Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me save for little Kaiya. Everyone else belongs to Natsuki Takaya.
Wrap Around My Heart
By: Celticreeder
Ayame Sohma woke feeling as though something was different but he didn't know what. It was a feeling deep inside that he had never felt before. He didn't feel sick or uncomfortable; in fact he felt perfectly fine just—different. Getting up, Ayame moved towards the bathroom to look at himself. Yes, he was still Ayame Sohma. He still had his long, long straight silver hair, large stunningly golden eyes and that dazzling smile. Yes, he didn't look different so what was wrong? Deciding that since he wasn't sick it was just best to ignore the feeling, he stripped his sleeping yukata and took his shower.
He washed quickly and upon stepping out of the shower he glanced at the clock. 7:37AM! He was running late! He was meeting Tohru Honda at his shop at 8:00. Tohru was in her final year of high school and was working part time at Ayame's shop in order to earn extra money so that she could go to college. She had been worried that she wouldn't be able to go since she only made so much money at her other job working for Momiji Sohma's father, so when Ayame had heard Tohru's plight, he had jumped at the chance to help her. His other assistant, Mine, was engaged to be married this summer and so she wasn't spending as much time at the shop as she used to and Ayame needed a new assistant to replace her. So he had asked Tohru to work for him.
It had taken very little persuasion on his part since Tohru is such a sweet girl who can't stand to see anybody upset so she had readily agreed as long as it didn't bother anyone else. His brother Yuki and cousin Kyo had been rather put out about the situation but when they saw that Tohru was happy about getting to work, they had relented and had warned Ayame about getting too close to the innocent rice ball. Despite his carefree manner, Ayame had taken their warning seriously since he could not bring himself to hurt Tohru in any way.
Ayame quickly dressed and braided his hair and rushed to the door. If he knew Tohru she would have a warm box of muffins and nice hot tea waiting for him at the shop. She always brought muffins and made tea since nine times out of ten Ayame ended up forgetting to eat breakfast. He quickly hailed a taxi and fifteen minutes later he stepped into his shop breathing heavily.
"Ayame-san, is that you?" Tohru's sweet voice called from the back just before she stepped out from behind the curtain.
"Hai, Tohru-kun, it's me. Sorry I'm late," Ayame smiled as he flipped his braid over his shoulder with a casual flick of his hand.
"That's alright it is your shop after all; I just got here myself a couple of minutes ago. I missed my bus and had to wait for the next one," Tohru said softly, her cheeks coloring.
"Ah sweet Princess, if I had the means I would provide you with a carriage to take you to and from where ever you needed to go!" Ayame declared dramatically.
"Ah, Ayame-san, you don't have to do that!" Tohru laughed nervously waving her hands in front of her face.
"But it is the least I could do for you, Tohru-kun," breathed Ayame, grabbing her hands in his.
Tohru flushed bright red as she looked at the hebi of the Zodiac. She had always loved Ayame's eyes. They were such a beautiful, hypnotic shade of gold surrounded by long dark lashes. If there was one thing that Ayame was, it was beautiful. Tohru often wondered why he was still single. She had never seen him with any woman other than Mine and that was only on a professional level. She had thought, at one time, that he may have preferred men but after listening to Hatori-san and Shigure-san tell stories about their childhood Tohru knew Ayame was as hetero-sexual as any red blooded man. So, it had to be the fact that he was a member of the Zodiac, a cursed Sohma that kept him from enjoying the opposite sex.
"Is something wrong, Tohru?" Ayame asked softly.
"Eh, uh, no, nothing is wrong, Ayame-san. I was just thinking how beautiful you're eyes are, uh…I mean, that is to say…" Tohru began to get flustered as she spoke and Ayame just smiled.
"Why thank you, Tohru that is a lovely thing to say." Tohru just blushed and looked down. "Now, did you happen to bring any muffins? I seem to have missed breakfast again."
"Muffins? Oh, yes, they're in the back. I made tea too. I'll go get some for you," Tohru smiled brightly, turning to leave.
"No, that's alright, Tohru-kun, I can get them myself. You just stay right here," Ayame smiled, reaching out to grab Tohru's hand.
"But…Oh!" Tohru had stepped on a trailing bit of cloth from one of the numerous bolts of cloth on the shelves and slipped on the material. Ayame, eyes wide, reached out to catch her and prevent her from falling. His arms wrapped around her as she fell back against him and they tumbled to the ground.
"Oh, Ayame-san, I am so sorry! Are you all right?" Tohru cried, sitting up and turning around to assess the damage.
"I'm fine Tohru, see, no harm done," Ayame smiled brightly. "It's very heard to hurt a snake."
Tohru's eyes widened at that comment and Ayame feared he had said something wrong. He glanced down at himself to make sure none of his buttons had come undone but upon seeing they were all nicely buttoned he frowned in confusion and looked back up to the young woman kneeling in front of him.
"A…Ayame-san, you didn't change," Tohru breathed, reaching out to gently touch his cheek.
It suddenly occurred to Ayame that she was indeed correct. He had not transformed into a small white snake even though his chest had most defiantly been pressed up against Tohru's back. Wondering if maybe it was a fluke, Ayame reached out without any warning and pulled Tohru against himself, this time chest flush against chest. After a couple of seconds and nothing happened, Ayame looked down at Tohru with wide eyes.
"What's going on," he breathed.
"I…I don't know, Ayame-san. Do…do you think the curse is broken?" Tohru asked, her brown eyes shining with confusion.
Ayame frowned in thought. As far as he knew Akito was still alive which meant the curse should not be broken. But then why could he hold Tohru the way so many members of the Zodiac wished they could with a non-cursed member of the opposite sex and not transform? His head was starting to hurt from thinking so hard about this, especially since he was hungry.
"I must call Ha-san. He will know what is going on," Ayame said, rising with Tohru still clasped in his arms. "But first, breakfast."
With that Ayame turned and, leaving Tohru standing amongst the rows of cloths, he went through the curtain to the back room to eat before calling Hatori.
Tohru sighed and wondered about the strange man. He was so full of energy. He was so much like Shigure that at times it was almost scary but she knew Ayame was afraid of being left alone. He always tries so hard to keep people around him with his smile and sense of humor that he seems to end up pushing people away faster than he pulls them towards him, Tohru thought with a sad frown. It was true. Ayame Sohma talked so fast sometimes that he never seemed to know what he was saying and in doing so he tended to say the wrong thing to the wrong people. He was such an outgoing person that he tended to push himself onto those he wished to be around and thus smothered them with himself. And the more people backed away in hopes of putting some space between him and themselves, the more Ayame pushed forward. His own brother Yuki couldn't even stand to be in the same room as the hebi and Kyo, well, Kyo just didn't really like anyone very much being the outcast of the cursed members. Even Shigure and Hatori got tired of him after awhile.
However, Tohru wished she could spend more time with the flamboyant hebi. After coming to work for him she had gotten to know him better. He was funny and he knew a lot about clothes and people. He was also one of the few members of the Zodiac who lived outside of the Honke, the Sohma main house. In fact, Ayame lived in the city. Tohru had not had the chance to see his house yet but she hoped to someday. She imagined it would reflect the man who lived there: full of elegance and color though not in a garish way but tastefully done. Maybe pastel colors.
Tohru cast a quick glance at the curtain before turning to begin working. She needed to take inventory so that Ayame could order what was needed for June. They always took inventory every two weeks. She was working on one of the rows on the right side of the shop when Ayame entered from the back.
"Ha-san doesn't know what's going on either but he'll check some of the Sohma history books and see if anything like this has ever happened before."
"Oh, that's good," Tohru said with a smile.
"Hai, it is," Ayame said softly, looking at the rice ball.
Tohru flushed under his gaze. She had seen Yuki look at her like that several times in the past but when they had discovered that a romance between them just wasn't meant to be, he had shifted his attentions elsewhere, namely to one Matoko Minagawa even though she had already graduated. Now Tohru wondered why Ayame, the stylish and sophisticated Ayame, was looking at her that way.
Ayame gently raised a hand to cup Tohru's cheek. Ever since this little onigiri had entered into the Sohma family's life she had snatched their hearts one by one in different ways. However, Ayame knew that she had snatched his the way Kana had snatched Hatori's so many years ago. Ayame didn't know how or when he had fallen in love with the little rice ball but he had. He was willing to give up his rather flamboyant ways just to keep her by his side if she would have him. He had refrained from making any moves since Yuki had seemed so attentive of her but now that he knew his brother cared for someone else, Ayame felt that he needed to tell Tohru how he felt before someone else came along and took her away.
It wasn't everyday that a member of the Zodiac found someone to love in that way. Hatori had been one of the few lucky ones and it had ended badly for him. Hiro cared deeply for little Kisa and even their relationship was rocky. Members of the Zodiac were not encouraged to find love. They were not meant to have it as the Head of the Sohma family, Akito, so happily informed them time and time again. However, Akito had allowed Tohru to keep her memories of the Sohma family and while Ayame was still a little weary as to why, he was not going to let this opportunity slip away. He could hold Tohru the way he had always wanted to and even if this was only a brief thing he was going to take what he could. So, gazing softly into Tohru's eyes, he slowly lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers.
Tohru stiffened in his arms before she relaxed. The clip board and pencil clattering to the floor as her fingers went lax and her arms rose slowly up to his arms. She rose on tip toe and pressed her lips more firmly against his. Taking this as a sign that she was encouraging him, Ayame angled his head and deepened the kiss and pulled her flush against his body. For the first time in his entire life, save for the few times he was hugged by a member of the Zodiac, Ayame felt the press of a woman's chest against his own for longer than a couple of seconds.
His head was reeling as he slowly broke the kiss and opened his eyes. Tohru was flushed, her lips slightly swollen and as she opened her own eyes he saw they were a deep dark chocolate brown filled with desire. Ayame couldn't resist their pull and he lowered his head to repeat the kiss, Tohru immediately rose to meet him half way. However, before their lips met the sound of the door opening was heard. A customer had entered the store.
Ayame cursed silently at the interruption. He looked at Tohru and knew she wasn't in any state to greet the customer as she would normally do. So, stepping back Ayame smiled softly at her before calling out to the customer.
"Be right with you."
"Thank you," the man called back.
Ayame turned back to Tohru and was both pleased and disappointed to see that she had returned to taking inventory. Straightening his clothes and smoothing any loose strands of hair, he turned and made his way to the front of the shop to meet the customer.
Tohru let out a breath as she heard Ayame move to greet the customer. She had just experienced her very first kiss and with the exotic Ayame Sohma! Tohru wondered if he felt the same way she did or if it had just been a heat of the moment kind of thing. Oh, Kami, please let it be the former, she prayed clutching the clip-board against her chest. She could hear Ayame speaking with the customer and wondered briefly why he would ever think of kissing someone like her. He was so sophisticated. He owned his own store, a very successful store at that. He knew when to listen even if at times he didn't seem to. After all, he was listening to the customer right now and even offering helpful suggestions. He had been class President when he was in school, and even though some of the stories he told were rather ridiculous making Tohru wonder how exactly he had won the position, it was times like now that let her know why.
Yet, she still couldn't figure out why he would kiss her. She was a nobody! She wasn't anything special. She wasn't beautiful like Kagura or her friend Hana and she wasn't smart like Yuki and she certainly wasn't very coordinated like Kyo or Hatsuharu. She could cook and she tried to make everybody feel better but she didn't think she did very a good job at times. If she did then wouldn't Yuki and Kyo be better friends? Wouldn't Yuki and Ayame have a better relationship? Wouldn't Hiro like her better? Of course, as she was told on several occasions by the sheep and Akito, she couldn't make everyone happy so why keep trying?
Tohru slowly sank to her knees at that thought. Why did she keep trying? Did any of the Zodiac members really need her any more, if they ever did to begin with? They had lived happily before she had come about, hadn't they? Granted, Shigure's house never looked cleaner but even he could have eventually gotten someone to come and clean for him. Kyo could cook so was Tohru really even needed? She would be graduating in a month and would hopefully be going to college so she wouldn't even be staying with Shigure anymore. She would leave and they would go back to a life without her. She would probably even end up having her memories erased so it wouldn't even matter that she was gone.
Ayame found her still sitting there a few minutes later after the customer had left with his purchase. He was alarmed to see her just sitting there, staring at nothing with wide eyes filled with tears.
"Tohru! What's wrong?" he cried, rushing to her side.
She turned pained eyes up to him and promptly burst into tears. "I…I'm sorry Ayame-san! I don't mean to be a burden!"
"Tohru, you're not a burden," Ayame said with a small smile. "You're a breath of fresh air. I haven't enjoyed work this much in a long time."
"But I cause nothing but trouble for every one of you. I upset you all!" Tohru cried.
"Tohru, no, no you don't! I don't know what has brought this about but I'm sorry if the kiss upset you earlier. I won't do it again if that is what has upset you!" Ayame insisted pulling Tohru tightly against him.
"No, the kiss was wonderful Ayame-san. I've wanted you to do that for so long but I'm nothing but a stupid girl who can't do anything right!"
Ayame's breath froze in his throat at her admission to the kiss. She had wanted him to kiss her? Even before this morning? Did that mean she returned his feelings? Ayame pulled back to look down at her. She raised her eyes to his and then tried to look away but he cupped her cheek in his hand and stopped her.
"Tohru, you are not stupid. You have brought laughter and happiness back into all of our hearts. I know some of us may not seem any different, Lucky Kyo for one and Hatori for another but they are. You always know just the right thing to say to make us feel better whether you believe it or not. When I first met you and you told me what your mother always said I felt better right away. It was exactly what I needed to hear and I even told you so. I may not exactly be on better terms with Yuki but he at least talks to me now and he has seen my shop on several occasions which means more to me than if he had suddenly expressed an interest in everything I did. Don't ever feel you are not important to us Sohmas. So many things have changed for the better since you joined us. We don't feel so lonely anymore and while I can't exactly speak for everyone else I don't feel as distanced from my family anymore. You have brought us closer together and we love you for that," Ayame breathed heatedly to her, his golden eyes flashing with passion.
"Love…me?"
"Yes, Tohru we all love you in so many different ways I'm surprised you haven't seen it."
"How…how do you love me, Ayame-san?" Tohru breathed, her chest constricting at her desire and dread to hear his answer. He was silent for several moments before taking a deep breath and answering.
"Tohru, I love you the way a man loves a woman. The way Hatori loved Kana, the way your mother loved your father."
Tohru's breath hitched at his admission. Tears filled her eyes only this time they were tears of happiness. "Oh, Ayame-san, I love you too!" And she flung her arms around him tightly as he leaned his head down and captured her lips in a heated kiss.
Ayame moaned as he deepened the kiss. His tongue slipped into her mouth easily and he pulled her into his lap. He vaguely thought that they should move to the back of the shop in case any more customers entered but when her tongue slipped shyly into his own mouth all thoughts flew out the window.
When the phone in the back room suddenly rang Ayame was brought abruptly back to reality. He was laying half over Tohru, having pushed her to lie back on the floor. Her skirt was raised high upon her thighs, thighs that he was currently nestled between. He could feel the warmth there and it only strove to make him harder. As the phone continued to ring he knew he needed to answer it. So, standing up, he pulled Tohru up with him and hurried into the back room with her.
Still holding her hand, he grabbed the receiver. "Ayame Sohma speaking, how may I help you?"
"Ayame? It's Hatori," the rather flat voice of the Sohma family doctor and Dragon of the Zodiac, spoke up.
Ayame's eyes snapped to Tohru's. "Ha-san! It's so wonderful to hear from you! Tell me, have you learned anything?"
"Hai. It took me a while to find the book and I had to call Shigure to help me but I have found out what I believe is going on," the sound of a cigarette lighter was heard on the other end before Hatori spoke again. "It seems every century there is one day, no specific day, on which the curse is temporarily broken. It has to do with the cat. Because the cat was not part of the feast he was the reason for the curse. However, since all of the other animals showed up, it was deemed appropriate that all the cursed Zodiac members be allowed one day every one hundred years to be free as a reward for showing up. Today appears to be that day."
Ayame held Tohru's gaze for a long silent moment, a grin spreading upon his face. "Ha-san, you have just made me very happy."
"I'm sure I have made several members happy," Hatori said softly.
"Hai, I'm sure you have. However, I must return to my work. I expect you to spend your day accordingly, Ha-san," Ayame said, giving Tohru a look full of meaning.
The little rice ball flushed and she grinned shyly. A few minutes later Ayame hung up the phone and turned to face her fully. She looked at him expectantly.
"What did Hatori-san say?"
"The curse is broken for the day. It will return tomorrow but one day is good enough for me," Ayame grinned pulling her closer to him.
"But why wasn't it broken last year or the year before?"
"It only happens every one hundred years. I'll explain it to you later. Right now, there was something I left off doing and wish to return to."
Ayame lowered his head and captured her willing lips with his again. She moaned and tightened her grip around his neck. Ayame backed her up towards the couch against the wall and pressed her down upon it. He broke the kiss to nibble along her jaw and down her neck. Tohru's head fell back with a sigh as she dug her fingers into his hair. Ayame began to work on the buttons on her white button down shirt. His kisses followed his fingers. Once the shirt was unbuttoned he quickly divested her of it and tossed it aside before reattaching his mouth to her upper breast. She wore a plain white bra with only a little bow in the middle. Leave it to Tohru to wear modest underwear, he thought with a grin. He would have to remedy that with some of his own designs for the future.
He made quick work of the bra and it joined the shirt on the floor. He sat back on his heels and looked down at the flushed girl spread out before him. Her eyes were heavy lidded and dark with desire and love. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips were swollen from his kisses. She had never looked more beautiful. He lifted a slightly trembling hand to her cheek and then slowly dragged it down her neck and down to her breast where he gently cupped it in his hand. She jerked and moaned as he squeezed it. He smiled softly before lowering his head to her other breast and captured the nipple in his mouth.
Tohru gave a high pitched squeak as he laved the nipple with his tongue. He switched his attention to her other breast as her fingers delved into his hair, pulling it from its braid. Soon he shifted his attention to her skirt. He made quick work of it and it, along with her plain white underwear, joined the shirt and bra. He again sat back on his heels to admire her now that she was completely nude. He felt his throat tighten.
"Kami-sama you are beautiful," he breathed.
Tohru again blushed and tried to cover herself up. Ayame quickly captured her hands and pushed them to the side with a shake of his head. "No, koi let me look at you."
When he felt he had looked long enough without her getting too uncomfortable, he leaned back down and captured her lips with his. His hand drifted down along her stomach to the patch of curls between her legs. Questing fingers soon found what they were looking for and he jerked at finding her so wet already. He slipped a finger gently into her folds and teased her little nub of nerves with his thumb. Her hips jerked and she moaned into his mouth as he worked another finger in. A moment later she came with a cry. Ayame smiled as he slowed his pumping fingers and then withdrew them completely. She was so hot and tight even against his fingers. He could only imagine how she would feel against his manhood.
Thinking of that, Ayame sat up and made fast work of his own clothes. When he was as nude as Tohru he knelt between her legs again. Tohru looked at him with shining eyes. Kissing her again he shifted himself to press against her entrance. Looking deeply into her eyes he looked for any hesitation.
"This will hurt, Tohru. Are you sure?"
"I love you, Ayame. I want to belong to you," Tohru said softly.
Ayame nodded and deciding that it would be best to do it quickly he thrust in one smooth motion. Tohru choked and stiffened in his arms; tears of pain filling her eyes. Ayame froze, quickly kissing the tears away amongst whispered reassurances. When she finally relaxed she raised her head and pressed a soft kiss against his lips. That was all Ayame needed to know that she was ready to continue. Pulling back, he thrust back in and set a steady rhythm.
Tohru hadn't been fully prepared for the pain of Ayame's entrance. She had heard from Uo-chan that the first time hurt but she didn't know it would hurt that much. It had been a sharp stinging pain that had completely taken her breath away and not in a good sense. She had wanted to pull away and curl up and cry but she knew that it could only get better if what Uo-chan said was correct. So she had held on, willing the pain to fade and was rewarded for her efforts. Now the pain had faded into delicious pleasure. She opened her eyes and her breath caught.
Ayame was moving above her. His eyes were closed, his face flushed, his hair moving about him like a silken cape and an expression of utter delight and pleasure covered his face. He was moaning her name on every other thrust and Tohru felt her own pleasure growing to that feeling she had felt earlier. The build up that she knew would lead to an exquisite explosion. Ayame must have felt it too for his eyes snapped open and locked with hers and his thrusts picked up speed, becoming more erratic. Tohru raked her nails down his back and sides as she arched her hips up to meet his thrusts. A keening cry of pleasure erupted from her mouth as the tight pleasure gave way. Ayame cried out as well, letting go and filling her womb with his seed.
As they came down from their high Ayame almost moved off of her to keep from changing into the snake before he remembered that the curse was temporarily broken. So he pulled Tohru flush against him and rolled over on the couch. Tohru gave a soft sigh of satisfaction and snuggled against his neck, pressing a kiss on his jaw.
"Ai shiteru, Tohru," Ayame said softly.
"Ai shiteru, Ayame," Tohru mumbled as she drifted into a light doze.
Ayame smiled and held her tighter against his chest. He reveled in the feeling of her naked breasts against his own chest. He would let her rest for a few minutes before making love to her again. He cast a glance at the clock. It was nearing lunch time. He would make love to her one more time, possibly two more, and then take her out to lunch. He was not going to let her out of his sight for the rest of the day. He knew it was selfish in the sense that the other members of the Zodiac might want to be with her for a little while but he didn't want to share her now that he knew she loved him as much as he loved her. When Tohru sighed, Ayame knew it was time to resume their activities.
Lunch was a simple event. They ate at the same diner that they had eaten at when Ayame had first met Tohru. They laughed and fed each other, their eyes solely for one another. Anyone looking at them would be hard pressed to say that they weren't in love.
When they were finished they decided to take a walk around. They stopped at a park and watched the children playing in the playground. Tohru smiled softly at them and held Ayame's arm tightly.
"What are you thinking, Tohru-chan?" Ayame asked softly.
"That I would love to have a little girl of my own," Tohru answered before she even realized it.
Ayame froze at her admission. In his mind's eye he suddenly saw a little girl with long brown hair and large golden eyes running up to him with a wide grin containing several missing teeth. He scooped her up and held her to his chest and the next instant he was a little white snake curled in her arms. Oh how he wanted that child but how could he raise one when he was a member of the Zodiac? He had seen what the curse did to families. So many parents didn't want to have anything to do with the cursed child and children didn't want to have anything to do with a cursed parent. He recalled what had happened to the cat before Kyo, Kazuma's grandfather. He had been locked away from everyone until he died. Ayame couldn't raise a little girl knowing he would transform every time she hugged him! She would hate him, and yet Tohru loved him; she knew about the curse and accepted every one of the members. With her as a mother the child would still know she was loved and Tohru would never abandon the little girl or even him!
Ayame shifted his gaze to the petite woman standing next to him. "You'll make a wonderful mother, Tohru."
Tohru blushed and looked down with a shy smile. "I'd like to think so and I think Ayame-san would make a wonderful father. You're always so attentive and you always try to make people happy."
Ayame felt himself flush at the compliment as well. He tried to laugh it off, "Ah, Tohru-kun, you always know just what to say! I thank you for that lovely thought! I must remember to tell Yuki you said that."
Tohru's eyes widened in shock. "Oh, Ayame-san I'm so sorry! I forgot what would happen if you had a daughter! Forgive me!"
"Ah Tohru-chan, there is nothing to forgive. I had just never thought about having children before. It's not something we members of the Zodiac think about. However, a little girl with long brown hair and big golden eyes would be nice to have," Ayame said softly, gazing steadily down at Tohru.
"She sounds adorable," Tohru smiled.
"How about it, Tohru? Do you think it's possible to get that little girl?"
Tohru felt her throat constrict at his implication. He seriously wanted to have a baby with her? Swallowing hard Tohru shifted her gaze out towards the playground full of kids again. She saw a young man and woman laughing at the swings where two little girls were swinging. The man and woman were pushing the girls all while gazing lovingly at each other. Tohru felt her heart beat speed up as she turned back to face Ayame.
"I think we should give it our best shot, Ayame-san," she answered softly, smiling.
Ayame returned the grin and pulled her into a sweet kiss. When he pulled back he held out his arm towards her. "Shall we then?"
Tohru grinned and looped her arm through his and allowed him to lead her off towards his flat. Yes, a little girl with brown hair and golden eyes was just what Ayame needed, she thought.
Epilogue
Kaiya Sohma raced through the store, pealing with laughter. She could hear the sound of feet running after her but because she was so small her pursuer wasn't able to keep up. She rounded a corner and bumped into a solid object. She fell to the floor and looked up. Her father stared down at her, his arms crossed over his chest, a frown on his beautiful face.
"Kaiya Sohma, what have I told you about running around in my shop?" Ayame Sohma asked sternly.
Kaiya swallowed and looked away, tears filling her golden eyes, eyes very much like her father's. "Not to do it," she whispered, her bottom lip trembling.
"Yes, so why were you running?"
Kaiya sniffed and looked behind her. Her pursuer had stopped pursuing. When her father asked her his question again Kaiya looked up at him and sniffed again, this time wiping her nose with the back of her sleeve.
"'Cause Mama was chasing me," the little girl answered.
Her father stiffened and raised his head to look behind his daughter. A grin spread upon his face. "Tohru Sohma! I'm surprised at you! What kind of example are you setting for my daughter? Oh the shame of it all!" he cried out dramatically. Kaiya giggled.
Tohru stepped out from behind the stack of cloth, a sheepish smile on her face. "We were just playing," she said, twisting her hands together in front of her much like a child.
"Tohru, Tohru, Tohru, you set these rules, so why aren't you enforcing them?" Ayame asked, shaking his head as he moved towards his wife.
"Because you always caused a mess when you didn't follow them. I don't," Tohru said, raising her chin defiantly.
"You never complained about it before," Ayame rumbled softly so that his daughter wouldn't hear.
"That was before you insisted on allowing Kaiya to come here and keep you company at work. Kisa was perfectly happy babysitting her."
"Are you saying its Kaiya's fault then?"
"No, I'm saying we need to spend tonight alone together and leave Kaiya with Kisa," Tohru said softly, her eyes darkening with suggested desire.
"That can be arranged, koi," Ayame whispered before lowering his head down to capture Tohru's lips in a heated kiss.
The sound of their daughter making disgusted noises broke them apart. Ayame looked over at his daughter and with a laugh began to chase her around the shop. Kaiya's laughter mixed with her father's and mother's and the sound of a loud 'Poof' let anyone know that Kaiya had been caught by her father. At the sound of their laughter no one could argue that Ayame had wrapped around Tohru's heart and vice versa.
The End