Haruka. "I wouldn't blame you if you were tempted... Those red eyes of his are intriguing. I've always wondered why he looked so strange for someone that was born and raised here."

The thought soon had Haruka frowning. "I.. I've never asked him... He never speaks about it. Once.. When we were in a crowd of people they all pointed it out and started laughing... Making fun of him... He looked so scared when it was brought to his attention. Like something bad had happened before because of it."

"It may have..." Sugino mumbled. "Humans are most cruel to one another... And those are just the average ones. A guy like Kantarou who does the things that he does... He's probably been abused because of his differences."

Haruka looked at the white tengu thoughtfully. "Are you sympathetic towards Kantarou?"

Sugino visibly bristled on hearing the question. "Wha? No! Of course not! Wife stealing bastard can rot in hell.." he grumbled while folding his arms stiffly over his chest.

A faint smirk formed over Haruka's face. "Ah, back to normal. You were beginning to worry me."

"Haruka-chan? Are you up there?"

Ignoring the slight blush on Sugino's cheeks, Haruka moved to the edge of the roof and looked down into the garden. "What is it, Youko?"

The kitsune was wiping her hands on a small towel as she looked up at the tengu. "Could you go to the city and bring back some ice cream for Kan-chan? I would go, but it would melt by the time I walked back."

"Why ice cream?"

"Kan-chan can't eat anything really solid right now because he's been coughing too much. It might choke him. Plus Ice cream would help his fever." Youko explained calmly. Haruka didn't have much experience dealing with sick humans, so she was going to have to be patient.

That made sense, so Haruka nodded. "Okay. I'll get some ice while I'm out as well."

Youko instantly smiled at the gesture. "That would be great. Thanks, Haruka-chan."

Now with a task to do, Haruka stood and released his black wings. "Thanks for the talk, Sugino."

Sugino couldn't answer when the sound of strong wings pushing against the air interrupted him. He was then left watching as Haruka's form grew smaller in the distance. Once the Demon eater was far enough away, Sugino frowned deeply. Silently, he moved from the roof and flew down to the open window that led to Kantarou's room. He peeked his head inside, and readily saw the sick man panting softly under a pile of blankets.

He easily slipped inside the room and moved for the mattress. There he crouched down next to it and looked over the flushed face. The pale hair was plastered against the flushed sweat soaked face, and dark circles clung under his eyelashes. "Wow... You look like shit." he chuckled.

A weak amused hum left the shivering body. "You're always so flattering, Sugino-sama..."

Snorting, Sugino sat himself down next to the writer's bed. "Don't get used to it... So.. Demon eater told me what you did last night."

A faint frown formed over Kantarou's brow as he clutched tighter to the blankets around him. "Could you remind me? Right now I can barely remember my own name..."

The green gaze narrowed slightly. "Demon eater said you gave him your eyes..."

It took him a few seconds, but a tired smile curled the pale lips. "Yeah.. I did..."

"Did you mean it? Or are you just crazy?"

"I'm probably completely insane at this point.. But I meant what I said..." Crimson eyes cracked open before focusing on the tengu. "I want Haruka to have them if he wants them..."

Sugino was at a loss when he finally saw the brilliant shimmer that had befallen the scarlet eyes. "Damn... Now I know why he wants them... But that will go away when you get better, right?" he asked while lightly poking at the heated cheeks.

Kantarou nodded and let his eyes slip back closed. "Yeah.. I tried to talk him into taking them from me before I got better... I think that's where the insane part kicked in.." he chuckled, but it turned into a harsh cough. He hid his face under the blankets as he coughed and groaned when he was finished. "Dammit... I seriously underestimated that guy... I hate Ekibiogami followers.. They're always a pain in the ass..."

"So you've been cursed by one before?" Sugino asked curiously.

The red eyes opened slightly as he thought back. "No... A friend of mine was... I wasn't strong enough to break the curse back then... He died from the fever..." A rueful little smirk appeared the longer he thought about it. "He would probably laugh at me now... I can hear him saying 'you lazy bastard, you still haven't figured out that stupid sickness curse yet?'"

"Odd way to speak of something that sad."

Kantarou gave a weak shrug. "He was old... Almost 90... Even if I did break the curse in time, his body would never have recovered... He died with a smile... So I wasn't too sad." He glanced back to the hazy form watching him. "Was there something you needed to say..? You normally don't visit me for idle chat..."

Annoyed that he was found out, Sugino glared at the sparkling eyes watching him. "You're confusing the Demon eater again by this deal with your eyes. He thinks you've put some kind of spell on him. Have you?" he asked point blank.

At first Kantarou could only stare at him curiously. Finally he slowly shook his head. "Spell..? Sugino-sama, I can't stand without falling over... I'm in no condition to cast anything." He held up his right hand to show it was shaking almost violently. "I can't even keep my hand steady..."

Sugino wanted to believe that this could be an act, but when the writer hid his face under the blanket again to cover another hard fit of coughs he saw that it wasn't. Once Kantarou pulled the blanket back down Sugino frowned in actual concern when he saw how much redder the normally pale face was. The rasping gasps for breath sounded painful, but what made him suspicious was the fact the crimson eyes seemed even brighter than just moments before. "You're not getting better... You're getting worse..." he accused as his frown deepened.

A weak smile broke through the pain on Kantarou's face. "Yeah... The fever.. And the delirium.. Are only the first stages..." he confessed between gasps.

"First stages...? You mean this gets worse?"

The smile seemed to turn into a smirk. "Much worse... Another day... The fever will rise... I'll lose my vision... I won't be able to eat or drink anything... I'll lose all grasp of time.. The delusions will kick in, and I will be raving like a mad man...." Kantarou listed off rather calmly.

Sugino was speechless for a moment, but suddenly took hold of Kantarou's wrist. "But you said you would get better... That you would be fine..." He kept telling himself he was only concerned for the Demon eater's sake. He didn't care about the stupid human. He didn't.

Kantarou looked at the vague outline of someone holding his wrist. It was only now he realized how similar the grip was to Haruka's. The thought made him hum softly. "I will... After the night of its peak I'll get better... But... It may take a toll on me..."

Tightening his grip, Sunigo moved a bit closer to look into the near glowing eyes. "What do you mean? What's going to happen?"

The glossy eyes closed as the writer attempted to take a deep breath. "I will lose part of my memory... More than likely everything that has happened since I was cursed... But.. I may also lose my ability to see..."

"See what? Youkai?"

A little chuckle left Kantarou as he shook his head. "No.. Everything... Prolonged high fevers can cause total vision loss..."

"You'll be blind..? Is.. Is that why you wanted Demon eater to take your eyes?" Sugino asked quietly. He didn't want to feel sorry for this human. But there was a part of him that couldn't help but feel pity.

"That's what gave me the idea... I'd rather Haruka take my sight than a damn fever..." Kantarou admitted, his smile returning.

That sentiment actually made Sugino smile as well. "You're completely crazy... But... I suppose Demon eater could have done worse for a master. At least you do care."

Kantarou gave a raspy giggle as he looked back to the mountain god. "Why Sugino-sama.. That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me..." he teased just to see the faint blush on the hazy face.

Sugino's feathers literally ruffled as he tried to force his anger through his embarrassment. "You wish, Ichinomiya! Not even if you were on your death bed!" He practically threw the weak wrist down and stood stiffly. He stormed his way over to the open window, but before he flew out he paused. Glancing back, he frowned at how weak and fragile the normally brazen human was. "Kantarou..."

The writer didn't even attempt to turn his head. He was too sore. "Yes, Sugino-sama...?"

"Don't.. Break the Demon eater's heart. As much as I hate to say this.. He still needs you."

A sad frown fell over Kantarou's face. "I'm trying not to, Sugino-sama... I really am..."

All he got in reply was the sound of large wings flying away. When he felt something soft land on his forehead, he reached up to pull off a long white feather from his hair. He had to hold it close to really see it, but it made him smile.

"Thank you for your concern, Sugino-sama..."

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Haruka found himself in a familiar position. He was sitting quietly, wiping away the sweat that seemed to pour off from his master's face. Kantarou hadn't said much when he returned, but he had found him clutching one of Sugino's feathers. It made him wonder if perhaps the mountain god said something to upset the writer, but Kantarou dismissed it as nothing.

So Haruka just kept to his task of helping Youko tend to their master.

After wringing out the water from the cloth he was using for what seemed like the millionth time, Haruka began to wonder. The fact the sweat kept forming on the red face concerned him. 'Youko said that the more he sweats the more we need to make sure he has water...'

Deciding to fetch a glass, Haruka placed the wet cloth on the fevered forehead and stood. The entire house was quiet in the dead of the night. Youko had gone to bed a few hours ago, so nothing was stirring. It was sort of strange to be moving through the house at this time. Like there was an unusual tension that lingered in the air. As he got a glass from the cupboard he noticed how every sound he normally ignored sounded like a booming explosion in the silence. It was starting to make his eye twitch. Just filling a glass with water made him feel like he was going to wake up the entire neighborhood.

Chiding himself for his paranoia, Haruka took the glass back to his master.

On entering the room he was surprised to see Kantarou sitting hunched over his drawn up knees as he clutched at his soaked hair. The desperate gasps he heard coupled with the violent shivering had Haruka instantly worried. "Kantarou..? What is it? What's wrong?" he asked quickly as he moved to his master's side.

Kantarou kept gasping for breath, his hands gripping so tightly at his hair it looked at if he would rip it out. "Haruka... Haruka..." he mumbled over and over.

Setting the glass aside, Haruka quickly pulled the sick man into his arms. "I'm here, Kantarou.. What is it?" he whispered into the pink ear.

Leaning into the embrace, Kantarou tried to calm himself down, but his head was a in a burning daze. "Dream.. Horrible... Dammit.. I can't get the image out of my head..." he growled weakly through his teeth.

Haruka petted back the wet hair and gently rocked back and forth to ease the small man. "Shh.. It's okay... Tell me what you saw..."

He hesitated, but eventually Kantarou fisted his hands in the white shirt the tengu wore as he spoke. "I... I was turned into a demon.. And.. And I couldn't stop myself... I ripped out Youko's throat... You tried to stop me but I.. I..." Hot tears started falling from his eyes as he recalled the blood that covered the kitsune and the black tengu. "I.. I was terrified.. I couldn't stop myself.. I..."

"It was just a dream, Kantarou.. It doesn't mean anything." Haruka cut in quickly.

Kantarou let himself simply collapse into the strong arms as he tried to focus only on the deep voice. "It was so real... I'm sorry..."

'Why is he apologizing..?' Haruka frowned and held on tighter. "Stop it... There's nothing to be sorry for..."

A tense silence settled over them as Haruka tried in vain to stop the trembling. When it proved to be a futile task, he turned his attention to the glass of water he had sat on the floor. He reached over to take it and had the writer sit up a bit more. "Here.. Drink. You've been sweating too much..." he mumbled while raising the glass to the chapped lips.

The water tasted strangely sweet to him, but Kantarou drank as much as he could. He had to stop soon before he choked, then returned to resting his head on Haruka's shoulder. His thoughts kept playing over the dream until it nearly made him ill. However it made a strange thought occur to him. One that made him smile. "Haruka?"

"Yes?"

When the arms tightened around him his smile grew. "If I ever really become a demon..."

"You're not going to, Kantarou." Haruka readily growled.

Kantarou gave a soft giggle. "Hm.. Just humor me... If I did.. And there was no hope of returning me to myself... I don't want you to hold back."

Haruka's heart suddenly thudded hard in his chest as his eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Pulling away from the embrace, Kantarou cupped the tengu's face like he had the night before. He made sure to look straight into the uneasy eyes as he spoke. "If I can't be reached... I want you to kill me. And eat me."

Jerking away from the grasp like he had been burned, Haruka backed away from his master on the floor. His eyes were wide in alarm and his breath became short gasps. "Wha.. What?" 'There's no way.. I didn't hear him right...'

But Kantarou kept his heated gaze steady. "I want you to eat me... Start with my heart.. Then devour every bit... I don't want you to leave anything behind... Except my eyes..." A sweet smile filled his face. "Those belong to you."

Hearing those words coupled with the glittering eyes watching him made Haruka feel like he was about to be consumed by a strange painful heat. Just the thought of fulfilling such a request made him ill. It hurt. So much that he felt tears stinging at the corners of his eyes. "Why are you asking me to do things like this? Why do you want me to hurt you?"

"I've done a lot of things, Haruka... Some.. Probably would land me in the lowest levels of hell.." Kantarou hugged his knees to his chest and closed his eyes. "I don't like when strangers hurt me... I feel as if I'm being punished for being something I'm not supposed to be... But when I know the person that hurts me.. I understand why it's happening.. I'm able to cope with it.. Learn from it..."

Confused, but also intrigued, Haruka found himself moving closer to his master. "What are you hoping to learn from me causing you pain?"

Kantarou glanced back to the tengu and smiled warmly. "How to become a better person... You are my strength, Haruka... I know it's selfish of me to use you like that... But I've always wanted you to teach me how to make myself better... But so far I've only been a burden on you..." More tears began to fall as he continued. "I know I'm a horrible person... I don't deserve to even look at you, let alone be your master... But.. I need you... That's why if I fail... I want you to eat me.. So I could possibly make you stronger.. Become a part of you..." His eyes closed, but the tears kept rolling down his cheeks. "But I understand.. If you don't want someone as tainted as me... Just.. Just forget I said anything.." he muttered, his voice cracking as his emotions got the better of him.

The amount of torment Haruka saw seemed to hurt even more. The tone of self loathing and heartache was just too much. He ignored his own hesitations and moved back to his master. When he reached out to place his hand on the small shoulder, he was surprised when Kantarou actually winced. Unable to hold himself back, Haruka wrapped his arms back around the quaking form and held him tight.

There he buried his face in the damp hair and forced himself to speak. "If.. If it's what you truly wish me to do.. Then I will. For my master..."

On hearing the word master Kantarou covered his face with his hand and sobbed quietly. "Thank you..." he whispered brokenly.

Haruka didn't like this side of his master. He seemed so lost and hurt. He wanted the belligerent smartass back. The person that had that calm knowing smile as he walked through the world. The annoying playful flirt that constantly got him into trouble. 'I want my Kantarou back...' he finally admitted to himself.

Deciding to help find that person again, Haruka tilted the delicate chin up and looked into the tearful curious gaze. The eyes still captivated him, but now he found that it wasn't only the eyes that he loved. The heavily flushed face framed by the silver hair was just as beautiful. The way Kantarou always looked at him with such reverence with those crimson depths was what Haruka truly loved.

Before he could really think through what he was doing, he leaned forward and gently nipped at his master's lower lip. He enjoyed the startled gasp that rushed past the parted lips as he pulled back. He smiled at the confusion and brushed the messy bangs from the scarlet eyes. "You must still be delirious... You don't taste tainted to me..."

Kantarou blinked in astonishment for a moment, but soon a brilliant smile formed on his face that seemed to make his eyes shine even brighter. "Thank you, Haruka..." His trembling hand moved to tangle in the long silky hair at the back of the Tengu's head as Kantarou moved in to claim Haruka's lips in a tender kiss.

He hadn't expected it, but Haruka didn't resist when the hot tongue parted his lips. For some reason, Kantarou's mouth tasted sweet as his tongue was drawn into it. It was like lapping at warm honey, and he found that liked it. He wanted to taste more, but he stopped himself from taking it further when the writer pulled away. "Something wrong?" he asked, a little out of breath.

That smile was still there as Kantarou caressed Haruka's face. "Not now.. You've made me very happy tonight, Haruka... But there's something I need to tell you."

Sobering quickly, Haruka placed his hand over the one on his face. "What is it?"

His expression became rather blank as he tried to word what needed to be said. "Tomorrow... The sickness will reach it's peak... My fever will get higher, and I'll probably lose my senses..."

"What do you mean? You'll be alright, won't you?"

The concern eased some of the pain he felt, but Kantarou kept his expression calm. "I will be after tomorrow.. But tomorrow will be hell. I might lose my mind to the fever... I probably won't even recognize you or Youko... It may be best if you tied me down before the worst strikes me."

"Tie you down? How bad is this going to be?" Haruka asked as he tightened his grip on his master.

"It may be pretty horrible... I might lash out at you or Youko... Or I could have a fit and hurt myself... It's just a precaution." Kantarou added as he moved in to place soft kisses along Haruka's jaw.

Haruka's eyes slid closed while tilting his head slightly to the side. "Is there anything else I should know?"

Kantarou nuzzled his hot cheek against the soft skin of the tengu's neck, but he felt himself ready to shed more tears. "There is one thing..."

"Tell me..." Haruka softly growled as he fisted his hand in the back of the damp robes.

"Hm.. There's a good chance.. That I really won't remember any of this..." Nibbling gently at the soft ear lobe, Kantarou enjoyed the scent that came from both Haruka's skin and hair. "It'll be like this never happened. So it'll be your decision, Haruka..."

A strange empty feeling filled Haruka's chest. His eyes opened slightly and focused on the blankets tangled on the mattress. "What will be my decision?"

The folklorist kissed down the graceful neck in a weak attempt to force the taste and sensation deep into his memory. "You have to decide if you wish for things to return to the way they were before... Or risk pursuing whatever may develop between us."

The weight of such a decision was already crushing, but Haruka refused to let go of his master. "What do we do now?" he quietly asked.

"Now...? I just want to give you something nice to remember... So at least one of us will..." Kantarou pulled away to look into the Tengu's glazed eyes. "Will you let me?"

Hesitation was the first thing Haruka felt. The small man did look worse from the night before. Exhaustion was apparent on his face, and he was still struggling for breath. Haruka was certain that if he hadn't been holding him, Kantarou would have fallen over by now. "I don't want you to push yourself, Kantarou..." He took hold of the weak hands and looked seriously into the heated eyes watching him. "You're too sick... You need to rest.."

"I know..." Kantarou bowed his head for a moment as a sad expression formed. "I.. I just wish I could think of a way that would...." His eyes widened as a thought occurred to him. "Mark me..."

The tengu blinked in confusion at the sudden command. "Mark you?"

Kantarou's head lifted with a beseeching look that was a strange mixture of a smile and a frown. "Make your mark on me..."

"My mark? But.. That would mean..."

"Haruka..." Kantarou released the larger hand and pushed the white cloth off his shoulders. "I may be your master, but my heart has always belonged to you..." He took Haruka's right hand and placed it over the scar on his chest. "Everything that I am.. Everything that I've done... Has all been with the hope that one day I would be with you."

Seeing his hand on the dark scar that marred the delicate skin made a cold chill run down Haruka's spine. "Why?" was the only word he could manage.

But the silver head shook. "I can't tell you, Haruka... It will only hurt you if I do forget..." He placed his right hand on the back of the tengu's neck and pulled him closer. He stopped when he could feel a gentle breath on his shoulder. "Please.. Mark me... As hard or as many as you wish. I want to be able to remember something... And give you something to remember."

Having the heated skin that close to his lips was tempting, but Haruka felt conflicted. It would mean bruising his master's already pain riddled body. Inflicting more pain. 'Why must he always be the one that suffers...?' As the question formed in his mind, an idea suddenly came to him. He reached up and began unbuttoning the white shirt he wore.

Suddenly Kantarou found himself looking at the flawless skin of the broad shoulder in front of him. "Haruka...?"

"I'll do it if you do it..." was the gruff reply.

The crimson eyes stared at the bare shoulder for a moment before he moved in. He kissed and licked along Haruka's shoulder, and felt the tengu do the same to him. It took him a moment to build up the confidence, but Kantarou opened his mouth and sank his teeth into the spot on his shoulder above the delicate collar bone. The hissing grunt he heard almost made him stop, but he heard a growling voice in his ear.

"Harder, Kantarou... Bite harder..."

Kantarou held onto Haruka firmly as he bit down harder into the tender flesh. He switched between sucking and licking the spot, and that was when he felt sharp teeth bury in his shoulder. He moaned loudly into Haruka's shoulder and lightly scratched his nails down the strong back. The way the strong arms tightened around him made so happy that more tears escaped his eyes.

Haruka wanted to release the smaller body when he felt the tears hit his skin, but he was going to hold on as long as Kantarou did. Minutes passed as they both gently kissed and soothed the angry red marks they had placed on one another. Eventually, Kantarou stopped and let his head rest on the tengu's shoulder. Haruka frowned when the trembling became more pronounced and the light gasps for breath were getting heavier. "It's getting worse.. Isn't it?"

"Yeah... I don't have much more time... Haruka... Will you do one last thing for me..?"

He hated how his master worded the question, but Haruka still kept his hand running down the hot skin of the small back. "What is it?"

Kantarou pulled away and smiled up at the demon eater. "Will you hold me for tonight...? You can leave once I fall asleep.. I... I just want you close.."

Those sparkling eyes and the weak voice ripped unmercifully into Haruka's heart. He had no clue why, but he still felt guilty for not being able to do more. It didn't seem fair. Being so entangled in the strange web the human had managed to wrap around him. However he was there, and he couldn't stop the concern that was welling up inside of him. 'He is manipulative.. Sadistic.. Conniving... Dishonest... Lazy... Probably evil as the day is long... But those eyes... I can't refuse them...' Without saying a word, Haruka pulled Kantarou's clothes back into place and pulled him down to the mattress. There he pulled the writer's small body against him firmly.

Kantarou was a bit surprised by the sudden movements, but he was soon smiling as he snuggled closer to his tengu. "Thank you, Haruka... And I'd like to apologize..."

"What for this time?" came Haruka's exasperated question.

"In advance for anything I may say or do tomorrow.." Kantarou clutched lightly at Haruka's unbuttoned shirt. "I might say some pretty nasty things.. Hurtful things... Please don't hold it against me..."

Haruka looked into the ruby-like eyes watching him and snorted softly with a faint smirk. "Sounds like just any other day." he teased.

The pout on the flushed face was priceless. "You're so mean, Haruka..." he whined softly before burying his face against the taller male's neck.

He was about to hum in amusement, but Haruka gasped when he felt another harsh bite on his neck below his right ear. The pain on the tender spot combined with the gentle suction and the burning tongue made his teeth clench tightly. "K.. Kantarou..." It felt good. Too good. His head was tilting, exposing more of his neck as his fists nearly ripped apart the back of the sweat damp clothes.

The moan that was cried out into his ear made Kantarou chuckle huskily as he released the bruising flesh. He then let his tongue trace around Haruka's ear as he whispered into it hotly. "Here's something else you can remember for me... If you do decide to pursue things with me afterwards... It'll make things more interesting when I want to get you back for teasing me..."

The fact Kantarou didn't even attempt to hide the lust in his voice amused Haruka for some reason. 'His voice is kind of sexy when he talks like that...' he admitted to himself. "Heh.. I will definitely keep that in consideration.." He pulled his master back to where he could see the shining eyes then moved in for a chaste kiss. "Mm.. Sleep now, stubborn human. I won't let you go."

A near loving smile was on Kantarou's face as he let his head rest against the tengu's chest. "Remember you said that, Haruka... Good night...."

It was surprising just how easily the human was able to fall asleep in Haruka's arms. Barely a minute passed before Kantarou was unconscious. Haruka was left holding the ill man in the silence, staring at the silver crowned head. He had thought that he would regret agreeing to do this, but a strange protective urge flared up in him once more. He liked the thought of protecting Kantarou. Keeping the overly brazen man out of trouble proved to be a constant source of entertainment.

'But he said tomorrow would be hell...' A frown formed over his brow as he recalled the desperate light in the crimson eyes. Kantarou was being serious, and actually feared what the fever would bring. 'For Kantarou to fear it.. It must be bad...'

His arms tightened around his master as he buried his face in the silver hair. "I'll see that you recover... I swear that I will not let you go..."

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TBC

Later~