Author's Note: Hello. This is my first fanfic. I hope you like it...and if not, tell me what you didn't like about it. Thank you. Please R & R.

Disclaimer: I do not own Spiral or any of its characters.

"Ryoko! Wait up!" he called again, as he sprinted after her. Unlike Ryoko, he wasn't quite the seasoned athlete, but with a burst of luck, she stopped when he called her name.

"Asazuki? What are you doing here?" She couldn't quite hide the surprise from her voice, but she hoped she could at least hide---

"You...were...crying..." he said between gasps, panting with both his hands on his knees. He could feel his heart racing, and it wasn't only from the run. Man, he had to get out and exercise more often.

She shallowed. "So that's what you want," she demanded. "Another shot at me!" She hated that she was this vulnerable...especially when it came to Asazuki.

"Idiot..." he said under his breath.

Her eyes narrowed into slits and she took off, doing what she did best.

"You know...you don't have to run away from me!" he called after her; his voice echoed in the wind along with all other the things she did not want to hear. But that's what she loved about running. If she just concentrated on her heart beat and her breathing, then all the other things would go away. Or not.

"Stop." Ryoko felt strong arms wrapped around her. She couldn't break free from his grip. Since when was Asuzuki this strong? What happened to the scrawny kid she once knew? "Don't run away, idiot...because I've finally caught up to you..." he whispered in her ear. She had forgotten how sweet he could be. No, this was Asazuki. Her childhood friend. She continued to refuse him like she always had. But she knew that despite all the when's, what's, and how's, somewhere in the back of her mind, she wanted Asazuki to catch up to her all along...

"Okay," she sighed. She couldn't let him see how his words affected her. "I promise I won't run anymore...Now, let go of me."

"I can't," he wheezed. His side hurt more than usual. Sometimes, he really hated being a Blade Child. "I'll...fall," he explained between ragged breaths. But despite his reasoning, he still loosened his grip and let her go, coughing up blood as he fell hard. His frame lay sideways on the asphalt.

Madoka Narumi sat on the couch with a spoon and a carton of ice cream, staring mindlessly at the blank TV screen, just like she had done for the past couple of hours. She brought a spoon her mouth, only to taste the metallic silverware. The ice cream had was thus melted or digested. Madoka sighed. She had returned to her apartment only to find nothing. The house was spotless. Dinner was served on the table. But Narumi Otouto wasn't there. Not even a note.

Madoka knew something was wrong. This wasn't like him. He was always the responsible one. Just like Kiyotaka, he would have at least left a note. She had even called Rutherford at his hotel. But there was nothing. Nada. Zip. Even the Blade Children hadn't heard from him. It was almost like the time when Kiyotaka disappeared, leaving only emptiness in her heart. But at least then, she had Narumi Otouto to keep her company. Now... all she could do was wallow in her own self-pity.

"Kosuke!" She knelt next to him. She had to remember that he couldn't run a couple hours like she could...and that didn't count the amount of ground they had covered. He must have followed her from her apartment, and that alone was more than a couple miles.

Oh, the pain. His whole body ached; his nerves screamed as every muscle called for equal attention. Kosuke was sure he had broken something as he lay unnaturally in Ryoko's arms. But despite everything, he tried to smile, to reassure her, but it probably turned out to be more of a grimace. "Ryoko...if I don't make it..." he began as she shook him.

No, he can't die. He must be delirious. That was it. He would be okay. And then she would yell at him for scaring her..."You can't," she sobbed. "I need you." She didn't care anymore as she let the tears openly fell from her face, blurring her vision.

Kosuke knew he was a coward for not saying it sooner. "I love you," he whispered before he lost consciousness. He left her crying his name.

To be continued...

EDIT: For all of those who have read this before, you are well aware that this used to be in little short chapters. I've combined a few chapters and split up the first seven chapters into two parts. I know I have a lot going on, but hopefully, this new format is better suited and a lot less confusing (well, it makes it a helluva lot easier to upload ). And thank you, Azalee, for all your input.

Addressed to Azalee: To answer your questions, I suppose for the most part, I'm basing this more on the manga, but using my own creative liberties as well, especially with the minor details that may play more important part later into the story... As you've already noticed, I have Rio and Kosuke staying at Ryoko's apartment, Hizumi was staying at the Narumi's but Madoka hasn't really been around much (I figure police/detective work is busy-making) so that left Hizumi and Ayumu grounds to interact on, and the bit with Kanone...well, obviously, I didn't kill him off and he's well and about with Eyes. I like the EyeXKanone pairing too much to separate them (maybe we'll see more of them later ;) ).

Again, thanks for reading. I appreciate all comments (good and bad :P). And hopefully, I will continue this, so look out for more updates!