"No."

"Go back. Now."

"No."

"Dammit Haku just leave me alone then!" she turned around and ran towards her room and slammed the door.

She heard the knocking. "Go away."

"Chihiro please."

"No Haku, just leave me alone."

Sighing he walked away, she heard the door close and she felt the tears start all over again.

(One year later)

Chihiro went away to college. She decided to return to California, the last place she was truly happy. Her parents weren't too happy, but they respected her daughter's decision. Haku ended up returning to the Spirit World, he went to see her one last time before returning.

"Chihiro, please tell me you reconsidered."

"No Haku. I'll always love you, but just thinking of you hurts me." she had told him.

It had been six months after she stopped his wedding. Mai had moved on, she took off to college also.

Upon returning to the Spirit World. Haku had seen how stupid he had been. His body wanted Mai, he let himself get clouded by it. Mai was essentially perfect. She was beautiful, smart, talented, everything that a man would want. Haku sighed every time he thought about it, his stupidity made him cringe. He had hurt Chihiro horribly, he wondered why she didn't send him back sooner. Actually, he knew why, she wanted a chance. She wanted to see if there was any way to get him back, but he blew that too.

"You're still not beating yourself over that are you?" Zeniba asked him when she saw him cringe again, "Haku it's been over a year, you messed up, you might not get a chance to try again."

"I am aware of this Zeniba. I lost the only person that mattered to me." he sighed.

"Well what's done is done."

"How can you be so heartless?" he snapped.

"Because Kohaku, this was your fault. You allowed your hormones to cloud your mind. You thought with that." he said pointing down on his body.

He frowned, knowing she was right. Sighing he walked outside. He was going to try yet again to convince Them to let him return. They had said it was up to Chihiro, when she truly wanted him back, he could return.

"No Kohaku." the voice said as soon as he was in his dragon shape.

Please.

"No!"

It was final, he knew better than to ask again, or even argue. With a sigh he just flew around. He circled the bathhouse, he couldn't be down there. She was everywhere. Her presence still lingered in every nook and cranny. He had visited once, and kept expecting her to round the corner. It was impossible for him to go back to any life he had before, as if the past six years hadn't happened.

Chihiro was glaring at her computer. She had a paper to write for her Creative Writing class. A story actually. The only one that popped into her head was hers. She sighed and gave up trying to find another topic. She just started typing. Hours later, her hands cramped up and she was shocked to see that she had typed about fifty pages. She reread her work, cringing every time his name came up. She saved the file and closed her laptop. Curling up on her bed, she thought about him, as she always did at night. Soon she drifted off to sleep.

She was floating. It was dark but there was a bright light in the distance. She didn't know how she knew to lean forward and will herself to move, but she did. She floated towards the light wondering where it led. A part of her already knew. She was above a building. A memory floated up to her.

"The bathhouse." her words took shape.

Pink bubbles floated around her with every sound she made. She saw something else in the distance, moving towards her. It was a long shape moving without a pattern against the blue sky. She knew how his scales would glisten, how the wind would catch the green fur that flowed down his back. As she watched, the tears fell slowly. She willed herself to fly towards him, to meet him.

"Haku!" she called out to him.

He kept flying. He flew right through her and a shudder passed through them both.

He could feel her, but how? He looked around where he had passed and thought he saw a change in the way the air moved. Making his way back, he sniffed and caught her familiar scent.

"Chihiro?" she heard the thought in her mind.

He wasn't looking at her. He was looking around her. She reached her hand out and placed it on his snout. He jerked violently then blinked at her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I don't know. I fell asleep." she told him, "Am I dreaming?"

"If you are, then I am too." he said and leaned in to nuzzle her, but stopped an inch away.

"Why'd you stop?" she asked.

"I don't want you to hurt, later."

"It'll hurt more if you don't." she admitted.

He leaned towards her and placed his snout on her nose. She smiled and kissed his fur softly.

"I've missed you." she admitted.

"And I've missed you." he told her. "Chihiro I'm so sorry. I, I let my hormones take over."

She flinched.

"What did I say?" he asked her.

"Nothing, nevermind."

"Tell me."

"It's just...she's pretty."

He nodded, "She's very pretty."

"And smart."

"Straight A's in school."

"And talented."

"She could sing, act, dance, play the flute, play sports, "

"She's perfect." and I'm not. The words hung unspoken but he picked up on them.

"You're perfect."

"Not perfect enough apparently."

"Chihiro, I-"

"It's fine." she cut him off.

"Stop doing that."

He changed out of his dragon form. "Do you want me there?" he asked her suddenly. "In the human world."

"Yes." she didn't hesitate, "I really want you back here." she told him, "I miss you."

She was jolted awake. Looking around she realized that she was back in her dorm.

"What?" she said out loud. "Was that all I get? A few minutes?" she could have kicked her self.

She hadn't seen him for a year and that was how she acted. Hearing a knock on the door, she composed herself and went to answer it. There he was, standing in her doorway, her heart stopped.

"Haku!" she threw her arms around him.

He was taken by surprised, but he put his arms around her. His lips met hers. He couldn't help himself. She was taken by surprised but she didn't pull away. When their kiss ended she lay her head on his chest.

"How long are you back for?"

"It's up to you." he told her. "For right now, they've given me twenty four hours, unless you want me to stay longer."

She just nodded.

"Let me explain." he told her, "No interrupting." he led her to her bed and sat down. She sat next to him.

"When they turned me into a human, they left nothing out. I was a teenage boy, I was just looking at her looks." he saw her cringe, "You are beautiful too, don't get me wrong, but she's..."

"Would you like a bucket for that drool?" she asked him sarcastically.

"When you stopped the wedding, I realized that I was making a big mistake." he confessed, "After you passed out, she told me to leave you there, saying that the wedding could still go on." he frowned, "She was just going to leave you lying on the floor, no she wanted an usher to take you into another room." he shook his head, "when I took a step towards you, she hissed, 'if you go to her Haku, it's over.' the wedding, it was a last resort for us. She always accused me of being in love with you. Being stupid, I denied it, saying we had a lot of history. As soon as she said those words, I knew she wasn't the one I wanted. She shrieked when I picked you up and carried you out of the church."

He sighed, "When you asked if I loved you, and I hesitated..." he scowled, "I couldn't answer, because I don't love you."

A/N: DON'T HIT ME!

It'll be revealed in the next chapter.