He stood still for countless minutes. Coming out of his thoughts reluctantly, he turned her head and looked up at his partner. Hakuba gave her a reassuring smile. "It's not your fault. I wasn't much help either."

The moved took the steaming cup from her hands and sipped, then he left the cup on the couch next and pushed her red hair out of her face.

Sleep did not come easily to him at night. He knew at least part of the reason that he couldn’t sleep and hadn’t been able to for quite awhile. Did he really want to admit the fears, if only to himself? They were dangerous, these feelings.

Certainly he would never admit them to the others though surely she must know. Sometimes it seemed that she knew more about him than he did about him self. But if she did know she at least had the courtesy not to speak of it.