LOL. I was reading through the reviews for this story to see if there was a certain way that I should lead the feel. One of the first reviews made me lol.

"I want kyo to hurry up and have some sex with Haru :((" This made me laugh, though all the while.. I feel the same way. Its actually hard for me to attempt to come up with plot because I just want dirty stuff to happen. D:

Chapter 6.

Kyo found himself sitting crosslegged near the edge of his own bed, watching the others sleeping face, feeling equally drained himself.

The other seemed so.. peaceful, his features lax.. His breaths coming quiet and slow. It seemed so wrong, knowing the moment those eyes opened it'd be nothing but crisp words and a cutting gaze. Right now there wasn't a hint of strain, anger, pain or distrust lingering in his features like he'd gotten so used recently.

He couldn't get the image of the others pained expression out of his head. It had made his chest feel as if something were trying to claw his way out. He'd wanted to do something, anything, to make it stop.

The cat absently flicked a couple of still damp strands of white hair away from the ox's face then hesitated as the younger male rolled onto his side as he slumbered, a pale hand absently reaching out toward him. He silently cursed and balled his hand into a fist, the action having made him realize what he was unconsciously doing.

Ah, jeez.. He just couldn't leave the guy alone..

...Earlier that day...

Kyo had barely cleared the window when he heard the door open in the room he'd just been in. Slender fingers attempted to let the window ease back into a closed position, but one easy slip left it closing with a not so quiet snap.

He flinched and caught himself holding his breath. There was no way he'd chance a peek to see if the sound was loud enough to grasp any unwanted attention. He did what he was meant to do.

He got the hell out of there as fast as his legs would take him. His only hope would be that no one else managed to catch a glimpse of him before he was off of the property.

The sound from the far side of the room did not fall on deaf ears, unfortunately.

The ox didn't bat an eyelash and Hatori's usually unreadable face remained as such, though there was the hint of tension in his shoulders. The family heads eyes narrowed at the taller male in front of him and made to glance passed him, but the cow simply blocked his line of sight with an arm by planting his hand on the doorframe and leaning in to it slightly.

Akito's made no attempt to hide his contempt at the action.

The message of 'If you want to enter, you're gonna have to push pass me' was not subtle in the least on Haru's part. His expression could almost be described as daring.

"Is there something I should know about?" Akito's tone was laced with suspicion, unforgiving eyes darting to the dragon just behind the teenager.

Haru let out a small, amused snort.

Eyes were back on him.

"Hatsuharu was just leaving," Hatori cut in, not sparing the ox a glance. He'd collected a clipboard from his desktop and was pretending to be as astute and punctual as he normally was, but there was strain in his expression.

The family heads cold eyes landed on the ox, who seemed unaffected by the stare. The facade from before that gave the impression that he was pleased to see him after his absence was now a thing of the past.

The ox's dishevelled appearance, accompanied by the smudges of dirt and blood on his pale skin at least made the fact that he was there legitimate. Even though the only reason he'd come to begin with was to attend to Kyo, whose presence on the grounds of the main house was strictly prohibited.

"I hope you've been reflecting," Akito said with an expression of such arrogance and superiority that it in no way matched the frailness that seemed to emanate around him. It was obvious that he had no intention of letting what happened in the past slide.

"I've been waiting." His thin fingers reached out, as if to touch the white haired males stony face, " Waiting for you to come crawling back and beg for my forgiveness." There was a sadistic gleam in his eyes and that same tilt of his lips that just made everything about the family head seem.. Unnatural.

'I'm so tired.'

"You should be grateful that I-"

'Tired of this. Tired of you.'

'Let's just end this already.'

There must have been something about his body language or his expression that set off alarms, because there was a sudden tension in the room.

"Oh I am grateful." The ox said, leaning in. "I was just thinking that maybe we should finish our conversation from last time-" He commented, his weight shifting a bit.

"Akito-sama," Hatori cut in, actually stepping forward just as Kureno did the same from just behind the family head, an alarmed expression dawning his usually neutral face.

The white haired teenager seemed to freeze in place. As usual when he was Black, his concealed emotions fueled his decisions and movements. There was rare any reasonable thought involved.

His head turned to look at the hand that had planted itself firmly on his shoulder when the doctor had stepped forward and cut in. It was a wonder that the mentally imbalanced boy didn't automatically lash out at the action. The dragon didn't fight it when Haru jerkily shrugged the hand off of his shoulder. He hadn't missed the stony look he'd been given when the others narrowed grey eyes landed on him.

It'd be a lie to say he wasn't bothered by it. By the coldness, the disgust. It was just pure contempt. But he did his best to ignore it for now. More intent on deescalating a situation before it actually escalated.

"We are on a strict schedule concerning your treatment, it would be unwise to delay any further considering your current condition." Anyone could see the poor dragon was grasping at air.

Akito, obviously displeased with the situation, dismissed the dragon but seemed to drop the tense conversation, much to the doctors relief.

The ox seemed to detach himself from his slowly simmering anger back into a more cold, dismissive persona as he straightened and allowed the head to step passed him into the office as he stepped out without another word.

The door clicked closed behind him.

His hands found their way into his pockets as he headed down the hall with every intention to leave for the night. His first thought was to check on that stupid cat to make sure he got off the grounds without a hitch.

He could feel Kureno's gaze on him as he passed and when the rooster opened his mouth, as if to speak, Haru cut him off before he could utter even a single word.

"Whatever you gotta say better be worth what comes after." The threat in his tone matched the coldness in his eyes as he paused and gave the older man a side glance.

His only answer was silence.

"Huh. Figures." mumbled the ox as he continued down the hall and disappeared.

Fingers threaded through his fiery hair, short nails almost teasingly scraping against his scalp, pulling a soft sigh from his lips as he slept. He was barely teetering over the edge of being asleep and returning to the world of the waking.

Fingers continued to play with his hair, as if lulling him back into a hazy slumber, stopping only to brush against his forehead, over his cheek bone, trailing over his jawline almost soothingly.

"Mm.." He grunted in his sleep, unconsciously wanting to lean in to the warmth.

Somehow, without even knowing.. He knew that the hand belonged to Haru. The touch seemed familiar, but was so.. Gentle. But behind closed eyes, he couldn't imagine the expression that went with the sensation..

Haru's voice seemed to echo, 'You haven't had much experience with it. Closeness.. Warmth.' The same words that the male had uttered so sadly before, at the stream when this had all just started.

The hand had moved back up, almost as if he were being petted.

'You won't crave it until it's gone.'

He felt his brows furrow slightly as he shifted restlessly.

...

And then the feeling was gone. The warmth faded into a cold that seemed to bite deep into his bones.

"Stay the hell away from me, Kyo."

The words were spoken loud and clear, startling him to the point that his eyes shot open, his heart was pounding in his chest. With shallow breaths, he pushed himself up as his eyes darted around his dark, empty room.

A dream?

There was a slight throb in his head that he ignored as he did his best to take in his surroundings. He flinched as the loud sound of thunder suddenly crashed outside. It was only then that he realized that it had started raining at some point while he'd been asleep.

Since he was obviously almost in his room, the only deduction to be made was that the thunder had been what startled him awake.

He'd returned home and almost immediately laid down with his face buried in his pillow, his head throbbing and his thoughts on what may or may not be happening at the main house after he left.

Eventually, he must've fallen asleep.. It was now dark outside, what time was it?

He pushed himself out of his bed and slowly made his way to the door, his body already feeling the burden that the rain brought. He felt drained, anxious. A part of him just wanted to remain in the dark solitude of his room.

As he made it to the top of the stairs, he heard voices below. Among them, a voice that didn't belong to anyone that inhabited the house. He made sure to soundlessly make his way down the stairs, drawing closer as the voices became more clear.

"-to do?" It was Shigure's voice.

"There's no way to predict what will happen next time." It was Hatori. Kyo's brow furrowed. This was about Haru, then.

"Did Akito say anything?" Shigure asked.

"He didn't. But Kureno pulled me aside. He was... concerned." The doctor continued, "With how unstable he seems to be right now, we can't risk someone getting hurt. Himself included."

Of course, there was some truth to the deduction. Sometimes with Black Haru there seemed to be a very thin line between reason and blind, careless rage. It was a double sided sword, being that Akito was capable of wreaking just as much havoc, in even worse ways..

There was a small clink, probably him leaning forward to place a cup back after taking a drink. He sighed, and this time it sounded tired.

"I didn't think he'd be affected this badly. He hid it so well after he saw Rin.. He must have just.. Snapped."

The crease in Kyo's brow deepened. Isuzu? He hadn't mentioned anything about her earlier when they'd all been forced to discuss Haru's situation. He found himself rounding the corner and blurting out a demanding "What about her?" that left both Hatori and Shigure blinking at his sudden appearance.

"Eavesdropping, Kyo?" Shigure said, his tone and expression not carrying his usually cheerful, teasing feel.

"It doesn't count as eavesdropping when you have the door open." The cat pointed out, and quirked an eyebrow at the dragon. He wasn't going to allow them to change the subject.

There was a silence. And he found it very aggravating.

"Don't you think some of us deserve an explanation?" He asked, getting more irate with the more he thought about it. "Don't tell me you've known what was wrong this whole time and didn't think to humor any of us? We're all affected by this, you know." He felt like he was especially.

Hatori didn't look proud of himself and there was a frown adorning his face. "Like I said, I didn't anticipate this. It's not something that can be easily fixed." And he seemed genuinely troubled by it.

"Okay, so stop beating around the bush and explain."

Hatori seemed to stare silently ahead for a few agonizingly long moments before he sighed and leaned forward, removing his glasses from their perch and folding them in his hands.

He explained, in short, simple details.

He explained that Rin and Haru had established a relationship. Akito had found out. At some point when they'd run in to each other, Rin had gotten hurt and hospitalized. They were split up. He even ventured to tell him that he'd blacked out and had a confrontation that very day, though he had just figured the younger Sohma needed time to calm himself down and accept things as they were.

Hatori pinched the bridge of his nose, as if to ward off an oncoming headache. " I was careless.. When I saw the look on his face today, I thought something horrible was going to happen." He admitted, "It would be unwise to allow them to cross paths with his mind it's current state."

"What mind?" Shigure murmured, playing with the contents of whatever was sloshing around in his cup.

Kyo was at a loss for words after being given an explanation that almost seemed to be the missing puzzle piece to everything. Alot of it seemed to make sense.. Some of the mysterious words and gestures from the ox in the past weeks.

He'd been hit, and hit hard from the looks of it. There were surely other details that only replayed themselves in the ox's head, widening the void and fueling the maelstrom of emotion. None of that emotion being positive.

"There's no such thing as love in our world. It's just an illusion that cuts you when it shatters."

Haru's words echoed in his memory, the cold look of realism in his eyes were had been seared into his memory.

"You're broken just like I am, Kyo."

No, the cat thought. He still had fight in him. He was stubborn and refused to see the negative side of everything, even at times when it seemed like that's all there was.

He might be a little damaged, but anything that the ox had inside of him had been completely demolished..

His chest tightened a bit at the realization. Was it empathy? Or maybe because a part of him realized that Hatori was right. That it was not something that could be easily fixed. Possibly the thought of how much pain the other had been in to the point that he gave up was weighing him down.

"So, what should we do?" Shigure finally asked.

The room fell into a long silence. Kyo found himself sticking around, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the doorframe at the entrance of the room.

"We could.." Shigure hesitated. "..Wipe his slate clean."

Kyo almost started at the idea. "You mean-."

Shigure sent him a look and cut him off before he could even get started. "There's no use in walking in circles around it. What else can we do?"

Hatori seemed to have already had that idea in mind, too. He just didn't seem to want to be the first to bring it up. "It'd probably be the smartest and least dangerous route." Shigure just nodded his agreement.

Kyo found himself getting very wound up. "So that's it? Just wipe him clean and leave it at that?" He asked, raising his voice slightly.

Hatori frowned, "It's not an easy decision to make."

'I couldn't fucking tell.' Kyo thought.

"Right now, it's the best and only course of action we've got."

"And what about Haru? You're just gonna, what, hold him down?" He argued, getting more and more irritated with the idea. The others were probably thinking it was strange that he seemed so against it.

"I really doubt he'd see reason right now."

Unfortunately, they did have a point. It would be the best choice to solve the problem. It would be like a hard reset. They'd just wipe his memories of the incident clean and he'd wake up with a little bit of amnesia and maybe a headache.

But something about it bothered him to no end. Knowing he'd be facing the person he'd been spending more time with than almost anyone for the past month, who didn't even remember the things that had drove him into such a deep hole. He'd be ignorant, walking around carefree while everyone else watched him, knowing what he'd gone through.

Hatori of all people should know the conflict of this kind of situation, because of his own past.

But it just meant that Haru wouldn't have to live with the pain of betrayal and heartbreak.. He wouldn't have to harbor so much anger and contempt. Or remember his own transgressions or the things that had been said that drove him even lower. So why did this bother him so much? If given the choice, would Haru choose to forget of his own volition?

Maybe because he was being selfish?

"He wouldn't be himself anymore." He told them indignantly.

"He isn't himself now."

Kyo clenched his fists and wanted to argue.

He wanted to yell 'What would you know about it?'

Black. White. They were still the same person in the end. Haru was Haru.

"Whatever, this is bullshit." Kyo growled, turning his back to the room with the intent of stalking off. His expression showed one of surprise, however, when he turned only to see the very subject of their discussion. The ox's back was to him, it seemed as if he were walking away.

How long had he been there? Did he hear what they'd been saying?

A sinking feeling in his chest made him feel like he'd been caught doing something horribly wrong.

A hand landed on Kyo's shoulder, though he didnt pay it any mind, his shocked eyes still locked on the others back. He felt rooted in place.

"Kyo what is i-" Shigure asked as he poked his head around, his words trailing off as he saw the same thing.

"Haru." Hatori's voice had the white haired teenage pause. His head turned slightly, though he didn't look at any of them.

"Stay the hell away from me." was all he said before he briskly disappeared around the corner, the sound of his heavy booted footsteps making him wants to flinch with every step.

The redhead stared silently at the empty space that had just been filled with the tense line of Haru's back. Somehow, those same words that he'd heard only minutes before in his own mind seemed to reverberate within him as he heard the sound of a door sliding open.

His feet began to move and he went around the corner, eyes darting around to find the other teen. The shoji that lead to the back deck was left open, which sent a cool breeze and the smell of rain through the room.

He stood in the door way looking out into the darkness as the rain fell in large droplets. He could hear movement behind him and a quiet curse.

"We've got to.." Hatori.

"I'll grab my coat." Shigure.

His fingers absently moved to brush the prayer beads on his left hand.

He clenched his jaw and took a calming breath before stepping outside and dropping of the porch. He heard Shigure calling his name, but he ignored him and made a run for it.

Cold water pelted down on him and he was almost instantly soaked as he sprinted to the path that began at the treeline just behind the dogs large house. It was dark and difficult to see in the sheets of rain, however he was slightly relieved when Haru's retreating back came in to view.

He was walking fast, his movements jerky. He may as well have been running.

"Haru!" He called, either the other didn't hear him over the rain, or he wasn't listening.

"Oi!" When he finally got close enough, he did what he had to in order to get the others attention on him. He grabbed Haru's shoulder.

The ox's reaction was instant. He turned around and shoved the redhead as hard as he could, which caused Kyo to stumble backwards a few steps, before turning his back on him again.

Don't let him walk away. That's the only thought that was going through the cats mind. He wasn't thinking. He couldn't see through his own anger.

"Get back here, you jack ass!" He hollered, making another grab for the white haired male. All the other did was pull his arm from his grasp and continue on. He was making a point to ignore him. Refusing to be instigated.

Kyo growled and copied the ox by giving him a shove to his back, which sent him stumbling forward. He tripped, his knees hitting the soft wet ground. The redhead saw his hands curl into fists before he was on his feet again, that heavy gaze landing on him.

"Leave me the fuck alone!" He growled over the sound of pelting rain, levelling him with a hard glare before whirling around to leave him behind again.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kyo barked in return, grabbing his arm again. It seemed to be rinse and repeat. The other jerked himself free once again.

"I said back the fuck off!"

"Who the hell would!"

The ox started to take a step and was once again assaulted by the persistant cat.

"You don't even know where you're going!." Kyo hollered at the other, whose shoulders were moving with each quickened breath he took. "Where the hell are you gonna go, huh?!" He asked rhetorically.

"Argh!" Black turned and swung at the other blindly. Kyo didn't even have to try to dodge it. He wasn't even sure that the other actually was actually trying. The ox staggered from the action, but was finally facing the redhead.

"-on't know.." Kyo could barely hear the others voice over the sound of pouring rain. He took one cautious step closer. The white haired teen was soaked to the bone, his clothes sticking closely to his body. His usually wild spikes had been completely flattened by the rain, his white bangs falling into his eyes, which were downcast as he bowed his head.

His hands came up, long fingers pushing his bangs away from his forehead before they balled into fists, grasping handfuls of hair. "I don't know what to do." He said.. And his tone seemed hopeless. Empty. His arms dropped lifelessly to his sides as he glanced up, meeting Kyo's gaze with his dark grey ones that were as unsettled as the rain clouds above. He held his gaze for a moment before lowering them again.

"What do I do?.. What do I do?" He mumbled and his voice cracked. It almost seemed as if he were just talking aloud, but finally his eyes flickered to the cats again, red around the rims and looking completely bemused. Like he was lost. Kyo knew that it wasn't just rain water dripping down his face and it actually pained him to see the other making such an expression.

He'd hit the bottom. Even the shielding of his Black persona had chipped away.

"What do I do?" He asked again, dropping down to his knees as if he'd lost the energy or will to hold himself up. It was almost as if he'd just stay there and waste away if someone didn't give him a reason to move. "Kyo.. What do I do?" He asked, looking up at the other.

He didn't know what to tell the other Sohma. Kyo took a step closer to kneel in front of the younger teen, absently placing a hand on his slumped shoulder. His eyes took in everything he saw.. The way Haru's bangs stuck to his forehead as water dripped from his lashes and the almost lifeless look in his eyes.. And he still couldn't muster up any words to say.

He found himself moving, doing the only thing that came to mind. He leaned in and pressed his lips to Haru's. What his reasoning was, he didn't know. As soon as he knelt in front of the other, it was all he could think of doing, therefore he ended up acting on the urge without really thinking.

At first the ox didn't show any reaction to the sudden gesture, not even a slight twitch of surprise. His lips were cold along with the rest of his body. The hand that Kyo had on his shoulder moved up slightly toward the juncture between his shoulder and neck, his thumb brushing against the cool, moistened skin there.

His moved his lips softly against the others, tasting the rain water that had trailed over them previously. After a few seconds, almost as if it had taken time to register the feeling.. He felt Haru's lips move against his, just the slightest of movements.

He pulled back slightly only to brush his lips against the the white haired teenagers again, this time feeling the slight returning pressure of Haru's mouth against his. He continued to slide his mouth over the others, content in the feel of the ox slowly reciprocating.

At this point he hadn't even begun to question his own actions. He nipped at the others lips with his own, felt one of Haru's hands move up and grip the front of his soaking shirt. Felt the other Sohma bring himself a little closer, nipping right back at his mouth and even parting his lips invitingly.

The redhead felt a small shiver go down his spine, and wasn't sure if it was because they were both sitting in the cold rain. It was actually the furthest thing from his mind when Haru shifted again and he felt a hand move up to the nape of his neck and the kiss was taken to a new level.

It seemed to go from slow and almost experimental to something more heated.

Almost desperate.

Haru's lips pressed fervently against his. Then his tongue was brushing his lips, coaxing them apart and skillfully delving into his mouth. The redhead didn't have much experience compared to the other, apparently.. But he held his own. It had almost become a kind of tug-of-war, with the white haired teenager subtley trying to get the upper hand, nipping hungrily at his lips and pushing for more contact with the redhead resisting his advance.

When he felt a hand beginning to explore a little too precisely, his hand grabbed a fist full of black and white hair at the back of the others neck and pulled his head back, drawing a sharp sound from the ox's mouth.

Haru's eyes were lidded, darkened by what could only have been lust. But just taking in his expression and body language, it was obvious that the ox had regained his composure. His lips were slightly parted, but the corners quirked up slightly when their eyes gazes met. His charcoal grey eyes seemed to gleam with appreciation for what he saw.

Kyo scowled at him and released his hold. His whole body was already flushed, but he felt his face get warmer under the others gaze. He pushed himself, uncomfortably, to his feet.

Black Haru didn't make any expected comment, pulling his legs out from under him and allowing himself to fall back on his elbows, tilting his head back with his eyes closed as the rain continued to fall.

Even laying there in the mud, the ox managed to look strangely alluring with his clothes soaking wet and clingly to the contours of his body, his white hair slightly darkened from the water and sticking to his forehead and face. His pale skin was slightly flushed and he hadn't even made an attempt to hide the fact that he had been.. Aroused.

Kyo, who had been irritably trying to ignore the fact that the perverted bastard had been purposely trying to ruffle his feathers for the past month and a half, was probably not going to be able to purge the image from his mind...

When they arrived back at Shigure's place, both of them were soaked to the bone and dripping, neither Shigure or Hatori had returned yet. Kyo was thankful to finally be out of the rain and was still a bit anxious for it to be done with.

With them both standing there in silence, dripping all over the floor, Yuki stepped through the threshold and laid surprised eyes on them.

"You're back." He stated the obvious, taking a step into the room, toward them. "Shigure called-" He was saying, but just as he did so, Haru shifted slightly at his side. Kyo glanced over just in time to realize that he was looking a little faint and was able to keep him from falling straight on his face when his legs buckled.

Alarmed, Yuki started toward them as Kyo rolled the boy over onto his back, then POOF!

There was a cow in the house.

It was probably a mixture of things that had caused the tranformation. What with the mental stress he was dealing with and the weather. It wasn't too long before he transformed back, completely knocked out.

That's how he found himself sitting on his bed, which was occupied by the sleeping cow.

He couldn't really deny it. He just couldn't leave the guy alone.

TBC.