Yuki squeezed her eyes close, desperate to ignore the assault of light, which shone harshly into her face. Finally, she couldn't bare it any longer, and opened her eyes reluctantly. She attempted to understand her location, only for Tsukoyomi to replay in her eyes. Her breathing sped up, and she clutched the sheets.

"Roam your nightmares..."

She shook her head and struggled to get free, unknown hands pinning her down. She got one hand free, and grabbed the rail. A hand pinned it back down, making her struggle more.

"Yuki, calm down! Tsunade-sama!" a female voice cried out.

"Her vitals are failing. Bp is dropping and pulse is weakening. We're losing her!" a male cried out.

"Damn it! Can't you maggots keep her still long enough for me to work?" another voice said.

A pull at the edge of her mind, yanked her towards sleep. Instead of fighting,Yuki let the darkness suck her back down, and welcomed it.

In the darkness, her fears replayed in her eyes.

The blade.

Blood dripping from the limp body.

Two eyes, blank and unmoving from her own.

The blood...

The blood...

Blood on HER HANDS!

Yuki screamed and begged for death to be swift.

Yuki jolted upright in her bed, her heart pounding. She glanced around, coming to terms with where she was. A hospital bed. Cables tied her to a machine which beeped her vital stats on an LCD screen.

She let out a deep breath, and laid back down, when movement at her side, warned her of a presence other than her own.

"Mewww!" The cry was soft, but plaintive. She glanced down and noticed her friend was walking into her room. It sniffed the air several times, before jumping to her bed.

"Nao? Here, boy..."

The cat-fox looked around, before finding the direction from where the sound was coming from. A sharp pain filled every nerve in Yuki's body, as the cat rubbed against her leg as it jumped up. A small gasp escaped her breath, and she waited for the pain to fade, until she was joined by her pet. It laid down, and let out a plaintive cry.

"Hungry?"

The thing narrowed its eyes, and stared at her.

"Tired?"

No response.

"What then?" she whispered, exasperated.

Nudge.

Nudge.

"Oh." A lightbulb went off in her head, and Yuki moved an arm, ignoring the pain, and laid it on the creature's head. The petting helped soothe her mind, and she scratched gently.

"Yuki."

The voice startled her again, and she searched the room for the source. Her eyes caught a glimpse of red, and watched as it stood up, stepping into the moonlight.

The fox was more beautiful than she remembered, and Yuki felt a lump fill her throat.

"H-hi," she whispered, her throat far too sore to speak.

There was an awkward silence, filled only by the gap that grew between the two with each passing moment.

"Yuki, I want to speak my share, then I will leave you. If you understand, blink."

She complied, blinking once slowly.

A sigh erupted from the fox's lips.

"Do you love me? The truth. No lies."

Yuki hesitated, before blinking twice.

"No," she whispered, softly. Almost too soft.

The shock that filled the fox's face was no surprise. Before Yuki could even inhale, two hands clamped into her arms tightly, and two red eyes glared a mere inch from her own.

"Liar," the kitsune hissed.

Yuki looked away. She had to lie...for her own sake. They both knew they couldn't be together. So what was the point of trying to acknowledge her own feelings?

Wetness touched her face, and Yuki's gaze turned up to see the woman crying. Not of sorrow but rage. Claws dug through the sheets, scraping skin.

"Damn you for lying," the words came out strangled. Lips pressed against her own, softly, the cinnamon flavoring filling her mouth. Yuki didn't break it, and waited for the kiss to end. Abruptly, the fox pulled away, their eyes holding a silent conversation.

"Yuki. I sat there and listened to the screams. You can deny it to me, but you can't hide it from your heart. I will wait for that day when, you decide to come back. To me..."

Yuki glared away, anger and pain seeping up her body. The hands were removed and the fox stepped away.

"To us," the demon whispered. The word "us" shocked Yuki. She didn't understand. Before she could question Akira, she was gone. She rolled onto her side, her heart thumping in her chest. After it slowed, Yuki fell back asleep, Nao in her lap.