Note from Author: *Hangs head in embarrassment.* I wrote a second chapter. I had totally planned this to be a one-shot story, but found myself with ideas for a second chapter, and possibly even a third. Wrote this one; not sure if I'll do the third one, it wouldn't really fit with the rest of the story.

Chapter 2: Always

"Natsuno?" Tohru's voice called to him, as the blonde Okiagari popped his head from his bedroom. It had been a week since Tohru and Natsuno had admitted their feelings for each other and today marked a whole year since the Shiki-Human Slaughter of Sotoba. Tohru couldn't help finding it strange that Seishin and Sunako had decided to come out of hiding at the same time. Tohru slid out of his bedroom and into the hall, taking a few steps and looking around.

To honor their lost friends and family, Tohru and Natsuno had agreed to close the restaurant tonight, so the whole building was unsettling quiet. Tohru and Natsuno may have been in hiding for a year, but Tohru still hadn't become use to the night-time noises of the city. "Natsuno?" Tohru called again, a little more worried this time. Natsuno was usually there, the first thing Tohru saw when he woke up and the last thing he saw when he went to sleep.

Tohru really was just like a little lost puppy when it came to Natsuno. Both as a human, and as a Shiki, this was true, and he knew it. With a sigh, Tohru went to Natsuno's room. Maybe he had gone to take a nap and wasn't up yet? With a sigh, the frail little Vampire gently knocked at the door to the Jinrou's bedroom. "Natsuno?" Tohru waited a moment, and when no answer came from within, he gently pushed the door open and peaked in. No, Natsuno's bed didn't even look as though it had been used during the day.

"Tohru-Chan?" Natsuno's voice rang out from the front of the building, accompanied by the clanking of the restaurant door tapping against the wooden tassels that hung above it. As an Okiagari, Tohru had a natural apprehension to the sound of bells and metal rings, so they set up a wooden system to replace the bells that would ring to alert them to the arrival of a customer. Their ears were sensitive enough to pick up even that from anywhere within the building. Natsuno sighed, carrying several bags in his arms. He headed for the kitchen. He sat the bags down on counter. He could hear Tohru's footsteps as the Shiki came running down the hallway. Natsuno sighed and readied himself for the inevitable… Yep, there it was, Tohru pounced him from behind.

"Natsuno!" Tohru said, throwing his arms around the Jinrou.

"Well," Natsuno said dryly with a cool smile, "I see you're already awake. Sorry I'm late, Tohru-Chan. I was caught in a long line at the store, traffic wasn't much better." He turned to face Tohru.

These last few months, Tohru had slowly been becoming more and more like his old self, less melancholy; more energetic and happy-go lucky, all touchy-feely, and playfully childish. This was the Tohru that Natsuno had come to know and love, the complete contrast to his own normal cool and calm, stand-offish demeanor. If being with him meant helping him get back to that point, it only made things even more meaningful for Natsuno. Tohru still harbored guilt and grief for all that he had done in Sotoba after rising up as a Shiki, but while none of Tohru's other victims had the chance to do so, Natsuno had at least forgiven him. Rather than allow that guilt to ruin him, to hold him back, to destroy his mind and strip him of his humanity, he had made up his mind to work with Natsuno to find a way to coexist with the humans, and to use that guilt as a way to control himself should the hunger ever over take him as severely as it use to. It seemed, at least to him, this was the best way he could honor them.

Tohru blinked at Natsuno for a moment, remembering not too long ago when Natsuno would push him away or slap at him for physical displays of affection and calling him by his first name. A smile, even half a smile use to be rare to come from him. Tohru folded his hands together behind his back, looking curiously at Natsuno as he thought back on this. "Say, Natsuno?" Tohru asked leaning inward, almost expecting such a reaction.

"What's up, Tohru-Chan?" Natsuno asked.

Tohru blinked. The restaurant was closed, they were alone and could talk freely. He closed his eyes and drew in a breath before asking. "Wow, not a single complaint or objection?"

Natsuno looked at Tohru, "For what?" he asked, as he began emptying the bags and putting away the groceries.

Tohru blinked again, his eyes quietly following Natsuno around the kitchen. "You use to get mad when I called you by your first name," Tohru said. "I was just thinking, I haven't heard you complain about it, lately?"

Natsuno smirked. "When we were in Sotoba, all I wanted was to get out, back to the city," he started explaining, "I was trying my hardest not to make any connections that would get in the way of that. Friends and lovers, anything emotional like that would have made it difficult for me to leave when the time came. So, I tried to keep others from becoming too close, not just for myself, but to prevent from hurting them as well." Natsuno brushed a stray strand of purple hair out of his face. "But a certain rebelliously childish blonde refused to accept 'no' for an answer," he said, looking directly at Tohru.

"Oh, gee," Tohru laughed sheepishly, trying to play innocent and rubbing the back of his head, "I wonder who that could be?"

Natsuno chuckled softly and walked back over to Tohru, gently wrapping his strong arms around the fragile blonde Shiki's body. "But, there's not much point in complaining when my own family calls me by my given name."

Tohru smiled and gently placed his hands on Natsuno's arms. Natsuno had filled out all the paperwork, listing Tohru as a younger brother, registering them both under his father's name Yuuki, rather than his mother's Koide, like on Natsuno's original birth certificate; this of course meant Natsuno also swapped the dates for their birth, making himself three years older and Tohru the younger. With Natsuno being taller and stronger, and Tohru physically smaller, this would actually be easy to pass off. But Tohru knew that wasn't quite what Natsuno meant when he used the term 'family,' that was just a story for those on the outside of what they had been through, of what they had together.

"Natsuno," Tohru whispered, "Hold me like this for just a little while longer?" He knew he couldn't keep Natsuno too long before the groceries had to be put up, but he gently nuzzled Natsuno's arm. "You're so warm."

Natsuno smiled softly at his Tohru-Chan. He was so hard to say no to. He ran his fingers through the blonde teen Shiki's unkempt hair. "Just a little while. I can't let the food spoil." Tohru nodded. Natsuno jerked, when his fingers brushed against Tohru's skin. "Tohru-Chan? You're cold, colder than usual. Are you feeling alright?" Neither of them had been Okiagari for long. Was it possible there were ways that even the undead could get sick?

"I'm fine," Tohru answered, mater of factly, "Maybe a little hungry, perhaps. You weren't exactly around when I woke up."

Natsuno nodded in understanding. "I have been spoiling you with well-timed feedings lately, haven't I?" he replied, with a sigh of relief. "Alright," he said gently tapping his finger on Tohru's forehead, "Help me finish putting up the food, and I'll feed you."

Tohru nodded in agreement and began to help put away the groceries. Finally, they were down to one last bag, unlike the other plastic see-through ones, this one was a brown paper bag, and Natsuno had been quite animate about keeping Tohru out of it until the very end. Now that it was the only bag left, Natsuno picked it up in his right hand, and caught hold of Tohru's wrist with his left. Tohru looked up at Natsuno, quizzically. "Natsuo?" he chirped, purposely leaving out the 'n' in Natsuno's name, as he sometimes did.

Natsuno tilted his head toward the hallway, signaling for Tohru to follow him, "Come on, Tohru-Chan, let's go back to your room," he suggested. Tohru smiled and nodded again, quietly, yet happily following his Jinrou back to the bedrooms. Tohru was becoming increasingly curious about that bag.

Natsuno pushed open the door to Tohru's room and flicked a switch on the wall. The room light up with soft incandescent lights, a couple of lava lamps, and plasma globes. The two Vampires could see in the dark, but still wanted to keep their portions of the house light to some degree. The lava lamps and plasma globes fit with Tohru's playful nature and didn't use any UV or Phosphorous-making them safe for the Okiagari, and Natsuno never cared for the brightness of the lights that used Mercury to begin with. The rest of the building, especially the public areas, were light up with the dimmest lights they could legally get away with and still pass the public safety codes. Setting the bag on the floor next to him, Natsuno sat on the bed and took off his shirt, signaling for Tohru to come to him. In the blink of an eye, Tohru was upon him, having decided to playfully pounce him, again.

Natsuno managed to hold himself upright when he felt the weight of Tohru's body flung against his, but he suddenly regretted taking off his shirt, as the Shiki's body was still so cold to the touch. Tohru was always like that, though. When they were alive, Tohru's body was so skinny he had trouble properly generating body heat-perhaps that's why he was always so energetic and had such a voracious appetite-it helped keep him warm. Of course, he still had some human warmth to him, then, but his body was still cool to the touch. Now, as a Shiki, he was naturally colder than usual, and Natsuno had noticed that whether or not Tohru had eaten did make some difference. "You get your pick on where to bite, tonight," Natsuno whispered.

Tohru quietly smiled and ran his eyes and fingers gently over Natsuno's perfectly chiseled body, looking for just the right vein to sink his teeth into. He finally decided on a spot on the nape of Natsuno's neck. Tohru's eyes changed as he became ready to feed, his pupils glowing red right before he bit in. He could feel Natsuno flinch as the fangs pierced the skin. Tohru closed his eyes and began to drink, taking in Natsuno's warmth, his scent, his taste. At that moment, the rest of the world could melt away, Tohru was aware of himself and all that was Natsuno, and he savored every moment of it, and that was all that needed to exist for him for now. He felt Natsuno's body stiffen as the Jinrou willingly surrendered himself. Tohru happily drank his fill. Pulling away, he gently licked clean the wound on Natsuno's neck as it healed, then licked his lips to catch any of the red life-giving liquid that might have tried to escape him.

"You satisfied, now?" Natsuno asked calmly as he felt the wound heal.

"Uh-huh," Tohru nodded, happily. "Say, Natsuno?" Tohru asked quietly.

"Hm?" Natsuno looked up at Tohru.

"Does it… Does it hurt when I bite you?" Tohru asked. "You always seem to flinch."

"No more than a mosquito bite," Natsuno replied with a smirk. "I feel slight discomfort when the skin is punctured, like getting a shot. After that…" Natsuno blushed slightly, "It's rather enjoyable. Maybe it's just because you're so gentle." He smiled at Tohru and rustled a hand through the Shiki's already messy tuff of blonde hair. "I just have to remember this is one mosquito I can't swat away," he teased. He reached down and picked up the paper bag, handing it to Tohru. "Here, I know you're curious what's in there. I got it for you. I remembered you use to have one in your room just like it. Though, I think you kept trying to hide it from me, because it was tucked into a different hiding place every time I slept over."

Tohru blinked at him curiously and slowly opened the bag. It was a stuffed bear. Natsuno quietly watched the look on Tohru's face. He didn't think it was possible for a Shiki to blush, but he was almost certain he could see Tohru's face turning an adorably embarrassed red. "You really did find one just like it! Oh God…" Tohru chuckled nervously, "Of all people to know I still had that old thing. I did my best to keep you from finding it."

"Don't tell me you hid it because you thought I'd belittle you for it?" Natsuno asked.

"Well, it's just that you were so cool, Natsuno. I didn't want you to think I was some kind of freak that still slept with stuffed animals," Tohru admitted.

Natsuno pushed himself further back on the bed, until his back was against the wall, his eyes staying on Tohru's face, all the while. "You had invited me in, I saw you stuff something out of the way, like you were trying to hide it. I waited for a moment when you had left the room, and looked to see what it was. I kept quiet that I had found it. After that, it was like a game, every time I came over to look for where you'd stuffed it. If it had been anyone but you, I might have thought it a little strange, but keeping a stuffed animal seemed to fit your style, Tohru-Chan." Tohru's blush grew even brighter. "Anyway, I saw that one in the window and thought I'd get it for you. I figured maybe having something that would remind you of home could help you sleep a little more peacefully during the day, and this time you won't have to worry about hiding it."

There it was, Natsuno's long sought prize. Tohru smiled at him. Not one of his forlorn, melancholy smiles, but one of his childish, happy smiles full of his boyish charm and energy. He hadn't seen Tohru smile like that since the last time they had been together before Tohru's burial service. Natsuno had been trying so hard to bring back that smile, the very smile that had spell-bound him to Tohru in the first place. That was one thing Natsuno found he could be thankful about their situation. He'd spent so much time fretting over his future, never thinking about how as humans he and Tohru would have both been fated to eventually grow old and die. Maybe it was shallow of him to take solace in the fact that having become the undead that they are now, the two of them would be eternally locked in their youthful splendor, he in his strong body, and Tohru in his beautifully slender one. There was no need to worry with a college now, give himself a few years and if they had to move, Natsuno could reregister the two of them, claiming them both to be the same age, if they wanted to try for a college, they could find one with night classes to enter together, of course dorm life would be out of the question, should they decide on such a move, because no matter what they do or where they go, Tohru would have to sleep somewhere safe from the sun. After all the anger he'd felt about Tohru and himself being turned, after all the nightmares, all the trauma both emotionally and physically the two of them had endured, in the end, they still had each other, both unchanging for the rest of their days. In an ironic way, when Natsuno thought everything had been stripped from him, in truth this twist of fate had given him and Tohru both a new start, and a second chance together. "Hmh," he thought to himself, "Perhaps I should have thanked you after all, Shimizu."

Tohru threw his arms around Natsuno, shaking the Jinrou from his thoughts. "Thank you, Natsuno, I love it," he squeaked happily.

"I'm glad," Natsuno said, hugging Tohru. "You're welcome, Tohru-Chan." His grip on the blonde Shiki was strong and sturdy, but equally gentle. To Natsuno, Tohru's frame had always seemed so fragile. Sure, as an Okiagari, Tohru was stronger than he looked, but Natsuno was also a lot stronger now, too. Either way, the Jinrou couldn't help worrying that he might break Tohru if he wasn't careful enough with him.

Tohru slid off of Natsuno's lap and settled in next to him, resting his head on Natsuno's shoulder, the stuffed animal squished between them. Natsuno gave a quiet smirk, feeling the plushy brush against his hip; Tohru was breaking the poor thing in as a 'snuggle' item already. A moment of silence passed between them, the two of them were completely content in sharing each other's company. After a while, Tohru turned to look, finding Natsuno had fallen asleep sitting up. "Well, I did drink a little more than normal, tonight," Tohru admitted, "I suppose a quick nap will help him recuperate faster." He smiled and leaned in, pushing his face close to Natsuno's. "Falling asleep in my bed?" he smirked, gently pushing Natsuno over with one of his fingers. He watched as Natsuno flopped over onto the bed, without so much as waking up. Tohru couldn't help but giggle. "Yep, just like old times!" He jumped off the bed, pulling the covers over the sleeping Jinrou, then settled down in the floor, turning on a small TV and booting up a video game.

Clearly, it wasn't just well-timed feedings Natsuno had been spoiling him with. It's true what Natsuno had told Muroi Seishin, Tohru never once had to hypnotize him. Natsuno had always been, and will probably always be the dominant personality between the two of them, but Tohru always knew just the right way to look, or smile, or sigh to get his way with Natsuno. Yes, Natsuno was the one truly holding Tohru's leash, but he could never say 'no' to Tohru. Tohru sat the stuffed bear in his lap, resting his wrist on its head, with controller in hand. "Maybe Natsuno'll play a few rounds with me when he wakes up," Tohru smirked.

A Few Weeks Later

Tohru was working in the kitchen. The restaurant was full of customers tonight, and he was the only one there to keep the place going. Natsuno had left earlier for an errand. Tohru was still asleep when Natsuno left, and he was sure he wouldn't be back before Tohru woke up, so at least this time he'd left a note to keep Tohru from worrying. However, hours had passed now, and Tohru had considered calling in Seishin for help with the kitchen until Natsuno returned.

"Where is he?" Tohru sighed, almost a little frustrated, as he stirred the fried rice he was preparing. "Maybe I should call Mr. Muroi. I doubt Natsuno would mind if I asked for help until he got back."

"Do you always talk to yourself?" a soft feminine voice rang out from behind him.

Tohru turned to find a girl standing in the doorway. She was one of their regular customers. Though he'd never voice concerns over it, Tohru had began to suspect this girl only came around to see Natsuno. Natsuno was nice to her because she was a regular, but never showed any signs of further interest than that. Maybe that's why Tohru didn't perceive her as enough of a threat to get jealous over her flirtatious behavior. After all, he'd tolerated Shimizu's constant incipit doting over Natsuno back in Sotoba; at least this one hadn't turned into stalker material just yet. "Oh, I'm just thinking out loud," Tohru laughed nervously. "Great," he thought to himself, "Now I'm not just alone in a house full of humans I have to cook for, but I've got one right under my nose and haven't eaten yet. Natsuno, hurry up and get back here."

The girl's eyes surveyed the room. "Where's your brother?" she asked.

"He ran out on an errand and hasn't come back yet," Tohru answered casually.

"So you're alone tonight?" she asked.

"Pretty much," Tohru answered nervously.

"Too bad," she sighed, "I was hoping to see him."

"Yeah, I'm sure you were," Tohru thought, as he began plating the next three orders he had to take out.

"Did he say when he was coming back?" she asked.

"No, I expected him back long before now," Tohru answered. He was keeping his answers short and brisk, not because he didn't like her, but because he was becoming aggravated with the situation. He was starting to feel hungry, and having this little city tart in the kitchen wasn't helping with that. He couldn't bite his finger tips, while handling the customers' food, so he had resorted to scraping his tongue across his teeth.

"Maybe he ran out?" she giggled, half teasing.

"Huh?" Tohru looked up at her. "What do you mean ran out?"

"Nah, your brother doesn't seem the type," she said. "Forget I said anything." She turned to head back toward the dining area.

Tohru frowned at her. God, how long had it been since someone had said or done something to actually make him frown that seriously? He honestly couldn't remember. "Hold on, just a minute now!" he insisted. "If you've got something to say to me, say it?"

She stopped in her tracks. She had picked up something almost inhuman in Tohru's voice just now, and it frightened her. She turned back to face him, watching as he flung the stirring spoon on the counter top. Tohru had brought in a number of regular admirers himself, both male and female alike. He was one of those people who was hard to make mad, and the customers loved that about him. "I really didn't mean anything by it," she said apologetically. She couldn't believe her words had upset him that much. "It's just that…" She shuffled awkwardly. "Well, I understand he's been taking care of you on his own for a while. I've heard you have some kind of illness that makes it hard for you to go outside. That in itself seems strange with how hyper you usually act, apparently it's got nothing to do with your energy levels. Whatever it is, the burden to take care of you has fallen on him. In some families where one of the siblings is weaker and sickly all the time, the stronger ones tend to come to resent all the attention that one receives."

Tohru looked at her, with a deadpan serious face, only raising a single eyebrow. To be honest, she sounded more like she had been describing Murasako Maso than Natsuno, but he already had an idea where she was going with this. "So you were suggesting he got fed up and just ran out?" Tohru asked, sounding really annoyed. This frightened her even more, and Tohru could sense it, and he didn't care. He was all the way on the other side of the room from her, and even through the aroma of all that cooking, his eyes were so focused on her that he could smell her blood over it all. She didn't mean to offend him, but at the same time, she couldn't deny that this was the indeed the foolish little thought that had passed through her mind.

With a blink of her eyes, Tohru was right in front of her, staring her down. She suddenly felt his cold hand slap across her face. She gasped, throwing her hand to her still stinging cheek. "Don't you ever suggest such a thing again," Tohru snarled. "You don't know what he and I have been through, and I hope you never do. But understand this, Natsuno's not the kind of person who would just up and leave someone hanging when they need his help. Now, get the hell out of my kitchen, and if that's the way you really see him, you can just leave all together, and don't bother coming back."

"I… I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to… Oh, God, I spoke without thinking," she stammered.

Tohru bit down, hard, on his tongue and turned away from her. "Whatever, just get out of the kitchen," he instructed her, quietly. "Still, even with all that said, just where are you Natsuno?" he thought to himself, as he returned to the food on the stove. He shook his head, trying to keep it clear and focused. Tohru couldn't remember having ever struck anyone like that before, not his brother or sister, not even Shimizu-regardless of how much she may have deserved it at times. Tohru sighed and picked up the meals he needed to carry out. "Well, for now at least," he said to himself, forcing a smile back onto his face, he had to calm down, there was no way he could serve these customers tonight if he became angry. He had a monster within him that he had to keep under control. "I can be glad that's the worst of my sins tonight." He took out the meals, apologizing for the slow service, explaining he's short staffed for the night.

Tohru quickened his pace, making polite conversation with some of the regulars as he went. It cheered him up a little. Finally, he came to her table. She was still there, and just as shaken as when she first heard that demanding tone in Tohru's voice. "You're still here?" he asked, meekly, if she stayed, clearly his words had gotten through to some degree, and he was going to at least try to be civil as long as she was a patron there.

She nodded, quietly. "Your hands are so cold," she whispered.

"Sorry about that," Tohru said, sitting across from her. "I don't know what possessed me to do that." He almost felt like telling her how lucky she was that's all he'd done to her, but he knew better.

She shook her head. "No, you're right. I have no right to talk like that, because I don't understand your situation. I never meant to suggest he would do something like that. It's clear you and your brother are very close, and that he's very protective of you. I simply spoke without thinking. I… I've known people in the past, where that was the situation, and I spoke in poor jest. I'm sorry for it."

"Yeah, just drop it," Tohru sighed. "I shouldn't have acted that way, either. I'm just overwhelmed taking care of this place by myself when it's so busy tonight." He was using all his willpower to focus only on the job at hand. He could feel himself becoming a ticking time bomb.

"We heard you snapped at her," another girl called from the table next to them. Tohru looked up, it was two more of Natsuno's regulars sitting there.

"Maybe she should wear a bell so she doesn't sneak up on you next time?" the second girl at the other table giggled.

Tohru flinched at just hearing the word, 'bell'. Though, he knew they were trying to tease her more than him. "Don't!" he said in a commanding tone, that caused the entire restaurant to fall silent. He stood up and looked at all three of the girls. "Don't joke like that," he said, retaining as much composure as he could. He flipped around and looked back at the first girl and forced a deep breath. "So, are you going to place an order?" he asked.

The girl nodded hesitantly and gave her order. Tohru then went to the other two girls, taking their orders as well. As he finished writing down the order, he explained to them, in short controlled breaths, "What I'm going to do, is bring out the orders for all three of you at the same time. I want you two to go sit over there with her. Natsuno isn't here tonight. He may not even make it back before closing time. I want you three at the same table, I want you all to finish, pay, and leave at the same time, tonight, and don't part ways until you reach your houses." He looked up at the girls, making sure he was at an angle where he could see all three of them. "Safety in numbers," he said with a smirk, as he turned and stalked back toward the kitchen.

As the two girls grabbed their purses to move to the table with the other, he heard one of them remark, "Jees, what's eatin' him?"

Tohru froze in his tracks, clenched his fist and took a deep breath, with his eyes closed. "Just keep walking, Tohru," he told himself, "Just keep walking!"

Finally, Natsuno made it back. He knew Tohru was going to berate him for being gone so long and leaving him to take care of things on his own. It wasn't like him at all. The restaurant was empty and quiet, all the lights were off. Tohru must have closed early, but Natsuno could hear dishes slamming around in the kitchen. Natsuno slipped inside and went straight to the kitchen. "Tohru-Chan?" he called.

SLAM! Tohru through the door to the dishwasher shut and spun around to look at Natsuno. "Tell me something?" he said with an exasperated gasp, seeing Natsuno. "Why is it that whenever the regulars, be it male or female decide to come in here and flirt with me, I can see the jealousy in your eyes, but I don't say a word one about your admirers, and yet they're always the ones who try to cause trouble?"

Natsuno looked at Tohru for a moment, bewildered. "What did I miss?" he thought. No, Tohru was clearly not in the mood for such a question. He couldn't recall having ever seen Tohru this upset. "Tohru-Chan, I'm…"

Tohru threw up his hands, "No, Natsuno," he sighed. "I'm not asking for an explanation on where you've been, or why you've been gone this long. I don't care right now. I don't even want an apology." He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "But next time you're not here, I'm calling Mr. Muroi to help me. I should have done so tonight, but I wasn't sure if Sunako would be willing to give him up that long."

Natsuno still didn't know what to say or do. He'd always heard that the harder a person is to make mad, the worse off they are when it finally happens. Tohru being a Shiki probably magnified that ten fold. "Tohru-Chan, what happened?" he asked, legitimately concerned.

Tohru sighed, trying to calm down. Natsuno was here, now, that's what mattered. Before he could say anything, though he sank to his knees, feeling completely wiped out. "Tohru-Chan!" Natsuno rushed to his side and caught hold off him, as he looked like he was about to swoon.

Tohru closed his eyes and sighed, taking in Natsuno's scent. "So tired," he moaned.

Natsuno helped Tohru to his feet and lead him back to his bedroom. Taking off his shirt, he sat on Tohru's bed, allowing the Shiki to use him as a prop. "Here," he offered, holding up his arm, knowing Tohru must be starving by this point. Tohru had considered turning it away, it would have made him feel better, but he was almost too weak to stand the thought of it. "Tohru-Chan?" Tohru could hear the concern in Natsuno's voice. He closed his eyes and forced himself to bite into Natsuno's arm. Natsuno flinched, even more violently than usual. Tohru had to bite down extra hard this time, just to force his fangs through the skin, causing more discomfort than usual.

Natsuno had noticed, in the month that had past since the Sotoba Anniversary that Tohru had been trying to pace himself with his feeding, lately, taking less each night. Well, that was going to stop tonight. "Drink your fill," Natsuno insisted. "You've got to stop trying to starve yourself, Tohru-Chan." He sighed, "I tried to get back as quickly as I could, but I had no idea you were so weak. I never would have left in the first place."

Tohru didn't argue, didn't struggle, he continued to drink from Natsuno's arm until he couldn't drink any more. He closed his eyes and leaned back on Natsuno's chest, not even making the effort to clean his face. Natsuno sighed and found something to wipe Tohru's mouth clean. It really was like caring for a child sometimes, but Natsuno didn't really mind it all that much. Tohru nuzzled himself into Natsuno's chest. "Natsuo?" he sighed, his eyes still closed.

"Yeah?" Natsuno responded.

Tohru's hands grabbed Natsuno's wrist and held on tight, in a death grip. Tohru could already feel himself going to sleep, it was still hours before sunrise, but he didn't have the strength to stay awake. "Stay with me until I wake up?"

Natsuno nodded. "Alright."

"Thank you," Tohru sighed, happily.

Natsuno kept his word and stayed at Tohru's side all through the remaining night, and the following day. Finally, the next night was upon them, and Natsuno could feel Tohru stirring. "Finally awake?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," came the groggy yawning reply.

"Good, now, eat!" Natsuno demanded, pushing his arm in Tohru's face. "And don't skimp like you have been," he said sounding a bit annoyed, "If you pull away, you'd better damned well be full. I don't want another scare like last night."

Tohru only nodded as he bit into Natsuno's arm. He couldn't blame Natsuno for reacting like this; after all, when he came home last night, it was to an Okiagari who-as far as Natsuno knew-hadn't fed the whole night and was at the height of both mental and physical frustration after being alone in a building full of humans. Tohru obediently did as he was told and drank his fill before releasing Natsuno's arm. "I'm sorry about last night," he said as he watched Natsuno's arm heal.

"What happened? You were a mess," Natsuno said.

Tohru turned and looked at Natsuno, almost ashamed of himself. "Well… We may have three less regulars from now on," he sighed. "It took every inch of my sanity to wait on you to come back, Natsuno," he admitted, "I almost… Oh, God, I really wanted to."

Natsuno raised an eyebrow. "Tohru-Chan?" he said flatly. "What did you do?" Tohru looked away at the floor, he felt like a child being scolded by his mother, and explaining the situation almost felt like he was tattling. "You didn't…?"

"NO!" Tohru exclaimed defensively. "Natsuno, you have to believe me, I didn't bite anyone. I promised you no one but you, ever again." Natsuno sighed, he believed Tohru completely. "But, I did end up slapping someone," Tohru sighed.

"You what?" Natsuno sounded more surprised than angry. No matter how hard he tried, he really couldn't picture Tohru slapping anybody.

Tohru sighed and explained. "There are three girls who come in here all the time, the ones who always ask for you. If they ever come back, they probably won't deal with me at all. I had them all pretty scared by the time they left."

"What the hell did they do?" Natsuno asked, he wasn't mad at Tohru in the least, he was still in shock that these girls could have done anything to make him so upset.

"When one of them found out you weren't here, she came to the kitchen. She said she didn't mean to imply it, even said she was making a joke in poor taste. But, she said you sounded like you had run out on me," Tohru pushed his back to the wall and hugged his knees up to his chest. "The entire kitchen was between me and her, but I could smell her, even over all the food, I could smell her perfume, her sweat, her blood, I smelt it all. When I told her to stay where she was and explain what made her say such a thing, I could smell her fear. Before either of us knew it, I was right there in front of her, all she did was blink, and I had made it across the entire room." Tohru shook his head. "I could have bit her then and there, almost did. I slapped her instead and told her to leave the kitchen. She didn't leave the restaurant, though." Tohru sighed, looking up at Natsuno, who was trying to hide an amused smile. "Maybe she was hoping you'd come along and she could tell you what happened before I did, looking to get me in trouble. Or maybe just seeing you would have made her feel better, I don't know. But even scared out of her wits, she decided to stay and eat. The other two girls were sitting together across from her. They tried to make light of the situation, I don't know what she told them, but they suggested she wear a bell so she couldn't sneak up on me next time." Tohru smirked and shook his head, resting his chin on his hands, with his elbows on his knees. "I took the order for all three of them, made them all sit at the same table, brought out their food, and told them all to leave at the same time and not to split up until they made their way home. Explaining a fear of bells to humans? They would have thought it irrational. It caused quite a stir with the other customers, though."

Natsuno bit his lip, trying not to laugh at Tohru. "I'm sorry you had a rough night, Tohru-Chan," he said, "But I'm glad no one got hurt."

"She just made me so mad, Natsuo!" Tohru said, "And I really couldn't understand why. It was like she had impugned your honor. She was an outsider, not understanding what we have, knowing nothing about either of us. She was talking about families with sick children, and how sometimes the healthier sibling resents the weaker one and try to rebel or run away when the task falls to them to take care of them. I knew you weren't like that, Natsuno. That may be the lie we're telling people, but in a way it's true. But, you're not the kind of person who would just walk away without a word."

Tohru sighed. "I think I understand why you didn't like being in Sotoba, now. They say that when a person moves from the city, out to somewhere isolated like that, they don't sleep easy at night their first few nights there. They're use to the hustle and bustle of the city, the sounds of the city. Not the still quiet of a country night, where the only sounds are the wind through the leaves and the occasional nocturnal animal, and the moon and stars are the only light offered. It's a psychological blow to make such a change, to become so isolated, and it takes some time getting use to. Sotoba was a small village in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by fir trees. I grew up out there, with a happy family of five, I was friends with everyone I met, and I wasn't about to let you be the first person to escape that," he chuckled. "To me, Sotoba was warm and comforting, not isolating at all. But it was for you." Tohru sighed. "I understand that now. It works both ways. I'm here in this city, I can't go and enjoy the warmth of the sun like you can. There's lights day and night, and sounds and sirens all the time. I'm going to have to make new friends if we want to fit in. But, I don't have a home I can run back to. My friends and family are all gone." His cold hands caressed Natsuno's warm ones and he looked Natsuno dead in the eyes. Tohru looked like he was doing his best not to cry. "I've always been childish and unreliable," he begrudgingly admitted, "But that's just who I am. I won't deny I'm a bit cowardly, too. Heck, I'm older than you, but feel safer when you're with me. Natsuno, you're all I have left. Deep down, I know you won't leave, but the fact that they even dared to put such an idea in my head last night was more than I could bare. Promise me, Natsuno? Promise you won't leave and take away the only warmth I have left in this world?" Tohru could feel his face flush red as he said these words.

Natsuno looked at him, quietly for a second. It may have been in poor taste of him at the moment, but he thought being his usual self would cheer Tohru up a little, perhaps even lighten the mood. He gave Tohru a half-hearted smile. "Idiot… You can be such a woman sometimes," he teased.

Tohru frowned, but it wasn't really an angry frown, he knew what Natsuno was trying to do. "Jerk!" Tohru said, swatting Natsuno in the face with his pillow, unable to hold back a laugh, "I'm trying to be serious here, and you're teasing me."

"Ok, I totally deserved that," Natsuno admitted, as Tohru took another swing with the pillow. "But it was worth it."

Tohru came in for a third strike with the pillow, only to find both his wrists caught by Natsuno, who pushed him back onto the bed and pinned him to it. Tohru blushed, his eyes widening a little, and began to squirm. "N…Natsu…?"

Natsuno picked up the stuffed bear, with one hand, keeping his other on Tohru's wrists. He looked at the bear, then at Tohru, with a mischievous grin. "Yeah, I don't think Mr. Bear needs to see what's about to happen," he chuckled, stuffing the bear under the bed.

Tohru's eyes widened even further as the gorgeous, shirtless Jinrou turned his attention back to him. He stopped squirming as Natsuno climbed back on to the bed, as he could feel one of Natsuno's knees poised right between his legs. Both of Natsuno's hands were holding Tohru's hands above his head, and Natsuno leaned in, just close enough for Tohru to feel the warmth of his body. Tohru blushed. If his heart could race, it certainly would be. Tohru looked away. "Now you're just not playing fair," he whimpered.

"I'll stop, if you want me to," Natsuno said. Tohru shook his head. Natsuno smiled. "That's what I thought." He caught Tohru's chin and turned his gaze back to him. Natsuno's voice was calm and cool, but Tohru found it all so sweet, "Everything's going to be alright, Tohru-Chan." Natsuno gave him a reassuring smile and leaned in, gently kissing Tohru's lips. "No matter what anyone else may say, I'm not going anywhere, Tohru-Chan. I promised you I'd take care of you, and I always keep my promises. As for what you just said about yourself, some of what you said was true. But I've never known you to be unreliable, if you say you're going to do something, you do it, even if it is on your own time. But that's what makes you you." Natsuno smiled as Tohru blushed and moaned in response to the warmth of the Jinrou's body. Tohru let out a gasp as Natsuno leaned in and his warm breath and lips gently caressed his cold neck in a playful kiss. "You are, always have been, and always will be my Tohru-Chan," Natsuno whispered.