~*FOXFIRE*~

The thin sliver of the moon hung in the black sky, precariously hidden behind a veil of dark clouds. He looked up, his body shivering a little as the wind hummed through the clearing in the centre of the forest. Beads of water rolled down his hair, hanging at the tips for a mere second before falling down back into the lake as he finished his bath.

Somehow, he couldn’t shake off the queer feeling he was having.

Shinya frowned, glancing at the rustling green leaves of the tall trees, whispering to him. He thought of Toshiya.

The clouds moved away from the moon. And Shinya ignored the warning by the hooting owls and raced home with the night wind.

***

Toshiya gripped the charm in his hands, feeling it radiate heat and glow.

Child, I can help you…

Toshiya closed his eyes. Then they fluttered open as he heard the human moan on the bed of rocks.

" How can you help me?" his lips trembled a bit; his question soft and barely audible.

What you want...

He stared at the bracelet.

The man coughed again.

And Toshiya made his choice.

***

A sweet scent filled his nostrils as gentle fingers ran over his feverish forehead. Kaoru groaned as he tried to filter out the light with his arm. It was hurting his eyes. He wanted to get up but someone made him lie back down.

" Don’t…" a soothing voice said, pressing him back down to…actually he couldn’t really tell what it was. It was not hard, not soft, as if it never existed but it was comfortable.

" Where..?" His voice cracked and he began to cough painfully. He felt awful. When he first woke up, he didn’t feel much but now the pain attacking his limbs and body was making itself known. Especially his leg. He tried to move it but it was too painful.

His blur vision cleared up a little as he blinked. He saw a tall young man, with flowing black hair, sitting next to him.

" Drink?" he smiled, handing a cup of water to him. Kaoru took it gratefully and sipped it. "Better now?" he watched Kaoru down the drink.

Kaoru nodded. "Thank you." He leaned back. His thoughts were rather distorted. He had an accident he knew. But he remembered Kyo, his mother, and Die’s mother. They were in the carriage too. "You…you saved me?" His voice was still scratchy and his throat was hoarse and painful as he spoke. How long has he been unconscious.

" Yes."

" Only me?" Kaoru asked carefully.

The other man took a while to answer. "Only you."

Disappointment crept into his heart. He prayed they were safe back at the house. "Thank you…um, what’s your name??"

"Toshiya," he smiled.

"Toshiya." Kaoru repeated, his eyes drooping back down. Soon he was drifting in unconsciousness again, but a certain sweet pleasant smell seemed to linger around him.

***

Toshiya smiled, his hand still resting against the man’s forehead, stroking the fringe away with his thumb.

It works…he…he didn’t notice! Toshiya was in wonder.

He clutched the bracelet to his chest. Kaoru mumbled something and Toshiya turned. Suddenly his head felt heavy but then it cleared, leaving him rather dazed. He looked at the human again. He was sleeping soundly. Toshiya placed his index finger against Kaoru’s lips, feeling the air going in and out slowly.

" So warm…" he whispered to no one in particular. A human…a real human…

His lips felt soft against his fingers. Hesitantly, he bent down and he felt his breath against his lips before he replaced his finger with his lips, brushing the surface softly.

Somewhere nearby, the charm glowed.

***

Die rubbed his tired eyes strained by reading in the candle light. He took a glance at the yellowed pages and decided he would leave it for tomorrow(boring, boring…). He glanced behind; Kyo was snoring already. It was time for him to go to bed too.

He sighed as he walked down the corridor. It had been two days Kaoru was missing and they had already searched the wreckage. There were no signs of Kaoru. Were he eaten by some wild beasts???

Die didn’t want to think about it.

"Maybe I’ll go search for him tomorrow…" he muttered to himself and then decided with a firm nod.

***

Shinya sat quietly on a moss-covered rock, scrutinising his friend who was now by the human’s side, humming to himself. He looked extremely pleased…too pleased, Shinya thought. A stream of jealousy trickled through him. He sensed something wrong…ever since he ran back from the lake. There was sort of an aura…yes, he sensed an unnatural aura and he didn’t know what it was. But it was Toshiya who was bugging him. He seemed…

" Why, Shinya? You’ve been looking at me all night," Toshiya suddenly spoke.

He kept quiet, his head bowed down so that he only saw the dusty rocks beneath his feet.

" Is there something wrong?" Toshiya rose from the floor, leaving the violet-haired human deep in slumber and walked over to where Shinya sat. "Shinya??"

The brown-haired man jerked away from his touch. His long hair covered his face, preventing the black-haired man from seeing his expression. His fingers were clenched tightly in a fist.

Toshiya frowned as he moved nearer to his friend. Cautiously he placed his hands over Shinya’s tense ones. "Please tell me what’s wrong…" He had never seen Shinya like this before.

His plea was only answered by the low hoot of an owl outside.

Toshiya’s brows knit together closer. " Shinya…please. What’s wrong? Are you hurt?" His tone laced with concern over his well-being.

" Hurt…" Finally Shinya spoke. "Maybe I am hurt. _You_ hurt_ me."

"I…?" Startled, Toshiya was speechless.

" Yes. You…" he repeated softly. "You."

Toshiya gasped out of shock when Shinya looked up at him with wet eyes, glaring accusingly at him. Toshiya stared at those angry eyes, paralysed.

" You hurt me," Shinya said again, this time, wrenching his hands from under Toshiya’s. His view was clouded by tears as he ran out of their home…away from Toshiya.

***

The trees whispered among themselves, in the secrecy of night, as Shinya tried to control his sobs under one of it. He hugged his knees close to his bare chest to chase away the cold night but it was stubborn.

Toshiya…I don’t want…he thought silently. …don’t want you to leave me…I want us to stay like this forever, you by my side…Toshiya…