They were like drops of rain, almost, these tears that slowly rolled down porcelain cheeks. Dark eyes suffused with pain silently observed the prone figure lying in the stark hospital bed, sleeping calmly. Look at the soft smile which now lay upon those pale lips. What was he dreaming of? A cascade of black hair suddenly obscured her view as she tilted her head down, lifting a hand to brush away a stray tear. Her fault. She was the catalyst that had caused this horrific event to occur. The guilt that exploded from within her, burning her heart like one thousand suns was more than she could bear. Yet, she couldn’t seem to bring herself to tear her eyes off of this sleeping man, bloodied and scarred, his once-perfect skin marred by signs of an emotional war fought and nearly lost. Taking one hasty step forward, she gently placed her hand on the cold metal railing of the bed, sighing. I’m so sorry… The sudden awareness that someone was behind her, watching her caused a soft shudder to travel through her body as a hand was placed on her right shoulder. Turning around, she met Kaoru’s gentle gaze, his soft smile. A black wool-knit hat was pulled over his lilac locks, casting gentle shadows across his face. He took a step to close the space between them and took Aya into his arms, engulfing her in a warm embrace.
“Aya-chan…” His breath was hot against the shell of her ear, sending a shiver down her spine as she pressed her cheek against the soft fabric of his shirt. How she never wanted him to let go of her. His heart sounded like drums beating in a far away distance as she pressed her ear against his chest. Kaoru bent his head down, kissing the top of her head as he raised his eyes, quietly watching Die for any sign of stirring. He prayed that Die would not wake at this moment, and see Aya in Kaoru’s arms. God only knew what kind of a reaction that may cause. Gently breaking the embrace, Kaoru let his lips descend on Aya’s momentarily before taking her hand. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

He took her to a small restaurant that served hibachi and sushi. Kneeling on tatami mats, they drank fragrant tea and devoured tiny bean-paste cakes that melted in their mouths upon contact. The tea was delicious and refreshing, and the company was even better. Aya stole a glance at Kaoru as she picked her tiny porcelain cup up, bringing it to her lips to savor the tea once more. She watched quietly as he spoke of his day, her eyes traveling across his chiseled cheekbones to his incredibly pronounced jaw-line, to the soft curves of his lips. This man, this Adonis, was perhaps the most beautiful man she had ever come across in her entire life. And oh, Aya has seen many beautiful men before, but Kaoru was a true work of art, one that Titian could have painted centuries ago. She watched as his eyebrows furrowed, as he canted his head to the side and looked at her curiously.
“Nani desu ka?”
Oh, how Aya wished she could tell him her innermost thoughts, how she could describe to him how she wanted to turn over the tiny table that blocked her from him, and throw herself onto him, pressing her lips fervently against his, tasting him, drinking him in. But she simply smiled and shook her head, apologizing lightly. Kaoru must have sensed the lie, for he had lifted an eyebrow, a look of wonder upon his face.

Die’s hand was warm, deliciously so, when Shinya intertwined his cold fingers with Die’s. Almost instantly, warm brown eyes fluttered open, searching for the owner of the slim hand. Shinya smiled as Die’s eyes met his and he awkwardly held up a book.
“Ano…I bought you a…something to read.” Shinya smiled weakly and set the book down on the bedside table. Die instantly reached over to look at the cover. He squinted at the title, frowning slightly.
“Mahô no chôku by Kobo Abe? What’s it about?”
“If I tell you what it’s all about, then what is the point of reading it?”
Die pouted. “I prefer the television to reading a book. And why would I wanna read a book called The Magic Chalk anyway?”
“Fine, if you don’t want it, I’ll just take it back!” Shinya snapped, reaching over to grab the book back, but Die pulled it towards him, gently pushing Shinya’s hand away.
“Gomen. I’m not used to this. I… I’m not sure how to act around you now. I always used to tease you so I could win your attention. But…now I have your attention, and… what am I suppose to do now?” Die looked down at the book momentarily, shrugging. He turned it around and read the blurb on the back quickly. Shinya gently touched his arm and he looked up.
“I confess, I’m not used to this either …We’ll just take this one step at a time. For so long I just watched you from afar, loving you and hating you at the same time. But now I’m not sure what to feel either. I suppose…this is what comes with a relationship.”
“A relationship…” Die smiled, reaching out to gently cup Shinya’s cheek with his hand. Shinya reached up and gently stroked his hand.
“Hai…A relationship.”

Author's Note: I am SO sorry for the long wait! This chapter is probably the worst-written chapter in the whole story, but I've been dealing with a ton of school work, SAT, writer's block, and a ton of other crap. Don't worry, I'll definitely try to get the next few chapters up ASAP. If you have any comments/suggestions/requests, send me an email at eternal@twilighthush.com