Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Everything ❯ Mii-Mii's Choice ( Chapter 14 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

AN:

Ok. Whoops, over three months since my last update. I'm so, so, so unbelievably sorry! I grovel before you. Please forgive my inability to give you wonderful readers faster updates. I was supposed to update before the summer vacation started but as usual, I was unable to. Though I did manage to get volume 10 of Furuba and thought it was such an intense volume! Except for the part where Tohru forgot to breathe whilst she was swimming... LOL, now that was just friggin' hilarious. Once again, Nathan is at his grandparents' house visiting, so I finally had the time to relax and write up this chapter :) I cannot believe that he is almost a year old. Time flies so quickly; one blink and a week is gone, a turn of the head and a month flies by... It's just too bewildering to comprehend. So much has happened in the past year, but we still persevere. That's the most fascinating thing about human beings. No matter how hard life knocks us down, we always get up and are stronger for it. Ok, I'm being far too hippyish lol.

Anyways, I know it must be frustrating for readers when author's don't update quickly but I'm lucky to have such wonderful people reading my story! Thanks to everyone that reviewed! Since I have time, I will be replying to reviews, so get ready...

Here we go!


Lathayan: Thank you so much! I hope you like this update just as much as the last. There's still quite a bit to come :D

Kaoru4: Sorry you couldn't read the chapter soon, but I hope this chapter compensates for my lack of updates :) Thanks for your kind words!

xnewtx: I'm happy to learn you found the last part with Yuki and Tohru touching! Akito has a lot of emotions buried deep inside him, so please give him a chance :) and yeah.. the menus suck d'ck. Can I say that? Oops.. Thanks so much for reviewing.

Magletoast: Aww, thank you so much! Your review made me want to burst out into song! In fact, I think I did! It earned me a great look of disgust from my significant other but guess what? I don't care! I don't care because you like my story and have dreams about it! I love you! Thank you, I am honored to have your opinion :)

Ariyana: Hello again my faithful reviewer! Have I told you how much I value and enjoy reading your opinions? Your constant insight into the depth of the characters of Furuba and of my story have me speechless each time. I'm sorry I couldn't e-mail you, I just hadn't found the time to check my inbox previously. When I logged in, I was overwhelmed with so many emails, I didn't know what to do! Anyway, I'd like to address the issue about Tohru since I haven't had the chance to do so before. People think Tohru is such a simple character of Furuba. In fact, they couldn't be far from the truth! I cringe when I see fanfiction written about her as though she's some dull teen who is seemingly perfect in every given way and every male character just falls at her feet with adoration and love. I mean, let's face, she is definitely not perfect by any means. I think, on a personal thought, she is one of the most flawed characters of Furuba. Which is why I love her so much. Because her flaws are so endearing and because of her sensitive nature, one feels empathy towards a character like Tohru. There is such a wealth of emotion buried within Tohru's character that people often tend to ignore Takaya-sensei's subtle hints about the unlimited depth of her personality. I like to think that I am capturing her personality from a different side of the spectrum, and hopefully it fits in with my story so that readers can relate to how truly burdened she is. Thanks so much for reviewing ;) I hope my words gave you some insight into my thoughts about Tohru and I hope you enjoy this chapter

anonymous: Thanks, I will! P.S. please don't pee in your pants... heehee.

sami1010220: Thank you!

Little red bookworm: You didn't got to school?? 'gasp' lol, thanks so much for reviewing. Indeed, what's going to happen when the baby's born nine months later? I hope your revision went well and I hope this chapter saved you from the edge of your computer chapter :)

Ce'Lyra: Thanks for reviewing! Tohru will be fine... or will she? hahaha....

meethzoonk: Thanks! Not sure it might be a Toriru :P

animefreak777: It's not finished! Don't stop reading! lol, sorry for the late update.

animeluver7: Are you the same person as animefreak? lol, I'm confuzzled. Thanks for your well wishes and review.

KyouFan17: I'm glad this story caught your interest and I hope it keeps it! There'll be some more K/T action coming so don't go anywhere! My son gave a burp to your hi when I told him, lol. I think it's his way of saying hello. That, or he's just full :)

GoldenSilence: I like your pen-name! I feel so proud to have kept you up so late :) It just shows how much you enjoyed my story so far. Your comments are so thoughtful! But I have to confess I'm disappointed to have kept everyone waiting so long for another chapter. Hopefully that won't happen again. Aw, I'm glad you find this worth the wait! Thank you so very much! (I sound hideously like Tohru there, don't I?) :D

Syoko101: Thanks so much, my son waves hello to you. Well, that was just me shaking his arm, but you get the drift lol.

Centralility: I'm happy to learn I've stunned you, now snap out of it! lol, thanks so much for your review.

catgirlcersion3.0otakufan: Phew, it's always a mission to write out your fantastic name. Thanks for reviewing.

blackrose10307: Yes, Tohru's pregnant lol. She is pregnant by Hitoshi, those two have a very healthy relationship. Thanks for your review.

PeaceSeeker: Ah, I just love reading your reviews! Thanks so much for your kind, amazing comments. How are you? I hope you're well and good. I don't know where to start! lol, so I think I'll answer your question. I named my son Nathan Alexander because I had always loved the name Nathan and Alexander is my father in-law's name. So my husband and I decided to give him that name, lol. I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter, things are heating up so get ready!

Sayuri: Thanks so much for reviewing! Happy to know you like the Yukiru in the chapter. I'm thinking of putting some more in ;)

loyanini: That's ok, I get hyper myself so I understand :D Thanks for reviewing.

pruningshears: That is creepy... Thanks for the review!

Kaiba's Slave: I'm so happy you liked that chapter! I hope to continue making chapters that are even better. I'm sorry I didn't update sooner :( real life sometimes gets in the way and it... well, it sucks! lol. Thanks for reviewing.

Kawaii-cat: Thanks!

moira2: Thanks so much for your lovely review! I'm glad to know you think I've captured the Juunishi well enough. It's been hard but rewarding at the same time when I get reviews like yours! I can't say much about Mii and Shigure, but after you read this chapter I don't want you to worry, things will work out!

trunks1gurl: We'll find out how Kyo reacts, very soon! Thanks for reviewing.

Frankie Crow: Thanks so much for you comments! It's still a mystery as to who Tohru will be paired with, but I think it's pretty obvious now lol. Forgive me for making you wait so long between updates, life has been pretty crazy lately.

Twilight Aura: lol thanks so much! I've never been called the greatest author, and though I may not deserve it, I appreciate your kind comments! I love you :D

m Y $ + < e: Very intriguing name! I hope you're still waiting with anticipation for the new chapters, otherwise I might have bored you by making you wait so long between updates. So sorry! Shigure's love-life hangs in the balance... heh. Thanks for reviewing.

Brittany Thompson: Thank you! Really? One of the best? I'm flattered you like it so much!

Lisha Lane: Every story has a happy ending... Though mine may not have one! lol. Don't worry, I won't be cruel to leave it hanging like that. A lot of people like the Shigure/Mii pairing, I'm afraid this chapter may make people dislike Mii a bit, but I guess that's the way the cookie crumbles. Enjoy this chapter and I'm sorry I made you wait so long :)

Katara: Wow, thanks for the honorific. I am honored -bows- :D Glad you're enjoying this so far, I hope that I continue to meet your expectations.

Moa, Kurisu: Oh dear, I got you hooked on fanfiction! At least I'm good for something lol. Your review was so kind and wonderful, I am lucky to have reviewers like yourself and the others. Their patience knows no bounds, but there are the occasional nasty people. I just tend to ignore them now :D and focus on the better reviews, like yours. Thank you so much.

Andane: It doesn't sound cliche! It's nice to know you like this story as much as you do :)

Siobhain: Thank you! You will find out who Tohru ends up with at the end :)

stargazer starluver: Well, I didn't update soon but I hope this chapter makes up for things! Thanks for reviewing.


Previously...

For that one moment of bliss, he returned her embrace and clung to her as though she was his life-line. Even though he knew that he was meant to offer her comfort, he found himself being comforted in her arms. Kami-sama, he had missed her! He had missed everything about her! Just the knowledge that an outsider knew of their curse and accepted them so readily, was a blessing. Only now, her knowledge of them was at the cost of losing her husband and son.

All too soon, Yuki felt a familiar tingle at the base of his spine. But he did not care one single bit. He closed his eyes as he heard the boom and slowly felt his bones transforming and metamorphosing in the creature that he had been cursed with from birth. His clothes fell away, yet he remained within Tohru's grasp. She held him lightly within her hands and deftly placed her cheek against the side of his head, sinking to kneel upon the cold wood floor.

However many hours, minutes or seconds that passed by, the pair did not notice nor did they care.

The odd couple simply allowed themselves to be comforted; the onigiri and the rat.


Warm chocolate brown eyes settled upon the silver device resting beyond a pale, shaking hand.

Mii sighed heavily as she leaned forward to capture the offending object. A blank screen glared back at her from the display of her miniature cell phone.

He had stopped calling her.

Her phone had been ringing constantly for more than an hour after she had left Shigure's home in a blaze of untouchable anger. As she made her way home, she couldn't even muster an ounce of courage to answer his constant calls. She had been like a woman possessed in his house–white hot fury bubbled dangerously within her veins as she spoke a barrage of hurtful words that she did not mean. But he had gone too far. There was only so much a person could take, and she had reached her limit.

And then, the ringing of her cell phone stopped completely. It was almost as if Shigure had disappeared in the blink of an eye. Finally, Mii admitted the truth. She didn't want him to stop. She wanted him to keep calling; it let her know that he cared. It let her know that she could affect his cool demeanor, that she could break through the impenetrable barriers of the fortress he had walled his heart within.

Gods, she did love him. As foolish and idiotic and unreasonable as it was, she loved him more than life itself. But she could never tell him that. The cold, beautiful man would laugh in her face if she confessed her true feelings to him. And she did not think that her heart could take such a brutal beating–not from him. No. Certainly not from him. She could endure the silent suffering of her unrequited love, but she could never endure his scorn; his teasing.

A crystal tear formed within the corner of her eye. How could he have no idea about the true extend of her feelings? How could he be so blind to her love? She did not endure his constant, impractical jokes and pranks because she thought they were funny. That was the furthest from the truth. They weren't funny; not to her. They hurt and made her feel insignificant and burdened, as if she held no meaning to him. She suffered his practical jokes because... Because she loved him.

Love.

That four letter word was the bane of her existence. It was the sole reason for the sleepless nights she would lay awake and dream–dream about how they would be happy together... But that was all it was. A dream. Many times, she wept at his callous, disregarding behavior. And sometimes, she felt invisible in his presence. She knew that she would remain invisible to his eyes forever.

And even after this day, Mii knew that she would return to him–she always has done and she always will. There was no doubt about that. She would return to his side and once again, she would allow him to tease and hurt her until every fiber of her soul had been torn apart from her heart.

“Mii-chan, you're home?”

Mii looked up from her position on the comfortable couch, to the bleary-eyed man standing in the doorway of his room.

She smiled gently.

Her flat-mate was a wonderful man. She was glad for his friendship and she was glad for his solid, constant companionship. He was like a rock in the treacherous ocean that was her life. The one person she could always count on to be there for her–so unlike Shigure. She could read every emotion in her flat-mate's eyes and perhaps that was one of the reasons they knew one another so well; they respected one another. Deep within her heart, she knew that he cared for her... He was not bound to her in friendship, but in love. She knew this, but she couldn't bring herself to acknowledge the feelings he harboured for her. And so, they continued along the rocky path of friendship, sometimes stumbling and other times falling. But he would always be there to pick her up.

Her eyes roved over the angled face that was glancing at her with concern. His dark orbs flashed with worry and weariness as he stumbled across the room to settle himself beside her.

“Were you out all night?” He asked sleepily, when she did not reply to his previous question.

Mii blinked back her tears and nodded. “I'm sorry, I should have called,” she apologized sincerely.

Her flat-mate flashed her a charming grin before it faded away as he inspected her haggard appearance. “What's wrong, Mii-chan?”

Gently, she took his hand and held it within her own shaking fingers. “You've been such a good friend to me, Haruki-kun.” Mii exhaled as she fixed her eyes upon the glass coffee table before her.

“Mii-chan?” The brown-haired man's voice grew alarmed by her perplexing behavior and the melancholy set of her shoulders. “Did something happen?”

“No,” she replied bitterly. “Nothing's happened. I'm just a little tired, that's all.” She was startled from her thoughts as Haruki wrapped his arm around her waist, briefly hugging her to his side.

“Do you want me to make you some coffee?”

A small smile graced Mii's lips as her flat-mate mentioned her favorite beverage. “That would be great; thank you.”

Mii watched Haruki stand up slowly. She held back a wry chuckle at the thought that her flat-mate knew more about her than Shigure ever could or would.

Haruki's bare-chested frame sauntered towards the small kitchen of their apartment. As he did so, Mii suppressed a giggle as his hand came down to his backside, tugging at the boxers that had been uncomfortably wedged between his legs. The man truly didn't know how adorable he was.

Moment's later, he returned with two steaming mugs. Mii greedily accepted the comforting liquid and took a sip before Haruki even had the chance to sit beside her. He placed his mug on the coffee table before speaking. “So... Do you want to tell me what's going on?”

She lowered her eyes away from his prying stare. “I...” Mii hesitated, almost jumping as Haruki's hand reached out to hold hers. “I don't know what's wrong,” she finished lamely.

Haruki snorted softly. “You are one of the strongest women I know, Mii-chan. Yet you're sitting beside me with tears in your eyes and you're telling me that you don't know what's wrong? Come on, give me a little bit of credit. I may be a man, but I'm not blind man.”

When she did not reply, he tried another approach. “Let me guess... It has something to do with the writer guy you work for,” he paused, “Shigure; that's his name, isn't it?”

Mii froze. With a trembling hand, she silently placed her mug of coffee upon the glass table. “How can you tell?” The whispered question seemed so loud to her own ears.

“Because,” Haruki sighed, “You're always upset when you come back from a day working him. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that the man was torturing you!”

Frowning, Mii allowed her flat-mate to pull her into a gentle embrace. Finally, she found the courage to voice her thoughts. “Why does it hurt so much, Haruki-kun?” Her broken voice questioned desperately as she found herself entwined deeper within his arms.

“What hurts?” He asked gently, rubbing her back in a comforting manner.

“Love.” Mii choked the painful word against Haruki's firm shoulder. She closed her eyes as he dropped her a kiss to her forehead. She felt him smile sadly against her temple.

“It hurts because it is real. It's raw and powerful and it consumes everything we know. Love will always hurt, Mii-chan,” he hugged her tightly, “That is the cold beauty of it.”

“Forgive me if I don't see the beautiful side of it,” she muttered dryly.

Haruki chuckled. “I know that it hurts... But you can't let it dominate your life. You need to dust away the pain so that you can face another day. You can't let it control your life.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that,” he nodded with a gentle smile.

Before Mii knew what was happening. Haruki was lifting her from the couch and moving towards her room as she was safely encased within his arms.

“What are you doing?” She struggled in his grasp as he continued to carry her.

“I'm putting you to bed,” he replied firmly. “You look exhausted and you need to get some proper sleep.”

Mii stilled her futile struggles. “Just because you sleep for most of the day, doesn't mean that I have to as well,” she joked humorlessly, “I have a lot of work to do.”

Haruki's laughter boomed with delight as he turned down the covers of her bed. Lowering her slowly, he tucked her into the warm confines of the cotton sheets. Briefly, he allowed his calloused fingers to brush away the fringe of her hair that sat across her forehead. Mii returned his comforting smile, even though she could feel the atmosphere grow tense between them.

And when Haruki finally turned to leave, she stopped his exit by lightly grasping his wrist.

Haruki's eyebrows dipped in confusion. “Mii-chan?”

“Stay,” she heard herself whisper.

A startled expression crossed his face as his brow knitted in thought.

“Are you sure?” He asked slowly.

She nodded. “I'm sure.”

With a resigned sigh, Haruki slipped under the cotton sheets as Mii shifted to make room for him of the small double bed.

They were silent for a few minutes. And if Mii hadn't been so perceptive, she would not have noticed the rising heat that grew between their bodies. She could take no more. There was nothing left to lose; especially not when a warm, pliant body lay beside her. After all, had he not confessed his love for her on of their drunken nights out? He had forgotten what he said the next morning... But Mii never forgot, she had never allowed herself to forget. Was he suffering as much as she was? Of course he was! To love and have that love unrequited was excruciatingly painful, like a dagger being slowly pushed into one's heart. Could she alleviate his pain? Would it help..?

Mii blinked and made her decision.

“Kiss me.”

The blurted request had caught Haruki off-guard. Mii almost chuckled at his gaping expression. Almost.

Without a word of resistance, Haruki leaned close to place a chaste kiss upon her cheek.

“No,” she said softly as he pulled away. “Kiss me.”

Any hesitation on Haruki's behalf was soon thrown to the way-side as he moved forward to kiss the pleading woman. Mii felt her eyes droop shut as Haruki's lips pressed deeply against hers, his tongue darting out to tease her lips apart in a fanciful gesture of warmth and acceptance. She responded by parting her pouted lips fully and deepening the kiss. It wasn't what she wanted; it wasn't who she wanted. But at that moment, nothing made any sense and she did not seem to care.

The desperation and fervor increased to untouchable heights as she felt his body move to rest above her. The weight of him on top felt so comfortable, so right. But as their tongues clashed, Mii was left feeling empty... Like the paled shell of an oyster that had just lost a precious pearl from the center of it's mouth.

Soon, their mouths parted and Mii found herself gazing up into endless pools of brown liquid, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Boldly, she took his rough hand and pressed it deftly against her clothed stomach.

Haruki stared at her blankly.

“Touch me,” she demanded quietly. “Take away the pain, Haruki; touch me.”

She was almost surprised when Haruki's lips brushed against her own as his hand slowly descended down to her thigh; his eyes grew fiery as his fingers pushed the hem of her skirt upwards and beyond.

And Mii let him. She let him kiss her and touch her so that he could take away the pain of rejection.

She let him love her, all the while picturing another man's face... A face she had grown to love with all her heart.


“I need to tell you something.”

Shigure started with surprise as the silence of the room was broken his oldest friend and cousin. He raised his dark eyes from the floor to focus upon Ayame's blank face. Shigure knew that face. It was hardly worn by the Jyuunishi snake, yet he knew what it meant because Ayame was never serious. And when he was, bad news always seemed to follow. “What is it?” He asked dubiously, casting a veiled glance to the dark-haired dragon as he sat at his desk.

Ayame took a deep breath before he began, “I should have told you sooner, but I never found the right moment. With everything that's going on now with Tohru-kun, I think this moment is the best time to tell you, while we're all here.” He was rambling.

“Spit it out, Ayame,” Hatori ordered, somewhat wary of his friend's serious behaviour.

“Mine knows.”

“Knows what?” Shigure questioned, his face revealing nothing but confusion.

“About our family secretly,” Ayame replied with aplomb. “I transformed in front of her and had to tell her the truth.”

Shigure shook his head as Hatori remained silent, staring at the white-haired man shrewdly. They could see how uncomfortable Ayame felt at being serious in their presence. Quietly, they watched as Ayame swallowed roughly, scratching at the sleeve of his red chinese jacket. "Well," he started nervously. "Say something! Anything!" He turned to Hatori with a pleading gaze.

Hatori blinked, looking down at the floor. "Ayame, we can't deal with this right now."

"What do you mean?" The snake questioned blankly.

The Sohma doctor reached into the pocket of his lab coat. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it silently, his thoughts were churning visibly upon his normally stoic face. "We have bigger problems," Hatori finally said.

There was a heavy silence between the childhood friends. And then, Ayame said something that made a chill seep into the marrow of Shigure's bones.

"I see. Let me tell you something, Hatori-san; Mine's knowledge of our curse changes nothing! It's not a problem to be dealt with. And it's certainly not your problem to handle. I'm just telling you that she knows. End of discussion."

Shigure and Hatori gaped at the silver-haired man. Never in his life has Ayame spoken so abruptly to Hatori. It shocked the doctor in dropping the accumulated ash of his cigarette upon the tatami floor. Cursing, Hatori reached down with a handkerchief and tried to rub away the stain of the ash, clearly still in shock by Ayame's cold words. The snake could be strangely frightening when he wished to be. "Ayame, you need to understand..." Hatori trailed off as he raised his head to the slated ceiling, his words disappearing as he stared into the blankness of the wood above him.

"Understand what?" Ayame snapped.

Hatori sighed irritably and looked at him. "Akito will–"

"–To hell with Akito!" The snake suddenly interrupted, his face twisted with anger and desperation. "And to hell with you! All our lives we've been conforming to him. To his rules. He doesn't deserve to meddle in our lives and certainly doesn't deserve our respect. How many times has he tried, successfully, to ruin our lives. Look at what he's done to poor Tohru-kun. She's in there with no memory of her life with her husband and child! All she ever wanted was to bring us closer together, to make us value one another and he destroyed her. I mean, for fuck's sake, you lost Kana and you're still moping about it now, not doing anything about it! When will you learn from your mistakes Hatori-san? I'm tired of obeying; I've accepted this for too long and now it's time to end it." With his tirade over, Ayame turned to stalk out of the room.

Shigure blinked several times, mulling over Ayame's truthful words. As the Jyuunishi snake was about to leave the room, he sprang into action. "Where are you going?!"

Ayame stopped mid-stride without turning to look back at them. Hatori was still gaping at his childhood friend with surprise and utter shock. "I'm going to see Akito. And I'm going to tell him about Mine." He tilted his head to offer his two old friends a view of his profile. "Hatori, if you ever follow Akito's orders to erase her memory... I'll never forgive you," he rumbled quietly.

And with that, Ayame walked out of the room and out of the villa without a single backward glance. There was no turning back for him now. The cards had been dealt and only time could tell who would rise as the winner.

Back in the silent room of Hatori's villa, with wide eyes, Shigure turned to his dragon counterpart. "What just happened?"



As time drew on, Tohru finally released Yuki from their embrace. She placed him on the wooden floor and looked down at his nezumi form with such sadness and longing that it made Yuki wish with all his heart that he could hold her... Just once. "I got you all wet," she sniffed softly, running the tip of her across the top of his furry head.



Yuki blushed profusely, glad that his fur was hiding the red stain upon his cheeks. "It's okay..." He said soothingly. "I haven't transformed in a while. I almost forgot what it felt like."



She offered him a watery smile. Soon enough though, the smile fell from her lips and he watched as her eyes sank to the floor beside him. "Why is this happening to me, Yuki-kun?" Tohru asked fiercely, yet quietly.



The Jyuunishi rat sighed despondently. "Because..." He turned away slightly so that she could see his tail twitching lazily in the air. "It's happening to you because you love and care about us, Honda-san."



By her startled expression, Yuki knew that she hadn't understood him. She voiced her confusion. "I don't know what you mean?"



Steeling himself against the anger that welled up inside his chest, Yuki looked back up at her. "Akito is sadistic," he said flatly. "He wants to hurt the things the Jyuunishi treasure... And love. He's angry at the world and we are the toys he plays with when his anger is at its peak."



He could see by her widened eyes that she was shocked and profoundly shaken by his words. "No person can be that cruel, Yuki-kun..." She murmured to herself, her face paling imperceptibly.



Yuki felt pity for the woman before him. To possess such innocence and naivety would be a crutch in life. To believe in person's morals and integrity beneath the surface of their character was foolish. Very foolish. But he pitied her, and so he said, "You may not want to believe that there are people in this world that wish to harm others intentionally... But there are, Honda-san. There are many people like Akito that enjoy seeing others suffer."



Her aqua eyes grew troubled and she looked at him shrewdly. "Since when did Yuki-kun become so cynical? I remember that you used to share my optimism."



The rat lowered his head, "That was because I knew you, Honda-san. And I lost that optimism the day Akito took you away from us."



"I'm so very sorry that I wasn't there for you, Yuki-kun. I'm so very, very sorry." The intonations of her matured voice held a trace sadness that pierced through his chest like a rusted dagger.



"It's all right. It was never your fault. It was ours... And Hatori's for letting Akito hurt you in such a way."



"Yuki-kun," Tohru reprimanded lightly, "It wasn't anybody's fault and Hatori-san didn't have a choice."



The pain in her eyes caused Yuki to shake his head as he sighed. "You are far too forgiving, Honda-san."



"Well... My mother always used to me that without forgiveness, there can't be any empathy. And if you can't understand other peoples' pain, then you won't be able to recognize your own and heal yourself."



Tohru's words rang true and Yuki found himself smiling slightly. "It's nice to have you back, Honda-san. I've missed. We all have."



She nodded, a smile flitting across her face before it faded away into a concerned expression. "Where's Kyo-kun? Is he here? I would like to see him, if that's okay..."



The brief happiness Yuki had felt, drained away from his body and came to rest in his throat like a bitter bile. Could he tell her about Kyo's condition? It would hurt her, of that he was certain. But he couldn't lie to her any longer. It was hard enough to keep himself from telling her that he loved her with all his soul. He wanted to grasp her by the shoulders and shout it to her. To the world. But he knew that Akito would gut him like a fish and string him up without remorse if he found out his true feelings for this woman. Swallowing, Yuki was about to speak when he felt the familiar tingle at the base of his spine. He rolled his eyes in reticence, and soon he was standing before Tohru's kneeling form as naked as the day he was born.



A hefty blush stained his cheeks as Tohru looked away politely with a squeal, her own cheeks burning as bright as the setting sun. He rushed to put on his suit, still as red as a tomato as he moved to knot his tie together. As he was struggling with his tie, he listened to the rustle of Tohru's hospital gown and saw that she was standing before him with an odd expression on her face. "What is it?" He asked as he muttered a curse under his breath.



He froze as he heard her giggle softly.



The sound made his knees tremble and stomach shudder. It had been so long since he heard that laugh! For many years, Yuki had deluded himself into thinking that she saved that particular laugh for him. Only with her could he watch her laugh and join her in her delight. At present, though, he had no idea why she was giggling and so he stopped wrestling with his tie to look at her with confusion.



Tohru stifled her laughter as she moved to stand in front of him. He held his breath as her delicate fingers reached up to straighten his tie. "After all these years, Yuki-kun is still having trouble with his ties?" She smiled warmly at him as she set about fixing his tie.



Yuki couldn't speak. The words of love he wished to utter were lodged in his throat like the water of a dammed river. They built up behind his lips and threatened to spill forth in an engulfing wave, when she spoke again.



"It's a good thing you have me here."



It was the same phrase she had spoken during their revealing meeting in the hallway of their old school. Yuki didn't blink for several moments, finally allowing his eyes to capture hers in a secret dance of love that only he understood. Tohru's hands froze upon his neck as she gazed up at him with veiled eyes of admiration. He barely suppressed a shiver as her thin fingers grazed the hair at the back of his neck. Feeling bolder than usual, he raised his hand to cup her cheek, brushing the pad of his thumb across the slanted angle of her cheekbone. He watched as he eyelashes fluttered against her alabaster skin and it felt as though his entire body was engulfed in flames.



Desperately, Yuki almost moved to lean down and kiss her.



But one thought of her husband and child had been enough to douse the sparked embers of his desire. He lowered his hand. "Thank you, Honda-san." He stepped away with a grateful smile, his heart aching with every beat it took.



She looked at him, confused. "You're welcome."




The Honke was ridiculously silent as Ayame stepped towards the large doors that would lead him into the house. His previous anger had been forgotten and instead, worry took a hold of him with cold finality. He would be signing Mine's death warrant if he confronted Akito... But it had to be done. Whatever trials and tribulations the demi-god would set in their path, they would eventually overcome and rise out from it stronger than before. They had to. He knew that their love was strong and infinite... And that they would pull through. Gods, he loved her like nothing else in the universe. And that was his only reason for coming to confront the Sohma family's tormentor. She was his purpose.



Raising his white-knuckled fist, he gently rapped on the door.



The old, gray-haired housekeeper answered with a small scowl on her face. "Master Ayame-san," she said smoothly.



The snake nodded. "I wish to see Akito-san."



"Master Akito-san is not well, he does not wish to see anyone."



Ayame's golden eyes flashed coldly. "Tell him that I'm here. I'm not leaving until I see him."



"I already told you!" The woman's voice rose, "He is not fit to have visitors."



"And I am telling you to move out of my way, or I will be forced to shout for him to come out."



The housekeeper's scowl deepened dreadfully. "Follow me."