The wind whipped harshly at my face, worsening the soreness of my lips and mercilessly attacking the delicate skin at the tip of my nose. Above, the sun was obscured by countless clouds, all a cheerful myriad of grey, grey and hey, what do you know, even more grey. It certainly appeared to be depressing and the humidity of the air was a tell-tale sign of the thunderstorms that were likely to arrive at some point during the day.

I barely managed to dodge past a women with a stroller who was taking up way too much of the pavement, challenging her disapproving gaze with a sheepish grin as I continued my dead sprint after catching a nearby brick wall to regain my balance.

Evidently, today was not my day. Unsuspecting me hadn't bothered to check my alarm the night before and had subsequently slept in after it failed to go off. Neither Ichii or Zero had appeared, and after thoroughly checking every inch of the house, I deduced that they were gone. Which was just perfect, since I'd wasted even more of what little time I had remaining with trying to find them. I'd forgotten my books, too, so I was forced to double back for those and now, as I hared around the corner, I slammed hard into what I was certain was a sturdy wall and fell backwards onto my rear.

"Ow," I moaned, massaging my shoulder which was still stinging from the impact. With a sudden start, I realised that I hadn't clumsily crashed into an object, but a person. "Oh, I'm so sor-"

"That sure was an impressive crash, huh?"

The boy was unfamiliar, so I couldn't help but hesitate as he offered me his hand. Though, his smile seemed warm and actually genuine, so it quickly put me at ease and allowed me to shake off my brief feelings of trepidation and accept his help. "Don't be such a scatter-brain, cutiepie. You've got to be more careful when you go around corners, okay?" An easy wink later, and the boy was throwing a small wave over his shoulder as he continued on his way.

He... was really nice.

For a moment, I was so caught up with staring after the mysterious boy that it completely slipped my mind about how late I was. And Zero would surely have scolded me severely if he ever managed to find out about how unaware I had been.

I flinched. Being distracted as I was, I hadn't even heard the footsteps approaching me. The hands covering my eyes were unfamiliar, and the movement was so unexpected, my heart almost missed a beat. Too cold to be Zero's, yet too warm to be Ichii's, too soft to be the former, yet the fingers weren't as long or slender as the latter. Despite that, I couldn't sense any malice, or any indication at all that this person intended to cause me harm. While it was a fairly ridiculous reason for remaining quiet and obedient, I still reined in my training and stopped myself from flying into a hurried defence.

"Ne, you know, you shouldn't go all space cadet out here. It's not safe." I regained the power of sight as the obstructing hands were removed and the boy nosed his head around to reveal himself with an easy grin. Hiro. Of course, only he could act so familiar, even after all the time that had passed and the considerable distance that had amassed between us. "Especially for someone as cute as you," He lightly squeezed my cheek between his thumb and forefinger, his eyes, as always were bright, alive and holding an endearingly teasing twinkle. "Someone could snatch you up easy." He snapped his fingers to demonstrate the said ease of the action.

"A good morning to you, too, Hiro."

He didn't seem at all bothered about my swift change of subject and at my subtle indication, he immediately complied and released me, falling into step beside me.

"Morning, Hika-chan." He greeted enthusiastically and merely chuckled when I rolled my eyes and bumped him with my shoulder as retribution for the old nickname. "I can't call you that any more? Why the sudden change?"

The question caught me off guard and caused faded memories to surface. Painful ones, that I had all but forgotten, ones that I had safely buried in the furthest corners of my mind. I hesitated for a moment, before quickly pushing them away and steadying myself with a deep, somewhat calming breath.

Pursing my lips, I responded bluntly. "It's too childish." Another pause, in which I allowed the tension to dissipate from my shoulders and an faint smile to creep onto my lips as an apology for the unintended harshness of my demeanour. "Besides, we haven't really spoken much in the past couple of years, remember? If you think about it, it's not all that sudden."

While the boy accepted the answer easily enough, he was still prepared to play the difficult card and pouted in an obviously fake manner to lighten the mood. "I think it's cute."

I humoured the boy with an amused smile.

"I can't believe I've only just realised! Jeez, looks like you're not the only one who needs to get their head out of the clouds." At my inquiring gaze, Hiro cut straight to the chase. "Your bodyguards aren't here. That's really weird. Those two never usually leave your side for even a second." The look of genuine concern on his face was more than a little sweet. "Did you guys fight or something?"

"Not that I'm aware of?"

While he did raise an eyebrow at the uncertainty in my voice, he thankfully knew better than to press the issue any further, so, instead he hummed in acknowledgement and distracted himself by casting a lazy glance towards his watch. It was easy enough to see the shock as he performed a quick double take. "This is so bad!" He exclaimed, already grasping my hand as he urgently coaxed me into a hurried sprint. "We're so going to be late! Come on, Hikari."

"O-Okay!"

When we entered the classroom, red-faced and gasping for breath, we discovered where the boys had disappeared to. Zero was perched on his usual chair, thoughtfully chewing on the end of his pen, no doubt attempting to complete some homework at the last minute, as always. Ichii, on the other hand, actually spared a moment to glance up from his book and raise an eyebrow at my present company, but he smiled nevertheless.

"Aaaaand safe!" Hiro declared, his grin infectious as he quickly straightened his wind-swept hair. He spared a moment to tuck a wayward lock of mine behind my ear, while I busied myself with smoothing down my skirt. "We made it. Good job, Hikari." I awkwardly tapped his outstretched fist, which, by his reaction, he thought was the epitome of cute and enticed him to ruffle my hair.

At my protest, he grinned cheekily and danced out of my reach, towards his friends, returning a lazy salute to my small, hesitant wave.

I made a beeline for Kei and Ayumi, perching on the formers desk as we traded greetings before Kei raised an inquiring eyebrow. "Care to explain any of that? I didn't realise you guys had got so close again."

Ayumi looked just as perplexed, which was more than a little amusing. I simply shrugged. "It was weird, like no time had passed at all."

"I'm glad. It doesn't seem like the dynamic you two share can be broken so easily."

I rolled my eyes at her words. "I suppose so, and it would be nice to get more opportunities to talk. But it was just a coincidence, we just happened to run in to each other. I guess it never would have happened if I'd actually been on time today." Surprisingly, the thought seemed somewhat depressing.

"Hey, Earth-To-Hikari, is anyone in there?" I poked my tongue out at Ayumi as she gently tapped my head with her knuckles, which caused the girl to grin. She nodded over to the boys. "Guess you'll be off then?" A sad smile graced my lips, I sorely wished I was able to spend more time with my friends, but with my hectic life right now, it was out of my control. I didn't want to pull them into my problems, after all. Kei lightly flicked my forehead, and my attention flickered back over to the two of them. "Cheer up." Ayumi commanded. "We're still on for lunch together, right?"

I nodded softly, already feeling my spirits brighten. "Definitely. I'll make sure I'm there."

We parted and I headed over to the boys, hands on hips and sniffing dramatically. "You guys didn't wait for me. How could you be so cruel?"

Ichii abandoned his book in favour of addressing me directly. "I came early because I'm on day duty." He glanced over at Zero, confusion marring his expression. "I thought you said she was in the bathroom?"

"Well, I wasn't lying." The boy replied, a small smirk on his face as he stooped low to add the finishing touches to his work. Catching sight of Ichii's narrowed eyes, the boy looked somewhat indignant. "What? You didn't specifically ask which bathroom it was. And anyway, I expected her to catch up in a couple of minutes, it's not my fault she's so slow." That explanation earner him a light smack upside the head via Ichii's book as punishment.

"Dork."

"Hey!" Zero complained, rubbing the injured area. "She's the idiot who didn't check her alarm. Blame her!"

"What did you say?" The boy bailed from his seat just in time as I lunged at him and then continued to dance tauntingly out of reach as I chased him around the classroom. "You get back here, Zero!" I ordered between laughs, while he rang off a whole list of names that we both were fully aware he didn't actually mean. "Just you wait until I catch you!"

"Oh, yeah?" He challenged, his lips spread in a wide, Cheshire Cat style grin. "Like that'll ever happen. You're waaaaay too slow~"

I managed to catch him around the neck and was fully prepared to noogie the captured boy when the door was violently shoved open, startling me so much that Zero succeeded in slipping free. "Greetings! I am here!" I cocked my head to the side as I surveyed one of the two figures standing in the doorway. Same braid, same clothes, same brown, brown eyes. That was definitely the guy I met earlier. Which begged the question, what exactly was he doing here? He caught sight of me, and smiled in recognition. "Hey, it's you! You're that cutiepie for earlier."

Uncertain of how to reply, I simply bowed, feeling a little awkward. "Thank you for this morning."

He looked nonchalant as he manoeuvred his way through the classroom, a certain confident swagger to his step as he did so. "It's no problem at all. I'm just glad you were alright." That said, he carefully took my hand and raised it to brush against his lips.

While the motion was unexpected and embarrassingly intimate, the blush that rose wasn't as furious as it would have been if it had been either Zero or Ichii who had performed the action. Surprised, and feeling a lot more awkward, I carefully stepped back and twirled a raven lock around my finger to distract myself from my classmates incessant inquiries and complaints about me apparently always stealing the cute guys.

Lips pursed, Ichii regarded the two warily. "What exactly are you doing here, Kuku?" The fact that Ichii knew the boy by name should have been a clear indication that something wasn't quite right. Though, evidently, I was too caught up with being oblivious to notice.

"Looking for someone." Was his rather blunt, offhand reply. Though, upon catching sight of Zero, who I had just noticed was attempting to inch his way out of the classroom as inconspicuously as possible, his eyes lit up. "I knew I'd find you someday if I tracked down the Crystal Pearl!" What? The Crystal Pearl? That means... They're examinees! "I finally found you, Zero!"

"W-what the hell?" Kuku used Ichii's desk to propel himself into the air, almost as if it were a springboard and not a stationary piece of wood. For a moment, I wasn't exactly sure whether he intended to attack Zero, or to simply squish the helpless boy with the mother of all glomps. Though it seemed to be leaning on the latter, which is when Zero decided to take drastic measures. "Stay away!" He ordered, and blindly kicked out in what I suppose was a rather disastrous attempt to push Kuku away from him. Yet Zero, being Zero- which was, of course, a complete idiot- had not only prevented the hug but also managed to tear off Kuku's entire shirt in the process.

Which, I guess is how everyone discovered that he was actually a she. It'd be pretty difficult to miss that now that her bra and a whole lot of cleavage was on display to anyone who cared to look.

"N-No way... You're... A girl?"

From the ominous aura surrounding the girl, it looked as if she was set to murder him in the most painful way that was human possible. Zero's face was pale and, for the moment, devoid of any emotion. Evidently, he was in shock, due to his cheeks slowly rising in colour. "C-Crap. I'm sorry. It was an accident, I swear. I didn't mean to-"

Instead, she didn't meet any of our expectations and merely sprang a hug on the unsuspecting boy. "I'm so happy!" She exclaimed, while Zero busied himself with blatantly searching for a way to extract himself without being too harsh. "You're finally interested in me!"

"G-Get away from me!"

Apparently, the extent of Zero's chivalry didn't extend much further than his short temper. More than a little exasperated, he gave the girl a firm, two handed shove to release himself from her clinging arms. That, of course, didn't bode very well with the girl. It appeared like she didn't appreciate Zero's manners, though I couldn't see why. He was such a saint, after all. "Why? Didn't you want to see me naked?"

"What?" The poor boy blushed profusely and averted his gaze. "No way!" Unfortunately, I was the new object of the said boy's gaze, which appeared to make him all the more flustered.

"Z-Zero?" Despite the fact that my voice was small, tentative even, the boy still flinched. His eyes flickered uncertainly over my face, taking in my expression and how my head was slightly cocked to the side, perfectly displaying my confusion, and then they shot straight to my feet, where they stubbornly remained the entire time I was speaking. "I-I don't understand... What's going on? What's... your relationship with her?"

Kuku pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing dangerously at the boy. "You didn't tell your friends?" The disapproval was evident in her sharp tone.

Zero threw her a dark look. "There's nothing to tell."

Kuku completely ignored his words, and the way he squirmed when she pulled him in for another hug. "Zero is my fiancé!" She seemed quite proud about that fact. I, on the other hand, was not.

Stunned. There was no other word to describe my reaction. I was just completely stunned. Somehow, this was different from before, when Rokka fabricated her entire relationship with Ichii out of thin air. Then, it was cute and I was... I was happy for him, wasn't I? But this was harsh reality. And the terrible feeling twisting like a knife deep in my gut was the bitterest and most unpleasant I had ever experienced. I hadn't felt at all like this before, though I suppose I wasn't this close with the two when it happened.

So that must be it... right? I'm just hurt because Zero never even bothered to tell me.

He spoke through gritted teeth. "Will you quit it with the whole marriage thing already? In case you forgot, that was something our parents decided. Not me." He sharply turned his back on her, arms folded crossly as expression hardened into one of true resentment. "They didn't even ask me first!"

Kuku dismissed his words with a furious stamp of her foot. "Still! A promise is a promise and I am scrupulous about keeping it! So, I became an examinee in order to meet you in the Human World. I've done all this hard work to find you, now resign yourself to returning to the Magic World and marrying me!"

Zero easily dodged her clumsy lunge and bolted for the nearest window. "Gimme a break. Why do I have to marry you?" He lifted the latch and shot one last dark look at the girl. "I'm outta here." With that, he vaulted out with incredible ease, Kuku following closely behind. With Zero's cat-like grace, I didn't need to have cause for concern. He'd proven himself quite capable of leaping out of second-story windows on numerous other occasions without even the slightest hint of injury. So, when no terrible cry arose from the girl, I assumed he was perfectly fine and bailing out to one of his many secret hiding places.

I could barely handle my classmates excessive noise after the abrupt departure of the two. Honestly, I could hardly muster up the energy required to correct them on my relationship with Zero once again. It was the same thing day in, day out. If I'm not going out with one, then it must be the other, because it wasn't as if I could suddenly have friends who just happened to be guys without having to be romantically involved with one of them.

And that was right...

It wasn't as if me and Zero were an item.

I didn't care at all whether he had a fiancée.

Zero was free to do whatever he liked.

And his love life was of no concern to me what-so-ever.

But still... Even with the captured boy struggling to free himself from her persistent grip on his arm... Or her stealing his shirt so she could sew back on his missing button, much to the disgruntled boy's embarrassment... And even though he firmly refused the bento she'd made for him... And looked so incredibly flustered when he barely managed to win the battle against her as she tried to practically force him into sleeping on her lap... I couldn't help but feel...

Pained...

And empty.

It shouldn't bother me at all. I was supposed to be a sensible, mature girl, after all.

But for some reason...

It did.

Taking a deep breath, I juggled the items in my hand and carefully pulled them closer to my chest. I'd lost the quick, deciding game of Rock-Paper-Scissors and, as punishment, was sent on the usual vending machine run.

I chanced a quick glance upwards at the dark expanse above me. Unlike this morning, there wasn't even a smattering of white. The clouds were oppressive, hanging low on their solemn march across the sky. It was humid enough for small tendrils of hair to curl around my face, though thankfully my uniform didn't feel the need to cling to my skin in a sweaty embrace, and I could almost feel the electricity pulsing in the air. A thunderstorm was building, bringing in it all the furious energy of a tornado.

Wanting some time alone to clear my head, I'd decided to take the scenic route on my way to swing by the courtyard. Due to my dramatic performance in volleyball earlier- where for once I actually managed to get through an entire PE lesson without my Klutz tendencies appearing AND to score several kick-ass points against the opposing teams- I was sure that both Kei and Ayumi would understand. They could easily see how tense I had been lately.

But, evidently today was really not my day. It was just my warped, twisted bad luck that I managed to stumble across the two people I had so desperately wished I could avoid in the most compromising situation imaginable. Some deity up there really enjoyed messing with me, I was sure of it. Because really, what else I was supposed to think when I spotted Kuku dressed only in lingerie and wearing Zero's goddamn shirt.

And that, I suppose, was what brought me to the end of my tether. The abundance of sweet rolls and drinks tumbled out of my arms, and all that remained was the juice cartoon clutched tightly in my hand.

"Wh... What the hell are you both doing looking like that?"

Zero's head snapped around so fast, I was at least mildly surprised it didn't induce whiplash. "H-Hikari?" His gaze shifted from Kuku to me, or more importantly, my horrified expression. Face paling considerably, he held his hands up in a surrender sign and gestured helplessly around. "Wait- This isn't what it looks like-"

He was swiftly interrupted by Ayumi's precious cartoon of grape juice hitting him square in the face. If she had ever witnessed how I desecrated the sacred grapes, I would've been unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of her deadly wrath. "You're sick!" My voice rose a whole octave as my throat painfully constricted. "I don't believe you. Hiding out here with her when she's dressed like that! And... Y-You... You actually looked happy! Baka! Pervert!"

Mouthing wordlessly, he took a step towards me, still desperately trying to find a way to defend himself. Panic flitting across my face, I stumbled back like he would suddenly rear forwards and bite me. Fleetingly, I caught sight of his expression softening and the pain flashing bright and hard in his eyes as I turned sharply on my heels and bolted. "Hikari- Wait!"

I didn't.

And I only increased my pace as Zero sprang into a hasty pursuit, still calling after me. My heart felt like it was about to explode from the whirlwind of conflicting emotions roaming rampant inside. So distracted was I, that I didn't even realise what direction my legs were taking me in until I was halfway through the courtyard, dashing straight past my two very confused friends.

But Zero was so close. I could hear him cursing as he came careering around the corner and almost collided with a Sakura tree. So I didn't stop, or hesitate for even a second. Especially when I felt the murderous aura emerging from the school's resident demon, Kei, who's frightening form revealed itself to those who dared to hurt her precious friends in any way, shape or form. Instead, I headed straight for the doors of the building, barging straight between some of my fellow classmates and disappearing down one of the many hallways in an attempt to lose the persistent boy.

I only slowed when I was certain of two things, that I had left Zero far behind, and that my legs could no longer carry me any further. My lungs were already burning up, but the searing pain hardly registered compared to the twisting, aching pain in my heart. Grabbing the wall for support, I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, attempting to rid myself of that agonising feeling. But, I found very quickly that it only grew so much worse the more I focused on it.

"When I see you being friendly with other guys... I'm not really sure why, but it pisses me off!"

"I'm glad... As I thought... It's better for Hikari to be how she usually is."

"Hikari... I love you."

My breathing was weak, frantic. It shook, almost as much as my entire body. A red haze sparked in my eyes, and I struck out at the wall, a broken, distressed wail rising from the very depths of my being. Idiot, Hikari! That means nothing. All of it... meant nothing. What's wrong with you? It's not like he even remembers saying that... That... He loved you... He was under the love potion, after all... So, it... It was nothing.

Then why...? Why is it that I'm so irritated?

I shouldn't care.

I... I don't care...

But... If that's true...

Then why does it hurt so much?

My fist slowly clenched into a fist as I allowed my forehead to rest against the cool plaster. "Because I'm jealous."

"Ne... Is that you, Hikari?" Tense and wired to bolt for the nearest exit, I slowly inched my head around in the direction of the voice. Though, I needn't have been worried. It was only Hiro, leaning awkwardly out of the music room doorway, an acoustic guitar hanging causally from the loose strap slung over his shoulder. His expression softened as he carefully assessed the frantic state I was in, with cool, unwavering eyes For a moment he ducked away, though he quickly returned, offering me a chocolate bar and a gentle smile. "I'm right here. Do you need to talk about it?"

His kindness triggered the sudden collapse of the barrier I had been building up.

"Oh, no," He said, though his voice remained, not irritated, but somewhat amused. "Here come the waterworks."

And that they did.

There was no slow, gradual beginning. The wave hit me hard and fast, causing me to double over as my body convulsed from the violent, jerking movements of the sobs. "Look at you, so emotional." He appeared to be a little hesitant as he slowly raised his arms up and out. "Come on," He encouraged, and his voice held so much sweetness as he smiled that soft, reassuring smile. "Bring it in."

I stumbled blindly into his embrace and buried my head straight into his chest. He wasted no time in commencing to stroke my hair and whisper comforts in my ear. And suddenly, it was like were we children once more, and his calming presence helped to sap the pain away from my scraped knees, or fragile, shattered feelings. All that was missing was an appearance from my omnipotent best friends, who always seemed to arrive exactly when I needed them.

At first, I was confused when he pulled away but the light tug on my wrist that coaxed me into the room banished my worries. After settling me down on a chair and perching on a nearby desk, he rested the guitar comfortably on his leg, and carefully struck up a pretty tune. Sparing a moment to glance at my expression, his lip quirked up at the side in response to my surprise. I allowed my eyes to flutter closed as the melodic sound slowly mellowed the darkness encompassing my soul. A pleasant, rich voice quietly mingled with the soft strumming, and after a confirming glance, I relaxed further. Hiro had never really enjoyed singing. But, humming seemed to be an entirely different matter altogether.

I was startled when the door opened, abruptly halting the beautiful music. Zero was doubled over, grasping the handle for support as he caught his breath. "Yo... Have you... Seen Hikari?" Eyes widening, I slowly slid from my chair and backed away as inconspicuously as I could. Though, despite my drastically improved ninja sneaking skills, Zero recovered quickly enough to catch a fleeting glimpse as I slipped out through the back.

"Hikari!" I made it exactly four steps before he snatched my wrist and yanked so hard the force made me slam straight into him. "Stop running, will you?"

"Let go of me!" I exclaimed, struggling in vain to free myself from his firm grip. "Leave me alone!" I released a startled shriek, as, all of a sudden, I flew backwards. Zero had rather suddenly done exactly as I instructed, and was studying me, expression one of utter concern.

"Are you crying?"

I hurriedly turned my back on him and swiped furiously at my eyes. "No." I cursed myself for sniffing softly. "Don't flatter yourself! Like you could ever-" I could hear the obvious tremor in my voice and fought valiantly against it. "Ever... make me..." He must have heard how pained my next breath was. I could almost feel his outstretched hand as it hovered just above my shoulder, the boy too hesitant to make contact.

Though, as we both became aware of the quickly approaching footsteps, it seemed as though Zero didn't even think as he yanked me forward, through a couple more corridors and hurriedly into the nearest locker. His finger gently pressed against my lips, halting any attempt at speech. "Shhh," He instructed, almost inaudibly. "Stay quiet for a bit." And, because I trusted him, I did. We barely moved as Kuku passed by, her confusion evident at Zero's peculiar disappearance. He waited for a brief moment, head cocked to the side, listening intently until he was satisfied.

"I think she's gone." His breath smelled like the peppermints he was addicted to. It was distractingly good. "Let's get out."

In hindsight, that decision was a mistake. I wasn't exactly sure who was to blame, but we tumbled out onto the floor, right at the feet of a very pissed off Kuku. "Zero... What is the meaning of this?" Her narrowed, hawk-like eyes assessed us in one, fatal swoop. Yeah. We're so screwed. "You were cheating on me, weren't you?"

"I'm not going out with you, so I can't even have an affair!"

His protest fell on deaf ears.

"That's it. I'll never forgive you for this, Zero! You won't like her so much if I curse her, will you? Tarot Spell: Animal Change!" In an instant, Zero had lunged forward and angled his body towards the attack. Though, his attempt was futile and only succeeded in leaving himself helpless to the spell as well. "Huh? Zero's under it, too." The girl simply shrugged, a wicked smile taking up her features. "Well, that works out perfectly. You see that spell? It turns you into an animal. It's only partial now, but you'll keep evolving..." Cautiously, I reached up and touched the silky fur on my ears. Long and elegant, there was no doubt about what animal they belonged to. "Ultimately, you'll transform completely and remain this way for ten years."

T-Ten years? I can't stay a bunny for ten whole years! What about my mum? And school? All my friends? It seemed as though the same thoughts were racing through Zero's head. Though, I had to admit, he looked pretty cute with those dog ears and fluffy tail.

"Well, enjoy what's left of your human life." Kuku said, brightly, as she threw a lazy wave over her shoulder. "See ya!"

This can't be happening!

A/N: You don't understand how long I have been waiting to write this episode! Ever since I started this fic, I've been looking forward to writing Animal Hikari & Zero. Also, I've been playing around a lot with what I wanted her to be. I debated between a fox (mainly because I could use the ears to express a lot of her emotions) a mouse (because that would suit her personality better, wouldn't it?) and a rabbit, which is what I finally decided to go for.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, every little bit helps to improve my writing! I've also been a little worried about Hikari's building jealousy. Did I go too overboard?

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it~

LoveInuyasha22: Thank you, as always for your review! I'm glad you liked that last chapter, since I was really happy with how it turned out. After reading back on it, I noticed how much my descriptions had improved! Did you see that, as well? Well, I was fairly tempted to go against the Manga and actually have them kiss, but I decided against it in the end. I'd rather ramp up the shiptease to extreme levels before confirming which way I'm going with pairings.