I think Sage had forgotten that we'd be taking the train to get home, for he looked a little puzzled in the light of the station. Or maybe he just wasn't used to the noise and bustle- it was routine enough to me now, but I hadn't forgotten how disorienting it had been for me two months ago- and even now that the main rush hour was over, there were people all over the place. I kept my grip on his hand, half pulling and half guiding him through the crowd that was coming off the most recent train, and we soon made it through to the relatively quiet departure ticket area.

There were few people ahead of us and we reached the counter fairly quickly- which was just as well, because the next Azu train was due in about eight minutes. I paid, using my useful little student pass, then led Sage over to the escalators and down to the platform to wait. He hadn't said a word the whole time, but he kept pretty close to me, his eyes darting around the station as though memorizing it. When I gave him his ticket, he blushed slightly and murmured a thank-you. "No problem," I answered, watching the track. "The frequent rider program-"

"The what?"

"School pass. I call it the frequent rider, because that's basically what it is."

"For a minute I wondered if we were getting on a train or a plane," my friend remarked with a small smile.

"If this train starts flying, I'll know who to blame," I answered, smiling back, and was pleased when he laughed softly. I've been told many times that I have an inappropriate sense of humor; it was nice to know that Sage didn't object to a little flight of fancy now and again. So to speak.

We both fell quiet after that, just waiting. There weren't many people heading out of the city at this time of night, so we had little company on the platform. I could smell something cooking- burning, almost- in a nearby food-vendor's booth, and that started me thinking about something for supper, which reminded me that Sage hadn't eaten, either. I spent the next few minutes trying to remember what I had in the house that was edible and concluding that I probably should not have put off my last shopping trip. At least the spare bedroom- father's old room- was clean and would be ready to use, since I'd managed to keep Blaze from getting in there too much. I was just turning my mind to that aspect when the train pulled in.

"I better warn you-" I told Sage after we'd settled into seats, "I don't think I've mentioned White Blaze to you yet?"

"I don't think you have- who's that?" he answered interestedly as the train started up.

"That's my tiger," I explained, probably a little too casually, for Sage gave me a disbelieving look.

"You mean your cat?"

"My tiger," I repeated. "I found him- well, actually he kinda found me- two years ago, and he moved right in. He's not really a pet, more like a...companion, I guess. Though he might not be there, he goes off on his own a lot. Hunting. He keeps the deer population down pretty well."

Sage was still gazing at me, his expression almost neutral but with a hint of dubiousness in it. "Oh," he said at last, noncommittally, and I got the feeling he thought I was joking with him. "And your parents are okay with this?" he added after a moment.

My parents- I turned to look out the window beside me. There was nothing but black space and the occasional brief flash of light from under the rails, but it helped me hide the echo of pain that still twisted inside me. "I don't- have parents," I said at last, very quietly. "My mother died when I was born. And my father- when I was eight."

Sage's hand pressed gently against my arm. "I'm sorry, Ryo."

Somehow, it helped. I took a deep breath and turned back to him. "Thanks. I'll tell you- sometime. But not now."

My friend nodded gravely, glancing about. Our car was mostly empty, but it still wasn't the place I would choose to talk about such a painful, private matter, and Seiji understood that.

"So you live with a Bengal tiger?"

"Well, Himalayan," I corrected, glad for the shift of subject. "He's a white tiger."

"I might have guessed that," Sage said thoughtfully, "if he's White Blaze. But aren't tigers...territorial?"

"That's what the experts say," I agreed. "But he won't give you any difficulties, as long as I introduce you."

Sage gave me a peculiar look and didn't say anything.

"I don't mean like that," I told him with a grin, as the image of Blaze and Sage bowing to each other popped into my head. "Though I probably could, he's incredibly intelligent and I'll swear he understands every word I say. But I meant, letting him take your scent and accept that you're okay. All you'll need to do is stay calm and not stare into his eyes, he'll take that as a sign of aggression. Or at the very least, unfriendliness."

"Oh. Sort of like walking up to someone and holding your fist in their face," Sage suggested, and I nodded. "I'll remember that."

Silence fell for a while. I leaned back in my seat, letting my feelings sort themselves out. It had been a dizzying day: from half-panicked anxiety to depression to furious protectiveness to triumph...it was quite an emotional ride, even for me. The actual duel had probably been the least tiring part of the last six hours! The familiar click-clack of the rails soothed me, and Sage's presence beside me was very comforting. And to think he wanted me to teach him, even knowing that my sword-skill was in the katana and not the no-daitchi- that was a compliment! I would only be able to teach him the basics, of course, but once he'd got those down, I could send him to my own sensei, who would be glad to get another good student. Somehow, I didn't doubt that Sage would be a very good swordsman.

"Where are we getting off?" Sage asked after a while, very quietly.

"Mmm? Azu." I answered half-absently. "It's only a little village, but it gets a lot of tourists- something about the name brings them out. I don't live in the village itself, we'll have to walk a bit...and we'd better eat there, too, because I haven't been to the store lately..." I was thinking aloud, frowning a little, and turned in mild surprise as Sage touched my arm.

"You think of everything, don't you? I completely forgot about eating," he remarked almost admiringly.

"You'd remember it later, I expect," I answered wryly. "It's experience talking- I've learned not to put off shopping trips too long, since I don't like getting hunger pangs in the middle of the night and having nothing around to snack on."

Sage smiled almost mischievously. "I keep some stuff in my room for that purpose," he admitted. "The floors creak and I don't want to get mistaken for a burglar, so I make sure there's always something to eat in my closet."

"In the closet...I might have to try that, better than going out to the kitchen. If I wake up too much, I have trouble getting back to sleep."

"I know what you mean," Sage agreed, and we both went quiet again.

We were the only two who got off at the Azu stop and the depot was as deserted as usual. Even the ticketmaster had left for the night. Sage glanced around and seemed to shiver a little, pushing his hands into his pockets and following closely as I led the way out to the street. I suspected it was a big change for him, accustomed to the city, to find himself out in the countryside with the woods pressing in from all directions. The lights were fewer and farther between, the buildings all one or two levels instead of tall towering things, and there were few cars or bicycles in sight. The streets were paved, of course, but they were single narrow lanes and there were intersections with no traffic signals. The wind sighed through the forest, making the trees sway, and the stars overhead were brighter than the distant dull specks of the city. I was used to it, but to my friend, it had to be an environment both larger and smaller than he'd been in before and I led the way slowly down the block towards my favorite cafe, giving him time to take it all in.

"Different," was his laconic remark as we went in and took seats at the counter. I asked whether he meant the restaurant, which was supposedly modeled after an American truck stop, or the area in general. "Both," he answered, smiling. "Sendai wasn't as big as Toyama, but I've always been in some kind of city. Never seen so many trees in my life. And-" he paused, looking around. Posters in English, pictures of American movie stars, the blackboard menu that had a mix of American and Japanese written on it, the red white and blue color scheme. Each of the eight booths had a giant umbrella over it, held up on a pole that went through the center of the table, and the seats were blue with glittery yellow stars all over. "Is it really like this in America?" my friend finished curiously.

"Don't know, never been there," I answered, shrugging. It had never occurred to me to ask the proprietor, a sullen man, one of the few people in the village that I didn't like at all. But the cafe was cool and the food was good- and not expensive- so I was a fairly regular customer. "I kind of doubt it," I added after a moment, quietly. "It's been like this for as long as I can remember, and I bet if there ever was a place like this in the U.S., it's been changed around by now."

"Probably," Sage agreed. "They remodel a lot over there."

Our food arrived a few minutes later, brought by a sleepy-eyed teenager whom I recognized and who gave me a scowl as he set the plates down. I ignored him, though I felt a little peculiar when I noticed he was watching us both eat. Sage appeared indifferent, diving into his meal like he hadn't eaten all day. We'd both decided to be adventurous and get American sandwiches; I had roasted beef, knowing it was very good, and Sage had something called 'egg salad' which I had never had the nerve to try. To both our surprise, it had no salad in it: it was just boiled eggs cut up and mixed with some sort of thick yellowish sauce, though Sage did note that there was celery in it as well. "I think the sauce is the yolk," he concluded a little while later. "It's good." Along with the sandwiches were hot 'French' potatoes, a pile of lettuce and tomatoes, and a long slice of pickled cucumber, which I had always found intolerably bitter. Sage seemed to like his well enough, but declined to take mine, saying one was enough for him.

The waiter brought our bill after a bit, and I got another surprise; Sage reached over and took it, with a look at me that could only be called challenging. "Wait a minute," I started, and stopped as he shook his head at me.

"Train," he said meaningfully, raising his eyebrows.

I decided I wasn't going to win and let him handle it. It was a good thing I did, too, because when I emptied my pockets later, I discovered that I wouldn't have had enough money anyway. That would have been extremely embarrassing.

The waiter gave his change back, then deliberately walked to the front door and flipped the sign from 'Open' to 'Closed'. Then he took our plates and disappeared into the kitchen. Sage smiled ruefully. "Think that's a hint?"

"Definitely." I hopped off the seat, shaking my head, and a moment later we were out in the chilly dark night, the door bouncing behind us.

"What's his problem with you, anyway?"

"Oh." I made a face. Of course Sage would have noticed, alert as he was to people around him. "He made some...suggestions the last time I was in there, and wasn't too happy when I told him no." It wasn't the first time that someone had suggested I get intimate with them- more like the third- but where others had been subtle and tentative, he'd been blatant and pushy. So I hadn't been too tactful in my refusal. He'd really startled me.

"Oh, that." Sage sounded dismissive. Then his voice took on an amused note. "And of course, now that he's seen you with me, he's jumped to the wrong conclusion..."

I stopped in mid-step, then sighed and started walking again, feeling irritated. "Probably. Idiot. I told him I don't do that, but I guess he's got to turn it into something personal."

"They do that sometimes," my friend agreed, subtly telling me that he wasn't any more into it than I was. That was good to know. I wanted a friend, not a lover. "Where exactly are we going?" he added, changing the subject.

"Halfway up this block, turning off at the dirt road, and then about...twenty minutes to my house," I answered, half-apologetically. "It's back in the woods and since it's the only home up there, they can't be bothered to pave the road."

"Twenty minutes, that's about a mile," Sage mused. "And you walk down to catch the train every day, and home every night?" He sounded admiring again. I shrugged, then realized he couldn't see me in the dark.

"Only till I get my motorcycle- and the license, of course," I answered. And as we walked up the dirt path, I told him about the beautiful red motorcycle in the Mitsubishi catalogue that my heart was set on. "And while I wait, I'm learning about motorcycle repair," I concluded eventually.

"Sounds like a good idea, but since you won't be able to get the license for another few years, wouldn't a bicycle help?"

"Well, I can get a bike and then have to save that much longer...and besides, I'd still have to pedal it," I pointed out. "The idea is to get an engine involved that'll do all the work."

"Oh, I see!" Sage chuckled a little. "Well, all this walking is a good workout, right?"

"Right. I spend less time running laps at school, and have more time for other stuff."

"Which is a mixed blessing when other stuff consists of washing dishes," my friend teased.

"Dishes are fine, it's laundry that's the pain," I retorted.

"What's so bad about laundry? You dump it in the washer, and when that's done, you dump it in the dryer."

"Unless," I told him, "you have a clothesline instead of a dryer." I didn't mention the part about scrubbing clothes by hand; I wasn't ready for him to know that yet.

"Oh! I think I agree with you, in that case." Sage stopped walking and took a deep breath. I stopped too and watched him look around at the dark, silent woods. I felt suddenly sympathetic: it was all very alien to him, and not just the fact that he was standing in the middle of a forest at night, when he'd never been out of the city before. I had brought him here, far from everything familiar to him, and he'd only known me for three weeks. He had to be wondering if he'd made a mistake in trusting me.

"You know," I said slowly, "if you'd rather go back- if you think your grandfather will have calmed down by now- you can do that. I wouldn't want you to get into even more trouble by staying away all night without his permission or anything like that."

Sage turned to look at me- I could just see his face in the darkness under the trees, but I couldn't see his expression at all. "No," he answered softly. "I doubt I'll get into any more trouble for staying away all night than I will for leaving in the first place. And he won't be over being angry yet, so he'd have all the excuse he needed... Later, when he's calmer, he'll realize that people would ask questions, and it wouldn't do his reputation any good at all for it to become common knowledge. But right now he might feel it's worth his reputation..."

I moved to his side and gripped his shoulder, appalled all over again at the weary, matter-of-fact tone in his voice. So much logic on the surface, and so much misery underneath it! "I almost wish I had killed him," I said grimly, and turned to guide my friend up the path towards my home.

It seemed like more than a mile from the little village of Azu (and I could see why the name of the place attracted tourists; they must have come thinking they'd find a zoo, either of the animal-keeping kind or of the wild party kind. They probably felt very disappointed when they got there, too) to Ryo's house, probably because most of the walk was uphill. I was in pretty good shape generally- swordwork will do that for you, if not as well as soccer will- but I was more tired than usual that night. It's strange how emotional stress will leave you physically worn out.

Eventually the path evened out, though the trees on either side edged closer in. I had never been in a forest before, and wasn't sure I liked the experience, especially at night. It was so quiet and so dark, and I couldn't help feeling that anything might be lurking nearby or coming up behind us. I definitely didn't like the lack of visibility; the trees were simply black shadows on black night, and the bushes at their roots seemed to be reaching for me. On the other hand, the air was very cool, but much fresher than I was used to, and the stars that I could see through the branches were brighter than I had ever seen them. Overall, I would have liked it better if there had been more light, even just some moonlight.

I almost didn't see Ryo's house at all when we got there. All I was aware of at first was that the forest had pushed back and left us walking across a clearing, and it was really the grass under my feet that made me notice this. Then I spotted the dark bulk of a building and realized this must be the place, since he'd said there were no other houses up here. As Ryo went up the steps in front of the door to unlock it, I noticed that the house was of wood, rather than bricks or stone, which was a little unusual. Then he opened the door and went in, and light suddenly spilled out. I didn't wait to look around any further, just hurried up the steps and into the welcome illumination. I didn't have much time to look around, though, because the first thing my eyes went to as I entered the living area was the sofa. The sofa, and the gigantic tiger sprawled across it, his head lolling on one of the arms.

"White Blaze!" Ryo complained, walking over to the sofa and poking the big cat. White Blaze's ears twitched, but he didn't move. "How many times have I told you to stay off the couch?" Now the tiger moved; turning his head and stretching out his paws, he yawned widely. "Yeah, yeah- just get down, you lazy lump." White Blaze heaved a sigh, then slowly maneuvered himself off the sofa and down to the floor beside it, leaning his black-striped side against the lower part of the couch. Ryo snorted, then knelt beside the tiger and rubbed his head, muttering something about loopholes. I let out my breath and, suddenly feeling the chill against my back, reached behind me to quietly close the door.

It may have been the door shutting that caught Blaze's attention, or it may have been my scent, but when I looked up again, I was being gazed at by two large, glassy-blue tiger eyes. Remembering what Ryo had said about staring, I shifted my gaze away and regarded my friend instead. I was a little surprised at how calm I felt, and when Ryo turned and beckoned me over, I obeyed without hesitating. I crouched beside him and let him take my hand and offer it to the big animal. White Blaze leaned forward and sniffed curiously as Ryo said quietly, "White Blaze, this is my friend, Sage. He's staying with us tonight."

White Blaze's reaction was to get to his feet and sniff me over thoroughly, then sit down and regard me with all the curiosity a cat can muster. I looked into his eyes for just a moment, then reached up and daringly scratched behind his ears. The big cat closed his eyes and tilted his head appreciatively, so I lowered my hand to rub his jaw and under his chin. White Blaze made a strange sound- not quite a purr but definitely not a growl- sprawled out on the floor again, and put his head on my leg. Ryo looked over at me with a surprised smile. "My sister had a cat," I explained to his look. "A very inferior creature," I added to Blaze, who grunted as I went back to his ears, "but it did give me some practice in knowing what we humans are supposed to do when confronted with a feline."

Blaze grunted again and pushed his forehead against my leg in what I recognized as a gesture of affection as Ryo laughed. "You've just made yourself his slave for life, you know," he warned me. "Now he'll think you have nothing better to do than sit and pay attention to him. Isn't that right, you attention hog?" he added, tugging gently on Blaze's ear. White Blaze lifted one giant paw and swatted at Ryo's hand, claws retracted; I smiled, running my hand over the thick, coarse fur and taking in the house as Ryo teased his tiger.

The main room was divided into two distinct sections, as was usual. The front end, the side closer to the big stone fireplace, had been set up as the sitting room, with the couch and two chairs arranged in a square. There was a low table next to one of the chairs, under the window in the wall, and Ryo's schoolbooks were stacked on it. A small square of padding lay beside the table, so I assumed Ryo sat there, using the table as his desk. The rear of the room, the side closer to the kitchen, was clearly the eating area. There was a small round table and several chairs near the kitchen doorway, which was on the right side of the house, and a cabinet against the wall. To the left of the kitchen door was another doorway that led into a hallway, and I figured that led to the bedrooms and bathroom.

Over my head, the rafters of the ceiling angled up to meet at the peak of the roof. I had never seen that before, either, and thought it was rather intriguing, especially the two light fixtures. One hung over the area we were in and the other hung over the table, and instead of being electric lights, they were oil lamps. There was another oil lamp flickering on a table near the door and several candles set in strategic places through the room. It didn't surprise me much; electricity was expensive and unreliable, and I doubted the house was wired at all. The floor was mostly smooth, bare wood, except for a square of rug in the sitting area and the stone hearth of the fireplace, and as I looked at it, I realized that neither of us had stopped to take off our shoes as we entered. That was hard to believe: shoe removal was such an ingrained habit that one did it automatically, without even thinking about it.

"You said you've never been to America?" I asked curiously, thinking that might explain a few things.

"I never have, but my father went there a lot and he brought some of their habits home with him," Ryo explained, poking White Blaze in the stomach. The tiger responded with a growl and a quick snap at his hand, then lay back on his side, yawned, and stretched. The sight made me yawn too, and that set Ryo off. "It seems to be unanimous," he remarked after a moment. "Why don't I show you to the bedroom?"

"Sounds like a great idea," I agreed, trying to stifle another yawn, and got to my feet to follow him through the second door and down the hall. There was a closed door at the end of the corridor, another in the wall to the left of it, and two more on the right side, fairly close together. I was musing about what an odd shape the house must have when Ryo took me to the door on the left and opened it to reveal a small but cozy guest-room. I wasn't entirely surprised to see that the bed was an American-style bed with a mattress and bedframe, instead of a futon on the floor. There was a desk with a battery-lamp beside the bed, and a shelf over the desk with several things, including a wind-up alarm clock- which Ryo assured me was turned off- sitting on it. There was also a door in the wall at the end of the bed, which I assumed was a clothes closet, since there was no dresser. The floor mats were pale green and the window next to the bed had curtains of the same shade.

"The bathroom's there," Ryo explained, "the first on the left, and my room's right after it- if you need anything, just yell. Oh- and-" He paused, poking his head around behind the door, then turned back to me with a nod. "I wasn't sure if I left it in here or not." He pulled the door partly closed and I saw a white robe hanging from a hook on the wall. "Sleep well," he concluded with that friendly smile.

"Ryo-" I sat down on the bed and regarded him for a minute, words tangling in my head. I've never been very good at putting feelings into words. Lack of practice. "Thank you so much," I offered at last, feeling horribly inadequate. "For everything. I don't know how to tell you how much it all means to me."

He crossed the room, reached down, and clasped my hand in the gesture that was becoming our private version of a declaration of friendship. I expected a simple, light-hearted, 'you're welcome', but what he said as he looked down at me was, "I'm glad you're here, my friend." A pause as I regarded him curiously, and then he added, "Most of the time, being up here alone doesn't bother me. Today it did, that's why I went into town, and I'm very glad I did. For both our sakes."

I nodded my understanding, squeezing his hand and feeling somewhat better about the situation. It was nice to know that my presence served a purpose- eased his loneliness- rather than just being an obligation of common decency. "So am I," I agreed. And that seemed to be all there was to say. After a moment, he let go of my hand and left the room, giving me a backwards glance and smile as he closed the door softly behind him. I sighed, suddenly feeling dreadfully tired, and made short work of getting into the bed and turning off the light. I think I fell asleep within five minutes of lying down, too weary to lie awake and replay the day's events in my mind.

Laughter and jeers and cruel, mocking words. Faces that blurred in and out of focus around me. The familiar ache in my arms, the jarring impact of metal on metal. Voices all around me, scoffing, insulting. Dishonorablebastard, worthless hanyou, shameful disgrace, pathetic lackwit, disgustingly weak- all the words I'd heard a million times. And others: Ugly, demon-brat, bad luck, filthy gaijin, scum, evil-eye...

I was in a building I recognized by design if not by sight. I was at a tournament, in my gi, and I was fighting an opponent far my superior. I was exhausted, dripping sweat and bleeding from a dozen cuts, but I knew there was no surrender here, and no judge would step in to stop the fight. The mats under my feet were slippery; the spectators crowded in around the square, shouting jibes and taunts at me, encouraging the man opposite me, cheering every time his blade cut into my flesh. Take him down. Kill him. Teach him a lesson. I could hear my own harsh breathing, felt my sword shake in my hands, felt the pain burn up through my wounds- And then I fell, my sword flying from my hand, and froze as a sharp point pricked my throat. I stared up at the General, shaking, and the crowd quieted to hear him speak.

Tell us a joke, worthless son of my disobedient daughter. Say something amusing. Show these honorable men that you can laugh in the face of death. No? You have nothing to say, no words of wisdom for us? No defiance? How fitting, since you have neither the soul nor the skill nor the honor of a warrior. You have nothing. You are nothing. You have brought nothing but shame to my house, boy. It ends now. Thus do I cleanse the name of Date.

The blade lifted and the crowd roared and light flashed as it fell, the sharp edge slicing into my chest-

"Sage! Sage, it's all right. Easy...it was a dream, Seiji, just a dream. It's okay. You're all right."

Warm arms holding me close against a strong body. Quiet darkness. A familiar voice murmuring gentle words, hands that soothed across my back and shoulders. I clung, terror-stricken, shaking and gasping for breath, struggling to loosen the grip of that bright room and the sharp pain and the loud voices...and the fear. Softness...softness under my legs and something tucked around me- a bed, I was sitting up in a bed, tangled in the sheet. Moonlight was streaming in through the curtained window beside me, and I blinked around uncertainly as some of my fear abated. I wasn't in the tournament ring- but where was I? And who was holding me so kindly?

"Easy," the voice said softly, the light voice of a boy about my own age...a voice I suddenly recognized, but what was he doing here? And where was here, anyway? "You had a nightmare, but it's over now, and I'm here."

"Ryo?" I managed his name without choking, but all the same I hardly recognized my own voice. "What...where-?"

Ryo leaned away for a moment, there was a soft click, and the small room was suddenly lit with a soft yellow glow as the lamp on the desk came on. I gasped, blinking, then looked around and memory returned in a rush. Meeting in the park- talking- the challenge- the train trip to his village- the walk to his home- and now... "Remember now?" His arms went around me again and I nodded, closing my eyes and absorbing the comfort that he radiated like sunshine.

It seemed like a long time before I stopped shaking, but when I looked up at the clock, only a few minutes had passed. "Didn't mean to wake you," I whispered at last, not quite ready to sit up and leave that reassuring embrace. I wondered vaguely how he could be so warm, for the night was chilly and he had no shirt on. Then I concluded I was cold from fear, and forgot about it as his hand pressed against my back.

"I'm glad I did wake up," he answered quietly, and gratitude replaced most of my lingering fear. He was so kind, so- strong! "Do you want to tell me about it, or would you rather just forget it?" he added through my reflections.

I hesitated, wincing as the shapes re-formed in my memory. I won't forget this one in a hurry. Might as well tell him, maybe it'll help. "It- it was a tournament. And everyone was against me, insulting me. And there were no judges...I was...I was fighting...him. And he- won, and they all wanted him to- to-"

"Shhh..." Ryo stroked my back again. "Shh...it's okay. Open your eyes, Seiji, and look around. You're safe."

I did as he said, gazing around the room and fixing it in my mind, driving out the dream and replacing it with reality. Finally I sat up, still gripping Ryo's arm, and took a few long, steadying breaths. "I think I'm okay now," I offered rather faintly.

"You look better," he agreed, regarding me. "Why don't you lie down again, you're chilly."

I obeyed, lying passive while he arranged the covers around me, watching his movements with wide eyes. He'd seemed so much older while he held me that I half expected him to look like an adult, but he didn't. He looked like any teenager woken in the middle of the night: sleepy-eyed, tousle-haired, half-undressed and slightly clumsy, and younger than he really was.

After he got the bed arranged to his satisfaction, Ryo leaned over and turned out the light, plunging the room into darkness. I shivered, closing my eyes, wishing he wouldn't leave. I was sure I wouldn't be able to sleep again, with or without him, but I dreaded the idea of being alone with my thoughts. Still, it wouldn't be right to keep him awake just because I was still uptight, so I kept my mouth shut. To my amazement, though, he seemed to have shared my thought, for he settled down beside me on the bed. "Ryo?" I whispered shakily.

"If you'd rather I left-" he began, sounding uncertain.

"No! Please, I'd rather you stayed- if- if you don't mind?"

"I don't mind at all," he agreed, and reached up to pat my shoulder. "Just relax, Seiji, I'm right here."

"Aren't you going to get cold?" I murmured.

"Hmm," was his only reply, but he did wrap a fold of the sheet around himself. "Think about something else, my friend. Think about something pleasant...like..."

"I could- I could think about watching a soccer match," I suggested, putting my hand over his, and smiled a little when he chuckled.

"Like that. Good idea," he said cheerfully. "You do that, and when we win the next game, assuming we do, I'll tell the team it's because you foresaw it all. Take their egos down a bit, they're getting kinda smug lately."

"Oh, I don't think I want to be known as a seer," I protested, feeling better by the minute. "Then everyone will be after me to tell them what's on the next test!"

"Ooo, good point, I didn't think of that," Ryo mused. "Hmm. Well- think about it, and see if you can find some way to de-smug them without actually losing a game."

"De-smug," I repeated, shaking my head. Ryo made up a lot of odd words, but that was the weirdest one so far. "I dare you to use that in grammar class."

"Only if you succeed in doing it to the team," he bargained, and I could hear the grin in his voice.

"It's a deal," I told him, and this time when the silence fell, it was simply the ordinary silence of late night, not the terrifying silence of unspoken fears. I don't know how long it was before the security of my friend's presence lulled me back to sleep, I only know that it did. And this time, no nightmares disturbed me.