Kazuko stopped his sketching and coloring when about an hour had gone past, and the room was eerily quiet. Blinking, Kazuko was about to shift when he heard a soft noise. Jolting in surprise, Kazuko's eyes flickered down to the weight on his shoulder, and was startled to see that Touma was still there, and he was obviously asleep.

Kaito was on the couch opposite, gaze fixated on his laptop screen, fingers tapping away on the keyboard. Kazuko shifted, drawing Kaito's attention. Kazuko gestured with his eyes towards Touma, and Kaito simply grinned.

Let him sleep. Kaito mouthed. Kazuko sighed, before glancing down at his tablet. He'd finished with the dragon's scales and detailing, and had saved it, and had opened up a copy of it to color it in. He glanced back up at Kaito, before opening a new file on the tablet, scrawling out a few words and holding it up awkwardly.

Kaito shifted his gaze to his screen, stilling for a few moments before typing something out. He held the screen back up after a minute or so.

In a bit. Let him sleep for a little longer. He hasn't gotten a proper night's rest in a while. Kazuko nodded, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. As creepy as it sounded, whatever cologne Touma used smelled good. It wasn't really helpful that Kazuko's celebrity crush was asleep on his shoulder.

"You know, I think he likes you." Kaito said, suddenly. Kazuko's head snapped up, nearly dislodging Touma. He froze as the photographer gave a disgruntled noise, before huffing out a soft breath, nuzzling his head back into place on Kazuko's shoulder.

"What?" Kazuko hissed, cheeks flaring. Kaito smiled, resting an elbow on his thigh, cheek on his fist.

"Nothing." Kaito responded cheekily. "You'll see for yourself." Kazuko scowled.

"I was better off not knowing." He grumbled.

"Is Kaito spewing out my secrets?" Kazuko froze as a sleepy voice spoke up, and Touma shifted, lifting his head from Kazuko's shoulder. Kazuko fought the urge to rub his shoulder - the warmth of Touma gone - as if trying to keep the heat in.

"It's not a secret," Kaito responded. "A blind bat could see it."

"Bats are blind." Kazuko piped up. Kaito threw a pillow at him, and Kazuko yelped, reflexes just a tad bit too slow as the pillow hit him in the face. Kazuko carefully placed his drawing tablet to the side, picked up the pillow, and stood, before easily launching himself across the table. He heard Touma's startled yelp, before he tackled Kaito, nearly knocking the couch backwards.

"That was rude of you." Kazuko grinned, before tossing the pillow at Kaito, playfully pressing it against his mouth before rolling to sit next to him. Across the table, Touma's expression was a combination of incredible confusion and awe.

"How'd you do that?" Touma asked.

"Do what?" Kazuko asked, frowning slightly.

"Leap across the table that easily. No momentum, no running start, how?" Touma asked.

"Think of him like a stalking predator." Kaito said, voice muffled by the pillow. "He's just got a lot of power in his legs, despite his twig appearance."

"Hey! Rude! That's twice you've been rude in the past minute." Kazuko flicked Kaito's forehead before standing, skirting around the table and flopping back down on the couch next to Touma.

"Whatever," Kaito rolled his eyes playfully, before setting the pillow aside. "Seriously though. When are you two going to start dating?" Touma, who'd just taken a sip of water spat it back out and Kazuko's eyes widened as he choked on air. "What?"

"Can you repeat that?" Touma wheezed.

"Please don't." Kazuko bit back, cheeks flushed an incredible shade of red. As Kazuko was naturally pale-skinned, his blushes usually seemed quite violent.

"It's been obvious that Touma's been interested in you from the moment he saw your face. I know that you've had a crush on Touma for a while now, ever since you saw his work his face. Basically, you're both attracted to each other's faces, and you both have great personalities, so get to know each other better and by the time I get back, I expect one of you to ask the other one out. Capiche?" Kaito clasped his hands together, staring at Kazuko and Touma expectantly. "Ok! I'll give you an hour. Tschüss, Schatzi."

With that, Kaito left the office, leaving both Kazuko and Touma sitting in an awkward silence.

next time.... Kazuko and Touma have an awkward conversation. will one ask the other out by the time kaito comes back? find out tomorrow x)

"So..." Touma started, shifting awkwardly on the couch after a few moments of silence. Kazuko's eyes flickered up to Touma, before looking down at his fingers, entwined tightly on his lap.

"Yeah." Kazuko mumbled. "Is... it true?" Touma was quiet, before he clasped the back of his neck, cheeks flushed.

"Pretty much." Touma responded. "To be honest, this makes me sound really shallow, but I fell for your face the moment I saw you." Kazuko arched an eyebrow, embarrassed yet somewhat pleased at the same time. "But, the second time we met, at the cafe for lunch, I realized that I really liked your witty attitude, your sense of humor, and your mannerisms. You're kind, but you're not afraid to speak your mind, nor are you afraid of what others think of you. You're unique, and I really like that."

"Unique in a good way?" Kazuko asked, doubtfully. "My witty attitude is usually seen as disgraceful, or rude." Kazuko shifted, drawing his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on the tops of his knees.

"Of course it's in a good way." Touma said, crossing his arms across his abdomen. They were close, and awkward, but neither wanted to shift away, afraid that it would come off as rude.

"Oh." Kazuko responded, softly.

"When you showed that sketch of yours last night in the group chat, I think I just fell for you even more. Not only do you have a gorgeous face and body for a modeling job, but you're so incredibly talented, with an amazing personality, and whoever you're romantically interested is lucky." Touma whispered, so quietly that Kazuko didn't catch it.

"So, are you calling yourself lucky?" Kazuko asked, a small smile quirking the corners of his lips up. Touma's head snapped up, cheeks flushing violently as he shook his head, burying his face in his hands with an embarrassed groan.

"No," Touma moaned, hiding his face from view, shoulders hunched up to his red-tipped ears. Kazuko fought the smile on his face at the endearing sight before him.

"How old are you?" Kazuko asked, tilting his head to the side curiously, waiting a few moments before Touma peered at him through the cracks in his fingers, amber eyes glittering with a mixture of mirth and humiliation. It was his attempt at trying to resolve the awkward tension between them, and it seemed to work.

"Shouldn't you know? I thought you were a big fan of mine." Touma responded, a grin crossing his face. Kazuko flushed, though he guessed that this was some type of payback.

"I am... I'm a big fan of you're work, I'm just not a stalker." Kazuko mumbled. Touma hummed for a few moments, before responding, his hands slowly falling to his lap.

"I'm twenty-five. Why? Making sure that I'm not too old for you?" Touma asked, teasing Kazuko lightly.

"No! It's just... you look... younger." Kazuko insisted, fighting the flush on his cheeks. He couldn't recall the last, or first time he'd blushed before anyone. Touma seemed to be able to get Kazuko to blush and get flustered as if it was as easy as standing up from a chair. There was also the factor that Kazuko was just weak to Touma in general.

"Mmm, I see. Now, how about you? Can I guess your age?" Touma asked, eyes glowing with a childish-like excitement. Kazuko shrugged. "Twenty-two?"

Kazuko shook his head, smiling wryly. "Just because I'm short doesn't mean I'm younger."

"It's not because you're short, well, mostly. But your face looks youthful." Touma responded cheerily.

"Yours does too, but you're a freaking bean pole." Kazuko shot back. Touma shot Kazuko an exaggerated and pained look.

"You're so mean." Touma pouted.

"You still haven't guessed my age."

"Twenty-six?"

"Hey! Just because I said I'm not that young because I'm short makes me automatically four years older!" Kazuko complained.

"Twenty-two?" Touma grinned sheepishly.

"You're horrific at this." Kazuko rolled his eyes. "I'm twenty four."

"You don't look it." Touma said, tilting his head. "I still think you look much younger - and it's not because you're short, I swear. You're a cute short." Kazuko flushed for what he felt like was the thousandth time.

"Your head's heavy." Kazuko blurted. Touma's brow furrowed, obviously confused. "When you fell asleep on me. Your head was heavy. I swear, I lost all feeling in the left side of my body."

"So now after the compliment, you decide to make fun of me?" Touma pouted, before inching forward. Kazuko's eyes caught the movement, and he inched back. They continued this little game until the small of Kazuko's back hit the armrest on the opposite end of the couch.

His breath caught in his throat as the photographer gave him a rather predatory grin, before leaning over him, arms braced on either side of his torso, hands flat against the arm rest behind Kazuko. Meekly, Kazuko tried his best to flatten himself further into the couch.

"Hey," Touma murmured, amber eyes warm and full of strange affection. "Will you go out with me?" Kazuko felt his cheeks warm further as he stared straight back at Touma.

"I don't want to be a burden." Kazuko whispered.

"What do you mean?" Touma asked, eyes fluttering shut as he lowered his head to rest his forehead against Kazuko's.

"I've never dated anyone before, let alone had anyone ask me out. I don't know what I would do if I started a real relationship." Kazuko admitted.

"I don't believe that." Touma declared, pulling back slightly. "You had to of gotten a lot of confessions when you were in school."

"Not really. I was really quiet so no one really knew that I even existed, except Kaito." Kazuko responded, eyes averted.

"You wouldn't be a burden to me. I'll be good to you, I swear." Touma said, voice soft.

"Why are you so cheesy?" Kazuko breathed, embarrassed by Touma's words.

"I'm not being cheesy. Let me try to court you, dammit." Touma groaned.

"Okay." Kazuko whispered. Touma's eyes widened, before a slow and shy smile crossed his lips.

"Really?" Touma asked, voice breathy with excitement. Kazuko nodded. "So that means-"

"Yes, I'll go out with you." Kazuko gave his own shy smile to Touma, who brushed their noses together. Teasing, Kazuko pressed a palm over Touma's mouth, pushing him away ever so slightly. "I don't kiss before a first date."

As Kazuko flashed Touma a quick wink, the photographer flushed, and pushed back, allowing Kazuko to sit up properly, the couch no longer pressing in to the small of his back.

"Right. Not before the first date. Got it."

There was a silly little grin on Touma's face, apprehensive and excited, and Kazuko began to worry that he might've said the wrong thing.

"I wanna die." Starting, I glance over towards my best friend, Kazuko, who's sprawled out on the floor of my bedroom, staring at my ceiling. I almost don't catch it over the sound of the three fans going off in my room, windows tightly shut and drapes drawn.

"The heat?" I ask. Kazuko shakes his head, before sitting up slowly. The both of us are shirtless, only wearing a pair of shorts. It's summer, and it's blazing hot outside, and even in the house.

"Yes, and no." Kazuko responded, reaching over to paw at the cooler we'd brought up to my room, grabbing a new water bottle, tossing me one before taking one for himself. The condensation on the bottle flicks off as I catch it, nearly dropping it at the contrast in temperature.

"New kid?" I ask. Kazuko doesn't respond, rolling the unopened bottle of water in his palm. I grin. We recently got a new transfer student in our homeroom; tall, bright eyes and smile, lankly limbs and a shock of a mop of dark blueish-purple hair. The only seat available in the class had been in the back, where Kazuko and I sit. As I sit next to the wall, then Kazuko next to me, the transfer student sat next to Kazuko. Kazuko's interest within this transfer student was pretty obvious to me, considering the amount of time we've known each other.

The transfer student was cheerful, immediately sticking his hand out to greet both Kazuko and I. Kazuko's tendency to be shy and quiet had him hesitating, and along with his newest attraction, had him paralyzed, so I had taken the initiative to greet him first.

"So I'm taking that as a yes." I hum. Kazuko lets out an embarrassed groan, flopping to the floor and rolling over, face pressing into the carpet.

"I'm embarrassed. I couldn't have been any more obvious." Kazuko said, voice muffled by the ground. "He probably thinks I'm a creep."

"You were too shy to even look him in the eye when he came over to sit next to us." I point out. Kazuko shoots me a pointed look, which I ignore. I roll over to lay next to him. If it makes you feel better, he seems interested in you."

"Probably because I didn't say anything." Kazuko grumbles. I get up to my elbows, and peer through the curtains, clearly seeing that the basketball court in the park across the street has a few people playing.

"Do you wanna go out and play basketball?" I ask.

"It's blazing hot outside." Kazuko complains. "Besides, we don't have enough-"

"There are people out there." I say.

"Let's go!" Kazuko scrambles to his feet almost immediately, grabbing his t-shirt from the floor before running out of my bedroom. I laugh, following him at a slower place, picking up the cooler to bring out with us. Maybe if we offer them cold water they'll let us join.

The sound of soft mewling above the thundering rain caught his attention, and he glanced up, wet hair sticking to his face. Touma followed the noise, eyes flickering towards the people around him, the hood of his sweater already soaked through.

Peering into a dimly lit alleyway, he heard shuffling, followed by a weak meow. Curious, Touma took his phone from his pocket, shivering as he held it up with both hands and turned the flashlight on. Almost immediately, there was the sound of scattering nails on pavement as something scrambled to get out of the way.

The noise didn't send a shiver down his spine, but rather, it was the low growl he heard. Touma froze as he caught the glimmering of eyes with the beam of his phone's flashlight. Slowly, he held his breath as he moved the flashlight to the side, moving forward.

There, on the ground, curled up in a blanket, were two tiny, grey kittens. Touma gasped softly, kneeling on the wet ground, barely flinching as the uncomftorable soaked through denim of his jeans rubbed against his legs. He was just about to reach out to brush a finger against one when he was attacked by something, forced to the ground.

It was something large, something animalistic, that was for certain. Strangely, the "paws" that gripped his seemed to be too-human, but the claws were too prominent to be fake. In the dim lighting of the alley, and over the roaring of the pouring rain, Touma could make out distinct... canine features, meshed with human.

"What are you?" Touma blurted. The beast leapt off of him, and padded over to the kittens, before curling around them, letting out a warning snarl. Picking up his fallen - thankfully unbroken - phone, Touma cast the light back to the animal.

It appeared to be some sort of... wolf-boy. There were prominently shaped wolf ears sticking out from his wet dark hair, framing his pale and slender face. He almost appeared to be blind, but Touma caught the flickering of movement and intent in them. The wolf-boy let out a growl, teeth flashing menacingly, tail curling around the kittens.

"Hey... I want to help." Touma said, speaking in a softer voice. "They'll die if they don't get warm."

"I'll keep them warm." The wolf-boy growled, ears tilting to half mast as he narrowed his silver eyes. He dragged the kittens closer to him, flashing his fangs and claws.

"It's too cold. You're cold, I can see it." Touma responded, keeping his voice light, though it trembled with cold. "None of you will last the night unless you stay somewhere warm. It's supposed to get in the negatives."

The wolf-boy pulled his lips past his teeth. Touma slowly placed his backpack on the ground, unzipping it, refusing to flinch as the wolf-boy snarled, the kittens mewling pitifully. Pulling out a half-finished package of jerky, Touma took a piece, and immediately, the wolf-boy's ears pricked in interest.

"Eat, you're too thin." Touma offered the meat out on his palm. The wolf-boy hesitated.

"Why are you being nice to a monster like me?"

"You're not a monster." Touma blinked. "We're all born in different forms, but that doesn't make you a monster. Come on, please. I want to help all of you." The wolf-boy took the blanket, gently taking the four corners of it, before fumbling to awkwardly tie them together, making a make-shift parcel, before picking it up gingerly between the claws of one hand.

The wolf-boy paused before Touma, ears flat against his head, tail tucked between his legs, bare skin pale and almost seeming to turn blue. Touma placed his backpack on the ground and stripped from his coat, shivering as the rain pelted his damp skin. Ignoring the growl that the wolf-boy gave him when he took the soaked blanket parcel, Touma draped the jacket over the boy's shoulders, hood over his head to cover the ears.

Slinging the backpack back over his own shoulders, he unwrapped the blanket parcel, as to ensure that the kittens wouldn't suffocate, and waited for the wolf-boy to come closer.

"I won't hurt you, I promise." Touma said. The wolf-boy only stared at the kittens, and that's when Touma noticed the wolf-boy's eye color - they were a pale, silvery grey. Intriguing. "Come. My apartment's close, and we can get you and the kittens warm."

As Touma turned and left the alleyway, he heard the shuffling of feet behind him, and felt the hesitant fingers and claws of the wolf-boy grasp his inner elbow. A small smile traced his face, eyes flickering down to see the wolf-boy run a loving finger down one of the kitten's faces, before glancing up at Touma.

~

<h>i have no idea how many people read my short fics, but uh, check this out? i guess? i don't know ;w;

https://wolfplaygame.com/forums.php?f=36&t=32614

When they had reached Touma's apartment, the wolf-boy seemed to have gotten closer to Touma. Whether it was his protectiveness of the kits, or because he was seeking warmth, Touma wasn't sure. The moment that the door opened and a rush of warm air greeted them, the wolf-boy shivered, wolf ears quivering.

Kicking off his shoes, Touma shucked them beneath the radiator, kneeling and removing the kits from the wet blanket, grabbing the nearest dry piece of fabric he could see - a scarf - and made a makeshift bed before starting over to the bathroom.

"Follow me," Touma said, gesturing for the wolf-boy to take off the coat.

"What else have I been doing for the past twenty minutes?" The wolf-boy grumbled, before taking off the wet coat and hanging it up on an empty peg. Touma would throw it into the dryer later one. The wolf-boy padded up to Touma, and only then did Touma realize how sparsely dressed the wolf-boy was.

He had no socks, shoes, nor shirt, merely wearing a pair of looked like cargo shorts. They were muddied, torn, blood-stained, hanging loosely from sharp hip bones. There were scrapes, cuts and scars littering the wolf-boy's exposed skin, only now visible in the light of Touma's apartment. Touma stoped staring, figuring it was uncomfortable, and hurried into the bathroom.

As soon as they both were in, the wolf-boy shook himself rather violently, in a way that a dog would shake its pelt after swimming. At least he had the decency to wait until he was in the bathroom to do so.

The kittens had gone eerily quiet, and Touma hurriedly filled the sink halfway with lukewarm water, before setting the tiny felines into the water. One sneezed, a tiny little sound, and Touma smiled, dipping his fingers into the warm water, stroking over the kittens' tiny, shivering bodies.

"I'm surprised they made it this far." Touma murmured. The wolf-boy was sat on the closed toilet seat, watching Touma carefully with wide, silver eyes. Touma glanced over at him, eyes sweeping over thew wolf-boy's thin figure. "Here," Touma gestured to the wolf-boy, who hesitantly padded over to him. "Keep washing them with warm water, like this," scooping up some warm water into his palms, he let the water run down the kittens' fur. "Add more hot water if you need to, just keep them warm. I'll set up the bath for you."

"You're cold too." The wolf-boy said, halting Touma in his tracks. Touma shot the boy a wry smile.

"It's best to get you sorted out before me." Crouching, Touma ran some hot water, before setting the plug in, adding some soap to the water. He heard the soft murmuring of the wolf-boy, a grumbling noise that resembled a purr, along with the running of the faucet.

Sweet. Touma smiled, before standing up, heading back over to the sink. The kittens were squirming now, awake and alive, mewling, tiny paws waving in the air and splashing the surface of the water.

"They look like they're feeling better." Touma said. The wolf-boy looked up, silver eyes wide, before he ducked his head, nodding shyly. "What's your name?" Touma asked, voice going soft again. The wolf-boy seemed to be more willing to talk when Touma took on that particular tone.

"Kazuko," the wolf-boy said, "Silver Eyes or NightHaze, I have many names."

"Which would you like me to call you?" Touma asked, head tilting to the side.

"Whichever." The wolf-boy's cheeks flushed.

"Kazuko it is." Touma set a hand down on the boy's shoulder, nearly tearing it back as he felt how ice-cold the boy's skin was. "Go ahead and get into the tub to warm up. I'll take care of the kittens." Kazuko hesitated. "I won't look or peek."

"I'm not worried about that." Kazuko said, eyes flickering over to the kittens.

"I'm not going to kill them. Why would I kill them after I've taken the time to bring you three to my apartment and warm you up?" Kazuko shrugged, though Touma could see it took a lot of effort. The boy's lips were going purple, and his skin was turning blue. "Up we go." Kazuko let out a canine yelp as Touma scooped him up easily, the wolf-boy clinging close to Touma, arms wrapped around his neck. Holding him like this, Touma could clearly feel how bony the wolf-boy was.

Frowning, he carried Kazuko over, before setting the boy in the warm water, before shutting off the tap to prevent the tub from overflowing. A soft expression crossed Kazuko's face, lips parting in a delighted little expression as he sunk deeper into the water. Smiling, Touma handed Kazuko a clean washcloth.

"Here. You can scrub yourself down. There's more soap and shampoo there." The water had already started to turn murky, and Kazuko looks cutely embarrassed. Touma didn't comment, instead, turning back to the sink, grabbing a fluffy towel off the heater and gently picking up the kittens, setting them on the towel.

"I'll be out in the main rom. I'll get you a change of clothes in a moment. When you're done, take a towel from one of the towels on the heater." At the hum of acknowledgement from Kazuko, Touma grabbed one large towel and another small one before heading out into the main room. Setting the kittens down on the table, Touma quickly stripped from his wet clothes, drying off with the large towel before dressing in a clean pair of sweatpants and a hoodie.

Getting a clean set of clothes, including one of Touma's freshly washed hoodies, he placed it outside of the bathroom door, rapping lightly on it.

"Clothes are outside the door." Touma called.

"Thank you." Kazuko's soft voice responded from inside. Gathering his wet clothes and the coat Kazuko'd worn back to the apartment in to the dryer, he hurried back to where the kittens were, placing them carefully - with the towel - in an empty cardboard box, taking a hair dryer, picking up one of the kittens to begin to dry it's fur.

After both kittens were dry, fluffy and warm, Touma set them back in the box, dragging out more old moving boxes from his closet. The main room was where everything he owned was stored; which wasn't much to begin with. His apartment was a similar style to a traditional Japanese house, thought much smaller.

He grabbed a hot glue gun, scissors and old newspapers, and after a few cuts, a couple sticks of hot glue and a bunch of newspaper later, Touma had a decent sized cat box. The kittens were small, too young to walk or climb. Touma scattered the newspaper scraps on the bottom of the box, before shifting the kittens into the newly made "home" and pushed it onto the heated sections of the floors.

Heaving a sigh, Touma stood, dusting his hands on his pants before cleaning up his mess, bringing the cardboard scraps to the trash in the kitchen. When he returned, Kazuko was there, tiny frame completely dwarfed by the hoodie, one of the kittens in his lap.

"Hey," Kazuko whispered, ears twitching excitedly, tail swishing behind him. "Who's a good kitty? Are you a good kitty?"

"Where'd you find them?" Touma asked, voice soft. Kazuko's ears twitched in surprise, glancing up as Touma sat next to him. Playfully, Touma pulled the hood over Kazuko's head, the fabric seeming to swallow him whole. The hood twitched, a sign where Kazuko's wolf ears were.

"I watched the family abandon them." Kazuko said, lifting a clawed hand to gently push the fabric back over his head, ears pricked. Touma resisted the urge to reach out to touch them. Kazuko curled a claw to gently brush the fur of one of the kitten's faces. "I kept them warm, but I got weaker with the cold. We probably would have died if you didn't show up."

~

"Didn't anyone else hear the kittens?" Touma asked. Kazuko shook his head, ears flopping back and forth. The wolf-boy tensed slightly as Touma sat next to him, picking up the second kitten and stroking a thumb gently over it's head.

"No," Kazuko said. "They haven't eaten in a couple days, and I'm worried." Touma's eyes widened, staring at Kazuko for a few moments before he leapt up, kitten cupped in his palms, and hurriedly handed it to Kazuko, before rushing into the kitchen.

Rummaging through his fridge, Touma found the new carton of milk he'd just bought, before pouring some in a mug, placing it in the microwave for about fifteen seconds as he searched for a syringe without a needle. He knew he had a few clean and new ones somewhere.

At the sound of soft, shuffling feet, Touma looked up to see Kazuko standing near the counter, arms cradling both mewling kittens. Gesturing for Kazuko to come closer, Touma took the mug of warm milk from the microwave, moving it to the low kitchen table, and filled a syringe a third of the way, before holding out a hand for a kitten.

Having followed him over, Kazuko reluctantly handed over the darker-furred kit, and Touma gingerly parted the kitten's jaws with his thumb, before letting the syringe tip rest near the kitten's mouth. As the milk was a thin liquid, it was easy for the kit to lap at it, and Touma gently pushed the syringe lever down, feeding the kitten.

Kazuko watched, intrigued, before lowering himself to his knees, mimicking Touma's position, before reaching for the second syringe. After a bit of trouble, Kazuko was feeding the second kitten, a soft and fond expression on his face.

"What's going to happen to them?" Kazuko asked, silvery eyes meeting Touma's. What's going to happen to me? The unasked question hung heavily in the air.

"You can all stay, there's enough room for all of you, and I make enough money with my part-time jobs to be able to feed everyone and keep this place." Touma said. Kazuko's lips parted in an expression of shock, eyes widening.

"You'd take me, a complete stranger, a half-beast into your home?" Kazuko asked, pausing in the feeding of his kitten, only continuing when the kit mewled loudly.

"It's probably not the smartest idea," Touma admitted. "But you appear to be nice, and I don't mean to sound privileged or sheltered, but I don't think any of you would've lasted through this night."

Kazuko fell silent, head dipping down, and Touma reached out, stroking his fingers through the hair at the top of his head, thumb brushing one of Kazuko's ears. A soft noise emitted from Kazuko's throat, and he leaned into Touma's touch. Touma grinned, before pulling back, noting the disappointed grunt Kazuko made.

The wolf-boy refused to make eye contact, but the bright red tips of his human ears, and the way his wolf ears pinned back against his head spoke in enough volumes. They continued to feed the kittens the warm milk until their paws were lazily moving in the air, tiny bellies full, mewling lethargically.

Settling the kit down on the table carefully, Touma stood, dusting his hands on his pants, before gathering the syringes and leftover milk before placing them in the sink.

"Can I safely assume that you're hungry?" Touma asked. Kazuko nodded, placing the second kit on the table, before padding over, awkwardly, and Touma noticed that Kazuko was holding the hem of his pants. Before Touma could ask, Kazuko spoke.

"My tail." Kazuko said, embarrassed. Touma could see the bushy appendage tucked between Kazuko's legs in a sheepish manner.

"It's an old pair of pants, so we can cut a slit in the back that your tail can get through." Touma suggested. "Is it possible that you can get rid of your tail completely? I'm guessing that you can transform fully into a wolf, and a human?"

Kazuko hesitated.

"I'm used to retaining this form." Kazuko explained. "This form, or my wolf form, so the tail's just kind of... always been there. I'm capable of creating the illusion as if my ears and tail and fangs aren't there, but if someone brushes up against them, they'll physically feel them."

"Then cutting a slit it is." Touma said.

"Oh. I can do that." Kazuko said, cheeks flushing. Touma arched an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

"Well, while you go do that, do you mind bringing the kits back to their makeshift bed while I get something started for us to eat?" Touma asked.

"Okay. But, don't you need to take a bath?" Kazuko asked. "You were out in the cold and rain too."

"I'll do it after we eat." Touma said, before turning to open the fridge. There was a moment of silence, before there was the shuffling of feet, the low murmuring of someone talking as Kazuko moved to the main room.

~

Touma had just finished plating the grilled salmon when the rice cooker went off, and Kazuko padded back into the kitchen, tail swinging freely behind him.

"Comfortable?" Touma asked, gesturing to Kazuko's tail. The wolf-boy nodded shyly, ears pricking up as he came over to stand near Touma.

"Yes. Thank you." Kazuko said.

"It's no problem." Touma responded, bumping Kazuko lightly with his hip, before turning to serve the rice, placing it in bowls. He gestured for Kazuko to bring over the salmon, and carried the bowls of rice over to the table, where there were two mugs, ready to have hot water poured into them, miso paste on each spoon.

"Itadekimasu." Touma said, and Kazuko followed his gestures, clasping his palms together, awkwardly forming the sounds with his mouth. Touma watched as Kazuko fumbled with the chopsticks, noted the way he looked frustrated, ears drooping slightly. "Just eat however, it's alright." Touma said, setting his chopsticks down. "I won't judge you. We can work on teaching you how to use chopsticks another time."

The wolf-boy looked significantly reassured, before he took some salmon in his fingers, before stuffing it into his mouth. With that one bite, it was as if a switch flicked, and soon, Kazuko was wolfing down the food.

"Woah, slow down or you'll make yourself sick." Touma chuckled, picking up the mug of miso, bringing it to his lips. Kazuko paused, sheepish, and Touma could see the wolf-boy's tail wagging happily behind him.

They finished the rest of their meal in relative silence, and Touma carried the dishes to the sink, rinsing them and placing them in the dishwasher. Kazuko lingered awkwardly, and Touma ruffled his hair as he passed by, taking note that the wolf-boy leaned into the touch ever so slightly.

"I'm gonna go take a bath. You're free to roam around the apartment, but there isn't much to see." Touma said, before he headed into the bathroom. The clothes he was wearing now would be fine to re-dress in; he hadn't gone outside in them.

"Okay." Kazuko said, before heading straight for the kittens. Touma smiled to himself, before shutting the door. Running the bath, he rinsed it from any earlier debris; it seemed like Kazuko understood somewhat how the bath worked, as it had been drained.

About fifteen minutes later, Touma exited the bathroom, hair washed, the feeling of the freezing cold soaped away from his skin, and teeth brushed. He caught sight of Kazuko, curled up on the ground, tail acting as a pillow as he snored softly. The kittens were curled up near his bent arm, purring softly as Touma approached.

Setting the kittens back in the box, ensuring that they were in the warmest spot of his apartment, Touma went to the closet, dragging out his futon. It was a bit bigger than normal ones, and it was the only one he had. He did have a couch, but it was unholy uncomfortable.

Gently shaking Kazuko awake, Touma half-led half-carried him to the bathroom, where he took the spare toothbrush, put toothpaste on the bristles and began to brush Kazuko's teeth. Touma gingerly pressed his thumb to the bottom of Kazuko's jaw, exposing his human teeth and four elongated canines. Kazuko made a gurgling noise as Touma finished, urging him to swish his mouth out with water.

"Mm'sleepy." Kazuko mumbled, small frame leaning back into Touma, who smiled, brushing the corners of Kazuko's mouth, before picking him back up, heading into the main room.

Shutting the lights off in the bathroom, kitchen and main room, Touma flicked on a small electric heat lantern, placing it near the futon where Kazuko was laying. He only hesitated briefly before climbing in next to the wolf-boy, covering them with the comforter, closing his eyes to sleep.

It wasn't much longer before Kazuko shifted closer. The wolf-boy's tail brushed Touma's ankles, furry and warm ears pressed against Touma's exposed neck, face buried in Touma's chest.

~ ~

When Kazuko awoke the next morning, he felt warm and fuzzy. Blearily opening his eyes, he realized that he was tucked in an embrace. It was an unusual feeling, foreign, but it wasn't... bad.

Letting out a soft and contented noise, Kazuko burrowed deeper into Touma's chest, fingers clutching at the material of the human's clothing, as if worried he would slip away.

Kazuko's experience with past humans had been horrific, mostly ending in abuse. Touma had been the first human to be kind enough to look at him without those pitying eyes, the first one who gave him help, support, and Kazuko was eternally grateful.

"Mm," Kazuko shifted as he heard Touma's soft grunt, and the arms around Kazuko's thin waist tightened. A small smile grew across Kazuko's lips, and his tail started to swish back and forth against his will. Touma woke, amber eyes blinking blearily at Kazuko, before he gave him a sleepy grin.

"Did you sleep well?" Touma asked, shifting, yawning widely as he stretched both arms above his head. Kazuko felt disappointed with the loss of heat, but nodded nonetheless. Crawling out of the futon, Kazuko headed over to the kittens, who were still sleeping, but alive.

Kazuko leaned down, brushing his nose against the kit's foreheads, like he would if he was in his wolf form. Kazuko picked one up in his palms, rubbing his thumb lightly against the kitten's stomach, smiling as the kit let out a mewl, tiny paws waving in the air.

"You're really like a parental figure to them." Kazuko looked up to see Touma watching him, arm and chin resting on one raised knee, blanket half wrapped around his figure, eyes sleepy. His heart pounded faster, and his cheeks flushed.

~

Strangely, Kazuko had become skittish around him, avoiding his gaze and shying away from physical contact. Touma wasn't exactly sure why, but he disregarded it as cautiousness, although the wolf-boy seemed perfectly content the first day when he arrived in Touma's apartment.

Touma set out breakfast for Kazuko, before heading into the main room, frowning slightly when the wolf-boy wasn't in sight. He checked in the box, relieved to find that both kits were still there, and the syringes of milk were empty, resting in the bowl.

"Kazuko?" Touma called, rising from his knees. There was no response. He hadn't left the apartment, right? He hadn't heard the front door open or close. Falling silent, he heard a shuffling noise form the direction of the bathroom, and padded over, calling the wolf-boy's name again.

"D-don't come in!" Kazuko's voice was high-pitched, panicked, and Touma frowned, reaching for the door handle. Something pushed against the door as Touma tried pushing himself.

"What's wrong?" Touma asked, voice growing soft. There was a whimper from the bathroom, and the pressure on the door lessened. Touma pushed, and there was the skittering of claws on the tile, and the door opened. In the tub, was a rather small juvenile wolf, fur jet black and eyes a pale, silvery grey.

"Kazuko?" Touma asked, disbelieving. The wolf bowed his head, tucking it between his forelegs, tail curling between his hind legs. Touma shifted closer, slowly, as to not disturb him, and crouched to meet the wolf's gaze. It was dangerous, getting this close, but something overtook Touma.

Reaching forward, he cupped the side of the wolf's face. Kazuko froze beneath his touch, silver eyes wide and alarmed, a whine passing through his lips as Touma urged Kazuko to step out of the tub.

"It's alright," Touma murmured, stroking comfortingly down Kazuko's ruff. The wolf was still tense, but allowed Touma to lead him out of the bathroom.

"I'm sorry." The wolf's whimper seemed to say. Touma didn't respond, and set the plate of food down on the ground before Kazuko, who hesitated in beginning to eat. Touma smiled softly, getting to his knees and sitting on the floor. Kazuko hunkered down, flank pressing into Touma's side, before beginning to lap at the food on the plate.

Touma hesitantly rested a hand on Kazuko's spine, letting his fingers sink into the rough guard hairs, and into the downy fluff. He was warm, but Touma could feel Kazuko's ribs, the scrawniness of the wolf that his thick winter coat couldn't hide.

"You're so thin." Touma murmured. Kazuko paused, glancing up at Touma with rounded eyes. Touma chuckled, and leaned forward to use his thumb to brush excess rice from the wolf's muzzle. Kazuko stood, shifting so both his forelegs were on one side of Touma's straightened legs, and his hind legs on the opposite side.

Kazuko then laid down, and Touma felt the wolf's ribs pressing into his thighs, and stroked his hand down Kazuko's head, feeling happy when the wolf didn't flinch away. They sat in silence for a while, until he felt a tremor run through Kazuko.

In awe, Touma watched as the fur on Kazuko's body recede, turning back into human skin as his canine form morphed into a human. Kazuko scrambled from Touma's lap, half-transformed, and bewildered, Touma looked over his shoulder as the wolf-boy disappeared into the bathroom.

Standing, he dusted his hands on his pants, picking up the empty plate from the ground, setting it in the sink. A few minutes later, Kazuko padded back into the kitchen, dressed in a large hoodie, legs bare.

"Sorry." Kazuko mumbled. "When I shift back, I... usually need clothes." Oh. Touma felt his cheeks flush lightly.

"Right. That's fine." Touma responded.

"I- I only transformed because I've been too weak." Kazuko started, stuttering and tripping on his words. "It's coded in my DNA that I-"

"I don't mind." Touma said, turning to face Kazuko. Those silvery eyes were full of self depreciation, fear and anxiety, but it quickly melted away as Touma offered him a smile. "You're you, and you have to do what you have to do. You can't rewrite your DNA." Kazuko fell silent, fingers playing with the hem of Touma's old hoodie.

"Um." Kazuko's ear tips flushed as he spoke. Touma tilted his head curiously. "Do you have any... uh, undershorts?" Touma blinked, and it took him a few moments before he understood. Kazuko awkwardly tugged the hoodie further down his legs, and Touma coughed, tearing his gaze away.

"Uh - yeah, be right back." Touma mumbled, stumbling over to where he kept his clothes. Rummaging through his drawers, he found an older pair, and stood, handing them to Kazuko, who blushed and ducked his head as he accepted the article of clothing.

Touma returned to the kitchen to continue cleaning, and after the sound of shuffling, Kazuko appeared by his side, awkward and adorable. Touma cast a glance down at him, hands still in hot soapy water.

Kazuko moved swiftly, almost too quickly for Touma to see, small hands tangling in the material of Touma's own hoodie, pulling him down. Touma felt his eyes widen involuntarily as Kazuko awkwardly pressed their lips together, eyes squeezed shut cutely.

Oh God. Touma's own eyes fluttered shut, hands stilling in the hot water as he let himself be washed away by the torrent of mixed emotions.

~

Those silver eyes I love so much, those silver eyes that held so many fond memories, those silver eyes that looked at me with so much affection, there's nothing left but hatred. There's nothing left but bitterness. There's nothing left but betrayal.

NightHaze's mouth is set in a thin line, facial expression carefully blank, hands clenched into fists at his sides. There's no sign of vulnerability on his face, no sign of that bright happiness, no sign of any emotion whatsoever. It hurts me. I open my mouth to speak, but NightHaze beats me to it.

"What is there to say?" NightHaze asks, tone scathing. I flinch, hands trembling by my side as I try to compose myself. I have no walls up, they've all crumbled, I have no control left, I'm falling to pieces beneath that burning, silver gaze. "'I'm sorry?' That goes a long way." NightHaze spits, and finally a sliver of emotion crosses his face. It's not one that I wish to see, it's not one that I had ever wanted to see on his face.

"It wasn't my fault-" I start, even though we both know it's not true.

"It wasn't your fault?" NightHaze's voice is incredulous, tone dropping down low into a growling snarl. "You know where I stand with situations like those. You know where I stand with you going to nights out with your colleagues. You know what you're like when you drink alcohol, but you did it anyways."

"I'm sorry." I say, helplessly. NightHaze shakes his head, crossing his arms over his chest as he regards me with a disdainful look, before speaking, each word articulated carefully.

"I've let things similar to this pass before, I've forgiven you for the mistakes you've made."

How could I have made that stupid mistake? I should have listened to him.

"This time, I think you've gone too far."

He's all that I have left.

"I'm sorry, Touma."

I let him down.

"We're over."

"N-no." I gasp, involuntarily reaching out to grasp his wrist. NightHaze leaps back, as if burned, and his eyes take on that crazed light, as if he was a wild and hurt animal, trapped in a corner. His pointer finger and thumb of his right hand moves down to his left ring finger, where out stainless steel promise ring sits.

"Don't touch me." NightHaze rasps, before shoving me aside, bolting out of the apartment door, letting it slam behind him. I slump to the ground, on my knees, burying my face in my hands and let out an agonized scream. NightHaze's ring lays on the ground, glittering in the half light streaming through the window.

My heart is burning, it feels like it's tearing into a million pieces. NightHaze was all I had left, he was my solstice, the light and love of my life, and I had to mess everything up.

NightHaze had been through so much in the past, he had troubles with trust, he had troubles with knowing where his loyalty lied, he was one with many walls, he refused to let anyone in. But, little by little, he let me in, let me figure out what kind of person he was, let me become a part of his world.

He trusted me.

The amount of betrayal he felt must be incredibly heavy, and it was all my fault. The only person that he felt as if he could trust, had evidentially betrayed him in the worst possible way. I'm an idiot.

I'm so, so stupid for not listening to him.

I'm so, so stupid for betraying him.

I'm so, so stupid to have let him go.

I want to go after him. I want to beg on my hands and knees until he forgives me, until he lets me come back. I take the promise ring into my palm, the pair to the set we've both worn for over four years.

All that trust we built, all that love we had, that foundation started to crack with each and every mistake that I made. It was always me. NightHaze was too forgiving, we were too in love.

But, it seemed that things had slowly started to fall apart. We're polar opposites. I have to admit now, that we're truly over. I'll never see him again.

I still hope that one day, I can see him. I still hope that one day, we'll see each other again. I still hope that one day, we can turn over a leaf.

One day.

One... day....

One...

Day...

The box in my back pocket remains heavy, even four years from now.

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