AN: Oops! An even shorter chapter... But I updated twice in one week. Or, in two months. O.O maybe more... Well, here you goes, I give you another chapter, since I love you all so much!

“Look,” Tsume growled, narrowing his eyes at Kiba, “you really should be begging us not to rip your throat out for what you did. Dragging us out of this city, trying to find your goddam paradise. And if we’d found it, we would be there, and not here in this stinking city.”

Kiba was silent, as usual. Probably remembering Cheza.

“You never cared about any of us, but especially the runt here,” Tsume hissed, stepping up beside Kiba. “All you could think about was the pleasure that flower brought you. At least you owe the runt something, for letting him die.”

“That wasn’t my fault!” Kiba cried, spinning around with tears in his eyes.

Tsume smirked. “Sure,” he said, enjoying watching Kiba seem weak. The stubborn bastard would never take credit for anything. “Can’t remember why we followed you now, really,” Tsume added, watching the white wolf carefully.

Toboe stood by, puzzled. The trouble was, this rivalry between the two felt right somehow, as if he knew it. Like he’d watched it happen a thousand times. Possibly, he should hang back, or possibly, he should stop them from fighting. Talk to Tsume about it, make him understand.

“Hey,” he said softly, and both wolves’ eyes turned to him. “Stop it, you guys, okay?”

Kiba looked at Tsume. “He hasn’t forgotten,” he said slowly, looking Tsume in the eye. Then, with a leap, he was climbing up the wall, onto the roof, and was gone. Tsume was poised to leap after him, but Toboe grabbed his arm. Tsume looked at him, shrugged him off, and leaned against the wall, arms crossed, brooding.

“I knew him… Kiba,” Toboe said, watching his feet. “I don’t remember how, but it’s like he’s… inside me.”

Tsume snorted. “He left us to die.”

“He was our leader?” Toboe asked, gazing up at Tsume, who shifted his feet uncomfortably. The sudden look of adoration reminded him of the old days.

“Not really,” Tsume said, and shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”

Toboe glared. “I think it does matter. Stop pretending that you don’t care.”

“I don’t,” Tsume said coolly, uncrossing his arms and walking out of the alley. The rain was coming down harder now, and Toboe instinctively followed the black wolf out into the downpour.

“Hey, stop it,” Toboe whined, not meaning to sound so desperate. His body was betraying him, urging him to stay close to Tsume, but the man was driving him insane.

“You just don’t change, do you,” Tsume said, smirking. “Still following me around.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Toboe growled.

They faced each other, the water cascading down on them from the surrounding roofs, the grime being washed off the streets, and stared.

“Can’t you remember any of it?” Tsume pressed, his face serious now. They saw themselves as wolves to each other, standing off in the street, their coats dripping with rain water. But they also saw each other as humans, clothes soaking wet, eyes full of yearning.

Toboe shook his head. “I remember you,” he said, so quietly that it was almost drowned out by the sound of the rain against the concrete. They stepped towards each other. Toboe was filled with an unfamiliar feeling that something good was going to happen. That this life was finally beginning to make sense. Tsume felt suddenly conflicted, as if he was unsure of himself, but without thinking further, he reached his arms around and embraced the small wolf. And as wolves, they were body to body, face to tail, locked close to each other, eyes closed, leaning against one another. Then the black wolf turned around and began to lick the auburn wolf’s ears, gently (Tsume casually stroking Toboe’s ears with a few fingers), licking the fur on his head (running a hand through his hair), licking at his muzzle (kissing him gently on the lips). As wolves, Tsume had taken Toboe’s muzzle in his own, but as humans their tongues were dancing and they felt suddenly… free. Toboe felt more like a wolf, purer and free from the humans, their grime, their city, their bodies, all touching him. Together, he and Tsume could transcend that. Tsume knew the feeling, felt his heart cry out to be closer to the other wolf, to be so close that they were one being.

And then Tsume did something unmistakably human in grabbing Toboe’s ass.

And Toboe drew back with a strangled cry, horror and confusion in his eyes, before darting away, down the street, and out of sight.

“Toboe!” Tsume called, and did something he’d forgotten he could do.

Tsume howled.