Luaghing at Ikuto the neko went suddenly still and silent, his clear blue eyes turning to ice. The victem of this empty glare being the boy who had snatched his red eyes. Not knowing what to do and momentarily stunned his ears went back and his tail curled in aggitation. The montary bought of aggression passed and he suddenly smiled, if only a bit. "We have other plans." his voice was cold, far colder than one could have imagined comeing from such a warm creature.

his icey tones where almost frightening.

Ikuto stared in complete fear at Hikari. When did he ever act like this? Why was he acting like this?
Suddenly, Ikuto's friend let him go and apologized. "I didn't know I'd be interfering with two lovers," he laughed.
And that was when the raven's mouth dropped all the way to the floor. "E-Eh..? Eh? EH?!" With that, the friend left and bid his ado, leaving the neko and the raven alone again. "H-H-Hikari...." Ikuto turned towards the boy and shuffled around. "Are you okay?"

Looking to Ikuto a bit bewildered he said simply "what.....i didn't like that guy." it was a simple enough matter in his mind but for some reason red eyes looked upset and astonished at him. Hikari still looked at the back of the man's head as he walked away. He had looked familiar but somehow the memory was blurred. Thinking on it, concentrating, he could almost see, almost remember....but the image was blurred out by a sudden light and screeching. His memory was fuzzy as it was so the neko didnt press the matter any further. Trying to remember that night was pointless.

Ikuto face turned into one of worry. "Hikari, were you remembering that night? Does he look like someone who hurt you?" Ikuto shuffled his feet nervously. He always knew that Masaya had violent tendencies and major biases, and something like this... well, Ikuto could believe it.
Especially when a snowball flew threw the air and hit Hikari square in the head. From the distance, he could see Masaya standing there, screaming something about not being human enough to stay here. Instead of running down the street and beating the living daylights out of the kid, Ikuto turned towards Hikari to see how he was.

Before he could think up a reply for Ikuto, not even sure of the answer a stunning blow of cold force knocked his senses about. still on his feet but shacking his head off the neko's eyes once again became as cold as ice. bearing his teeth and glaring down the way it bully Hikari suddenly bolted after him. He'd had enough of being scolded and scorned for being only what he was. The unacknowledged violence and hatred that had built up in the neko cut lose. Growling and flaxing his had, bearing nails sharper and tougher than a humans, he had every intension of ripping the man up.

"Hikari!!!" Ikuto screamed, running after him. Without thinking, Ikuto stopped running when he got to the other side of the street, panting and exhausted, and just yelled at him. "HIKARI! You're better than him! You're better than everyone! Just stop!" He knew -- just knew -- that it was the last straw for the neko, but he couldn't let Hikari do this to himself. Ikuto knew that it was his turn to make sure Hikari's anger never came back. "Hikari!" he yelled a final time, his voice hoarse. It was then that Ikuto heard the honking of a horn, flashing lights, and then... Absolutely nothing as he felt himself be slammed into the pavement.

In his blind chase Hikari had lost sight of what was truly important to him. Shafts of light and skreetch of tires pulled his attention back to the street. Freezing in his tracks the neko was breifly lost in the terror. ...blood.... he remembered, so much blood, so much pain he could hardly tell one hit from another....then just the same as it had come to pass in these breif and horrible moments Hikari had been pushed in front of a car.

Now Ikuto suffered the same fate, only at Hikari's hands.

Shaking these thoughts away like a dark cloud the neko rushed bac into the street dilicatly brushing a hand on his face. "no....no...no no NO NOOO" His anger melted to sorrow, ears drooping and tail on the ground as he crouched by his crumbled freind. The driver was long gone, with no help to be had this late at night Hikari hesitently put a hand to Ikuto's face. He knew nothing, nothing, just a stupid little neko like him was no help. Deciding he had to risk it Hikari carefully picked up his freind, resting his shoulders in one arm and the krook of his knee over the other.

The hospital wasnt so far, he knew the city like the back of his hand and in a careful but desperate march Hikari went through the drifting snow to get Ikuto to the hospital and to help.

Ikuto's eyes fluttered open slightly in the next few seconds, and he could hear Hikari screaming, but he couldn't move, he couldn't speak. When Hikari picked him up, Ikuto managed to get the strength to gingerly swipe his fingers along the neko's cheek. He smiled as best he could, whispering, "I'm fine..." before falling back into a black pool of pain where his senses were overridden. He slipped back into unconsciousness.

The next time Ikuto woke up, all his saw was white. His first instinct told him that he was dead, in heaven, or somewhere. But the smell of doctors and morphine convinced him otherwise. All he could manage was a moan as he reached his hand out, what was he trying to reach for? He had the faintest realization that he was trying to hold Hikari.

The neko had thrown enough of a fit that he was finaly allowed to go into Ikuto's room seeing as his pacing was making everyone else nervouse. After that he had kneeled at the bed side for some hours, eventlualy falling asleep, his head still reasting there ont the starile and pale blue covers. His cheeks where pink, as was his nose, the bitter cold and the long walk having taken their coarse. His silent and dozing form only just roused at the sensation of the bed sheets moving. Taking Ikuto's outsretched hand with a look of concern he remianed silent.

Ikuto felt the warmth of Hikari's hand and smiled -- it was only that feeling that could make his heart throb with warmth. "H-Hey, Hikari," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "Looks like... You saved my life. I guess we're even now." The raven grinned and gave the neko a weak squeeze of the hand. He turned his head slightly to see the neko. "I guess karma is a bitch, huh?" Ikuto chuckled, thinking that the same fate had landed on Ikuto -- being hit by a car just like his family -- because he had stopped repenting.

Ikuto remembered exactly what happened -- he wasn't going to let that guy escape next time. He'd beat up Masaya himself.

HIkari let his head rest on the bed still, his legs near numb, looking sad and perhaps a bit sick. He said nothing just holding Ikuto's hand and rubbing his thumb back and forth across the top of it. HIs tail flicking back and forth told of silent patience and remorse. Hikari could not find his voice to speek or the strength to look Ikuto in the eye.

He had done this, plain and simple.

Ikuto's demeanor saddened when he realized what Hikari thought. He sighed and pat the boy's head, rubbing right behind his ears. "Don't you dare blame yourself, I know I don't, he mumbled, quietly massaging Hikari's head. Anything to make the neko feel better. "You saved me silly. Now look at me, alright? These red eyes don't bite," he teased, poking the neko in the forehead. "You didn't do anything. You still are, and always will be, my best friend."

not liking the feeling of being pocked the neko wrinkled his nose and shook his head to be rid of the sensation and liad back down looking at Ikuto. If not in the eyes he was still looking at him wich was better. He was glad his freind wasnt mad but at the sime time upset and perhaps more guilty at this fact. refusing t move from that spot he was hungry, tired and sore but not caring for any of it. It was almost as if he was afriad that he might lose red eyes if he even dare step away from the hosital bed.

A nurse hat had come in the door stood a ways behind him frowning and a bit disgruntled at his pressence. To most he was a beast not a young man.

When the nurse came in, Ikuto turned his head towards her and sighed. A nurse means medicine, and medicine meant him falling asleep again. He searched for Hikari's hand and found it, squeezing it gently right before the nurse did exactly what he expected. In no time at all, he felt drowsy again, going to fall into that deep pool again. But he didn't want to leave the neko; not like this. "Hn, 'ey Hikari," he said, his words unintentionally slurring. "You better not leave, 'kay? No matter what... And go eat something, silly neko..." In matter of minutes, Ikuto slipped away to sleep again, his breathing slowing down.

Once Ikuto was asleep again the neko stood, stiff and sore, looking down upon his freind. Lightly nuzzling his forehead to red eyes' he reluctantly headed down to a vending machine. In his pocket was some spare change he'd scrounged out of the streets and had been hoarding for some time. After a simple dinner of some chips and a water Hikari headed back to Ikuto's room. Some passer byers in the hall occasionaly glared and sneared at the scruffy mess while other looked on in concern.

In the room was a chair and te neko decided it best to sleep in that s he didnt disturb the drugged and sleeping Ikuto. Curling up in the white and cold silence he felt almost as if he was back in his roof den, lonely, cold and freindless.

While Ikuto was out cold, he was screaming at himself. Even in his sleep, he couldn't leave himself alone -- except this time, it wasn't about hurt himself. It was about Hikari.
Wake up! Wake up and go hug him!
He didn't do anything wrong! Help him!

It was only several hours later that the drug seemed to wear off -- those voices apparently gave him an adrenaline rush that flushed it out quickly. He groaned, opening his eyes completely and letting the light invade his sight, temporarily blinding him. "Hikari..." he called out hoarsely, his voice quiet.

with a twitch of the ear the neko awakened enough to roll over and glance to the bed. He knew he had been called but in his tired blur he was unsure if it had been a waking dream in wich he heard his name. Deciding to go to Ikuto stood at the bed side and brushed his finger tips to red eye's hand letting him know the neko was there. his ragged and messy appearence was enough to cuase scorn from on looking eyes but he refused to leave, nothing he had was of value anyway. the only thing that was even remotly worth caring about now lay in a bed, bruised and battered.

Feeling the brush of warmth on his hand, Ikuto turned his head and smiled at Hikari, trying to make him smile. "Hey," he mumbled. Then, he chuckled, although he felt a sharp pain in his chest. "You need a shower again." Taking the neko's hand in his own, the raven just stayed like that for a minute or so, his thumb making circles on the top of the other's hand. Ikuto couldn't help but feel horrible for doing this to Hikari. The neko thought it was his fault, but it truly wasn't. Ikuto was just stupid enough to stop in the middle of the street like a deer in headlights. "Hikari..." he cooed softly. "You know, it's not your fault. If you jeep on feeling guilty, I'll stop cooking for you," he joked, cracking a warm smile.

at the mention of a shower his ears srooped and is stuborn expression clearly told his thoughts; i do not.... though Ikuto was right, if only by human standards, the neko wasnt about to admit it. his stubborn and slighlty upset melted away into a very small but still pressent smile. Ikuto had always made good on his threats, something he found amusing and admirable. Leaning over to sniff at Ikuto's hair, or rather the bandage on his freinds head, Hikari was still convinced itwas his fualt. The scent in the bandage of medication and blood had somewhat dulled telling the neko his freinds wouldnt where just barely starting to heal over, if only in the scabbing stage.

The news was welcome at least.

The neko's smile was a welcome sight -- Ikuto finally got him to show it. It caused the raven's smile to brighten extensively. He even chuckled heartily when Hikari sniffed him. "What? Do I smell good? I'm pretty sure I smell like damn morphine," he joked, sticking his tongue out. Slowly, as to not hurt himself, Ikuto managed to wrap his right arm around the neko's shoulders, pulling him into an awkward hug of sorts. "This," he whispered. "Is for the comforting hug I wasn't able to give you before."

Not replying but instead occupied with picking out the different scents his heart seized in momentary terror at the sudden embrace. Once his nerves calmed upon realizing what was happening Hikari hugged him back, gently as if afriad to break Ikuto. "you should get more sleep." he whispered finaly finding his words once again. they'd be here at least a few more hours util all the Xrays where proccessed and a descision was made as to the state of Ikuto's well being.

Ikuto grunted in disapproval. "Screw sleep," he mumbled, rolling his eyes. "I think I've slept enough." He ruffled the neko's mangled hair, still smiling like a complete idiot. "Plus, if I sleep, I'll just worry about you, so it's pointless." The raven brushed his fingertips across Hikari's cheek and then plopped his hand down onto the bed, his body suddenly feeling stiff. "I just wanna get out of here...." He wriggles around a bit.

with a dissaproving grunt Hikari's ears perked once more. "im fine. Perhaps if i may lay at your side then will you sleep? It will be a time before they let you out of here as it is." something in Hikari's demeaner was different, stern, perhaps more grown up....the same way he'd been to the man who'd beaten him up. However this time there was a warmth beneath it that only showed for Ikuto.

though often times red eye's will would out win his own in this case he had the backing of a doctor and five nurses. the hospital couldnt let him walk away and they wouldnt, not just yet. Or at least that what Hikari thought, for all they knew a nurse could be coming down the hall even just then to tell Ikuto he could go home.

Either way he wasnt ready to let his freind strian himself if the neko even thought he wasnt well enough to.

Ikuto blinking a few times and then blushed vigorously. He couldn't understand why but... Hikari's proposition sounded pretty wonderful. Sighing in defeat, Ikuto said, "Fine. Ill sleep. But once you lay here, I'm not letting you get out." He winked at Hikari and grinned -- at least, of Hikari was here, the raven would feel so much better. "You're a... Really good friend, Hikari," Ikuto muttered. "Don't ever change, alright?" he chuckled.

Smiling warmly Hikari looked his same old chidish self, eternaly happy and bright. getting up in the bed her lay on his side, though not sure of how to situate himself in the small space. Settling on laying his soft and fluffy haired head on Ikuto's chest the neko lay there quietly. he was particularly carefull not to hurt Ikuto or wiggle about. seeing as he had to lay flat and still the neko did his best to just lay on his side and not squirm.

red eye's warmth was a comfort returned by Hikari's own body, it chased away the bitter cold of winter that sat outside the window. soon, he hoped, soon they would be home. Though he didnt like the idea that it might mean a shower.