A/N: Bit of a shorter chapter. Not proofread, just wanted to get it up here. Again.

Ryuuji felt sick. He absolutely despised hospitals. The sterile surroundings, the sick people… the hospital was like a housing for despair itself. But he was there, and Taiga was by his side, and some of their friends were probably already on their way. Ryuuji tried to take it in, to properly comprehend the situation, but it was almost impossible.

"Ryuuji," Taiga mumbled, clinging onto his arm, practically shoving her head against him. It was as if she was trying to hide. She was still crying. Ryuuji hadn't cried, but she had. And she couldn't stop. She had no idea how to stop. All of it was so unreal that she couldn't do anything but cry for the world that had gone wrong somewhere along the road. "Yacchan… she'll be fine, won't she?" She asked, but Ryuuji didn't answer. He just stared at everything that moved in front of them, practically in a trance.

"Do you think it's boring?" He suddenly asked. "Do you think it's boring to work in a hospital? I mean… it must be, right? I mean, I considered becoming a nurse once upon a time, because I like helping people, but… I don't know, it just seems so dull. Even though it probably isn't so dull all the time."

"Ryuuji." Taiga said, looking up at him. She wanted him to get it together. She wanted him to accept the situation and stop trying to post-pone everything. Hell, she wanted him to just let go and cry for once. She hadn't seen him cry since… well, since he cried in his sleep on that last Christmas night.

"I get it." Ryuuji said suddenly. "I understand everything that's going on, I really do. You don't have to worry about that." He huffed. He just didn't want to let it destroy him. To let it weaken him. Especially now that he had to be strong. For his mother, he had to be strong.

After a while, their friends got there. Ami was there, Kitamura was there, and Minori was there. They only called the closest ones. Once they arrived, Minori embraced Taiga and Ami hugged Ryuuji as tight as she could. Kitamura came in a few seconds later, rushing over to them.

"Takasu." He said, a sad tone to his voice, and Ami let go of Ryuuji and Ryuuji went to hug his friend. He was still not crying. After a while they parted, and Kitamura held Ryuuji's shoulders as he looked into his eyes. "Did they find out exactly what it was?" He asked worriedly.

"Yeah," Ryuuji said with a nod. "Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Cancer in the lymph nodes. Pretty late stages, since, you know… she collapsed and all."

"Oh, my god… I'm so sorry." Ami gasped, sadness evident in all her features.

Taiga, after having been released by Minori, walked over to Ryuuji and clung to him. "It's… very curable, though." She said, tears still in her eyes. "The doctors are optimistic."

"She'll have to go through some chemo treatment and what-not, but… they're hoping for the best, and so are we." Ryuuji said, forcing out a smile.

"We all are." Kitamura nodded, smiling softly.

"Takasu Ryuuji?" A voice asked behind Ryuuji, and he turned around. A nurse was there, standing straight with a few documents of some sort in her hand. "You can see her now."

"Thank you." He said, and then he looked at his friends who nodded at them, and he knew that they were saying 'we'll wait here'. "Excuse me, can… can she come, too?" He asked, signaling to Taiga.

"Uhm…" The nurse hesitated for a second.

"She's family." Ryuuji said, and the nurse nodded slowly. She showed to Taiga and Ryuuji to Yasuko's room, holding the door open for them. "Thank you." Ryuuji said, and they went in. The sight of Yasuko in that hospital bed was a sad sight to both Ryuuji and Taiga. She looked pale and tired, and she had IV cables in her arms and a sad looking hospital gown.

"Ryuu-chan… Taiga…" Yasuko said, the most genuine smile ever on her face. Even though she was sick and exhausted, she was unbearably happy at the site of those two.

"Mom." Ryuuji said and hurried to her side, grabbing her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, I was feeling quite miserable," Yasuko admitted, suddenly looking a little sad. "But then you two came and now I'm the happiest person in the world again." She said, and then she noticed Taiga just standing in the middle of the room, staring at her. She looked horrified. "Darling," Yasuko breathed. "Come here." She said, holding out a hand. Taiga's mouth twisted as she almost started crying again, and she rushed over into Yasuko's arms. "It's okay," Yasuko whispered, stroking her hand up and down Taiga's back. "It's all going to be okay. Ryuuji will make sure of that."

"I will," Ryuuji nodded. "Of course I will. I won't let anything happen to you, mom."

"I know." Yasuko smiled, tears in her eyes. "I love you. Both of you. Before anything else, make sure you take care of each other. That's important."

"Got it." Ryuuji said, a sad look on his face. "I promise to fix this."

"Please do. I don't want to die before I have grandchildren." Yasuko grinned, and Taiga blushed so hard she thought she might pass out. She didn't, though.

Later that day, Ryuuji and Taiga were sent home because Yasuko needed rest and because the doctors insisted that it would be better if they came to visit again the next day. Ryuuji made sure he got an estimate of how much treatment would cost before they went home, and once they did get home, he started doing the math.

"God," he said, dark lines under his eyes as he once again had to cross something out on the paper he was writing on. "I'm gonna have to get a job."

"It would be easier if… if I still had the apartment." Taiga mumbled from where she sat in the corner of the room, looking down at her feet. "You wouldn't have to pay any extra expenses for me, so…"

"I don't want you to think like that." Ryuuji said, looking over at her with a neutral expression on his face. "Honestly, you're not that expensive to care for. And I think I speak for mom too when I…" He mumbled, stopping himself from saying something that could sound a little extreme.

"What?" Taiga asked, her eyes going to Ryuuji. She started crawling closer to the table, wanting to know what he was about to say.

"I… No, it's… it's not important." He sighed, trying to put his focus back on the calculations he were doing.

"It is!" Taiga exclaimed, sitting only a meter away from Ryuuji now. He snapped his head upwards in surprise, looking at his girlfriend. "If it's you, then… then it's always important." She mumbled, fidgeting nervously.

"Well… okay." Ryuuji said, turning to face her completely. "I think I speak for both Yasuko and me when I say that… I wouldn't change it for my own life. You know, this. You, living here, as our family. I'd rather die than change that." He said, and Taiga could hear just how sincere he was.

"Stupid…" Taiga muttered, and Ryuuji could easily see the tears in her eyes.

"We'll figure it out, okay? We'll pay the treatment bills, and… everything will be fine."

"Okay." Taiga replied, but there was something in her eyes. Uncertainty. Maybe she didn't truly believe they'd be able to make it. She just had to have as much hope as she could possibly muster.

They both knew that harsh times were coming. They knew that they had to be strong, and that they had to endure. There was no doubt about it. But they were resolute, and they believed in Yasuko and they believed in each other. But even so, something was growing inside of Taiga. Doubt. About herself, maybe, or about what her presence caused. And by doubting herself, she doubted everything. Like a seed that had been planted, it couldn't stop growing. She didn't know what it would lead to. Ryuuji had no idea either.

There was one thing that bothered Taiga almost more than anything else. Ryuuji seemed so strong and calm. It was as if he had control over the situation and could act stone cold to handle everything that happened. She hated it. Just looking at him, just trying to understand the mind of her dear boyfriend, made her sick. He couldn't be so strong. It was impossible. In her mind, it was idiotic for someone to act like that after finding out that their mom has cancer. Why couldn't he just be honest?

Her name was Taiga Aisaka, and she knew Ryuuji more than anyone else. She knew that he was sad. No, that was probably wrong. He was close to breaking. She could see it on him, every second that passed. The pain was so visible to her, and she hated that he couldn't be honest about it. This boy who put everyone's needs ahead of his own. This boy who seemed to think that his own life was worth nothing compared to other people. He probably thought that indulging himself in his own feelings would be selfish. She hated it.

That night, there was a new kind of silence in the bedroom. Ryuuji held around Taiga, but he somehow didn't feel as human anymore. There was an emptiness over him that Taiga could practically feel with her own body.

"I know you weren't lying…" Taiga mumbled, earning a questioning noise from Ryuuji. "Back then… a long time ago, I… asked you." She said. She didn't know why she'd suddenly remembered that time, but it must have been because of the situation they were in. It wasn't long after Ryuuji and Taiga had gotten to know each other.

They'd been talking all night. Just walking and talking, almost like two people who had been friends for a long time even though they were newly acquainted. There was anger in both of them. Frustration, too. The little girl placed a foot on the big light-post. She wanted to kick it.

"Ahh, damnit!" She growled, her back turned away from the boy she was walking with. "This is so unfair. How can the world be so cruel to kids like us, even though we're troubled by a lot of things."

Ryuuji, the boy behind her, crossed his arms over his chest and nodded thoughtfully. "That's right, that's right. It's like, why don't they understand that even people like Aisaka or me can feel bad too?" He asked, criticizing the world and it's behavior.

"Ahh!" The girl, Taiga, growled again. She kicked the light-post once. "So pissed! I'm so pissed!" She shouted. "Hey, Ryuuji!" She exclaimed, her head turned downwards. "Do you feel troubled when you think of Minorin? Like, why aren't things going well, or something?"

"Yeah…" Ryuuji mumbled, looking away as if careful to admit it. "I do."

"Well then… Does Ryuuji cry too?" Taiga asked, still not looking at Ryuuji. Ryuuji's eyes widened, almost as if he was shocked because of the question. He couldn't think of an answer, so he just stood there until Taiga decided to ask again. "Do you cry?"

There was more silence. Ryuuji's head cast downwards, and then… "I do."

"You told me that you cry, too." Taiga mumbled. "So, why don't you cry? I know you want to, and… I think you need to."

"I don't cry because I know that everything will be alright." Ryuuji said, and Taiga could hear the comforting smile that painted his voice. She could hear the lies.

"Yacchan… Yacchan wouldn't want you to bottle everything up. It's okay to be afraid, Ryuuji… you can be strong and cry at the same time." Taiga said, suddenly sounding more agitated than before.

"I think it's better to be strong. It makes it easier to handle it, you know?" Ryuuji smiled, and that's when Taiga snapped. She tore herself away from Ryuuji before straddling over his stomach, her hands pushing him down by the shoulders.

"That's bullshit!" She shouted, tears in her eyes and anger in her voice. "Why do you act like none of this affects you?! Why can't you just… why can't you just feel something… Something real?!"

"I need to be strong for you!" Ryuuji suddenly uttered, a look that reminded of desperation on his face. "I need to take care of you… I need to be strong when you want to cry. I need to be able to protect you, don't you get that?" He breathed, sadness almost seeping into his voice.

"What the hell is that all about?" Taiga asked, venom in her voice. "You're the one who doesn't get that! This is not what our relationship should be built on!"

"T-Taiga…"

"I know that I cry a lot!" She shouted, and to prove her point, she was crying. "I know that I need a lot of comforting, and I… I have you to thank for everything. For always being there for me when I need it, but… but I can take care of Ryuuji too!" She cried, her fingers clutching at Ryuuji's bare shoulders. They were no longer afraid of sleeping without clothes, which at the moment was unfortunate for the skin on Ryuuji's shoulders.

"Taiga, you-" Ryuuji started, trying to say something, but Taiga wouldn't let him.

"You told me that Ryuuji cries! And if that's the case, then… if Ryuuji needs to cry… if you need to cry, it's my turn to hold you! To embrace you, to make you feel safe! I'll take care of Ryuuji, because… because I love you… and I just want you to be honest about your feelings."

"… I'm sorry." Ryuuji whispered after a while, looking up at Taiga with sullen eyes. "You're right… you're completely right. There's no way I could do this without you… I'm so scared, Taiga." He mumbled. Taiga couldn't stop herself from sighing in relief, and she lay down on top of Ryuuji and let him embrace her, and she embraced him, and he cried.

"Well then… does Ryuuji cry too? Do you cry?"

"… I do."