When Kazuko stepped away, he was red, ears pinned half back against his head, tail tucked between his legs. His elongated canines were a bit red, and Touma's hand involuntarily came up to his mouth, wet fingers coming away with a smear of blood. Kazuko's ears and nose twitched, and his head snapped up, a shocked gasp escaping his lips.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" Kazuko reached up, small hands framing Touma's face, silver eyes embarrassed as he wiped the blood from Touma's mouth.

"It's fine." Touma grinned sheepishly, before clasping the back of his neck. "Can... I ask why you kissed me?" Touma wasn't sure what to feel. Sure, he'd only been living with the wolf-boy for a few days, but he felt as if he'd grown strangely attached.

Having someone live with him in his small apartment felt warm, comfortable, less lonely. It was comfortable, and for the first time in forever, Touma was smiling and laughing. Meeting Kazuko had simply been a coincidence, but it might have been the best coincidence of Touma's life.

"I..." Kazuko fidgeted, before he suddenly wrapped his arms around Touma's waist, burying his face in Touma's chest. Kazuko's wolf ears brushed the underside of Touma's jaw, and a soft whimper escaped him. Touma, shocked, slowly wrapped his arms around Kazuko's thin figure, pulling him into a tight hug.

"I've never had anyone care about me. No one I've known has ever been kind to me, they've always hurt me or put me down." Kazuko said, voice soft. "You're the first person to care, and.... I think I like you." Touma inhaled sharply, and pressed his lips to the crown of Kazuko's head.

"You don't need to hurry or rush into anything." Touma murmured. "The people who hurt you in the past won't hurt you again. I promise that I'll be here to protect you." Kazuko let out a soft sob, and Touma cradled him closer, heart aching.

"I'm sorry." Kazuko whispered.

"Don't be." Touma tilted Kazuko's chin up, leaning down to press a light kiss to the tip of his nose. "Have you named the kits yet?" Touma knew it was a poor attempt at changing the subject, but Kazuko's watery silver eyes lit up, and he nodded his head enthusiastically.

Breaking free from Touma's hold, he hurried into the main room, tail wagging behind him, and Touma chuckled, drying his hands completely before following. Kazuko already had both kits in his lap when Touma arrived, sitting down across from him.

"This is Kaito." Kazuko said, proudly, pointing to the darker pelted kit. The kit's eyes had opened, and they were a bright violet, and the kit mewled softly. "This is Kaede," Kazuko added, cradling the lighter grey kit. This one had amber eyes, similar to Touma's.

"Beautiful names," Touma murmured, leaning backwards as he braced himself on his forearms. Kazuko blushed lightly, before placing the kits back in the box, crawling over to curl up against Touma's side, half in his lap, half on the floor. Touma laughed, giddy, before wrapping his arms around Kazuko's waist, tilting backwards, letting the wolf-boy fall onto Touma's chest.

"Oh." Kazuko smiled shyly, and Touma tilted his chin up, and Kazuko leaned down, kissing him chastely, silver eyes fluttering shut in bliss.

"You can stay here as long as you want," Touma said, slotting their noses together when they pulled away. Kazuko's eyes widened slightly, lips parting.

"You.... mean it?" Kazuko breathed.

"I do," Touma kissed Kazuko again, grinning when he felt Kazuko's tail brushing his bare feet. "But, under one condition." Kazuko lifted his head, ears tucked down at half mast, anxious. "I get to see your wolf form more often." Kazuko relaxed, and tucked his head beneath Touma's chin, in the crook of his neck.

"I think I can do that." Kazuko murmured.

"Then, it's a deal." Touma whispered, hugging the wolf-boy tighter to his body.

~

and that's also a wrap :p

NightHaze's POV.

I sigh, resting my chin on my palm, staring out of the window from the table in the cafe that we sat at. Kaito and Kaede are just beside me, Kaede on the opposite side and Kaito next to me. It's a new cafe that's just opened up in the area, and it's gotten great reviews, so Kaito and Kaede set a reservation.

I feel like a third wheel, and the fact that Kaito and Kaede invited me - and didn't really give me a choice not to go - makes it worse. I don't know what they're playing at, the moment we walked in, Kaede spoke to the waitress, in a low voice, before we were shown our table.

They weren't very subtle with their secrecy, and it was a bit irritating to have something so blatantly hidden from me. I don't even notice when a waiter comes to the table, chirpy and friendly, pad of paper in his hands to take our order. I only snap out of my daze when Kaito elbows me, and I curl my lip, irritated.

"Sir, what would you like to-" the waiter's voice trails off as I fully turn around. The waiter's quite tall with gangly limbs and a boyish face. He seems to be our age.

"NightHaze." Kaito hisses, shoving the menu beneath my nose. I flick him upside the head, and scan the menu quickly before meeting the waiter's wide amber gaze.

"I'll just take a glass of iced tea." The waiter's still staring at me, and my eyes dart towards Kaito and Kaede, who're doing a poor job at hiding their smirks and stifling their snickers. I clear my throat, tilting my head, and the waiter blinks, cheeks flushing.

"Ah. Sorry, what was it?" The waiter grins sheepishly, and I'm momentarily stunned by the way it lights up his amber eyes.

"A glass of iced tea." I repeat.

"Lemon, or no lemon?"

"None," I respond, playing with the sleeve of my oversized hoodie.

"Right. I'll be out with your drinks in a moment." The waiter bows slightly, before hurrying off.

"What's with the snickering?" I sigh. Kaito simply shrugs, and Kaede rubs the back of his neck.

"That waiter... well, let's just say that he's a good friend of ours from a while back, but he has to stay professional and in act so his manager won't fire him for goofing off." Kaede says. "Touma's a bit of a natural goofball." I hum, noncommittally in the back of his throat.

"Originally, he didn't want us to come, but we managed to bribe him to let us come." Kaito admits.

"Couldn't you still just show up?" I ask, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes, but I don't want to be rude," Kaito complains at the same time that Kaede responds with, "of course."

"Kaito's too nice to be dating you." I snicker, and Kaede scowls at me, kicking me beneath the table. Kaito pouts, crossing his arms over his chest, patting Kaede's hand that's on the table.

"I still love you." Kaito smiles. Kaede blushes, and hides his face in the collar of his hoodie. The waiter returns, easily balancing the tray on his arm as he carries another tray with plates of food on them.

Skillfully, he maneuvers the tray stand from in between the tables with his foot, resting the tray of food on it, before setting the drinks before me, Kaito and Kaede.

"I'll be right back to take your order." The waiter says, cheerfully. I note that his eyes linger on me, and when I tilt my head curiously, he smiles shyly, before ducking his head, taking the tray of food and heading off in the opposite direction.

When... Touma returns to take our orders, he's still stuttering a bit, and refuses to meet my curious gaze. His cheeks are flushed, and Kaito and Kaede are ribbing him in good nature.

"Let me do my job, guys." Touma finally complains, and Kaito and Kaede finally quiet down, giving Touma their orders. I sip at my tea absentmindedly, resting the side of my face in my left palm, staring at nothing in particular.

From my peripheral vision, I see Touma's lips part to move, and Kaito lifting a hand to wave it in front of my face. Before either of them can do anything more, I blink, my focus readjusting before responding, "I'll have a katsudon bowl."

"Ah. Right." Touma ducks his head, scribbling on the pad of paper, before tucking it in the pocket of his apron. "I'll get the orders straight to the back." He chirps, before turning around and hurrying off, pausing at another table to take orders.

"What do you think of him?" Kaede asks, turning to face me fully. Bewildered, I push my glass of tea away, and tilt my head in confusion.

"What do you mean?" I ask, furrowing my brow. "What do I think of who? Touma?" At his nod, I scrunch up my nose. "Why?" Kaede shrugs, and Kaito blurts,

"Because it's kind of obvious he likes your face." Kaede shoots Kaito a glare, which he returns.

"Sorry, what now?" I ask, incredulously. "Why would anyone like a face like mine?"

"One, you're cute, two, you're cute, three you're cute, and four, sometimes the expressions you make are both terrifying and hot." Kaito lists, ticking off on his fingers. I scowl at that, feeling my cheeks burn with slight embarrassment.

"Weren't you asked out by a lot of people back in high school?" Kaede asks.

"Hell, he's still asked out by a lot of people now in college." Kaito snickers. I groan, covering my face with my hands.

"You guys are embarrassing." I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest. "I avoided confrontation as much as possible."

"That was easy for you. Scaring most people off with that scowl of yours." Kaede teases. I shoot him the same scowl, though it's hard to fight the grin that's threatening to creep up on my face.

"Anywho, the way we bribed Touma was to show him a picture of you, telling him we'd drag you along." Kaito said, waving a hand in the air. My eyes widen, and I stare, incredulously and embarrassed. Kaito grins.

"He blurted out that you had a really pretty face. I never saw anyone agree any quicker." Kaede snorts.

"Agree any quicker than what now?" Kaede stops, hiding a snicker as Touma returns to the table, plates of food on trays as he sets them down in front of us.

"Ah, nothing Touma." Kaede says, the same time Kaito says, "oh, nothing. Just your infatuation with someone." To my amusement, Touma goes a deep red, eyes darting to me, then away. I nearly feel a bad, but I also really want to join in on the teasing. Instead, I turn to my food, before taking another sip of the tea, glancing out the window.

Kaito's hissing something, but I can't really catch it, but in the reflection of the window, I can see Touma shake his head rapidly, departing from the table swiftly.

"You know, you're probably going to get him fired." I say. "Didn't you both say that he's technically on a trial?" Kaito and Kaede look sheepish.

"Okay, fine." Kaede sighs, before he picks up his chopsticks and begins to eat. The three of us are pretty quiet when we're eating, really only speaking up when Touma hurries past, asking how the meal is.

After Touma's left after he comes back to clear the table, Kaito and Kaede nudge me, eyes darting from my face to Touma's departing figure.

"Fine." I groan, and they both cheer. As we're getting ready to leave, Touma comes by to take the check, along with the money and tip. Kaito gets out first, and I follow.

"Have a nice rest of your day." Touma says, flashing a bright smile. I tilt my head in return, offering a small smile. As I pass by him, I press a piece of paper to his shoulder, eyes flickering up to meet his.

Touma's amber eyes are wide as he stares at me for a few moments, and boldly, I do something I've never done before - I wink. It's a bit clumsy and awkward, but it does the trick, and Touma blushes an incredible shade of red.

I duck around him then, meeting up with Kaito and Kaede at the door, hands stuffed into the pockets of my jeans. I fight the urge not to look over my shoulder, but the way that Kaito and Kaede are grinning like maniacal idiots, I don't need to.

As soon as Kaede and Kaito had shown me that picture, I knew that I was an idiot to have immediately fall for someone I didn't know. I'd felt oddly apprehensive when one of the waitresses came into the kitchen, and called for me, saying that a specific party of three were looking for me to be their waiter.

I knew who they were, of course, and I knew that my manager was watching me. Everyone working here was on probation; we all had to prove our worth. I'd nodded, and headed out, spotting Kaede and Kaito almost immediately, along with the unfamiliar figure of the person in the image they'd shown me.

Kaede's eyes lit up as I approached the table, and I gave them a shy and warm grin, mouthing a nice to see you guys again, before falling into the proper role.

I note that the third person seems lost in thought, and my question falls on deaf ears. Awkwardly, I shift, but Kaito doesn't have a problem as he elbows the third person in the side. He turns, lip curled in annoyance, and I repeat my question, only to trail off as he turns to face me fully.

"Sir, what would you like to..." Holy crap, he's gorgeous. I feel paralyzed by those sleepy silver eyes of his, and I only break out of the trance when Kaito shoves a menu beneath his nose. The silvery-eyed boy whacks Kaito in turn upside the head, before scanning the menu, looking back up at me.

I don't register him speaking until he clears his throat, and I blink, cheeks flushing involuntarily. Kaito and Kaede are snickering, and I fight the urge to roll my eyes.

"Ah. Sorry, what was it?" I ask, smiling a bit sheepishly.

"A glass of iced tea."

"Lemon, or no lemon?"

"None." The hoodie he's wearing completely dwarfs his supposed tiny form, and I nod, bowing slightly.

"Right. I'll be out with your drinks in a moment." I hurry off, mind a bit of a gay mess. Compared to the picture, Kaito and Kaede's friend is much more attractive in person, and I know that I have to calm down if I'm going to ever get past the first day of my probation. Damn Kaito and Kaede. Damn my easiness to be won over.

~

I return to their table, with their drinks, and another table's meal, and I easily maneuver the stand to place the second tray on it, before setting the drinks before Kaito, Kaede and Silver Eyes.

"I'll be right back to take your order." I say, hoping that my voice doesn't stutter. My eyes linger slightly on Silver Eyes, and he tilts his head curiously, cutely, and I give him a shy smile, ducking my head before taking the tray of food and heading off to the respective table.

Kaede and Kaito have decided to have fun teasing me as soon as I return to take their orders, and it's embarrassing.

"Let me do my job, guys," I complain, eyes flickering back towards the kitchen. Kaito and Kaede finally get the message, giving me their orders, and I scribble them down, glancing at Silver Eyes from my peripheral vision. He's sipping at his tea, cupping the side of his face in his palm, eyes seeming far away. As I part my lips to speak, Kaito lifts a hand to do something, and Silver Eyes blinks, before speaking.

"I'll have a katsudon bowl."

"Ah. Right. I'll get the orders straight to the back." I dip my head, before hurrying the the back, pausing briefly as a family stops me, asking for a new set of silverware.

It doesn't take much longer before I'm carrying their plates of food back towards their table, and I catch the snippet of the end of Kaede's comment, and it sounds suspiciously like it's about me.

"Agree any quicker than what now?" I chirp, and Kaede stops, snickering softly as I set the food down on the table.

"Ah, nothing Touma." Kaede says.

"Oh, nothing. Just your infatuation with someone." Kaito says at the same time. My cheeks flush a deep red, eyes involuntarily darting to Silver Eyes, then away. He turns away, hiding a small smile, and Kaito hisses at me, "ask for his number," and I shake my head rapidly.

"No way," I hiss back, before departing the table swiftly. My face is on fire, and I'm actually so embarrassed. I'm honestly an idiot to have agreed that easily. Kaede and Kaito won't let me live it down. I refuse to meet any of their eyes as I clear the table and set the check down.

I'm back a few minutes later, better composed, to take the check and Kaito slides out from the bench, Silver Eyes following, eyes averted as his cheeks are dusted with a slight pink tint.

"Have a nice rest of your day," I say, flashing them all a bright smile. Silver Eyes tilts his head in return, offering a small smile, and as he passes by me, pauses, pressing a piece of paper to my shoulder, eyes flickering up to meet mine.

My eyes widen involuntarily, and I stare at him for a few moments, and awkwardly, clumsily, he gives me a shy wink, and I blush again. He ducks around me, tucking the slip of paper beneath the strap of my apron, before heading to the door, hands stuffed in his pockets, and the back of his neck and ear tips red. Kaede and Kaito are grinning like maniacs, and they simply wave before they all disappear outside.

~

I'm laying there on my bed later on, staring at the slip of paper with a phone number scrawled on it. There's a name, written in simple kanji, "NightHaze", along with a tiny note, "but you can call me Kazuko."

I tap out the number in my messenger app, and send out a quick and rather awkward, 'hello, is this NightHaze's phone by chance?' like the idiot I am. I get a response surprisingly quick.

Unknown Number: Hi, it's Kazuko. Touma?

Me: Yeah. How do you know my name?

I save NightHaze's number in my phone, not sure if I want to save it as 'NightHaze' or 'Kazuko', and a notification slides down from the top.

Kazuko: Oh, Kaito and Kaede told me. It was also on your name tag.

Me: I feel stupid now.....

Kazuko: Don't worry, it's fine. It happens to everyone.

I'm curious to know, what Kaito and Kaede said to him, or if he gave me his number from his own volition. I want to ask, but I'm feeling oddly anxious.

Me: If I may ask, why did you give me your number? >.<

Kazuko: Um. I mean, you're hot, and to be honest, Kaede and Kaito were telling me to give you my number.

Kazuko: Crap. That really didn't sound good.

Kazuko: It makes me sound like an asshole.

Kazuko: I do want to get to know you better.

Kazuko: You seem like a nice person.

My cheeks are warm from his compliment. It's kind of cute to see him flapping about, and I tap out a quick message.

Me: I want to know you better to.

Me: That sounded corny.

Kazuko: No, no! It's okay.

Kazuko: I guess (///ω///)

Oh my god, he uses emoticons. He just gets cuter and cuter.

Me: You're so cute asjkl

Kazuko: Me?

Me: No, the cat in your room.

Kazuko: How do you know that I have a cat? e.O

Me: Oh my god, actually?

Me: I was talking about you.

Me: but I'm sure your cat is cute too.

Kazuko: Wait just a moment.

Me: Okay.

Curious, I set my phone down on my desk, waiting for a few moments before heading over to my dresser, pulling out a large hoodie and sweatpants, carrying them back over to the desk, before I strip from my t-shirt, just as my phone buzzes.

Kazuko: [image.jpg]

I think I died, there was too much cuteness in that one photo.

I fiddle with the hem of my sweater, anxiously waiting for Touma to show up. This is the first time in my nineteen years of my life that I've ever gone on a date with anyone. I'm so anxious and excited that I ended up showing up in our set meeting spot fifteen minutes earlier than we agreed. I'm constantly checking the phone in my hand, to see if there's any message from Touma.

I try not to look too much, though. Some of the messages from last night are mortifying, I can't believe some of the things I said. 'Gorgeous and hot", I feel my cheeks flush. It's the truth, sure, but it was definitely embarrassing to read back over. Why I kept thinking about it, I wasn't sure. I'm too caught up in my thoughts that I don't see Touma approaching, and jump when he taps my shoulder.

"Oh. Hi." I mumble. Touma smiles shyly, clasping the back of his neck awkwardly. "You look nice," I blurt. Touma's wearing dark wash jeans, a white t-shirt and a red and black button down over it. It's simple, but effective.

"Ah. Thanks. You look nice too." Touma flushes lightly, and the two of us stand there awkwardly. It's a bit hard to believe, I'm only wearing black jeans and a sweater that's way too baggy for my thin frame. After a few more moments, I give in, grasping Touma's wrist, tugging him down the street.

The two of us decided to go to an arcade first, something Touma said he'd always wanted to try, a game of mini-golf, which we argued via. text who was worse, and end with a late lunch or early dinner. Touma easily falls into step beside me, and I'm suddenly all-too conscious of our height differences. Touma seems to notice as well, smiling and wriggling his fingers.

Embarrassed, I realize that I'm still holding his hand and pull back, hand falling awkwardly to my side. Someone taps my shoulder, and I glance to my right, tilting my head when there's no one there. I turn back around and yelp, walking straight into Touma, who easily scoops me up and hikes me up on his back.

"Hey!" I yelp, arms automatically coming to sling around his shoulders. Touma chuckles, and glances up at me, amber gaze mischievous. I pout, belatedly realizing that Touma tricked me.

"We'll get there faster," Touma teased.

"Bastard." I grumble, but shift, making myself a bit more comfortable. Touma's hands are warm, and I can tell how strong he is, muscles in his arms rippling as he shifts me, or hikes me up higher.

"You're still cute." Touma responds. I hate to admit it, but we do get to the arcade much quicker than if I'd just been walking. I wriggle, and Touma reluctantly lets me down, and allows me to drag him inside.

"You're going to have to teach me everything you know about arcade games." Touma calls, above the shouting and loud music within the arcade.

"That's fine by me!" I shout back, a grin crossing my face. I pay for the coins, much to Touma's dismay, and lead him to a few different games. It's adorable to see how concentrated he looks, the obvious disappointment when he loses, and the excitement when he wins.

I especially like to see Touma competing at the drum game, partially because his focus on the game is adorable, but mostly because I can see the muscles in his arms flexing constantly. It makes me sound desperate, but I'm just not used to seeing anyone, let alone date. I'd come out to my family and friends as gay when I was sixteen, and it was received fairly well.

Our coins run out after about two hours, and I listen to Touma chatter away about how fun it was, and that it was unlike anything he'd ever done before. I'm content with just listening. I don't remember the last time I ever really had fun with someone like this. Touma pauses, an embarrassed flush taking over his cheeks, and I look up, curious.

"Sorry, I'm just rambling. It must be annoying."

"No! It's not." I blush at my outburst, but I power through. "It's cute." Touma grins shyly, and lets me flag down a taxi. We're both relatively quiet during the taxi ride, asking the occasional, "what's your favorite" question until we reach the mini-golf course. Touma pays for the taxi, and the golfing.

I don't think I've ever laughed this hard in my entire life. My stomach is hurting, and my eyes are watering. Touma's already lost three golf balls, two to the lake and one in the bushes, he's accidentally thrown the golf club twice, and nearly took someone else out. Not only is Touma horrific at mini golf, but he's a danger to those around him.

I try helping him, guiding him through small movements, but it seems as if he forgets everything the moment I step away and let him do it by himself. Luckily for us, the golf course is relatively empty, because it's been about an hour, and we're only on the sixth hole. Touma's getting a bit frustrated, and it's visible. Hesitating only briefly, I hop up onto a rock opposite of Touma, who's looking down at the ground at the golf ball.

I tap his shoulder, and Touma looks up at me, blinking, amber eyes confused, and I lean forward, pressing a swift kiss to his cheek. Touma's eyes turn embarrassed, cheeks flushing a pink, and his lips part slightly, but no words form. I tilt my head, and smile shyly, before hopping down and heading over to sit on a bench to wait for Touma to finish the hole.

It isn't much longer until the sky darkens, and it begins to pour. Touma and I grab the golf balls and clubs, and bolt, running backwards through the course - it was quicker - and deposited them at the front desk, before making a break for the train station.

My cheek is still tingling from the kiss that Kazuko pressed to it. We've managed to get to the train station, but we're both pretty much drenched from head to toe. It's a bit uncomfortable, and I don't exactly notice that my white t-shirt is basically see through, stuck to my body until Kazuko mumbles something, cheeks flushed and eyes averted.

"Sorry?" I tilt my head as we stand in the train, near the door, holding onto the pole as the train starts moving. The other people around us seem to be trying to avoid us. "I didn't exactly hear you." Kazuko shifts, so he's standing before me, half shielding me from view.

"Your shirt is see-through." Kazuko says, speaking as he stares down at his feet. My cheeks flush, and I let go of the pole momentarily to draw in the wet fabric of my button down, fumbling a bit until the wet material is covering the soaked t-shirt. I grimace; it's definitely uncomfortable.

The train jolts, and I yelp as I lose my balance, and Kazuko reaches out, half grabbing at my wrist and half wrapping an arm around my waist as he tries to steady me. Kazuko surprises me with his strength as he manages to right me, pulling me up to grab back onto the pole.

I'm suddenly aware of the people staring at us, and I fight the urge to scowl, and Kazuko's ears are bright red as he hides his face in his hands. At the next stop, Kazuko grasps my wrist, and tugs me out the door, and I follow him, a bit stunned.

"Where are we going?" I blurt. The place we'd planned to go was a few stops away. Kazuko pauses, and I nearly bump into his back.

"Um, I was thinking that we're not gonna want to go to a restaurant when we're soaked through from the rain." Kazuko starts. "Neither of us really bothered to check the weather," true, "so we could maybe go to my place for a little bit? Dry our clothes and go back out with an umbrella or something." Kazuko's blushing, obviously anxious and embarrassed. "I mean, we don't have to, of course."

"Straightforward, aren't you." I tease. Kazuko's jaw gapes open, and he smacks my shoulder weakly.

"Not in that way!" Kazuko hisses. I grin, and sling an arm over his shoulder, which is quite easy, and I end up pressing my palm to his upper arm, pulling him into my side.

"I know. Lead the way."

~

We don't bother to run, Kazuko says that his apartment's about a ten minute walk away from the train station, and the rain's let up just a little bit. When we get to the doorway of Kazuko's apartment, Kazuko and I both take off our shoes and socks, before he shows me where the bathroom is.

"I have a few pieces of clothing that are way too big for me, so I hope that they'll fit you." Kazuko says, as he steps around me to grab some towels. "Um, you can get undressed and I'll go find the clothes." Before I can respond, Kazuko's already ducked out of the bathroom.

I pause, waiting for a little bit until I start to strip, wringing out my shirt, button down and jeans as best as I can in the bathtub. I'm a bit chilly, the towel hung loosely around my shoulders, and I end up standing there a bit awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Kazuko pops his head in the doorframe, and immediately ducks back out.

"Sorry!" He squeaks. "I didn't realize you were still, um, changing. Here," his hand sticks out, holding what looks like a hoodie, and a pair of sweatpants.

"Thanks." I take them, and pat myself dry, wrapping it around my waist as I tug on the hoodie. "You can come in now, you know." Kazuko peers around the door shyly, and when he sees that I'm pretty much covered, he allows himself in. "Um, I was wondering, since my.. uh, underwear's also been soaked through, what should I do?" Kazuko goes beet red again.

"I'll grab your clothes and we can shuck your underwear in the dryer first for a few minutes." Kazuko says. I realize he's also changed, wearing what looks like fuzzy leggings and an oversized sweater. He seems to have a lot of them.

"Ok. So, I basically just walk around with a towel around my waist for ten minutes?" I ask. Kazuko manages to scowl at me.

"It'll be like, five minutes." Kazuko grumbles, padding past me. I follow him to the small laundry room. We toss my clothes into the dryer, and I stay in the room, mostly because it's warm, and Kazuko tells me he'll be back in a few minutes with a hot drink.

I honestly didn't mean to walk in on him when he was changing; I thought he'd close the door. But damn, he was built. My cheeks flush again, and I smack both hands on my cheeks, standing before the sink. Touma opted to wait in the laundry room while I got a hot drink for the both of us.

It was a bit stupid, to not look at the weather before hand, I'll admit. I don't own a car, as I am a struggling college student who saves money by living off of 7-Eleven meals and instant ramen. I put the electric kettle on, and shift to grab my only two mugs from the cabinet above. My small apartment is relatively quiet, save for the sound of the dryer in the background, and I get the sudden urge to fill the silence.

"Touma?" I call. There's no response, and so I call his name again.

"Yes?" Touma pops his head out from the little closet area.

"Do you want tea, coffee or cocoa?" I ask. Touma blinks, bewildered, and rakes a quick hand through his hair, letting it stick up in spikes.

"I'll just take whatever you have," Touma said. I nod, and get the coffee out. Around the time that the water begins to boil, the sound of the dryer stops for a few moments, before starting up again.

I'm so focused on the task at hand, that I don't notice Touma - again - coming up behind me. I jolt when I feel arms wrap around my waist, pulling me back into a broad chest.

"H-hey!" I yelp. Touma chuckles, and I can feel it reverberate through my body. "You scared me."

"You seemed to be staring very intently at the coffee." Touma responds, arms releasing me. I find that I'm a bit disappointed when his warmth is gone. Even through the thick material of the hoodie I've lent him, and the sweater I'm wearing, I can still tell how built he is.

I hum softly, hearing Touma shuffle off, probably somewhere in the direction of the living room when he gives a little yelp. I turn around after carefully pouring the water through the filters and coffee, and see that he's got my cat in his hands. Shinji's already small in my hands, but he looks tiny in Touma's.

"Ah, you found him." I dust my hands off on my pants and head over, holding my hands out for the cat. Touma reluctantly gives him back. "His name's Shinji."

"He's so cute." Touma whispered, amber eyes wide with awe. He watches as I stroke Shinji's head with my thumb, the cat meowing, blue eyes blinking as he bats at my fingers. "Can I hold him again?" I nod, and gently let Shinji totter onto Touma's hand.

Shinji blinks up at Touma, mewling in discontent as Touma shifts, cupping both of his hands to better hold the cat. The cat props his paws up on the edge of the heel Touma's palm, and purrs. I chuckle, and stand, going back into the kitchen to get the coffee, hearing Touma's soft cooing behind me.

"Anything in it? Sugar? Milk?" I call.

"Um, just a bit of sugar's fine." Touma responds. I put in a teaspoon of sugar to his, and a bit of sugar and milk to mine, before heading back over to the main room.

"It's really pouring out." Touma says, thanking me as he takes the mug of coffee in one hand as I return. My cat's on his lap, curled up in a ball, purring. I sit down next to him, cross legged and glance out the window just as a crackle of lightning splits the sky.

"Yeah." I murmur. "Shame that we didn't check the weather first."

"That was partially my fault," Touma admits, sheepishly, taking a sip of the coffee. "I'd seen the weather forecast the day before, but it didn't occur to me when we were texting the other day." I shrug lightly.

"It's alright." Touma tugs at the sleeves of the hoodie, and I note that both the hoodie and sweatpants are slightly too short. He's got longer limbs than I thought. "Is it too short for you?"

"Hm?" Touma blinks, as if dazed, and flashes me a quick, embarrassed smile. "Ah, just a bit." Touma rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, before taking another sip of coffee.

"Can I see?" I ask, setting my mug down carefully on the small dining table. Touma sets his down, and holds out an arm, the other one stroking Shinji's back. When my fingers brush his wrists, I nearly yank my hands back. "Jesus, you're freezing." I blurt. Touma shrugs, and now I can see that he's shivering, body trembling ever so lightly. "Shoot, you might be getting sick." I stand up, panicking just slightly, and Touma's fingers catch the material of my leggings before I can move.

"I think I'm okay." Touma insists. He pauses, before his amber eyes light up. "But, there's one thing I kind of want."

"I can get you some cold medicine," I start. "Or some tea, maybe find some socks."

"Can I cuddle with you?" Touma asks. It's so bluntly asked that I pause, and stare at him for several moments before it finally registers. "Like, not in bed cuddling, but like, just here. Kind of like when I hugged you before." I hesitate, before responding.

"Let me make you some tea first." I say. Touma cheers.

"It's not a no!" I roll my eyes, cheeks flushed as Touma finished the coffee, and stands, awkwardly holding the cat with one arm and holding the mug with the other.

"There are blankets in that closet over there, you can take some out. The kotatsu should also be in there as well." I call over my shoulder as I make my way back into the kitchen.

I rinse out both mugs, and put the kettle back on. I hear Touma rummaging around, and can only hope he's not doing that with my cat in his arms. The brushing of something fluffy against my ankles has me looking down. Shinji's there, mewling, and starting to climb up my leg. I bend down and scoop him up, scratching him beneath the chin before going through the drawer for some canned tuna.

I mash it a bit before I put some on a dish for him, and set it down near his water bowl. Shinji wriggles from my arms, and laps at the tuna contentedly. Bringing the tea back into the main room, Touma's already got the kotatsu plugged in, and he's wrapped himself in two blankets. His head pops out of the top, peering up at me, and I snort.

"I'm cold now." Touma pouts. I roll my eyes and get down on my knees carefully, handing him the tea mug, before sitting before him. We're quiet for a few moments, until he speaks. "Sorry about the turn of events. If I hadn't been so crappy at mini-golf, we probably could've gotten to the restaurant faster."

"It's not your fault, it's just the weather." I say, offering him a smile. Touma sighs into the mug, and takes another sip. Shinji's gone from where he was eating, and he's most likely made himself comfortable in my room on top of my futon.

We make small talk, continuing conversations from our texts, and just generally learning a bit more about each other. When we finish our tea, I give Touma what he wanted, and crawl beneath the blankets. I sit in between his bent legs, back against his chest. Touma's arms are around my waist, and I lean back into him, feeling him still shivering.

"Do you want to stay here for dinner?" I ask. "I mean, I don't really have much... I usually get food from 7-Eleven, or have instant ramen."

"Instant ramen sounds like heaven right now." Touma mumbles, arms tightening around my waist. I blush, but finally relax, hesitantly reaching up a hand to cup the side of his face. Touma smiles into my palm, and presses a soft kiss to it.

"Should I go make some?" I ask, my voice a mere whisper.

"Can we stay like this for a bit longer?" Touma asks. I tilt my head back, pressing a bold kiss to the corner of his mouth in silent response. Touma's amber eyes flutter open, hazy and sleepy. He shifts, pulling me a bit closer, and I let out a soft gasp, just before our lips touch in a gentle kiss.

Touma's both warm and cold against my pack. He feels warm, but he's shivering, head bent and forehead pressed against my shoulder. I reach up, almost hesitantly, fingers stroking the back of his neck. Touma shivers, and inhales sharply. His arms tighten around my waist, and his breathing slows.

I tilt my head to the side, and Touma's forehead falls into the crook of my neck. I play with his hair for a bit, before rolling a shoulder back. Touma groans, and lifts his head from me, eyes hazy.

"Shit!" I gasp, turning around and cupping his face in my hands. "You really don't look good."

"I get sick pretty easily, especially if I get cold." Touma admits, pulling the blankets closer to his body.

"Ah, I'll go get the ramen started then. I'll bring you some more hot tea and some medicine." Touma nods, and shifts closer to the kotatsu. He looks miserable, sad, and I feel guilty. I hurry into the kitchen, and grab two bowls of instant ramen from the pantry, getting them ready; pouring the flavor sachets in, the vegetables and oil packets, setting the electric kettle to boil before heading to the stove and take out a pan.

With this particular ramen, I usually fry and egg and bacon, to give it more protein. As the bacon sizzles, I rummage through my pantry to find some cold medicine. When the kettle goes off, I rinse out the mugs again with hot water, and make another mug of tea. I find cold medicine in the cupboard above the sink and hurry back into the main room.

Touma gratefully takes the mug and medicine from me, mumbling a soft apology. I shake my head, and bend down - which isn't very far, granted how tall Touma still is when he's sitting - and kiss his forehead. He's burning up. I head back into the kitchen, checking on the eggs and bacon, before filling up the nearly empty kettle with more water.

It's probably best to constantly keep Touma hydrated. I slide the bacon and egg beneath each of the lids of the styrofoam ramen bowls, carrying them over to the small dining table, and as the water clicks, bring the kettle over and pour the water up to the line before covering them.

"Touma, come over, the ramen's going to be ready in a few minutes." I call. There's the shuffling of feet, and Touma appears, ruffled and sleepy eyed, tea mug in hand. I'm almost in awe, at how his excitable mood has been dampened this easily by the rain, literally and figuratively.

"Thanks," Touma gives me a shy and sheepish smile as he sits down. I get us chopsticks and soup spoons, sitting down across from him. "Our first date didn't really go as planned, did it?" He sighs.

"That's fine with me," I admit. "To be honest, I'm more comfortable with eating instant ramen and 7-Eleven meals." Touma chuckles, shaking his head softly.

"I'm alright with that." Touma says, before reaching for his mug, taking a sip. I pull back the lid of the ramen, and poke at the noodles, pulling the lid off when I note that they've rehydrated. Touma follows my lead, and we both give our thanks before beginning to eat.

"You can stay the night, if you'd like." I offer. "I really don't have much, but I don't imagine you'd want to go back out in this weather." Touma and I both glance out the window at the raging storm.

"If you're sure you're okay with that." Touma says sheepishly, shyly, and I nod. When we're done eating, I tell Touma where he can find a spare toothbrush, and that he's free to shower if he wants to, and clean up, much to Touma's arguments.

When I'm done clearing up, I see Touma shuffle from the bathroom to the living room, cradling Shinji in his arms as he curls up on the small couch, bundling himself and the cat in blankets. I snort, and pat my hands dry, heading to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face.

When I return, Touma's actually fallen asleep, Shinji curled up into a little ball by his neck, purring softly. It can't be comfortable. I pull out my futon from the closet, and set it on the ground, covering it with the sheets and a thick down blanket.

"Hey, Touma," I whisper, shaking his shoulder softly. Touma groans, and opens his eyes. "Go sleep on the futon, alright?" Touma mumbles something, too slurred and sleepy for me to understand, and stands, Shinji cupped protectively in his hands, and promptly curls up on the futon. He's out in seconds.

I check the clock; only six fifteen in the evening, and I decide to check on the clothes in the washing closet. I hope that Touma hadn't chucked his jeans in the dryer, it wasn't very good for the denim. Luckily, he's found the drying rack and hung them there, but his shirt and button down are warm and dry. I take them out, fold them, and put the load of wet laundry from the washing machine into the dryer.

I do a few more jobs, before I head back into the main room to sleep. I pick up the remaining mug, Shinji's empty plate, and put them in the sink before taking the abandoned blanket from Touma, flick off the lights and fall asleep on the couch.