When I wake up, I'm pressed up against a warm and broad chest. Bewildered, I look up only to see Touma's peaceful and sleeping face. His lips are parted ever so slightly, hair a mess, and cheeks still flushed. When I reach up to press a palm to his face, he's still burning up, and Touma frowns, shifting slightly. His eyes flutter open, amber gaze hazy and disoriented.

"G'morning." Touma mumbles, arms wrapping tighter around my waist. I stroke through his hair softly, and Touma lets out a soft, contented sigh. Shinji's curled up near my elbow, and I lean down to kiss the cat softly on his head. Shinji lets out a little meow, lifting his head sleepily, pawing at my nose. Touma lets out a soft whine, shifting closer to me, as if seeking warmth. "It's cold."

"Sorry." I shift closer to him, sliding back beneath the covers, before it hits me. "Wait." I wriggle in Touma's arms, the octopus's face pressed into my chest. "Wasn't I sleeping on the couch before this?"

"I moved you. You didn't look comfortable." Touma responds, voice muffled. I shift, getting comfortable, wrapping my arms around Touma. Touma's still shivering.

"You didn't have to move me," I whisper.

"I was cold." Touma grumbles. I stay there for a few moments, before I kiss his forehead and make a move to get up. Touma's arms lock around my waist, and he lets out a drawn out noise, almost whale-like. I roll my eyes and easily pry his arms away, nearly stepping on Shinji as I leap out of the way as Touma tries to drag me back in.

Touma's amber eyes are peering at me from beneath the blankets, pouty and betrayed. Shinji meows, and pads over to Touma, touching his nose to Touma's cheek, before padding in between his arms, snug to Touma's chest before curling up in a ball.

"I'm gonna get you some medicine." I say. Touma pouts, but he doesn't protest as I head into the bathroom. The apartment is a bit cold. I turn the heat a bit higher as I pass it, glancing out the bathroom window. The rain's stopped, but the sky's still a murky gray. When I head back, Touma's fallen asleep again, curled up with Shinji.

I hurry into the kitchen to make a cup of tea, and once I've gotten it, I add some cold water to it to temper it before heading back over to Touma.

"Hey, Touma, I have your medicine." I say. Touma groans, rubbing at his eyes, and I set the mug and medicine down, dragging him up to recline on my legs. Touma seems to have lost all use of his strength, and I end up having to pop the medicine in his mouth, and let him drink from the mug. When Touma's done, his head falls back on my shoulder, and I shift, sitting on the ground and not on my legs, stroking his shoulder with a thumb.

"Do you feel better than last night?" I ask. Touma shakes his head.

"I get sick pretty easily." Touma says, voice sounding stuffed up. I lean back, swiping at the table next to the couch, dragging it over before reaching up for the tissue box. The trash is nearby as well, and after a bit of shifting and wriggling, I manage to drag that over as well. I hand the tissue box to Touma, who blows his nose immediately.

"Well, I hope you'll get better quickly." I say, wrapping my own arms over his shoulder, locking my wrists over his chest. Touma looks up at me, and I smile shyly, ducking my head to kiss his cheek. "If you're hungry for anything, just tell me. I don't have much, but I can always run out and get something."

"Thank you." Touma smiles at me, one of his hands coming up to entangle with my own. "Did you know, that you're really cute?" I flush, an embarrassed noise escaping my throat. "I'm really glad you agreed to going out with me. I want to get to know you better, I really do. Not to mention, I did give you my first kiss."

I'm not sure how to respond to Touma, so instead, I hug him closer, nose in the crook of his neck, and hum softly.

"It's a deal," I murmur.

Pairing: Kaito x Kaede

Pairing: Kaede x Kaito

Touma's amber eyes are unwavering as they stare at me, full of both regret and frustration. I can't tell which emotions are aimed towards me, and which ones are aimed towards himself.

"Sorry, NightHaze."

"We... we're really not compatible."

"I've... found someone else. That I'm happy with."

"We're done." Despite Touma's claim that he's found someone else, his voice sounds raw, and his cheeks are slightly flushed, eyes glimmering with emotion. I tear my gaze from his, refusing to say anything. I look down at my hand, where the simple, silver ring rests on my right hand's ring finger.

I can feel Touma's eyes on me, and I trace the metal briefly with a finger, slowly, before I wrench it off, and chuck it at Touma, barely stifling a sob as I turn on my heel and run. I hear Touma's shocked yell from behind me, but I pay no heed as I try to get as far away from him as I can.

I knew there was a reason I didn't trust. There was a reason why I never let anyone in, past the walls I'd built. There was a reason why I preferred to be alone. There would be no attachment, no dependence, and most of all, no hope for something else. For something more.

I wonder how long Touma's been lying to me. How long it's been since he's found this special someone. This someone who's more important to me, who's more special than I am. It's probably someone who smiles. It's probably someone who knows how to laugh, and make others laugh. It's probably someone who doesn't have an ugly history like mine.

It's probably someone who's perfect in every single way. Someone who actually deserves Touma's love and attention. Not someone like me. Not someone who's ugly, someone who's been burned and beaten. Not someone with a past as dark as me, someone who's never tried walking in the light.

Everything about me, is repulsive. I knew that. But, I thought that there had finally been someone who had overlooked that, and accepted me for who I was. Now? I find out that they were only faking, using me, deceiving me into believing there was someone who cared.

I crash into someone, and I stutter out a surprisingly domesticated apology, and turn to hurry off the other way, when the person grasps my wrist.

"NightHaze?" At the familiar voice, my head snaps up, my pale eyes meeting wide, golden yellow eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Kaede." I can't stop my next actions. I fall into him, burying my face in his chest and sob. The tiger is shocked, I can tell, from the way that his spine stiffens, but he relaxes, and wraps me tightly in a hug. Ironically, it's started to rain, and we stand there, getting drenched as my shoulders wrack with sobs.

"What's wrong?" Kaede asks, again, voice soft. "Where's Touma?"

"Fuck him." I cry, words muffled. "Fuck him. I hate him. I hate him so much." Kaede strokes my back.

"Do you know where he is?" Kaede asks. "I'm sure you're not going to want to see him."

"I don't know." I let out a sharp gasp as Kaede suddenly picks me up, bridal style, and I flush, covering my already red cheeks with my hands.

"Then, you're coming to my apartment. Kaito should be there by now as well. Just pretend that you hurt your ankle, or something." Kaede says, offering me a supportive smile.

~

When we get to Kaede's apartment, he sets me down, keeping a supportive hand on my shoulder and unlocks the door. Kaito trots into the entry way, and halts immediately when he sees me.

"What happened?" Kaito demands the moment he sees my red eyes, and catches the sniffling noises that I make.

"Touma broke up with me." I mumble, my voice breaking. It's hard to admit it.

"What? Why? How? When? Tell me." Kaito's rapid fire speech has my head whirling, and Kaede takes a few steps forward, pressing a kiss to Kaito's forehead.

"Give him a bit to recover. He's wet, freezing, and his boyfriend just broke up with him. Can you go get the bath ready?" Kaede asks. Kaito stays where he is, stubborn, until Kaede sighs, "please, babe?" A small smile curls up at the corner of Kaito's lips.

"Fine." Kaito bounds off into the apartment, and Kaede gestures that I take off my shoes.

"Are you alright?" Kaede asks, voice gentle. I nod, and inhale shakily, before wiping at my nose. Kaito comes back to the entry way, and gestures that I follow him. I glance over at Kaede, who waves me off. "I'm fine. I can go down to the nearby public bath. You stay here with Kaito." I follow Kaito into the bathroom, where the bath is already filled with hot water.

"There's towels in the closet by the door, and I put a hoodie, sweatpants and new underwear on the countertop." Kaito says. "Take your time. When you're done in the bath, you can come out to the living room, I'll get you something nice and hot to eat and drink, and you can talk if you want."

I nod, and manage a soft and raspy thanks. Kaito nods, and pulls my shivering and wet body in for a quick side hug, before leaving the bathroom, shutting the door quietly behind him. I strip from my clothes, and climb into the tub, sighing softly as the water relaxes my muscles.

Absentmindedly, I reach for my right hand's ring finger, but I remember that the ring is no longer there. It was something that I played with when I got anxious. I try not to think about anything, and instead, I close my eyes and let the soft murmuring from outside lull me to half - consciousness.