( Have you guys noticed that it feels like Nanami and Tomoe are still in the friend zone? Man.. I'm slow; but then again I'm explaining the characters so you might have to put up with many more chapters to come. Can you handle it my friends? XD ) This story had a lot of points in it, so you guys don't mind a longer story, Right? Cause.. I REALLY like this one.

Note: " I'm working on 'The Past Is Still The Present' Believe me.. I'm on a little block for it.. -_-'

29. Rubber Bands And Ice Cubes

Tomoe looked at Nanami as she washed his blood off her hand. It made hi sick to think that his innocent friend walked on him as he was cutting his skin open. Not sick with her but with himself..

He knew this wasn't something he should be doing but he couldn't find anything else that made him feel alive.

He sat on the floor as Gwen cleaned up his blood from the floor and counter; Then Nanami sat beside him in silence. Tomoe ground his teeth; he didn't want pity from anyone. So why was she here sitting like this? He had lost it and cried..

Not because his father was going to find out about his recent addiction, but because his father would have never seen it in the first place.

The fox sat there and winced at the stinging in his wrists. It was the last cut he was allowed to make, not that Gwen and Nanami knew. He leaned his head against the wall until he felt Nanami's hand brush across his own. He blinked in shock as he felt her cool fingers through his white bangage.

She lifted his hand and looked at his wrists. Her fingers trailed down to his forearm and the fox froze. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw Gwen smiling to herself. He pulled his hand away in confusion at her soft touch. What was that all about?

He looked at her and she siled at him weakly; Her eyes watered as he touched his wrists again and then sighed.

"It will scar." She whimpered.

Tomoe sighed, " I can live with it. You know I can.."

The girl looked at him; her eyes watered as she turned her head and then looked at the fox. His ears flopped over and for some reason he felt the back of his neck burn.. He blinked but then sighed out in annoyance. He didn't have time for this.. Not now; not ever.

Thats when he felt his hand being pulled again. He looked at Nanami surprised as she took out her pony tail and put her rubber band on his arm.

He furrowed his brow as she pulled it back and snapped it hard against his skin. He yelped loudly and then pulled his hand away. His eyes grew wide with surprise as Nanami gave him a glare.

'WHAT THE CRAP NANAMI!" He screamed and rubbed his already sore arm.

The girl crossed her arms, " I just came home from a self harm convention. Cutters are usualy addicted the feeling of a blade against their skin. SO," She pointed at the rubber band, " The man said that you can get the cutting sensation by, Snapping the rubber band; OR, Rub an ice-cube on the place you would usualy cut yourself."

The fox blinked and looked down at his tingling wrists. It did hurt; it hurt like crazy. He ground his teeth and started to take his bandages off. Nanami arched her brow until he lifted his cuts to his mouth and started to lick.

A loud moan filled the air and he shuddered at the feeling. His skin was hurting even more since it was his first time cutting his good arm.. The other one wasn't that bad. He licked again and Nanami sighed,

"Cat.."

"Pig.." Tomoe recountered.

He heard Gwen chuckled and then stop herself when Nanami glared at Tomoe. She pinched his ear and he paused.. It didn't hurt. Tomoe stopped himself as his face tinged pink.

He pulled his head away and looked down. It was bad enough that his bathroom smelled like Bleach. He choked and Gwe stopped and smiled.

"It smells like a hospital.." Tomoe coughed out.

Gwen gave him a serious look, " Its better than being in the hospital, Right?"

The fox looked down and nodded slowly. His cut on his arm was deeper then intended; and if it had went deeper?

He shuddered and hugged his knees. How was it that they weren't showing him pity? Why were they not screaming at him or leaving him alone? Tomoe whimpered slightly. He didn't mean to cry in front of Nanami, but once things happened.. He couldn't stop. It felt like a burden being lifted...

It was like he could breath a little better.

"Its time to lay down and get some sleep." Gwen looked at Tomoe and paused, The fox looked at her; his eyes wide. He looked innocent...

Innocence covered in blood.

The women swallowed and bent down to his eye level, " Do you want to sleep in the living room?"

Tomoe blinked. It wasn't like he was going to slit himself when they slept. The kitsune swallowed, " Um, I'll sleep in here." He muttered, his ears plopping over.

The woman didn't tell him no, or are you sure thats safe? She just smiled and sighed, " Alright. Your bathroom door has to stay open to air out all the chemical smells. "

She turned and walked out of the room after she told the two teens goodnight.

Nanami then turned to Tomoe. He knew she was looking at him but he didn't want to aknowledge her; His eyes glassed over and he quickly looked away completely. Thats when he felt something hold his hand.

The fox shivered and then cursed at his hormones. They still weren't calmed down. He breathed as Nanami ran her fingers over his new cuts. It was so gentle that it felt like a feather being dragged over his skin; tickling it gently.

He moved his arm and Nanami looked at him.

"Tell me why." She muttered out.

Tomoe froze, his body growing cold. He didnt want to tell her at all; The fox had always held his feelings inside. He wasn't sure how to tell her. Tomoe looked down and then at her from the corner on his violet eyes.

"I." He paused and then leaned his back against the wall; It made him relax as he turned his head towards her. His hair shaded his eyes,

"I don't want to see him... He wouldn't have seen it. I guess I did it... Because... I wanted him to see." The fox swallowed as tears tried to drag out of his eyes, " He's gone all the time... I don't feel... Like... He would have seen. So When I did it for the first time?"

"I couldn't stop hurting myself..." He muttered quietly.

Nanami looked at him in confusion. She titled her head to the side and tried to understand what her best friend was saying to her, " Who? Who doesnt see? Whos' gone all the time?" She whispered out as Tomoe looked her in the eye.

"My dad.." He muttered,

Nanami blinked in shock. Tomoe... Felt... Abandoned.

And his father was coming home in the morning..

The Next Day

Tomoe looked at the door as he saw his father's car drive up. He didn't know how to approach this; but Gwen said she would help him tell his father in the way possible. However that would be hard.

The fox wore a short sleeved shirt and his arms were bandaged to his elbows. He swallowed as Mikage got out of his car and skipped towards the door. Tomoe backed up but was stopped by Nanami. She looked at him and gave him a bright, encouraging smile.

He blinked and looked at the door as it opened. Mikage walked in and smiled.

"I'm HOME!" He giggled but paused when he saw everyone standing at the door with serious expressions. Even Nanami seemed serious and that wasn't her personailty. He paused and put his brief case down.

Gwen cleared her throat and then looked at Mikage, " Mikage.. We need to tell you something before you come in here and act all giddy."

The god blinked in confusion as he turned his head to look at Tomoe. He saw the bandages and he gasped, " MY LITTLE BOY! What happened?! Did you get into nother fight?" He went to hug the fox but Tomoe stepped back away from him; his ears flopping over as fear welled up in his chest.

Gwen looked at Mikage and shook her head, " Mikage.. Those wounds are self inflicted."

The blond god froze on the spot and slowly looked at the fox mortifed, Concern filled his eyes as he looked at the teen. Tomoe blinked in shock. Then anger filled him.. He didn't know why but he couldn't stand seeing his fathers concern after all this time

"What? Are you trying to tell me that he cut himse-"

Gwen nodded and Mikage went pale. He looked at Tomoe, ' What is your problem?" He muttered quietly.

Thats when Tomoe snapped, He grabbed his shirt collar and got in his face, His teeth bared as anger flared up in his violet eyes, " YOU! IDIOT! BAKA! STINKIN-"

Gwen and Nanami grabbed Tomoe from behind as they pulled him away. He growled as Mikage looked at him shocked. He blinked and then froze.

"Me?"

Tomoe stood there and clenched his fists, " YOUR A LIAR! LIAR!" He screamed out in pain, " YOUR NEVER HERE! I'M TIRED OF IT!" He paused and tried to breath; his heart was pounding as all the pain poured out. The blond god looked at him and straightened his back.

"Tomoe; What are you saying?"

The fxo clenched his hands and then turned his back, " You would have never know if I was cutting myself-'

"STOP SAYING THAT!" Mikage yelped out, " This is a lot to take in.."

The fox glared at him, " I-Cut-Myself." He mouthed out slowly.

The god looked at him sternly and then pointed a finger at him, " DO YOU KNOW HOW TICKED I AM RIGHT NOW!?"

"YOUR TICKED!? STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Tomoe screamed out into the air. Mikage looked at him and paused. He knew he had been gone a lot lately but he didn't expect this to happen. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He had a feeling it was becoming to much to handle; but he was going to stop after this meeting..

Apparetently he was to late.

Him and Tomoe were always so close to each other; now he didn't even want to see his face. The father choked and sighed. Tomoe was important to him but right now it looked like he needed to cool off.

"I'll be around the house if you need me then." He ground his teeth as he trurnd his back and stormed into the kitchen.

"I won't!" Tomoe swore out and then looked at the ground, He tried to breath as pain shot through his chest and made him feel sick. He sunk to his knees and snapped the rubber band on his wrists as hard as he could.

He yelped out in pain and then ran a hand through his hair as the snap stung. Tears welled up in his eyes. He didn't understand.. When had he reached his breaking point? The fox didn't know when it happened but everything he tried to hold down? Was coming up and staining his life.

Nanami kneeled beside him and stared at him. He looked at her and blinked as she rubbed something out of his eyesight. He wasn't expecting him to hug her but... His body moved on its own and he held her close to him; his hot tears hit her shoulder and the girl whimpered. She patted his head and looked at him.

'Your my Bestest F'W'reind in the whole world.'

He blinked and for some reason he felt himself smile. Maybe everything could be okay; the rubber band seemed to help; plus the impulse of the cut went away when he felt the pain. He looked at the band and then at Nanami.

He wanted to go to school; but he knew he coudln't that until his arms healed up and no one could see his pink scars. That didn't stop him from going out wth his friends; Mizuki, Kurama and Nanami. He had been in the house fro so long that it was driving him crazy.

Plus he didn't think he coudl talk to his father right now. The idiot just came home and now for the first time in his life, they weren't talking. He paused and Nanami looked at him.

"Hey, " She sat beside him as her mother sighed and walked into the kitchen, " You want to get some ice-cream?"

The fox looked at her and then at his arms. Thr girl giggled innocently and grabbed hsi jacket off the couch, " Put this on."

Tomoe looked at her and slowly nodded, Not really understanding what his Friend was dragging him into. He just hoped it wasn't stupid like when they were younger.

"SEE!" Nanami laughed as Tomoe started to pant and sat down on a park bench.

Nanami had made him run all the way to the park; apparently working out was another thing that cutters did to get their minds off of a blade. Tomoe found himself glaring at Nanami for playing such a cruel prank on him.

He grunted when she handed him some ice-cream in a bowel from atraveling cart; then she sat beside him and laughed.

"That was fun!" She giggled even though she was panting too.

Tomoe rolled his eyes and stuck some ice-cream in his mouth. It melted instantly and he sighed lightly. It tasked nice... It had been a little while since he ate some. In fact a lot of things happened to his and Nanami's lives. They didn't seem to be the teens that they wanted to be.

They used to do so much together; They were friends that no on could seperate.. No one.

The fox paused, He wondereed why he had thought That Nanami would hate him and leave because he made a stupid decision. He was going through something and he had to remember that Nanami was too.

He sighed lightly as a cool wind blew through his white hair. He didn't have to go to rehab; He hadn't cut that long and Nanami would make sure he didn't hurt himself again. She even considered de-clawing him.

The fox shuddered. He had told her that it was EXTREMEMLY painful and it wasn't happening. There had to be more choices then to take his self-defence and pride away. He put more ice-cream in his mouth and looked at Nanami from the corner of his eye.

His ice-cream spoon hung out of his mouth when he caught her looking at him. She didn't look judgmental; in fact she looked like she was looking at his head.

He paused and then nearly choked on his spoon; It hit him rather quickly and in a way it relieved him. It meant that they're friendship wasn't damaged by what he had done..

She was staring at his ears.

He felt them twitch and Nanami looked at them with curiousity. The girl lifted her hand but jerked it back. It was like she didn't want to make him mad or something.

Thats when the fox felt his face burn hot, A thought flashed through his mind that made his heart stop in his chest. He let out a small whine and then covered his mouth..

'His thought was something rather emabarrassing; and something he had to push away. It had to be his hormones.. His face tinged pink and then burned down his shirt collar as the thought tried to fade from his mind.

'Touch them already; Touch my ears already..'

Tomoe's eyes widened as he forced himself out off the bench. His heart was racing and his ears flattened in shock. He blinked and then turned to look at a raher confused Nanami. He flushed and then looked towards the path that led to his home.

"We S-should head home." Tomoe tripped over himself and his teeth started to grind, " I-Its getting dark."

Nanami pouted and then looked at the sky. it was painted a beautiful pink and orange. The park was by a lake and the swans and geese fluttered by in the night-like sky. He looked up and then looked at Nanami. She looked at him and they stared for a moment in silence.

"Yep!" She finally said and jumped up with a bright smile, " Let us go and run!" She said and took off ahead of him.

Tomoe moaned and took a deep breath; He started to run towards her and try to caught up.

'He needed to keep his priorites straight.'

'His thoughts had to be pure...'

There's a small amount of cuteness for you guys; More to come! Yes, I am trying to get out of the sadness for a little while. Romance full steam ahead! And maybe some comedy... Sady there wll be some drama because of Tomoe and Mikage not speaking.