Wallflower 1. Chapter 1

To Sunako the thought of ever being close to one of the boys in the house was absolutely ridiculous. But things that always seem farfetched tend to keep happening more and more often for her. It's not as if she could foresee it, if she had she probably would've stayed at her mother's house.

Yuki had never been particularly close to Sunako in fact he would admit to still being sort of terrified of her. So he never would have expected her to be his savior.

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><p>That day had started like any other he had gone through his everyday routine of struggling in class like usual then staying after school on this particular day to help clean up the classroom. He was sure he'd been the last of his housemates to stay behind. As he was finished stacking the last chairs up he took off his jacket to alleviate some of the heat that still lingered in the air and clung to him like an unwelcome blanket. Done with his tasks he started heading out finally going home what a relief. He was so determined to get out that he failed to notice his three stalkers shadowing him. They caught him before he could turn down the hall and into the entrance. He was too shocked to even really register what was happening and before he knew it he was in one of the science labs surrounded by three really big guys he vaguely recognized form his class. "w-what do you want?" he managed to stutter out. They didn't really say anything to him and instead started to close in on him. He didn't know what these guys were after here it's not as if he had money and he was pretty sure he hadn't done anything to personally offend them. So what was it he had to offer them. He kept trying to back away from these guys the closer they kept getting but pretty soon found himself backed up against on of the lab stations. The guy in the middle who seemed to be their leader made the first move and grabbed Yuki's hand that he futilely put in front of himself to ward them off. He pulled Yuki forward and reached out his other hand to caress his cheek. The leader finally spoke up " I think its pretty obvious we aren't after you for your money , no its something much more personal we're after." Yuki tried to pull away from the guy but his grip was to strong he was pulled forward more harshly until he was pressed against the guy's chest. He never would have imagined in a million years that something this awful would happen to him. He had always tried his best to be a good person so why was this happening to him he wasn't even a girl so this came out of nowhere to him. His mind was brought back into focus as he felt hands tugging on his pants and another lifting up his shirt. Shit he had forgotten about the other two and he tried even harder to wriggle and squirm his way out of their grasp he was pulled even closer by the leader end he felt something hard poking against him. Oh god this was really happening he was going to be raped and there was nothing he could do to stop it no one to save him from this. He wanted to cry he could feel the tears building up but he just knew that if he did that this situation would get much worse. Why, why did it have to be this way for him, why couldn't he be like his name and be brave for once, why couldn't anyone come and save him, why?<p>

As if the Gods had heard him the doors to the science room opened and all motion in the room was at stop even Yuki's constant squirming stopped as they all tried to see who was standing at the door. Two seconds, two unbelievably agonizing seconds was all it took for the person at the door to start exuding a menacing aura as they took in the situation at hand. Five seconds is what it took the leader to utter out the line that had sealed his fate. It happened to fast for him to see but the next thing Yuki knew was that he was out of that guys grasp but he felt to weak to stand so he fell unceremoniously to his knees. The others had started backing away after seeing their leader knocked off his feet so easily, whoever this person was was dangerous. All they saw was dark blur before they too joined their leader in the sweet oblivion of unconsciousness. It was to dark for Yuki to see his savior from his position on the floor and as they busied themselves with throwing those guys into a corner he only caught a flash of dark hair. He was still on the floor when he felt the touch of soft yet cool hands on his cheek his eyes traveled warily up the surprisingly feminine hand until his gaze landed on a face he never thought he'd see. It was Sunako and she was looking at him with such genuine concern that for a second he was sure it wasn't her. He didn't notice his tears streaming down his face until she started wiping them away, that's when he started to really cry. Sunako pulled him close, he started to sob loudly in relief that he was safe.

Sunako had not been expecting anything like what happened in there ever. She had only stayed after school to get away from that house full of those radiant creatures. The fact that she had stopped by the science lab was mere coincidence she only wanted to look at the jars in there for a little bit. What she had stumbled upon had left her almost paralyzed. But something in her had bristled at the sight of what those _**pigs **_had been doing to Yuki. She hadn't even noticed the tension building up in her all she knew was that she wanted to tear them apart for even touching him. Then when one of them had the audacity to tell her to get lost, she had hit him before he could finish that half started sneer. She had gone after the other two with every intention of dismembering them. But when she looked back to see if Yuki had left yet and saw him frozen, she settled for knocking them out and tending to Yuki instead. The part of her that was still averted to touching such a radiant creature tried to revolt but a greater part of herself overrode this and told her that she had to protect Yuki, protect him so he never looked that sad again. Protect him so she never had to wipe his tears ever again, to protect Yuki because he needed her strength and so she would give it all. She helped him up off the floor and fixed his clothes. She tried to coax him into going to find the principal but he refused mumbling something about just going home. She conceded to his wishes after all it was Yuki who had gone through that. Before they could head home she decided that they would stop by the convenience store to pick up some ice cream, her treat of course. Outside the gates to the mansion Yuki faltered and she didn't like the furtive glance he was shooting the front door. Sunako grabbed his hand and gave it gentle squeeze to reassure him of her presence. She leaned in and whispered to him "If you like we could go in through the back to avoid the others?" She saw him give a nod and started to lead him around to the backyard. She shot him a glance and decided that she didn't like this one bit, usually Yuki was happy and always smiling but now he had such somber expression on his face that it left a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. She only wanted to see him smile now it was a strange desire for her to have but she was determined to see it through and so with all that she had she reached out for him and hugged him close to her trying to offer a silent promise of being there for him. She felt him stiffen at first almost unsure of what to do in her arms then he relaxed and leaned against her burying his face in her soft hair that smelled of strawberries. "I'll be here for you so don't worry so much about the others, I'm here to help you Yuki so it's okay now." She felt him pull away and he finally flashed her a small yet grateful smile. They made it in without further incident and she asked him over what he'd like for dinner. It was after all something she could for him without fail.

Yuki was still very much shaken, he hadn't even felt when Sunako had lifted him off the ground. He had wanted to stay in her arms if only for the sense of safety he found there. It came as a surprise to him that Sunako would know he needed to get something else on his mind and she had offered him ice cream as comfort. She knew at the gates why he had been hesitating without him saying so. Was he really so easy to read. And somehow she had figured out that his fear had returned to him outside the backdoor. So it was a surprise to him to receive that hug from Sunako because he knew for a fact that she wasn't the affectionate type and the whispered words of protection lightened his outlook a bit, after all she had already saved him once right. The offer for a dinner he knew he probably couldn't stomach right now was sweet if misplaced. But when she had suggested he go change he realized he would have to go without her for those few minutes. It filled him with an irrational fear of separating from his protector, from the only one in the house who knew why he looked as disheveled as he did. He couldn't face the others right now but he knew for certain that he'd have to see them eventually after all the weekend had officially started now so he would be with them for two whole days. As if sensing his apprehension Sunako came and laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently to try and convey the solidity of her presence to him. It was enough for now he supposed, to have her there in the house and if he needed her he could always scream for her. So he valiantly grabbed his bag and headed out of the kitchen to his room. The living room was all clear so he only had to make it up the stairs and to his room. He made a mad dash up the stairs and was nearly halfway down the hall when he ran into Ranmaru of all people. Ranmaru got one look at him and smirked at him " oh Yuki I didn't know you had lady friend to leave you looking in such a state it actually explains why you're so late, so who is she? Is it anyone I know?" Yuki tried to respond but all that came out was some half strangled sound. He couldn't handle this right now so he pushed his way past Ranmaru towards his room. He changed as fast as he could after all the sooner he was done the sooner he could get back to Sunako. That thought made him pause, since when did he look forward to being around Sunako so much after all its not as if she's suddenly changed she was always more nurturing even if she hid it under a layer of scary. It made him want to laugh because now that he thought about it Sunako had been taking care of them for a while now and he only now realized how much. God that was just awful they had all taken what Sunako did for them for granted. Well he knew he would no longer do that because if she had decided to stay by his side to protect him then he could show a little gratitude every now and then. He poked his head out the door first to see if Ranmaru was lingering in the hall, seeing all clear he rushed downstairs and failed to notice Ranmaru behind a curtain. He finally made it back to the safety of the kitchen and he could hear Sunako humming to herself as she was cooking. He didn't even notice the small smile on his face as he stood there poised to enter.

From his hiding spot behind a pillar Ranmaru watched Yuki linger outside the kitchen door with a small smile on his face. It wasn't like Yuki was a glutton like Kyohei so it couldn't be the food right. He inched closer and from here he could here Sunako's humming, come to think of it Sunako had been late getting home too could it be that she and Yuki? No, no way it was impossible,right? Yuki was just too much of a scaredy cat to stand being around Sunako. And well Sunako could barely stand any of them on a good day so there was no way something romantic could develop between them. As Yuki finally walked in Ranmaru caught a whiff of what was cooking and he concluded that it had to be the food. After all the state in which he had seen Yuki in only led him to believe he'd been with a lady friend, and if it's what he thought it was he would be ravenous. He heard some chatter coming from the kitchen and he tried to listen in but Takenaga had to choose that time to walk in. Oh well it was probably nothing important.

Sunako looked up when she heard the door open and she let a small smile grace her face as Yuki walked in with a smile. She beckoned him to sit at the counter while she continued to make dinner. She wanted to ask him something important but was at a loss for how to broach the subject. Never having been one for tact she just decided to ask " so Yuki those guys were they somebody you knew or something?" At first she had thought she messed up asking that but when she turned to look at Yuki expecting the same blank expression from earlier he was biting on his lip instead. Finally he answered her and told her they were in his class. She didn't know how to respond to that revelation at first after all Yuki still had to go to school so he couldn't avoid them forever and to top it all off they were in the same class. She tried to think up a solution while cutting some vegetables and finally it hit her. "Why don't you transfer into my class it'll make it easy on both of us if you move there." Yuki took a while to contemplate it and at long last said yes. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest at hearing his meek answer. They stayed in a comfortable silence as she finished making the dinner neither one really bothering with small talk. All was calm until Kyohei started yelling loudly that he wanted dinner already, disturbing both occupants in the kitchen with his outburst. As she started getting the dishes to set the table Yuki surprised her by taking them from her and setting them himself. "You don't have to do that you know, it's not like I'm expecting a reward for earlier." Yuki looked at her and then he flashed her genuine smile and went back to setting the table. She had failed to notice that she had smiled back.

Yuki had never seen Sunako smile like that, it was sweet and warm and lit up her face in a way he wouldn't have thought possible. He watched her serve the dinner with an interest he had never taken before. But watching her in the kitchen when she was in her element had left him sort of awed he had never seen her so calm. It wasn't like the first time either, he didn't cringe as she cut and diced all the ingredients necessary. He found himself calm near her it was something he thought he wouldn't feel for a while, but here in her company he relaxed and could actually smile. He was glad for her earlier suggestion, sure she lacked tact when it came to talking about that incident but she still tried to find a solution for something he hadn't even considered yet. He couldn't help but smile to himself at the fact that he would be the only one of the four of the boys to be in the same class as Sunako. He knew it wasn't normal for him to want to be around her so much but honestly he could care less about the logic in that, he was happy wasn't that what counted.

Dinner was a little different that night. For starters Yuki was already there before the other boys. Secondly, he had taken the seat next to Sunako which was where Kyohei had normally sat and he seemed to actually like sitting next to her. However that wasn't the strangest event of the night, no that had to be when Sunako laughed at something Yuki had said. It hadn't been her normally creepy laugh either but something genuine filled with a happiness the others had not been privy to before then. Finally Kyohei with his wonderfully tactless charm asked the question the other two had been thinking " what the hell is gong on between the two of you?" Yuki and Sunako had looked at one another then and in unison answered "nothing." So yes, dinner had definitely been different. Delicious, hell it was some of Sunako's best cooking, but it was still different.

Sleep had not come easily for Yuki that night he had tried so hard to just drift off but he kept tossing and turning until finally it enveloped him. However he would not have a restful slumber. His dreams had been a replay of that days earlier scene and as it got to the point were Sunako had saved him his dreams had warped it. No, instead of Sunako saving him and beating those guys they had instead hit Sunako and as he watched her fall he had screamed out her name and woken up screaming. His screams were loud enough to wake the other occupants in the house and they had all run to see what was wrong with Yuki. The boys had burst into his room preparing for the worst but what they found left them frozen in their tracks. Yuki was sitting up in the middle of his bed knees drawn up to his chest and bawling his eyes out murmuring to himself over and over again. They didn't snap out of it even when they saw Sunako walk up to Yuki and put a hand on his head. He looked up at her, eyes as wide as saucers, and reached out a hand towards her. She had grasped it and pulled him onto his feet, putting him under her arm she led him out of the room brushing past the three idiots blocking the door. It was a full minute later and Ranmaru was the first to snap out of his daze and he headed downstairs to find Yuki and Sunako. He found them in the kitchen and he would have just waked in but what he saw made him stop. Yuki's eyes were red and puffy and he had a teacup in one hand and the other resting on top of Sunako's tracing small circles on her skin with his thumb. He was staring at her as if she might disappear and she was leaning forward whispering small reassurances to him. It was a sweet scene but not something Ranmaru had though Sunako capable of she actually looked rather sweet so concerned for Yuki. She looked almost beautiful with all that concern and caring flowing out of her. Ranmaru quickly shook himself trying to dispel that thought but the more he stood there watching the two of them the more the thought kept creeping back. He was going to walk in there right now, that settled it, but what happened next almost floored him. Yuki was shaking with fear still and he looked at Sunako again but it wasn't enough for him anymore just to be able to see her so he did the only thing he knew would assure him of her presence. He got up and hugged her, he pulled her close and held her to his chest. She was so warm and alive and she smelled of strawberries and her shaky arms returning the hug as best she could set Yuki at ease once again. Burying his face in her hair and breathing in her scent he relaxed and felt as if he could fall asleep right there without any worries. It was the sound of Ranmaru clearing his throat that brought him back to his senses, and as he realized what he was doing he felt his face heat up and he reluctantly pulled away. They both looked away from one another as Ranmaru entered the kitchen. He stopped in front of Yuki looked him up and down then he sighed. " Yuki you know you got us all worried earlier, are you feeling better?" Yuki couldn't meet that concerned gaze he was glad Ranmaru was worried but he was a little bitter that he had interrupted him just now. It didn't help that Sunako was next to Ranmaru and not meeting his gaze it was almost as if she were ashamed or something. He really hoped that wasn't it, after all he felt so much better near her but if she was uncomfortable with his closeness he didn't know what he'd do.

It wasn't that Sunako was uncomfortable with hugging Yuki, she had already done it twice that day after all, it was the fact that he had reacted that way that put her off. Was hugging her so bad that he had to feel ashamed being caught doing it? It was stupid of her to let his reactions matter, but it did and she didn't understand why. She had been enjoying the hug, it had been so very long since she had last been hugged by a non family member. It felt nice. She finally looked up from her musing and noticed Yuki's crestfallen look, that hurt her more than she cared to admit. Did she do something wrong, was Ranmaru bothering him? It didn't seem like it in fact Ranmaru looked like he was waiting for an answer or something. Why was Yuki just standing there? She reached out a hand and brushed it against his arm, that caught his attention. She looked at him her eyes filled with worry but with a soft smile on her lips. She was about to talk to him when Yuki closed the distance between them and pulled her into another hug. His arms wrapping fiercely around her shoulders he whispered her name with such a tone of longing that she felt she would break if he said it again. She put her arms around his waist and started whispering sweet words of comfort to him.

Ranmaru was uncomfortable with this situation. He really had no idea what was going on between his two housemates. It was strange. He felt sort of idiotic just standing here watching them, but he was just too shocked by their display to really do anything. He knew something had caused this change in Sunako and Yuki but he was almost afraid to ask. Watching them embrace made him feel sort of left out. Why was it that Yuki of all of them in the house was getting closer to Sunako? Were they not good enough or something? In fact why did Yuki get to see Sunako act like this? How did they think the rest of them would react to this? Ranmaru, for one, was not that thrilled about their new closeness. It was one thing for them to talk to Sunako but for Yuki to get this close without suffering her wrath really was unfair. Oh my, what would Kyohei think of all this? After all he was the one who liked Sunako, even if he would never admit it. Was this even more than just friendship anyhow? How to approach them without getting his head bitten off was another dilemma he faced. He could just let them continue this hug-fest but it really was awkward for him to just stand there. He might as well just get his questions answered. Clearing his throat to get their attention, "are you two like dating or something 'cause this is really weird. I mean not that there's anything wrong with you two being together. I just felt it was unfair to not tell the rest of us. We're all friends after all, right? I mean it's not like we'll judge you or anything. I just figured we should..." He didn't even get to finish his questions as he heard such sweet laughter fill the kitchen he almost expected to see someone else in there laughing at him. So, it came as quite the shock to see Sunako laughing and smiling at him as if he were some small child. That smile really did suit her, he felt something twist inside him at the sight of it. She looked so...so...so... so radiant like that. It caught him off guard. He watched her slowly disentangle herself from Yuki's arms, and for some reason that made him feel slightly better about this.

Sunako found herself almost entertained by the look on Ranmaru's face. He seemed so lost. She couldn't help but laugh at his questioning. Did it really seem that way to him? She knew that they didn't think her capable of showing concern for others, but was she so cold to them? It wasn't like she was going out of her way to hide this side of herself. After all she was the one that fed them and cleaned up after them. Maternal instincts just tended to take over for her whenever the situation called for it. Yuki's situation warranted this kind of behavior from her. She had told herself she would protect him and help him however she could, so it wasn't that crazy. She got herself under control and turned to face Ranmaru. " No it's nothing like that, Yuki just needs me right now and I'm going to help him however I can. Jeez not everything is about romance Ranmaru." That caused him to blush and it just made that _lost-little-boy_ look on his face that much funnier. Before she knew it her hand was on his cheeks and she was smiling in that new and tender way of hers. She felt him lean his face into her touch, and as he laid his hand over hers she felt herself heat up too. This was weird, normally the others tended to shy away form her, but here was Ranmaru nuzzling into her hand. Then there was Yuki, who had been seeking her presence constantly since they'd been home. She knew, instinctively, that if she pulled away right now it would hurt Ranmaru so much more than it would normally. He finally opened his eyes and looked at her with something akin to awe that it set her cheeks aflame. This was different from Yuki. She couldn't quite explain it but that look was just to much for her right now. Ranmaru finally pulled back and her hand felt cold and empty. She couldn't quite explain it, but there was a part of her that wanted that heat back. Her hand dropped back down to her side and she felt Yuki shift closer to her. Ranmaru still had this dazed look on his face but he finally managed to reply to her, " Of course, you're absolutely right Sunako. I mean not everything has to be romantic. It really sets me at ease to know there's nothing like that between you two." She watched him reach over to Yuki and ruffle his hair. He asked Yuki if he was okay and then bid them both goodnight with a lingering gaze for Sunako. She felt something had changed in the house dynamics but she had no idea what.

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><p>Yuki had finally managed to got to sleep again after Sunako had reassured him multiple times. It was now Saturday and he couldn't wait to spend the whole day away from school and any bad memories it brought. He figured he'll just spend the whole day with Sunako. After that incident with Ranmaru interrupting yesterday he felt it was only right he be with her alone today. He got dressed in something light because it was still too hot outside and he planned on helping Sunako however he could. He rushed to get downstairs knowing she would already be up. He almost mowed down Kyohei in the hallway in his rush. He threw a quick apology over his shoulder and took off down the stairs. Yeah, today would be just fine, after all Ranmaru always went out on the weekends so he didn't have to worry about him bugging Sunako. He dashed towards the kitchen and threw himself through the door. He was about to greet Sunako when he saw the one person he was sure wouldn't be in his way today. Why was Ranmaru home today? It just didn't make any sense. He saw Ranmaru talking to Sunako about something or other, he must have said something stupid because she was laughing again. He watched her bustle about the kitchen getting breakfast ready and she finally turned to face him. When she caught sight of him her face lit up with that sweet little smile of hers and all his worries were laid to rest at that sight. She wiped off her hands and he went forward and grabbed her hands in his. He gave her a softer greeting and another genuine smile slipped onto his face. He wanted to hug her to him but he knew she was far too busy at that moment. He caught sight of Ranmaru staring disapprovingly at their joined hands. He inwardly smirked at that and squeezed Sunako's hands a little before releasing them. He went to prop himself up on a counter and watched her work. He knew it was wrong to wish for Ranmaru to just leave but he honestly just wanted to be alone with Sunako. Wasn't it already enough that the time he'd get to spend with her today would be used working around the house? He just wanted her to focus on him today without any distractions from the others. Was that too much to ask?<p>

Breakfast was even stranger than last night's dinner. Both seats on either side of Sunako were occupied respectively by Yuki and Ranmaru. To top that off the two of them were staring each other down and the tension between them was almost palpable. Sunako didn't seem bothered by this at all and continued eating as if this were the norm. After everyone had finished Yuki had started to help Sunako clean up just like last night but then Ranmaru had offered to help her as well. The two stared one another down again and as it seemed they would start arguing Ranmaru got a call from one of his lady friends. Yuki actually smirked as he watched Ranmaru leave. The rest of the morning Yuki spent by Sunako's side helping her any way he could. The other two boys wanted to know what was up. Was there something they were being left out of? They both figured that if it was something important than they would find out either way. Eventually Takenaga left with Noi to go "study". Then Kyohei took off to go look for something fun to do. It was just Sunako and Yuki now and as they were finishing up the last of the cleaning they failed to notice the absence of the others. Sunako declared that she was almost done for the day and all she and left was to buy the ingredients for tonight's dinner. Yuki jumped at the chance for getting out of the house with Sunako and the two set off for her favorite market. The market was just as busy as normal and people were staring at Yuki because he was so cute and had shown up here with the "scary girl" of all people. They all did a double take as they caught sight of Sunako. She was smiling, and it wasn't her normal creepy smile either, no this was real and full of such happiness. It made her look so sweet and beautiful that they thought it wasn't her for a minute. They had come to the conclusion that there was no way that other guy had been the "scary girl's" boyfriend just look at how this other one was making her smile. They were happy for their "scary girl" after all she was their best customer. They had offered the two of them discounts left and right and before either one knew it they were done. Sunako had enjoyed shopping with Yuki, he wasn't like a certain someone else and running around everywhere. They were both on their way home when they heard a rustling in a nearby trashcan. Sunako had gone forward to see what could possibly be moving in there. She reached forward and pulled a bag back to reveal a small, shivering black kitten. Yuki had come to stand next to her and when he saw the kitten he cooed at it. He looked at Sunako and asked her if they could keep it. She turned to face him and the look on her face melted her heart a little. She conceded and they took the kitten home snuggled safely in the crook of her arm as Yuki carried the bags. They got home and Sunako made a quick lunch for the two of them after the groceries were put away. After she gave the kitten some milk she took him towards the bathroom to give him a bath. After she got the kitten clean and dried him with Ranmaru's hair dryer she settled him in Yuki's room. She laid the kitten down in the middle pf the bed so he would sleep and the days work caught up to her. She felt so utterly worn out that she told herself she would just lay there for a while that was it. She didn't even feel it as she fell asleep. Yuki had gone up here to look for Sunako and the sight that greeted him in his room was enough to leave him feeling all giddy inside. There was Sunako curled up on his bed and the kitten was wriggling his way out from underneath a towel. He had gone forward to take the kitten when he noticed Sunako still had a little rice on her face. He was going to brush it off but the cat beat him to it. The kitten licked the rice off Sunako's face and gave a contented mewl after eating it. "So you like rice huh. Well I guess. Hmm now to name you little one. How about Gohan since you seem to like rice." The kitten gave another happy mewl and settled down next to Sunako and started to sleep. Yuki crouched down beside his bed and watched Sunako and Gohan sleep. A smile made it's way to his face and he gave a contented little sigh just watching her like this. He lost track of how long he had been watching Sunako and **their** kitten sleep. Before he knew it he heard the familiar stomping of Kyohei's boots pass by his room. Kyohei was yelling out looking for anybody in the house and he barged into Yuki's room. What he found made him pause. What was this now, since when did Sunako just fall asleep in someone's room like that? And why was Yuki just watching her as if she were the most fascinating thing in the world? And wait was that a cat? And who was gonna make dinner now dammit? He was just about to voice these questions rather loudly but they died in his throat as he watched Yuki brush Sunako's hair out of her face. Something inside him jerked at that affectionate gesture. Just what the hell was going on here? Was he intruding on something personal? And just why did it bother him so much to think of Yuki and Sunako together that way? It's not as if it should matter to him whether or not the two of them were an item. He should be more concerned about dinner, that's right, dinner. He slowly made his way out of the room and closed the door. He made his way to his room and slumped against the door to grip at his chest. If he didn't care why did it hurt so much to leave them like that?


	2. Chapter 2

Yuki just didn't get it, why had he become so attached to Sunako? Sure there was the whole saving him, but that still didn't explain his desire to just be near her. She was taking up all his thoughts, and that was just scary. He was starting to notice things about her that he'd never even really taken into account before. Her skin was soft, she smelled like strawberries, and she was sweeter than she let on to the others. He also kept getting worked up whenever Ranmaru got too close to her. Just why was that? It wasn't like he was going to try and seduce her away from him, Ranmaru didn't even see Sunako that way. He wanted all of her attention too. He wasn't content with sharing her, and that was so twisted. He grew up in a normal house so he knew the importance of sharing, not like the others. He wanted to know what was on her mind almost all of the time and just try to get to know the Sunako who was hidden under all those layers of darkness. What was it that drove all of these emotions? Should he just let this keep going or was there going to be a consequence for hanging on to her like this? With these thoughts swirling around in his head he headed downstairs to wait for her to wake up. Then **they **could make dinner together again.

Sunako woke up to the sensation of licking on her face. She blearily opened her eyes and realized that this wasn't **her** room, then she finally remembered just where it was she fell asleep. She stretched herself out and the culprit of the lickings bounced onto her lap. She started to rub the kitten on his head and made her way off the bed and out of Yuki's bedroom. She knew she had to get dinner ready so she headed down to get to it. She made her way through the living room and Yuki jumped off the couch towards her. He pet the kitten on his head and asked her if they were going to make dinner now, she just nodded and went on her way to the kitchen with Yuki tagging behind her. She cast a cursory glance behind her and saw Takenaga with his face buried in a book and Kyohei was glaring at them from his place on the couch. In the kitchen she set the kitten down and went to work making another delicious meal. Yuki was just watching her again, it was a bit unsettling. She shrugged it off and tried her best to keep up with his questions. She knew this wasn't at all how he normally behaved, he usually only talked to her when necessary. They had all had some sort of unspoken agreement on leaving her alone and everyone except Kyohei had obliged her. Ugh Kyohei, just why was that radiant creature glaring at Yuki like that? It wasn't as if she was feeding Yuki extra food in here or something, so what reason could he possibly have to be angry. Yuki kept chattering away from his place against the counter. She found she liked having him around, he helped fill up the silence and he never got in her way. It was nice. A smile slipped onto her face and she looked at him from her place in front of the stove. Yuki was still a creature of light but he was not as radiant as the others. He was a muted source of light like candlelight, and it was something she could handle. He never overwhelmed her and if she were to be honest with herself, she liked basking in the light he gave off. She was someone who lived in the darkness but with Yuki around she supposed that maybe a little light in her life wasn't so bad. She was just about done making dinner when the kitchen door slammed open and in walked Kyohei. He looked over at her and quickly averted his gaze. He turned a cold look on Yuki and then went to plop down on a chair at the table. He was just sitting there looking at Yuki that way and clearly making the poor boy squirm. That was enough already. Just what the hell was Kyohei's problem? Why was he acting this way? It's not like Yuki did something to him, he was with her all day. She cleared her throat loudly and turned a withering glare on Kyohei as he finally met her eyes. She looked over to Yuki and softened her expression to ask him to help her set the table. Yuki seemed glad for the break in the tense atmosphere and got the plates out. Kyohei was staring at the ground and when Yuki came around to his side of the table he stuck a foot out and tripped him up. Yuki pitched forward and the plates in his hand shattered all over the place. Kyohei was laughing at the boy's misfortune when Sunako came up to Yuki. She helped lift him up off the ground and she took notice of all the glass that embedded itself in him. It wasn't too bad but he definitely didn't deserve that. Kyohei was still laughing when Sunako stood up and slapped him across the face. He got up with an indignant shout and when he got a look at Sunako's stormy expression all his arguments died in his throat. "Get Out," was all she managed to growl through clenched teeth before she turned her back on him and went back to tending to Yuki. He stared at her back for another second then started making his way out of the kitchen. He bumped into Takenaga at the doorway and quickly shoved him out of his way. Takenaga came in and saw the mess all over the floor he turned to Yuki and Sunako and saw the blood seeping through his pants leg and on his hands. Sunako lifted her head up from her inspection of the boy's cuts and asked Takenaga to get her the first aid kit quickly. She quickly turned her attention back to Yuki and rubbed his thigh in a comforting gesture. He had tears streaming down his face and he looked so miserable. He was trying to stutter out an apology to her for the plates and she couldn't bear to see him so sad over what someone else caused. She started wiping away his tears and tried to offer him soothing words. " Yuki look at me, it's okay this wasn't your fault so please stop apologizing. It's just a little broken glass. It can easily be cleaned up and replaced. I'm just glad that you didn't get hurt any worse than this. I was supposed to be watching out for you and I failed you here. So if anyone should be apologizing it should be me." Yuki started shaking his head and told her that this wasn't her fault either. She cupped one side of his face with her hands and gave him a tender smile in return. Takenaga came back to find them both staring at one another. He cleared his throat to get their attention and they both looked up at him expectantly. Ah yes, the first aid kit, of course they would need that. He quickly crossed the room to join them being mindful of the glass of course. Sunako took the first aid kit out of his hands and took out the scissors first. She cut open Yuki's pants and grabbed the tweezers next. She quickly set about taking out the largest pieces of glass then got up to wet some napkins at the sink. She left the two boys alone and Yuki was watching her but Takenaga was watching Yuki. He gently squeezed Yuki's shoulder to draw his attention then asked Yuki, "You like her don't you?" Yuki spluttered and when he turned to look at Sunako the denials died on the tip of his tongue. Did he really like Sunako that way? Was this the reason behind his messed up emotions? He turned to Takenaga again and answered as truthfully as he could, " I..I don't really know. I mean I always want to be around her all the time now, and I keep trying to know more about her. I've also started to see things about her that I never saw before. I don't like it when others try to get too close to her either. Do I really like Sunako?" Takenaga took a moment to process this and finally gave him a solemn nod, "Just be careful Yuki, Sunako's not like most girls so she might not even understand your feelings." They both dropped the subject as Sunako came back with the napkins She started cleaning the blood off of Yuki and got to pulling out the rest of the glass. She sprayed some antiseptic and bandaged him up at last. Takenaga helped her clean up the broken glass and they both finished setting up for dinner. She wrapped up a plate for Kyohei, she wasn't heartless after all, and then served dinner for the three of them. That nights dinner was shared in a companionable silence.

God why did he do that to Yuki?! It's not _his_ fault he can't understand himself. Just what the hell was wrong with him? That pain he had felt earlier was, like, doubled as he watched the two of them interact. Then Sunako had to go and glare at him in the kitchen and that seemed to worsen his already foul mood. But when she turned to look at Yuki with that soft smile making her look so...so beautiful, that was just too much for him. It just wasn't fair. Why was she like that with Yuki but when it came to him she was always mad at him? Why couldn't **he** make her smile that way? What was with that tender look on her face? He never even thought her capable of looking like that. He had just been so mad at Yuki that he didn't think about the consequences of his actions. He just wanted to hurt _someone_ for the pain he was feeling in his chest. It had been hilarious to watch Yuki tumble down like that. Then Sunako rushed over to check up on Yuki and that had dampened his mood a little. When she slapped him though he was so the hell had she done that? He was about to go off on her but when he saw the fury in her eyes he had backed down. He had looked over to Yuki and saw that there was a lot of blood. Oh god he had felt almost sick seeing that. He really hadn't meant for Yuki to be hurt like that but his stupid emotions got the best of him and he had made a mistake. When she turned her back on him he somehow knew that he had lost something important with Sunako. Would they both hate him now? Would they treat him like the bastard he was? Why? Why was he so stupid? Why couldn't he figure himself out? This was just so screwed up. He closed his eyes and saw Sunako's face again. He noticed now that there was a look of shock behind that fury. So he really had messed up something with Sunako, he just didn't know what. He buried his face deeper into his pillow and let out a frustrated groan. He flipped onto his back and tried to sort through his scrambled emotions. The last thing he saw before drifting off to sleep was Sunako's face again, but this time she was smiling that tender smile of hers. There was a smile on his face as his breathing started to even out.

* * *

><p>Sunday was rather uneventful. Takenaga spent the day reading and Yuki and Sunako took care of the household chores. They both later left to buy the kitten,Gohan, some cat food and all his other necessities. Kyohei spent the day brooding in his room, coming out every now and then to grab food. He was dutifully avoiding both Sunako and Yuki and barely even muttering two words in Takenaga's direction. All in all some new sense of normalcy fell over the house.<p>

It was now late evening and both Yuki and Sunako were playing with their kitten in the living room, with Takenaga watching them every once in a while, when the front door was thrown open and in walked Ranmaru. He strut into the living room and stopped when he saw the kitten playing with Sunako. He saw that Yuki was by her side yet again and that there was no Kyohei around. Well this certainly made it easier for him to try and charm a smile out of Sunako. He walked over to her side and greeted her. She didn't even bother looking up as she greeted him back. He fed her one of his many compliments and she yet again brushed him off. He just wanted to see that smile once more so he could assure himself that he hadn't imagined it. He decided to go with jokes since those got a reaction out of her last time. She didn't even seem to be paying attention to him, she was solely focused on entertaining the little black kitten on the floor. This just would not do. Ranmaru was not going to play second fiddle to some stupid cat. As if it had read Ranmaru's thoughts, the kitten scrambled it's way into Sunako's arms. She got up off the floor with Yuki following suit and clutched the kitten closer to her chest." Come on Yuki let's go to your room already."What was this? Just what happened while he was gone? Yuki piped up beside her "Okay Sunako, **we** should go I think Gohan's tired." They both said goodnight to the remaining occupants of the living room and headed upstairs together. Ranmaru turned to Takenaga with a look that seemed to demand gave a long suffering sigh and closed his book to finally lock eyes with Ranmaru. " Well it's pretty obvious that the cat is theirs. Honestly Ranmaru even a five year old could've guessed that." Ranmaru shot him a heated glare that seemed to say _that's not what I meant._ Takenaga quirked a brow at him and prompted him to elaborate what exactly it was he wanted to know about that situation. " Since when do they go into each others rooms like that? And just why are those two so close? I always thought Yuki was a little scared of Sunako. But for her to be allowed to lead them to his room is just too strange. It's almost as if they're a...a..." " A couple.," finished Takenaga. Ranmaru looked towards the staircase then turned back and shook his head. He scoffed and told Takenaga that there was no way that would ever happen. He sat down on the couch and told himself that those two could never possibly become a couple. It was totally impossible, completely farfetched


	3. Chapter 3

Kyohei watched the two of them from a crack in his door as they headed into Yuki's room. This was the second night she did that. They never did anything wrong as far as he could tell. Sunako just seemed like she was putting Yuki to bed or something. Kind of like a mom would do except this was definitely more than platonic; he wondered if they even realized this. They were chatting about something inane and he really couldn't be bothered to find out what their conversation centered on now. That twisting pain had returned tenfold and as he saw the door close behind Sunako it just made it worse. He closed his door and slid against it clutching his shirt right over his chest. His breathing was harsh and labored as if he had been in a fight and just now stopped to catch a breath. It hurt so much, so… so much and he had no idea how to make it better. He had never felt this way before and just seeing Yuki and Sunako together made the pain flair up that much more. He finally stumbled over to his bed and curled up trying to keep himself from running out of his room and into Yuki's. He knew it wouldn't help anything in fact it might make him feel worse. He just sat there in the dimly lit room waiting for the dark oblivion of another restless sleep to claim him for tonight. Sleep was not soon in coming.

Sunako knew she'd eventually have to break this new habit of Yuki's. She couldn't put him to bed every night after all. Still, she supposed that if this was the price of keeping his nightmares at bay and still maintaining her self-made pledge to protect Yuki she could endure. The real problem wasn't so much putting Yuki to bed it was trying to leave afterward that was troublesome. He couldn't bear to let her go right away and he was such a fitful sleeper that it was well past two when she could leave his side. This just wasn't going to work tonight; she had school tomorrow for crying out loud. So she decided that maybe tonight she could slip away earlier than usual and leave the boy to his own devices. So it was with her mind made up that she left Yuki's side at ten tonight. He had started to protest of course, but with a single reminder of school tomorrow he let her go. Albeit reluctantly but he did let her leave. She dashed into her room to gather her towel and ran to the bathroom to finally wash up. She let herself sink into the warm bathwater and all her muscles were practically groaning in relief. She felt every stress knot of the day untwist in the heat of the water. She took her time washing herself and probably stayed in longer than normal but she could care less about that. As she stood up out of the tub with drops of water running in rivulets down her body the door was flung open by Ranmaru in nothing but a towel. She was still as the shock of the situation impacted on her. Finally she blushed the pink dusting her cheeks and chest as she tried to grasp something to throw at Ranmaru; who was still standing there mouth agape and a blush to rival hers gracing him. Then she hit him with her strawberry shampoo and he collapsed in heap with blood trickling out of his nose. She quickly wrapped herself in a towel and ran out of the bathroom. She slammed her bedroom door closed and slid against it trying to catch her breath after her mad dash down the hall. God damn that idiot Ranmaru for walking in on her like that. This was just too mortifying; she hadn't been this embarrassed in so long and now _**this**_. She made her way shakily to her dresser and threw on her shorts and sweater and slid into bed trying her best to just forget that incident. She stayed up for hours tonight, not getting to sleep until three in the morning.

Ranmaru regained consciousness ten seconds after Sunako had left him lying there like an idiot. He sat up slowly and reached out for the bottle Sunako had hit him with, strawberry scented shampoo. He got up on his feet and closed the door to the bathroom. He set about filling the tub and trying to keep himself from remembering the earlier scene. As he turned off the faucet and watched the last of the water drip into the tub he couldn't help but recall the sight of the water dripping down Sunako's body. The way it gathered at her chest before continuing the journey downwards. The sight of her all wet and flushed was enough to get to any guy. To put it in one word, Ranmaru found her to be GORGEUS. How had he not noticed it before? Even if she dressed in sweats all the time it was really so stupid of him to forget that Sunako was indeed very much a female. Even some of Ranmaru's lovers couldn't match up to what he had beheld tonight. And now to top it all off he had a very noticeable problem on top of his head still hurting. Oh well at least one of these problems was easily resolved.

The next day Sunako and Yuki both woke up with bags under their eyes; Sunako's far more prominent than Yuki's. Ranmaru and Sunako couldn't look at one another without blushing and looking away quickly. Kyohei couldn't look at either Sunako or Yuki and kept glaring at everyone else. He didn't even bother trying to banter with the rest of his housemates this morning. Overall breakfast was rather awkward and silent, not that Takenaga minded. They all walked to school in the stifling quiet and the group dynamics had clearly changed. At the front were Yuki and Sunako walking rather close together. Takenaga and Ranmaru were in the center with Ranmaru raking his eyes over Sunako. Kyohei was situated in the back of the group keeping his distance form the two up front. The heavy atmosphere was even noticed by the boy's fan girls as they gave the group a wider berth this morning.

Sunako led Yuki straight to the principal's office to get him transferred over to her class. Normally a student had to give a week's notice if they wanted to switch out. However Sunako was determined to get it done today. She was a Nakahara after all and when they wanted something done it happened. So after a good two hours of arguing, threatening and finally negotiating they got Yuki into her class. Of course they were expected to make up whatever they missed for the first two periods of class but that was okay for both of them. It was during third period math that they walked into class together and every head in the class turned to look at them. All the girls were extremely happy at the sight of seeing Yuki in their classroom. So they were naturally aghast when Yuki chose to sit next to Sunako. They were even more put upon when he scooted his desk closer to Sunako's to share her textbooks. They didn't know what to make of this surreal situation. So the majority of the girls spent the rest of the day watching the two of them during class.

Finally it was lunch time and Yuki couldn't wait to get of the classroom, the blatant staring was a little much for his part. He got up and trailed after Sunako to eat lunch with her today. Normally he would eat in the cafeteria with the other boys but he couldn't be around either Kyohei or Ranmaru today. Things were still awkward with Kyohei and trying to talk to him was stifling. He knew that if he were to face Ranmaru right now he'd probably yell at the creep for checking out Sunako this morning. There was also the minor detail of not running into his would be rapists that kept him away from the cafeteria today. So he didn't mind that he hadn't brought a lunch today, just as long as he could stay out of trouble was fine by him. They made it to the roof top and Sunako chose a shaded area to try and escape the heat of the day. The heat was just getting worse the closer summer break came. He sat next to her and watched her start in on her lunch. His stomach gave a growl at the sight of the lunch and he tried to duck his head to hide his embarrassment. Sunako just gave him a small smile and then offered him some of her lunch. They sat together sharing Sunako's lunch with her feeding him and Yuki filling the quiet with idle conversation. The rest of the day passed by quickly and it was soon time for everyone to leave. They were on their way out to the lockers when they were cornered by the more devoted of Yuki's fan girls. They were all talking over one another asking the same questions of 'where were you earlier' 'what happened to you, I didn't see you all day' and 'what are you doing here with her'. Honestly all Yuki wanted was to go home already. He didn't want to spend another minute in this school, because if he did he might run into _**them**_. He kept trying to excuse himself from the group but they wouldn't move out of the way. He could tell that Sunako was getting irritated and the longer those girls kept them trapped in this hallway the more violence was guaranteed to ensue. When one of them grabbed him by the wrist he froze up with his mind flashing back to the event from last week. He started to shake and then tried to struggle free but then another latched onto him. He began whimpering and muttering "stop it, stop it" which soon led him to crying out. Then the air around everyone became frigid and soon he was freed and led out of the school tucked under Sunako's arm still crying his eyes out.

Sunako had seen the horde of girls before they had been cornered, so obviously she knew that they wouldn't be left alone anytime soon. All she wanted was to get Yuki out of here and go home or something. The mob of girls was too much for Sunako to deal with at the moment, she wanted them to just shut up and leave them alone. They were steadily giving her a headache with their continuous chatter. She saw as the crowd started to surge forward and then one of the girls made a grave mistake. It was obvious to her that Yuki had been getting more and more uncomfortable so she was honestly curious about what compelled that girl to grab Yuki that way. She heard that strangled gasp that had left Yuki's mouth. When she noticed the shaking Sunako knew that it was going to get worse. Before she could even try to get Yuki away from those girls another one had grabbed him. He started to break down and that was the final straw for her. Just who the hell did these harpies think they were? She was going to break their dainty little manicured hands if they didn't let go right now. She started leaking out a deadly aura that seemed to finally break through to their vapid minds and pulled Yuki away from those idiots. She put an arm around him to draw him closer and then proceeded to march out of the hallway. She could feel those girls shrink away from her and that was just perfect for Sunako. She managed to get him out of the school without further problems and completely missed the calculating looks in the eyes of the three boys by the doors.

She knew Yuki couldn't go home like this so she led him to the park nearest the house. She waved to some of the kids who knew her and led the two of them to a bench. Getting him to sit down was easy getting him to react was slightly harder. She tried to get him to look at her but he refused, so she switched tactics. If he refused to look up to meet her eyes well then she would go down to meet his. She slid off to crouch before him and turned her face up to meet his. His eyes were blank, like there was no one in there. She didn't like that one bit. She shifted closer to him and still nothing. So she reached her hands up to cup his face and see if that got her anywhere. It took a minute but finally the light returned to his eyes. He blinked then his eyes locked onto hers. They were just staring at each other for a bit then Yuki's mind finally caught up with him. He noticed how close she was now. He saw the way her eyes were just a bit darker in this light, the slight shine of lip balm on her lips. He thought of how easy it would be to close the distance between them right now, and then blushed at that. She was still holding his face firmly between her hands looking at him intently. She brushed away the few stray tears from his face with her thumbs then smiled at him. She was so beautiful to Yuki; he wanted them to stay like this without anyone to bother them. He placed a hand atop hers and smiled back hesitantly. He slid his hand to her wrist and then without any warning he pulled her forward. She fell into his chest as he slid an arm around her waist and held her in this awkwardly positioned hug. She finally managed to wrap her arms around his shoulders and return the embrace. They both tried to get up but with Yuki trying to lean back and Sunako still trying to regain her balance it didn't end up like they planned. Sunako ended up throwing Yuki's weight too far back so they ended up laying on the bench with Sunako on top of him their faces less than an inch apart. Yuki blushed and Sunako was trying not to get lost in the golden pools that were Yuki's eyes. As she was looking into his eyes she thought on about what would happen if she were to lean forward just a little and close the distance between them. They managed to pull away from each other in a few seconds then Sunako, while looking down, took hold of Yuki's hand and started leading them home. Yuki looked at their joined hands and then smiled. Sunako, meanwhile, was blushing like mad as she thought back to that moment on the bench. She wondered if there was something wrong with her. Maybe she was getting sick, because she never managed to blush so much before this whole mess and now it seemed as if this was going to be a new habit of hers. She felt Yuki give her hand a squeeze, and she felt her face heat up even more. She must look like a tomato now. However she might never admit this to anyone but she liked the feel of Yuki's hand around hers.


	4. Chapter 4

Kyohei was feeling like crap. He just couldn't shake all these negative feelings as of late. He knew that Sunako was at the root of this. So it stood to reason for him to try to confront her after all he hated beating around the bush. That was the reason he found himself standing in front of the door waiting for her to get home. He was now pacing and it was nearly an hour after they had gotten home from school and still she was nowhere in sight. He just knew that she was doing something with Yuki again and didn't that have him gritting his teeth in frustration. That was just another problem he had; this sort of guilt and anger and tightening pain in his chest whenever he thought of Yuki with Sunako. Why did it always hurt? He had never felt that way around her before and now with her blatant disregard for him and the favoritism towards Yuki it was a constant jumble of emotions. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Finally the door opened to reveal Yuki pulling Sunako in by her hand. Huh since when did they start holding hands and was Sunako blushing? That just had Kyohei grinding his teeth trying to hold back so as not to explode at them. Honestly, they had to come in like that? They had to be holding hands, and she had to show up looking like that? They came to a stop in front of him and there they all were just staring at each other. As Yuki tried to move past him he reached out quickly for Sunako's hand and stopped them. He was looking at Sunako and she must have seen something in his face because she didn't break his hold even though they both knew she could. They both didn't notice Yuki's frown or the way his eyes just got a little darker. Sunako did notice however, Yuki's sharp tugging on her other hand. She turned to face him and saw his stormy expression and she pulled her hand out of his grasp. There was just something about Kyohei's eyes that told her she had better stay. So with a glance back at Kyohei, who still hadn't let go of her hand and a small smile to Yuki she told him thanks and that she was fine here. So he gave her one final look and then headed upstairs. Kyohei saw her turn back towards him with her face guardedly blank and she pulled him towards the back of the house to talk on the back patio.

She decided to reserve any emotions for now. After all it was Kyohei who had reached out to her so whatever needed to be said here would be. She pulled her hand out of his and moved back a couple of steps and waited for him to start. After what had to have been a minute of Kyohei just looking anywhere else but her he finally spoke up and well it was not what she had been expecting. "So I guess you're still mad at me, huh?" That was an understatement but she knew there had to be more so, she waited. He looked at her and noticed the deadpan expression and he coughed into his hand before getting to what he really wanted to say. He started and stopped a couple times just trying to find the right words to express himself, but honestly he had never been good at these types of things. He finally decided to hell with it and said "look I know that what I did that night has no excuse but I really don't know what came over me right then. I just got so mad that you weren't paying attention to me and it pissed me off so much. I saw how you and Yuki were acting and I sort of felt compelled to hurt him. That's not very good of me and I know it was horrible, trust me. But, I've gotta know if we're done as friends or not; because the not knowing is killing me."

Sunako was stunned. Did he really and honestly think Sunako was one to throw away his friendship so callously? Sure she was still mad about that night but she'd come to accept his violent tendencies when he was faced with unknown situations. It was who he was. She was only giving him the cold shoulder because he hadn't even tried to apologize to Yuki, at all. She was going to make things right with Kyohei but not until he manned up to what he did and apologized. He was still someone she could consider her best friend even if she didn't show it all the time. He was fidgeting and scowling even more than normal, so he was nervous about this, and that made her angrier. Just what kind of friend did he think she was? She smacked him on the arm and scowled at him then in a complete one-eighty she hugged him. It was awkward to say the least, with Kyohei's arms hanging limply at his side and his jaw hanging wide open. When his brain finally rebooted he had a massive blush as comprehension dawned on him. Sunako, **THE** Sunako Nakahara was hugging him. He almost didn't catch what she was saying. "You're such an idiot how could you think I would throw away our friendship so easily. You were after all the first person to form a bond with me in this house and make me actually not hate it here. You saw me, Sunako, not the scary aura or the horrific room. Just me, and I could never thank you enough for that. You gave me a chance to make a friend even if I had no say in the matter, so stop being stupid, and apologize to Yuki already. He was your friend first."  
>With that she let go of him and went inside, but before she closed the door she turned around and flashed him a smile. That simple gesture made something warm flutter inside his chest and made his breath catch in his throat. She headed inside and Kyohei stood there mouth agape as his mind tried desperately to reboot itself. They both missed the fluttering of the curtains from the living room.<p>

Ranmaru could not believe what he just saw. Did Sunako really just hug Kyohei, and what was with that dopey look on his face? Was there something in the air in this house because although he had known there was chemistry between the two of them he figured it would be short lived? However now between his confusing attraction towards Sunako, Yuki's constant hovering around her and now Kyohei's growing awareness of his feelings, this spelled chaos for their house. It was a good thing Takenaga had Noi or else things would really get crazy in this house. With this realization that things were starting to change quickly he knew he'd have to make a move now or lose any opportunity to find out just how far these feelings went. Now Ranmaru knew his growing affection for Sunako wasn't sudden after all he had known just how beautiful she could really be long before now it was just almost impossible to reach past her cold exterior before. Now though, now he had a chance to get to know the real Sunako. The one whose smile reminded him of when he was younger and would spend his summers at the beach carefree and happily by his parents side, before his father started to pull away from them and his mother found new ways to entertain herself. Before he became so jaded that he had to find life in the curves and pretty faces of his father's associates daughters and then later their wives. To him though, Sunako was a fresh breath of air, the one person who could change him for good. Tamao was a lovely girl but she was just that, another pretty face that could never really have a chance at getting past his Casanova-like ways. Sunako did manage it though, and she was too smart to fall for his tricks. She always cut through his walls yet he failed to do that to her. So yes, he was thankful to Yuki for being able to coax Sunako out of her shell because without that he would have never gotten to see her real smile. He would've never heard her sweet laughter or gotten to see the cute way she blushes. Yes, Ranmaru had his mind made up, he was going to try and win Sunako over.

Sunako closed the door behind her and let out a long sigh. That was such a troubling conversation, to think she had almost lost Kyohei as a friend back there. She had never really pictured a life without Kyohei, he was just always there. He had befriended her first even if she was reluctant to let him in close at first. So with her heart still a little heavy at having almost lost her best friend she headed upstairs to her room to change. She was in the hallway headed towards her room when Yuki peeked his head out of his door. His eyes landed on her and he immediately ran towards her and held both her hands in his. She hadn't even realized how cold her hands were till they were in his once again. He was looking her over like he was checking to make sure she was okay then he finally asked, "So what'd Kyohei want with you anyways? He didn't yell at you right? You'd tell me if you fought with him over that night, right?" She gave his hands a squeeze in reassurance and told him that things were just fine between her and Kyohei. That they just needed to clear the air a bit to avoid any problems they wouldn't be able to fix later. Yuki seemed satisfied with this and he gave her hands a final squeeze and let her go on towards her room.

He slipped back into his room and flopped onto his bed. Gohan, the cat, crawled onto his stomach and Yuki began to absentmindedly stroke the kitten while deep in thought. He was in deep and he knew this, but honestly he wouldn't have wanted to fall for anybody else now that he thought about it. Sunako had been there to save him and pick him back up after the incident with those guys at school. The horrid thought of what could have been haunted him almost every night but Sunako was there to help him fight these inner demons that would not let him rest. She showed him the light, yes the Sunako Nakahara, the girl who practically thrived in the darkness became his shining beacon of hope and safety. He knew that the feelings he felt for her weren't just ones of extreme gratitude, no he didn't think it common to want to keep one's hero away from those who could easily win her heart. Nor was it normal, in his opinion, to think of your savior as "cute" or "adorable" or that the way she blushes makes his heart stutter. No he was falling for Sunako and he was falling hard.

Sunako threw herself on her bed facedown she then proceeded to groan into her covers. Why was everything so complicated now? All she wanted was to help Yuki through this whole ordeal, but now she was caught in some problems of her own. With her new range of emotions and the constant blushing, Yuki's clinginess and now Kyohei's sort of abandonment issues that _she_ caused; it seems her life just got so much more complicated. So now here she was trying to sort everything out and just seeing where she fit in to her new life. She sighed and lifted her head up to look at her faithful companion that weathered the worst of her emotional storms with her. "Oh Hiroshi what am I supposed to do now? Kyohei felt as if I abandoned our friendship and then I had to reassure him of his place in my heart, he's my best friend and the fact that he wasn't confident enough in that hurts. Does he really think I'd throw away our bond so easily? Sure it was hard to get to that point but now I just can't see a life without him in it. There's also Yuki, I know I said I'd be there for him but being there for him is just so…ugh I don't know...complicated. When we're together it's like my heart just sort of jumps when he touches me and that's so strange I don't know what that even means. I can't seem to stop blushing lately either. Am I getting sick? Oh I can't afford to get sick like the last time, they almost destroyed the house. What am I supposed to do now? I just hope there aren't any more problems after this." Hiroshi was silent of course but then again Sunako knew that he was more of a silent supporter. She let her head flop back down onto her bed and just tried to get herself together. It wouldn't do to let the others see her so clearly conflicted. So with a mighty sigh she gathered up her errant emotions and locked them away for now.

Ranmaru was pacing in his room just trying to figure out exactly how he was going to woo Sunako. Every single plan he thought of though just wouldn't work with Sunako. She wasn't one to be won over by gifts or silly pickup lines. No, Sunako was singularly the most unique girl he knew. She was beautiful even without really trying, she was smart and funny, an amazing cook and did he mention beautiful. Oh god he was smitten over her and that was so strange to him. He'd never been one to be left pining for females. Here he was though wanting for Sunako like a parched man for water. Ranmaru was stumped over a girl and that was just wrong in his mind. He threw himself backwards over his bed and just lay there thinking on what to do. He finally just gave up coming up with plans and decided to wing it. He would just have to take it day by day. He heard Sunako's door open up, one of the benefits of being across the hall from her, and decided to start now and just talk to her.

Sunako looked out into the hallway and seeing it all clear decided to dash downstairs to make dinner. She just hoped to get it done fast enough so no one had time to "help" her and just get her all flustered again. She made it all the way to the kitchen without any incident so she got to work. She was halfway through cutting up the salad stuff when Ranmaru walked in. She wanted to curse at her ill luck. He walked over to her and leaned on the counter opposite her. He didn't say anything and so she just went back to cutting her vegetables. She was almost done and he still hadn't said anything which was really unusual. She was about to turn around to confront him on his silence when she found him right next to her. So close she had run right into his chest when she had turned about. She looked up at his face, a little flustered that he had managed to sneak up on her, was she really so distracted; then tried to clear her throat and began to ask something along the lines of why he was there. He had simply smiled and then said "really Sunako I can't just be down here to enjoy your company?" She wanted to smack him on the head for saying something so stupid, because he had never been one to seek her "company" before so why now? He saw the peeved look on her face and started making placating motions with his hands. "Okay, okay you've got me I'm really here to…well apologize for the…uh, other night. I really didn't mean to walk in on you it's just well I had thought you were, you know, asleep or something." She was really caught off guard now, she really had thought Ranmaru would just try to brush that incident off but instead here he was apologizing to her. Sunako knew he wasn't the only one at fault she really should have locked the door. She told him so and well she thought it the end of that and it sort of was in a way; until he decided to brush his hand on her cheek and smile in some sort of gesture of caring. That smile set her heart all fluttery and she just knew that the blushing had returned full force. He let his hand linger on her face, just the tips of his fingers touching the soft skin of her cheeks then he pulled away slowly. She felt somewhat cold now that his hand was away, and as she watched him turn and leave for the living room she had instinctively reached out for him but she lowered her arm and just watched the swing of the door as it closed behind him. She turned back to the diced up vegetables on the counter and sighed, just what was the matter with her?

Ranmaru wanted to turn around and run straight into the kitchen, because his hand felt as if it had touched some sort of live wire with how it was tingling. He knew that if he did though he'd probably end up doing something idiotic that would just get Sunako to hate him forever. So he forced himself to keep walking and when he finally reached one of the many chairs in the living room he flopped into it and gave out a distressed groan. To make matters even more complicated he saw Yuki bounding down the stairs, hairball in hand, and headed towards the kitchen. He wanted to stop him but right now if he did anything but sit in this chair he'd probably rush right past Yuki and head straight for Sunako and do something foolish like kiss her or something. So he just watched Yuki run past and kept himself in that chair until he was more certain of himself. Damn it all really, Sunako was so different that even his reactions to her were something new for him. He'd never had control issues or been left like some lovesick puppy begging for more. Sunako though, managed to make him feel the things he had only heard of from others when they describe falling for someone. He gave another sigh, because he just knew that these feelings of his would just lead to trouble but on the other hand he knew that someone as special as Sunako was completely worth it. After all love was a wild ride and he was already strapped in and ready to take on all the twists and turns and hopefully this venture wouldn't end with a road to nowhere.

Sunako was done now but she really didn't feel hungry. In fact she felt kind of sick. Like her stomach was doing flips and tying itself in knots ever since the walk home with Yuki. So she decided to serve the others and just skip out for tonight, although she did wrap up a plate for herself in case she was feeling better later. As she started to get the dishes out to set the table Yuki burst in through the door. He made his way over to her and took the plates from her. She felt just the lightest brush of his fingertips on her hand as he took the plates from her, and it had her stomach feeling all fluttery and flip-floppy. She was sure she was probably red again. Why was it she felt like this all of a sudden? Was she really sick? Oh no, that just wouldn't do, sure Yuki was good enough to clean up after the others now but they'd still find some way to destroy everything. Yuki probably noticed the lack of a plate and he turned to her questioningly. She got lost in his eyes and had to force her gaze away before she became completely incoherent. He asked her who was going to skip dinner and she managed to squeak out that she would because she felt sick. He was frowning at that and then he came up to her suddenly and laid his forehead on hers. He was so close again, they were only a few inches apart just like before at the park. She felt herself flush at that memory because really what had almost happened didn't almost happen, nope no way that was really going to happen. Yuki hummed in the back of his throat and slightly pulled away to get a good look at her face. "Well I guess you are sort of warm and your cheeks are all red so if you aren't feeling well I think it's best to turn in early." She nodded her head mutely because it was like her mouth had gone dry and there was a good chance that whatever she did manage to garble out would be nonsense. He still held her close with a hand behind her neck and she was forced to look up into his eyes again, deep pools of amber that seemed so depthless. Her breathing was shallow and her heart was beating slightly faster than normal. He was so beautiful, but not quite so overwhelming, like the others. He was staring down at her with a light dusting of pink on his cheeks now too. She might've been imagining it but she could swear he was closer now. Oh man this was the park all over again and right now she wasn't sure she would turn away. He was definitely closer now and she could feel herself tilting her head slightly and her eyelids drooping ever so slowly. This was it and she could feel her stomach turning about and her heart beating erratically now, but she knew that if she let him lean the rest of the way in then her real first kiss would go to Yuki. And she wasn't sure if that was really so terrible. He was leaning forward when all of a sudden the door to the kitchen banged open and in walked Ranmaru. He looked at them and his face seemed to contort with an array of conflicting emotions before settling into a passive mask. He walked to the counter and leant against it just watching them. She was sure she heard Yuki growl in the back of his throat before slowly pulling away from her. He cleared his throat and gazed coolly at Ranmaru. Ranmaru just quirked his eyebrow questioningly before moving his gaze to Sunako; she was all flushed and god damn if that didn't make her look even cuter. He sighed and asked "So is there um something you're not telling the rest of us, you know like if there's something going on between you guys?" Sunako looked away and then as Yuki was about to answer she shook her head and managed to squeak out that she would see them all later before fleeing from the kitchen. She almost ran Kyohei down in her haste to get away from what almost happened back there.

Yuki was pissed at Ranmaru right now, he had been so close to kissing Sunako and she was going to let him, she had accepted his advance dammit. Ranmaru was just so annoyingly good at interrupting any moment he had with Sunako. He started grumbling and went to get their dinner onto the table. He left Ranmaru standing there like an idiot before heading back into the dining room with the pots and pans full of food.

Takenaga was just coming out of his room when he saw Sunako run past with what looked suspiciously like tears in her eyes. He knew he couldn't leave it like this if Noi ever found out he hadn't even tried to help Sunako… he shuddered it was best not to think on what she would do to him. He stood there a bit more contemplating on how to best approach the situation when he heard it, the slightly raised voices signaling an impending argument between the idiots downstairs. He knew if he didn't act now they would just make Sunako feel worse, it was always worse when they fought after you've left. He went over to her door and was about to knock but then he heard the soft murmuring of her "conversation" with Hiroshi. Her voice sounded thick almost as if she were holding back her sobs. He decided it was enough standing around and opened the door. She was sitting in the middle of her bed with her knees drawn up to her chest and facing away from the door towards Hiroshi and Josephine. He walked over to her slowly and then gently laid a hand on her shoulder. She whipped her head around so fast to face him he felt as if _he _got whiplash from that. She was just gaping at him as if he couldn't possibly be here. He gave her a reassuring smile then sat down on the bed with her. "Hey Sunako, is…um is anything wrong? You know is there something bothering you you'd like to talk about?" Oh god he was terrible at this whole comforting thing. She was staring at him as if he were some sort of alien. She finally managed to get her bearings and gave a mute nod. He gave her an encouraging nod to continue. She wiped at her eyes with her sleeve and cleared her throat, "Umm…well I know you said you wanted to be a doctor right so I was wondering if you could tell me if I'm sick or not?" Well that was not what he expected but okay he'd go along with it for now. "Okay then, can you tell me what makes you think you're sick?" She looked down for a bit then met his gaze evenly, "well lately I've noticed my face gets all red quite often and then I feel like my stomach's tied in knots and sometimes I can swear my heart is racing. I also get really warm all of a sudden." Takenaga had to resist the urge to smirk because really only Sunako would think she was sick when really all she was experiencing were the tell-tale signs of a crush. "Hmm well Sunako I hate to break this to you but it looks like you've developed feelings for someone. I have to say with all that you've told me they're pretty strong too." She looked thunderstruck at his revelation as if she couldn't understand a word of what he just said to her. Then she began to shake her head rapidly in denial. As if there was no way he could be right. Then she turned her gaze on him beseechingly almost begging him for another answer to her affliction. But he just shook his head slowly telling her there was no other answer to this.

Sunako was stunned. How could it be something like that? It just shouldn't even be possible anymore. After all hadn't she promised herself not to feel these sorts of things again; it only ever led her to heartache and misery. It was the fallout of a bad crush which pushed her into the darkness where would it lead her to now if things ended badly? Would _she_have to leave? Should she even stay to find out what would happen? It was just too much; she just couldn't handle it again. She thought she no longer had a need for something like love, not when she had let the darkness fill her up to replace that hole in her heart. She was just starting to sink into a funk when she heard the sounds of breaking glass and raised voices. All three of them were yelling right now. Oh god it was her fault wasn't it, she left them down there alone and all hell starts breaking loose. She was even crying again, god dammit why can't she get her emotions under control? Takenaga gave her shoulder a squeeze and she saw nothing but understanding in his eyes. There was the sound of more glass breaking that caused both of them to flinch. He got up, gave her a pat on the head and walked out to deal with the other three. She heard his voice cut through their squabble a bit more yelling then nothing. She knew that if she was ever going to get some thinking done and try to sort out her emotions she needed to get away from here, away from them. She knew it'd be easy too, what with summer break coming up soon. It was a now a matter of where to go. It had to be far enough away from this house but not out of the country, her dad would probably panic. As she sat pondering her escape she could hear the others making their way upstairs. She really didn't want to go out there and confront them. Finally after what seemed an eternity she gave up. She had at least two more weeks before she had to decide. She got up and headed towards the bathroom, after all maybe the steam would help her clear her mind.

She took a quick bath and went to sleep with her mind made up for now. She now only had to wait a see what tomorrow brought with it.

Sunako woke up early from a rather fitful sleep. She decided to get breakfast out of the way already and then leave before the others. It was cowardly, she knew that, but she just couldn't deal with them right now. She ate and she all but ran out of the door when she heard noises from upstairs. She was outside of the school gates and already she could see the mob of fangirls forming in front of the school. She managed to move through the crowd unnoticed for once and made it inside. She was too preoccupied with her thoughts to notice someone take notice of her coming in.

Kyohei was the first to know Sunako had already left as one of his first stops in the morning after getting dressed is the kitchen. He saw the food already set out for them to serve themselves much like last night but this time he could tell she had already eaten and left as there was a bowl drying on the dish rack. He didn't feel too bothered by this though since she must be at school already. So he ate and grabbed his bento and waited in the living room for everyone else. Takenaga was quick on the uptake as well because he just ate and proceeded to wait also. It was the arrival of their other two housemates which heralded the start to a rather stressful day for all.

Ranmaru had come bounding down the stairs looking even more sparkly than usual. He hadn't even bothered to acknowledge his two housemates sitting in the living room and instead just made his merry way to the kitchen. He promptly came back out though and turned his questioning gaze on Takenaga. Takenaga just shook his head and then promptly continued to read. He was about to ask Kyohei over Sunako's whereabouts, when he heard Yuki come down. He stopped cold and turned around to glare at him. Oh he hadn't forgotten what Yuki tried to do to him last night. It was a complete waste of food. Even worse still, Takenaga had come down and yelled at all of them as if they were misbehaving children. Really the mess hadn't been that big. He decided it was best to avoid any conflict today. That glare Takenaga was sending him was way too scary and held a promise of pain in it. So he dashed back into the kitchen, grabbed his bento and ran out of the house through the backdoor. Today was a good day to go to school early. He wasn't really too worried about being mobbed by girls right now, seeing how he was breaking his routine. So he was free to let his mind wander. And eventually his thoughts strayed from how pretty he was to another heavenly being he had just discovered. He really did feel like a fool for not taking note of Sunako's true beauty. It wasn't that of the high class ladies he was used to. Nor was it the homely charm some of the girls at school had. No her beauty was something different. It was something more ethereal, more like the beauty of the stars or the moon. Or the amazing grace and power with which she held herself with. Like a summer storm lightning flashing, thunder clapping and the wind howling so fiercely all around and the promise of change. He was somewhat smitten with her. After all he may be somewhat of Casanova. But no other woman has ever had him waxing poetic in his own mind. He was in his own thoughts over a certain raven haired beauty that he failed to notice he was already at the gates to the school. With a shake of the head to clear away the pensive look on his face he plastered on his most charming smile and headed into the school, thoughts of Sunako flitting around in his mind all the while.

Yuki saw Ranmaru head to the kitchen as soon as he came down and he was going to follow him in, to make sure he wasn't bothering Sunako again; when he felt a piercing glare stabbing through him. He slowly turned around from his place at the kitchen door to find Takenaga looking at him over his book. He huffed and was about to just turn around and go through to the kitchen when Kyohei spoke up "she's not even here right now, neither of them are actually. And now that you've finally come down, we can get to school already." Yuki was going to ask him where Sunako and Ranmaru where when he saw Kyohei get up out of his seat and walk out of the front door. He was turning to ask Takenaga. However the Brunette was already up out of his seat heading towards the door as well. "Hurry up Yuki, grab your bento from the kitchen so we can all get to school already. I don't want to be late." Yuki scrambled to do as he was told not wanting to be left behind and rushed out the door behind Takenaga. Yuki was still somewhat upset about last night and now this silent walk to school was wreaking havoc on his frayed nerves.

**okay so I know its been a while since I posted anything on here. Really the reason is we just recently reconnected the internet in my house. Now as for this story, I don't really have too much inspiration to continue it so it means I'm leaving this story unfinished if anyone wants to adopt it please PM me. I know that it's kinda crappy of me to leave it like this but if you must know I just can't really get into writing an overtly romantic story and since this was my first attempt at Fanfiction writing I've had time to grow and I'm still trying to find my writing style.**


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Wallflower, Hurt-Comfort, Romance