Chapter 13

The raven-haired killer took a crouched position by the sofa, her attention turned to her fiancé who'd still been sleeping since she'd last spoke to him earlier that morning. He was lying uncomfortably on his stomach, his head turned to face her as he continued to sleep soundly and innocently. Unbeknownst to him, Sakura gently brushed his blonde hair off his damp forehead and away from his eyes and someone else walked quietly into the room.

Sakura looked back at the person, seeing Kai there as he made his way quietly to the kitchen and she turned back to Kyoshi, "Hey Kai, can you get a cold cloth from the kitchen." She requested…strangely enough in a kind and, for Sakura, a very gentle and feminine voice.

The Russian just assumed that the tone was one she used with people when she was on good terms with them and remembering the truce they had with each other he did the favour he was asked of her, taking back to her a damp cold cloth. A little curiously, he couldn't help watching Sakura tending to Kyoshi's neck with the cloth, she was calm and in control of everything. It was a good thing she wasn't like other women, who'd just panic if something like this happened. His friend joined him in the room a second later, also joining in watching the couple.

"Is he still sleeping? I thought he'd be up by now." Tala commented, making his way to the kitchen after another moment of staring.

Sakura left the cloth resting on the back of her friend's neck, getting up and following Tala into the kitchen, feeling Kai walking close behind her, "It's only midday, to a vampire that's really early to be awake." She informed the two, jumping up onto the kitchen counter, "As much as he wants to be as human as possible, sometimes the heat just gets too much for him and he doesn't make it through the day so he just sleeps through it."

"And it's your job to make sure he lives through that sleep." Kai finished for her.

Sakura just shrugged at the ending though, giving a rather indifferent look, "It's a job that comes with being in love with a vampire." She said normally.

Kai sat down at the table, opposite where Sakura sat on the counter, "For a vampire he isn't half bad." He…complimented?

"The guy isn't bad at all…everything he's ever done all had something good come out of it." Sakura sounded calm when she said it this time, usually she would have held that stern and cold tone of hers as a sound of insistence of her opinion. This time it wasn't the case, this time it just sounded like she was voicing an opinion, that she didn't care what Kai really thought.

"He's actually really nice and fun to talk to you if you give him the chance." Tala added, a part of him wishing there'd be some sort of friendship between his oldest friend and his newest.

Kai couldn't help but smirk, it really was as though they were trying to push him into a new friendship. "You know…I have spoken to him for myself and I agree with all you're saying. You don't need to tell me."

"So why the hell have you never given him a little more respect?" Sakura asked, her mouth still gaping open slightly as she looked at him with some disbelief, a sweet but still disbelieving smile on her face.

Tala looked at Sakura, raising an eyebrow at her slowly, "You don't understand Kai very much, do you?"

Sakura shook her head, still not breaking the eye contact she had with a smirking oldest Russian, "No Tala, I really don't."

Kai almost laughed at the thought, even her expression was priceless to him and her staring into his eyes with so much disbelief was entertaining for him, "I don't see…" he began, being interrupted by a shout from the other room.

The three inhabitants of the kitchen all looked at the doorway that lead to the living room and Sakura was the first one rushing out the door and into said room. Kyoshi was sitting up with fright practically carved into his facial features, his hands gripping all the pillows that were behind him, supporting himself with his hands behind his back and his legs just apart enough to keep him from tilting sideways off the sofa. The wet cloth had been thrown enough from the sudden movement and now he was panting heavily, still unaware of the people that had ran into the room a second earlier, being unable to hear anything from the blood rushing to his head.

Sakura took in the fact that he hadn't noticed the two of them, especially when he hung his head trying to calm himself so she walked out in front of him and she still got no form of reaction from him. She crouched down, resting a forearm on her leg as she looked at him closely, hoping he could see her out from having his eyes clouded by his blonde and light brown hair. He did, raising his head shyly and fearfully to look at her; an action that caused Sakura to raise an eyebrow, "Are you okay?" she asked cautiously.

Kyoshi sighed quietly, closing his eyes, now he just knew that the other two where standing behind him if Sakura had showed up in front of him that fast, "Yeah, I'm fine, just a hot flash." He replied, loud enough for the other two behind him to hear him clearly, attempting to put their minds at ease. He got a nod from Sakura, being thankful that she understood and just let his lie pass quick enough to hide from the other two. Being grateful enough he got off the sofa, staggering at first before walking out of the room and down the hall.

"Something wrong?" Kai asked calmly, sitting on the arm of the armchair not far from the sofa.

"Never had a nightmare, Kai?" Sakura asked him sternly, standing up and walking to the exit from the room to the hallway.

"Not as bad as that." Kai mumbled to himself.

Sakura locked eyes with Tala's worried bright blue ones just before she exited the room to follow after her closest friend, she just smiled softly was already enough for him, then she felt she should add something, "I'll fix this. Don't worry." She hadn't even given her words a moment to sick into him before she left, racing down the hall out of the sights of the two worried beybladers. Yes, two. She'd seen and felt a pang of worry coming from Kai.

The assassin didn't bother checking her bedroom, she knew well-enough that he wouldn't be in there. Kyoshi knew Sakura just as well but not enough to know that Sakura was standing behind him while he was staring at something in his hand, leaning forward against his desk in the basement. She snuck up quietly behind him, crossing her arms as she caught sight of the silver and pink chain, "Thinking again?" she asked him with a sigh.

Kyoshi shut his eyes, wincing silently, "Sorry." He whispered, putting the necklace in the draw before turning to her again.

Sakura walked passed him, her eyes dragging his to look at her while she sat up on his desk, her feet up on the chair as she crossed her arms, "So blood making you think a lot again?"

"I still feel like I'm going to be sick." Kyoshi walked to the stairs, sliding onto the sofa that was underneath them, lying back and staring up at the gap of light that peeked from between the stairs from the level above.

Sakura spoke quietly and hurriedly, perfect but inaudible words, even for Kyoshi. She sighed, raising her eyes to look in his direction, even though she couldn't see him through the staircase, "I'm going to tell you the same thing I tell you every time this happens, you shouldn't let these memories break you down, you're much stronger than that and a part of you knows that."

Kyoshi felt some frustration building but he wasn't one to lash out at her when he felt these kinds of emotions, "You know…the more you comfort like this, the more miserable you make me." He told her simply, no hint at his pain in his sentence.

The girl's hair was brushed to one side of her shoulder, shrugging as she gave a faint smile that she knew he couldn't see, "Yes well, our agreement was that anything could and would happen as long as some good came out of it." She reminded him. No more words where exchanged between the two, not a sound either, just complete silence fell between them. When Kyoshi opened his eyes again he could see Sakura much closer, sitting on the staircase, an arm on a step as she looked into the gap and straight at him. "Don't be discouraged now, you've survived this before and you can do it again." She continued telling him after a moment.

"Just please shut up." Kyoshi whispered, turning over onto his stomach to avoid his fiancé's slightly worried but regularly stern gaze.

"Don't be like that…" Sakura whispered sternly. She got off the step, swinging a little on the railing and getting to the other side where Kyoshi was, "It doesn't suit you." She added finally. She tugged at his hand lightly and he sat up, giving her some room to sit down opposite him, then resting her palm gently on the side of his neck, brushing her thumb softly along his jaw line. To him it felt in the middle of heaven and hell, enjoying the comforting and gentle feelings but trying desperately to suppress the shivers and goose bumps. His pattern of breathing hitched just slightly when she rested her forehead against his, her fingers brushing the hair on the back of his neck, "Can I?" she spoke softly, innocently smiling faintly.

A pink tint lit Kyoshi's once pale cheeks, he still couldn't help but feel embarrassed around Sakura sometimes, usually when his blood consumption levels where extremely low. He nodded timidly though, and watched for just a split second as Sakura leaned in and set her lips cautiously on his. It was funny to think, she always spent so much time teasing him and treating him terribly, but when it really mattered she was the most careful person in the world with him. Of all the people that he ever encountered as a vampire, even to those who thought he was a mortal, when it came to kindness and sensitivity none of them came close to the amount she had for him. She never put it all on display but it was always there, and these short moments they had together all added together where far more than he could have ever asked from her. To him, it was a lot more than he felt he ever deserved.

At the time he'd closed his eyes to bask in the comfort and sweetness of her kiss but he could feel clear enough that she'd been pushing his mouth closer to hers, softly tickling the back of his neck with her index finger while her other arm moved around his waist. After another second into the kiss though a chill ran down Kyoshi's spine and he shied his head away, staring downwards to hide the ever-growing redness on his face.

Sakura smiled a little sympathetically, pushing back the hair that hung onto his damp forehead before giving him a quick kiss and standing up, "The others will be worried if you don't come upstairs soon. So come for lunch, then you can come back down here to relax and do what you like."

To Kyoshi, it didn't really sound like Sakura to him. Times like these could sometimes change her, some other times like these just made her coldness be emphasised. Luckily for him, this was one of those times that she was a completely different person, an even better person. Still with some shyness he looked up at her, putting on a small and brave smile as he nodded.

"You aren't going to cry now are you?" Sakura asked, teasingly with a smirk on her face, it was her idea of cheering him up…something that actually worked on some occasions.

Kyoshi laughed quietly, "No I'm not going to cry." He replied in one breath, his tone of voice attempting to imply he never would do such a thing which was total contradictory.

The girl in front of him grinned, poking him gently in the side, "You sure?" she asked him.

"I'm sure." He replied with a laugh, jerking backwards slightly to get away from her.

Sakura still smiled as she got up, grabbing onto the banister and swinging to the other side, "Lunch will be ready soon." She called to him once she arrived to the top of the stairs. She allowed the door to close behind her with a bang as she walked down the hall to the kitchen, as she walked through the living room her eyes wandered to Tala and Kai, both standing leaning against the walls on their sides on either side of the window, both occasionally drawing back the curtain and looking outside as they spoke to one another.

A quiet sigh escaped Sakura as she ran her hands under the cold water from the sink, then drying her hands as she looked out into the living room again. She moved away before the other two had time to catch her standing there, while opening the freezer tossing the cloth over her shoulder onto the table. Kyoshi walked up behind her just as she'd tossed two frozen pizzas onto the counter, "Aren't you cooking?" he asked her.

Sakura put the two into the oven, sitting down on a stool at the table, "I really can't be bothered for today." She replied, despite her best efforts a small yawn being let out as she rested a head in her hand.

Kyoshi nodded, "That's fine. I'm just going to go have a cold shower…I swear I can still feel blood on me." He told her, mumbling the last part even though he knew she still heard him.

Intent grey eyes watched as he left the room, herself feeling how life was beginning to drag at his existence, "Maybe I've been too hard on him." She muttered quietly to herself, leaning back against the wall.

---Flashback---

The four pand members walked out into the bar just after their session, each ordering drinks of their own as Sakura had just glanced at Kyoshi who was rubbing at his left wrist, "What's up with you?" she asked, her icy tone not changing since just before their set.

The expression Kyoshi held showed discomfort and some pain coming from his wrist, though he shook his head just lightly, "I think I hit my guitar too hard." He replied quietly, sighing shakily, "It's taking forever to heal."

"You're self-healing, it usually takes about five minutes to heal perfectly." Sakura pointed out.

"It's been ten minutes already." Kyoshi mumbled to himself, resting his injured wrist comfortably onto the counter.

Sakura's head lashed to the side, glaring at him, "Then do what we mortals do and put some ice on it!" she snapped.

---End Flashback- Next Flashback---

"Come on, I know you've got a lot of anger cooped up into that sweet little heart of yours, now you can use it." Sakura began provoking him, standing across from him with arms crossed over her chest as steadily she spoke him into fighting her, "Hit me." She insisted.

"I'm not." Kyoshi spoke softly, his palm feeling the wall as he backed up into the wooden walls of the basement.

"If you don't let out the anger you have building up, then you're going to get hurt. It'll hurt much more than hitting me and to be frank, I very highly doubt you want that."

Kyo breathed out heavily, leaning back against the wall, gripping onto the wood as best he could, "You don't know what I want."

Sakura smirked, a cold-hearted persona as she took another step closer to him, "Ah but I know you don't want to cause yourself anymore pain, what's hitting me a couple of times now compared to the emotional torment you'll put yourself through later?"

"You're sixteen, with my strength and anger I could kill you." Kyoshi muttered helplessly.

"If that's what it takes then go for it."

"Do you have a death wish or something?" Kyoshi lashed out, tears pouring down his cheeks, "Is that it?" he asked her.

"Possibly." Sakura stood inches away from him, not phased by his sudden outburst at her, even just before she replied.

"Well you can forget about it, you're not using me as your way out of here."

"It's not my intention at all. So there's no point trying to divert the attention to me, this is about you and the pain and anger you're holding onto."

Kyoshi attempting to walk past her but got knocked back into the wall by a sharp blow to his shoulder, then to the back of his head when it came in contact with the wall, "I'm not holding onto anything." He growled, touching the back of his head in an attempt of searching for blood, which he found none of with luck.

"So you mean to tell me…" Sakura began, a rather sadistic smirk growing onto her features a little more, "that the fact that I could've saved your brother from death, doesn't make you feel even slightly terrible? Not even a little angry?"

Kyoshi's heavy breathing paused for a second to no breathing at all, closing his eyes to calm himself enough to think clearly, "There was nothing we could've done…especially you."

Saku provoked him, more provocations shining in her grey eyes, "What if there was…and I just didn't tell you?"

"I know you better than that."

"That you do." Sakura nodded pausing for a moment, "So what's a punch between friends?" she asked him suddenly.

"You're not going to get me to punch you."

"Yeah, I will." Sakura grabbed both his forearms and pushed him back into the wall, "If you won't start the fight then I always can."

---End Flashback---

Sakura's eyes were entirely glazed over with dampness, staring off at something she couldn't quite look clearly at, "No matter for how much good it was for him, I still regret what I've done…no matter how many times he forgives me." She muttered silently to herself.

"Don't keep day dreaming…" Kyoshi began as he entered the room slowly, opening the oven and waving his hand at the steam that rose, "Otherwise we'll be left eating burnt leftovers for the rest of our lives." He joked.

Sakura smiled, she loved how he could change his mood so suddenly sometimes, "Sorry, I was busy thinking." She apologized, getting up and moving to the oven to get the food out, still not trusting him enough to cook for himself apparently.

"Now I'm scared." Kyoshi chuckled quietly, sitting behind her on the kitchen table.

"As long as Tala and Kai are still here…I'm sleeping in your bed, so unless you enjoy the sofa you better be quiet."

"Okay, I get it, I should be careful…" Kyoshi nodded in understanding, crossing his arms as he slumped slightly in sudden thought, "So…were you thinking about my dream? Is this about Naomi?" he asked her.

Sakura closed her eyes and smiled, just as she'd finished cutting up the pizza, "Don't be silly, of course not."

"Then what about?"

Sakura turned round, fitting her hands into her back pockets, stepping closer to him with a soft smile on her face, "I've just been thinking about some old things between us. Don't worry about it, alright?"

"Are you having second thoughts?" Kyoshi asked regrettably, whispering the words while he tried to keep his own breathing in order. He honestly thought that his question would get her mad, making her throw a fit as she usually would but she didn't, instead she smiled a little more and stepped closer, laying a soft kiss on his lips just before whispering some calming words to him and turning back to the food. He released a deep breath a moment later, "Should I be worried?" he asked her.

"Not at all." Sakura answered, picking up a plate of food and taking it into the next room. "Here is lunch, sorry but I couldn't be bothered to cook something better." She set the plate down onto the coffee table just as Kai and Tala had noticed her and moved over to the table for lunch. She walked back into the kitchen again, catching sight of Kyoshi's slumped form, "You're not worrying, right?" she asked him.

Kyoshi looked up from staring at the ground, giving her a faint and weak smile, "No…not anymore." He replied, shaking his head as strongly as he possibly could.

He continued to watch her with some intent as she walked up to him again, then basking in the warmth as she wrapped her arms gently around his neck and fingers ran through the hair on the back of his head, "After what happened last night…do you want me to stay home this afternoon or can I go out?" It had been a while since she valued his opinion regarding these sorts of things, usually she would have just left without him but she was different…she was gentler in a sense but her real personality was still able to shine through, she was still the same Sakura.

His own voice was a little hard to find at the time but timidly he was still able to speak, "Did you make plans?" Not wanting to give her an answer that would ruin her plans for the day.

"I was planning to go and check on that girl in the alley, see if anyone have found her or at least if she's managing living this way but I can save that for tonight and you can come with me then."

Kyoshi took both her hands off from around his neck, squeezing both her hands in his gently, "Then go, I'll be fine, I can catch up on some work and Tala and Kai will be here if I need anything." He smiled to help coax her into going and following her day as planned but she still continued to look at him with some uncertainty, "Just go." He continued.

"I'll just go and get some things." Sakura told him, letting go and leaving the room with a quick pace.

This left Kyoshi alone again for just a second. One is only alone because they choose to be alone. He jumped off the table, then picking up his food from the kitchen counter and walking out into the living room where he was no longer alone. He sat down heavily onto the sofa, sitting back with the plate perched onto his lap as he ate one slice of pizza, then noticing how Kai had just raised his eyes from his own almost finished food, "Sakura's going out?" he asked him.

"Yeah, I have errands to run." Sakura replied from behind him when she entered the room again, having heard him from outside the room. She stood in front of the mirror as she pushed back her silky black hair from the front, smirking when all eyes were on her again.

Something she didn't expect though was that Kai stood up and walked up beside her, an action that made her turn to him questioningly, "I'll walk you out, I need to get out of here for some fresh air anyway."

"That's what the fire escape is used for when we don't have fires." Sakura patted him on the shoulders, then walking past him.

"I hardly call that fresh air." Kai called after her angrily.

Sakura shrugged just as she'd opened the front door, looking in Kai's direction as he'd just turned the corner and they locked eyes again, her grey ones with his crimson ones, "I think Kyoshi and Tala can take care of themselves while you get out of here for a while so if you're really that fed up here then go out for a while. I'm just going to visit someone, no gun fights involved if you're lucky, so you're welcome to join me if you'd like to."

Kai nodded, "Anything to get out of here for a while." He turned to Tala, the two exchanged a brief glance, then it broke in two and Kai followed Sakura out the door and to an unknown destination.

Kyoshi and Tala looked at each other at the exact same moment, both exchanging strange looks, "Should we be worried that the two most stoic people on the planet have just left the house together?" the redhead asked, a slight hint of humor in his voice.

Kyo found the way he put it funny and laughed quietly, "Maybe but it's good if they get along…let's just wait and see who comes back with the most bruises on them."

Tala tilted his head to the side with some thought, "Kai's pretty strong…" he began.

"Yeah but Sakura is very well-trained, I spent my whole afterlife teaching that girl everything I know and now she's better than me, she's tough to beat."

"I think between the two they'd be evenly matched, they're both excellent fighters I think." Tala added.

Kyoshi moved the plate onto the table and sat back again to stare upwards, "This is sad…" he began, "We're betting which of our best friends would win in a fight with each other." A smirk graced his lips at the actual thought of that, realizing how funny it was when you put it together like that. "Then again what else is there to do?" he asked rhetorically.

Tala, up until now, had been sitting on the ground at the coffee table but had just gotten up and sat down Kyoshi, "Ever since I got back from the Abbey I've spent all my days inside so I know what it's like not knowing how to kill the time."

"Life is short enough as it is when you're a mortal, time shouldn't be killed but for someone who is immortal I'm out to kill as much time as I possibly can."

"I'm sure there's something here that you could always do…I mean you have a job and such, a creative one at that and you have talent so I'm sure you can use all that to fill in your days."

Kyoshi shook his head with disagreement to his statement, then glanced at him, "I just cant do that." He told him, receiving a confused stare from his friend, "I mean, don't get me wrong or anything, I love music and its my career of choice but can you imagine what it'd be like doing it as a hobby all day, and then having to continue it as your job at night?"

"I suppose you're right about that."

"With a friend like Kai though, I'm sure he tries to get you to do something during the day."

Tala shrugged a little, one thing coming to mind, "He's got his team to train so he tries to get me to go with him." He said.

"Then go with him."

Kyoshi watched that he'd shook his head quickly in a reply, "It's not that simple." He heard him say.

The vampire sat forward, being able to see Tala a little more once he'd turned away from him, "Why isn't it?" he asked curiously.

Tala stood up and walked over to the window, he hated being so close to someone and under such circumstances, "His team mates just won't like me." He replied, a little disappointedly as he sat down on a stool by the window, glancing around the room from there.

Kyoshi's eyebrows furrowed in some confusion, his overall expression confused beyond belief, "How could they not like you? You're a rather loveable person, I don't see how they could feel that way."

The redhead shifted uncomfortably on the stool, a hand moving to the back of his neck as he felt his muscles tense even more, feeling bad for starting the whole conversation in the first place but didn't dare change the subject, just answering as honestly as he could, "They've never exactly seen me in a good light."

Kyo sighed, trying to understand what Tala was saying and trying to come back with an actual answer, "I think…" he began hesitantly, "If you don't mind me saying, that if they can handle an attitude like Kai's, then they can handle you changing from the person you used to be, to the exceptionally great person you are now." Tala smiled very vaguely at his words, feeling strangely more uncomfortable now than he actually did before Kyoshi started talking. It appeared that the vampire had felt the boy's sudden shyness and smirked at it, "They're only image of you is of the person you used to be, which isn't you anymore, you have to show them who you are now. If you die tomorrow, which I won't let happen without a fight may I add, but if you die tomorrow do you really want them to just remember you as someone you couldn't help but be?" Tala shook his head slowly and made no eye contact with the lecturing-vampire. "I didn't think so." Kyo concluded.

"Can we move the subject off me now?" Tala groaned quietly.

As much fun as Kyoshi was having in watching the boy feel this kind of discomfort, he replied with, "Sure." To make things easier on Tala, after all he was the only company he had at the time, the last thing he wanted was to ruin that. "So you want to tear me up instead?" he asked him jokingly.

Tala smirked, raising his eyes in the direction of the life-wary vampire, "That's an option?" he asked.

"I give the opportunity I suppose."

"Alright…" Tala whispered to himself, staring at the ground for just a moment as the whole room went into silence just when he'd gotten something to talk about, "You said you'd explain things to me sometime…when?"

Understanding really became part of Kyoshi's job and the moment that question came up he understood and accepted it as it was, "Sometime when it's a little more important, when both you and Kai are together is best, it saves me from having to go through it twice."

"That's a plausible excuse." Tala shrugged, walking closer to his friend and settling down beside him like they had been before.

Kyoshi smiled softly, slowly closing his eyes, "I hope it's plausible since it's the truth." He whispered.

"So Sakura knows this past of yours? You two really must be close for that."

The light-haired boy pulled a pillow onto him pressing it against his stomach as he curled onto his side, "It's the one part of this after-life I don't regret."

"You two are really close then…" Tala watched that at his words Kyo's features softened a lot more and he relaxed against the back of the sofa, smiling softly and peacefully as his mind wandered to memories, memories that did him so much good Tala didn't have the heart to interrupt.

---Flashback---

Kyoshi lay sound asleep on the sofa in the small and practically empty storeroom. Small white candles sat lit and still burning softly on some shelves to give the room a warm and homey feel to it. Sakura crouched down to the level of the sofa, placing a hand on Kyo's cheek and patting at it gently to wake him, "Hey, wake up." She called to him, whispering quietly so as not to give him another headache.

The vampire opened tired eyes to look at her at the moment, placing a hand just above his eyes to shadow any light till he got used to it, "What the hell are you doing here? I thought I told you not to come over here anymore."

Sakura stood up, jerking her thumb over to the small table with a basket on the table, "I thought I'd get you something good to eat. You haven't exactly had a good couple of nights so I thought I'd make something to make you feel better."

Kyo sighed and stood up, looking down at her with sudden saddened eyes just before he looked at the ground and scratched the back of his head tiredly, "Now I feel bad." He whispered.

"Don't. I know what my orders where and I disobeyed them, I was just somewhat concerned about you."

Kyoshi allowed a small appreciative smile grace his lips, picking through the basket of fruit, cake and drinks, "I'm fine, nothing to be concerned about."

"I've been thinking…" Sakura began, getting his attention with those few words, "I don't like your living situation and…I think you'd be a little better off living with me, in my room at the orphanage."

"After almost ten years of knowing you, raising you no less, I think that's the stupidest thing that's ever come out of your mouth."

Sakura shook her head and walked up beside him, crossing her arms as she spoke, "I really don't see how so. I've thought about ever aspect of this and I think it's an excellent idea."

"How will you explain the life-wary creature in your bedroom to those foster parents of yours?"

"They won't even know you're in there." Sakura replied, "You spend all your nights outside anyway, you just need a place to stay in the mornings. In the morning the children will be at school and my foster parents will be at work. Not to mention that they're not allowed in my bedroom, thanks to my lovely father so you'll be safe."

Slowly it all made sense to Kyoshi and he froze in his place, then looking up at her blankly, "I can't move in with you. It just won't work."

Sakura stepped up to him, placing one hand around his waist, massaging the small of his back with the side of her hand, "Stop being so negative about it." She smiled up at him, pulling at him to move closer, "Give it a few days, if you don't like it then you can always come back."

"Not only have you been making out with a vampire but now you want him to share your home and with you too? Do you just like being miserable?"

Sakura lifted his face with just her index finger, her eyes shining with honesty, "You being a vampire has nothing to do with it." She tightened her hold onto him, getting a very faint smile in return from the vampire in her arms.

---End Flashback---

"Honestly…" Kyoshi looked up at the redhead, smiling bravely at what he was about to say, "I really don't know where I'd be right now if I hadn't met her when I did." Through blurring vision he could see that Tala was smiling as a response to his own words. He wiped at his eyes, hoping there was no dampness in them before looking clearly at Tala, "I'm thankful I know her." He muttered.

'I guess everyone is like that with their best friends…I don't know where I'd be if it weren't for Kai and the rest of my team.' Tala thought to himself finally.

"Tala." Kyoshi pulled back out of his own thoughts and onto reality, receiving a surprised look from the person in front of him, "I wouldn't give you wrong advice or anything so trust me when I say it might be a good idea if you got to know Kai's team mates."

Kyoshi was older, wiser and more mature than Tala, those where the three things that pushed him into believing that what Kyoshi said was right and he easily saw there wasn't that much harm that could come out of it, "I'll try." He assured him, giving off a supportive hit to his arm.

A/N: Awful ending to a chapter, I know but I didn't know what better way to end it, it was either this or a cliffhanger and considering I'm going to be off the island for a few days I figured that a cliffhanger wouldn't be wise. Take care everyone and please please pretty please leave a review//Puppy dog eyes//